(cover of Biteki July 2008)(image from www.biteki.com)
Barbie (Hsi-Yuan) Hsu, a popular Taiwanese TV actress and singer in Asia, is the cover star of the July 2008 issue of Biteki.
Unlike Voce, Biteki rarely features celebrities on the covers, and there are very specific reasons why Hsu is fronting this issue:
– She is one of the Taiwanese actors/actresses that enjoy popularity in Japan, largely due to her leading role in the extremely successful TV drama Meteor Garden, an adaptation of the Japanese manga story Hana yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers). The series has been widely popular in East Asia.
– Hsu is the write of two beauty-related books, Beauty Queen and Beauty Queen II: Female Celebrities Exposed. According to Taipei Times, Beauty Queen II shifted 800,000 copies in China and Taiwan within two months of its release. (She shares some of her beauty secrets with the Japanese readers in the July issue of Biteki.)
– Most importantly, July 2008 sees the launch of Biteki’s Chinese Edition. Even though some popular Japanese fashion magazines already publish Chinese editions, this is a first for a Japanese beauty magazine. Despite the fact that Japanese beauty products have long been popular in the nearby Chinese-speaking regions, I am still deeply fascinated by this move from Biteki.
At the moment I don’t have full information on whether the Chinese edition is in Traditional or Simplified Chinese, but I’d imagine that it would be in both. (Currently, Traditional Chinese is used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while Simplified Chinese is used in China and Singapore.)
It seems to me that the presence of Japanese cosmetics is slowly going international (even though, presumably, the Biteki Chinese edition will focus on what is available locally instead of a translation of the Japanese version). According to recent reports from Nikkei Net, not only is Shiseido expanding retail points in China, Europe, and Middle East, the Maquillage Fall 2008 collection will include items in collaboration with British designer Christopher Kane and the ad campaign will feature model of the moment Agyness Deyn. (Well, I’d say why not just bring Maquillage to the UK….)
These are all very interesting developments, and I will try my best to keep you updated.
Related Posts:
Biteki – My Ultimate Beauty Archive
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I heard about this, because I have studied Chinese and someone via e-mail told me about this. Very interesting, I quess they want to make more profit and take advantage of Japanese beauty products popularity.
Hi Jossu,
I agree with you. Biteki’s Chinese Edition clearly acknowledges the popularity of Japanese cosmetics in other Asian regions. Underlying this is that there is certainly more business to be made. Indeed this is a very interesting situation, and I would like to see what is going to happen in the next few years.
Thank you for your comment again, and have a great weekend! :)
Hey PJ,
I am very surprised to her on the cover to Biteki. Well it’s going to be good publicity for the Chinese version since she’s known for her obsession with beauty. I believe that Biteki will be a hot seller in Taiwan since they are very much tuned to Japanese fashion and beauty. Thank for the post!
That girl (or should I say women, since she is like 32 now) looks really good on that cover…I still remember back in middle school I was being yound and stupid, following that show with her (and the pineapple crown hair guy…) and I got bored half way through…
I read her books inside a bookstore(scan through the whole thing in an hour or so), it seems to have a great deal of nonsense i.e. eating celery/carrot make you more prone to sunburn…
I am guessing the Chinese version would be less interesting since most of the time they just take some stuff from the original then have lots of local stuff added (since they need to please the local advertsement client)… but I think it will still be very popular, like that fashion one *mina* (I only know it because some people told me that there was a Japanese magazine that has the same name as mine)
Mina
Hi Xy,
If it is indeed released in Taiwan (I can’t confirm that but I am quite sure that it will), it will definitely sell very well. There are some Taiwanese beauty magazines that have been doing well locally, and I believe the market is not saturated yet.
I do hope it will be well-edited and I look forward to reading it.
Thank you for your comment again! :)
Hi Mina,
She does look good on the cover, and I think this particular (Japanese) issue will sell even better in Taiwan. (Biteki has already been very popular there.)
I have not read either of her books. She did say that all the observations and tips are mainly based on her own experiences and that they don’t apply to all people. But, apart from people wanting to know her beauty secrets, I think one of the other reasons why her books have been so popular is that they echo many people’s strong inner desire to look and feel more beautiful. Also, I think the way she writes is probably very engaging, particularly with a younger audience.
But, like you, I would scan the books in a shop and would probably not buy them.
I do look forward to reading the Chinese edition. I hope the editing team will do a good job. Also, the Japanese Biteki’s photography team has been doing exceptionally well and I would like to see the standard being maintained in the Chinese edition.
Thank you for your comment again! :)
Hey, I used to love Hana Yori Dango- I believe there’s a new movie coming out? Either way, this seems like a good move for Biteki- there’s a lot fo potential for business in China, and if they can maintain their standards it’ll be really good.
Hi Blue Floppy Hat,
Yes, maintaining the standard will be the key. I think Biteki is one of the best beauty magazines in Japan, and I really hope the Chinese edition will be as well-edited as the Japanese version. We’ll see!
Thank you very much for commenting again! :)