This Thriving Land

The path of transformation from a traffic-driven star to a serious actress has been a long one for Yang Mi. From the early setback with Baby (宝贝儿) to the controversy around last year's In the Name of the Brother (哈尔滨一九四四), every attempt she made to step closer to the label of "actress of the people" came with scrutiny, heated discussion, and doubt. This year feels like a subtle turning point. She's Got No Name (酱园弄·悬案) and The Lychee Road (长安的荔枝) helped reverse public opinion, while her latest drama This Thriving Land (生万物) is delivering strong results. After three stumbles in a row followed by three consecutive successes, the question is: how close is Yang Mi to achieving a genuine breakthrough? The Success of This Thriving Land This Thriving Land stands as Yang Mi's most important step so far. Earlier this year, both The Murder in the House of Chaos and The Lychee Road were released, and even though Yang Mi only played supporting roles, they earned her positive reviews. In The Murder in the House of Chaos, her portrayal of Wang Xumei was highlighted as one of the rare bright spots in a film that only scored 5.7 on Douban…