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.

All About Ice Fantasy: premieres Jul 24

Judging by the stills alone, it's hard to get anymore fantastical than Ice Fantasy 幻城, a Chinese xianxia telling the tale of a mythological era when the Ice and Fire tribes were embroiled in a long-standing war. 

It is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Guo Jingming 郭敬明 who was only 20 when the popular novel was published in 2003. 

The series stars Feng Shao Feng (Lan Ling Wang), Victoria Song, Ma Tianyu and Zhang Meng and the production seems to be going big on aesthetics by hiring Hollywood bigwigs such as Dan Hennah who won an Oscar for Lord of the Rings and I have to say that the sprawling sceneries look visually stunning, especially when endowed with a beautiful-looking cast to begin with.

The elven ears remind me of the Legend of the Nine Tails Fox if not a direct replica of LOTR. It is Feng Shao Feng's second attempt at producing and it has been an expensive affair with over 3 hundred million spent, 300 actors, 30,000 extras, thousands of costumes and mounds of manmade ice.

Even the likes of Korean actress Kim Hee Sun joins the cast as the Ice Queen but I'm most excited for Victoria Song having been a fan of her since f(x). I wonder if all the hype is enough for the series to garner attention in Korea as well or whether it will stay one-sided where Koreans cross over to c-dramas but not the other way around?

The series premieres Jul 2016 on LeTV and Hunan TV. Check out eng subs on Viki.

For synopsis, cast and other info, check out my 2016 Chinese historical drama recommendations. 

Source: 3Lian, People, Xinhua