The Pavilion is the first of four Light On dramas to go on air – hopefully there are equal parts of repairing family relationships and mystery. Starring Duan Yihong, Hao Lei, Zu Feng, Wu Yue and Bai Yufan, the drama premieres on iQiyi tonight.
iQiyi has recently released a teaser featuring its upcoming mystery thrillers:
Last year’s Light On program gave us two critically successful dramas in The Bad Kids and The Long Night – any guesses as to which dramas will stand out from the pack this year? (My pick is The Pavilion, based on cast performance alone)
Crime Crackdown is inspired by the real-life event of a gang leader who evaded justice for almost twenty years due to corruption of the judicial system. This may turn out to be a solid drama, depending on how much the censors have edited the final product. Starring Sun Honglei, Zhang Yixing, Liu Yijun and Wu Yue, the drama is scheduled to premiere within the next couple of months. [Extended synopsis]
As the name suggests, Crime Crackdown 扫黑风暴 will focus on the crackdown on organised crime led by former detective Li Chengyang (Sun Honglei). Zhang Yixing and Liu Yijun costar as police officers.
Time-loop mystery Sisyphus stars Wang Qianyuan as a police officer who is sent back to the past every time he gets shot by the man (Lu Han) responsible for his family’s murders. The 12 episode Lights On miniseries will be English-subbed on the iQiyi app.
The trailer for Sisyphus looks great, and I’m loving the show’s tag line: “The past is the future, and the future is the present.” Starring Wang Qianyuan, Lu Han, Qi Xi, Qiao Xin, Wu Yue and Zhang Haoran, the second drama in iQiyi’s Lights On series will probably be released after Kidnapping Game ends on the 17th. [Extended Synopsis]
A Love Never Lost 人生若如初见 is set against the backdrop of The Boxer Rebellion and stars Li Xian as Liang Xiang, an ambitious and educated noble recently returned from Japan. Chun Xia plays Qiu Hong, a forward-thinking noble lady who is travelling to Shanghai to escape an arranged marriage.
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Military drama The King of Land Battle stars Chen Xiao (Finding Love on the Journey) and Wang Lei (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as PLA soldiers who go from rivals to best friends. Zhang Yaqin (Legend of Fuyao) costars as a fellow crew member. [Extended Synopsis]
The 50 episode drama airs daily on Zhejiang TV and Dragon TV beginning tonight.
Long Trailer | Teaser | Creative Countdowns (1), (2)