Life> Trends

Cinderella's victory

By Vivien Wang
Updated: 2006-05-16 11:31

Li Yuchun

She has "the worst singing skills of the top six in the contest," according to Hei Nan, one of the 2005 Super Girl Contest judges. But despite this detriment and her tomboy look, contest winner Li Yuchun garnered the most audience votes. Of the voters, the number of girls overwhelmed the number of boys.

In the 2006 Super Girl contest that started this April, people were surprised to see hundreds of Li Yuchun lookalikes among the contestants. Some of them have already won lots of fans.
Call it the Li Yuchun phenomenon.

This theme has taken over in popular Korean dramas aired throughout China.

Loved by women from 16 to 50, most Korean dramas repeat the same Cinderella story. Most heroines are neither beautiful nor knowledgeable. They are usually poor, crude, lazy, and clumsy, just waiting for their prince to arrive and whisk them away. If there's any difference between these modern Cinderellas and the classical one, it's in the attitude. Instead of bowing to the demands of horrible stepmothers and sisters, they are always ready to fight back when being unfairly treated.

 

The heroine in "Palace", a modern Cinderlla Korean drama

Although most heroines in Korean dramas have many imperfections, like hitting the bottle or lying, they always attract elegant and noble 'princes' on the screen. At the end of the drama the Cinderella beats out all other more distinguished girls and win the hero's heart. Of course, they live happily ever after.