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| Cheng Yi’s Hit Dramas Surpass 10 Billion Views Each Across Platforms. (Photo: Weibo) |
Cheng Yi has officially crossed a jaw-dropping milestone. According to Maoyan Big Data on 18 February 2026, eight Chinese dramas led by Cheng Yi have each surpassed 10 billion cumulative views across online platforms, reinforcing his position as one of the most bankable and influential actors in today’s Chinese drama industry.
This isn’t just a number flex. It’s proof of long-term commercial pull, cross-genre dominance, and a fanbase that doesn’t just watch once — they rewatch, clip, edit, quote, and keep the heat alive years after broadcast.
The eight dramas contributing to this massive achievement include:
South Wind Knows
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Sword and Beloved
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The Vendetta of An
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The Journey of Legend
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Draw The Line
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Love and Redemption
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Immortal Samsara
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Mysterious Lotus Casebook
From fantasy epics and wuxia adventures to political strategy thrillers and grounded modern legal dramas, Cheng Yi has quietly built a portfolio that covers nearly every major mainstream genre.
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| iQIYI |
What makes this milestone even more impressive is the consistency. These aren’t one-season viral spikes. Many of these dramas continue generating traffic years after airing. Clips still circulate daily. Quotes trend again. Edits resurface. Fan discussions never really stop.
So what can viewers expect if they’re thinking of diving into Cheng Yi’s dramas?
First, expect intensity and detail. Whether he’s playing a restrained immortal, a fragile yet sharp-minded strategist, a righteous judge, or a wounded martial hero, Cheng Yi leans heavily into character preparation.
Industry insiders have long noted his habit of writing character backstories himself and refining emotional beats until they feel natural rather than exaggerated.
In Mysterious Lotus Casebook, his portrayal balanced humour, fragility and quiet pain in a way that kept audiences hooked episode after episode.
In Immortal Samsara and Love and Redemption, he carried the emotional weight of high-stakes fantasy romance without letting it slip into melodrama. Meanwhile, Draw The Line proved he could ground himself in modern realism just as convincingly.
Second, expect range.
Over the past eight years, he has shifted between gods, warriors, officials, strategists and everyday professionals with striking adaptability. Cold and restrained? He does it. Gentle but emotionally layered? He handles it. Hot-blooded and righteous? Also covered.
Third, expect replay value. Many fans openly admit they’ve rewatched certain series multiple times. The emotional beats tend to hit harder on second viewing because subtle expressions and micro-reactions become more noticeable.
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| Upmedia |
Fan and netizen reactions to this 10 billion milestone have been varied but loud.
Supporters are celebrating him as the true “King of Drama China”, arguing that traffic may fluctuate, but sustained exposure across multiple titles proves real staying power.
Some point out that his dramas span five major genres and still maintain strong online discussion years later, which they say is rare in an industry driven by fast-moving trends.
Others focus on his work ethic. Stories about him losing weight for physically demanding roles, minimising stunt doubles, and refining emotional scenes in detail are often cited as reasons for his longevity.
Of course, not everyone frames it as a solo achievement. A portion of netizens emphasise that drama success is always a team effort — strong scripts, capable directors and co-stars also matter.
But even critics generally acknowledge that leading eight separate productions to such high cumulative exposure is not a coincidence.
Another layer to this discussion is commercial value. Industry chatter suggests that some of his recent projects attracted advertisers aggressively during promotion stages, with ad slots reaching record lengths per episode.
That level of brand confidence typically follows actors who deliver stable viewership returns.
One thing is clear — eight dramas crossing 10 billion cumulative views each is not a casual achievement.
Now the question shifts to you. Which Cheng Yi drama pulled you in first? Which role do you think truly defines his career so far? And do you believe this milestone officially seals his King of Drama China title — or is his biggest era still ahead?