For anyone who has seen the VH1 show I Love the ’90s, they know it’s a fantastic way of remembering just how ridiculous the times were back then and seeing visually how much has changed since. There was Nirvana, Friends, grunge fashion and some of the most beloved video games including Pokémon and Final Fantasy VII. Well it’s 2015 and everyone is streaming Friends on Netflix, there’s going to be a new album featuring Kurt Cobain, and Pokémon and Final Fantasy titles continue to dominate the sales charts. So has anything changed?
Maybe not for the West, but China, which was recovering from the strict ruling of Mao Zedong, really started to find itself in the ’90s. Their impoverished nation was beginning to discover fashion and entertainment and experience what the rest of the world was experiencing. And now that the Internet has taken over the world, how has China changed from the ’90s to now? Watch an amazing video after the jump to find out.
This comparative video is brought to you by Mamahuhu and the YouTube channel TMD Shanghai. They brilliantly put China in the ’90s side by side with the way China is now. Can’t remember China during the ’90s? Don’t worry, the video will show you!
Here is 1990’s China vs. now!
Favorite Actor:
You might not recognize his name, but Stephen Chow is the genius behind Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. In the ’90s, he starred in almost three movies a year. That’s a Chris Pratt-like schedule.
Luhan was born in 1990 and rose to fame as a member of the South Korean/Chinese boyband EXO. He’s moved onto a solo career and has been dabbling in film as well. He will appear in a movie coming out in 2016 called The Great Wall that will star Matt Damon and Andy Lau, another Shaolin Soccer alum.
Favorite TV Show:
Princess Huan Zhu (My Fair Princess or Return of the Pearl Princess) is an intense costume drama whose plot revolves around historical themes, but has a really crazy storyline. At one point the Emperor is engaged to his daughter, but he doesn’t know it’s his daughter because he thinks this other girl is his daughter and…
Who doesn’t like that show? Other Western TV shows have become extremely popular in China including Friends and BBC’s Sherlock.
Favorite Website:
We’re not sure if we would say that any of the old 1990s websites would be called our favorite, but at least we had Internet…
Since accessing Facebook isn’t allowed in China, Weibo is the go to microblogging website that is described as a fusion between Facebook and Twitter. It holds about 56.5 percent of the microblogging market.
The video also includes segments about asking for someone’s number, dating, fashion, and gaming. All the important pop culture questions are answered. It’s certainly cool to see how much China has changed and interesting that some of their “Now” answers are so similar to Western tastes. Maybe we aren’t so different after all. If you liked what you watched, you can check out some more of Mamahuhu’s videos on their YouTube page.
Source: YouTube (TMD Shanghai) via Shanghaiist
Additional Information: Wikipedia
Images: YouTube (TMD Shanghai)
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