Flourished Peony (国色芳华) is adapted from the novel written by Yi Qian Chong. It follows our female lead, daughter of a merchant with the talent to cultivate rare peonies and with the help of a conniving and corrupt official, she’s able to escape a transactional marriage and build an empire with like-minded people.
Airing 1/7~
Is Yang Zi starting the year early to put her in name in Popular Characters for 2025? She already dominated in 2024. Lol
If you have a second, please post your top 10 dramas of the year! Don’t have to be 10 if you only watched one like me. 😛 Don’t have to be Cdramas either cause I encourage variety!
Heheh, we ended the year on a good note with Meng Zi Yi and Li Yun Rui’s Blossom, and now will start 2025 with this series. That’s not the end of it either as Sun Zhen Ni also has a currently in post-production drama with Li Hong Yi called Blossom in Darkness. 😛
Anyhoo, The Blossoming Love (千朵桃花一世开) is adapted from the novel A Thousands of Peach Blossoms For A Lifetime written by Sui Yu Er An. It’s a xianxia, following the love story of our leads. In their first lifetime, he was an emperor and sacrificed himself in the battle against the god. His lover risked her all to save a piece of his soul which puts him into eternal reincarnation. They meet again on opposing side of good and evil. He is now cold and ruthless, a fearless leader, while she’s the enticing and charming maiden of the dark side. Ha. This description is right up Zhen Ni’s wheelhouse as she plays quite the adorable temptress in Til The End of The Moon. Our maiden saves the hero in one instance and uses that excuse to rope him along on her journey.
Airing 1/2/2025!
From Qiyi: Let Wind Goes By (风中的火焰) takes place in 2003, when a small mining town in Ningxia faced relocation, a burned female corpse was discovered outside the police station. The circumstances of her death bore a striking resemblance to a brutal unsolved case from a decade earlier. Veteran detective Zhu Zhiqiang, nearing retirement, teamed up with Zhang Tao, who had been transferred to the mining town’s criminal investigation unit due to a work-related mistake. Together, they worked to unravel the case, uncovering the tragic truths buried in the town’s past as the relocation unfolded.
Airing today 12/26~
Guardians of the Dafeng (大奉打更人) is adapted from the novel The Nightwatchers of Feng written by Mai Bao Xiao Lang Jun. Dylan plays a modern day policeman who transmigrated back in time and into the body of a constable of Dafeng city, who at the time is in prison, waiting to be exiled, thanks to his uncle’s huge loss of silver. Using his deduction and reasoning skills, he manages to solve the case and find the culprit. And thus begins his journey of investigating and solving mysterious crimes in the vast city. In the novel, our male lead has plenty of attention from the ladies but the drama adaptation seems to have changed that slightly by pinpointing Tian Xi Wei as his main love interest. She plays a proud and rebellious princess Lin An.
You can read the translated novel here at Yanwenyuan.
Airing 12/28~
After all the hees and haws, my wish came true eventually! What a visual feast these two are together! 😍😍😍
Chasing Jade (逐玉) is adapted from the novel written by Tuan Zi Lai Xi. The story follows our female lead after she lost her parents. In order to secure her inheritance from the greedy relatives, she takes in a wounded man as husband. She doesn’t know much about him except for his striking good looks. They agree that once everything is settled, they would divorce. However, war breaks out and he’s enlisted. He disappears without a trace. They meet again when he’s injured in a tent. Teary-eyed, she tells him to stop being a soldier and she will continue to support him, taking back their divorce agreement. Turns out, our handsome unknown man is a strict marquis who rules the battlefields ruthlessly. Now he spends his days recuperating in a tent for the wounded, making his soldiers confused. He jumps up when he learns that his “wife” has taken his uniform and went to war in his place! Heeheee, this sounds so sweet! I can’t wait to continue reading it! But please expect deviations from the novel, as always.
You can read the ongoing English translation at Gravity Tales by Sheepadu. Huge thanks!!
Per Qiyi: The breakout hit series “Under the Skin” makes a thrilling return with its second season, continuing its core theme of “revealing hearts through painted shadows.” By crafting lifelike portraits, the show delves into the complexities of the human psyche, illuminating subtle human nature and reflecting the realities of life. With forensic sketch artist Shen Yi (played by Tan Jianci), detective captain Du Cheng (played by Jin Shijia), and the rest of the Beijiang task force working together, the second season promises to unravel more mysteries of human nature, hunt down the true culprits of gripping cases, and deliver an enthralling crime drama for viewers. From portraying appearances to revealing the heart, this season is set to captivate once again.
Airing 12/10~
I didn’t watch The Princess Royal but this modern one looks mighty cute! Can’t wait to see emotional-wrecked boy meets sunshine girl. The tale as old as time. 😉
Our Generation (樱桃琥珀) is adapted from the novel written by Yun Zhu. Set in the 1990s, the story follows our female lead, a bright and beloved child of her parents, who grew up in warmth and care of everyone around her. Her life takes on an interesting turn when she meets a transfer student in our male lead. He’s extraordinary in studies but is cold and aloof, very quiet and keeps to himself. Obviously, unlike our bubbly female lead, our hero grows up being seen and treated as a replacement for his deceased elder brother. She’s described as a small flame, slowly warming him up, allowing him to step into their social circle; build memories, laugh, make friends, until his unexpected departure. But of course, like all youth dramas, this group of friends shall meet again.
Filming wrapped up a few weeks ago, so check out their wrap-up special and latest trailer!