Chinese Dramas Airing in Dec 2024
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2024-12 Drama Update
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深潜 Deep Lurk starring 成毅 Cheng Yi、颖儿 Ying Er、刘欢 Liu Huan、侯梦瑶 Hou Meng Yao. Initial Air Date: November 13 2024 Platform: CCTV8
This is another world war 2 drama set in Chang Sha with the main leads becoming spies for the Chinese to ultimately defeat the Japanese. What’s notable about this drama is that this was filmed 5 years ago before Cheng Yi found his recent successes. The drama aired during an afternoon time slot and somehow still managed to get a 1.9 rating for CCTV 8. It only reached 7600 for IQiYi which is respectable for a world war 2 drama. There hasn’t been much marketing and honestly everyone’s been focused on the actor Liu Huan rather than Cheng Yi.
斗罗大陆之燃魂战 The Land Of Warriors starring 周翊然 Zhou Yi Ran and 张予曦 Zhang Yu Xi. Total Episode Count: 38 Initial Air Date: November 25, 2024 Platform: Tencent
This is the sequel to the 2021 drama Land of the Warriors starring Xiao Zhan and Wu Xuan Yi. The drama picks up 5 years later and tells the story of Tang San and Xiao Wu upscaling their abilities to create the House of Tang. Along the way, they, along with their friends, fight monsters and fiends to become a reputable House.
I’m vastly oversimplifying the plot here but I’ll be honest, this really isn’t a drama that intrigues me. It doesn’t help that basically no one from the original cast in the original is back. 周翊然 portrays Tang San, taking over from Xiao Zhan and 张予曦 portrays Xiao Wu, taking over from Wu Xuan Yi. I believe this was a drama that was greenlit hoping to push newcomer 周翊然 into the spotlight but this drama has been ridiculed in every which way. From bad plot, to bad acting, to bad special effects, to bad makeup and costume, the only splash this drama has made is just how bad the whole drama is. Fans of Xiao Zhan are now saying, see? You guys didn’t think Xiao Zhan was fit for Tang San in the original, this one is even worse.
I won’t watch this drama but it has been quite funny watching social media meme all of the characters in this drama on how they all look like poor cosplayers.
我是刑警 We are criminal police starring 于和伟 Yu He Wei、富大龙 Fu Da Long. Initial Air Date: November 27 2024 Platform: CCTV8.
This is a drama, set in the 90s in the Northeast of China, about a policeman portrayed by actor Yu He Wei, who, after losing his mentor and friends in the line of duty, still resolutely stays the course of being a criminal police officer and solving mysteries. What’s been interesting is that this drama has had very solid word of mouth and has already breached 2.5% on ratings. I’m seeing people who typically watch idol romance dramas turning to this one, so there must be some reason behind it. I might pick it up during the holidays, but this one isn’t my normal cup of tea.
婚内婚外 Married starring 冯绍峰 Feng Shao Feng、蔡文静 Cai Wen Jing、邢昭林 Xing Zhao Lin、加奈 Jia Nai. Episode count: 24 Initial Air Date: November 28, 2024. Platform: Dong Fang TV
This is a short drama about a married couple and cheating. The most notable part about this whole drama is that outside the drama, Feng Shao Feng has been spotted canoodling with a very young woman by the paparazzi. There’s speculation that she’s an influencer 20 years his junior. No one has been paying attention to this drama, but people HAVE been clicking on these paparazzi photos though. Unfortunately, I don’t think Feng Shao Feng got what he wanted out of these photos because everyone’s now comparing how far his career has fallen while his ex-wife Zhao Li Ying is out there collecting all the awards.
蜀锦人家 Brocade Odyssey starring 谭松韵 Tan Song Yun、郑业成 Zheng Ye Cheng、经超 Jing Chao、陈小纭 Chen Xiao Yun. Episode count: 40 Initial Air Date: November 30, 2024. Platform: 优酷
This drama is Tan Song Yun’s first return to a historical costume drama in 3 years. The last historical costume drama of hers to air was The Sword and the Brocade back in 2021. She’s since had a slew of dramas air, but those were all modern day dramas, and not following the idol route. There were decent expectations for her given she’s had strong ratings draw in her previous dramas.
She is joined by Zheng Ye Cheng in the main male lead role and Jing Chao in the 2nd male lead role. Zhang Hao Wei, the crown prince from Joy of Life, was apparently the 3rd male lead but, he was embroiled in scandal earlier this year and the production decided to change his face in the drama via AI to another guy named Zhao Hua Wei. That is a very fast turnaround time and I’m intrigued in watching this drama just for that. Chen Xiao Yun rounds out the main cast as the 2nd female lead.
Here’s the premise, Shu Jin, or silk brocade from the Shu region, is a fabric whose beauty is known across the land. It is highly coveted and incredibly expensive. It is a status symbol and something that the wealthy elites all want their hands on. In the 益州 Yi Zhou in the Shu region, the Ji family’s brocade has some of the best reputation for its quality. Ji Ying Ying 季英英 is the daughter of the Ji family that is intelligent and entirely focused on creating and dying the silk.
The Brocade prince’s son, Yang Jing Lan 杨静澜 featuring Zheng Ye Cheng suddenly appears. On the surface he appears to be a playboy but in reality, he’s here to investigate a cold case. In his investigation, he spends time with his childhood playmate, Ji Ying Ying and they grow closer. They work together to dispel of threats and Ji Ying Ying’s cloth dying abilities earns her a strong reputation in the Shu region. This attracts the attention of the son of the Nan Zhao King, Sheng Feng Ze 晟丰泽 featuring Jing Chao who wants to take over her brocade secrets. Ji Ying Ying and Yang Jing Lao must work together to help reignite the brocade industry.
This is a drama that unfortunately has not done too well. Only reaching 8500 on Youku’s popularity index so far. I’m not sure what’s holding it back, I’ll probably watch it this weekend. Zheng Ye Cheng I do feel bad for because i think he is quite handsome and has Chinese opera training so he looks great in costume roles, but he is just missing that breakout hit.
黑白森林 Black White Forest starring 丁禹兮 Ding Yu Xi、宁理 Ning Li、韩雪 Han Xue、苏晓彤 Su Xiao Tong. Episode count: 28 Initial Air Date: December 4, 2024. Platform: Tencent
Fresh off of the success of Love in Eastern Galaxy, Ding Yu Xi headlines this modern day crime thriller drama called Black White Forest that started airing today on Tencent. It is a 28 episode drama and was filmed in 2023.
This drama starts with the loss of a gun that leads to a number of sealed but impactful mysteries. Young detective Wen Bin Bin featuring Ding Yu Xi works under Captain Xing Liang’s guidance to find his lost gun. They are embroiled in a battle with many menacing forces to help find the truth and bring these forces to justice.
This drama caters to a completely different audience vs Love In Eastern Galaxy so it’s only breached 21000 in Tencent’s popularity index. I don’ think there are huge expectations for Ding Yu Xi but rather, the focus is to keep him in the public eye. This is his 3rd drama to air in the 2H of 2024.
九重紫 Blossoms starring 孟子义 Meng Zi Yi、李昀锐 Li Yun Rui、孔雪儿 Kong Xue Er、夏之光 Xia Zhi Guang. Episode Count: 34. Initial Air Date: December 6, 2024. Platform: Tencent
This is a historical costume romance featuring Meng Zi Yi and Li Yun Rui in the lead roles.
As a young girl, Dou Zhao 窦昭 ft Meng Zi Yi lost her mother and lived a rough family life which left her despaired from family love and romantic love. She has to fight her step mother, work to protect her family inheritance and in general learn to fend for herself. One rainy night, she meets Song Mo ft Li Yun Rui hiding in one of the farmlands. She uses her intellect to save this sole survivor of the Duke of Ding’s family line. By saving Song Mo, their lives are forever intwined as they pretend to get married to help resolve their current problems. Together, they face turmoil at court and at home and work to change the fortunes of their families.