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| Drama Kings of 2025: Sohu Unveils Male Celebs Gaining the Most Weibo Fans (Pics: iQIYI/Sohu/Weibo/WeTV/Youku) |
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| 1. Ao RuiPeng |
Sitting proud at number one is Ao Ruipeng, who absolutely smashed it with Moonlight Mystique, where he pulled off a slick double role as Fan Yue, the fearsome demon king, and Jing Yuan, the stoic human king. Fans were hooked by the sharp contrasts between the two roles, and Ao’s screen presence did the rest, earning him a whopping 1.3 million fresh followers on Weibo. If anyone’s riding a rocket this year, it’s him.
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Sliding into second is Liu Yuning, racking up 760,500 new followers thanks to his gripping turn as Wei Shao in The Prisoner of Beauty. This tragic battlefield hero had layers on layers — ruthless yet heartbreakingly tender after losing his family — and Liu’s performance made audiences cry buckets while loving him even more.
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Third place belongs to Wang Anyu, who charmed 414,100 new followers as Zhou Shui in Such a Good Love. This character, a bit of an arrogant prodigy in the art world, showed a softer, wounded side that Wang delivered with perfect subtlety.
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Bai Jingting took fourth with 408,300 extra followers, portraying Sang Yan in The First Frost. Cold and aloof on the outside but sweetly affectionate behind closed doors, Sang Yan’s sugar-sweet romance with Wen Yifan left fans calling their chemistry “sweet to the point of suffocation” — and Bai’s mature, grounded acting won hearts all around.
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Landing in fifth is Zhang Linghe, who scooped up 364,500 more followers. He returned to the spotlight as He Suye in The Best Thing, playing a kind, attentive traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Unlike the stereotypical domineering leads, He Suye’s chill and gentle vibe earned Zhang the unofficial title of “fairy boyfriend” online.
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In sixth, Li Yunrui added 317,200 followers with To 1999 Me, a coming-of-age story drenched in nostalgia that struck a deep chord with viewers who miss simpler days.
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Seventh place is shared with the same growth figure — 317,200 new fans for Li Xian, starring in Flourished Peony, a vivid period romance where he played a calm, well-mannered gentleman who absolutely charmed the socks off audiences.
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Lin Yi claims the eighth spot, growing by 298,100 followers thanks to Ski into Love, a tender healing romance in which he played a shy lad quietly carrying his scars, but learning to love again. Fans, especially the younger ones, found his portrayal soft and comforting.
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Ninth is Xin Yunlai, who brought in 279,200 new fans through The Glory. His character, weighed down by family and societal expectations, slowly fought his way to hope and happiness — a theme that connected big-time with viewers.
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Finally, rounding out the list at number ten is Yu Cheng’en, up by 273,200 followers. His role in City of Romance saw him as a clever but sensitive city boy navigating the thrills and bumps of modern love, making urban hearts flutter.
No doubt about it, this fresh ranking shows just how unstoppable the Chinese drama wave still is. While household names like Liu Yuning and Bai Jingting have held steady, seeing a “dark horse” like Ao Ruipeng come out on top has been one of 2025’s juiciest surprises. If the second half of the year keeps this momentum, we might be in for even more plot twists — both on-screen and on the Weibo charts.