Chinese drama market has recently been bustling. On the one hand, the highly anticipated drama “Lost You Forever” quickly soared to the top of the popularity charts after its premiere, and its viewership ratings have also been steadily climbing. On the other hand, the beloved spy drama “The Infiltrator” has also caused a sensation and sparked continuous discussions. There is no denying that this year's summer lineup of dramas is indeed abundant, bringing countless highlights and topics for viewers.
Furthermore, it has been reported that the ancient costume suspense drama “The Mutations” is about to be released. From both its storyline and production team to its cast members, it is undoubtedly stands as a highly anticipated hit series. Adapted from Ma Boyong's novel of the same name, it tells the story set in Tianqi period at the end of Ming Dynasty when a strange epidemic breaks out outside Liaodong Pass, plunging people into panic.
A member of Jin Yi Wei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) goes alone to investigate in northern but becomes entangled in conflicts between local military forces and civilians. Eventually, this Jin Yi Wei gradually unravels a tale woven with political intrigues.
The biggest highlight of this drama lies in its rich elements of suspense and deduction. The story revolves around unraveling mysteries behind the mysterious epidemic outside Liaodong Pass while revealing a series of enigmatic events and thrilling adventures. Each episode brings new clues and discoveries filled with fantastical imagination and spine-chilling plots, delivering captivating logical deductions and intellectual confrontations for viewers.
Moreover, “The Mutations” does not fall short when it comes to production quality either. Directors Lu Yang personally takes charge. Lu Yang is a well-known director in industry who excels at shooting ancient costume action films as well as suspenseful genres.
He exhibits top-notch standards in quality controland meticulous attentiontodetailin works suchas his acclaimed movies like “A Writer's Odyssey”, “Brotherhood of Blades”, and well-reputed TV dramas such as “The Wind Blows From Longxi” and “Pledge of Allegiance”. One can truly appreciate his exquisite cinematographic language. At the same time, the chief screenwriter is Yu Yang. He previously collaborated with director Luo Yang on the “Brotherhood of Blades” series, which further ensures a double guarantee for the quality of this suspense drama.
“The Mutations” also boasts an eagerly anticipated cast lineup. Among them is Huang Xuan, whose leading role in “Legend of The Demon Cat” was all the rage during its release and even earned him accolades such as Best Actor at the Wenhua Awards. Subsequently, he delivered remarkable performances in outstanding works like “Minning Town” and “Luo Yang”.
Huang Xuan has demonstrated great proficiency and excellence in ancient costume suspense genres. This time collaborating again with director Lu Yang for “The Mutations”, he portrays Chu Si Jing. In this drama, his character undertakes a mission to investigate on a small island, facing complex casesand mysterious epidemics. With strong logicand high intelligence, Huang Xuan's portrayal promises to bring more surprises to audiences by showcasing his superb acting skills.
Wu Yue, being a national first-class actor, is deeply loved by viewers. He is able to perfectly handle various roles ranging from tough heroes to tender warriorsin love. His performances have shown exceptional acting skills in numerous lead roles. Although Wu Yue has relatively less experience in suspense dramas, it is believed that with his talentand understandingof charactersin works he will be ableto deliver refreshing performances bothin terms offeeling immersed intohis character or shaping it.
Zhang Rongrong played Yang Guifei in “Legend Of The Demon Cat” and acted as Xu Kai's master in “Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain”. Zhang Rongrong not only possesses beautiful appearance but also stands out among her contemporary actresses in terms of acting skills.Her inclusion adds a touch of mystery and beauty to “The Mutations”.
In addition to Huang Xuan, Wu Yue, and Zhang Rongrong, the drama also features familiar actors such as Lu Fangsheng, Wang Shengdi, and Jiang Qiming. Lu Fangsheng has showcased excellent performances in suspense dramas like “The Bad Kids” and “The Murder in Kairoutei”.
With handsome appearance and highly appreciated acting skills, Jiang Qiming gained fame through his splendid performance in “The Long Season”. Although Wang Shengdi is relatively young, his acting skills are impeccable. He has shown astonishing performancesin works such as “Post Truth”, and “The Heart of Genius”.
In “The Mutations”, it is believed that each actor can rely on their own performance abilities to bring forth a brilliant portrayalof charactersand high-energy confrontations. Overall, “The Mutations” not only boasts an outstanding cast lineup but also possesses extraordinary directorial talent.With multiple strengths combined, it is anticipated that this ancient costume suspense drama will ignite a waveof thriller genre frenzy.
