Coming from the writer of Joy of Life, Sword Snow Stride follows a youngster’s (Zhang Ruoyun) journey from a good-for-nothing noble to swashbuckling hero. As this is only the first season, I don’t think we’ll be able to see the hero getting involved in any warfare as a powerful general. This is why I hate seasonal formats, especially when the first season is already 38 episodes.
The latest trailer for Sword Snow Stride is feeling more like Joy of Life 2.0, and has less wuxia than I expected (plus, with this being a Wang Juan-scripted show, the chances of me dropping this drama midway just increased dramatically). Starring Zhang Ruoyun, Li Gengxi, Hu Jun and Zhang Tian’ai, the drama is yet to secure an air date.
I can count on one hand how many dramas I watched from beginning to end, so I’ve decided to do things differently this year and shine the spotlight on the characters that I really liked. Feel free to submit your own reviews and posts here.
Standalone reviews 2020: A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower, We Are All Alone, The Romance of Tiger and Rose
Which dramas did you follow this year, and which characters made a lasting impression on you?
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Snow Sword Stride promos have this traditional wuxia feel, and I am absolutely loving it. Starring Zhang Ruoyun, Hu Jun, Li Gengxi, Gao Weiguang and Zhang Tian’ai, the drama is in the final stages of filming.
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Often lauded as director Zhang Jizhong’s best Jin Yong drama, his adaptation of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils has all of his fortes without any of his weaknesses. A perfect combination of solid hand-to-hand combat and artistic license in the action choreography, a stunning cast in equally stunning on-location scenery, a focus on the grandeur of the stories but finally with nuanced relationships and chemistry between the characters. Hu Jun is truly one of the few actors who pulls off the rugged-at-large-soft-in-the-heart Xiao Feng, while Jimmy Lin’s idol-drama-take on Duan Yu makes him much more likable than the original character. Liu Tao’s Ah-Zhu was the first TV character who made me cry, while Jiang Xin’s Mu Wuantong remains her most gorgeous role to date. Chen Hao and Shu Chang also gave amazing performances as two complex female antagonists.
The impeccably cast series stars Hu Jun, Jimmy Lin, Gao Hu, Liu Tao, Chen Hao, Jiang Xin, Shu Chang, Liu Yifei, Yang Rui, Xiu Qing, Tong Chun-Chung, Christy Chung, Diana Pang, etc.
The Lost Tomb Reboot Season 1 stars Zhu Yilong as Wu Xie, Huang Junjie as Zhang Qiling and Chen Minghao as Wang Pangzi.
The 66 episode drama has been split into two seasons, and the first 32 episodes will stream on Youku / iQiyi every Wed-Thurs beginning tonight. English subs will be available on the iQiyi app.
The Lost Tomb Reboot stars Zhu Yilong as Wu Xie, and will focus on his tomb raiding adventures ten years after the events of the last novel. Costars include Mao Xiaotong, Hu Jun, Baron Chen, Huang Junjie, Chen Minghao, Tse Kwanho and Huang Mengying.
The 70 episode drama should drop any day now.
Zhang Ruoyun is reuniting with Joy of Life screenwriter Wang Juan in upcoming wuxia drama Sword Snow Stride 雪中悍刀行, an adaption of Fenghuo Xizhuhou’s novel of the same name.
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Republican-era romance drama Love in Flames of War 良辰好景知几何 is based on the novel of the same name by Lingxi and stars Shawn Dou and Chen Duling in the leading roles.
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Based loosely on the real operation of the same name, Hunting 猎狐 features Wang Kai, Wang Ou, and Hu Jun working on a new financial crime operation to repatriate economic fugitives who have fled abroad. The series is written by Zhao Dongling (Once Upon a Time in Tsingtao) and directed by Liu Xin (The King’s Woman). Liu Yijun, Deng Jiajia, Fu Jing, and Wang Tonghui co-stars, while Zhao Ziqi and Liu Jun guest stars.
The series will be airing two episodes on weekdays and one episode on weekends. It should be available on this Youtube channel.