It is a thing of beauty to watch a truly breakout performance. It’s an even greater thing of beauty to watch the breakout performance come in the form of an astonishingly gorgeous young man that just about took my breath away. C-dramas have had its shares of breakouts, a few notable recent ones were Feng Shao Feng in 2011 with Gong and Wallace Chung in 2012 with The Magic Blade. Mark my words, 2013 will be the breakout year for Chen Xiao. I’ve watch bits and pieces of his secondary character roles in Yu Zheng‘s legions of bad dramas in the past, he’s always been young and raw and cute but nothing to write home about. In the just premiered ratings bonanza period drama The Legend of Lu Zhen (Female Prime Minister), Chen Xiao is hands down the runaway star of the drama. Not dissing leading lady and titular character Lu Zhen played by the adorable Zhao Li Ying, who is actually cute and plucky without being cloying. The drama itself is Yu Zheng’s usual brand of terrible dialogue and Palace intrigue and shenanigans up the wazoo, but the second I laid eyes on Chen Xiao’s Crown Prince Gao Zhan I was lost. Holy. Mother. Of. Something-or-another. He wasn’t nearly this smexy in the just finished The Swordsman where he played antagonist Lin Ping Zhi, but here he is like hotness and charm personified, plus dipped in chocolate. I now fully regret that convo I had with @LizzyD a few months when I let her have him. Jie jie regrets it, you hear! Chen Xiao and Zhao Li Ying would have been perfect as Liu Fu Ling and Yun Ge in Yun Zhong Ge if that original casting had gone through, but now I am 100% certain Chen Xiao will steal the show in that drama as Liu Bing Yi. Dayum, boy has done grow up good. He’s an ’87er like Li Yi Feng so once again I am amazed at the talent that came out of that birth year (Korea as well). This boy has arrived at the big leagues and is delivering big time. I couldn’t be happier to add to my collection of droolworthy male C-actors. Continue reading →