Chasing Dramas

William Chan's Mystic Nine becomes a surprise hit for the summer (finally a "hit!) while Zhang Ling He's Overdo struggles to match the success of Pursuit of Jade. Other dramas like Royal Betrothal, Blossoms of Power, Key to the Phoenix Heart were all fine...but nothing exceptional

In the past few months, Chinese celebrities have flocked to giving concerts, performing at music festivals, and going on tour. That has worked well for some celebrities but not so much for others. Xie Na, a famous host, encountered significant backlash with the announcement of her tour in June. Listen to our latest podcast episode to hear what happened!

Dramas airing in June/early July 2026 include detective thrillers, some modern day romances and a few other costume dramas. Though some have outperformed expectations, there has yet to be an "explosive hit" this summer.

Keep Running finds itself in hot water after viewers discover that cities might be paying the show millions of dollars to film at their respective cities. One of the main cast, Bai Lu, continues to find herself in hot water in the aftermath of the Keep Running controversy from May. With her new drama, First Jasmine, airing, she needs to face the negative publicity head on. Listen to our latest podcast episode to hear the latest in Chinese entertainment!

There's been a lot of negative commentary in C-ent over the last few weeks with 3 actors/actresses at the heart of the discussion. They are - Lu Yu Xiao, Bai Lu and Wang He Di. Tune in to hear what prompted the negativity in the Chinese discourse.

Ride the Wind 2026 has already garnered huge viewership and sparked major online discourse after just two performances. The live format adds an element of surprise, and three contestants have emerged as unexpected fan favorites — not because they are the strongest singers or dancers, but because they are simply so entertaining to watch.Olympian Wang Meng, actress Li Xiao Ran, and actress Tang Yi Xin have captivated audiences with their earnest yet hilariously imperfect performances. Listen to our latest podcast to hear more about the shenanigans from this season of Ride the Wind.

Another Year, another Ride the Wind competition. Tune in as we introduce the rest of the 33 ladies participating in Hunan/Mango TV's singing and dancing competition for 2026! Some fan favorites include the likes of Empresses in the Palace alum Tang Yi Xin and 90s stars such as Dai Si, Sun Yi, and Chen Yao

In the last episode of the season, Fan Xian discovers the location of where the Ming family hid the rest of the 3 Great Warehouses. He also discovers a plot on his life. Grandmaster Ye Liu Yun has been summoned by the Princess Royal to take his life. Fan Xian must choose between saving his life and taking over the 3 Great Warehouses. Listen to our latest podcast episode as we discuss episode 36 of Joy of Life season 2!

In March and April 2026, Dilraba Dilmurat stars in a Love Beyond the Grave alongside Chen Fei Yu as the 400 year old ruler of the spirit real. Ju Jing Yi faced a fierce battle with her agency right before her drama Veil of Shadows starring alongside Chen Du Ling, Zeng Shun Xi, and Tian Jia Rui aired. Zhou Ye starred in a 1980s drama Dream of Golden Years. Gong Jun and Ren Ming round out the month with a modern day drama Hold a Court Now. Listen to our latest episode on these dramas!We are headed to China! Please send us questions and requests as we head off to explore Heng Dian, the location where many period dramas were filmed!

In the last two weeks, 54 year old Qu Ying suddenly became popular again after her guest appearance on Papi Jiang's show. Her relaxed demeanor and hilarious stories took generated quite a stir on social media. Meanwhile, The Pursuit of Jade has been suffering a lot backlash on the portrayal of generals, leading to the unexpected popularity of He Run Dong for his portrayal of generals back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Listen to our latest podcast on the surprising and hilarious popularity resurgences in the last few weeks.

On Mar 13, the Chinese Department of the National Radio and Television Administration held a press conference discussing the "issues" that it will tackle. The most pressing is the issue of top billing and who gets top billing for Chinese dramas. Listen to the latest to the solution China has decided to implement.

In the past few weeks, there has been 3 main events that have garnered significant social media backlash including the filming announcement of a very popular book Jiang Men Du Hou with stars Wang He Di and Meng Zi Yi, Dilraba and a series of unfortunate events surrounding Paris Fashion Week, and the new drama The Pursuit of Jade starring Zhang Ling He and Tian Xi Wei. Listen to our latest podcast on the details and just why there's been such a huge reaction from the online community