While both the report and Chinese netizens ridiculed the show for blatant plagiarism, one analyst pointed out the danger of being creative in modern China.
Youku published promotional posters for the new show on Oct. 20, showing a similar color scheme and artistic style compared to the original Korean version. The focus of the show further included challenges based on a contestant’s intelligence and physical strength in the theme of childhood games.
After online criticism, Youku issued an apology, removing designs similar to the Korean show. They renamed the show “Game’s Triumph,” and removed artistic semblance to the original.
The wave of knock-off entertainment and merchandise is a byproduct of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence, according to Wen Rui, a Chinese current affairs commentator.
“If you want to create something that everyone likes, you often have to reveal the darkness and various problems of the whole society. But in China, you cannot touch these things,” Wen said.
According to Wen, Chinese people lack freedom of creativity under the CCP. He said that if one comments on society in any truthful or objective way, they will be arrested. “I think this is one of the core reasons why people don’t touch this stuff, so what you do is not attractive.”
“Basically there is no protection for intellectual property rights in China,” Wen added. “If you create something, someone will copy it right away.” Gradually, plagiarism is considered as “reducing time and capital investment, and making money fast.”
“In that case, who would create the original product? It’s in vain. So everyone has lost the desire to create, and they all want to play tricks and copy others,” he said.
Wen said the Chinese people’s creativity has been worn out by the CCP. “If China could become a free, democratic, and rational system, then the Chinese people’s creativity would be unleashed and its influence would be enormous.”
