Chinese fantasy finds fans overseas

Just 10 minutes into Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, a popular online drama, the female character is struck by lightning and killed, swiftly followed by the denouement and the words "The End".

This isn't the show's actual ending; it's a clever plot twist. Unlikely, hilarious, and boldly imaginative, the new costume drama has quickly garnered praise online, as evidenced by its 7.6 out of 10 rating on the popular review aggregator Douban.

Starring Yu Shuxin and Ding Yuxi, the 32-episode saga simultaneously made its debut on the domestic streaming platform Tencent Video and various international platforms, including Netflix, YouTube, Rakuten Viki, Viu, and WeTV, on Nov 1.

Unfolding with a scene relatable to many modern office workers, Ling Miaomiao, the female protagonist, finds her wish for a relaxing weekend shattered by her demanding boss. While trying to shake off the stress by reading her favorite fantasy novel, Ling suddenly undertakes a magical journey into the fictional world of the book — an ancient realm where humans and monsters coexist.

A mysterious voice whispers to her, revealing that the only way for her to return to her own world is to help defeat the main monster and save the world, while striving to mend her strained relationship with a monster hunter, a character from the book who is destined to marry her.

Featuring various monsters including a demon in a mirror, the drama draws inspiration from Chinese mythology and folklore. One of its main references is the Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Rivers), an ancient collection written around 2,000 years ago.

According to the producers, the drama is set to expand into more foreign markets, including South Korea, Japan and Vietnam, with the goal of demonstrating the appeal and beauty of Chinese fantasy to a global audience.

As a result of its popularity on overseas platforms, exemplified by ratings of 9.4 on Rakuten Viki and 8.5 on IMDb, the series is also being translated into 11 languages, including German, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Polish, and Slovak, according to the producers.