whoissilmoy

Xu Kai has a very keen sense of human nature — that’s what I see in his acting and in the way he shapes his characters. He doesn’t play “types”; he plays people. And now, after hearing two different directors — the director of The First Jasmine and the director of Against the Current — say that the key to acting, or the key to connecting with your audience, is sincerity, it struck me even more. They expressed exactly what I’ve always felt and even wrote about Xu Kai. I actually learned that concept from watching his performances, so when I heard them say it, I immediately recognized what they were talking about.

I didn't see anyone posting about this: Xu Kai will be a celebrity guest at Jiu Ding Club (one of China Billiard Sports Clubs Professional Leavue) on October 7th in Hangzhou.

isn't that the same in The Double, her character couldn't have children

In ancient China, if someone committed a huge crime — like trying to overthrow the emperor — the government punished everyone connected to them. This was called 株连九族, the Nine Clans punishment. Someone told me women could be sent to the army to serve men, they think it is sexual service not forced labor. I asked him where he got that and he said from the novels he reads, and he believes the novels are based on history.

same experience as you are only it was 3.5 yrs earlier, the year that SEL and WOL aired
After that, I too noticed he got a lot of negatives or hate, which only drove me to find out more about him. I like his work and I like his personality, and the kind of person he is, and I really like how much he cares about his parents at a young age, I find that so remarkable. His interviews show a very introspective person who thinks deeply about a lot of things, and things that you can quote and use in your own life. I really like how he explains and frames things so simple and yet so impactful you don't hear very often. He has a lot of wisdom for a young person... he's not that young anymore but he's always been this way if you go back to 2018/2019. It's remarkable fame has not changed him at all. He still goes to 7Eleven for noodles.

He has great work ethic and very professional, He worked incredibly hard from 18 on because his family fell on hard times and lost their home, he said it was really tough time for him. He decided to work instead of school.

with Liu Xue Yi, it's his vibe. He can give off vibes that better looking faces can't. So, every actor has their good and bad. He was super charming in ALP>

"On the day after the premiere of "Lan Xiang Ru" starring Tan Songyun and Liu Xueyi, Tencent Video's on-site popularity surpassed 26,000, officially joining the iKan Club, and setting the record for the highest first-day popularity of Tencent's drama airing after 7 PM in 2026 [5]. "

"Whether the slow warm-up of the first few episodes of "Orchid Fragrance Returns" can build momentum for subsequent plots will determine whether it can move from "high popularity" to "strong reputation." According to public reports, most dramas' popularity basically follows Douyin's viral spread [2]. If there are viral scenes in the middle of the plot (such as the fate of the male and female leads tugging at each other or famous domestic intrigue scenes), it could potentially reach 30,000+ in popularity on the platform[10]."

"3) There have yet to be any breakout "viral moments"; currently, most of the spread is concentrated among fans and drama fans. From a commercial perspective, the drama maintained the 4-Guang 6-brand rating the next day, with a total runtime of 218 seconds, which is decent [5], but whether it can break the 30,000 ultimate popularity will depend on the viewership performance of episodes released this weekend.

According to multiple data tracking accounts, "Lan Xiang Ru Ru" could peak its internal popularity surpassing 30,000 [13][14], but only if it maintains its current high reputation and update pace. It's important to note that breaking 26,000 in popularity is only a temporary achievement. How the female lead will approach her enemy through household intrigue, how the romance progresses, and whether the villain is portrayed in a three-dimensional way will all affect retention. In addition, Tencent Video's cooperation with Douyin continues to drive traffic to dramas[14], and short video platforms are seeing an increase in secondary content tagged with "Shen Jialan Revenge" and "Suzhou Embroidery Aesthetics."

https://ent.sina.cn/2026-09-12/detail-inirqwew6259575.d.html?vt=4

https://ent.sina.cn/2026-09-12/detail-inirqwew6259761.d.html?oid=.ryhn&vt=4

I thought in ep1 the mother said she had hoped she could avoid marriage for two more years (13) until after her coming of age (15), but that it was not possible because the guy will be 20 by then, so the family is anxious to marry. That was in Ep1, then Ep2 TSY character appears it says 6 yrs later, so I added 13+6. But she is very smart and been well trained. She apparently learned a lot from her grandfather too.

This drama is absolutely set in the Ming era, because the big Japanese‑pirate wars only happen in the Ming dynasty, not before. In Ep2, the ML was fighting them.
That pot of red chili arrived in China in the late Ming dynasty.
That line about female officials having little influence in the episode 10 teaser is also a theme in Royal Feast, which is set in the Ming dynasty — and that part is historically accurate too.
The creators put their heart into making this drama and it shows.

Ep 2 TSY character shows up 6 yrs later, so she is 19 yrs old now and ML is 24 yrs old. The girl was only 13 yet she already very versed in the arts, writing, literature, calligraphy, and of course music too.

Those little boats instantly reminded me of the paper craft, folding one‑roof and two‑roof sampans.

I really think iQIYi is saving its marketing budget for LIRD (likely Oct) since it is an exclusive. Just from changes in reservations numbers recently compared to SOTB, I think they already did some push on LIRD recently while ignoring SOTB. And who knows, Yu Zheng and iQIYi have very close relationship too going back to SOYP.

with regard to your comment about CCTV, actually, it’s interesting that the audience for ATC is divided over its pacing, because online viewers can watch at faster speeds while TV viewers cannot. Also, Tan Song Yun is a huge draw in China. This is a great year for her. This is her third drama on CCTV across three different genres, fantasy, modern, and historical all on CCTV in 2026, in a single year,

I really like Li Meng from The Double, and in ATC she plays the ML’s official wife. I like the toxic tension she has with Liu Xue Yi’s character, even though she’s only a guest role. But I doubt she can really repeat the kind of draw she had in The Double, because that character was basically iconic.

ATC would not have aired on Sep 11 if it weren’t split into Part 1 (31 episodes) and Part 2 (16 episodes). Sep 11 only fits a 31‑episode drop because of Golden Week. The 40‑episode restriction was lifted in Aug 2025 during production, so technically they didn’t have to split it. But they still filed for a split and leaked on Sep 1 to the public, with a premier Sep 11. This collided with SOTB earlier rumors for Sep 12 premier.

It’s basically a Samson‑vs‑Goliath moment going up against dramas engineered for blockbuster impact — just like when WOL (Tencent) aired and SOKP, with its massive 7M reservations on iQIYI, air‑dropped unannounced the very next day.

It should have some impact, but the two shows aren’t even built the same. ATC was built to hit 30k and I believe it has the potential to do so, so yeah, SOTB might open softer. But ATC and SOTB start from totally different adaptation ideas, and everything — household name screenwriter buzz, industry buzz, pre‑air promotion, budget, high production quality promotion. leads have interviews airing early during filming, Hi6 recording, etc. and platform treatment (Tencent even has it as a separate category on the app right next to Home), AvenueX even said she discussed ATC several times this past year on her channel while not mentioning SOTB when talking about upcoming September dramas (she’ll be sure to tell viewers not to watch it though when it airs; she does that a lot with Xu Kai dramas), and I can even find several channels talking at great length about ATC’s storyline in depth months ago and the drama only wrapped 11 months ago — and so much more, from that point to airing is basically no comparison. SOTB will do fine if it delivers what it’s been selling, but it was not built to be a blockbuster. I think as long as a drama exceeds expectation, it is successful.

I’m feeling the domestic environment isn’t great for SOTB with the timing. I believe its edge will come from a faster pace and the chemistry in that blade‑and‑scabbard setup — the two leads clicking early, some spark and banter, and moments that make them feel alive. To me, charm is the real edge for SOTB. And I hope the director isn’t stuck in one tone and keeps the energy moving.

I don’t believe the novel actually has a “blade‑and‑scabbard” dynamic. I just really hope iQIYI isn’t using that phrase as pure marketing, and that the script actually delivers that dynamic.

There’s no way it won’t air on the 17th or 18th. It will — as surely as the sun rises tomorrow.

Drama Wiki for SOTB: Broadcast period: 2026-Sep-17

https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Spring_of_the_Blade

I really think 18 is the best date but what do I know

It's only because this drama links the same plight of women to Royal Feast, I only looked up the Ming period, and under the Ming founder he started the formal punishment system. That’s the part I wrote about above.

My intuition tells me this has often been true throughout history. You do see women helping women, of course, but in many environments, women end up being tougher on other women than on men. That’s where the whole “there can only be one queen bee” idea comes from, and why it makes for compelling storytelling. A man once told me that women want to impress other women not men, so the competition tends to run woman‑to‑woman.

Human trafficking still exists everywhere in the world today, and it’s happening on a large scale.