千秋令 40 2021 4月8日 芒果TV 张予曦、佟梦实 古装
Destiny and Saving
Oh wow this 2021 fantasy drama was filmed back in 2021 but started airing on Mango TV on April 8. This drama stars Zhang Yu Xi as the main female lead and Tong Meng Shi, who played Wu Zhu in Joy of Life, as the main male lead.
Here’s the rough premise. Because her older sister fell in love with the demon king and committed suicide with said king, legendary bird clan fairy 霓凰 featuring Zhang Yu Xi accidentally enters into a restricted land to search for her sister’s essence. Ni Huang’s arrival in this restricted land awakens the dragon warrior 白颜（佟梦实 饰) who had been sealed to deep slumber for a thousand years. The two spend time together and grow close but her identity is discovered by the heavens. Bai Yan has no option but to use a special orb to cover Ni Huang’s scent and send her to the human realms. A thousand years later, the story continues in the human realms as Ni Huang becomes 凤离雪 and Bai Yan becomes 墨霄. The two reconnect as Feng Li Xue searches for the truth about her identity and seek revenge against her father’s killer.
For a fantasy romance, this drama flopped hard. Literally on the bottom of all lists. I tried watching the first episode but couldn’t finish. It didn’t have great graphics, or costumes and the acting was quite wooden from the main cast. The latter half of the plot synopsis actually sounds interesting but I don’t think anyone was interested in getting past the first few episodes. THis is another example of Tong Meng Shi being given a lead actor role following his turn in 2019’s Joy of Life and it not panning out at all. Yikes. It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to lead any more dramas in the future.
吃饭跑步和恋爱 28 2024 4月8日 优酷 陈飞宇、庄达菲 都市
I’m only going to quickly talk about the next drama Eat Run Love. It’s a 28 episode drama starring Chen Fei Yu and Zhuang Da Fei. This is a romance drama that began airing on April 8 on Youku. I won’t even give a synopsis because the reason why I wanted to chat about it is that it bombed so spectacularly. Literally no one watched this drama.
This is Chen Fei Yu’s first drama to air since 2022’s Lighter and Princess and since his sex scandal in 2023. He had a strong following back in 2022 after Lighter and Princess but I guess he lost too many fans with the sex scandal that no one bothered to watch this. I saw some marketing for it but no one was interested. Doesn’t help that reviews were pretty bad. Let’s also talk about Zhuang Da Fe, the female lead in the movie version of Legends of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants. She must have some really strong backers to be able to land that role opposite Xiao Zhan and be directed by famed director Tsui Hark because I would have thought she would have SOME fans to support this drama but nope, no splash.
无忧渡 36 2022 4月12日 爱奇艺 任嘉伦、宋祖儿 古装
The Demon Hunter’s Romance
We’ve all talked before in the past about how we were certainly surprised when some dramas randomly started airing out of now where. None more so this year than Wu You Du or The Demon Hunter’s Romance. This drama that was filmed back in 2022 I believe stars Ren Jia Lun and Song Zu Er. This was originally quite highly regarded by both fans and actors alike but then, Song Zu Er got embroiled in a tax evasion scandal which essentially blacklisted her in the industry. She has not been in public for quite some time and all of her projects were on hold indefinitely.
So you can see the surprise when this drama finally started airing. Fans were over the moon about this surprise drop and think it looks good for a comeback on her part.
Here’s the plot. As a young girl, Ban Xia was abducted and brought to a mysterious place. From then on, she had the ability to see strange things that terrified her family and was sent away to live in safety. As a young woman, she returns to her hometown only to realize that what she can see are actually demons. She meets a demon catcher, Jiu Xuan Ye, who is adept and catching demons and realizing that he might be able to help her find her father who recently went missing at the hands of a demon, decides to find Jiu Xuan Ye in a neighboring city. Together, they become embroiled in several mysteries surrounding demons as they grow closer. But mysteries around their past and Xuan Ye’s true identity add to the challenges of this story.
It was certainly better than many of Ren Jia Luns recent dramas story wise which goes to show that story really is king when it comes to final output. There were some rather interesting themes from the various demon stories and some unique villains but it did sometimes drag on for a bit. It actually did quite well on iQiyi’s popularity index, reaching 9800 at its peak which is quite good considering this drama didn’t realy have much marketing time and we didn’t even expect it to air. This is definitely a win for both leads. Ren Jia Lun’s star power has been waning over the last 2 years and Song Zu Er just needed to get back into the public eye. It is even airing better than Love in Pavilion which we’ll talk about later.
蛮好的人生 36 2024 4月17日 央视八套 孙俪、董子健 都市
Next up is Better Life or 蛮好的人生 starring Sun Li. This 36 episode drama began airing on CCTV 8 on April 17. She had Breaking the Shadows 乌云之上 air last month and quickly followed that entry with this drama. This is definitely more in her comfort zone as a family drama.
Here’s the synopsis:
Just when 39 year-old insurance professional Hu Man Li (played by Sun Li) 胡曼黎（孙俪 饰）thought she reached the peak of her life, she loses everything. She loses her marriage and her career. She is sabotaged by her 28 year old industry competitor Xue Xiao Zhou (played by Dong Zi Jian) 薛晓舟（董子健 饰) where she is ultimately fired from her company. After several confrontations between the two of them, Hu Man Li and Xue Xiao Zhou develop begrudging respect for each other. Hu Man Li decides to let go of past grievances and partners with Xue Xiao Zhou for a new business venture. The two rise to the top of the industry as professional partners.
Since this drama began airing on CCTV8, its viewership ratings have done pretty well. It also began airing on Beijing TV and Dongfan TV with decent ratings. It seems like people are tuning in to watch the drama for her even if the plot hasn’t been all that great. Folks have been complaining about plot holes and Sun Li’s acting. Regardless, it seems like Sun Li’s name is enough to have viewers want to take a look at the drama.
榜上佳婿 40 2024 4月25日 腾讯视频 王子奇、卢昱晓 古装
Serendipity
Ooof this historical costume romance featuring Wang Zi Qi and Lu Yu Xiao where I’m actually surprised is bombing. Or maybe I shouldnt be? Wang Zi Qi I primarily know him from his role in the Imperial Coroner that I quite liked from 2021. Lu Yu Xiao rose to prominence from 2023’s My Journey to You. She was also in this year’s Perfect Match or 五福临门 at the beginning of the year. I would have thought that perhaps there would be more interest in this pair but apparently not.
Here’s the synopsis of the story. Jian Ming Shu ft Lu Yu Xiao 简明舒 accidentally fell from a cliff and lost her memory. But because of that, she was able to escape from the tragic destruction of her home and family. With the help of Lu Chang ft Wang Zi Qi, she was able to go together with him to the capital to take the imperial entrance exam. Always curious about her own identity, she started searching for clues and with the help of Lu Chang quietly supporting her in the background, the two were able to weather many challenges together, finally confessing their love to live happily ever after.
Ok so I guess from the plot summary from Bai du that I roughly just translated, it’s going to be a happy ending. SPOILERS I guess. Anyways, it’s aired now for a week and only breached 23,000 on TEncent’s popularity index. There’s essentially no trending topics on this show and really folks just aren’t thinking about it
淮水竹亭 36 2023 4月28日 爱奇艺 刘诗诗、张云龙 古装
Love in Pavilion
Next up is the anticipated heavy hitter Love in Pavilion or 淮水竹亭. This 36 episode drama began airing on iQiYi on April 28 after being booted from its mid April slot in favor of The Demon Hunter’s Romance. Now that was a crazy turn of events because the cast of Love in Pavilion had already filmed so much promotional content and marketing that The Demon Hunter’s Romance took a ton of wind out of their sails.
This is another fantasy drama that is based on the very famous Chinese animated series Fox Spirit Matchmaker Bamboo Chapter.
Here’s the synopsis:
In a time long ago, humans and spirits co-inhabited the world. To prevent the Black Fox from manipulating humans and to protect the safety of both humans and spirits, 傲来三少 the powerful Ao Lai San Shao enacted a rule that drew boundaries between the inner and outer realism. The Yi Qi Alliance was formed by powerful human clans including the Wang Quan 王权 family and the Dong Fang Family 东方. They also established the 稽查司 or Ji Cha Si to inspect and oversee the matters of the alliance. Together with the demons of Nan Chu, Tu Shan, Xi Xi Yu, and members of other kingdoms, the alliance was successful in keeping the Black Fox at bay beyond the boundaries of both realms. At the same time, the younger members of the different human clans including the Wang Quan, Yang, and Zhang families form their own mini-alliance called the Mask Squad. Their goal is to uncover the world’s mysteries, maintain peace between humans and spirits, and uphold justice.
This cast is absolutely packed with stars and familiar faces lead by Liu Shi Shi as Dong Fang Huai Zhu 东方淮竹 and Zhang yun Long as Wang Quan Hong Ye 王权弘业. I believe the drama is also split into several storylines, which then allows for SO MANY people to appear in the drama. There’s 吴宣仪, 翟潇闻, 侯明昊, 沈月, 陈钰琪, 丁禹兮, 章若楠, 孟子义, and 彭小苒 just to name a few.
I mean all of these stars have headlined their own dramas and in the 2 years since filming Ding Yu Xi and Meng Zi Yi certainly have had minor hits under their belt. Some of these stars literally show up for like 2 episodes and that again reflects the strength of this IP, the power of the production company 恒星引力 Stellar Media, and I’m sure the money that was dumped in here.
This drama is the prequel to last year’s famous dud Fox Spirit Matchmaker Red Moon Chapter that was headlined by Yang Mi and Gong Jun. Heads are now turning to see if her fellow 85 Flower, Liu Shi Shi is able to headline this IP. It’s only been a few days so we’ll see how this drama performs but early indicators point to no. I’ve seen 2 episodes and have not been too impressed.
落花时节又逢君 2021 4月28日 芒果TV 刘学义、胡意旋 古装
Lastly is the drama 落花时节又逢君 or Love Never Fails. This is a 40 episode drama starring Liu Xue Yi and Hu Yi Xuan that began airing on MangoTV and only online on April 28. This drama was filmed back in 2021 so it’s curious that it took almost 4 years for the drama to air.
It is another fantasy romance drama and here’s the synopsis.
In the Heaven Realm, at the once-in-a-century Blossom Festival, the immortal lord Jin Xiu 锦绣 (played by Liu Xueyi) is boldly confessed to by the demon Hong Ning 红凝 (played by Hu Yixuan). She declares her wish to become his divine queen. However, she is told that immortals and demons are inherently different.
She holds onto a single promise from Jin Xiu and embarks on a long path to become immortal. After years and years, the flowers have fallen. Hong Ning finally ascends to the heavens only to learn that he has married someone else. Heartbroken, Hong Ning turns away, abandons her the immortal path, and chooses to fall into eternal reincarnation.
Unbeknownst to her, Jin Xiu defies fate to reincarnate her and grant her another life in hopes of making up for his past failings. But that is just the beginning and the mystery of their origins await. Hong Ning is the destined trial Jin Xiu cannot escape
Here’s another fantasy drama starring Liu Xue Yi. He’s had 5 dramas air over the last year and a half. Not too shabby! Only 1 was a modern day drama, the rest were all in the period romance or fantasy romance genres. I feel like Liu Xue Yi believes this is his strength and just continues down this path. However, he’s still missing that ONE drama to really elevate him even up to the B list.