A New Wave of Talent: Discovering the Rising Stars of China
Hello, I'm Xiao Zi! I'm a C-drama enthusiast, who likes costume c-drama with the intricate storyline and 100+ characters introduced in the first episode itself lol. It's been fun working with Mon and Potato, on the article. Though my most anticipated dramas (Love Endures, Moonlight Mystique, etc.) are not listed here, I still look forward to some of them. | Hi, I’m Mon! Considering how much I enjoy watching (historical) Chinese dramas, I thought writing a list of the most anticipated ones would be fun. Although The Romance of Tiger and Rose 2 isn't on this list, it's the one I'm looking forward to the most. |  Hello, Potato here! It has been fun working with Mon and Xiao Zi on this article about one of our favourite topics. Compared to last year, I'm not really anticipating that many costume dramas for this year. There are a couple of titles in this list that do interest me, but I have to say that Legend of Rosy Clouds will be my top choice on what to watch out for (from this list). |
Please note that some of the information listed below may change hereafter.
10. The Legend of Jewelry |
 | In the early Tang Dynasty, a girl fishing for pearls in Hepu escaped from the pearl field in the Dragon Boat Festival to escape from suffering. At a critical moment, the poet Zhang Jin Ran came to help her escape. In order to figure out about her past, Duan Wu joined the Su Te Hang merchant Yan Zi Jing's caravan, relying on his flexible mind to do a lot of jewelry business, and gained a deep friendship with Yue Yun Xiu, the lady of Nianyu. Through Yan Zi Jing's guidance, Duan Wu, who only knew about pearls, opened the door to the jewelry world, but Duan Wu got entangled in the life-and-death game set up by Yan Zi Jing and almost died. In order to discover the truth, Duan Wu went to Yangzhou and became famously known as "tortoiseshell armour". Together with Yue Yun Xiu, they created the Mirror Stage platform by using jewelry and horse gear to break through the restrictions of local jewellers' norms and occupy a position in the guild/market. They created coloured glaze and sapphire, introducing coloured jewelry into Yangzhou, where only white jewelry was popular, broadening the local aesthetics and becoming the leaders of the industry. |
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Mon: I'm most excited to watch The Legend of Jewelry out of all the dramas listed. Even though the summary is a bit confusing, I can't wait to see how the story unfolds. The cast is also amazing - Zhao Lusi and Liu Yu Ning reuniting? Count me in! |
9. Amidst a Snowstorm of Love |
 | Former professional snooker genius Lin Yi Yang met the popular nine-ball player Yin Guo on a rare snowstorm night. With the help of Yin Guo's cousin, they got to know each other. Lin Yi Yang was once a famous snooker genius, until in a match he unintentionally offended the judge due to the objection of penalty. He was unsatisfied with the judgment and announced his retirement directly. As a result, he quit the professional snooker. Yin Guo's appearance changed his life, he fell love in with Yin Guo. |
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Xiao Zi: The synosis itself sounds interesting. I love sports dramas and I also like Leo and Jin Mai. This pairing is quite unexpected, but I think they'll do a wonderful job together. I can already feel the sizzling chemistry from the trailer. |
8. The Legend of Rosy Clouds |
 | Born into the prestigious "Red" family, Hong Xiu Li, despite being the eldest legitimate daughter, lived a life of poverty with her father, Hong Shao Kai, and a mysterious man named Zi Jing Lan, whom her father had taken in during his early years. Having experienced turmoil and understanding the suffering of the people, she, as a girl, couldn't participate in the imperial examination to become an official. Therefore, she pinned her dreams on her children and became a teacher in a private school. Hong Xiu Li excelled in the examination and became the first female official in the Kingdom of Caiyun. She was appointed as a provincial governor. With her efforts, wisdom, strength, and bravery, she quelled rebellions in various states, ushering in an unprecedented era of prosperity and also finding love along the way. |
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Potato: This drama is "on my radar" as I tend to follow Zeng Shunxi's works. At first, I thought of giving this a miss coz the storyline doesn't really capture my attention. However, after knowing that Tian Jiarui (of My Journey to You fame) and Riley Wang are also in this, I'm like, okay, this has to be on my PTW list pronto *laughs* Also, I am weak for Li Yitong and I can't wait to watch her chemistry with Zeng Shunxi. |
7. My Boss |
 | Cheng Yao, who dreamt of becoming a lawyer, was recruited by a top law firm. Hence, she decides to move to an apartment closer to her workplace. However, Cheng Yao did not expect to have a housemate whom she could not get along with. The person turns out to be her new boss, Qian Heng. Qian Heng recruited her into his team and began his monstrous training. His aim was to chase away Cheng Yao, who he thought got into the company by relations. Cheng Yao does not know why she landed in this situation, and decides to work harder. She shows great performance in the midst of training, changing Qian Heng's impression of her, and slowly, they begin to develop feelings for each other. |
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Xiao Zi: I'm not really into modern romance C-dramas, especially office romances. The synopsis is typical, and it seems to have the cold Male Lead trope, which I kind of dislike. But it's the cast that drew me in. Both of them are amazing actors who have delivered outstanding performances in their previous dramas. |
6. Men in Love |
 | The self-disciplined and diligent editor-in-chief of a magazine, Ye Han, helped the clumsy and lovely physical education teacher Li Xiaoxiao resolve embarrassing crises again and again by chance. Due to past experiences, it was difficult to take the step of love. The enthusiastic and direct magazine publisher Xu Jiacheng met their former model sister Tong Yiwen. The two continued to seek balance in their pursuit of love and career. The relationship between the four became complicated and full of challenges because of Xiaoxiao's secret love for Jiacheng. With Xiaoxiao's secret love and fragility, Xiaoxiao completely healed Ye Han's emotional wounds, and Jiacheng and Yiwen passed the test and finally achieved a positive result. |
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Mon: Like Xiao Zi, I'm not particularly interested in modern Chinese dramas, but I watched the trailer for this one and it looked really cute. The plot revolves around two people who have a painful past and are struggling to take the step toward love. It's not a complex storyline, but what got me excited was the cast, specifically the lead actress, Liang Jie. She's one of my favorite actresses and I always enjoy watching her dramas. |
5. The Immortal Ascension |
 | A poor and ordinary boy from a village joins a minor sect in Jiang Hu and becomes an Unofficial Disciple by chance. How will Han Li, a commoner by birth, establish a foothold for himself in his sect? With his mediocre aptitude, he must successfully traverse the treacherous path of cultivation and avoid the notice of those who may do him harm. This is the story of an ordinary mortal who, against all odds, clashes with devilish demons and ancient celestials in order to find his own path towards immortality. |
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Xiao Zi: I'm glad that Yang Yang will have a Wuxia this year. I haven't watched the anime based on the original novel or read the novel, but judging by the synopsis and trailer, the drama seems to be male-centric (I love these) and there will be barely any romance. Honestly, this is the drama that I look forward to the most from this list. |
4. Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Zhu Ye |
 | The story of Dongfang Huai Zhu and Wangquan Hong Ye, the helmsmen of two powerful clans - Dongfang and Wangquan. They work together to stabilize the situation and revive the Yiqi Alliance. |
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Potato: The second installment to the Fox Spirit Matchmaker series. It's a sequel to Yue Hong and a prequel to Wang Quan. I haven't watched the donghua nor read the manhua, hence I'm unable to elaborate more on the characters. But looking at the cast for Zhu Ye, I am honestly very surprised at the number of guest appearances. Such a feast for the eyes! |
3. As Beautiful As You |
 | Ji Xing, a technical talent who works diligently in a technology company, resigned resolutely in order to realize her dream and embarked on the road of entrepreneurship. The team formed by Ji Xing and her younger brother was in jeopardy at the beginning of the business. Just when there was no hope, Ji Xing won the support of Han Ting, President of Dongyang Technology, with his unique insights. With Han Ting's investment, the startup Xingchen is finally on the right track. But Ji Xing "lost" her first boyfriend who she had been in love with for seven years. The difficulties of starting a business and the pain of breaking up with her love almost destroyed her. Fortunately, she has the close protection of the sister group. After several failures in product development, Ji Xing and Han Ting gradually transform from business partners who are both mentors and friends to soulmates who are attracted to each other. However, the good times do not last long, and the rapidly developing Xingchen soon encounters a bottleneck in development. Ji Xing once again falls into a slump in her career. At the same time, her love for Han Ting also begins to be full of crisis. In the end, with the encouragement of her friends, Ji Xing regains her confidence and leads the company out of the predicament under heavy pressure. |
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Mon: This drama tells the story of a talented tech worker who quits her job to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur. She eventually teams up with the president of Dongyang Technology, and they become business partners, which later develops into a romantic relationship. With the encouragement of her close friends, she gains the confidence to take on a leadership role in the company. The business genre doesn't really interest me, but Xu Kai and Tan Songyun do. They're both talented actors, so I'm curious to see how this drama turns out. |
2. The Legend of Shen Li |
 | The ancient gods died, and there is only one last god in the world - Xing Zhi. Rumor has it that this God of Action has lived alone in the heavens for tens of thousands of years, ruthless and lustless. In the battle of the immortals and demons, he turned the tide by himself, and since then, Du Men has been swept away, and his traces are hard to find. |
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Potato: The FL and ML of the hit Chinese drama Princess Agents are back again. Fans rejoiced when the pair were named as main leads for The Legend of Shen Li. Zhao Liying is back as a strong female lead, playing a fallen goddess this time around. |
1. For Her |
 | Shen Xi Fan is a hotel manager and workaholic. Because of her high-intensity work, she suffers from headaches. She goes to the General Hospital and meets the gentleman physician, He Su Ye. Their first time speaking to each other is so wonderful and warm. He Su Ye tells Shen Xi Fan that she needs to reduce her stress and get more rest in order to recover from her headaches. As He Su Ye tells her not to go so hard, not to make herself so tired, his words and look are so gentle, Shen Xi Fan can see him as boyfriend material. As well, a move and faint smile from Shen Xi Fan makes He Su Ye deeply fascinated by her. Shen Xi Fan still works overtime and and continues to get headaches that send her to the hospital, where she continues to see He Su Ye as her attending physician, and each time, he is slowly falling for her. Their relationship gets better and better with the two continuing to be fascinated by each other, so it is logical for the two to walk together. |
Mon: Based on the synopsis alone, I'm already excited about this drama. It's a story of first love set in a workplace environment with a warm male lead and a workaholic female lead. The cast isn't confirmed yet, but rumors are Zhang Linghe and Xu Ruohan will lead this drama. |
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Acknowledgments: Everything not taken from MDL is linked to its respective source. Special thanks to the editors! | Edited by: devitto (1st editor) |
