Beer and fried chicken — this seemingly unorthodox combo has been the most sought after late-night snack recently in Yang Xiaoqian’s dormitory on the campus of Central China Normal University.

　　炸鸡和啤酒，这个看似怪异的搭配，最近竟成了华中师范大学学生杨晓青(音译)宿舍里最受追捧的夜宵。

　　“All of a sudden, on the tables of many dorms and in Weibo and Weixin (or WeChat) updates, the combo went viral,” says Yang, 19, a Chinese literature major at the university in Wuhan, Hubei province.

　　“突然间，宿舍的桌上、微博和微信上，这种吃法一下子火了。”华中师范大学中文系学生、19岁的杨晓青这样说道。

　　Thanks to a South Korean drama currently on air, Man From the Stars, this new mix-and-match junk food trend has become popular among young audiences, despite its unhealthy nature.

　　因为正在热播的韩剧《来自星星的你》的关系，这一垃圾食品的全新混搭组合尽管有害健康，但还是受到年轻观众的追捧。

　　Indeed, South Korean TV dramas, or K-drama for short, have been a major force in the South Korean pop-culture wave that has captured the hearts of young Chinese audiences.

　　的确，韩国电视剧(简称：韩剧)，已成为推动韩国流行文化潮流的主力军，成功虏获了中国年轻观众的心。

　　According to iQiyi, a video website that features Man From the Stars, by Feb 15, the number of views for the TV drama hit a whopping 370 million in China, where the drama claimed four out of five hot topics spots on TV and on Sina Weibo on the same day.

　　来自播放《来自星星的你》的视频网站爱奇艺的数据显示，截止到2月15日，该剧在国内的累计播放量达到3.7亿次，与此同时，电视和新浪微博上五分之四的热点话题都被该剧占据。

　　Yan Feng, professor of Chinese literature at Fudan University, in an interview with Shanghai Morning Post, believes the new wave of South Korean drama is trying to attract a wider audience.

　　复旦大学中文系教授严峰在接受《新闻晨报》采访时表示，新一轮的韩剧风潮正在吸引更多的观众群体。

　　“It is interesting to explore what elements of those dramas appeal to audiences. It’s obviously more than just pretty faces and cool poses,” says Yan.

　　严峰表示，“探寻这些韩剧走红的因素是个有趣的过程。显然，韩剧的背后不仅仅是俊男美女和帅气造型”。

　　Echoed by audiences, culture critics, academics and insiders of the industry, youth fantasy, creative storylines, cultural proximity, and well-organized production all add up to K-drama’s recipe for success, along with, of course, those handsome and cute faces dressed in the latest fashion trends.

　　从观众、文化评论家、学者以及业内人士的口中我们可以了解到，青春幻想、创意剧情、文化相似以及制作精良都是韩剧的成功秘诀，当然，更少不了衣着时尚光鲜的俊男美女。

　　Pretty faces and fashion

　　俊男美女与时尚的组合

　　“Everyone fancies a perfect partner, handsome or beautiful,” says Zhou Ying, professor of TV production at Chongqing Technology and Business University. “The South Korean TV industry is feeding this need.” After Lee Min-ho entered the spotlight for his hit show The Inheritors and appeared on CCTV’s annual Spring Festival gala, he became the most famous South Korean in China. Only weeks later, Kim Soo-hyun, lead actor in Man From the Stars, swept the country.

　　来自重庆工商大学影视制作专业的周颖(音译)教授说：“每个人都幻想着完美的另一半，希望TA是俊男或美女。韩国电视产业正是满足人们的这一需求。”韩星李敏镐因热门剧集《继承者们》而大放异彩后，又现身央视春晚的舞台。如今他已成为中国最知名的韩星。而仅仅几周之后，《来自星星的你》主演金秀贤再次风靡中国。

　　“It reinforces the fantasy among young people with faces designed for viewers across the spectrum: the next door girl; the rebellious, sophisticated woman; the mature gentleman; little-brother faces. You name it,” says Zhou. “Idol making keeps updating the fantasies among fans and it intentionally caters to each generation’s tastes.”