The Classic of Mountain and Seas (2016)

The Classic of Mountain and Seas 山海经之赤影传说 or Shan Hai Jing for short, is a 42-episode Chinese fantasy wuxia starring Zhang Han (Braveness of the Ming) and Gu Li Na Zha (Legend of Nine Tails Fox) and it is also rumored to be the drama that brought the real-life couple together.

The plot bears a striking resemblance to Korean drama Legend but the story will focus on two of the four spiritual objects instead. In hindsight, both likely took inspiration from Shan Hai Jing, a collection of Chinese ancient texts that has been preserved since the warring states period.

It tells the tale of two friends who are destined to become the heavenly maiden of opposing tribes since only they have the ability to awaken the Green Dragon and Red Phoenix.

Zhang Han 张翰 is listed as playing two characters Chi Yu and Xin Yue Hu respectively, though I can't be sure if they are twins or one man with two personas, which is not that far-fetched in fantasy wuxia series. 

Gu Li Na Zha 古力娜扎 as Su Mo will play the guardian of the Red Phoenix and Wu Lei, the adorable little bodyguard in Nirvana in Fire will be part of team Phoenix. 

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 c-drama listing. Eng subs on viki. 

Source: Bizhi, Duitang, StyleTV

Ice Fantasy (2016)

Judging by the stills alone, it's hard to get anymore fantastical than Ice Fantasy 幻城, a Chinese xianxia telling the tale of a mythological era when the Ice and Fire tribes were embroiled in a long-standing war. 

It is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Guo Jingming 郭敬明 who was only 20 when the popular novel was published in 2003. 

The series stars Feng Shao Feng (Lan Ling Wang), Victoria Song, Ma Tianyu and Zhang Meng and the production seems to be going big on aesthetics by hiring Hollywood bigwigs such as Dan Hennah who won an Oscar for Lord of the Rings and I have to say that the sprawling sceneries look visually stunning, especially when endowed with a beautiful-looking cast to begin with.

The elven ears remind me of the Legend of the Nine Tails Fox if not a direct replica of LOTR. It is Feng Shao Feng's second attempt at producing and it has been an expensive affair with over 3 hundred million spent, 300 actors, 30,000 extras, thousands of costumes and mounds of manmade ice.

Even the likes of Korean actress Kim Hee Sun joins the cast as the Ice Queen but I'm most excited for Victoria Song having been a fan of her since f(x). I wonder if all the hype is enough for the series to garner attention in Korea as well or whether it will stay one-sided where Koreans cross over to c-dramas but not the other way around?

The series premieres Jul 2016 on LeTV and Hunan TV. Check out eng subs on Viki.

For synopsis, cast and other info, check out my 2016 Chinese historical drama recommendations. 

Source: 3Lian, People, Xinhua