Drama Title: “Song of the Water Dragon”
Chief Director: Chen Zhoufei
Cast: Luo Yunxi, Xiao Shunyao, Ao Ziyi, Fang Yilun, Bao Shang’en, Chen Yao, Lin Yun
Genre: Fantasy, Wuxia
Episodes: 40
With morality blurred, Tang Lici (played by Luo Yunxi) is framed by an old friend and forced into the turmoil of an underworld scheme to overturn the martial arts world orchestrated by the “Fengliudian.” Viewing the world coolly, he uses the exotic martial arts “Wangshengpu” to secretly investigate the Thirteen Towers, match wits with the Sword King City, form an alliance with Biluo Palace, join the Central Plains Sword Association, and confront the Fengliudian. In the process, he forms bonds with people like Chi Yun (Ao Ziyi) and Shen Langhun (Xiao Shunyao), and is moved by the blood and courage of heroes who risk all to protect the common people. Ultimately, he chooses to shoulder the future mission of Jianghu…
Luo Yunxi’s look in the show is striking and many book fans of the original are excited.
Luo Yunxi’s impressive martial arts skills
Luo Yunxi first drew attention for his supporting roles in “My Sunshine” and “Ashes of Love,” and shot to stardom in the fantasy drama “Till the End of the Moon” co-starring Bai Lu. In the new fantasy wuxia drama “Song of the Water Dragon,” which just premiered, he fights against Xiao Shunyao and Wang Yilun’s characters, displaying remarkable skills: harnessed on wires, he performs high-level moves including mid-air stops, side gliding, 720-degree backflips, and 720-degree mid-air spins—all executed smoothly. He even mastered a newly choreographed, consecutive sequence of moves on the spot in a single take, stunning netizens with his skill!
Xiao Shunyao plays Luo Yunxi’s bodyguard in the drama.
This drama is adapted from Teng Ping’s novel “Qian Jie Mei,” mainly telling the story of “Tang Lici” (played by Luo Yunxi) from a foreign land, who is framed and implicated in a massacre case, and thus drawn into the disputes of Jianghu. Tang Lici and his senior brother “Liu Yan” (Fang Yilun) become adversaries, each taking a stand. He also develops deeper bonds with his bodyguard “Shen Langhun” (Xiao Shunyao), the mysterious “Qihua Yunxingke” organization’s “Fang Pingzhai” (Wang Yilun), “Gui Mudan” (Xu Zhengxi), “Xifang Tao” (Chen Yao), and other martial artists.
Fang Yilun is Luo Yunxi’s opponent in the drama.
Reportedly, the costumes in “Song of the Water Dragon” blend styles from the Shang, Han, Song, and Ming dynasties, integrating the aesthetic of Chinese civilization based on the respective regional martial arts sects: the simplicity of Yan and Zhao, the weightiness of the Central Plains, the splendor of Bashu, and the poetic grace of Jiangnan. As a result, the series showcases a wide range of costumes, from grand and intricate to simple and elegant. In the trailer, Luo Yunxi’s white-haired battle-worn appearance exudes a sense of vulnerability, while his black-clad, pipa-wielding look radiates domineering charisma, fully revealing the character’s ambiguous nature between good and evil.
In addition, the drama’s special effects are lavish. Many viewers, after watching the trailer, exclaimed: “You can see the production budget burning!” For instance, in scenes where Tang Lici uses ‘sonic killing’, his plucked pipa note transforms into blood-red fish and dragon-like waves that take lives, as well as epic battles amid blizzards and at sea, with golden dragons dancing and a massive golden Buddha statue appearing in front of him—each frame boasts film-quality, lavish visuals that capture every bit of the fantasy wuxia genre’s glamour in “Song of the Water Dragon.”
The show’s positioning as a fantasy wuxia drama is fully on display.