Дорамы и фильмы Китая

The costume fantasy drama "The Legend of Rosy Clouds" (Take Me Where the Clouds Rise, 云起时, The Legend of Rosy Clouds, The Story of Saiunkoku, 云秀行, 彩云国, 彩云国物语) has finally premiered – it aired on June 20, 2026, on Youku and iQiyi.

The 36-episode drama was directed by Zhu Shaojie, known for the dramas "Cao Xuanxuan's Love Journey" and "Storm Over the Plateau". The script was written by Yu Xiaoqian ("The City of Sunlight", "The Long Season").

The lead roles are played by Li Yi Tong ("A Dream within a Dream", "Warm On A Cold Night"), Zeng Shun Xi ("Veil of Shadows", "Snowy Night: Timeless Love") and Deng Wei ("The Days of Seclusion and Love", "Lost You Forever").

This is a light-hearted comedy without deep political intrigue, telling a story about a marriage that comes before love, quarrels, mishaps, and crime-solving.

The plot is set in the legendary Nine Cities, where Fan Yun (Li Yi Tong) lives – a young lady from a once noble but now impoverished family, who is forced to work as a teacher. She fights for women's right to sit the civil service examinations. Fan Yun meets King Qi Zheng (Zeng Shun Xi), who hides his true character behind a mask of carelessness and laziness. She is summoned to the palace as a "noble consort" to help the incompetent ruler. Having progressed from mutual suspicion to trust and love, the heroes together confront numerous difficulties and trials for the sake of the people's welfare. Fan Yun helps Qi Zheng restore peace in the Celestial Empire, abolish outdated rules and resolve the city's crisis. She reaches the highest rank, becomes the first female governor, and ultimately ushers in a prosperous era.

Deng Wei plays two roles at once: by day he is the noble Zheng Shi, and by night – the outlaw Lu Qi Yan.

Also appearing in the drama are Dai Lu Wa, Wang Yi Lun and Tian Jia Rui, who, during the time the drama was awaiting clearance, have since moved from supporting to leading roles themselves. Thus, the star power of this drama has increased.

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Li Yi Tong, Zeng Shun Xi and Deng Wei in the first trailer for the drama "The Legend of Rosy Clouds"
Li Yi Tong, Zeng Shun Xi and Deng Wei in the new trailer for the drama "The Legend of Rosy Clouds"

The story is based on a light novel by Japanese writer Yukino Sai, titled "Saiunkoku Monogatari".

Filming took place from June to October 2023 and was completed that same year. The first trailer was unveiled in spring 2024, and a new trailer appeared at iQIYI's September conference in 2025.

The premiere drew a large audience. Pre-bookings on both platforms (iQiyi and Youku) exceeded 3 million. On iQiyi, the series surpassed 100 million views within just 8 minutes of the broadcast start. Within the first two hours, the popularity index on iQiyi topped 5,000, and on Youku it reached 3,500. Even before its release, the project topped the most-anticipated lists on both streaming services.

The roles of Zeng Shun Xi and Deng Wei attracted particular attention – both actors surpassed the 100 million view mark for their characters. As of June 20, Deng Wei topped the actor popularity ranking on Weibo, and his character garnered more than 200 million views on the platform on premiere day.

However, despite the high initial numbers, reviews from critics and audiences have been mixed. The main complaints include a childish plot, the use of dubbing for all actors (some viewers felt the voices did not match the characters) and excessive skin-smoothing filters. In response, some fans pointed out that the series was shot back in 2023 and that many production choices from that time may now seem outdated.

According to media reports, three product placements were spotted in the first six episodes immediately after the premiere. One of them, a Pantene ad on Youku, was specifically timed to coincide with Deng Wei's appearance in the second episode – a clear sign that advertisers are banking on actor popularity. Other brands mentioned include POSITIVE HOTEL (coffee) and 摇滚动物园 (Rocking Zoo). Beyond in-episode advertising, an outdoor campaign was also launched. For instance, promotional posters featuring Deng Wei appeared in the subway, indicating a significant promotional budget.