When it comes to Chinese dramas, historical and fantasy themes are undoubtedly a tried and true popular choice. In recent years, outstanding works in the fantasy genre have emerged, from "Love Between Fairy and Devil " to "Till the End of the Moon," and then to "Lost You Forever," all igniting a craze for drama watching. This year, the upcoming series "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" and Zhao Liying's "The Legend of Shen Li" are highly anticipated, intensifying the competition in the historical costume drama genre. Amidst the bustling market, the highly anticipated drama "Burning Flames" has recently announced new developments. Today, the drama released a trailer and will aired in March 13th. With a strong cast and great potential for popularity, the pre-broadcast hype has already sparked a wave of enthusiasm for watching. The drama "Burning Flames" is adapted from the cartoon "Wu Geng Ji." This cartoon has reached the peak of popularity in recent years with its unique creativity and passionate storyline. Centered around Wu Geng, the son of King Yin Shou of the Zhou Dynasty, the story depicts a feud spanning across the human, god, and underworld realms. Wu Geng, a prince with blood ties to both the divine…

The notion that a popular cdrama drives tourism to a corresponding Chinese city has become commonplace in the past two years. Whether it is the popularity brought by "The Knockout" to Jiangmen, "Meet Yourself" to Dali, or "Blossoms Shanghai" to Shanghai, once a drama breaks free from its usual boundaries, a wave of enthusiastic followers is bound to emerge. In the realm of film and television catalyzing cultural tourism, there are typically three approaches. The most direct approach is through filming location sightseeing tours. The three aforementioned dramas fall into this category. According to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Cultural and Tourism Bureau, following the success of "Meet Yourself," Dali received a total of 4.2393 million visitors during the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, representing a 219% year-on-year increase. However, such following the trend phenomena require a strong sense of authenticity; once the illusion created by the series shatters, the audience may easily lose interest. The second approach involves film and television base tours. This type needs no elaborate explanation, with places like Hengdian World Studios, Xiangshan Film and Television Town, and the recent output from Oriental Movie Metropolis drawing substantial profits from holiday tourism. The third approach revolves around immersive…

Before the Spring Festival, "Judge Dee's Mystery" officially premiered. This is the second series after 2010's "Detective Dee" to feature Di Renjie as the main character, vividly portraying his meticulous investigative abilities. While it may not have the original cast, it can be considered a revival of the classic IP of Di Renjie. However, audience data indicates that viewers seem somewhat unconvinced by this incarnation of Di Renjie. Currently, "Judge Dee's Mystery" has accumulated a total valid viewership of 287 million, which, for a series of this scale, can only be described as average. Coincidentally, "Sword and Fairy 4" and the adaptation of "Chinese Paladin 6" titled "Sword and Fairy" also premiered around the same time. Both are derived from the classic IP "Xian Jian Qi Xia Zhuan (Chinese Paladin)." As cherished memories for numerous viewers, "Chinese Paladin" and "Chinese Paladin 3" are untouchable classics. Naturally, viewers will scrutinize these two series with a critical eye. Presently, "Sword and Fairy 4" has a Douban rating of 4.3, while "Sword and Fairy" has a rating of 5.0, both receiving lukewarm reviews. In recent years, the revival and development of classic cdrama IPs (Intellectual Property) extend beyond Di Renjie and the Chinese…

From the 2020 "Hikaru no Go" to "The Long Ballad," there has been a frequent emergence of excellent animes adaptations. In 2023, "I Am Nobody" concluded perfectly with a high score, showcasing the endless charm of popular anime, followed closely by the premiere of "Tiger and Crane," sparking a new trend in adapted dramas. It can be seen that this genre has risen as a new favorite in the drama market. Presently, another new work, "White Cat Legend," is about to debut on February 20. Young actors gather to solve mysterious cases and unveil the mysteries of the capital. This drama is adapted from the ancient-style detective work "Da Li Si Ri Zhi (大理寺日志)" by the cartoonist RC, telling the story of the mysterious new Young Inspector of Dali Temple, Li Bing, leading the people of the Dali Temple to embark on thrilling investigations, adventures, and uphold inner justice within the city of Luoyang.   Youths chasing mysteries The story of "White Cat Legend" takes place in the divine capital under the rule of the empress. During a banquet at the Tang Palace, Li Bing, favored by the empress, is appointed as the Young Inspector of Dali Temple. With the guidance…

In the pursuit of innovation in the Chinese drama market, traditional costume dramas are undergoing a revolution. With the rise of popular elements such as fantasy and idol, true costume dramas are becoming increasingly difficult to find. However, "Fighting for Love" brings a breath of fresh air to the audience with its simple style and authenticity. The drama abandons the glamorous special effects, vibrant costumes, and excessive filters, presenting the essence of costume dramas. Directed by Tian Shaobo, "Fighting for Love" stars Zhang Tianai, Zhang Haowei, Wang Ruichang, and others, and premiered on January 31, 2024. A Mai, the daughter of the Duke Jing of Nanxia, is killed by Chen Qi, her childhood friend. After several years, A Mai, who has grown into a young woman, disguises herself as a man and roams the martial world in order to seek revenge on Chen Qi. By a twist of fate, A Mai saves the son of the Crown Princess, Shang Yizhi, and subsequently helps him escape from danger multiple times. Their destinies become intertwined. As war breaks out, A Mai sheds her feminine appearance and joins the army as an infantry soldier. With her exceptional military talents, she achieves remarkable feats and…

The year 2023 witnessed the emergence of mystery dramas as the undisputed delicacies of the Chinese television industry. The inaugural production of Tencent Video's X Theatre, "The Long Season," set the stage with a resounding success, garnering an impressive rating of 9.4 on Douban. It has transcended the boundaries of the suspense drama genre, becoming the highest-rated cdrama in the past eight years. The subsequent series, "Ripe Town," may not have garnered as much attention, but it has received equally high praise, setting a positive tone for X Theatre. iQiyi's Mystique Theatre, now in its fourth year, may not have produced a mega-hit like "The Bad Kid" this year, but it maintains a stable output. "Thirteen Years of Dust" demonstrates ingenuity in its suspenseful plot and character development, while "Why Try to Change Me Now" boldly combines artistry and mystery, achieving commendable results. Youku and Mango TV, on the other hand, have fewer mystery dramas with average quality. "Who Is He," despite benefiting from the popularity of its cast, only managed to secure a disappointing score of 5.6. "Desire Catcher," with its attention-grabbing dual male leads, failed to live up to its promising premise, ultimately receiving a score of 5.5. Overall, 2023…

Have you mesmerized by the makeup of "A Journey to Love"? The beauty level is comparable to the grand award of Huadian in ancient costume dramas. BAZAAR brings you a look at the use of the Huadian in recent Chinese TV dramas and its history. As the chosen one of ancient times, Liu Shi Shi made a graceful appearance with a transcendent snow dance, dressed in a flowing red gown, with a graceful figure. The red of the Huadian between her eyebrows and the white of the snow complemented each other, making her as beautiful as a painting. After entering the palace, she abandoned her fierce killer aura and her presence became gentle and hazy. Her usual elegant attire, paired with the Huadian, exuded a cool and charming aura. The costume and makeup of other characters are also praiseworthy. He Lan Dou, who plays Princess Yang Ying, went from being overlooked to becoming the empress, and the appearance of the Huadian perfectly corresponded to her growth trajectory. Chen Xiao Yun's Huadian makeup in the role of noble consort Chu emanated a pure and captivating charm, making her beauty irresistible. Chen Du Ling, who caused a stir with her appearance, portrayed…

The finale of "A Journey to Love" has arrived, but the controversies surrounding this drama have not yet subsided. Starting with a high score of 7.5 on Douban (with over 30,000 reviews), the overall rating dropped to 6.9 with nearly 100,000 reviews after the release of the complete series. It is a pity that what should have been a major blockbuster drama at the end of the year has faced such setbacks. During the early promotion, "A Journey to Love" consistently highlighted the independent character of the female lead, earning praise from all corners of the internet. However, as the plot progressed, discrepancies in the protagonist's storyline and character development emerged, leading to instances where the dialogue presented in the drama contradicted the actors' interpretations. "A Journey to Love" is Liu Shishi's first costume drama after her maternity leave, while for Liu Yuning, it is his first leading role in a costume drama.   1 - The spotlight in and out of the drama The debates surrounding "A Journey to Love" have never ceased since its broadcast. The coherence of character development before and after has been another major point of contention. In the eyes of fans, the leading female…

In the winter of 2023, the cdrama market is entering the year-end sprint. While the hot broadcast period of dramas such as "A Journey to Love," "Love Me, Love My Voice," and "South Sea Tomb" that premiered at the end of November is not yet over, dramas such as "Got a Crush on You," "Battle Through the Heaven," "The Hope," and "The Last Immortal" that are scheduled to air in December have successively joined the melee. From the currently aired and scheduled dramas, the online platforms mainly involved are Tencent Video, Youku, and Mango TV, with both "The Last Immortal" and "Unshakable Faith" being dual-platform broadcasts. In terms of themes, there are obvious differentiated features that can meet the viewing needs of different audiences.   The Clash of Four Major IP Dramas Among the six dramas that have been launched or are about to be aired in the past few days, four of them are IP adaptations, with three of them adapted from online novels on Jinjiang Literature. Specifically, "Got a Crush on You," which premiered on Tencent Video on December 7, is adapted from the novel "Hong Cheng Gun Gun Gun". The author, Beiqing, is a writer of online…

The year 2023 marked a hot start and diversified development for Chinese television dramas. As an important art form that restores collective emotions and soothes the public's spirits, this year's drama content ecosystem has become more tolerant. While maintaining stability in thematic creation, breakthrough works have emerged in the fields of suspense, science fiction, micro-history, social issues, female-oriented dramas, and male-oriented adaptations of comics. In the trend of diversified development, 2023 also witnessed a surging wave of authorship cdramas that cannot be ignored. Represented by dramas such as "The Long Season," "Why Try to Change Me Now," "Fearless Blood," "Fake It Till You Make It," and "Stand by Me," this batch of dramas distinguishes itself from others of the same genre in terms of visual and auditory style, narrative aesthetics, and value expression. They possess distinct personal styles of the main creators, primarily the directors, and some have achieved the integration of writing and directing. As an important innovation in the drama ecosystem, these dramas, represented by the authorship trend, not only raise the audience's aesthetic threshold but also broaden the boundaries of expression. They have also achieved satisfactory market performance this year. While authorship dramas have appeared every year,…

Period political drama is a popular genre in the Cdrama market, and it has always had extraordinary appeal. From "Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan" to "Nirvana in Fire" and "Story of Yanxi Palace," whether based on real historical events or fictional stories set in an alternate history, the power struggle between characters and the political intrigue in the court always arouse the curiosity and thirst for knowledge of the audience. They hope to see how the protagonists cleverly deal with various challenges. Among them, the genre of alternate history allows for the free play of imagination, creating a unique worldview and story background without being limited by real history. Because the audience does not know how the story will develop, this sense of unknown excites and anticipates them even more. Recently, the period drama "Love of Nirvana," adapted from the alternate history novel by Xiaolou, announced its completion of filming. Based on Xiaolou's novel of the same name, the drama tells the story of Xiao Wuxia, the young lord of the Moonfall City, who disguises himself as Wei Zhao and infiltrates the Liang Kingdom for many years, carrying the stigma of a treacherous minister. In order to uncover the truth…

"A Journey to Love," a highly anticipated period martial arts drama, has garnered widespread attention since obtaining official release permission and unveiling its first trailer. Starring Liu Shishi, this television series quickly gained enthusiastic responses from the audience due to its captivating plot and powerful cast, with the number of pre-orders even surpassing the million mark. Numerous fans and viewers are eagerly awaiting its premiere date. The series tells an epic and tumultuous story, centered around the protagonist Ren Ru Yi, who, through a series of fortuitous events, becomes a member of a small team accompanying the Wu state Emperor's envoy. Alongside Wu state's Liudao Hall Master Ning Yuanzhou, the charming Yu Shisan, the noble princess Yang Ying, the clever teenager Yuanluo, and the loyal imperial guard Qian Zhao, they experience life and death struggles and personal growth. The interactions between these characters and the development of the story are filled with emotional ups and downs and thrilling adventures. According to the scheduling arrangement of the broadcasting platform and various sources, "A Journey to Love" is expected to premiere in mid-November, bringing a pleasant surprise to the long-awaited audience. It is worth mentioning that this drama not only features the…

The costume comedy drama "Hilarious Family" is currently airing and has gained popularity. It is a female-oriented family comedy that revolves around the daily lives and matchmaking adventures of a widowed mother and her four daughters. In the drama, Du Ru Yu, who lost her husband early on, single-handedly raises her four daughters, each with a distinct personality. In order to find suitable husbands for them, the family moves to the bustling city of Jiang Lin. Despite the challenges they face in the matchmaking process, the daughters' destined partners unexpectedly appear, leading to a series of comical and entertaining stories. From the main storyline and character development, "Hilarious Family" possesses a distinct comedic quality that appeals to a wide range of audiences. Since its premiere, the drama has maintained a good level of popularity, with its ratings even surpassing the legendary "Legend of the Undercover Chef" which was led by the renowned comedian Zhao Benshan. While there have been some controversies regarding certain aspects of the show's content and humor, "Hilarious Family" may not be considered an exceptionally outstanding comedy. However, its current achievements do indicate that it has successfully captured and retained the audience's attention to a certain extent,…

Chinese drama market has recently been bustling. On the one hand, the highly anticipated drama "Lost You Forever" quickly soared to the top of the popularity charts after its premiere, and its viewership ratings have also been steadily climbing. On the other hand, the beloved spy drama "The Infiltrator" has also caused a sensation and sparked continuous discussions. There is no denying that this year's summer lineup of dramas is indeed abundant, bringing countless highlights and topics for viewers. Furthermore, it has been reported that the ancient costume suspense drama "The Mutations" is about to be released. From both its storyline and production team to its cast members, it is undoubtedly stands as a highly anticipated hit series. Adapted from Ma Boyong's novel of the same name, it tells the story set in Tianqi period at the end of Ming Dynasty when a strange epidemic breaks out outside Liaodong Pass, plunging people into panic. A member of Jin Yi Wei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) goes alone to investigate in northern but becomes entangled in conflicts between local military forces and civilians. Eventually, this Jin Yi Wei gradually unravels a tale woven with political intrigues. The biggest highlight of this drama lies…

The summer drama season is in full swing, with various streaming media releasing their long-awaited high-quality drama series, bringing continuous surprises to different genres. Among them, the Xuanhuan drama genre has been shining brightest with the exceptional performance of "Lost You Forever". Since its premiere, this drama has achieved remarkable viewership and has continuously broken popularity records, expanding its influence among the audience and most securing the title of this year's summer popular drama. In a market where excellent films and TV series are frequently released recently, what sets "Lost You Forever" apart from other major productions? What innovations does this work bring to the Xuanhuan & costume genre?   Record-breaking Popularity Since its debut on July 24th, "Lost You Forever" quickly climbed to the top of online streaming indexes. It became the highest-rated drama series for June-July period across all online platforms with an impressive index score of 90.58. This trend propelled it into the ranks of blockbuster dramas for the summer season. Furthermore, it maintained its position at the top of daily charts for multiple days consistently. The unwavering popularity surrounding "Lost You Forever" ignited a fervor among viewers during this summer season. In an era where major…

Once again, the annual summer season has arrived, and multiple top-tier S+ drama projects are being released. The competition among these prominent historical costume dramas is intense, as they strive to break viewership records. On one hand, there's the attention-grabbing cast of "Destined" that has sparked discussions; on the other hand, "The Longest Promise" makes a sudden appearance in an attempt to capture audience interest and attention. Amidst this fierce battle between major productions, a low-budget self-produced drama called "An Ancient Love Song" manages to carve out its own space in the realm of public discourse. Upon exploring the series synopsis, it becomes clear that it neither relies on conventional online literature adaptations nor boasts renowned actors; however, it surprisingly gains audience traction during this highly competitive summer season. Distinct from grandiose productions vying for attention through lavish displays, "An Ancient Love Song" primarily relies on passionate recommendations from its audience.   A Nonconventional Time-Travel Drama In terms of genre,"An Ancient Love Song" falls into the category of time-travel dramas wherein a modern-day male protagonist encounters an ancient "demonic queen," leading to a captivating love story. Notably innovative within this time-travel framework is its utilization of dual reverse chronological travel.…

As the first half of 2023 draws to a close, various Chinese video platform' top-performing drama statistics have been released. According to the data collected, there have been changes in audience preferences and creative directions within the industry. Despite an overall improvement in Cdramas' quality this year, with particular emphasis on high-scoring productions such as "Three-Body," "The Knockout" and "The Long Season," few stand out as true blockbusters based on viewership numbers alone. After "The Knockout", the second-highest-ranked series was Xuanhuan cdrama "Till The End Of The Moon," with a total view count of 2.71 billion. So far this year, only “The Knockout” has exceeded three billion views during its initial broadcast period; none have reached three billion or more since then. Of course, some of the highly popular works with limited airplay are closely related to the short number of episodes. For example, the summer hottest cdrama "Love Between Fairy and Devil", with a total of 36 episodes, had a playback volume of around 2.2 billion during its hit period. Last year's hottest cdramas like “A Lifelong Journey”, “New Life Begins” and “Love Like the Galaxy,” all had episode counts exceeding forty episodes, with “Love Like the Galaxy” split…

With the official start of the summer broadcast season, there is a flood of new drama information. On one hand, "Destined" has already become very popular upon its release, while on the other hand, "Snow Eagle Lord" is eager to compete with it. There are also several costume dramas that have not been aired yet but have already gained popularity. Among them is "Romance on the Farm," starring Zeng Shunxi and Tian Xiwei which recently obtained its distribution license. With its unique plotline, all-star cast with excellent looks and acting skills, and strong creative team leading the way behind-the-scenes, once this show airs it may just be another hit cdrama for viewers to enjoy. Unlike typical historical dramas that focus on imperial or wealthy households, "Romance on the Farm" takes place in ancient rural China with a time-travel element added into the mix. The story follows a modern girl named Lian Man'er who travels back in time where she meets her male protagonist counterpart and together they embark on an adventure of becoming elite farmers and achieving wealth as well as ultimately finding love. This fresh take on themes and storyline makes "Romance on the Farm" highly intriguing for audiences.…

With the development of time, many Chinese traditional crafts and techniques have fallen into oblivion due to time-consuming nature. In order to protect their inheritance, Intangible Cultural Heritage was born. Recently aired TV culture cdrama "Hi Producer" is a series that involves intangible cultural heritage themes. Directed by Gao Han, written by Zhou Mo, starring Guo Xiaodong as the lead actor alongside Zhang Nan, Li Xiaoran, and Zhang Bo among others; it fully showcases the exquisite craftsmanship and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage skills. The plot of the drama "Hi Producer" revolves around a major cultural program "Chuan Cheng (传承, Heritage)". The program directed by Gu Shiyong (Zheng Kai), and the female lead writer-director Yu Zaizao (Zhang Nan) join in, competing with Yuan Jiaying (Sun Yihan) for the position of chief writer-director. In order to form a high quality production team of programs, the team also invites veteran host Wang Xinin (Li Xiaoran) and young cultural relic expert Tao Tang (Zhang Bo) to join. Through their collective efforts, "Chuan Cheng" finally becomes a phenomenal cultural program. During the filming process, Yu Zaizao initially lacked empathy but gradually opens up his heart and eventually gains fulfilling friendships as well as career…

It has always been difficult to make sequels to Chinese costume dramas, and they always go through all kinds of twists and turns. Even for high-quality dramas with a large audience demand, it is not an easy task to gather the same cast and crew. It is possible that the actors have moved on to other projects, and scheduling conflicts make it difficult to coordinate everyone's availability. As a result, delays are inevitable, making it hard to gather the original team. While replacing a few supporting roles may be acceptable, changing the main cast would seriously affect the show's quality, leading to a completely new drama. However, this situation has improved this year. Many popular dramas have returned for a second season, such as "Young Blood 2," "Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty 2," "Joy of Life 2," and so on, with the original cast and crew. "Young Blood 2" has already been approved and will premiere next month. "Young Blood" was a unexpected drama when it premiered, with only Zhang Xincheng gaining some recognition from his role in "My Huckleberry Friends." As for Zhou Yutong, Wang Youshuo, Su Xiaotong, and others, they were all new faces with little recognition.…