With all of the year-end lists rolling out this month, it isn’t difficult to get an idea of the stories that captivated audiences in 2014. Google’s 2014 global list of top searches is led by big news events such as “Robin Williams” (who passed away this year), the “World Cup”, and “Ebola”.
China’s list, though, has many scratching their heads. Even the China Daily has asked its readers, “Can you trust this list?” While the list has been widely covered by media, no sources are mentioned in any of the reports.
The list certainly includes a few understandable searches, such as “Malaysian Airlines 370″, and “World Cup” but as for the rest, well, you be the judge:
1. iPartment 4
This is the fourth season of the show with a title better understood as “Love Apartment”, a sitcom that has been criticized for plagiarizing jokes from Friends.The show is noteworthy for the rare inclusion of a Japanese character, albeit in the “Ross” role.
You can watch all 24 episodes of iPartment 4 online here.
2. Malaysian Airlines 370
The mystery of this missing airplane continues to draw attention in China, which had the highest number of passengers on board the doomed flight.
3. Cool Running Everyday
Third in the series of “Everyday” games offered by Tencent, Cool Running Everyday is a mobile phone video game in the “endless runner” genre that features colorfully-coiffed anime characters in their search for more gold coins.
4. A Hero
More directly translated as “A Generation of Ambition and Ruthlessness”, A Hero is a television drama based on a novel set during the roaring twenties. The story features the familiar motivations of either making it rich, or getting revenge.
You can watch the show online here or here.
5. World Cup
Despite not qualifying, China was nevertheless still game to look it up online.
6. iPhone 6
Interest in the iPhone was so strong in China that consumers were willing to pay top dollar for bootlegs due to the domestic release date being weeks behind the rest of the world.
7. May December Love
Traditions get tested in this family drama in which the Gu family patriarch doesn’t approve of his daughter’s finance who is—get this—an older man.
Watch the show online here or here.
8. Sing My Song
While the generic Chinese title of this show means that netizens could have been searching online for “nice Chinese songs”, they were likely looking up this reality TV singing competition that features the best astonished reactions from celebrity judges.
Watch the show online here.
9. Divorce Lawyers
It’s a TV show about divorce lawyers. Watch to see how they maintain harmony in the face of cultural traditions, or at least for the Playboy bunny outfit seen above.
Watch the show online here.
10. 2048
Not to be confused with Wong Kar-wai’s film 2046, 2048 is a numeric-based mobile phone puzzle game. At least it isn’t lining up three colors in a row.
Photos: QQ, qq1234, mz6, ruian888, fengsung, 969g, zynews, tieba, iFeng, baiducontent, i4, sina
2014 was the year that gave us My Little Apple, death cults, yet another incarnation of the Monkey King, the World Cup, and an airline that vanished out of thin air. But which one ranks as the most popular among Chinese media and the Internet?
