Dating News: Ruby Lin, Wallace Huo, Yuan Hong and Zhang Xinyi

After waiting on the sidelines for years, Ruby Lin and Yuan Hong's historical c-drama Chang Ge Xing finally clinches a premiere date and this week just in with more happy news for the onscreen couple.

Yuan Hong has been dating Princess Jieyou co-star Zhang Xinyi and they are getting married! Much like Nicky Wu and Liu Shi Shi, the couple released a spread of their wackiest and classiest pre-nuptial shoot (more below) while the actual ceremony will be held on May 30 inside a majestic German castle. 

Meanwhile, Ruby Lin reveals that she is dating none other than Wallace Huo. Scratch that, Wallace Huo's company is the one that did the honors by announcing it on weibo (China's version of twitter).

I was surprised but not surprised? Ruby Lin has always struck me as a career gal, heading a studio, producing dramas and starring in them, all while looking spectacular at the age of 40.

If she did end up with a man, I always imagined that it would be her long-time friend Alec Su (aka Nicky Wu's fellow Little Tiger) but Wallace Huo is actually not a far cry given that he is also from Taiwan. And come on, it is Wallace Huo. Fresh off the highs of Journey of Flower, he is definitely at the heights of his popularity.

I'm happy for everyone but can you believe most of them just got together at Nicky Wu and Liu Shi Shi's wedding bash last March. And yet another one is off the market...

Source: 0123, CNHuaDong, ENT163, EntSina 

First Look: The Imperial Doctress

After years of being teased with 5-minute trailers, oh-so-picturesque stills and then being peeved that Wallace Huo might end up the 3rd wheel, Imperial Doctress 女医明妃传 finally airs last Saturday and the first two episodes look promising.

Episode 1 begins by setting up the stage for a Ming dynasty where a woman's place is relegated to the home. Hang Yun Xian (Liu Shi Shi) attends a birthday celebration in her father's stead but her family can only afford a modest gift, which is regarded with contempt by the other guests. However, Yun Xian is not the least bit concerned as she cares more about a rare medicinal herb that she finds in the compound.

Suddenly, Zhu Qi Yu (Huang Xuan) springs out from hiding threatening Yun Xian to handover the medicinal herb. Qi Yu is the king's brother and he is being chased by assassins to stop his meeting with the Empress Dowager who intends to make him king. Realizing that the man before him is desperate because he is poisoned, Yun Xian ends up helping him instead. 

Dong Chang eunuchs enter the scene in search for Qi Yu and a series of events transpire with the end result being that Qi Yu escapes with the help of Wang Mei Lin (Gina Jin) and Yun Xian is punished harshly by her father for practicing medicine.  

First Impressions: Gender inequality is still a topic for discussion in this day and age so I can't begin to fathom how women survived in ancient China where the times were far more restrictive. 

Nevertheless, the drama might be exaggerating the circumstances stating that women were not even allowed to accept cure from a doctor for fear of gender differences. I have never heard or seen that before but then again, my references are mostly works of fiction so I'm hardly a reliable source. 

Regardless of whether it is fake or factual, the prejudice and societal pressures that Yun Xian has to overcome makes for a very riveting account of her rise to become a royal doctor.

Liu Shi Shi knows how to choose her projects and she delivers as the strong-willed, intelligent and principled Tan Yun Xian who dives headfirst to question the blind foolishness of adhering to tradition.

Wallace Huo as the emperor did not appear in episode 1 but the narration seems to portray him as someone terribly misguided for placing trust in the eunuchs of Dong Chang. I already sneaked a peek at episode 2 and I think, I hope, surely there is more than meets the eye behind the emperor's careless facade.

The writing is fast-paced, solidly introducing many of the characters with enough depth to be intrigued by their motivations both good and bad. It is not chock-full of angst as one might have anticipated and I can't wait for more.

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 popular cdrama listing.

Journey of Flower

If Empress of China is the drama of all time ratings-wise, Journey of Flower 花千骨 is a close second, proving once again the intrinsic appeal of the fantasy wuxia genre.

Journey of Flower can be aptly classified under sadistic romance 虐恋, not a genre per se but a term that's been coined to mean exactly what it says, a gut-wrenching rollercoaster of a love story. These kind of dramas are a dime a dozen and they keep coming because people keep watching.

Adapted from fresh果果's popular novel of the same name, Journey of Flower finds its leads in Zhao Li Ying (Legend of Zu) and Wallace Huo (Imperial Doctress) as the ill-fated lovers Hua Qian Gu and Bai Zi Hua. Hua Qian Gu is destined to be the death of Bai Zi Hua but he takes her in as his disciple anyway.

Given that the series finished airing in 2015, it's safe to say that JoF pretty much won half the battle through casting. Aside from the fact that both leads are period drama regulars with plenty of experience under their belt, they already deserve an A++ in the looks department alone, embodying what I think the novel was trying to portray.

It's no secret that I didn't enjoy Journey of Flower as much as everyone and their mother but I'm now so tempted to watch the DVD uncut version to see if I can be a convert or forever be in the minority.

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2015 c-drama recommendations.

Source: Duitang, Desk

Imperial Doctress Stills Released

Imperial Doctress 女医明妃传 is loosely-based on historical events telling the tale of Tan Yun Xian, a physician of the Ming dynasty. She lived during a time wherein women had no place in society, yet she was able to climb the ranks to become a renowned doctress of the imperial court. 

After a short hiatus from television, Liu Shi Shi is back in a Chinese drama with former co-star Wallace Huo (Journey of Flower). The two have developed a good on-screen rapport from numerous projects together and it will be a treat for fans to see them in tandem once again. 

Liu Shi Shi reminds me of a classic Chinese beauty with subtle features that exude elegance. I find her particularly convincing as a woman who can capture the heart of an Emperor. She did it in Scarlet Heart (Bu Bu Jing Xin) with on-screen partner turned real-life husband Nicky Wu, and Imperial Doctress will be no different as Liu Shi Shi's character Tan Yun Xian finds herself caught between two regents vying for her affections.

For more 2016 c-drama recommendations, click here. The series premieres Feb 13.

Upcoming Chinese period dramas this Feb 2016

The Lunar New Year is fast approaching and in true Chinese fashion, we are ushering the year with a fresh batch of TV series. It is common practice to impose a limit on historical dramas for what good reason, I really can't comprehend. For us viewers, it basically means that the number of historical dramas per channel can never exceed 15% of the total shows allotted for the same slot. 

Nevertheless, period dramas have proven time and again that they fare extremely well in the perpetual battle for ratings with hits like Journey of Flower and Sword of Legends to name a few. Lucky for us, this is why a number networks have chosen to welcome the Year of the Monkey with a lot of wuxia series.

Imperial Doctress 女医明妃传 premieres Feb 13 where Liu Shi Shi (Ballad of the Desert) will make a comeback in a palace drama opposite Wallace Huo (Journey of Flower). The promotional pictures alone feel and look like a Korean drama so I wasn't the least bit surprised that this is dubbed as the Chinese version of Jewel in the Palace.

Chronicle of Life 寂寞空庭春欲晚 premieres Feb 1 starring Hawick Lau (Legend of Flying Daggers) and Zheng Shuang (Sword of Legends). Set in the Qing dynasty, it depicts the tragic love story of a young Emperor Kangxi and seems to lean heavily towards a melodrama.

New Xiao Shi Yi Lang 新萧十一郎 premieres Feb 9 starring Yan Kuan and Gan Ting Ting. Unlike its predecessor, New Xiao Shi Yi Lang is expected to have a different take on Gu Long's classic wuxia. I classify this as a romance drama through and through but it is precisely my favorite because it masterfully combines romance and wuxia into one brilliantly written storyline.

Legend of Zu 蜀山戰紀之劍俠傳奇 was pre-released as a web drama last year and only began its TV broadcast on Jan 20 but to keep things interesting, the production team has prepared two separate endings. In a way, Zhao Li Ying reprises a role similar to Hua Qian Gu in Journey of Flower because she is once again in a fantasy wuxia. 

The Three Heroes and Five Gallants 五鼠闹东京 is about the misadventures of the noble martial arts heroes Zhan Zhao aka Imperial Cat and the Five Mice. The drama stars Chen Xiao, Yan Kuan and Zheng Shuang. Guessing it's double the fun for Yan Kuan and Zheng Shuang, both of which have two of their own dramas airing concurrently this Feb.

Princess Jieyou 解忧公主 premieres Feb 18 starring Zhang Xin Yi and Yuan Hong. The character stills remind me of a more traditional historical drama depicting the life of Princess Jieyou.

Last but not the least is The Legend of Nine Tails Fox 青丘狐传说 starring Jiang Jin Fu (Legend of Qin) and Gu Li Na Zha (Rift of the Sky), which will be seen on Hunan TV starting Feb 8. Since I actually get this channel, I might start with it for convenience sake. Which one will you be watching?

Also see upcoming dramas in March and April 2016.

Sources: Taizhou, Tianjinwe