Upcoming Period Dramas May to July 2016

The Flower in Prison (April 29 MBC)

A drama about a female lawyer born in the prisons of the Joseon Dynasty and her resolve to fight for human rights. Starring Go Soo and Jin Se Yeon (eng subs on Viki).

Mirror of the Witch (May 13 JTBC)
A princess is abandoned for being born with a frozen heart until she meets a man named Heo Jun, the famed physician from the Joseon era who is revered till this day (eng subs on Viki).

Chinese Paladin 5 Yun Zhi Fan (May 23 Hunan TV)

The much-anticipated sequel to the Chinese Paladin franchise starring Han Dong Jun and Gu Li Na Zha. The series premieres right after The Classic of Mountains and Seas (eng subs on Viki).

Lucky Tianbao (Jun 6 QQ)
Two brothers fight over love and life in a historical comedy that's also a drama? Starring Kim Ki Bum, Zhu Zi Xiao and Zhao Li Ying.

Legend of Liu Shan Men (Jun 20 QQ)

Liu Shan Men is will revolve around investigative bureau in the Ming Dynasty. Starring Raymond Lan and Dilraba Dilmurat.

Decoded (Jun 20)

A pitting of intelligence not unlike the acclaimed spy drama Disguiser (eng subs on Viki).

Chang Ge Xing (Jun 23) (Jul 26) 
Liu Xiu and his friends are youthful passionate individuals during a tumultuous period and as time passes, they each end up playing significant roles during the Han Dynasty. Starring Ruby Lin and Yuan Hong

The bad news is Chang Ge Xing is delayed again but on the bright side, Ruby Lin and Yuan Hong have some exciting news of their own (eng subs on Viki).

Demon Girl (Jun 30)
A half demon falls in love with an earnest man from a wealthy family in a fantasy romance drama by Yu Zheng. Starring Zhang Zhe Han.

Old Nine Gates (Jul 4)

Set for a simultaneous web and TV broadcast, Old Nine Gates is the prequel to The Lost Tomb. Starring William Chan and Zhao Li Ying.

Legend of Chusen (Jul 17)

Another much-anticipated fantasy xianxia of swords and magic in a never-ending fight between good and evil. Starring Li Yi Feng, Yang Zi and Zhao Li Ying.

Border Town Prodigal (Jul 18)
Gu Long's classic wuxia will be remade with a fresh twist starring Zhu Yi Long and Viann Zhang Xinyu.

Novoland: The Castle in the Sky (Jul 20)
After City of Devastating Love comes another fantasy c-drama set in Novoland about the battle between the humans and the Yu Clan. Starring Zhang Ruo Yun, Guan Xiao Tong and SNH48 Ju JIng Yi.

Ice Fantasy (Jul 24)

The big-budget Chinese production about about the Ice and Fire tribes in a land of fantasy and magic. Starring Feng Shao Feng, Victoria Song and Ma Tianyu (eng subs on Viki).

Above dates are estimates only, the actual air date might vary. Dates that have been crossed out means that the premiere is delayed.

Chang Ge Xing

It seems ages ago when Ruby Lin played a high schooler in School Days, a 1995 movie also starring Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jimmy Lin. Twenty years later and she has leveled up from acting, producing a couple of big budget dramas and heading her own studio.

Chang Ge Xing 秀丽江山之长歌行 is another one of Ruby Lin's productions and the cast includes herself, Yuan Hong, Li Jia Hang, Wang Yuan Ke, Song Feng Yan, Yu Bo and Kenny Kwan. 

Based on a novel by Li Xin, Chang Ge Xing promises to be epic, detailing the lives of significant figures in the Han Dynasty through a very large cast. It depicts a chaotic and war-torn period in between regimes, so expect a lot of action not only from the male actors but also from Ruby Lin who plays a badass female.

At the age of 40, Ruby Lin is definitely aging gracefully because she looks great. However, young is still not young enough that I'm not sure how to process seeing her play a young maiden, for the umpteenth time.

Nevertheless, Chang Ge Xing appears to be an outright historical drama, by the book in its attempt to reenact the past. Personally, I prefer gallant heroes and martial arts also known as wuxia, but if you are interested, the series premieres Jul 2016. 

It really is about time given that filming wrapped way back in 2014 (eng subs on Viki).

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 popular c-dramas.