- wöchentlichErscheinungsrhythmus
- 20 mintypische Länge
- vor 4 Tagenletzte Folge
Karen and Cathy explain cultural and historical references episode by episode in popular Chinese historical dramas as well as Chinese pop culture news.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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In the Know - China's Fashion Drama: Dilraba Dominates Vogue, Zhao Lusi's Couture Controversy
China's fashion world was buzzing this week! From Dilraba's show-stopping appearance at Vogue China's Forces of Fashion event to the online controversy surrounding Zhao Lusi's couture looks at Harper's Bazaar, there was plenty of drama beyo
Where the Mask Ends (嫁金钗) Early Review - Watchable, but NOT Good
Karen provides initial thoughts of the new C-Drama - Where the Mask Ends starring Tian Xi Wei and Yan An. There's inconsistencies with plot and uneven performances from Tian Xi Wei that prevents this from being good. But, there's enough twi
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
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
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
The Road to Splendor (花开锦绣) History Deep Dive - Chastity Archways, Marriage, Salt and More!
In Cathy's first solo Chasing Dramas video, she dives into the history and cultural references behind The Road to Splendor (花开锦绣)! From the Ming Dynasty salt trade and the rise of the Shanxi merchants to chastity archways, wedding tradition
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 hi
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 int
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 Hear
In the Know - China's Most-Watched Dramas of 2026 So Far (Mid-Year Rankings)
Karen lists the most viewed dramas in China through the first half of 2026. Unsurprisingly, Pursuit of Jade was THE biggest drama, dominating the metrics across almost all platforms. Other top dramas include The Lead, Born With Luck, The Pu
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 signific
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 wheth
July 2026 Chinese Drama Update: Archives: The Nan Yang Mystery, Love Has Fireworks, The Eternal Fragrance and more!
Dramas airing in June/early July 2026 include detective thrillers, some modern day romances and a few other costume dramas. Though some have outperformed expectations, there has yet to be an "explosive hit" this summer.
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 ou
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
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
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 dis
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 agr
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 becaus
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 Matc
Important Chasing Dramas Announcement!
Karen and Cathy have exciting news on where they are bringing Chasing Dramas next!
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 a
In the Know - Ride the Wind 2026 pt 1
Another Year, another Ride the Wind competition. Tune in as we introduce the first half of the ladies participating in Hunan/Mango TV's singing and dancing competition for 2026!
Joy of Life S2 - Ep 36: Recognizing Humanity
In the last episode of the season, Fan Xian discovers the location of where the Ming family hid the rest of the 3 Great Warehouses. He also discovers a plot on his life. Grandmaster Ye Liu Yun has been summoned by the Princess Royal to take
Joy of Life S2 - Ep 35: The Depravity of the Ming Family
Fan Xian heads to the Ming family for dinner but is met with a horrific sight and learns how little the Ming family thinks of human lives
April 2026 - Chinese Drama Update - Love Beyond the Grave, Veil of Shadows and more!
In March and April 2026, Dilraba Dilmurat stars in a Love Beyond the Grave alongside Chen Fei Yu as the 400 year old ruler of the spirit real. Ju Jing Yi faced a fierce battle with her agency right before her drama Veil of Shadows starring
Joy of Life S2 - Ep 34 - Making an Entrance
Fan Xian sees the corruption in JiangNan and the power the Ming family wields in the region and decides to make a powerful statement when he docks in Su Zhou
In the Know - Hilarious Popularity Resurgences
In the last two weeks, 54 year old Qu Ying suddenly became popular again after her guest appearance on Papi Jiang's show. Her relaxed demeanor and hilarious stories took generated quite a stir on social media. Meanwhile, The Pursuit of Jade
Joy of Life S2 ep 33 - Journey to Jiang Nan
After the Emperor proactively reveals that he is Fan Xian's father, it is time for Fan Xian to head down to Jiang Nan where the Ming family will make it difficult for him to take back control of his mother's 3 Great Workshops
In the Know - Addressing the Billing Problem
On Mar 13, the Chinese Department of the National Radio and Television Administration held a press conference discussing the "issues" that it will tackle. The most pressing is the issue of top billing and who gets top billing for Chinese dr
