Fighting Youth focuses on the journey of rookie salesperson Zhang Xiaoyu (Wu Jinyan) and her relationship with mentor Lin Rui (Yin Tao). Zuo Xiaoqing, Liu Mintao and Peter Ho costar. [Extended]
The 47 episode drama airs 2 episodes daily on Zhejiang TV / Dragon TV beginning tonight.
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Fighting Youth‘s new trailer is really focusing on the female relationships – let’s hope it doesn’t take a backseat in the actual drama. Starring Wu Jinyan as a rookie salesperson, Yin Tao and Zuo Xiaoqing as competing sales managers and Liu Mintao as their calculating boss, the drama is slated to premiere at the end of the month.
Huan Xisha (Silk-washing Stream) has released its first trailer and I think Xi Shi (Tong Liya) and the supporting characters are really well cast – Wang Longzheng‘s Goujian is a real stand-out. The trailer feels like an old-school melodrama but I’ll be giving it the benefit of the doubt based on the cast. [Synopsis]
Tong Liya is making a return to period dramas, and will be playing the famed beauty Xi Shi in Silk-washing Stream / Huan Xisha 浣溪沙. She was discovered by Yue statesman Fan Li (Han Geng), and sent into Fuchai’s (Peter Ho) palace as a spy along with Zheng Dan (Chen Duling).
According to legend, the two women were instrumental in the downfall of the arrogant Fuchai and the restoration of Goujian to the throne. The drama is directed by Gao Yijun (The Empress of China) and written by Zou Jingzhi (The Four Scholars of Jiangnan 2014).
Beautiful Reborn Flower stars Song Weilong as the hero who struggles to work out which of the sisters (both played by Lin Yun) he is actually in love with. The synopsis suggests they’re two different people, but the trailer makes me think they’re the same person after all?
Filmed in 2017, the 50 episode drama releases 2 eps every Friday to Monday on iQiyi and Tencent. English subs will be available on their respective apps / Tencent WeTV. It’s also available on Youtube here.
Sword Dynasty stars Li Xian as a cultivator who is training to assassinate the king (Liu Yijun). Li Yitong plays the hero’s ‘aunt’ and future love interest. The 34 episode series releases 2 episodes every Friday-Sunday on iQiyi beginning tonight.
Teaser 1, Cast Interview, BTS 1, BTS 2, Teaser 2, Heroine’s theme song
Fighting Youth stars Wu Jinyan, Yin Tao, Liu Mintao and Zuo Xiaoqing as career-oriented women and follows their successes and failures as they try and climb the corporate ladder.
Li Xian and Li Yitong’s fantasy drama Sword Dynasty released its first full trailer. The Feng Xiaogang-produced drama is rumored to be streaming soon. I haven’t seen a trailer with this much narration since forever, and I really hope it doesn’t carry over to the drama.
Everlasting Serenity 岁岁青莲 (lit.) was originally a Qing dynasty romance drama that went by the name of Xifei’s Royal Love in the Palace. To avoid delays due to censorship, production company New Classics Media (Ruyi’s Royal Love) has changed the dynasty, though the storyline will remain intact for the most part. He Hongshan (Legend of the Phoenix) plays Luo Qinglian, a kind-hearted and learned noble lady who marries prince He Lianxin (Peter Ho).
With a diverse set of characters that grow with each other as they try to find their way in a hierarchical feudal world that is rapidly in decline, the Peter Ho and Dong Jie version of The Butterfly Lovers 梁山伯与祝英台 is one of my to-go feel-good dramas (I stop at some point for obvious reasons). It’s refreshing to see a series where every person is full of wide-eyed wonder at the world they’re learning about and will soon be facing. Foils at every major decision point for the lead couple shows the complexity of the decisions they are forced to make and truly show why Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are soulmates.
Alternatively, if you like the possessive male lead who is mean to everyone but the female lead and has a troubled childhood that you can pity him for, then supporting male lead Ma Wencai (Chen Guanlin) has you covered. I’m 100% convinced the canon couple are soulmates in this drama, but I can see why this version’s Ma Wencai has a huge following.
This dance that Dong Jie choreographed on the day of shooting is one of my favorite TV dances. It’s simple but it’s so beautifully shot.