So this C-drama immediately jumps to the most anticipated releases of 2024 thanks to Xiao Zhan being the male lead, and I actually like female lead Zhang Jing Yi so it’s a win-win. The drama currently is titled Zang Hai Zhuan which translates to Hidden Sea Chronicles and seems like an epic sweeping tale of adventure and romance. I like that Zhang Jing Yi is not a liuliang starlet so there is less risk of fandom fights between the two leads and I can just enjoy watching what is hopefully a well made drama.
Awwwww, such a deserving recognition and a long time coming for K-actress Jang Nara. She's…
It's still crazy that the two biggest K-dramas of this year 2024 aired basically at…
So there are new posters, stills, and a first teaser out already for modern C-drama…
This is an interesting twist on what sounds like a standard legal K-drama, the male…
So Xu Kai is back in period drama land and has a new actress costar…
So Kim Soo Hyun recently became the new face of fragrance house Jo Malone in…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
I got to give it to him, he is breathtakingly beautiful (meaning I clicked on the article, took a glimpse of that first photo, had my breath taken away). Hopefully this will be a good drama. I personally feel that Xiao Zhan has potential that is left untapped. Not only he is gorgeous, he can act too, so it is a pity that his dramas are sub-par.
Here he looks much like Sunshine by My Side hero, Sheng Yang, but more glamorous. We're gonna have Sheng Yang debut and his first project is already a big IP, totally beat his bro Xiao Zhan with the impressive resume. LOL. How amazingly he could look so different overnight just with a hair cut. That's his great asset that not many actors should covet, totally giving different vibes and auras for different characters.
typo - that many actors should covet.
Where Dreams Begin is a fantastic drama.
It may not be your thing because it's a specific period drama but it is high quality drama.
It's confirmed that his character's name is going to be just Zang Hai, probably a pseudonym, so The Chronicles of Zang Hai or The Legend of Zang Hai would be a better translation.
Anyways, I like that drama poster using the Chinese shadow puppetry.
I have seen XZ in Our song and a few minutes of the longest promise and 1 episode of douluo continent but he doesn't do anything for me. I did like ZJY in Lighter and princess (though still have a few episodes left) so if trailers look interesting, might check it out when it airs. I really dig the poster!
Same...I couldn't finish any of his dramas and I tried. Looks-wise, he's not my cup of tea and his acting doesn't impress/move me. I like Zhang Jinyi in 'Lighter and Princess', I wish her success.
It's ok, everyone has different tastes. Even Director ZXL's legendary work Empresses in the Palace also has people unable to finish watching it.
Same. I don't understand the obsession. He doesn't do anything for me, either. I've watched Doulou Continent (not impressed), and then some of The Untamed (couldn't finish), and tried The Longest Promise (crappy and draggy plot.) He was also in that wolf drama and I got nothing (made me a fan of Darren Wang, though.) Heck I even saw him in his debut in that drama with Zhao LuSi. I think he's an adequate actor, but amazing? Mmm TBD.
Aside from The Untamed, none of his other works caught my attention. But maybe it's a case of him not having a good role yet. I also don't think he's aesthetically my cup of tea, but lots of guys who aren't good-looking can still win people over.
Maybe this new drama will finally get me to love him (tho it sounds like this drama is politics-heavy which is really not my thing.)
@Coralie
Even if this drama turn out very good - you still won’t have anything nice to say about Xiao Zhan. I based it from all your comments about him in the past from a few websites including here. Not everyone will like him and it’s ok, but we need to be fair about it.
@Coralie
Girl, you ain't fooling anyone. He could give a performance that is lauded worldwide and you would still hate it.
We do remember your previous comments you know.
@Coralie, that's fine. You like orange but I like apple. Nothing wrong about that. It's like you repeatedly said that you like Esther Yu and I somehow held back from mocking about that out of courtesy. But since you don't hesitate to dismiss my fave, XZ, I don't think I need to hold back saying that I actually think Esther doesn't have either visuals or acting talent to be an actress. In particular, her voice is terrible! She prolly has money to back her but many more talented actresses deserve more opportunities than Esther. She won't last long! LOL
@XZF, I got the same inkling about Coralie. She's basically just took this chance to bitch about XZ. It's hard for fans to change perceptions about particular artists. Taking myself for example, I can't bring myself to like many C actors such as Esther Yu, Luo Yuxi, and Cheng Yi etc. It doesn't matter how many dramas of theirs I checked out, I haven't been able to warm up to them yet. LOL.
@XZF Okay and? I am being fair. If I only watched one or two of his dramas and call him bad, that's biased. I've watched and finished several and still don't see the fascination. Did I say he's a bad actor? No, I said he's adequate.
@Lmao Okay and? I've also said I didn't like several well lauded and regarded movies and dramas. If it doesn't jive with me, then it doesn't. Everyone has their own opinions.
@Somebody Lol, okay. You can have own opinions about Esther and that's cool. I don't argue with people when they say her voice sucks - to each their own. I'm not blinded to her flaws, and I know she can be divisive to others. But at least I can understand others' POV. This is not a tit-for-tat game. It's what I feel and think about XZ and it's nothing to do with you or how you or anyone else feels.
@Coralie, surely we're on the same playing field in an open free forum. Nothing wrong to just have our personal opinions, say them out loud, or even tit-for-tat in heated exchanges. It's all healthy and normal discussions in an open and civilized society. We just agree to disagree. Just one point to remind that, XZ's huge fanbase, both inside China and outside China, is not fictional. Ppl should expect unfavorable opinions about themselves coming from his fans anywhere if they have something unfavorable to say about him. This is why we 're called his fans and we surely will defend. LOL
When I'm scathing about certain actors, I also expect and welcome their fans to defend them. If they don't, that's their choice to give up defending. There's nothing wrong with my unfavorable opinions though. Similar to your unfavorable comments about XZ, I don't think anyone including XZ's fans should consider you being offensive. You just have your own preference and are free to say it on a thread like this. Equally, pleas don't get offended cos we defend XZ and I don't like your fave. Thanks.
Also @Somebody, when I first saw Esther, I didn't think she had the looks to be an onscreen goddess either (and to her credit, she's never played a character who would call herself beautiful.) But like many before her who aren't beautiful, she made up for that with her acting. I respect that you don't agree with her acting, which is fine. I won't change your mind, so it's not like I'm pissed. It's more like I find your sense of pettiness funny, which is laughable cus I think you're older than 25, right?
@Somebody There's a fine line between being a fan and a fanatic. At my age, I don't do fanaticism anymore.
I only speak up for my favs when I see lies being spouted. Example: Esther faking her voice. But I get people hate her voice, can't change that
@Coralie, sure I'm older than those workplace rookies. LOL. My aesthetic values funny? Well, call Liu Shi Shi's beauty funny since I think she's very beautiful. LOL. Also I like an old actress' face, Zhou Xun. haha
@Coralie, ah did she fake her baby voice? I don't recall I've ever said that and perhaps I skipped those comments?
@Coralie…good luck to you stirring the hornets’ nest . Hehe. Just want to jump in to say I quite like that comment about being a fan and being a fanatic.
@Coralie, I am trying to think of Xiao Zhan dramas that I enjoy- Untamed and Oath of Love... Untamed was good for me as I watched it not knowing it was BL theme...just thought the 2 guys were good friends. Then I learn about the theme..I was too business in those days thus I dont read entertainment news much.
As for Oath of Love, I enjoyed it because I saw a very relaxed Xiao Zhan. He clearly enjoyed working in the drama... the off screen atmosphere was great with all the acting and working crew.
Otherwise, I have not finished others. Often, the stories did nothing for me.
I hope this new drama will be enjoyable. Xiao Zhan will benefit from another drama that will push him further. I am just glad he has bulk up from his skinny early days...
Same. I watched Superstar Academy, Joy Of Life, parts of The Untamed, and The Longest Promise. Nothing really grabbed me either.
Different strokes for different folks.
@Coralie
You wouldn't know what good acting is if it hits you in the face. Imagine liking stone face Esther Yu with her horrifying voice. Double fail.
Actually my only wish is for people like you to keep their mouth shut. It's too much to ask, I know. Haters just can't help themselves
@Somebody
We all have different "taste" of actors/singers and that's very normal. There are actors/actresses that I don't care for and I rarely watch their projects, but I don't "put" them down every chance I get like some people. It just tells me some people are very narrow minded. It's very annoying when you see it again and again. Do you know what I mean? Thanks!
@Coralie and R. LOL. So, XZ's fans defending their fave is labeled fanatic but others like Coralie defending Esther Yu is legit to be a rational fan??? OMG that's how hypocrisy and double stands snuck in with backhanded insinuation! Wait a minute! Is it necessary to be so offensive in order to make your point that you dislike XZ? It's not very smart! I'm seeing C fans riding on high horses again! No sorry for me to be dismissive of you if you're offended by my bluntness. It's fine to have your personal preference and argue with those who disagree with you. But it's definitely an issue with your sicken huge ego to always consider yourself one-man up with higher standards or more level-headed about personal opinions. Man! Just accept that we have different tastes and you like ugly and talentless Esther Yu while others like me appreciate Xiao Zhan. To insinuate that XZ's fans being fanatic while boasting yourselves of your own preference is equally as absurd as saying loving orange is a healthy diet while loving apple is gluttony. LMAO. I imagine you've also got abnormal levels of adrenaline when watching or even thinking about your own faves !! Therefore, by your logic, every fan, including you, is fanatic! LOL
@Coralie, it's totally okay that XZ is not your cup of tea. There's no one size fits all for celebrities. Please disregard all the negative comments! I think sometimes people read too much into comments that aren't praising their faves. A lot of drama watching is subjective. Actors are public figures and are open for criticism in their performance. As long as you're not personally attacking him, I don't see the problem.
On another note, I'm impressed you finished The Wolf though. I really disliked that drama and the toxic relationship in it.
then why are you here lmao
@Shi…if you haven’t try it, watch a few eps of the “untamed”. It’s a quite an uneven drama and the CGI can be quite rough but his acting in there is quite good, imo. (Overall, I think the best thing about the Untamed is the acting. Everyone is pretty decent overall). You can tell he was not quite experienced yet in the Untamed but he had great emotional beats that show the raw potential he has to be a great actor. I think the Untamed is a good one to be first expose to XZ cause the story hits the ground running so you get emotional scenes right away. I haven’t watched either of the ones you mentioned but maybe those stories don’t get going right away to really showcase his acting potential (or he could just be not bringing it in those dramas. I wouldn’t know 😅)
I zoomed it twice..i thought she was wearing a helmet..
Btw, this is a big male protagonist drama, so more of a machiavellian mystery revenge drama and less of a romance drama (if any), hence the drama poster of the main protagonist standing on the shadow puppet stage with the tiger, dragon and shura ghost behind him.
See below translated article from chunyu film and television (production company of zhz)
https://x.com/nutty_1005/status/1741131412408013240?s=61&t=GcaJrScWh6jPv86QqJqIig
Zang Hai Zhuan is about story of Zhinu, who is the son of the Chief Supervisor of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Kuaiduo, of Great Yong Kingdom (a fictional kingdom). He is burdened with a blood fued and later returned to the capital under a pseudonyum Zang Hai. With righteousness, intelligence, tenacity, hard work, as well as the learned construction skills and stratagem tactics, he battled wits against the evil traitors, eventually vindicating his injustice. This is a huge ancient legend production full of colors of vengeance and court intrigue elements.
Also in the Yuli article, they emphasized that zhz is an independent original story, the costume drama is about the legend of the growth of the male protagonist and talks about the casting and script writing process with the screenwriter, zxl and XZ. See translated article below and original article
https://x.com/nutty_1005/status/1741141178916208795?s=61&t=GcaJrScWh6jPv86QqJqIig
I like her! Great news!
Btw, what a strange hat lol
Very excited about this!!! Glad the producers did not pick a high liuliang actress to work with him! I really hate those fanwars...
I was whining a bit about Koala for not posting Xiao Zhan's new drama but instead posting something about a less popular actor with almost no comments on that post within 48 hours. Glad Koala did finally inform us of the official announcement of ZHZ. Douyin and Weibo have been inundated with many excited fans. This is one grey character Xiao Zhan had been repeatedly expressing interest in. I think he fits complicated characters with inner struggles between dark and bright sides pretty well. Wei Wuxian in the Untamed was one example and he did a fantastic job to portray the nuanced character. Exactly how he portrayed WWX turned me into his staunch fan. I can't think of anyone else to be another WWX and that's how charismatic he is for that particular drama. Without XZ being WWX, the Untamed could have been another tiresomely dragging C costume drama. Xiao Zhan is the main contributor to the huge popularity of the Untamed that's still not dying down after 5 years of its premiere. Many fans are obsessed with the drama (that I don't really understand although I'm also a fan LOL) and there continue to be new fans joining the fan club given what I read from some English SM.
I have no qualms about the casting and the lead director. I'm not concerned about cinematographic elements such as setting and costumes etc. since this is a S-budget drama and I'm sure they won't cut slack on those productions. The chief director, Zheng Xiaolong, is reputable in the C-ent with many memorable works under his belt including Empresses in the Palace and Red Sorghum etc. But I'm not sure about the assistant director, Cao Yiwen (translation), and the script writer. CYW is a very inexperienced young director. He graduated from the prestigious USC Cinematic Arts. But he has only one drama under his belt. Unfortunately the ML for that drama, Lin Gengxin, is in my blacklist of unwatchable actors. I did take some time to browse his drama, To Love (最初的相遇，最后的别离). Nothing stands out in either positive or negative way in terms of shooting. It's ok but not impressive as expected of the modern C dramas I checked, perhaps still due to subpar script writing. I'd be concerned if CYW will be the one executing most part of the directing of ZHZ given that Director Zheng is old. I'm not confident if the script writer will do a good job either.
So far among all XZ's works, I consider only The Untamed and The Youth Memories have consistently good quality in script writing. Both his most recent dramas in 2023, The Longest Promise and Sunshine by My Side had noticeable flaws in the scripts and those plot holes did hugely affect the overall qualities of the dramas. I hope ZHZ turns out all fine at the end. It's very disheartening to see XZ's dramas unsatisfying at the end as a fan.
Cao is his protege, this is what Zheng Xiaolong calls his golden crew. That man does not fool around. Plus ZXL will oversee his work with the B crew anyway.
The biggest question here is Zhou Qi, like it says above.
As I said, Cao is an alumnus of the prestigious USC filming school and that has said something about his solid training in the filed. I hope Director Zheng will closely monitor Cao's work. What I'm most concerned about is the script writer who's supposed to be the soul of a drama. Unfortunately, average C-ent writers are crappy and love to drag plot lines IMO. Decent writing for Cdrama has been scant so far IMO.
Screenwriter is fine. He writes well when you remove Xu Lei (the book author) out of the picture. The drama he did with Wu Lei sucked because Xu Lei insisted on adding scenes to people he liked. But when that is removed, it was really good.
It's why Xu Lei was removed from this project and everyone breathed a sign of relief and why he left that bitter note about not promoting this drama. As if anyone needs his mess.
@Smh
That was what happened to Xiao Zhan's drama (Sunshine by My Side). They added so much screen time for that hockey couple and it ruined that drama. It was so unfair to the main leads.
@Smh, I recalled reading some negative comments too in Weibo hot search about the author of the Lost Tomb. I did not watch all the dramas he scripted but did read some parts of his novel and watched but did not finish the one starring Li Yifeng. Got to say I'm not his fan although I'm a fan of fantasy films. I had no idea he's deemed a bad script writer of his own novel. LOL. That doesn't seem to have happened very often to other novelists in C-ent. Good to know that he's not involved given his unsuccessful works on screen.
Besides, per the information released about this drama, it's gonna be an original script not an IP adaptation. I like original better in general.
@XZF, I'm still a bit pissed when mentioning that useless ice-hockey trio! What a joke for a said award-winning script writer to come up with the absurd arcs of those three clowns !! LOL
@Somebody
That wasn't her first time. That same Xinli team with that same scriptwriter did the exact same thing to Jin Dong in his drama that aired earlier in 2023. They are trash.
@XZF
That's right, the only difference was that Xinli added hockey guy because he is YBY in JOL2 and Xu Lei did it simply because he liked them but the ultimate fate was the same. Ruined drama that could have been great.
In the case of Zanghai it's Zhou Qi who has big backing and who could cause this trouble. I hope ZXL says no.
@Ehh, would you please enlighten me with some examples why Zhou Qi may cause concern? I googled a bit of his information. He looks so ordinary, both in visuals and height. Can he act like Zhang Wang Yi though?
Zheng Xiaolong is a brilliant director who is pretty much a legend in cent. Anything he does, I will watch and he hasn't done anything costume in nine years.
Youku is investing like crazy in this so they must believe in him and the script. They started building sets in Hengdian months ago, it's that extensive.
Xiao Zhan can act and that matters as this is a big male lead drama. Zhang Jingyi was good in two dramas I have seen with her but both were modern. Still it should be ok.
My only question is Zhou Qi because originally the veteran actor was supposed to be ml 2 and now suddenly isn't. This smells of capital intervention and that is usually a sure fire way to ruin a drama.
Good luck to the crew!