#TROP: Chinese hit show The Rise of Phoenixes is a global success, but here's why it failed in China
The Chinese drama 'Rise of Phoenixes' (TROP) starring Chen Kun and Ni Ni in lead roles is a Chinese period drama based on the book 'Huang Quan' by Tianxia Guiyan and was picked by Netflix and premiered on the streaming site in September 2018. Since then, it has been one of the most talked-about shows, especially the climax, which is a lot different than the one depicted in the book. Fans loved the series so much so, they have filed petitions for a second season.
This, of course, is unlikely because the show which gained popularity and fame among foreign audiences failed to impress fans in China. The show originally aired on Hunan Television and was commissioned for 70 episodes. However, the show went head-to-head with 'Ashes of Love', which premiered at the same time on Jiangsu TV. Compared to 'The Rise of Phoenixes', 'Ashes of Love', which is a wuxia drama was a lot more fast-paced and featured a spectacular cast. TROP, which was slow paced initially received abysmal ratings resulting in the number of episodes being slashed.