灿如繁星 32 2025 7月5日 爱奇艺 陈靖可、虞书欣 青春
Road to Success
This modern day drama stars Esther Yu Shu Xin and Chen Jing Ke. This 32 episode drama started airing on July 5 on Ai Qi Yi
PhD student Lin Wanxing (played by Yu Shuxin) suddenly returns to her hometown and takes a a job as the sports equipment caretaker. Wang Fa (played by Chen Jingke) gives up his coaching job at a British football club to return to the same town and becomes Lin Wanxing’s mysterious tenant. She’s put in charge of the school’s disbanded football team, and with his coaching help, they scrape together a win. He becomes the team’s coach, and together they build up the roster and smooth out team drama. Just as things start going well, old wounds from both their pasts resurface, and they both pull away — but eventually reconcile. As the championship match and the students’ college entrance exams approach, the two team up to help the kids fall back in love with football and push through their exams.
The reason why I bring this drama up is seeing how Yu Shu Xin’s dramas are faring these days. She was embroiled in a rather hush hush scandal last year and she’s stayed out of the public eye. Clearly she hasn’t been officially canceled because her dramas are still airing but she’s not getting nearly as much viewership in China as she did just 2 years ago. This drama sadly did not get much attention this summer on iQiyi. While it did breach 6000 on its first day of airing which is quite decent for a modern romance drama, the show did not break 8000, reaching a peak of 7900. Per episode views on Yun He are quite abysmal at just 7million views per episode putting it at 69th or so. I’m not commenting on the quality of the show, On Douban, this drama currently has a 6.8 which is actually not bad comparatively. But but rather noting how little buzz or pull Yu Shu Xin is getting these days. there just wasn’t that much buzz on China.
野狗骨头 32 2025 7月5日 湖南卫视金鹰独播剧场 宋威龙、张婧仪 都市
Love for You
This 32 episode modern day romance drama starring Song Wei Long and Zhang Jing Yi that started airing on July 5 on Hunan Television or Mango TV
Back in the 90s, Chen Yi and Miao Jing grew up together, though he’s initially hostile toward her until an injury and her kindness changed the dynamic of their relationship. But soon after, Chen Yi’s father died and Miao Jing’s mother disappears, and the two kids are forced to rely on each other. When they attend college, she confesses her feelings — but he gets caught up in an arson case as a key witness, and to protect her, forces her to leave town while he helps police catch the suspect. Years later, he runs a billiards hall and she returns to town for a work audit, where they reunite. He’s suspicious of her new boss because of the old arson case, and tries to stop her from taking the job. When the boss’s smuggling operation comes to light, Chen Yi puts himself in danger to protect her, and they team up with police to bring the boss down. In the end, badly wounded, he finally confesses his feelings, and they end up together.
From a performance perspective, because this drama aired on Mango TV or HuNan television, it doesn’t have the popularity index to rely on. BUT from tv viewership data, this is the second best performing show on Hunan television and on various metrics for online streaming numbers, it did decently, being placed in the top three. But I would say dramas from early July were all rather weak so this wasn’t a breakout hit by any means.
百花杀 36 2025 7月9日 腾讯视频 何与、孟子义 古装
Blossoms of Power
I published a full video review on our youtube channel so you can check that out for the plot recap and how I thought about the show and you can read my full review on our website at chasingdramas.com
Let me just talk about how the drama fared from a viewership perspective. On Tencent, it reached a peak popularity index of 28070 which is in the decent not great category. On YunHe metrics for example, it was at the top of the charts in terms of market share, being out the likes of say, Love for You and Key to the Phoenix Heart. Per episode views are also average, currently sitting at 14-15mill views per episode. Douban ratings are currently at 6 out of 10 so also pretty average. I would say it was the top of a pretty mediocre group of dramas that were airing at the same time. The moment Zhang Ling He’s new drama Overdo started airing, this drama immediately fell to second place.
雀骨 28 2025 7月11日 爱奇艺 艾米、侯明昊 古装
Key to the Phoenix Heart
Once-rumored to have died in battle at the border, son of the Prince of Jing’an, Xiao Wuyi ft Hou Ming Hao, returns to the capital and decisively demands marriage to Xie Jiayu 谢嘉鱼, daughter of the Grand Tutor — kicking off what looks like an absurd engagement. But his forced courtship is actually a carefully laid revenge scheme where he seeks to avenge the 30,000 soldiers who died unjustly at the border and expose a massive military-equipment fraud scandal. Xie Jiayu, longing to break free and live on her own terms, repeatedly tries to escape — only to be caught every time by Xiao Wuyi, kicking off a push-and-pull game of mutual testing between the two of them.
The drama aired with pretty much no notice or marketing but breached 8500 within the first 48 of airing so that’s a pretty decent showing. On YunHe metrics, this drama was solidly in the top 3 along with the likes of Blossoms of Power, Love For YOu and then OverDo depending on the airing date. For other metrics like De Ta, this drama spent several days at the top.
Female lead Ai Mi is a child actress and she is probably one of the youngest female leads right now. I think just 18 right now? So this is a great showing just metrics wise from her. There was quite a bit of negative commentary on Chinese social media because she is so young and there’s an 11 year age gap between her and Hou Ming Hao. There were plenty of Chinese netizens who were up in arms about her being a minor when the drama was filmed. This is one of those interesting moments where people always criticize older actresses and actors when they act in costume romances but then when there’s actually a young actress in the lead role, people online are ALSO angry about that.
这一秒过火 33 2025 7月19日 腾讯视频/爱奇艺 王楚然、张凌赫 民初
Overdo
In Republican-era Shanghai, Murong Qingyi (played by Zhang Linghe), the young son of a warlord who was mistakenly swapped at birth, endures abuse at the hands of his adoptive father. As a teenager, he flees and is saved by Ren Susu (played by Wang Chuya), an act that ends up with devastating consequences for her and her family. Years later, the two meet again and develop feelings. However, Ren Su Su fakes her own death and flees in order to save others, leaving Murong Qingyi reeling from heartbreak over losing his love. Three years later, Ren Susu returns but she is now bretrothed to Mu Rong Qing Yi’s older brother. Ren Su Su and Mu Rong Qing YI are caught between significant pain and misunderstanding mixed in with love. Just as misunderstandings begin to clear, a national crisis strikes. The two work together to face off against this national threat.
Obviously Zhang Ling He had a blockbuster year already with Pursuit of Jade. Unfortunately, this drama has not been able to capture the same amount of interest from even a viewership numbers and popularity data perspective. Though it started off strong on iQiyi, breaching 7000 on its first day of airing but its popularity only reached a peak of 8200 before retreating. On Tencent, the drama topped just 24000 and couldn’t perform any better on the platform before numbers started falling. BUT the silver lining is that on daily streaming metrics like YunHe, the drama shot to the top almost immediately when it aired in terms of market share, beating out Blossoms of Power for that top spot.
The drama has been mired in criticism on Chinese social media from the moment it started airing. Trending topics noting the poor CGI effects and short drama style dialogue and directorial choices shot to the top of the charts. A lot of the commentary I would say wasn’t directed at the actors per se, but the overall drama production itself. I haven’t watched the drama myself so I can’t comment on whether there’s merit to the criticism but that’s a lot of the commentary coming out of China.
御廷谣 32 2025 7月28日 芒果TV(18:55) 陈哲远、吴谨言 古装
Royal Betrothal
The drama aired with an immediate name change. Originally the drama in Chinese was called Jiang Shan Wei Pin and then next thing you know, it’s called Yu Ting Yao.
Meng Tinghui (played by Wu Jinyan), an orphaned girl determined to change her fate through the imperial examinations, crosses paths with a young man who turns out to be the new emperor, Ying Guo (played by Chen Zheyuan). The two team up to root out corrupt officials and bandits in Shazhou, and Ying Gua, impressed by herabilities, secretly helps her make her way to the capital to sit for the exams. After arriving in the capital and overcoming a cheating scandal, the Emperor appoints her head of the Investigation Bureau. There, she works to root out criminal organizations, uncover secret conspiracies and help with power struggles at court. Through their work, Ying Gua and Meng Ting Hui slowly develop feelings for one another, and after navigating a mystery surrounding her origins, resistance at court, and turmoil on the frontier, they finally put down the rebellion, restore order to the government, and stand together to protect the realm and its people.
I’ll be putting out a review video on our youtube channel in the coming days so I’ll save my thoughts there. If I were to give a one sentence summary, it’s that Wu Jin Yan is back in her comfort zone in that revenge focused drama BUT this is not nearly as good as the Story of YanXi Palace or The Double. It IS entertaining enough.
From a pure viewership perspective, this drama is airing on Mango Television or Mango TV and quickly shot to the top of the charts for regional networks making it the most watched REGIONAL channel during its same time slot. However, it does not seem like this is making a big splash compared to other shows that are currently streaming. From various metrics, it’s in the top 5 or top 3 depending on what stat you’re looking at. Respectable? Yes, but not a huge hit by any means.
九门 30 2025 7月30日 优酷 陈伟霆、陈瑶、曾舜晞 民初
Mystic Nine
This is another Republic of China era drama that’s more of a supernatural detective thriller drama that stars Wiliam Chan or Chen Wei Ting,Zeng Shun Xi and Chen Yao.
Airing on Youku, the drama stars William Chan or This is an interesting one. This is technically a sequel to the 2016 Lao Jiu Men which stars Chen Wei Ting and Zhao Li Ying as his main love interest. I just want to say, William Chan looks AMAZING. 10 years has passed and he still looks FANTASTIC. Not a whole lot of change between 2016 and now.
As turbulent times return once more to Changsha, Zhang Qishan (played by Chen Weiting) and Wu Laogou (played by Zeng Shunxi) join forces, teaming up with Huo Xiangu (played by Chen Yao) and the rest of the Nine Gates to embark on a perilous new adventure. The mysterious disappearance of Unit 401 uncovers a century-old, earth-shaking secret buried in the past. Life-and-death choices, brotherhood, loyalty to one’s own faction, and duty to nation and family all intertwine. Together, the people of the Nine Gates use blood, sweat, and sacrifice to protect their home and see each other through the crisis ahead.
In terms of viewership stats, it currently is blowing every other drama out of the park. This is a HUGE win for youku. The drama breached 10,000 on its popularity index by the second day and has already breached 10,100. But unlike the other dramas that broke youku’s 10,000, the actual viewership numbers seem to support such popularity index numbers. On YunHe, the drama currently holds 26% of total market share while everything else trails behind. Daily views of this drama breached 50mm which is quite impressive considering all other dramas are in 15m to 25m range. This drama is THE current hit right now.
I’ve been chasing it since it started. It’s creepy and gruesome. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m still watching it because I’m such a scaredy cat. Maybe because I’m a fan of Chen Wei Ting for old time’s sake. He is such a badass in this show. Stay tuned for my written review of it.
The big “controversy” you could say is also that actress Zhao Li Yin was replaced by another actress in this sequel. There’s tons of speculation as to why that is and for me personally, I understand why she wouldn’t reprise her role. She most definitely doesn’t look the same as she did 10 years ago and has gone another acting route so it’s tough to reprise this role. BUT what it means is that she still shot to the top of the trending charts on Weibo. Her CP or romance ship with William Chan from THAT drama also became trending and everyone is basically watching clips of THEM together rather than focusing on THIS drama. Which I think is funny because the screenwriters intentionally only showed the new actress for William Chan’s love interest for like 1 scene to pretty much show that they’re still married and she’s still alive but she’s not core to the story at all. But, hey, this definitely helped boost interest or at least online buzz for the show.