“Flourished Peony” Season 2 Looks at Summer Release
Sparking widespread discussion since airing, hit series Flourished Peony <國色芳華> starring Andy Yang Zi (楊紫) and Li Xian (李現) continued to enjoy buzz and attracted strong commercial interest even after the drama concluded. To ride on the hype, the production team has even pulled forward the sequel’s release date, originally scheduled for the later half of next year, to this summer.
Drama Boosted Tourism & Sale of Peonies
Despite being engaged in a viewership race with Bai Lu‘s (白鹿) Moonlight Mystique <白月梵星>, Flourished Peony surpassed expectations and trumped in ratings, thanks to its light-hearted, engaging plot, stunning choreography and nuanced exploration of universal themes. Every episode of the Tang dynasty romance also managed to secure advertising sponsors—not a simple feat considering the generally declining interest in historical dramas.
On top of boosting the share prices of its production group Zhejiang Huace Film and TV Co., Ltd and streaming platform Mango TV, the drama’s success also had a knock-on effect on local commerce and tourism, with peony flowers from Heze, Shandong province and Luoyang’s peony cakes selling out.
A new attraction route from Hengyang’s Nanyue district to Luoyang’s Yingtian Gate, and a drama-inspired lights show, were also started from the show’s popularity, testament to the drama’s strong tourism impact.
In an unprecedented development, advertisers have continued to express interest for collaboration including skincare and thermal wear products following the end of the drama’s run, proving the main leads’ strong commercial appeal. A total of eight sponsors have already launched drama-related merchandise,
To circumvent the state’s requirements that there must be a 12 months gap between drama seasons, the sequel has also undergone a title change, from Guose Fanghua to Jinxiu Fanghua or Blossoming Splendor <錦繡芳華>, while production unit intends to push forward the airing date from winter 2026 to summer of this year, so that higher rates for related merchandise can be negotiated – sending fans into a frenzy of excitement!
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