Novoland: Eagle Flag is a show that attempts to chronicle the journey of three young heroes who go from naïve youngsters to rulers in their own right. I say attempt only because at the time of writing this review, the one character that seems to be getting a proper and logical growth arc is Ji Ye (Chen Ruoxuan), and even his arc is written in such a way that the character takes one step forward and two steps backward. Lv Guichen (Liu Haoran) is still the just and benevolent saviour, though his resurrection should help drive the character forward. That being said, I still find the show riveting enough to watch every single episode, which doesn’t happen very often these days.
Arsenal Military Academy stars Bai Lu as a cross-dressing heroine who becomes involved in a love triangle with the cynical son of a rich family Gu Yanzhen (Xu Kai) and the responsible and well-mannered Shen Junshan (Li Chengbin), and also ends up saving China in the process.
Will Xu Kai and Bai Lu recreate their chemistry from The Legends?
The Legends stars Xu Kai and Bai Lu team up once more in Arsenal Military Academy 烈火军校, a Republican era military drama written by Xiaoxiangdong’er (Princess Agents). Bai Lu plays a Republican-era Mulan who disguises herself as a man to join the military academy in place of her older brother. There, she proves herself to the other students and probably ends up saving China.
The series, which released a new trailer and character posters today, is set for an August 6th release online. The good-looking cast also includes Wu Jiayi, Li Chengbin, Gao Yu’er, Shao Bing, An Yuexi, Dong Li, Yin Zheng, and Zuo Xiaoqing.
Not caving into the recent trend of looking to Japan for inspiration for Tang Dynasty aesthetics is a focus of the drama, how well do the first stills do?
Aiming to be a panorama of early Tang dynasty life, the latest Yu Zheng-produced drama features merchants, pirates, the military, and princes finding love and success in the early Tang dynasty. Based on the script by author Fengnong, A Promenade through the Tang Dynasty 大唐女儿行 (lit: Promenade of Women in the Tang Dynasty) began filming earlier this month with a young cast consisting of Xu Kai (The Legends) , Li Yitong (Bloody Romance), Tan Jianci (Secrets of the Three Kingdoms) , Fan Shiqi (Where the Lost Ones Go), Wu Jiayi ( Untouchable Lovers), and Jiang Mengjie (Sword Master) . The series has already been brought by Hong Kong channel TVB.
Xu Kai plays Cheng Chumo, the son of Cheng Yaojin and a profligate youth who chooses to make a name for himself after falling in love with Fu Rou (Li Yitong). While he goes to fight pirates in the open waters, Fu Rou leaves behind her merchant family to become a master weaver in the palace. There, she meets Prince Li Ke (Tan Jianci) and Marines General Yan Zifang and becomes entangled in the fight for the Crowned Prince. Fan Shiqi plays Cheng Chumo’s brother while Wu Jiayi plays his love interest, the Princess Qinghe. Ma Yue and Miao Pu play the Emperor Li Shimin and the Empress Zhangsun. Together, the protagonists must fight on all fronts to save their families and the future of the Tang Dynasty.
Zhaoge 朝歌 released more stills. Starring Zhang Zhehan, Bao Jianfeng, Lin Youwei, Wu Jiayi, and Liu Mintao, more for those interested in seeing how the costuming turned out.
Some of the stylized costuming seems to have worked… others maybe not so much…
Zhaoge 朝歌 has released a trailer. Starring Zhang Zhehan, Bao Jianfeng, Lin Youwei, Wu Jiayi, and Liu Mintao, more for those who want to see the costuming in action.
Despite the costumes not being exactly historically accurate, I think it’s nice to have some originality done in a good way every now and again.
Zhaoge 朝歌 released more stills. Starring Zhang Zhehan, Bao Jianfeng, Lin Youwei, Wu Jiayi, and Liu Mintao, a production video has also been released for those interested.
Some of these images actually have really interesting details you can go looking for.
Zhaoge 朝歌 released stills. Starring Zhang Zhehan, Bao Jianfeng, Lin Youwei, Wu Jiayi, and Liu Mintao, those interested in the stylized costuming from last post can get a look at the actual costumes in action.
At least some of Yu Zheng’s tactics towards doing things seems to have changed. In the past, we would have been drowning in images by now.
Zhaoge 朝歌 released character designs a while ago and I thought I would share. Starring Zhang Zhehan, Bao Jianfeng, Lin Youwei, Wu Jiayi, and Liu Mintao, based on these images, this seems to be a stylized take on the era.
I don’t think an actual English title has been set in stone yet but given the time period this drama is set in, it is probably a reference to the capital city of the Shang Dynasty, Zhaoge.
Those who miss Yu Zheng‘s productions are in luck. Zhaoge 朝歌 has started filming. Starring Zhang Zhehan, Bao Jianfeng, Lin Youwei, Wu Jiayi, and Liu Mintao, the artwork so far looks fantastic but I guess with all Yu Zheng productions, we’ll have to wait until the final product to see if it suits your personal tastes.
