China is considered one of the safest countries, which makes it difficult for true crime storytellers to find relatable dark content for their audiences.
Movies like 'The 8 Suspects,' 'No More Bets About Lonely Skamer,' and 'Article 20' have enjoyed good box office success and showcase crime-related themes.
Wapi's audience is primarily young, well-educated, and female, with a majority living in larger cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangdong province.
Eric relies on publicly available court documents and police reports due to the sunshine law in the U.S., which mandates the release of case details to the public.
Wapi struggles with a lack of detailed information available for Chinese cases, making it difficult to write in-depth articles compared to international cases where more data is accessible online.
A Yi often writes about the struggles of rural individuals in urban settings, particularly focusing on the impact of China's household registration system (hukou) on personal relationships and identity.
A Yi notes a significant decline in the circulation of paper books due to changing reading habits, with readers now preferring short-form content and videos over traditional books.
Wapi's revenue comes from advertising, subscription fees for premium articles, and book sales, including film and television adaptation rights fees.
Eric uses reaction videos and sports announcer-style commentary to analyze interrogation tactics, body language, and criminal psychology, creating a unique contrast that resonates with his audience.
A Yi believes that crime stories should reflect the characteristics of the era they are set in, offering insights into societal issues rather than just focusing on sensational or exploitative content.
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As any taxi driver in China would tell you, the country is safe on every level. But that must make "true crime" storytellers' lives difficult. Therefore, how can those entertainers of the dark world propose to Chinese audiences?Featuring- A Yi (阿乙) : Writer- Eric Changan : Content Creator- Wapi : Content Creator & Writer
To go further- Middle Earth episode #95 Chinese Web Novels: The Hidden Golden Goose?)- Middle Earth episode #92 How writers, bookstore owners, and printers survive in China’s publishing industry )- Middle Earth episode #50 Xiaohongshu : Marrying content and e-commerce )- TWOC's article Can China’s Detective Novels Finally Make Crime Pay?) by Jesse Young. - A Yi (阿乙)'s short novels are on TWOC)- Wapi's media called 没药花园 (can be found on wechat, RED, Youtube, 小宇宙)- Eric Changan's bilibili account is called Eric长安万年)Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré). If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影)With thanks to Sean Calvo) for music support and Martin Lopez) for poster picture.
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