Double take
With the rising popularity of Korean variety shows, China is producing its own versions. How do they compare?
Following K-drama and K-pop, K-variety is the next genre in the Hallyu wave that has seen its popularity rocket in recent years.
With fresh concepts and witty TV personalities, it is no wonder that a host of variety shows have gained an international audience.
Music variety programmes, in particular, are no longer just singing competitions but have evolved into game shows with fun twists.
They are so big in China that TV channels there have been quick to create versions of their own, sometimes just months after the Korean original aired.
But just how successful are these made-in-China versions and how do they compare to the originals? Here is M's verdict on four of them:
Mystery Music Show
China's Jiangsu Satellite TV has reproduced Korea's I Can See Your Voice.
The series airs every Wednesday at 3.10pm on Jiangsu Satellite Channel (Singtel Ch 512) and premieres on June 22 on E City (StarHub Ch 111/825) at 8pm.
In each episode, a singer is challenged to differentiate, from among people who are lip-syncing or singing for real, the "tone-deaf" from the "skilled".
After the singer eliminates those whom he thinks are faking it, the contestants will sing to reveal their true abilities and the final one standing will earn a cash prize and a duet with the singer.
In the Chinese version, the singers include veteran performer Fei Yu Ching and actress-singer Fan Bingbing.
I Can See Your Voice, which featured balladeers Gummy and Baek Ji Young, is perfect for fans of slapstick comedy who enjoy hearing the unbearable screeches of wannabes.
Mystery Music Show, in contrast, barely airs footage of the performances.
So much for viewers analysing the contestant from head to toe when they can barely hear any results.
WINNER
Korea - I Can See Your Voice
Hurry Up, Brother
Premiering on China's Zhejiang Television in 2014, the game-variety show, which is on Saturdays at 7pm on Jia Le Channel (Singtel Ch 502), features seven celebrities, including actress Angelababy and singer Luhan, a Chinese former member of K-pop boy band EXO, who recently joined the show's third season.
Despite the big names, Hurry Up, Brother, which is a spin-off of Korea's Running Man, is probably the best example of imitation gone too far.
From its games to the specific roles that the celebrities take on, its producers could not get any more uncreative. They even scripted Angelababy and actor Zheng Kai as a "Friday Couple", mirroring Running Man's iconic "Monday Couple" that involved actress Song Ji Hyo and rapper Kang Gary.
Although Hurry Up, Brother may not have gained regional popularity, its reach within China is apparently good enough to get Korean actor Song Joong Ki of Descendants Of The Sun fame to guest star.
Predictably, this angered Korean netizens, who felt that the former Running Man cast member should have guested on Running Man first as a sign of loyalty.
WINNER
Korea - Running Man
I Am A Singer
Arguably the most popular remake among the rest, I Am A Singer has brought fame to the likes of Hong Kong's G.E.M., Taiwan's A- Lin, Singapore's Kit Chan and, ironically, Korea's Hwang Chi Yeol (above).
It also has A-list participants such as Chinese singer Han Lei, Taiwanese band Power Station and a fantastic stage complete with light and sound effects, which makes watching this sometimes akin to being live at a "best of the best" concert.
Thanks to the many high-quality performances, many viewers may have forgotten that I Am A Singer stemmed from the Korean original of the same name.
The Chinese version seems to have done better in terms of casting singers of various ages, genres and even nationalities, and their ability to identify and showcase undiscovered gems in the industry.
WINNER
China - I Am A Singer
Hidden Singer
Star power proves critical in this game-variety show, where - similar to the Korean original of the same name - the studio audience and a panel of celebrities try to identify a particular singer among five other sound-alike contestants, all of whom are hidden behind panels.
Hidden Singer has managed to get top names such as Leon Lai, Jeff Chang and Tiger Huang to appear.
The show, which starts with eliminating singers who are thought not to be the actual singer, has earned rave reviews for its interactive nature, where viewers at home can rack their brains (and ears) to distinguish the celebrity from the rest of his amateur counterparts.
But the longevity of Hidden Singer, which ended after 11 episodes, could depend on the number of singers there are in the industry who have easily recognisable voices.
After all, being eliminated early on could merely mean that the singer's voice is not particularly special.
This was what happened in the Korean version, which saw fans getting furious after an episode where Girls' Generation member Taeyeon exited prematurely.
There was also controversy when Korean cable TV channel JTBC was unhappy that China's Dragon Television had plagiarised Hidden Singer.
Despite insiders saying that it may be hard to prove that its title rights were violated, JTBC said it was planning on taking action because it had already sold its rights to another Chinese TV channel, presumably Zhejiang Television, which produced its own version of Hidden Singer this year, titled The Singing Master.
WINNER
None - It's a draw
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