Culture & Sports
21:41, 05-Jul-2017
Chinese TV series criticized for blatant product placement
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By CGTN's Sun Tianyuan
2.3 out of 10 – that’s how viewers rated the Chinese remake of the hit Japanese manga Shinya Shokudo – better known as Midnight Canteen.
One viewer said she gave up after watching the first two episodes of 'Midnight Diner' due to the constant and blatant product placement.
CGTN Photo
CGTN Photo
Many viewers were hoping to see more heart-warming stories, but instead, what they saw were product placements which feel like commercials.
Wan Peng, an industry insider, said these decisions were not merely up to the director. Sponsors usually demand product inserts in earlier episodes, due to higher viewership.
Screenshot of Midnight Diner/CGTN Photo
Screenshot of Midnight Diner/CGTN Photo
However, the plan backfired.
85 percent of users on Chinese social networking site Douban gave the show just one star. In stark contrast, the Japanese version had a rating of 9.2.