Pursuit of Jade Review: A Closer Look At The Most Popular C-Drama of 2026
- Jun 2
- 13 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
An artificially sweetened period idol drama, Pursuit of Jade is flawed in its aesthetic flawlessness and, through no fault of its own, finds itself the casualty of both praise and criticism in response to overhyped internet fandom, reigning as the most thoroughly produced and popular drama of the year.
Title: | Pursuit of Jade |
Platform: | Netflix, iQIYI, WeTV, TencentVideo, iflix |
MDL Rating: | 9.1 (The highest rated C-Drama on MDL!) |
Genre: | Period Idol Romance |
Parental Guidance Rating: | TV-14: I would rate this TV-16 due to bloodshed, violence, brief torture, allusion to intimacy, fade to black, domestic violence. Spicier than the usual drama but nothing explicit shown. |
Staring: | Tian Xi Wei as Fan Chang Yu (Female Lead/FL) Xie Zheng as Zhang Ling He / Marquis (Male Lead/ML) Den Kai as Qi Min / Sui Yuan Huai (Second Male Lead/2ML) Snow Kong as Yu Qian Qian (Second Female Lead/2FL) |
The Cast:
From Left to Right: Tian Xi Wei (New Life Begins), Zhang Ling He (The Story of Kunning Palace), Snow Kong (Blossom), and Den Kai (Love of the Divine Tree)
_____________Beware Mateys: There be Spoilers ahead!_______________
Character Map:
Summary:
A long time ago, in a dynasty far, far away, a female butcher becomes a general and a general becomes an injured matrilocal husband, as both work together to achieve their goals, big and small, while struggling to hold on to what is rightfully theirs.
When A Director Pursues Jade
I can, with gusto, proclaim Pursuit of Jade the most overhyped drama of 2026 and, undoubtedly, it's most well produced ... and the year is only halfway done. The drama exploded due to it's impressively curated visuals, bingeable premise, and popular stars who have been catapulted to even greater heights. But the real secret sauce is the director: Zeng Qing Jie. This man is a sleeper hit maker. He drops in out of nowhere to pelt audiences with artificially sweetened, gorgeous, and well put together dramas and then he vanishes (when the world needed him most... lol, I kid). The mega mind behind Blossom (2024) and A Familiar Stranger (2022 mini drama), ZQJ proved to skeptics with PoJ that the 2024 surprise hit was not a success by accident.
What is an Idol Drama? "An Idol Drama is a specific type of series that prioritizes romance, highly attractive young actors, and glossy, stylized visuals over deep, complex storytelling or historical accuracy" @reddit
Aesthetics Over Narrative: Thumbelina and Filler in Ancient Times
Up front: I really enjoyed this drama, but my enthusiasm was admittedly dampened by the internet hyping it up to a height unearned as PoJ never strayed from the familiar idol drama sandbox of tropes, wedged in confusing politics, and rushed the character growth and ending. That being said, I do genuinely think ZQJ did quality work. You can tell he meticulously planned every camera angle, costume, and set piece. But there is such a thing as over curating and this is the dictionary definition.
The production value was top tier, no doubt about it, but it stayed in the shallows of "idol" imagery where the sets were picturesque poverty core, the actors served plastic surgeon, and the excessive amount of camera angles to capture the same thing made me dizzy. Again, the sets were nice to look at, but they never felt real or gritty, because they were never intended too. ZQJ excels at giving us candy with the visuals-- A delicious sugar rush you can't get enough of, but it doesn't provide you any nutrients. The visual storytelling is elaborate, but it doesn't progress the story further. Every nose contour, 180th angle of the FL's house, face tune, and feathery battle attire was painstakingly done to look pretty, but I wonder if the narrative could have ben improved with attention spent elsewhere.
I don't mean to sound harsh when it comes to an actors appearance. It's a tough world in show business and I absolutely understand why actors wear heavy makeup and get cosmetic procedures, even if their bread and butter are period dramas. And it works out because ZQJ is a man who won't let Iphone face stop him from casting his actors, which speaks to his goal in making idol dramas: He's not trying to make gritty, realistic period dramas or a sophisticated political Pièce de résistance, he's there to serve face cards (what has become of my venacular) and scenery to tap into high traffic views. You can see it in his casting choices and the lack of historical (real) world building in the narrative (because the narrative is vibes). None of this is inherently wrong or bad, but for ZQJ's next work, I'd love to see less of a filtered lens and some grit. And the CCP would like to see less makeup, please lol.
Speaking of which, the actor who plays the ML has been (unfairly) roasted online for being the "foundation general" since he noticeably wore makeup throughout the drama. The ongoing joke is that he wakes up at 4am to get ready for his battle at 6am. And I shan't lie-- I also thought he looked too done up. The CCP also took notice (not of me thank goodness, but of the online commentary) and held-- get this-- an emergency press conference to discuss the aesthetics of idol dramas:
"In recent years, a large number of high-quality works — rich in ideological depth, exquisite in artistry, and excellent in production — have been created and broadcast, fully demonstrating the Chinese television drama industry's sense of responsibility and commitment. At the same time, there is a clear need to recognize that the industry still exhibits creative tendencies that overly prioritize "appearance above all". In some dramas, issues have arisen such as excessive makeup on actors, and certain costumes, makeup, or props being disconnected from character personalities and story settings — according to the symposium. The meeting also pointed out that the television drama sector must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture (the current cultural and ideological doctrine of the People's Republic of China), uphold a people-centered creative orientation, adhere to both integrity and innovation, and embrace the core values of truth, goodness, and beauty. It should go deep into real life and take root among the people, ensuring that television drama works reflect the beauty of simplicity, the beauty of nature, and the beauty of meaningful content, the report said." @MDL (Link)
Highly recommend a read of the article (linked above). The comments are as interesting as the article itself.
This response was doing the most, but it's not a hot off the press critique and the listed offenses aren't exactly revolutionary. I think it's a universal inevitability that the generation before you will set off alarm bells about declining masculinity. I read one such critique from a 1960's newspaper the other day and it gave me a good chuckle. In regards to the CCP's stance, I do agree that it would be nice to see more quality storytelling take precedence over billing wars, "pretty" acting, unhealthily willowy figures, as well as lackluster storytelling that devolves dramas into modeling shoots.
I saw an article circulating Instagram regarding Mao Linlin, an actress from the drama, stating that Tian Xi Wei (FL actress) weighs 77 pounds. Like it's a flex. This claim hasn't been confirmed by TXW, so who knows if it's true, but the sentiment is troubling and a dangerous indicator of the state of entertainment. With the reintroduction of diet culture through GLPs and protein cottage cheese bowls, actors are visibly shrinking, with the accepted body type being a one size fits all skinny standard, even if it doesn't suit the role an actor is playing. Like, I dunno, being a general. It would be refreshing to see the drama world embrace "real" physiques and features, especially those that align with the era and character. Make the general weathered and the Tang Dynasty lady plump, but that change starts at the ground level and I don't think it's something you can forcefully dictate. And you know what, let a man be in his Thumbelina Era.
Lin'an Arc
Our story begins by introducing us to Fang Chang Yu (FL), freshly orphaned and tasked with caring for her younger sister, while trying to make it as a butcher. In ancient China, the occupation of a butcher was considered unsavory as the job didn't fall in the accepted social strata of Buddhist and Confucianist principles, due to the acts of taking life and engaging in profit. Our FL is forced to take on the job to survive and is faced with the accusation of being a jinx by village biddies, must square up with a house stealing uncle, and even looses her man child fiancé. Tough nuggets. But things look up in the perpetually winter ridden Narnia where she dwells when she finds a gorgeous man in the snow and convinces him to be her matrilocal (aka marry into her family) husband. Which is awkward because he's secretly a Marquis.
This arc did a thorough job at introducing us to the main characters and setting the scene for what was to come. I loved the family bond between the (nice) villagers and the sisters, the introduction to the pig butchering squad and their rehabilitation to decent people, and of course, the FL and ML slowly falling in love. The mysterious assassins added a nice touch of intrigue to the mundane and the ML secretly fighting them off was fun to watch.
Setting the Stage a Little Too Long
I really did enjoy the scenery of the village, but we spent too much time in the FL's hometown of Lin'an. Seriously, we don't leave until episode 19. And considering the rushed character building and final ten episodes, it made this section feel top heavy. ZQJ did a great job setting the scene, but like his continuous multi-cam angles, we spent too much time on the same thing! The initial plot ate so much time when the intention of the arc had already been achieved. We should have spent 12 episodes here tops, considering the show was only 40 episodes.
But kudos where kudos are due: Staying in the village for a chunk of the drama drove the dagger deeper when Lin'an was destroyed. With the introduction of the bandits, the irritating village people were no longer villains, just simply busybody antagonists revealed to be harmless in the grand scheme of things. After spending so much time with them, annoying as they may have been, they were family. The perspective shift was masterfully done, because by opening up their little world, you really see how small their squabbles were in comparison. The village people were a part of the scenery of Lin'an, so when it was ravaged, it felt like a loss and I actually missed it when we left.
Special Memorandum to Kang San (Grumpy Neighbor Granny) and Cui Qian Jin (Scholar Song's new fiancée) who went out like straight up G's. Slay on in Heaven, Queens.
Fang Chang Yu Becomes Mary Sue and The Marquis Plays Charades
This is where the story starts to show it's narrative strain. The ML is offended by the FL on the cliff (like a big baby? This part was confusing) and the FL is left to track down her sister and fellow villagers alone, only to stumble into forced labor recruitment where she is reunited with her Lin'an gang. Qian Qian is captured by her crazy ex and our 3rd couple is skirting around each other on the side. But at least our FL met the former Crown Tutor (which was truly delightful) and reunited with her her boo.
Anyways, during this time the FL makes a lot of girl boss decisions and slays the enemy general, and is practically a super solider. In previous episodes, we established that the FL was taught martial arts by her father and has raw skinny strength (which the actress is actually pretty strong), but having her suddenly become a battle savant felt like a crazy character landing, because we never saw her jump. The struggle is what made me root for the FL; She was given a tough lot but had a good attitude and never gave up, no matter what came her way. But after leaving her village, she blithely defies military orders and, through the power of plot armor, can do "it" better than anyone else. It felt unearned and a disservice to her character. The struggle is as important as the result.
Now onto the Marquis: This ML needed to man up and tell her the truth. I get that he didn't want her to leave him, but having the entire camp deceive her was not the move (though hilarious). And because of it, the FL made so many bad decisions that made her character borderline unlikable for a hot minute. His web of lies gave her the wrong impression multiple times, and she acted based on the information she had at the time. I'm glad he didn't blame her for acting alone, but he wouldn't have had a toe to stand on if he had.
The End: Too Little, Too Fast
This brings us to the final episodes: We journey to the capital around episode 34, and are reunited with the ML's uncle, he plots rebellion, the FL gets her revenge on Scholar Song who took many major L's, Qian Qian escapes and is captured again, and the 2ML crowns himself emperor but then promptly dies. And then it's revealed the big bad is really the dead emperor and the ML's Uncle who was in love with a Consort was framed... Too many things happen, but at the same time too little was shown. We didn't dive deeply enough into the ML and his Uncle's relationship, the fall of the former Crown Prince, Qin Min regrouping his forces, or the downfall of the emperor. It was whiplash because the narrative wasn't fleshed out with a clear Point A leading to Point B, we were just yeeted to Point C and then it ended.
The Characters:
Xie Zheng: I wish to be reborn as Zhang Ling He (ML actor) because all he had to do was stand there and look brooding. He didn't have nearly enough fight scenes to justify the constant aura farming, but he had nice chemistry with the FL. From beginning to end, his character didn't display much growth and the only new thing he experienced was love.
Fang Chang Yu: Tian Xi Wei (FL actress) slayed as usual. I loved the characters optimism, and her super strength, although a little silly, was a refreshing talent for a female lead. I wish they hadn't zuped up her status level so quickly. We were robbed of her growth.
Yu Qian Qian: So apparently she's a transmigrator (aka a modern day person in a book or historical setting)? What? I just can't. Snow Kong (the actress) has a very modern face and maybe ZQJ thought that was why she was a good fit for this role because her character is from the future. But then why did he cast her in Blossom? We are in an epidemic of actors removing the tools of their trade (aka the ability to emote), and Snow Kong, beautiful as she is, in no way could pass for a person from ancient China. Her presence made the drama feel more "idol" to me. Maybe it was the nose contour. Why do even our noses need to be snatched?
Qi Min: What a creepy dude. His character was straight out of a Wattpad from his crazy love for Qian Qian and his desire to kill his son because of his fear of being replaced by him. I would categorize him as a mustache twirling villain with a helping of confusing heritage but I guess he fit the shows vibe?
Sui Yuan Qing: Creepy dude Jr. But five gold stars to the young actor who was only 18 years old when this started filming.
Li Huai An: I literally forgot he was in this show before I looked at my notes. Enough said.
Wei Yan: So the uncle of the ML who turns out to be a good guy? The ending was so ambiguous... But I guess it explains why he never cared about his "son".
Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu: Brief, underutilized characters but cute nonetheless. But couldn't we have seen them get married at the end? The show forgot about their storyline!
The Lin'an crew
The Zhao's: I loved this couple. I was so worried they were going to kick the bucket before the end. And I loved how they accepted the gang as their children at the end.
Pig Butchering Squad: Loved these guys. And you know what, I was rooting for the FL and Jin Yuan Bao. I admit it. Catch me outside, how bout that.
Scholar Song: So did he die lol? He fell in the alley and then we never saw him again, so is he dead or homeless?
I felt bad for the guy in the end but his uncanny valley face thew me off. Apparently, the original actor was canceled so they CGI'ed his face. Yikes. To find out more about that debacle, check out this Instagram post from @pri.kland: Here
On the Left: The original Scholar Song actor. On the Right: CGI Uncanny Valley Frankenstein Cui Qian Jin (Song's new fiancé) I doubted her and I was wrong. RIP girlie pop. You were a real one.
Kang San (The mean neighbor): Also a real one.
Yick: A Study in Toxic Shipping
I have many thoughts about Qi Min and Yu Qian Qian's relationship, but namely: Yuck. Gross. Off my screen. And that's what the textual narrative says. Qian Qian tells the FL how much she hates Qi Min and she is shown plotting to get away from him. But. Here's. The. Thing. The visual narrative is saying the exact opposite. This "couple" was given the highest number of romantic scenes--surpassing both the lead couple and third couple! Their relationship was also the spiciest, if you will, and sure, you could argue that the drama needed to portray Qian Qian honey potting Qi Min to show how clever she is, how crazy he is, and to add "intrigue". However...
The director totally wanted the audience to ship them on some level because that's what the visual narrative is pointing towards. One or two brief scenes would have sufficed to show their dynamic, but instead ZQJ chose to spend time on their "romantic" scenes instead of spending time on the romance of the leads or even on the 3rd couple. The 2FL and 2ML (QM & QQ) were paired together for promotional photoshoots which were flirty and sultry, and again, if you're committed to the narrative that Qi Min is an abuser and their relationship is all in his head... it's a weird move. Ultimately, the relationship was gross and I didn't like watching it, and though there was a script level acknowledgment of that, it was still portrayed for entertainment. Side Note: Are jacuzi scenes mandatory in dramas these days? Enough with the hot tubs.
The Pursuit of Jade
Xie Zheng is the jade Fang Chang Yu found in the snow, while Fang Chang Yu, whose name literally means jade, becomes the precious gem Xie Zheng chases. Adorbs. I found Pursuit of Jade to be a shiny drama with a female lead worth cheering for, pretty costumes, and some enjoyable side characters. The main couple had great chemistry and the side couple was cute, though underdeveloped. The show tripped up in the last 10 episodes and placed too much emphasis on aesthetics (somehow I am out here sounding like the Chinese govt), but you can see how much work went into the show, and at the end of the day, effort in dramaland is jade worth pursuing.
*Random Note: For details about the differences between the novel and the show, check out this Reddit Thread
*** There were quite a few Mandarin language puns in PoJ, and Mimi Bites does a great job explaining them in her short video series, the first of which is below:**
RBTS Overall Rating: 8-- I recommend! | ||
Story: | 8 | At first there was too much calligraphy and not enough romance. We stayed in the village too long and the ending was too rushed. |
Acting: | 7 | Brooding. The FL actress did great |
Production Quality: | 9 | It was a lot which is good but also not good but I loved the FL's house |
Ending: | 7 | Confusing. I need a character map. **update: I've seen one and I still don't love the ending** |
Enjoyability: | 8 | The first arc dragged on, as did the ML waiting to tell the FL the truth but their relationship kept me interested. |
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