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.

The Mystic Nine

Old Nine Gates 老九门 caught my attention since I was in the midst of watching Legend of Zu starring the same onscreen couple Zanilia Zhao Li Ying (Journey of Flower) and William Chan (Legend of Zu). 

Despite the plethora of Chinese dramas surrounding the Japanese occupation, I hardly watched any of it. In hindsight, maybe there were a few gems out of the countless DVDs on the subject but the sheer volume of c-dramas certainly felt like political propaganda for lack of a better word.

Old Nine Gates is based on a novel of the same name revolving around Zhang Qi Shan, a member of the Guomindang (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the leader of Old Nine Gates. He comes from a family of tomb raiders and is described as strong, resourceful and courageous. 

He is the perfect match to Yin Xin Yue, the lovable, smart and equally capable daughter of a wealthy hotel owner. They are your archetypal heroes, which seem fitting for a drama set during a war fraught era where heroism becomes a necessity. 

Then again, I haven't read The Lost Tomb novels at all and the barrage of trailers definitely indicate a youthful mesh of fantasy, adventure and mystery, which is as far as possible from what I initially thought to be a serious historical drama... The series premieres Jul 4, 2016 on Dragon TV.

For synopsis, cast and other info, check out my 2016 Chinese period drama listing.

Source: Newyx, HengdianTour