Latest news with #LiYitong
The Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
C-drama "A Dream Within A Dream" captivates global audiences especially in South-East Asia region with unique narrative style
Since its premiere on iQIYI Heartbeat Theater, the new C-Drama "A Dream Within A Dream" has become an instant global sensation, captivating audiences worldwide with its innovative "forced romance within a drama script" plot and engaging "fictional character awakening" storyline. On its first day, the drama swiftly rose to the top of trending topics on social platform X in Thailand and Indonesia, subsequently achieving No. 1 status on the iQIYI International platform across 12 markets, including Thailand, the US, Canada, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It also ranked first in the same period, Google searches for Chinese dramas in eight markets: Thailand, Taiwan(China), the US, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong(China), South Korea, and Singapore. "A Dream Within A Dream" tells the story of Song Xiaoyu (played by Li Yitong), an aspiring actress who unexpectedly finds herself transported into the world of a fictional drama script. Becoming the protagonist Song Yimeng, she encounters Nan Heng (played by Liu Yuning), a seemingly ruthless and cold-hearted male lead. The plot follows their journey to resist predetermined destinies. Incorporating contemporary humour with a fast-paced "infinite loop" narrative style, the drama offers cross-cultural appeal and resonant storytelling. Thanks to its fresh narrative approach, "A Dream Within A Dream" successfully breaks away from genre cliches, appealing strongly to global viewers. The series earned an impressive rating of 8.6 on the international drama community MyDramaList, with related TikTok hashtags surpassing 300 million views. Global audiences praised the compelling performances and comedic elements of the series. iQIYI further boosted international engagement through interactive livestreams on iQIYI International, extensive offline promotions worldwide, and large-screen advertising campaigns, significantly enhancing global viewer enthusiasm. Since 2025, iQIYI Heartbeat Theater has continuously launched popular dramas including "Moonlight Mystique," "The White Olive Tree," "Love of the Divine Tree," "The Best Thing," and "Love in Pavilion," garnering widespread acclaim from global audiences. "A Dream Within A Dream" continues this successful trend, delivering a uniquely engaging Eastern narrative to viewers worldwide. Additionally, iQIYI has followed up its success with the new drama "Coroner's Diary," which premiered on July 13, featuring a compelling dual-narrative structure that unravels eight intriguing mysteries. Moving forward, iQIYI remains committed to delivering more premium C-Dramas that artfully blend romance, realism, tradition, and fantasy for global audiences.
The Star
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
C-drama star Li Yitong and top singer-actor Liu Yuning lead the way in China's latest fantasy offering in 'A Dream Within A Dream'
Photo Image: Courtesy of iQIYI The summer heat is back and premiering on June 26 in IQIYI, is the historical romantic comedy 'A Dream Within A Dream', starring top television stars Li Yitong and Liu Yuning. The streaming giant's latest and much-anticipated series promises an entertaining twist on the traditional costume drama genre by uniquely blending modern humour, interactive plot mechanics, and self-aware storytelling. Produced by Linmon Pictures and co-produced by iQIYI, directed by Guo Hu, with screenplay by Ren Zhuangliu and Xia Luote, 'A Dream Within A Dream' follows the enchanting story of Song Xiaoyu (Li Yitong), a struggling actress, and Nan Heng (Liu Yuning), a cold-hearted ruler, who unexpectedly meet when she is transported into the fictional world of her own script. Once inside her script, Song Xiaoyu transforms into Song Yimeng, a doomed character within the story. Every attempt she makes to alter her scripted fate results in bizarre, predetermined deaths. To break free, she must collaborate closely with Nan Heng, confronting unexpected dangers and unraveling the deeper mysteries of the script's world. 'A Dream Within A Dream' also innovates by blending contemporary humour with popular tropes of historical romance dramas, presenting a fresh, comedic narrative style. Highlights teased in trailers, including intense wedding showdown scenes, a dramatic scene of choosing whom to save when two characters simultaneously fall from a city wall, and visually striking slow-motion kiss scenes, have already sparked considerable anticipation among viewers. The series also highlights how an ordinary girl and a cold-hearted ruler overcome the chains of fate, rewriting their story and crafting a romantic tale filled with laughter and tears. About Liu Yuning Liu Yuning, 35, is a Chinese singer, actor, and the lead singer of Modern Brothers. In 2018, Liu rose to stardom by his covers on platforms YY's Live Streaming and Douyin. Forbes China also listed Liu on their 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2019. His debut album won the "Media Recommended Album" award at the 2020 Chinese Top Ten Music Awards, and his second extended play "Listen•Ning" (2020–21) won the Most Popular EP award in 2021 Chinese Top Ten Music Awards. Outside of music, Liu also gained recognition as an actor through his roles in television series such as "A Journey to Love in 2023" and "The Prisoner of Beauty" in also this year. Many of his fans are excited of him acting alongside Li Yitong, among the leading tv actresses in China, in 'A Dream Within A Dream'. About Li Yitong Li Yitong is a Chinese actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Wan Mei, an assassin in the 2018 Chinese television series "Bloody Romance" and as Huang Rong in 2017 TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", one of the most loved tv series of all-time in East Asia. It was also the series that made Li Yitong a household name in China. She also won many fans when she acted as Lu Wenxi (Abao) in the 2019 Chinese television series Royal Nirvana and Fu Rou in the 2021 Chinese television series Court Lady, another top series in China. She is also a big star for iQiYI having acted in many of its top C-dramas including "The Knockout", "Warm on a Cold Night", "Hi Producer" and "Spy Game".
