Once known primarily as a singer, Liu Yuning (刘宇宁) has rapidly ascended as a powerhouse in Chinese historical and fantasy dramas. With his commanding presence (cm height), deep vocal delivery, and nuanced portrayals of complex anti-heroes, he's redefined the archetype of the "ruthless yet redeemable" male lead. Here are five essential series showcasing his evolution—and why they dominate streaming charts.
The Prisoner of Beauty 折腰
- Aired: May , 25
- Period: Warring States-inspired fictional dynasty
- Genres: Historical romance, political intrigue, family saga
- Main Roles: Liu Yuning (Wei Shao), Song Zuer (Qiao Man)
- Adapted From: Novel by Penglai Ke
Set in a war-torn realm mirroring China's Warring States period, warlord Wei Shao is consumed by vengeance after his family's massacre by the rival Qiao clan. To cement a fragile truce, he forces a political marriage with Qiao Man, the daughter of his enemies. Their union begins as a cage of mutual suspicion: Wei Shao views Qiao Man as a pawn to humiliate her family, while she navigates his court as both hostage and diplomat. Yet Qiao Man transcends her role through strategic brilliance—exposing grain-hoarding conspiracies, redirecting Wei Shao's rage toward shared foes, and brokering alliances using ancestral rituals. As external threats mount (notably rival warlord Liu Yan's siege of Yu Commandery), their relationship evolves from hatred to reluctant partnership, culminating in a shared fight for survival that rewrites their clans' bloody legacy.
The series avoids reducing Qiao Man to a "trapped bride." Her political agency drives the plot—she negotiates treaties, deciphers military codes, and even engineers flood defenses to repel invaders. These actions reframe marriage alliances as platforms for female influence, subverting the female chastity norms of the era.
Wei Shao's vengeance is portrayed not as heroism but trauma. His gradual shift from cold brutality (e.g., threatening Qiao Man's maids) to protectiveness mirrors psychological healing, challenging the "ruthless warlord" archetype.
Director Deng Ke employs meticulous Han Dynasty-inspired designs:
Wei Shao's black-gold armor reflects his militaristic isolation.
Qiao Man's transition from pale silks to crimson robes signals her growing authority.
Battle scenes blend practical stunts with CGI, notably Wei Shao's single-horse charge against seven generals.
Liu's portrayal of Wei Shao redefines historical anti-heroes through three dimensions:
At cm, Liu dominates scenes with coiled tension—shoulders rigid during councils, eyes burning during fights. In quieter moments, his posture crumples, revealing vulnerability beneath the armor.
His baritone voice—used for raw, un-dubbed delivery—transforms lines like "I vowed to destroy your bloodline... yet I crave your voice" into visceral conflicts between duty and desire.
A twitch near his right eye when Qiao Man mentions his father's death.
White-knuckled grip on a wooden gift box masking jealousy.
These nuances earned him the title "destined Wei Shao" from audiences.
The Prisoner of Beauty succeeds by prioritizing psychological truth over spectacle. Qiao Man's intelligence isn't narrative convenience—it's rooted in her study of historical texts and kinship laws. Wei Shao's redemption isn't romanticized but earned through confronting his complicity in cyclical violence. As critic Wang Yifei noted: "It weaponizes marriage politics not for melodrama, but to dissect how power corrupts—and heals".
"Hatred built this dynasty. But only you made me see it could be rebuilt."
— Wei Shao to Qiao Man (Episode 24)
A Journey to Love 一念关山
A Journey to Love 一念关山
- Aired: November, 22
- Period: Fictional Five Dynasties era
- Genres: Wuxia, political adventure, ensemble drama
- Main Roles: Liu Yuning (Ning Yuanzhou), Liu Shishi (Ren Ruyi)
- Adapted From: Original screenplay
Set in a fictional Five Dynasties-inspired era, the series centers on Ning Yuanzhou, a rogue assassin leading Six Paths Guild—a clandestine intelligence agency serving the kingdom of Wu. After a botched mission leaves him disgraced, Ning crosses paths with Ren Ruyi, a former top spy from rival kingdom An's Scarlet Guard. Forced into an uneasy alliance to escort the cross-dressing Princess Yang Ying on a perilous diplomatic mission, they uncover a conspiracy linking corrupt officials from both kingdoms to the nomadic Beirong tribe. Their journey evolves from mutual distrust to profound partnership, culminating in a battle to prevent an invasion that threatens all three nations.
Unlike most wuxia dramas, romance takes a backseat to geopolitical intrigue. The core conflict revolves around systemic corruption—e.g., Wu's chancellor colluding with Beirong leaders to destabilize borders for profit.
Ning's methods blur hero/villain lines. He blackmails informants and sacrifices allies for greater goals, reflecting real-world espionage dilemmas.
Ensemble Chemistry & Brotherhood
The "F4" dynamic—Ning with archer Yu Shisan, explosives expert Yuan Lu, and strategist Qian Zhao—anchors the narrative:
Yu Shisan's flirtatious banter contrasts Ning's stoicism, notably when he distracts guards by stripping mid-chase.
Yuan Lu's fatal illness (hidden until Episode 25) fuels his devotion to Ning, symbolizing "lighting fireworks with borrowed time".
Kinetic Fight Choreography: Ren Ruyi's sword dance sequences merge balletic grace with lethal precision, filmed in single takes to showcase Liu Shishi's dance background4.
Historical Verisimilitude: Costumes reflect Five Dynasties' multicultural fusion—An spies wear turquoise silk with Khitan-inspired braids, while Wu's Liudao Tang dons minimalist hemp armor.
As Ning Yuanzhou, Liu redefines the wuxia anti-hero through:
Minimal dialogue, maximum impact. In Episode , a single tear when burning his mentor's letter conveys grief, rage, and resolve.
Trained in mounted archery and wirework, Liu performed 8% of fight scenes. His cm frame dominates battles but crumples in private moments, revealing vulnerability.
Used his natural baritone (rare for dubbed C-dramas) to deliver lines like "Spies don't get tombstones" with chilling authenticity.
Controversies: Critics noted inconsistent logic—e.g., Liudao Tang's intelligence network is easily dismantled by inept villains, undermining its supposed prowess.
Ren Ruyi's autonomy—rejecting marriage titles, prioritizing mentorship—sparked discourse on feminist wuxia. Her line "I want silver saddles under white horses, galloping like meteors" trended on Weibo.
The F4's non-toxic loyalty (e.g., Qian Zhao sacrificing his reputation to protect Ning) countered "alpha male" tropes, resonating with Gen Z audiences.
"We aren't heroes. We're the knives that carve their legends."
— Ning Yuanzhou
The Legend of Anle 安乐传
The Legend of Anle 安乐传
- Aired: July, 22
- Period: Fictional Great Jing dynasty
- Genres: Court intrigue, revenge romance
- Main Roles: Liu Yuning (Luo Mingxi), Dilraba (Ren Anle)
- Adapted From: Novel The Emperor's Book by Xing Ling
In the opulent yet treacherous court of the Great Jing dynasty, Luo Mingxi, the Minister of Justice, harbors a decade-long vendetta. His clan was massacred under imperial orders, leaving him the sole survivor. Adopted into power by the very emperor who destroyed his family, Luo meticulously plots revenge—using Princess Ren Anle, the emperor's favored daughter, as his unwitting pawn. He engineers her political downfall while posing as her protector, only to find himself ensnared by her fierce intelligence and unexpected vulnerability. As their cat-and-mouse game intensifies—marked by poisoned banquets, rigged trials, and whispered alliances—Luo's calculated cruelty frays. When Ren Anle discovers his identity yet chooses to shield him, their collision of loyalty and deception forces an impossible choice: complete his bloody vengeance or protect the woman who rewrote his destiny.
Liu Yuning delivers a career-defining performance as Luo Mingxi, transforming the archetypal "tragic avenger" into a psychologically resonant study of fractured duty. His genius lies in physical subtlety:
In court scenes, Luo's hands clench behind his back when lying to the emperor—veins straining like coiled serpents.
His gaze shifts from glacial detachment (assessing Ren Anle's weaknesses) to molten conflict when she gifts him a childhood trinket, betraying suppressed tenderness.
Liu's un-dubbed baritone cracks during the confession, "I carved your family's fate into my bones... but your laughter haunts my sleep," merging Shakespearean weight with wuxia grit.
This duality peaked in Episode 2's bathhouse confrontation: naked and unarmed, Luo lets Ren Anle press a dagger to his throat. Liu's controlled trembling—muscles tensing yet eyes yielding—visually embodied the character's internal war.
The drama's aesthetic brilliance isn't mere decoration—it mirrors Luo and Ren Anle's gilded cage:
Ren Anle's early vermilion robes (representing imperial privilege) fade to muted russet as she's politically isolated. Luo's silver ministerial uniforms gradually incorporate black embroidery, hinting at his consuming darkness.
The "Eternal Spring Palace" dazzles with jade inlays and gilded phoenixes, yet crumbling murals hide behind curtains—a metaphor for the dynasty's rot. Director Cheng Zhi's signature overhead shots frame characters as chess pieces in a rotting board.
Battle scenes drain to monochrome when Luo fights; only Ren Anle's presence restores saturation.
Liu and Dilraba's electrifying dynamic fueled the drama's viral success:
Their early encounters sizzle with antagonism—Ren Anle mocks Luo's "funeral procession demeanor", while he retaliates by "accidentally" spilling tea on her gown. Yet intimacy blooms in silence: a finger brushing while exchanging scrolls, shared glances across crowded tribunals.
Fan edits of their "bathhouse dagger scene" and "moonlit confession" (#AnleRedemption) amassed 2M+ views, with users praising "enemies-to-reluctant-soulmates" nuance rare in costume dramas.
While celebrated for its leads' performances and visual poetry, the drama faced critiques:
Political subplots (e.g., Beirong tribe invasions) felt undercooked, diluting central tension.
Ren Anle's agency occasionally faltered—notably when kidnapped (Ep. ), undermining her strategic prowess.
Yet its triumphs resonate deeper:
"You taught me vengeance has a taste. But love? It has no recipe—only ruin."
— Luo Mingxi to Ren Anle (Episode Finale)
Liu Yuning's Luo Mingxi became a benchmark for anti-hero depth, proving that true tragedy lies not in choosing between love and hate, but in realizing they're the same wound.
The Long Ballad 长歌行
The Long Ballad 长歌行
- Aired: March, 22
- Period: Early Tang Dynasty
- Genres: Historical epic, war drama
- Main Roles: Liu Yuning (Hao Du), Dilraba (Li Changge)
- Adapted From: Xia Da's manhua
Set against the early Tang Dynasty's volatile western frontier, The Long Ballad weaves history and fiction through the lens of Li Changge, a disgraced princess seeking vengeance for her slaughtered family, and Hao Du, a duty-bound general serving Crown Prince Li Shimin. Tasked with monitoring Changge as Crown Prince's Protector, Hao Du initially views her as a treasonous threat. Their clash of ideologies—his unwavering loyalty to the throne versus her quest for justice—fuels tense standoffs, yet mutual respect blossoms during the siege of Shuozhou City. When Turkic Khagan's forces threaten the Silk Road, they forge an uneasy alliance, defending border towns with tactical ingenuity that transcends their personal rift. Hao Du's covert maneuvers to shield Changge from court assassins, even as he reports to the Crown Prince, becomes the drama's emotional core—a quiet tragedy of unspoken devotion.
Despite limited screen time, Liu Yuning crafted Hao Du into an unforgettable study in restrained honor. His performance thrived on silent contradictions:
Hao Du stands perpetually at attention—spine straight, eyes forward—embodying military discipline. Yet subtle cracks appear: a jaw muscle twitching when Changge is wounded, or fingers lingering on a dagger she gifted.
Liu conveyed volumes through gaze alone. In Episode 24, watching Changge ride toward danger, his pupils dilated with panic before hardening into resignation—capturing a man torn between duty and desire in seconds.
Hao Du's sacrifice (taking an arrow meant for Changge in Episode 4) became iconic not for heroics, but for its painful dignity. Liu's whispered line, "Some oaths need no audience," trended with 8M+ views on Weibo, cementing "silent guardian" as a new male archetype.
The drama elevated itself through meticulous Tang-era verisimilitude:
Battle scenes replicated Tang cavalry's "sword-and-crossbow" formations, while siege tactics mirrored historical records of the Göktürk conflicts. Advisors from Shaanxi History Museum ensured armor details (e.g., Hao Du's lamellar) matched th-century relics.
Subplots explored Tang's delicate balance with border tribes—trading silk for horses while infiltrating Turkic camps with spies. These nuances highlighted diplomacy as warfare's shadow.
Director Zhu Ruibin integrated manhua-style frames during pivotal moments (e.g., Changge nocking an arrow, Hao Du's first glimpse of her). This hybrid visual language—later adopted by The Legend of Anle and A Journey to Love—bridged historical gravitas with youthful dynamism.
The character's endurance lies in his moral modernity. In an era of anti-hero saturation, Hao Du's loyalty—neither blind nor self-righteous—offered rare emotional clarity. His conflict wasn't about choosing sides, but upholding integrity within broken systems. When he burns incriminating evidence against Changge, the act symbolizes bureaucratic rebellion—a quiet nod to contemporary audiences facing ethical compromises.
"Duty chains my hands. But it never blinded my eyes."
— Hao Du's defining statement
The Story of Pearl Girl 珠帘玉幕
The Story of Pearl Girl 珠帘玉幕
- Aired: Nov, 24
- Period: Mid-Tang Dynasty (8th century), centered in Hepu (historic pearl-trading hub) and Yangzhou (commercial capital of the Tang Dynasty).
- Genres: Historical, Business Intrigue, Romance
- Main Roles: Liu Yuning as Yan Zijin (mysterious merchant/heir), Zhao Lusi as Duanwu/Sumuzhe (ensured pearl diver → business strategist)
Set against the perilous backdrop of 8th-century Hepu—the Tang Dynasty's epicenter of pearl diving—The Story of Pearl Girl centers on Duanwu, an enslaved diver subjected to life-threatening conditions. Forced to harvest pearls in shark-infested waters under cruel overseers, her existence is marked by physical brutality and psychological torment. A harrowing escape leads her to cross paths with Yan Zijin, a merchant caravan leader whose elegant facade masks a decades-long quest for vengeance against those who destroyed his family.
As Duanwu infiltrates the male-dominated jewelry trade, she discovers her own hidden lineage tied to the industry's elite. Adopting the alias "Sumuzhe," she leverages innate business genius to innovate pearl-inlaid designs, challenging the corrupt monopolies of Yangzhou's gem markets. Her journey intertwines with Yan's meticulous revenge plots, creating a dangerous synergy where trust is scarce and betrayal lurks in every transaction. The series masterfully juxtaposes Duanwu's ascent as a self-made entrepreneur with Yan's moral descent into darkness, culminating in a poignant exploration of sacrifice and redemption.
Liu Yuning delivers a career-defining performance as the tormented Yan Zijin. His portrayal eschews melodrama for chilling subtlety: a slight tremor in his hands when recalling past trauma, or the calculated stillness in his voice while ordering strategic strikes. The character's evolution—from a vengeance-obsessed exile to a man grappling with unexpected loyalty to Duanwu—is conveyed through micro-expressions. In a standout marketplace scene, his eyes flicker between ruthless determination (tracking a target) and unguarded tenderness (watching Duanwu negotiate). Three years post-The Long Ballad, Liu demonstrates remarkable maturity, replacing youthful intensity with layered restraint—particularly in scenes where Yan's mission clashes with his conscience.
Duanwu's triumph stems from business innovation (e.g., creating "pearl silk" textiles) and supply-chain disruption, not romantic salvation.
Meticulous details—divers' bamboo air tubes, Yangzhou's multicultural merchant quarters, and gem-trade politics—immerse viewers in Tang's globalized economy.
Liu and Zhao avoid The Long Ballad's playful dynamic; here, their bond evolves from transactional wariness to fractured trust, with romance secondary to survival.
The Story of Pearl Girl redefines historical drama by centering a woman's economic ingenuity amid systemic corruption, anchored by Liu Yuning's hauntingly nuanced performance.
A Dream Within A Dream 书卷一梦
A Dream Within A Dream 书卷一梦
- Aired: June 26, 2024
- Period: Fictional Southern Yan Dynasty, blending ancient aesthetics with meta-fantasy elements.
- Genres: Costume Fantasy, Meta-Comedy, Time-Loop Suspense
- Main Roles: Liu Yuning as Nan Heng (ruthless prince) & Li Shiliu (awakened vigilante), Li Yitong as Song Xiaoyu/Song Yimeng (actress trapped in a script)
- Adapted From: Web novel by Tao Tao.
A Dream Within A Dream blends costume fantasy with meta-comedy. Actress Song Xiaoyu wakes up as Song Yimeng—a character doomed to be tortured and killed by the ruthless prince Nan Heng in a script titled Southern Yan Chronicles. Every attempt to change her fate—fleeing, marrying side characters—triggers a reset. Stuck in 108 death cycles, she realizes the plot forces her toward Nan Heng. Enter Li Shiliu, a vigilante (also Liu Yuning) whose existence defies the script, igniting a rebellion among "paper people" against their predetermined roles.
Liu's dual role is a study in extremes: Nan Heng is chillingly pragmatic (e.g., ordering executions without hesitation), while Li Shiliu radiates warmth as an "awakened" outlier. His shifts between characters—seen in posture and vocal cadence—highlight his range. As Nan Heng, Liu's dead-eyed stare and sharp commands ("Xuanjia warriors, advance!") contrast with Li Shiliu's fluid movements and wry humor.
Merges time-loop suspense with wry satire as characters dissect clichés (e.g., Song's modern quips about "toxic male leads").
Side characters' awakening delivers emotional highs, turning crowd scenes into rebellions against narrative control.
Traditional costumes collide with comic-style framing, like a lantern-lit chase that mirrors ink-brush animations.
A Dream Within A Dream reimagines costume drama through humor and meta-storytelling—with Liu Yuning at his most versatile.
Liu's ascent mirrors a broader shift in C-drama: audiences crave morally complex leads over flawless heroes. His characters—Wei Shao's wounded rage, Ning Yuanzhou's weary honor—embody this demand. As The Book of Dreams prepares to deconstruct tropes he once embodied, Liu represents a new archetype: the anti-hero who whispers before he slashes.
