Chasing Dramas

Fan Xian and company make their way north towards the Northern Qi kingdom but are met with not 1, not 2 but 4 different parties attacking him. He has to think on his feet in order to ensure he stays alive. In the mix are old acquaintances that want him dead while he meets Shang Shan Hu and Hai Tang Duo Duo of the Qi kingdom

Karen and Cathy discuss the latest dramas that have aired in Feb and early March!  The First Frost 难哄 starring Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan was one of the most highly anticipated romance dramas. Filter 滤镜 starring Tan Jian Ci and Li Lan Di has been a surprise critical darling. Zhang Ling He rounds out the trio of romance dramas with The Best Thing 爱你 with co-star Xu Ruo Han. Jin Tian pairs up with Zhang Wan Yi for another historical romance revenge drama in Si Jin 似锦. Bai Lu scores a win with a CCTV network airing drama in Northward 北上. Listen to our latest episode on these dramas and more!

In episode 33, Fan Xian is tasked with Operation Hong Xiu Zhao by the Emperor as his mission to the Qi Kingdom. Fan Xian says his goodbyes and begins his journey north with the formidable prisoner, Xiao En. Fan Jian gifts Fan Xian his own personal guard led by the hilarious Gao Da who takes big issue with the thieving Wang Qi Nian. Fan Xian must keep his guard up as the envoy makes its way north to the Qi Kingdom.

It's been a busy week in the Chinese entertainment world. Chen Xiao and Chen Yan Xi officially announced their divorce after 8 years of marriage. This is after several years of speculation of trouble in paradise, most notably Chen Xiao's absence from Chen Yan Xi's father's funeral back in December. Other celebrities have also been arrested including Wang Da Lu for escaping military service, Li Ming De for trashing a car, and an actress from Empresses in the Palace causing a stir. Listen to our latest podcast episode on the gossip and tea from this week!

Fan Xian is essentially forced to lead the diplomatic envoy to the Qi Kingdom and exchange Xiao En for Yan Bing Yun. Even though he didn't want to go, the Emperor threatens his marriage to Wan'Er to get him to comply.

The top trending topic over the past 2 weeks has been the shocking death of Da S or Barbie Hsu. The Taiwanese actress shot to fame in the early 2000s in the Romance Idol drama Meteor Garden and has stayed in the public eye ever since. She died while on vacation in Japan in early February, shocking everyone. The online speculation and vitriol towards different parties has been rampant. We discuss what happened and the recent aftermath.

In other news, today marks the end of the Lunar New Year holidays and there's a clear winner in the box office battle. Ne Zha 2 has been breaking all sorts of records, becoming the biggest movie in China and the biggest $1B grosser in a single market. Listen to our latest podcast episode as we talk about Da S's death and the latest box office returns!

The Princess Royal is ultimately kicked out of the capital for overstepping her boundaries. We say goodbye (for now) to this fan favorite - an unapologetically ruthless and ambitious woman.

A fresh slate of dramas began airing around the Lunar New Year holidays with some surprise hits and duds. Bai Lu led Moonlight Mystique (白月梵星) with co-star Ao Rui Peng to middling success. Drifting Away (漂白) starring Guo Jing Fei and Zhao Jin Mai was a surprise hit for iQiYi. Angelababy, after being soft blacklisted for over a year, returned with Everlasting Longing (相思令) with Song Wei Long. Unfortunately the poor script and wooden acting couldn't save the ratings. Perfect Match (五福临门) is the new Yu Zheng produced drama starring Lu Yu Xiao and Wang Xing Yue. There's several familiar faces from Yu Zheng's other dramas. Liu Shi Shi returns to the small screen with Kill My Sins (掌心) with co-star Dou Xiao in a Tang Dynasty period drama. Deng Wei rounds out the upcoming slate with Love of the Divine Tree (仙台有树), another fantasy romance drama.

Listen to our latest podcast episode as we talk about the dramas that aired in January and the announced dramas for February!

The Princess Royal believes she was able to throw suspicion of treachery back onto Fan Xian and is ready to take over the Overwatch Council, only to realize that her ally, Zhu Ge, is caught in Chen Ping Ping's trap.

Happy Lunar New Year and welcome to the Year of the Snake! We will talk about this year's annual spectacle that is the Spring Festival Gala! While not as drama-filled as last year's show, the event was still an extravagant affair with a dizzying cast of celebrities and stars from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Heck, One Republic even performed this year! The 4 cities featured included Chongqing, Lhasa, Wu Xi, and Wu Han. Listen to our latest podcast episode on our thoughts about the performances this year.