LayarHijau – Chinese drama The Early Spring (早春晴朗), starring Jing Boran and Sun Qian, has achieved a major milestone according to data from Yunhe Data (云合数据). After completing its run on September 9, 2026, the drama ranked second in the historical record for Chinese modern dramas based on average effective views per episode.
The ranking refers to the 云合集均播放量 metric, which measures the average effective views for the main episodes tracked by Yunhe Data. In other words, the ranking specifically covers Chinese modern dramas in Yunhe Data’s records and does not represent the second-highest ranking among all types of Chinese dramas. Hidden Love (偷偷藏不住) ranks first on the same list.
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The Early Spring Sees a Major Surge in Performance Through Its Final Episode
The Early Spring showed a significant increase in its performance in the Chinese market throughout its run. On its premiere day, the drama recorded a 7.7 percent viewing share based on Yunhe Data.
Its performance continued to rise as the drama gained momentum among viewers. The Early Spring also remained at No. 1 on Yunhe’s hot-broadcast chart for 13 consecutive days.
On September 9, when its final episode aired, The Early Spring saw its effective viewing share for the main episodes surge to 40.3 percent. The drama topped Yunhe’s daily chart that day and recorded a notable viewing-share performance among Chinese modern dramas in 2026.
The 40.3 percent figure refers to effective viewing share. It does not mean that 40.3 percent of China’s population watched The Early Spring. Instead, it represents the drama’s share of effective views within the scope measured by Yunhe Data on that day.
The Early Spring Also Draws International Attention
The success of The Early Spring was not limited to the Chinese domestic market. The drama also recorded strong international performance after being released globally on Netflix.
The Early Spring reached No. 2 on Netflix’s global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows and entered the Top 10 in several countries. The achievement shows that the drama, which centers on an adult relationship and professional life, has also attracted viewers outside China.
6.7 Douban Rating Sparks Fan Protests
Despite its strong viewing performance, The Early Spring’s Douban rating has sparked debate among viewers. The drama received a 6.7 out of 10 rating, which some fans considered too low compared with its viewing performance and the production qualities they appreciated.
Some fans subsequently expressed their dissatisfaction on social media and questioned why The Early Spring had received such a score. Discussions over the drama’s low rating even became a trending topic, highlighting the gap between its viewing performance and its Douban rating.
However, Douban ratings and Yunhe data measure different aspects of a drama. Yunhe tracks effective viewing performance, while Douban reflects users’ evaluations of the drama. Therefore, strong viewing performance for The Early Spring does not automatically mean that it will receive an equally high rating.
