iQiyi has released a handful of trailers and posters for its upcoming dramas. The successful Light On programme is back for a second round, and the streaming platform has also lumped its romance dramas into a Sweet On schedule, which is set to begin this month. Which dramas are you looking forward to most?
First up is Luoyang, and the trailer is giving me huge The Longest Day in Chang’an vibes. Huang Xuan‘s character seems pretty similar to Lei Jiayin’s, in that they’re both former government officials who are tasked with solving intriguing mysteries.
iQiyi Light On programme
Who Is Murderer – Zhao Liying, Xiao Yang, Dong Zijian
Gold Panning 淘金 – Liao Fan, Chen Feiyu
Under the Skin 猎罪图鉴 – Tan Jianci, Jin Shijia 
Wisher – Feng Shaofeng, Wenqi, Fan Chengcheng 
To Be Or Not To Be 迷·途 – based on the story of a genius prisoner on death row
Daybreaker – Li Yifeng, Song Yi
A Love Never Lost – Li Xian, Chun Xia, Wei Daxun
Ace Troops 王牌部队 – Huang Jingyu, Xiao Zhan, Zhong Chuxi
The Rebel – Zhu Yilong, Tong Yao
The Ideal City – Sun Li, Mark Chao, Yu Hewei
iQiyi Sweet On programme (trailer round-up):
- Moonlight – Yu Shuxin, Ding Yuxi
- The Day of Becoming You – Zhang Xincheng, Liang Jie
- Make A Wish 喵，请许愿 – Ren Youlun, Ge Xinyi
- Sweet Teeth – Wu Xuanyi, Bi Wenjun
- First-Love Again 循环初恋 – Patrick Shih, Chen Haoyu
- Love Under The Full Moon – Zheng Yecheng, Ju Jingyi [Youtube]
- Forever and Ever / Chang’an Memories – Ren Jialun, Bai Lu
Thank you for such a comprehensive list.
I’m most interested in the Huang Xuan (#1) and Liao Fan (#3) ones. I can’t get enough clues out of the Zhao Liying and the Duan Yihong ones to guess how much I may like those dramas.
Is Li Yifeng’s acting watchable the past 2 years? I haven’t watched his dramas from the last few years after a couple of bad old dramas.
I hope some of these dramas will have good plots or interesting characters. Last year, I mostly only like the plots or characters of just a handful of dramas. The Long Night, Hikaru no Go. I keep watching some other dramas just because I like the lead actress, Ni Ni.
The romance drama list here do not entice me though I find some recent light romance dramas tolerable. Love Scenery, Court Lady (with some fast forwarding), The Imperial Coroner. I like some of the new actresses, Xiang Hanzi, Chen Fangtong (Always Have, Always Will).
Same choices for me. I would also check out A Love Never Lost and Rebel – good cast here and I trust they would choose good scripts.
On LiYiFeng – I have watched his 3 most recent ones – Sparrow, Fearless Whispers and the currently airing The Glory of Youth – I find his acting rather limited – 3 different characters and yet they all look and feel the same. He can’t even change the way he delivers his lines.
Speaking of limited, so is Li Xian/Yibo/Chen Feiyu/Vic Song tbh. The premise of their dramas is interesting, I can only hope the directors really utilise these actors well. Cant just rely on Huang Xuan, Liao Fan or Zhu Yawen to carry the acting weight for them lol.
Glad to read your feedbacks, Ash and Vee.
Just from the short trailer alone, I have a slight doubt on Li Yifeng’s acting already.
From Vee’s list, I can watch CFY, VS a bit more than the other 2. These 4 are not on the top of my cannot-watch list. I avoid Xu Kaicheng, Xing Zhaolin, Zhang Han, Zhao Yiqin, Zhang Yuxi, Ding Yuxi more. Idol actors who play CEOs in idol dramas tend to have stiffer acting than the 4 actors mentioned here. Their scripts are also often full of tropes. If Lin Yi, Song Weilong, Li Jiaqi, Xiao Yan are in dramas beyond 25 episodes, I probably cannot finish watching either.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell, the biggest problems are the super trope-y plots, over-the-top acting direction, or the idol actors. Maybe if they can get better roles, the acting may be easier to watch.
I find it easier to find watchable younger actresses than younger actors. Wan Peng’s acting in Love Like White Jade is also watchable though the plot is not my cup of tea. I also like Zhao Jinmai, Wen Qi. Sun Qian is still watchable too. I have not come across Deng Enxi etc’s dramas.
I’m hoping Young Blood 2 will be watchable.
I’m watching Word of Honor.
It’s probably easier to pick out genuinely good ones among < 30 yo actors rather than mediocre and below mediocre ones lol.
The thing with young CEO roles is I think it ironically isn't the easiest role for young inexperienced actors to relate with so they all appear stiff, same with overly cutesy roles for actresses… they're so shallowly written no real people behave like these characters and it's difficult to work on. I find young actors/actresses to be most comfortable with more undemanding roles where they just have to be themselves.
I've seen Legend of Awakening and Deng Enxi was among the most watchable ones there because she just had to play herself.
Word of Honor is one example where the leads are fine in lighthearted scenes but appear to be clearly struggling and even boring to watch in scenes that require some level of emotional nuance or intensity, imo. CFY in Ever Night is also like that.
I agree with you two. I feel a sense of relief that someone else also feels the same and appreciate what is real acting prowess beyond the face. We usually get bashed up by their fans if comment was anything less than s/he was the greatest.
On WOH, I tend to agree too on the emo parts of the 2 leads.
We hope for more intelligent scripts and directors who knows how to make use of the actors’ abilities. (although I know many directors have to work with whoever are chosen)
Nice to hear your comments on WOH. Acting aside, I’m still slightly lukewarm on the whole drama. WOH’s action choreography is probably the most interesting to me. Ancient Detective Jian Buzhi and Imperial Coroner draw me in more. It’s just taking me forever to finish WOH.
Actor for Jian Buzhi in Ancient Detective wasn’t so great an actor either. I don’t even remember his name. But somehow the whole AD drama package appealed to me more. The characters have a more natural, organic growth to them. The romance aspect of that drama, however, was a different matter.
Maybe WOH has too many bells and whistles for me. A high number of different ghosts and other villains may have become distracting somehow.
I wish I can just sit in awe at beautiful idol faces and stare at them and be content, but alas, I don’t have the right personality or brain for it.
I’m glad many of us here can help each other out finding enjoyable dramas to watch.
One of the idol problems is that they have way too many young CEO dramas. It’s hard for lead actors not to blur together with all the other young onscreen CEOs who are madly devoted to their one hard-working young maiden.