Seven Relics of Ill Omen 七根心简 32 episodes 刘浩存 宋威龙
To kick things off is the drama Seven Relics of Ill Omen 七根心简. This 32 episode drama began airing on Youku on June 8. It stars Liu Hao Cun and Song Wei Long. This is a Chinese modern day thriller drama that incorporates ancient Chinese legends.
Here’s the plot synopsis. In ancient times, a mysterious substance descended upon Fengzi Ridge. This substance preyed on humans, corrupting their hearts, and driving them to commit evil. This dark force became known as the Heart Seal. Thousands of years later, it has resurfaced in the human world, bringing with it a slew of deadly and unsolved cases. One woman witnessed the brutal murder of her family 2 decades ago and spent the last 20 years trying to solve the case. Her goddaughter, Mu Dai, played by Liu Hao Cun, assists her on this quest. Mu Dai encounters 4 other young friends, each with unique skills to solve this mystery. There’s Luo Ren (played by Song Weilong), Yi Wan San (played by Ao Ruipeng), Yan Hongsha (played by Wang Yiting) 、 and Cao Yanhua (played by Zhang Yichi). Together, they form the Phoenix Squad and embark on an adventure to capture and seal the Heart Seal.
This is based off the book Seven Relics of Ill Omen 七根凶简 from Wei Yu, the author who wrote the original books for Rattan and Parallel Worlds. This is also setting off another round of dramas written by Wei Yu that are about to release, finished filming, or are actively filming. That includes upcoming dramas starring Dilreba, Meng Zi yi, and Jing Tian.
This drama managed to breach 9500 on Youku’s popularity index but was a dud overall. It so far has only managed around 14M views per episode. I watched the first 4 episodes and thought the storyline was really good. My main issue and I think everyone’s issue is with the main female lead Mu Dai, played by Liu Hao Cun. I never read the book so I can’t compare, but I think she’s slightly miscast in the drama. She seems too young and her acting isn’t that great. Song Wei Long is much more at home here in this drama than his other period romance drama Youthful Glory. I think I will continue watching more because the plot is pretty strong.
Deep Undercover 潜渊 36 episodes 黄晓明 张佳宁
This is a 36 episode 1940s spy thriller starring Huang Xiao Ming and Zhang Jia Ning. This drama began airing on Hunan TV on June 9.
Here’s the plot summary. In January 1940, Liang Shuo, starring Huang Xiao Ming, awakens in a remote, snow-covered mountain after sustaining a head injury. He realizes he suffers from amnesia and the only way to find answers is to return to Shanghai. Upon arriving, he finds himself hunted by Japanese forces. This leads him to suspect that he may be an officer of the Nationalist military intelligence. In his quest to find answers, he encounters a woman Xie Nian Ci played by Zhang Jiang Ning who herself IS a member of the Nationalist military intelligence. They help each other escape some dangerous situations but don’t know each other’s identity. Soon, agents from Wang Jingwei’s puppet Chinese regime’s infamous “No. 76” department also track him down, claiming he is the director of Operations. Liang Shuo tries to solve the mysteries of his past while facing threats from multiple sides.
What can I say, i am sucker for a good spy thriller and I think this is a great popcorn drama. Huang Xiao Ming looks FANTASTIC in this drama and I’m like, how do you look this good 25 years later? It’s crazy. He also plays the tormented Liang Shuo extremely well. I binged like 10 episodes of this in a few days. Sure, there are some flaws but overall, a very enjoyable watch. This drama has also done well in it’s time slot, scoring a .5% on Hunan TV which is currently the second highest rating from a regional network channel this year.
Qingchuan’s Veil of Vengeance 青川入梦 18 episodes 郭晓婷、周历杰
Next there’s Qingchuan’s Veil of Vengeance 《青川入梦》which is an 18 episode period romance drama starring Guo Xiao Ting 郭晓婷、Zhou Li Jie 周历杰. I wanted to call out this drama because it’s airing on Bilibili, a much smaller video platform. I didn’t realize Bilibili produced dramas but hey, here is this one.
Here’s the synopsis: Xia Qi Guang 夏祁光(played by Zhou Li Jie 周历杰) is forced by his father, Prince Jing, to apprentice under Mo Wang (played by Guo Xiao Ting). The young prince scoffs at this so-called “greatest teacher in the land”. He instead openly admires the heroic General Mo Qing Chuan 青川who was renowned for her dedication to protecting the kingdom. Unfortunately in a devastating battle, she was defeated. Unbeknownst to him, Mo Wang and Mo Qing Chuan are actually the same person. Through mutual redemption and unwavering protection, the master and disciple gradually rebuild the Mo Family Army and embark on a journey to restore honor to their band of heroes.
I watched a few episodes and I think Guo Xiao Ting does a great job portraying reserved yet fiercely proud and loyal Mo Qing Chuan. The cinematography is surprisingly good too. Problem is, I feel like she’s acting in a war / martial arts drama while 周历杰 is doing his completely own thing in a romance drama. It just doesn’t quite click. I do wish Guo Xiao Ting gets more opportunities. This is a quick watch for those interested.
Created in China 淬火年代 34 episodes 张新成、宋祖儿
This is a 34 episode drama that stars Zhang Xin Cheng and Song Zu’Er. I guess we’re in another streak of getting as many Song Zu’Er’s dramas out as possible. This is her 3rd drama in 3-4 months?
The story begins in the late 1990s, entrepreneur Liu Jun (ft Zhang Xin Cheng) returns home from abroad and partners with old friend Qian Hong Ming (ft Wang Yan Ling) to continue to build their business. But, there were many challenges along the way – From technology issues, to their manufacturing plant catching fire, figuring how to be environmentally friendly, and missing supplier, but Liu Jun was able to overcome these challenges to move from an creator to a manager. In a matchmaking set up, he meets bank credit lender Cui Bing Bing ft Song Zu’Er. Their relationship grows at a steady pace. They get married and Liu Jun continues to learn how to be incorporated into the Chinese business landscape. After overcoming many more challenges, his plant becomes a strong competitor in China’s manufacturing landscape.
This drama did not get any of the buzz that Song Zu’Er’s last 2 dramas received. Maybe because of the subject matter but yea. It aired rather quietly with very little buzz but also I think there was a very little marketing for this show either.
Reborn 焕羽 23 episodes 张婧仪、周翊然
We just saw Zhang Jing Yi in the historical drama The Legend of Zang Hai with Xiao Zhan and now she is in a youth drama.
Here’s the plot. In 2007, 16 year old Qiao Qing Yu (ft Zhang Jing Yi ) and her family were subject to many ugly rumors as to the cause of her sister’s death. They had no choice but to move to another town. To try to return back to a normal ish life, Qing Yu’s classmate Ming Sheng (ft Zhou Yi Ran) helps to uncover the truth of her sister’s death. With more details revealed, Qing Yu tries to seek justice for her sister. However, her actions didn’t help her cause and instead caused her grandfather to hate her and her mother to spiral. With the help of Ming Sheng and some others, Qing Yu learns to reenergize herself and improve her studies and her life. Ultimately, she was able to attend the university of her dreams after improving relations with her family.
The Princess’s Gambit 桃花映江山 36 episodes 刘学义，孟子义
This is a 36 episode period romance drama that really focuses on political intrigue. It stars Liu Xue Yi and Meng Zi Yi and airs on Tencent.
Here’s the plot summary: Jiang Tao Hua starring Meng Zi Yi is the princess of the Northern Yuan Kingdom. In order to save her younger brother, she agrees to be married off to a prince in the Qi Kingdom. Shen Zai Ye starring Liu Xue Yi is the Left Chancellor of the Qi Kingdom. Jiang Tao Hua and Shen Zai Ye become embroiled in a scandal created by Shen Zai Ye’s political rivals. The two agree to get married as a result. Amid the turbulent power struggles between the two kingdoms, the pair engage in a battle of wits, constantly scheming against each other. Yet, as they are forced to work together against formidable enemies, they gradually develop feelings for one another. Faced with the choice between love and duty to their nations, they overcome countless obstacles and ultimately join forces to reshape the fate of their kingdoms.
This is Meng Zi Yi’s first drama to air as a lead since last winter’s hit Blossom and another period romance drama to air for Liu Xue Yi. I watched 4 episodes of this drama and honestly, there’s nothing WRONG with this drama. The two main leads are REALLY intelligent which makes for good TV but I don’t know, it’s missing a spark. Like I’m happy to watch Deep Undercover or In the Name of Justice even though I know what the end result is but this one is a little tough for me to get into. This drama unfortunately has been a massive dud for both leads and Tencent, barely breaching 26000 on its popularity index. This is another dud for Liu Xue Yi, his 3rd already this year. Again, he’s not a bad actor and the dramas he chooses aren’t bad. It really is a mystery why people just don’t want to watch him.
A Dream Within a Dream 书卷一梦 40 episodes 李一桐、刘宇宁
In modern day, actress Song Xiao Yu ft Li Yi Tong accidentally enters the fictional world of a historical romance screen play where the story line is that she falls in love with the main male lead who uses her, cheats on her and doesn’t mind seeing her abused and killed. This was the original screen play at least.
When she realizes that she fell into this screenplay world, she tries to change her fate by instead of marrying the main male lead ft Liu Yu Ning, she marries the second male lead but she ends up in a never ending loop where she dies before being able to do so. She finally realizes that it’s because no matter how hard she tries, the screenplay is going to push her to the main male lead, Nan Heng played by Liu Yu Ning. She must go through various key scenes in the screenplay. There are many people in the screenplay who are specified storylines – some suffer the challenges of being in the palace, of being in a wealthy household, of wanting power, of wanting love and freedom etc etc. Song Xiao You wants nothing more than to just hang out but is swept up in the screenplay and storyline of the ruthless and bloodthirsty Nan Heng.
Ok – as you can tell. This… is a silly drama. It’s a comedy, it’s lighthearted and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The 1st episode in particular brings forward literally all the ridiculous tropes within Chinese romance dramas there are and also current Chinese pop stardom in general. Liu Yu Ning’s character in modern day is a top idol and his manager has a number of ludicrous demands because of his fame. Li Yi Tong’s Song Xiao Yu is a classically trained actress but hasn’t hit it big so is relegated to a less than savory female lead story line. In the fictionalized screenplay world, she goes in eyes wide open that Nan Heng is a bad person and does everything in her power to try to stay far away from him. Sadly, the “screenplay” doesn’t allow for that which results in some genuinely laugh out loud moments.
I watched about 10 episodes of this drama, and I want to like it way more than I do. But I just can’t get into it. Sure, there are funny moments, but the plot is all over the place and it moves at a very slow pace BECAUSE there’s a lot of hilarious moments added to it. The drama can’t decide if it wants to lean into the power struggle component or stick to the comedy. I don’t think the drama managed to balance it well. I really struggled to get through 10 episodes because it just doesn’t seem like a lot happened. Or maybe because I’ve been watching too many other palace dramas like next doors that many of the antics here seem VERY childish. I’ll try to give it another go and keep it on in the background, but it’s not my cup of tea.
The drama is actually doing fine. It’s second in the viewership stats right now, behind In the Name of Justice. On iQiYi it has breached 9500 on its popularity index which is a decent showing. Unclear if it’ll breach 10,000 but this is a good performance by Li Yi Tong and Liu Yu Ning. Funnily enough, Liu Yu Ning and side actor Wang Si Cheng were both just in The Prisoner of Beauty as master and servant, they are here together in the same roles with similar comedic effect.
The Wonderful World 亲爱的你 29 episodes 张一山、李沁
This 29 episode modern day drama stars Zhang Yi Shan and Li Qin. All I know is that this drama was filmed all the way back in 2020 but then I think the producer died and so the drama was stuck in purgatory. Not sure how it got to air finally but it’s now airing, rather quietly. Neither leads are actively marketing the drama and Li Qin is actually currently out in Egypt filming for Divas Hit the Road season 7. But, I did see Zhang Yi Shan and Li Qin talk backstage at various awards events.
In Hang Zhou, Xu Tian ft Zhang Yi Shan’s plain life finally gained purpose after he walked by a man who looked extremely like him. He decides that he needs to find this similar man. Through matchmaking, he meets young woman Shi Dian Dian ft Li Qin who agrees readily to help Xu Tian find Zhou Tong, the man that looks like Xu Tian. The 2 head to Beijing to see a ballet show and the main ballerina is Wen Xiao Yao. The night of the premier, Zhong Tong heads to the theater to see his girlfriend Wen Xiao Yao but unexpectedly dies in a car accident. That night, the lives of the 2 couples suffer a life changing event. After experiencing reunion, separation, the beauty and bitterness of live, the youths finally learn how to live life’s various flavors. Xu Tian and Dian Dian learn to walk through their emotional and psychological pain while Wen Xiao Yao continues to work to become a true ballerina.
In the Name of the Blossom 锦绣芳华 36 episodes 杨紫、李现
In the Name of the Blossom aka Flourished Peony 2 is a 24 episode drama that started airing on June 30 featuring Yang Zi and Li Xian. I think this drama should be a case study on whether or not this was a successful way to split two dramas. I’m leaning towards not. Flourished Peony or Guo Se Fang Hua did really well for Mango TV at the beginning of the year. Though it didn’t take a full year to air part 2 like Lost You Forever, what this drama did was change the name of Part 2 so that unless you were really paying attention, you didn’t know Part 1 and Part 2 were connected. Even in the English title, it’s In the Name of the Blossom, rather than Flourished Peony pt 2.
Anyways, In the Name of the Blossom picks up immediately after where Flourished Peony left off. Yang Zi’s He Wei Fang is running the biggest flower shop in Chang An but she is in a fake marriage to Jiang Chang Yang Ft Li Xian as his mistress. Princess Li You Zhen and He Wei Fang’s Ex Husband Liu Chang are married but after all this time, Liu Chang is still chasing after He Wei Fang and Li You Zhen is still chasing after Liu Chang.
Now extremely wealthy, He Wei Fang unexpectedly learns the truth about her mother’s death which leaves her aimless. After a harrowing accident, she learns that being a business person can also benefit the people so she helps teach others to start their own businesses and opens up medical clinics, all the while helping Jiang Chang Yang and the Emperor face off against the Prince of Ning who wants to take over the throne.
This season has not done AS well as season 1. It is squarely in the 3rd place spot for viewership share though of course, this means it’s a good showing for Mango TV. I do think people were confused by the different name or didn’t realize season 2 was airing. I will say I haven’t enjoyed the first 12 episodes AS much as I did season 1 because a lot of the plot is now moved towards the romantic feelings towards He Wei Fang and Jiang Chang Yang while Liu Chang and the Princess are STILL trying to get back their exes which is like. Come one. Move on, it’s not interesting anymore.