iQIYI's Live Action Adaptation of 'Hikaru no Go' a Big Hit with Chinese and International Audiences

BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ) ("iQIYI" or the "Company"), an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China, is pleased to announce that its recently released original teen drama Hikaru no Go (the "Show") has been well received both in China and internationally.

Hikaru no Go, which was adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, has garnered widespread acclaim and sparked rounds of online discussion following each episode's release.

Many overseas fans took to Twitter to praise the Show, with a significant of fans noting that Hikaru no Go exceeds their expectations in quality and that it captures the youthful and passionate spirit of the original manga. So far, the drama has received an 8.4 rating on movie review platform Douban, making it the highest-rated domestic drama series in the teen category this year.

The highly-rated hit drama, which has gained considerable attention and prompted heated discussions among audiences, has once again demonstrated the high quality of iQIYI's content production. The success of Hikaru no Go in particular shows the progress that iQIYI has made in the teen genre and the Company's ambitions of building global influence with its premium original content.

While Hikaru no Go has retained the manga's original plot, some tweaks have been made to incorporate more Chinese culture into the story. As a result, the show has strongly resonated with domestic audiences, propelling its iQIYI content popularity index to above 7,448. According to data from market research firm Enlightenment, factors including the Show's airtime, audience stickiness, and market share of the online drama market has grown consistently since its release, making it the most popular of the recently-released teen dramas.

As for its depiction of the game of Go, Hikaru no Go was highly praised by domestic mainstream media as well as Chang Hao, vice chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association and well-known national Go player. In particular, People's Daily (Overseas Edition) praised the drama for its youthful interpretation of Go culture, saying that iQIYI will encourage more young people to appreciate the charm of Go culture by introducing and promoting the game through a teen drama series.

Hikaru no Go was also a big hit on social media platforms, where it received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans. The passion for Go, sincere friendships and stellar performances of the actors sparked heated discussions on social media platforms such as Douban and Weibo, and the hashtags '#Hikaru no Go' and '#Japanese netizens' comments on Hikaru no Go' were trending. The main topic was viewed 770 million times and 'fabulous drama Hikaru no Go' became top keywords in discussions among subscribers.

The passionate tale of Go competition has also enjoyed an enthusiastic reception from overseas subscribers. So far, seven episodes have been uploaded to iQIYI's international YouTube channel, with an average of over 120,000 views per episode and the drama has been listed in the top five for all categories on iQIYI's international platform in North America. The classic plot point of the "divine move", which refers to the main character's goal of playing the perfect game of Go, has attracted fans of the original manga and triggered 'Go mania' worldwide.

This year, a number of iQIYI's premium original shows have received enormous attention both at home and abroad. Among them, iQIYI's original drama series The Thunder became the first network premiere TV series to win the Magnolia Award and the "Outstanding TV Series" award at the 30th Golden Eagle Awards. This year's hit Mist Theater dramas successfully entered the international arena with its highly innovative, well-crafted thriller mini-dramas, receiving attention from prominent overseas media outlets such as The Guardian and The Economist. Meanwhile, the drama The Bad Kids won two awards at the 2020 Busan International Film Festival's 2nd Asian Contents Awards (ACA), making it the first Chinese drama to win the Best Creative Award at the ACA.

About iQIYI, Inc.

iQIYI, Inc. is an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China. Its corporate DNA combines creative talent with technology, fostering an environment for continuous innovation and the production of blockbuster content. iQIYI's platform features highly popular original content, as well as a comprehensive library of other professionally-produced content, partner-generated content and user generated content. The Company distinguishes itself in the online entertainment industry by its leading technology platform powered by advanced AI, big data analytics and other core proprietary technologies. iQIYI attracts a massive user base with tremendous user engagement, and has developed a diversified monetization model including membership services, online advertising services, content distribution, live broadcasting, online games, IP licensing, online literature and e-commerce.

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SOURCE iQIYI, Inc.