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| Why Liu Yuning’s Upcoming 2026 Dramas Are Already on Fans’ Watchlists (Photo: Weibo) |
As 2025 officially wraps, Liu Yuning is stepping into 2026 with momentum that feels hard to ignore. From street performer to chart-topping singer and now one of the most recognisable faces in Chinese drama, his career path has never followed a boring script. After a strong 2025 run with The Prisoner of Beauty, Eternal Brotherhood 2, and A Dream Within A Dream, all pulling solid attention and ratings, expectations for his next chapter are naturally sky-high.
What makes 2026 especially interesting is how varied his upcoming projects look. Romance, moral dilemmas, fantasy worlds, and cultivation epics are all on the table, showing a noticeably more mature and flexible side of his acting.
All Liu Yuning New Dramas Airing In 2026
Here’s what viewers can expect from Liu Yuning’s confirmed upcoming dramas set to air in 2026, with more projects still likely to be added.
About Love (玫瑰丛生)
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About Love is shaping up to be a modern romance with a twist, rather than a straightforward sweet-and-soft love story. The 26-episode Tencent Video original is directed by Yang Lei and adapted from the web manhua Chan Nv by Gong Yuan Qian. The cast brings together Liu Yuning, Jiang Xin (Rulu), and Wang Ziwen, instantly raising expectations among drama fans.
The story centres on Liao Xi, played by Wang Ziwen, a woman with an unusual profession as a “love appraiser”. Her job involves testing relationships by stepping into carefully crafted identities to uncover the truth about loyalty and trust.
While her work claims to protect women from heartbreak, it also raises uncomfortable questions about whether exposing truth always leads to happiness.
Liu Yuning plays Xiao Bei, a character who becomes a turning point in Liao Xi’s emotional journey. His presence challenges her guarded views on love and slowly draws out vulnerabilities she has long kept hidden.
What stands out here is the drama’s moral tension. It doesn’t just ask whether love is real, but whether testing it is an act of protection or quiet destruction. Netizens are already debating this premise online, with many praising the concept as “refreshing” and “a little dangerous in a good way”.
Fans of Liu Yuning are particularly curious to see him in a grounded urban role that leans more on emotional restraint than heroic grandeur. With its mix of romance, mystery, and ethical dilemmas, About Love feels tailored for viewers who enjoy romance with a sharper edge rather than pure fluff.
Limitless Skies (遮天)
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On the opposite end of the genre spectrum sits Limitless Skies, a large-scale wuxia fantasy series adapted from the well-known novel Zhe Tian by Chen Dong.
The drama spans 48 episodes and is set to stream on iQIYI and Tencent Video, with Zhao Xiao Ding in the director’s chair. The cast includes Liu Yuning, Bambi Zhu Xudan, Yin Zheng, Wang Yuexin, and Wang Mengli.
In this project, Liu Yuning takes on a supporting role, which has sparked mixed but lively discussion among fans. Some were initially surprised he isn’t front and centre, while others see it as a smart move to deepen his acting range within a massive fantasy production.
The story follows Ye Fan, an ordinary young man who is suddenly drawn into an unfamiliar world filled with ancient secrets, powerful cultivation paths, and dangerous rivals. As the narrative unfolds, personal growth and survival become just as important as epic battles.
Fantasy drama fans are already hyped about the scale of Limitless Skies, especially given the novel’s popularity. Online reactions suggest cautious optimism, with viewers hoping the adaptation stays faithful to the source while delivering strong visual quality.
Liu Yuning’s supporters are watching closely to see how his character fits into the larger story and whether this role allows him to quietly steal scenes through presence rather than screen time.
Looking at these two very different projects, one thing is clear: Liu Yuning isn’t playing it safe. Romance with moral grey areas on one side, and a sprawling fantasy epic on the other, makes his 2026 line-up feel balanced and deliberate. Fans and netizens are already split on which drama they’re most excited for, with some craving the emotional intimacy of About Love, while others are counting down for the grandeur of Limitless Skies.
More projects are expected to be announced, and schedules may still shift, but the current outlook already feels promising. So now it’s over to you. Which drama has caught your attention the most, and what kind of role do you want to see Liu Yuning take on next?