I am happy to report that the upcoming mystery thriller Sword Rose has just exceeded one million reservations on Tencent Video. (Well, it is Dilraba, so there’s that!)
The Chinese crime-themed drama stars Dilraba Dilmurat, Jin Shi Jia, You Yong, and Li Zhi, and premieres on Tencent on July 12th. (Update: Release date has now changed to July 28th).
Its celebratory poster, which features Dilraba Dilmurat as police officer Hua Deng Yan, was released via Tencent’s Weibo account this morning, with the message:
Congratulations on #利剑玫瑰# (Sword and Rose) surpassing 1 million reservations!
Join Deng Yan (@Dear-迪丽热巴) as she tears through the disguises of darkness, severs the chains of evil with the blade of justice, and exposes the most hidden criminal networks of human traffickers!
Stay tuned for the anti-trafficking crime drama #SwordRose# coming soon on Tencent Video!
Stills from the drama were also released earlier (see below).
Sword Rose is the second Dilraba Dilmurat drama dropping this year so far, by the way, with Love on the Turquoise Land also racking up over 2 million reservations so far.
Something I am especially thankful for, as it’s been a long two-year drought since we last saw the brilliant Chinese actress in The Legend of Anle, hasn’t it?
Sword Rose production information
It has been two years since the Beijing CTV Yayun Cultural Communication Center and Tencent-produced drama ended filming on July 14th, 2023 after three months of filming in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province.
That means it is one of those Chinese dramas that has been waiting even longer for its broadcast license than most fans expected.
The 33-episode human-trafficking-themed C-drama is directed by So Man Chung (Best Enemy), and written by first-time produced screenwriter Geng Hui Dong.
But, from the complicated plot, it seems that hasn’t stopped the screenwriter from creating something not only gritty but gripping.
That Sword Rose plot, which is based on the real life story of a female police officer who fights human trafficking, looks like this:
Deng Yan (played by Dilraba Dilmurat), a determined policewoman intent on joining the Narcotics Division to uncover the truth behind her boyfriend’s death—a martyred anti-drug officer—shines unexpectedly during a mission to rescue an infant hostage.
Impressed by her performance, the Tianhai City Public Security Bureau’s Party Committee transfers her to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit as acting director.
To crack cases involving child trafficking and the abduction of young women forced into prostitution, Deng Yan relies on meticulous reasoning, sharp judgment, and fearless action.
Facing the cunning and brutality of criminals, Deng Yan and her team work tirelessly, peeling back layer after layer of deception.
Not only does she win over skeptical colleagues, turning their doubt into admiration and staunch support, but she also gradually unveils the shocking conspiracy hidden behind each trafficking case.
The Chinese-language trailer for the drama dropped last year but, as of yet, it has not been released with English subtitles. Boo!
Look out for Sword Rose premiering on Tencent Video/WeTV and China’s national television broadcaster CCTV on Saturday, July 12th, 2025.
And, fingers crossed that it will be premiering on WeTV worldwide as, being in Europe, it’s been disappointing lately with what Chinese dramas haven’t been legally available here.
At least on a decent streaming service that doesn’t feature 9,757 ads in every episode.
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