Finally! The long wait is over. “The Princess Agents” leads are back onscreen with the highly anticipated costume fairy tale ‘The Legend Of Shen Li 与凤行’.
With no major dramas hitting the screens in 2024 yet, all eyes are on ‘The Legend of Shen Li’ as the drama team officially announced the March 18 Premiere! Fans are buzzing with excitement for this reunion project starring Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin.
For Those Unversed: Princess Agents is the 2017 costume martial arts drama where Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin took the lead roles. The drama received positive responses from both domestic and international fans.
‘Princess Agents’ follows the story of Chu Qiao (portrayed by Zhao Liying) who is captured and turned into a slave. She is thrown into the hunting field where she and other slaves become the target of the rich individuals. Due to her bravery and martial arts skills including the help of Yanbei Prince, Yan Xun (portrayed by Shawn Dou), Chu Qiao successfully escapes the hunting field. Afterward, she’s brought into the powerful Yu Wen family and eventually comes across, Yu Wen Yue (portrayed by Lin Geng Xin), caughthing his attention. Under The Guidance of Yu Wen Yue, Chu Qiao goes under strict training.
A huge number of viewers fell in love with this drama and the chemistry between Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin right away. However, the cliffhanger ending left many unsolved mysteries and unanswered questions, disappointing some viewers who demanded a second season. Unfortunately, due to production issues, there haven’t been any updates or news regarding season 2.
Since ‘Princess Agents abruptly wrapped up its premiere in 2017, audiences have been looking forward to this pair and their reunion. The manifestation eventually came true, when it was announced in 2022, that both actors would be reuniting in the same project once again in the lead roles.
Since the series has been eventually announced to premiere this March, here, we’ll be discussing some major plot highlights of ‘The Legend of Shen Li’ and will try to answer some of the frequently asked questions related to the two dramas.
Without any delay, let’s start.
The Legend Of Shen Li – Plot Introduction
- Episode: 36
- Genre: Drama, Costume, Xianxia
- Starring: Zhao Liying, Lin Gengxin
- Director: Deng Ke
- Adapted from the novel “Yu Feng Xing” (与凤行) by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang (九鹭非香)
- Original Platform: CCTV, Mango TV, Tencent Video
- Broadcast Details: March 18, 2024 –
- Filming Period: June 14, 2022 – November 4th, 2022
- Number of Reservations on The Platform Before its Premiere: 10M on Tencent Video, 4M on Mango TV
Plot Summary: The legend of Shen Li tells the story of Deity Emperor Xing Zhi (portrayed by Ling Geng Xin) and the female Demon Lord Shen Li (portrayed by Zhao Liying).
After winning a long battle between Demons and Gods, Emperor Xing Zhi hid himself from the world and disappeared somewhere without a trace. Several hundred years later, a female demon Lord Shen Li is born. On her thousandth birthday, she is arranged for marriage for a political alliance.
However, she tries her best to escape this marriage. On her way, she gets attacked and falls into the human world in a coma state. Once she regains her consciousness, she finds herself in a horrible situation. She’s kept in a cage for sale by the vendor, thinking that she is a fatty chicken. Luckily, in the form of a wounded chicken, she is bought by a man wearing black and white robes after staring at it for a while. Just like that, the fates of the two become closely intertwined because of that seemingly inadvertent trade.
I find this synopsis, a bit funny. I mean Emperor Xing Zhi saved Demon Lord Shen Li in the form of Chenken? Lol…
From Leading Lady to Creative Force: Produced by Zhao Liying
For years, we’ve known and loved Zhao Liying, the Queen of Ratings, as the heroine of countless dramas. But with “The Legend of Shen Li,” she embarks on a pivotal point in her 36-year career.
Liying isn’t just gracing the screen this time – she’s also the driving force behind it as the producer. This move signifies a new chapter, where we can expect to see Liying not just in front of the camera, but also working her magic behind the scenes.
By taking the producer’s seat, she gains greater creative control. Shaping narratives and potentially influencing the industry from a different perspective. Her experience in front of the camera undoubtedly gives her valuable insight, allowing her to champion quality productions.
The Legend of Shen Li’s Official Trailer
The newly released trailer ‘The Legend of Shen Li’ is a visual feast. As a Xianxia troupe, there’s a celestial landscape dotted with ethereal magic and intriguing characters with overwhelming power. It gives the basic idea about the vast world that the series is going to explore.
Every detail, from the meticulously crafted costumes adorned with intricate patterns to the awe-inspiring use of CGI (its obvious production team spent a lot on visual effects as to how polished and beautiful it looks) that seamlessly blends fantastical creatures with breathtaking environments, speaks to the immense effort poured into production.
The trailer throws us right into the heart of the action, with a scene of a fierce battle between a celestial warrior clad in golden armor and a towering demon lord Shen Li (portrayed by Zhao Liying) wielding a weapon that crackles with powerful energy. Their dazzling displays of magic and overwhelming power are a sight to behold. The scene is further amplified by the pounding, epic soundtrack that builds tension and perfectly complements the clash of swords and booming spells.
Zhao Liying as Demon Shen Li and her fiery red eyes hint at a powerful and complex character. We also see glimpses of Lin Gengxin as a powerful deity. Their exchange, though brief, leaves you wanting to know more about their dynamic and the potential love story brewing beneath the surface.
Compared to other Xianxia dramas I’ve seen, “The Legend of Shen Li” seems to take the visuals and action sequences to a whole new level. The CGI feels incredibly smooth and realistic, transporting you entirely to this fantastical world.
Did you watch the trailer, yet?
Directed By Deng Ke
If you watch modern rom-com c-dramas, then you should be familiar with this director and his works. Before plunging himself into the costume drama world productions, Deng Ke has been actively working on modern projects. Such as My Girlfrined is an Alien, When We Were Young, My Amazing Boyfriend, Detective L, and so on were the most popular projects under his belt in the modern genre.
It has been not that long since the director has started to work on costume dramas too. His first project in the costume genre was ‘My Heroic Husband’ released in 2021, a time-travel story. Afterward, the director has been quite active in the costume genre as well. ‘The Legend of Shen Li’ marks his second production in the costume genre.
With a proven track record in both modern and historical dramas, Deng Ke has several highly anticipated projects on the horizon:
- Guardians of the Dafeng (starring Dylan Wang & Tian Xiwei)
- The Prisoner of Beauty (starring Liu Yuning & Song Zu Er)
- The Legend Heroes (starring Zhou Yi Wei, Gao Wei Guang, and Chen Duling)
Is ‘The Legend Of Shen Li’ Season 2 of ‘Princess Agents’?
No. ‘The Legend of Shen Li’ is not a Season 2 of Princess Agents. Even though both series feature the same main leads; Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin, The Legend of Shen Li is a standalone story or an independent story.
When will ”The Legend of Shen Li’ be released?
‘The Legend Of Shen Li’ is scheduled to be released on March 18, 2024, at 8: 00 PM CST. It will be simultaneously broadcast on National TV Platform CCTV and popular online streaming platforms We TV (Tencent Video) and Mango TV.
