Fearless

Fearless 霍元甲 is a 40-episode web drama featuring the life of renowned martial artist, Huo Yuanjia, who brought glory to his nation. It stars Vincent Zhao once again as Huo Yuanjia. It's a character he has played several times before, his first being the 2001 Huo Yuanjia drama series.

Other casts include Nikita Mao Linlin, Wu Chao, Heizi, Yang Zhigang, Sui Mingyang, Eddy Ko Hung, Hasi Gaowa, Tay Ping Hui, Wang Zhiyi. The five students of the famous martial arts federation known as Jing Wu Men are played by Jia Hongwei, Xu Zhengguo, Kou Chia-jui, Zhou Bin and Zhou Yu Jing Hao.  Zhang Chunzhong and Ashton Chen who made a career in the martial arts genre round up the cast. 

Vincent Zhao

Synopsis from chinesedrama.info:

After the Hundred Days' Reform failed to achieve its purpose, the 'Six Gentlemen' who spearheaded reform were executed. Huo Yuanjia (Vincent Zhao) is a hot-blooded patriot who aspires to do good for his country. His efforts are always met with resistance, and he could only watch helplessly as people became martyrs for their beliefs. Shortly afterwards, the Eight-Nation Alliance launched an attack on China. Wang Wu dies trying to defend against the invaders. Upon hearing news of his death, Huo Yuanjia has gone to collect his remains without knowing that his action would bring great harm to the Huo Family. 

One year later, Huo Yuanjia goes out of hiding to become a bodyguard. He falls into a trap laid out by his enemies once again and barely survives the ordeal. Dejected, he decides to go to Shanghai and forms the Jing Wu Men. His success becomes a threat in the eyes of the Japanese and they engage in a battle of wits and will.

Nikita Mao

I've only seen the 2006 movie version of the same and did a little bit of background research on the character after. Apparently, the movie loosely based on the martial artist's life has angered his descendants, earning Jet Li a lawsuit for missing some important figures and for the way Huo Yuanjia was portrayed. It leads back to the question of the significance of historical accuracy in these kind of adaptations. 

Regardless, with a cast like this, expectations are surely high for this new drama to bring an impressive display of traditional martial arts choreography. 

Release date: TBA iQiYi

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Wu Chao

Hei Zi

Yang Zhigang

Sui Mingyang

Eddy Ko Hung

Hasi Gaowa

Tay Ping Hui

Wang Zhiyi

Jia Hongwei

Xu Zhengguo

Kou Chia-jui

Zhou Bin

Zhou Yu Jing Hao

Zhang Chunzhong

Ashton Chen

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The Eight

Filmmaker Chen Kaige has recently joined forces with Chinese streaming platform iQiyi to give us what looks to be a kickass Chinese drama series. 

The Eight 外八行 takes place in both Paris and China during the Republican Era and centers on a young Chinese man who is drawn into the criminal underworld while fighting for China's independence against several hostile forces.

The cast includes Oho Ou, Tan Songyun, Wang Zixuan, Qin Lan, Jin Shijie, Cheng Xingyuan, Liu Jianyu, Gong Wanyi and Jiang Han. I'm especially looking forward to seeing Qin Lan. She was so gentle and elegant in Story of Yanxi Palace whereas the characters of The Eight seem like they could kill with one look. 

What differentiates this from the usual Chinese online drama series is the attachment of Chen Kaige, a big shot industry veteran whose works in wuxia films can be visually mesmerizing. Chen Kaige, who is also the executive producer, says,"The rise of premium internet dramas has opened up a huge space for creative innovation."  He further explains, "With this freedom, directors can now approach storytelling from many different dimensions and create deeper, more richly drawn characters." 

After watching the trailer, I do think that this series is one to watch out for. 

Release Date: TBD

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