Yang Yang‘s latest drama, Bu Rang Jiang Shan, wrapped up its filming today, while dropping a slew of wrap ceremony photos to celebrate.
The talk about the drama at the moment is that it had some kind of script scandal (don’t half of C-dramas have scandals due to the behavior of crazy Chinese fans??!!) with some Chinese fans, apparently, saying they won’t be watching it because of it (whatever!), but you won’t hear me talk about that here as gossip/scandals just make me sick.
Bu Rang Jiang Shan (no English title as of yet), however, and regardless of what some Chinese fans say, sounds like a drama that’s definitely right up my alley as this is what my research tells me it’s about.
What’s the plot of Bu Rang Jiang Shan about?
The upcoming political and historical drama is based on the Chinese novel Bu Rang Jiang Shan (不让江山) written by Zhi Bai (知白), and it sounds incredibly intriguing.
You will think so even more when you read my breakdown of the plot:
1. The Core Premise & Main Character
The story follows Li Chi (李叱), a boy who starts as an orphaned disciple of a martial artist and eventually enters the Si Ye Academy in Ji Zhou City.
Despite being bullied, he uses his wits to survive and rises from a humble background to become a powerful military leader and eventually an emperor.
RELATED: Yang Yang’s The Immortal Ascension drops some very pretty character visuals
The novel, and probably the drama, although I hear the plot has been changed quite drastically, explores how a protagonist with no powerful connections relies purely on intelligence and strategy to overthrow a corrupt regime. (Yep, rags to riches, and powerless to powerful, are two of my favorite drama genres).
2. The Central Conflict
The title Bu Rang Jiang Shan roughly translates to “Won’t Yield the Country,” which also, apparently, reflects the protagonist’s philosophy.
That’s because, initially, Li Chi looks at the world and sees heroes but, after seeing the reality of who people really are, he eventually sees them as a “rabble” that cannot be trusted to rule.
This leads him to the conclusion: “This realm and its countless people, rather than entrust them to you, I would sooner seize it for myself!” (The iconic statement the entire original novel is based on).
3. Plot Overview
The story is set during the collapse of the Great Chu dynasty – a very short-lived Chinese dynasty that existed in 1127, and that only lasted for a month.
As the story progresses, Li Chi gets entangled with powerful families like Prince Yu’s household, while also befriending a key figure named Xia Hou Zhuo (played by Xia Hao Ran), who is Prince Yu’s son.
He goes on to navigate conspiracies, save a rebel leader, and survive being framed by political enemies. He even fakes his own death to reorganize his forces so that, eventually, he can lead a large army to the city gates and overthrow a corrupt regime.
So, yep, I would say, in Bu Rang Jiang Shan, we will very likely be privy to some pretty epic on screen battles as well. Something I am also a huge fan of, aren’t you?
The cast of Bu Rang Jiang Shan
Along with the wonderful Yang Yang, the cast of Bu Rang Jiang Shan is also a solid one, although it doesn’t feature a slew of high-profile actors.
Zhai Zi Lu (The Lead) is one of Yang Yang’s four main co-stars, alongside Xia Hao Ran (Love Story in the 1970s), Zhou Jie Qiong (Fight for Love), and Gong Lei (The Litchi Road) in his first ever main role in a C-drama, which I think is cool considering the man is 51-years-old.
Enjoy the lovely pics of that main and supporting cast, and I will be back with more info about Yang Yang’s latest drama as soon as it drops.
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