In December, there weren't many major TV dramas premiering across the country.
But come January and the Spring Festival season, that would change entirely. Several large-scale, heavily promoted productions were set to enter the fray, triggering a brutally intense battle for viewership ratings.
That's why for many small to mid-budget dramas, December was a rare window of opportunity. A good number of new shows, including weekend dramas, chose to debut during this quieter period.
As a modestly budgeted new drama, 'Autumn in My Heart' pulled in a domestic viewership rating of 0.22% and 0.26% for its first and second episodes, respectively. This was an eye-catching surprise, marking it as a potential dark horse in the TV landscape!
Whether it could hold its ground against the high-profile dramas airing in January, however, was still anyone's guess.
As for online streaming, 'Autumn in My Heart' faced even tougher competition. WeChat Video's in-house production 'Sweetheart CEO' was crushing it in terms of view count.
But for those paying close attention, it became clear that when you looked beyond the numbers, 'Autumn in My Heart' might not be losing at all.
The key lay in viewer ratings and comments.
As of December 15th:
'Sweetheart CEO'
• Views: 27 million+
• Rating: 6.4
• Comments: 120,000+
'Autumn in My Heart'
• Views: 11 million+
• Rating: 8.9
• Comments: 110,000+
That means although 'Autumn in My Heart' had less than half the view count of 'Sweetheart CEO', the number of comments was nearly the same, and its rating was a full 2.5 points higher!
Granted, ratings and view counts don't always correlate. Plenty of popular shows have low ratings, while some high-rated dramas flop. But when you combine comment quantity and quality, the picture becomes clearer.
The comment section for 'Sweetheart CEO' was overwhelmingly filled with complaints:
"Another mindless IP adaptation. The script has no logic, the plot is a mess!"
"Tao Sicheng's acting is decent. Definitely a handsome guy. But Jing Yao looks way too old for her role."
"Did Jing Yao get work done? Her smile looks so forced, like her face can't move."
"My girlfriend made me watch this, I almost threw up. I couldn't even make it through one episode!"
"Never read the original novel, but the storyline is so cliché. Another 'dominant CEO + Mary Sue' setup."
"Let's be real, the cast is hot. That's the only reason to watch."
"It's a city glam drama, just here for the outfit changes, haha."
"I like Tao Sicheng too!"
By contrast, negative comments for 'Autumn in My Heart' were rare. Even those that were critical didn't attack the storyline:
"The cinematography is so beautiful!"
"Really interesting drama. The first episode pulled me right in."
"Yin Enxi is so pitiful. If she hadn't been switched at birth, her life would've been totally different."
"If I were Yin Enxi, I might've ended it all…"
"I heard this is a tragedy? Ugh, I don't like sad endings!"
"Little Yin Junxi is so handsome!"
"Cui Xin'ai is such a scheming witch, so heartless."
"But she's pitiful too… Growing up in that kind of household really messes you up."
"Um… when does Lu Chen appear?"
"Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er are supposed to show up in Episode 3. I read the novel he posted on his blog."
"Can't wait for Episode 3!"
If you looked purely at investment and cast lineup, 'Sweetheart CEO' would easily crush 'Autumn in My Heart'. The former was planned for 40 episodes, boasted a lineup of well-known domestic actors, and was adapted from a hit online novel.
But big budgets and star-studded casts don't guarantee success. There are plenty of examples in Chinese cinema where blockbuster productions with A-list stars completely bombed, and even ad sales couldn't cover the losses.
TV dramas are no different. Audience taste is hard to predict. 'Sweetheart CEO' was purely commercial, designed to cater to a young audience demographic on every level.
'Autumn in My Heart', on the other hand, stood apart from the trendy youth idol dramas of the time. Its story wasn't bright or idealistic from the start, it hinted at tragedy right out of the gate.
Yet, it still managed to resonate with a huge audience and earn their love.
December 19th, amid eager anticipation from many fans, 'Autumn in My Heart' aired Episode 3 on schedule.
December 20th, Episode 4 followed.
"Cui Xin'ai, driven by jealousy toward Yin Enxi, schemed to make Enxi live a harsh and miserable life. Meanwhile, Enxi, upon learning she would be returning to her biological mother, had no choice but to watch in pain as her beloved foster parents and adopted brother prepared to immigrate to the U.S.. She was utterly helpless.
Time passed. Yin Junxi and Cui Xin'ai completed their studies and returned to their hometown. By then, Enxi was working as a hotel telephone operator. Junxi, now preparing for an engagement, was still haunted by memories of Enxi and wanted to find his long-lost "sister", but returned disappointed every time.
On the other side, Junxi's close friend Han Taixi, being an illegitimate child, had been arranged by his father to live at one of the family-owned hotels. It was during this time that he met Enxi. This encounter also gave Junxi the chance to reunite with Enxi."
Episodes 3 and 4 of 'Autumn in My Heart' served as a bridge, connecting past events with what's to come. The male lead and all the major supporting characters officially made their appearance, and the storyline truly began to heat up.
0.31% and 0.35%, those were the national viewership ratings for these two episodes!
With that, 'Autumn in My Heart' soared to the #1 spot in viewership among similar TV dramas airing in the same time slot, completely solidifying its image as a dark horse.
Naturally, this created a significant stir in the entertainment industry. Many production studios and entertainment management companies quickly shifted their attention to this unlikely hit.
If the 0.22% and 0.26% ratings from the first two episodes had only surprised people, then the ratings for episodes 3 and 4 truly stunned them. A lot of industry insiders simply couldn't understand what was happening, and began to reflect on it.
Lu Chen's blog-updated novel, the early trailers, and even the theme song had all clearly indicated that this wasn't a cheerful, feel-good youth idol drama.
So why were so many people watching it?
While the current ratings were still a bit short of being considered a nationwide sensation, the speed at which they were climbing was already on par with the hottest titles.
Had the audience's tastes changed overnight?
After watching the first four episodes, one industry insider posted an analytical blog article breaking down the reasons for the show's success. They highlighted 'Autumn in My Heart''s many strengths:
First, the storyline is fresh and unique, avoiding clichés and standing out from other dramas in the same category.
Second, the director and screenwriter clearly cared deeply about their work. There were no obvious plot holes, and the characters were portrayed without exaggeration or melodrama. The narrative unfolded in a gentle, deliberate rhythm that gradually built toward emotional climaxes, making it very engaging.
The themes of family, friendship, and love were presented in a subtle yet powerful way, showcasing the director's deep storytelling skill.
Additionally, the acting was praised, particularly the standout performance by Lu Chen, who was starring in a TV drama for the first time. His portrayal of Yin Junxi, handsome, melancholic, calm and composed, was so convincing that it was hard to believe he'd never acted in a film or studied acting professionally.
The same went for Chen Fei'er, also acting in a TV drama for the first time. Her portrayal of Enxi was pure, gentle, and moving. Though she still had a few rough edges in her performance, she still left a deep impression on viewers.
Because of all these strengths, the blogger confidently predicted that 'Autumn in My Heart''s ratings would continue to rise, its true test would come in January.
The final month of 2015 was destined to belong to 'Autumn in My Heart'.
The show's popularity also translated to streaming. With Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er now on screen, the view counts for Episodes 3 and 4 skyrocketed, quickly catching up to 'Sweetheart CEO'.
In fact, Episode 4 alone surpassed 10 million views, trailing 'Sweetheart CEO' by just a few hundred thousand.
Even more impressive, 'Autumn in My Heart''s viewer rating rose to 9.1, and the comment count broke 500,000+, all without a drop in quality or satisfaction despite a growing audience.
Meanwhile, 'Sweetheart CEO' saw its rating drop again, and 'Autumn in My Heart' pulled ahead in the comment count as well.
This put WeChat Video in an awkward position.
Their heavily promoted in-house production was about to be overtaken on their own platform by a low-budget, imported series. Sure, both brought in traffic and ad revenue, but from a prestige standpoint, it was… humiliating.
Soon after, attentive netizens noticed something odd: the total view count for 'Sweetheart CEO' suddenly jumped by a huge margin the day after its latest episode aired, clearly an attempt to widen the gap again.
They also saw that 'Sweetheart CEO' was being promoted even more aggressively on the homepage.
But even so, these tactics couldn't stop 'Autumn in My Heart''s rise.
On December 26th and 27th, Episodes 5 and 6 aired. The ratings shot up like a rocket, breaking through the 0.50% threshold, a benchmark that officially qualifies a show as a hit drama.
Episode 5: 0.51%
Episode 6: 0.55%
That's more than double the premiere episode's ratings!
With numbers like that, no one was doubting the show's breakout status anymore.
Some were even starting to worry about My Heart Soars, another big-budget modern drama scheduled to premiere on January 1st.
Meanwhile, as 'Autumn in My Heart' became the talk of the industry, it was impossible to ignore another drama airing at the same time: Season 2 of Urban Love.
This show, airing on Capital City TV's Film & Drama Channel, had also once rejected Lu Chen.
Its first episode pulled in a 0.17% rating, but Episode 2 dropped to 0.15%, and from there, it spiraled downward, dipping as low as 0.08%.
The industry's unwritten rule says that 0.10% is the safety line for weekend dramas; anything lower is a flop.
The outlook for Urban Love Season 2 was, frankly, grim.
But hardly anyone cared anymore.
Everyone's eyes were on 'Autumn in My Heart', the show that was making history.
(End of Chapter)
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