Sometimes I wonder if SARFT releases decrees and suggestions and the Chinese networks give a collective shrug and go back to their regularly scheduled programming. A little over a month ago SARFT issued a suggestive letter that it wished all networks aired dramas during the Summer months of July through October that promoted “the Chinese dream” (whatever that means), leading the media to predict all the period dramas would get shelved during that period to make way for modern fare. We’re headed into July and the period drama blackout doesn’t appear to be in the works. The fantasy wuxia drama Ancient Sword Fantasy (古剑奇谭) based on a best-selling RPG video game will be hitting the airwaves on Hunan Television in the prime time slot starting July 2nd. It’s not an understatement to call it the most star-packed idol drama in history with the cast of Li Yi Feng, Yang Mi, Zheng Shuang, Gillian Chung, Qiao Zheng Yu, Ma Tian Yu, Zhang Meng, Chen Zi Han, Gao Wei Guang, Qi Wei, Jia Qing, Li Xiao Lu, and many more. I’m being serious in saying I genuinely don’t know how many familiar faces are going pop up here. I’ve never been a fan of fantasy wuxia, I like my wuxia serious and straight up, and two years ago even the combination of Liu Shi Shi and Hu Ge couldn’t make the fantasy wuxia drama Xuan Yuan Sword any less craptastic. I’m expecting nothing from this other than a straight up forty hour long RPG music video without the music and with plenty of actors and actresses I like well enough. For my boy Li Yi Feng I will watch anything even if I might not stick with it. Check out the English-subbed trailer, the just released official theme song MV, and a bevy of super colorful drama stills below. Continue reading →