Wangseja

FYI. ABYSS’s screenwriter Nie Cheng Shuai is also the screenwriter for Xiao Zhan’s upcoming iQIYI medical drama XIAO CHENG LIANG FANG/A SMALL TOWN REMEDY.

Another excellent 2026 iQIYI Suspense Theater drama. Well done Ren Jia Lun, Qin Jun Jie and Wang Yan Hui. Did WYH’s character really have to die? I love crime dramas featuring the rookie with the seasoned veteran mentor .

The only sageuk experience for Jinyoung that I can find is his appearance around age 21 almost ten years ago in THE LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA (2016/17).

All I can say is that I have been waiting for years for some news on this sageuk and finally we have some.
Questions arise about writer-nim.
Jeon So-young is a dramatic black slate for me.
Jinyoung however is perfect casting as a nerdy Crown Prince. This Wangseja welcomes Jinyoung as a future Wangseja!

The screenwriter is why I was initially drawn to COLD HUNT. I have delayed starting because I jumped onboard ABYSS.
Oddity (for me anyway). Avenue X reported that Youku slated COLD HUNT to air at 12 pm (noon) daily. A serious crime drama airing at noon?

Just finished episode 5. That was rough.

US viewer here. I asked google AI how does one collect lottery winnings in South Korea. The answer for large winnings is exactly how it was portrayed in episode 2. Loved the first two episodes. I also loved that both episodes came in under50 minutes.

Through episode 4. I am really enjoying ABYSS and RJL’s performance. I will give Li Cheng the benefit of the doubt. Although a police academy graduate with presumably book knowledge he hasn’t spent one day as an actual police officer yet the way he conducts himself it is like he is a 10 year veteran. I will call him a natural police crime investigator.

The last time I saw a natural police officer was Zhang Ruo Yun’s Li Dawei in iQIYI’s ORDINARY GREATNESS in 2022. However Li Dawei was a beat cop.

I usually avoid watching drama openings until the last episode to avoid spoilers.

Thank you! I will start ABYSS tonight. Yesterday I was finishing up Tencent’s REMNANTS OF GOLD (13 eps.). Very enjoyable.

Loved REMNANTS OF GOLD. Yin Fang gave a terrific performance.

O/T recommendation. Yin Fang gave a fantastic performance last year in iQIYI’s Suspense Theater drama DEAD END (18 eps.) He plays young police officer Zhao Gang’e who becomes obsessed with a case (sound familiar lol) of murder in a Beijing hutong.

The current synopsis is accurate.

My only RJL drama is iQIYI’s SILENT TIDES (2025) which I thoroughly enjoyed so it will be interesting to see him in a crime/mystery drama.

Fingers crossed that iQIYI’s ABYSS will have proper subs.

Aside: I have been disappointed in the subbing of iQIYI’s new ‘Undercurrent Theater’ dramas.
Three dramas have been announced: IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, THE VI GROUP OF FATAL CASE and MURDER TRUTH. MURDER TRUTH is the only one with a MDL entry.
Two have completed airing; IN THE DEAD OF WINTER and THE VI GROUP OF FATAL CASE.
I watched and enjoyed the performances in IN THE DEAD OF WINTER but watching was a struggle because of subbing. English subs were superimposed over Chines characters making it difficult to read and even episode numbers were not translated. I needed google translate on my iPhone to translate signs etc.

SONG OF THE SAMURAI combined 8 episodes is available (as indicated above) on HBO Max US.

SONG OF THE SAMURAI combined 8 episodes is available on HBO Max US.

Thank you MDL for the synopsis above.

Missing above in the details:
Related Content:
Youku White Night Theater

I believe Youku’s UNSETTLED CASE (17 episodes) which aired July 3-25, 2026 is a White Night Theater drama.

Rumor continues that Youku’s COLD HUNT will begin airing soon. Since there is no MDL synopsis I asked Google AI what COLD HUNT is about.
Here is the reply I got back::
“The upcoming Youku crime thriller drama Cold Hunt (Dong Cheng Lie Xiong / 冬城猎凶) follows a gripping, decade-spanning cat-and-mouse game triggered by a major bank heist and the sudden resurfacing of a child trafficking ring.” Sourced on reddit.