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YesAsia 2011 Bestsellers - TV Dramas

Written by YumCha! Editorial Team Tell a Friend

Korean dramas lead the pack for YesAsia's best-selling television dramas in 2011, and the top seller is a very familiar title for K-Drama fans. With precious few Mandarin and Japanese television series seeing English-subtitled releases, Korean and Hong Kong dramas easily dominated television sales on YesAsia's US Site.

1. You're Beautiful (Korea)
Even two years after its broadcast, the popularity of You're Beautiful is still going strong enough to top our bestsellers ranking. The fan-favorite idol drama spawned a Japanese remake in 2011, not to mention a slew of Pig Rabbit products and Jang Keun Suk fan meetings.

2. Dream High (Korea)
K-Drama meets K-pop in Dream High, and the concept paid off in a big way. Bringing together the Korean Wave worlds, the star-making, star-spotting school drama appealed to both K-pop fans supporting their idols and K-Drama fans looking for a good old underdog youth drama.

3. Marry Me, Mary (Korea)
Marry Me, Mary may have gotten mixed reviews for its uneven story, but everyone agrees on the mega-watt drawing power of cute leading couple Jang Keun Suk and Moon Geun Young. Never bet against Jang Keun Suk.

4. Secret Garden (Korea)
Secret Garden was just about the most talked about K-Drama of 2010-2011, thanks to Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won's sizzling chemistry (and fabulous array of tracksuits). The body-swapping fantasy takes a well-deserved spot in our bestsellers ranking.

5. No Regrets (Hong Kong)
The highest-placed Chinese drama goes unsurprisingly to No Regrets. Likely the biggest TVB production in recent years, the ambitious follow-up to Rosy Business proves that the original's success was no fluke. Producer Lee Tim Shing places what worked in the first outing into a much grander setting, and, by popular demand, gives Wayne Lai and Sheren Tang an epic romance that drives the story.

6. Can't Buy Me Love (Hong Kong)
One more example of how to do a follow-up right: the stars and producer of Beyond the Realm of Conscience band together for another imperial palace drama, but the cruel powerplay gives way to lighthearted love and hilarious gags. Audiences responded favorably to the change, bringing the romantic comedy huge viewership ratings.

7. My Lovely Sam-Soon (Korea)
By now a rom-com classic, MBC's 2005 hit is an enduring favorite among drama fans. With Hyun Bin and Kim Sun Ah vaulting back into the drama landscape in a big way with Secret Garden and Scent of a Woman, it's not surprising that Sam-Soon also became a popular choice among those nostalgic for the Sam-Sik couple.

8. Legend of the Condor Heroes (Hong Kong)
The definitive adaptation of arguably Jin Yong's most representative wuxia novel remains a landmark drama in Hong Kong television history. From the rousing theme songs to the magnificent cast, this classic 80s production is still awe-inspiring today, due in no small part to the memorable pairing of Felix Wong and Barbara Yung.

9. My Fair Lady (Korea)
Aired in 2009, My Fair Lady took a while to come to DVD. Though this series didn't attract as much love as Yoon Eun Hye's previous hits, anything she stars in remains popular among K-Drama fans. Yoon Sang Hyun, Jung Il Woo, and Moon Chae Won's rise in 2011 also boosted the drama's appeal.

10. New Adventure of Chor Lau Heung (Hong Kong)
To many Hong Kong audiences, Michael Miu was the best suited for martial arts hero roles among the famous "Five Tigers" of the 80s, and this classic drama shows why. As the legendary swordsman created by Gu Long, the charismatic Miu was born to play the chivalrous ladies man of the martial world. With the additional starpower of Barbara Yung and Simon Yam, no wonder it's still one of the most-beloved TVB classics of all time.

CHINESE TV BESTSELLERS

1. No Regrets
2. Can't Buy Me Love
3. Legend of the Condor Heroes
4. New Adventure of Chor Lau Heung
5. Mysteries of Love
6. Yang's Saga
7. Return of the Condor Heroes
8. New Heaven Sword & The Dragon Sabre
9. Beyond the Realm of Conscience
10. Ghetto Justice

KOREA TV BESTSELLERS

1. You're Beautiful
2. Dream High
3. Marry Me, Mary
4. Secret Garden
5. My Lovely Sam-Soon
6. My Fair Lady
7. Bread, Love and Dreams
8. Sungkyunkwan Scandal
9. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
10. City Hunter

JAPAN TV BESTSELLERS

1. 24CH△NNEL
2. Onegai Kanaete Versailles
3. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
4. Urakara
5. SMAP Ganbarimasu!! 2010
6. Letter from Sakura
7. Ikemen Desune
8. Another Gantz
9. Majisuka Gakuen 2
10. Freeter, Ie wo Kau

Note: Rankings for best-selling TV dramas differ between YesAsia's US and Global Sites due to the different product selections available on each site based on regional licensing restrictions. Korean and Chinese TV drama rankings in this feature reflect the sales on US Site only.

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Published January 27, 2012

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