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TV & Film

Chasing Dramas

Karen and Cathy

Karen and Cathy explain cultural and historical references episode by episode in popular Chinese historical dramas as well as Chinese pop culture news. The podcast is in English with proper nouns and phrases spoken in Mandarin Chinese. Currently, they are discussing Season 1 of Joy of Life. Completed dramas/movies include: The Story of Yanxi Palace, The Longest Day in Chang'An, The Story of Ming Lan, Empresses in the Palace, Royal Nirvana, Palace (2013 film), and Mulan (2020 Disney movie) among others.

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  • 27 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 20 min
  • English

Episodes 27

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  • Thursday · 25 min

    Against the Current (兰香如故) C-Drama Review: A Beautiful Drama that's More than Just Romance

    Against the Current (兰香如故) starring Tan Songyun (谭松韵) and Liu Xueyi (刘学义) is one of Karen's favorite historical C-Dramas of 2026!With fantastic ensemble acting, richly developed characters, intricate storytelling, and a beautifully realized historical setting, Against the Current is so much more than just a romance. At its heart, this is a moving story about kindness, resilience, family, female empowerment, and what it means to live a fulfilling life.Karen breaks down what makes this drama so special, from its natural performances and compelling supporting characters to its thoughtful exploration of women's lives. She also discusses where the drama falls short, particularly its rushed final episodes.Despite its flaws, Against the Current left a lasting impression.

  • October 7 · 17 min

    Oct 2026 C-Drama Update: Against the Current, Spring of the Blade, A Prophet, and more!

    Against the Current ft Liu Xue Yi and Tan Song Yun was the major juggernaut drama in September/October, posting massive numbers both on Tencent's popularity index and overall daily viewership numbers. Meanwhile all other dramas, like Spring of the Blade ft Xu Kai and Zhou Ye, A Prophet ft Li Xian and Li Yi Tong, Irreplaceable ft Wei Da Xun and Zhao Jin Mai and Shadow Punisher ft Luo Yun Xi all saw much weaker numbers.

  • September 30 · 14 min

    In the Know - The NSFW Headlines Dylan Wang Wishes Would Go Away

    Karen and Cathy provide an update on one of the most bizarre, hilarious, but also rather unfortunate stories from September 2026 featuring Dylan Wang (Wang He Di 王鹤棣).An anonymous, explicit rumor was falsely linked to Dylan Wang, prompting his team to deny the allegations and announce legal action. But instead of disappearing, the story took on a life of its own.We break down how the controversy spiraled into fandom wars, an internet-wide “male celebrity quality inspection,” some truly wild memes, and a larger conversation about Wang He Di’s declining general-public goodwill, or 路人缘.Important note: We are reporting on the online controversy and reactions surrounding this story. Wang He Di’s team denied the original allegation, and the account that linked the rumor to him subsequently apologized for falsely associating the story with him.Podcast: Our previous In the Know episode covering Wang He Di’s “Uncomfortable” controversy from this summer:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-know-swirling-negativity/id1476587202?i=1000770132651

  • September 7 · 18 min

    Sep 2026 C-Drama Update: The Early Spring, The Road to Splendor, Genius Girlfriend and more!

    Karen covers Chinese dramas that aired in August/September 2026.Modern day romance The Early Spring ft Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian is a surprise hit right now, with over 30% market share.I personally quite liked The Road to Splendor for its history, costumes and cinematography.Other dramas that aired in August though were surprising duds like Pull Strings and Genius Girlfriend.#chinesedrama #cdrama

  • September 1 · 24 min

    In the Know - Jing Tian vs Justin Sun: The 6,000 Word Essay SHOCKING China

    On August 27, crypto billionaire Justin Sun (Sun Yu Chen) published a 6,000-word essay titled "My Girlfriend Jing Tian" and Chinese social media blew up. Karen introduces C-drama star Jing Tian and crypto billionaire Justin Sun and goes into the details of the essay he wrote, the 30million RMB he's suing her for, and why the details of the essay could be career ending for her.

  • August 6 · 23 min

    Aug 2026 C-Drama Update - Mystic Nine, Overdo, Royal Betrothal and more!

    William Chan's Mystic Nine becomes a surprise hit for the summer (finally a "hit!) while Zhang Ling He's Overdo struggles to match the success of Pursuit of Jade. Other dramas like Royal Betrothal, Blossoms of Power, Key to the Phoenix Heart were all fine...but nothing exceptional

  • July 20 · 18 min

    In the Know - Concerts: The New Trend

    In the past few months, Chinese celebrities have flocked to giving concerts, performing at music festivals, and going on tour. That has worked well for some celebrities but not so much for others. Xie Na, a famous host, encountered significant backlash with the announcement of her tour in June. Listen to our latest podcast episode to hear what happened!

  • July 12 · 20 min

    In the Know - Lu Han's Continued Drama

    On July 6, influencer Si Xiao Di posted more explosive content implicating having an affair with Lu Han. After being silent for 6 months since her January posts, she also implicates other celebrities. All eyes are on Lu Han's camp and whether or not they will make a statement. Listen to our latest podcast episode on the latest developments!

  • June 24 · 20 min

    In the Know - New Regulations for Short Dramas

    We first give an update on Bai Lu's woes. Then discuss the changes in regulations on the budding new short drama and micro drama industry. Hong Guo, a new micro drama app, was rumored to have also set new guidelines on content. Listen to our latest podcast episode for more details!

  • June 12 · 22 min

    In the Know - Keep Running's Reckoning and Bai Lu's Difficult Month

    Keep Running finds itself in hot water after viewers discover that cities might be paying the show millions of dollars to film at their respective cities. One of the main cast, Bai Lu, continues to find herself in hot water in the aftermath of the Keep Running controversy from May. With her new drama, First Jasmine, airing, she needs to face the negative publicity head on. Listen to our latest podcast episode to hear the latest in Chinese entertainment!

  • June 5 · 15 min

    June 2026 Chinese Drama Update - The Lead, Zhan Zhao Adventures, The Heir, Ashes to Crown and The First Jasmine!

    Our first Video podcast! May/June 2026 Chinese dramas include: Zhang Jia Yi and Liu Hao Cun in The Lead 主角 which was THE hit in May. Yang Yang, Fang Yi Lun and Zhang Ruo Nan in Zhan Zhao Adventures 雨霖铃 Yang Zi and Han Dong Jun in The Heir 家业 Chen Du Ling and Zhou Yi Ran in Ashes to Crown 翘楚 and upcoming is Bai Lu and Cheng Lei in The First Jasmine 莫离

  • May 29 · 23 min

    In the Know - Swirling Negativity

    There's been a lot of negative commentary in C-ent over the last few weeks with 3 actors/actresses at the heart of the discussion. They are - Lu Yu Xiao, Bai Lu and Wang He Di. Tune in to hear what prompted the negativity in the Chinese discourse.

  • May 22 · 14 min

    In the Know - AI in the Chinese Entertainment Industry

    In March, a Chinese Media company released a video announcing that they signed two AI generated actors to their platform. In April, iQiYi, a major Chinese media streaming company, announced that actors and actresses have signed their AI agreement that generated a lot of buzz and backlash in China.

  • May 15 · 25 min

    In the Know - Ride the Wind 2026 Shenanigans

    Ride the Wind 2026 has already garnered huge viewership and sparked major online discourse after just two performances. The live format adds an element of surprise, and three contestants have emerged as unexpected fan favorites — not because they are the strongest singers or dancers, but because they are simply so entertaining to watch. Olympian Wang Meng, actress Li Xiao Ran, and actress Tang Yi Xin have captivated audiences with their earnest yet hilariously imperfect performances. Listen to our latest podcast to hear more about the shenanigans from this season of Ride the Wind.

  • May 6 · 19 min

    May 2026 Drama Updates - The Epoch of Miyu, Born with Luck, A Perfect Match, a Splendid Match and More!

    The Epoch of Miyu was a surprise hit in April/May, where social media was abuzz about this modern day drama that featured a main female lead who was cheated on by her husband. Costume dramas currently airing right now include A Perfect Match starring Ren Jia Lun and Wang He Run and A Splendid Match starring Ren Min and Ci Sha. Born With Luck, a modern day comedy police thriller, though is offering quite the chuckle.

  • April 24 · 23 min

    In the Know - Ride the Wind 2026 pt 2

    Another Year, another Ride the Wind competition. Tune in as we introduce the rest of the 33 ladies participating in Hunan/Mango TV's singing and dancing competition for 2026! Some fan favorites include the likes of Empresses in the Palace alum Tang Yi Xin and 90s stars such as Dai Si, Sun Yi, and Chen Yao

Showing 1–20 of 27 episodes