Song of Phoenix (Si Mei Ren)

Song of Phoenix 思美人 is a Chinese period drama set in the Warring States period about the historical figure Qu Yuan. It will be told in a modernesque fashion focusing on the love story between Qu Yuan and Mo Chou Nu.

Filming began January 2016 so expect to wait 1 year? 2 years? Then again, Ma Ke who played Sha Qian Mo in Journey of Flower is still riding high from the drama's success so it's possible that Song of Phoenix can secure an earlier release date to hasten his return to ancient garb especially because he just carries it all too well.

Ma Ke 马可 (Journey of Flower) as Qu Yuan is a talented scholar born to a prominent family in Chu.

Zhang Xinyu 张馨予 (Romance of the Condor Heroes) as Mo Chou Nu is his equally capable muse. Coincidentally, Zhang Xinyu's character is named Mo Chou again, which is basically her character in ROCH. Unfortunately for anyone who likes a happy ending, a name like that usually insinuates a tragic romance.

Qiao Zhenyu 乔振宇 (Sword of Legends) as Chu Huai Wang, the emperor of Chu.

TF Boys Yi Yang Qian Xi 易烊千玺 (Legend of Chusen) will play the younger version of Qu Yuan.

Source: Duitang

Princess of Lanling King

Princess of Lanling King 兰陵王妃 starring Kristy Zhang Han Yun (New Xiao Shi Yi Lang) has been patiently waiting for a release date for a couple years now. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there still isn't an official date despite rumors that it will finally air in 2016. On the bright side, new promotional materials are periodically released from time to time, no doubt to keep the interest from dying down.

For any Lan Ling Wang fans out there, this new series while supposedly unrelated to the former essentially feels like a reboot of the three main characters played by a novice cast. 

It is an adaptation of a novel called Princess of Orchid Hills depicting the love story between Yuan Qingsuo, Gao Changkong and Yuwen Yong. The stills are so breathtakingly beautiful that despite my loyalty to Lan Ling Wang, I can't help but be tempted.

For synopsis, cast and other info, click my 2016 c-drama recommendations.

Source: 3Lian, Duitang

Princess Jieyou

Princess Jieyou 解忧公主 will premiere on Feb 18 along with many other upcoming wuxia series to welcome the Chinese new year. Doing away with the highly-commercialized productions prevalent nowadays, the series goes back to basics and tells the story of Liu Jieyou, a Han Dynasty princess sent to the Western regions as part of a marriage alliance. 

Princess Jieyou has spent two years in the back burner so finally, it will grace our screens this Feb. I don't know most of the cast except for Yuan Hong (Hua Xu Yin) but looking forward to it nonetheless.

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

Source: Duitang, Ent163

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

Remembering Xiao Shi Yi Lang 2002

Because the upcoming adaptation had me itching for more, I re-watched the 2002 version of Xiao Shi Yi Lang 蕭十一郎 starring Nicky Wu (Legend of Zu), Athena Chu and Yu Bo. Without further ado, below are the memorable scenes that turned this TV series into a classic. Warning: spoilers ahead.

Xiao Shi Yi Lang (Nicky Wu) and Shen Bi Jun's (Athena Chu) love story began after an accidental meeting when the happy-go-lucky bandit Xiao Shi Yi Lang crashes through the roof on his way to steal the Deer Carver Sabre (Ge Lu Dao). Even though Xiao Shi Yi Lang succeeds, he decides to return the legendary sabre that will be used as Bi Jun's dowry when she marries Lian Cheng Bi. 

Multiple kidnappings attempts later and the two have developed strong feelings for each other as Shi Yi Lang happens to save Bi Jun time and again. Despite having second thoughts, Bi Jun ultimately carries on with the wedding for the sake of the Shen family. 

What ensues is a series of misunderstandings exacerbated by a constantly suspicious Lian Cheng Bi (Yu Bo) who is determined not to be made a fool. Beneath his kind and gentlemanly exterior is actually a perceptive yet distrustful man whose lack of faith in Bi Jun causes their relationship to wither from the very start. 

Because of his mission as the protector of the Deer Carver Sabre, circumstances keep bringing Xiao Shi Yi Lang and Bi Jun together whilst her relationship with husband Liang Cheng Bi is pulled further apart. When the three were trapped in Xiao Yao Hou's territory, Bi Jun selflessly stepped forward to save Xiao Shi Yi Lang in spite of Lian Cheng Bi's warning that her actions will ruin their marriage. 

Yet the series is not without its flaws, thanks to a meddlesome Lao Lao, a prejudiced Tai Jun (Bi Jun's grandma) and even a quasi-intelligent Bi Jun who is often deceived into hurting Xiao Shi Yi Lang. One such instance is when she stabs him with a sword after believing that he conspired with Xiao Yao Hou to capture Bi Jun's grandma. 

At times, the plot contrivance can be as silly as Bi Jun rushing in between two men in the midst of a fight so that the highly-skilled martial artist Xiao Shi Yi Lang can end up injured, effecting a much more dramatic scene. 

Feng Si Niang and Yang Kai Tai's story is quite well-developed despite being on the sidelines. Love triangles are painful enough and for Si Niang to be the fourth leg of that triangle would have been overkill so I'm glad that as the series progresses, Si Niang slowly gets over her childhood friend Xiao Shi Yi Lang and finds purpose in helping Yang Kai Tai recover from the loss of his father.

The second half of the series is when Lian Cheng Bi completely turns to the dark side creating innumerable problems for the good guys. Enraged over losing Bi Jun, he is pushed over the edge after overhearing that Tai Jun coaxed Bi Jun into marrying him despite Bi Jun's pleas to call it off.

While I don't disagree that Tai Jun should bear the brunt of the blame, a diabolic Cheng Bi exacts his revenge in the most despicable way possible. He offers the oblivious grandma a cup of tea that will cause her to lose reason and kill people every night, knowing that the only solution will be for Xiao Shi Yi Lang to become the bad guy by cutting off Tai Jun's head.

Half a year passes and Xiao Shi Yi Lang returns with a pregnant lady named Bing Bing who is actually Cheng Bi's sister Lian Cheng Jin. However, the two go through great lengths to hide Cheng Jin's identity, puzzling even her uncles Bai Yang and Lu Liu.

Sure enough, Lian Cheng Bi had to confirm his sister's identity so that he can finish the deed to kill her. Although his second attempt remained unsuccessful, Lian Cheng Bi's identity as the big bad clad in red is revealed. 

I can't end the posting without talking about the interactions between Xiao Shi Yi Lang and the masked man. Their dialogues while short are fraught with humor bringing out a pleasant father-son dynamic, which is a much-needed balance to the drama in Xiao Shi Yi Lang's love life. 

At least one thing in his life is going well given that Xiao Shi Yi Lang always had the masked man to look out for him, and not a stupid person who can be easily manipulated to stab him in the back or anywhere else because that has happened one too many times. 

The much-awaited reveal happens towards the latter part of the series when the masked Er Guo Tou finally pulls out the Deer Carver Sabre proving that he is none other than Xiao Shi Yi Lang's long-lost father. On a sidenote, I find it hard to believe that Xiao Shi Yi Lang couldn't recognize his father's face. It's not like he was that young when they were separated?

Hands down one of the most exciting battles in the entire series occurs in the last episode when Xiao Shi Yi Lang walks into an ambush of epic proportions where he gets backstabbed by not one but two of his close friends and has to face a multitude of assassins. 

Having been misinformed about Bi Jun's death, Xiao Shi Yi Lang still fought down to his last breath determined to take down as many people with him amidst the thrashing of swords. Fortunately, Bi Jun arrives in the nick of time to save Xiao for his final showdown with Lian Cheng Bi.

What drama would you like to remember next?