Chinese dramas and films

On June 15, 2026, the 36-episode drama "Love Has Fireworks" (爱情有烟火, We live together, 我们住在一起, 闪耀的品格, Shining Character, 愛情有煙火) premiered on CCTV-8, Tencent Video and iQiyi.

The series drew millions of viewers, but also sparked intense debate. The project, starring Tan Jian Ci ("Filter", "Lost You Forever") and Wang Chu Ran ("Fireworks of My Heart", "Have A Crush On You"), took a very long time to reach audiences: it was released only three years after filming ended, after multiple release date delays and a major scandal involving one of its cast members.

The series is an adaptation of a popular novel by writer Hong Jiu. At its center is the story of two very different people facing life's setbacks. The heroine, Qian Fei, an investment bank employee, suffers a painful breakup with her fiancé and then loses her job. Her future roommate Li Yifei, once a wealthy heir, suffers a crushing business failure and splits from a girl who couldn't imagine life without money. To pay off her mortgage, Qian Fei rents out a room, and it is there that Li Yifei moves in – an eccentric, caustic tenant completely unsuited to daily life. According to the creators, they tried to move away from the saccharine conventions of the genre, focusing instead on realistic dialogue and the everyday problems of modern young people: mortgages, renting, loans and the fear of unemployment.

Filming took place from April to July 2023 in Shanghai. The directors strove for maximum authenticity. It is said that they required the lead actors to live together, cook and manage household chores for ten days before work began, so that scenes of intimacy would look natural.

A real trial for the production team came with actor Zhang Hao Wei ("Hello Procurator", "The Trust"), who played the heroine's ex-boyfriend. In August 2024, audio recordings and screenshots of chats appeared online, leading the actor to be suspected of tax evasion and even organizing prostitution. The scandal caused the release of the drama, which was supposed to come out as early as 2024, to be postponed indefinitely. Only after more than a year did the situation become clear. A court ruling established that the compromising materials had been fabricated by Zhang Hao Wei's childhood friend out of revenge. Although the actor's name was fully cleared, the series' creators decided to replace the character's face using AI technology with the likeness of actor Li Xin Ze. Zhang Hao Wei himself did not object to the replacement.

Read more: Wang Chu Ran and Tan Jian Ci in a new romantic drama

And so after three years of uncertainty, the premiere of "Love Has Fireworks" finally took place. On opening day, its viewership share reached 1.453%, and the series took first place in the national chart. On the Tencent Video platform, the demand index exceeded 20,000 points.

Viewers praise the light, comedic atmosphere that allows one to relax after work, as well as the skill of Tan Jian Ci, who, in the opinion of many, brilliantly handles the role of a caustic but charming hero. However, some viewers find that the leads lack chemistry and do not match each other. Their pairing with Wang Chu Ran is seen as more brotherly-sisterly than romantic. And fans of Tan Jian Ci are outraged that the director too often shows the actor's feet in thick-soled shoes, which led to the appearance on social media of a joking hashtag, "Close-up of platform shoes".