Dilraba's Top 5: Cdrama Queen's Greatest Hits

Dilraba Dilmurat (迪丽热巴) has redefined versatility in Chinese costume dramas, seamlessly shifting from mischievous fox spirits to battle-hardened warriors. Her ability to anchor fantastical plots with emotional authenticity makes her a standout in the genre. Take The Long Ballad: As Li Changge, she delivered a masterclass in restraint, whether strategizing siege defenses or silently mourning her family's massacre.

In Eternal Love of Dream, she balanced Bai Fengjiu's whimsy with grit, turning a lovestruck princess into a symbol of resilience. These roles aren't just performances—they're blueprints for how modern xianxia and historical dramas can prioritize character over spectacle. Below, we break down five dramas that showcase her range, each distinct in tone yet unified by her magnetic presence.

Eternal Love of Dream 三生三世枕上书

• Aired: 2020
• Period Background: Mythological fantasy world spanning three lifetimes.
• Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Xianxia.
• Main Roles: Dilraba as Bai Fengjiu, a nine-tailed fox princess; Gao Weiguang as Dong Hua Dijun.
• Adapted From: Tang Qi Gongzi's novel Three Lives, Three Worlds: The Pillow Book.

Spanning three lifetimes, Eternal Love of Dream follows Bai Fengjiu, a fiery nine-tailed fox princess from the Qingqiu fox tribe, as she relentlessly pursues Dong Hua Dijun, an ancient deity who sacrificed his emotions to protect the realms. Their story unfolds across celestial, mortal, and dream realms, each reincarnation testing their bond.

In the first arc, Fengjiu disguises herself as a maid in Dong Hua's heavenly palace to repay a life debt, only to fall hopelessly in love. Her innocence and determination chip away at Dong Hua's icy exterior, though he initially dismisses her as a "child." A pivotal moment arrives when Fengjiu risks her life to save him from a demonic threat, losing her immortal tail—a symbol of her lineage—in the process.

The mortal realm arc sees Dong Hua willingly undergo a trial as a human emperor, unaware of his divine origins. Fengjiu follows, becoming his concubine to shield him from calamities. Here, their dynamic shifts: Dong Hua exhibits fleeting humanity, while Fengjiu grapples with loving a version of him destined to forget her. Their bittersweet mortal romance culminates in a tragic death, leaving Fengjiu heartbroken but resolute.

The final act unfolds in the Aralan Dream, a parallel world born from Dong Hua's spiritual energy. Trapped in the identities of Aranya and Shen Ye, the duo confronts unresolved traumas. Fengjiu, now embodying Aranya's boldness, challenges Dong Hua's emotional barriers, forcing him to acknowledge his suppressed feelings. Celestial politics, including scheming gods and a looming war, intertwine with their personal journey, culminating in sacrifices that redefine love and duty.

Dilraba's Multidimensional Performance: Dilraba masterfully portrays Fengjiu's evolution from a lovestruck teen to a self-assured queen. Her comedic timing shines in early palace antics (e.g., clumsily serving tea), while later scenes reveal raw vulnerability, such as her tearful confession in the mortal realm. The Aranya arc showcases her range, blending regal authority with playful wit—a stark contrast to Fengjiu's initial naiveté.

Lavish Production Design: The drama's budget reportedly exceeded $40 million, evident in its ethereal visuals. Key sets like the frost-edged Tai Chen Palace and the cherry blossom-filled Qingqiu forests became iconic. Fengjiu's costumes—over 20 intricately embroidered gowns—symbolize her growth: pink robes mirror her youthful crush, while crimson battle armor reflects her maturity.

Lead Chemistry & Xianxia Tropes: Dilraba and co-star Gao Weiguang reignite their partnership from Eternal Love (2017), delivering nuanced chemistry. Subtle gestures—Dong Hua's habit of tousling Fengjiu's hair or his barely-there smiles—hint at his thawing heart. The drama embraces xianxia staples: sprawling timelines (spanning 3,000 years), mythical creatures (e.g., phoenixes, demons), and themes of predestined love versus free will.

While grand in scope (e.g., war scenes with 1,000+ CGI soldiers), the story's core remains intimate. A standout episode features the leads trapped in a magical painting, sharing quiet moments that deepen their connection. The script also subverts tropes: Fengjiu's pursuit of Dong Hua isn't framed as desperate, but as a conscious choice to fight for equality in their relationship.

The Long Ballad 长歌行

• Aired: 2021
• Period Background: Early Tang Dynasty, post-Xuanwu Gate Incident.
• Genres: Historical, Political, Adventure.
• Main Roles: Dilraba as Li Changge, a fugitive princess; Wu Lei as Ashile Sun.
• Adapted From: Xia Da's manhua Chang Ge Xing.

After her family is massacred in the Tang Dynasty's Xuanwu Gate Incident, Princess Li Changge disguises herself as a man, "Li Shiyi," to avenge her kin. Her quest leads her to infiltrate Youzhou's military, where her tactical genius thwarts Turkic invasions. However, Changge soon uncovers a larger conspiracy by the Qianzhengsi faction to ignite war between the Tang and Ashina tribe. Forced to choose between revenge and protecting civilians, she allies with Ashile Sun, the Ashina leader she once opposed.

Their uneasy partnership evolves into mutual respect and a slow-burn romance as they expose political corruption. Changge's dual heritage as Tang royalty and Ashina ally becomes key to brokering peace, culminating in a siege where she dismantles the Qianzhengsi's rebellion. Her journey shifts from vengeance to redemption, realizing unity—not bloodshed—saves empires. The drama balances gritty battles with intellectual intrigue, anchored by Dilraba's fierce portrayal of a strategist-warrior redefining loyalty and identity.

Dilraba's Career-Defining Performance: Dilraba delivers a physically and emotionally demanding portrayal. She trained intensively for action scenes, performing 80% of her stunts, including horseback archery and sword fights. Her nuanced acting captures Changge's transformation: early scenes highlight her rage (e.g., trembling hands as she grips a blood-stained family heirloom), while later moments reveal vulnerability, such as her tearful breakdown upon realizing her revenge quest endangered innocents.

Grounded, High-Stakes Action: The drama avoids over-the-top wirework, opting for gritty, historically plausible combat. A standout sequence features Changge leading a nighttime raid on an Ashina camp, using fire arrows to create chaos—a scene choreographed with input from martial arts historians. The realistic battle tactics, such as shield formations and siege strategies, add intellectual depth to the adrenaline.

Complex Character Dynamics: Changge and Ashile Sun's relationship defies clichés. Their romance develops through strategic debates and shared ideals rather than flirtation. In one scene, Sun gifts Changge a dagger not as a token of affection, but as a symbol of trust: "A weapon for your defense, not for my conquest." Supporting characters like Hao Du, a stoic Tang assassin, and Le Yan, Changge's naive cousin, add layers to the political and emotional stakes.

Historical Context with Creative License: While loosely inspired by the Tang Dynasty's consolidation of power, the drama creatively adapts history. The Ashina tribe mirrors the real-life Eastern Turks, and Li Shimin's reign is portrayed with nuance—he's neither villain nor hero, but a ruler making ruthless choices for stability. Costumes blend Tang-era aesthetics (e.g., high-waisted skirts) with nomadic elements (fur-lined armor), visually underscoring the cultural clash.

Narrative Balance and Pacing: The 49-episode arc maintains tension by interweaving political schemes with character growth. A subplot involving Le Yan's journey from sheltered princess to resilient survivor—aided by Wei Shuyu, a compassionate medic—parallels Changge's path, highlighting war's impact on women. The script also cleverly uses maps and military diagrams as visual motifs, emphasizing Changge's strategic mind.

Beyond its historical lens, the drama explores themes of identity and reconciliation. Changge's struggle to embrace her dual heritage (Tang and Turkic) resonates in today's multicultural discourse. The series was praised by Chinese state media for promoting "national unity," rare for an entertainment-driven narrative.

The Blue Whisper 与君初相识·恰似故人归

• Aired: 2022
• Period Background: Mythical realm with human-demon conflicts.
• Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Drama.
• Main Roles: Dilraba as Ji Yunhe, a demon tamer; Allen Ren as Chang Yi, a merman prince.
• Adapted From: Jiulu Feixiang's novel Yu Jun Chu Xiang Shi.

In a mythical realm divided by human-demon conflicts, Ji Yunhe, a top demon tamer enslaved by the immortal sect Yuqing Palace, plots to escape by manipulating Chang Yi, a naive merman prince. She gains his trust by feigning affection, only to betray him by extracting his lingzhu (spiritual pearl) to secure her freedom. However, Yunhe's guilt deepens as Chang Yi, stripped of his voice and power, sacrifices himself to save her from execution.

Their paths collide again years later: Chang Yi has become a ruthless Northern King bent on revenge, while Yunhe, now mortally ill from years of torture, seeks redemption. As demonic forces led by the power-hungry Shunde Immortal Lady threaten both realms, the duo forms a reluctant alliance. Yunhe's secret efforts to protect Chang Yi reignite their bond, but their love is tested by betrayal, resurrection rituals, and a climactic choice between saving the world or each other.

Dilraba's Masterclass in Moral Complexity: Dilraba portrays Ji Yunhe as neither saint nor villain—a survivor navigating shades of gray. Early episodes highlight her cunning wit (e.g., tricking Chang Yi with false tears) and simmering resentment toward her oppressors. Her transformation begins in Episode 10, where a quiet close-up captures her tearful regret after betraying Chang Yi, signaling her internal conflict. Later, as her health deteriorates, Dilraba's physicality—frail posture, labored breathing—conveys vulnerability without dialogue. The role demands emotional whiplash: in one scene, she coldly threatens an ally; in the next, she tenderly comforts a dying child. This duality makes Yunhe one of C-drama's most layered heroines.

Fantasy World-Building with Purpose

The drama's mythology avoids overused tropes by grounding magic in character-driven stakes. Key elements include:

Ice Valley: A frozen prison where Yunhe is tortured, its eerie beauty (glowing ice caves, CGI auroras) mirroring her isolation.
Ten-Thousand Flowers Mirror: A mystical artifact that reveals memories, used ingeniously in a meta scene where Chang Yi revisits Yunhe's past lies to uncover her true motives.
Spiritual Contracts: Demons and tamers forge bonds through enchanted tattoos, a system that raises ethical questions about free will versus control.

Romance Fueled by Equal Parts Pain and Poetry: Unlike typical "fated lovers" narratives, Yunhe and Chang Yi's relationship is rooted in accountability. Their first kiss (Episode 18) isn't romantic—it's a desperate act to transfer spiritual energy, charged with unresolved anger and longing. The drama's most haunting image—a bloodied Chang Yi carrying Yunhe's lifeless body through a blizzard—epitomizes their tragic cycle of sacrifice. Yet, subtle gestures (e.g., Chang Yi silently weaving Yunhe's favorite flower into her hair) keep hope alive.

CGI and Aesthetic Innovation

With a reported $30 million budget, the drama's visuals set a new standard for Chinese fantasy. Standout sequences include:

Merman Transformation: Chang Yi's iridescent tail and water manipulation (particles shimmering in slow motion) blend practicality with digital artistry.
Dreamscape Battles: A finale showdown where Yunhe and Chang Yi fight atop a crumbling floating island, their powers visualized as clashing waves of blue (water) and gold (light) energy.
Symbolic Costumes: Yunhe's wardrobe evolves from muted grays (oppression) to flowing white robes (redemption), while Shunde's increasingly extravagant headdresses signal her descent into madness.

The Flame's Daughter 烈火如歌

• Aired: 2018
• Period Background: Fictional martial arts world.
• Genres: Wuxia, Romance.
• Main Roles: Dilraba as Lie Ruge , a fiery martial artist; Vic Chou as Yin Xue.
• Adapted From: Ming Xiaoxi's novel Fire and Steel.

In a fictional martial arts world dominated by rival sects, Lie Ruge, heir to the Liehuo Pavilion, returns home after a childhood exile to uncover secrets about her true parentage. Her fiery spirit clashes with three men tied to her past: Yin Xue, an immortal mentor with a hidden agenda; Zhan Bei, her brooding ex-fiancé now allied with a rival faction; and Yu Lang, her gentle, disabled childhood friend. As sect tensions escalate over the coveted Lihun Sword, Ruge discovers her lineage is linked to a forbidden love affair that destabilized the martial arts world decades earlier. Betrayals, assassination attempts, and a deadly poison plot force her to reconcile loyalty to her sect with her desire for justice, culminating in a showdown that redefines power in the jianghu.

Dilraba's Fiery Charisma Anchors the Drama

Dilraba embodies Lie Ruge's "live unapologetically" ethos through physicality and wit. Her introductory scene—bursting into a tavern in crimson robes to challenge smugglers—sets the tone for a heroine who weaponizes both swords and sarcasm. Notably, she avoids melodrama in emotional moments: when confronting Zhan Bei about his betrayal, her quiet fury (clenched fists, steady gaze) speaks louder than tears. Her chemistry with Vic Chou's Yin Xue crackles in playful banter, particularly when he teases her about her "unrefined" sword skills, balancing romance with humor.

Wuxia Action with Nostalgic Flair

The fight choreography pays homage to classic 2000s wuxia dramas like Legend of the Condor Heroes. Key sequences include:

Bamboo Forest Duel: Ruge and Yin Xue spar using Qinggong (light-foot technique), leaping between trees in a rain of leaves.
Lihun Sword Ritual: A ceremonial battle where sect leaders channel Neili (inner energy) to control the sword, visualized through glowing auras and wind effects.
Poisoned Banquet: A tense, dialogue-driven fight where Ruge uses a hairpin to disarm an assassin mid-toast.
Stunt coordinators prioritized practical effects over CGI, resulting in gritty, acrobatic combat. Dilraba trained for weeks to perform 70% of her stunts, including a wirework-heavy rooftop chase.

Aesthetic Symbolism and World-Building

The drama's color palette mirrors character arcs. Ruge's signature crimson robes symbolize her unyielding passion, while Zhan Bei's shift from blue (loyalty) to black (corruption) costumes mirrors his descent into vengeance. Key locations also carry thematic weight:

Piaomiao Mountain: A misty peak housing Yin Xue's hidden past, shot with ethereal filters to emphasize its isolation.
Liehuo Pavilion's Fire Chamber: A forge where pivotal truths are revealed, lit with hellish red tones to underscore rising tensions.

Love Triangles with Bite: The romance avoids shallow tropes by tying personal conflicts to broader sect politics. Yin Xue's love for Ruge is entwined with his 100-year quest to atone for abandoning her mother. Zhan Bei's betrayal stems from his father's manipulation, not mere jealousy. Yu Lang's devotion remains selfless, even as his disability (deafness and lameness) limits his ability to protect her. The script subverts expectations in Episode 32, when Ruge rejects all suitors to prioritize uniting the jianghu.

Love Beyond the Grave 慕胥辞

• Aired: 2025 (Expected)
• Period Background: Ancient fantasy setting.
• Genres: Romance, Xianxia.
• Main Roles: Dilraba as Love Beyond the Grave; Chen Feiyu as the male lead.

Details remain tightly guarded, but leaked footage and set photos reveal Dilraba Dilmurat as Love Beyond the Grave, a celestial figure entangled in a star-crossed romance within a frost-laden mythological realm. Clips showcase her performing an ethereal snow dance, clad in silver-and-blue robes adorned with ice crystal motifs, hinting at a role tied to winter deities or moon goddesses. Co-star Chen Feiyu appears in contrasting crimson warrior attire, suggesting a fiery counterpart to her icy grace.

Industry insiders speculate the story involves a forbidden bond between immortal and mortal realms, with Love Beyond the Grave sacrificing her divinity to prevent a cataclysm. Frames of a shattered ice palace and a glowing, tree-like artifact (possibly a sacred fusang tree) fuel theories of time-loop tropes or memory-erasure subplots—common xianxia themes. The narrative's emotional core seems rooted in quiet yearning rather than grandiose conflict, teased by close-ups of exchanged longing glances amidst snowstorms.

Having defined the genre with Eternal Love of Dream (2020), Dilraba returns to xianxia—a move fans have clamored for since her 2022 fantasy detour (The Blue Whisper). Leaked rehearsals show her leaning into Love Beyond the Grave's melancholic restraint, a shift from Bai Fengjiu's bubbly charm. A standout sequence features her dancing barefoot on a frozen lake, each movement synced to falling snowflakes—an ode to fairy dance traditions in Chinese lore. Her costumes, designed by Oscar-winning artist Tim Yip, blend Tang Dynasty draping with ethereal elements (e.g., translucent sleeves mimicking ice shards). This role could cement her as xianxia's face, much like Zhao Liying in The Journey of Flower.

The drama's $50 million budget reportedly prioritized practical sets over green screens. The Moonfrost Palace, a towering structure built in Heilongjiang's snowfields, features hand-carved ice pillars and a throne encasing real frozen flowers. Cinematographer Chen Weixing (Ashes of Love) employs a muted palette—steely blues, pearl whites—punctuated by bursts of red (Chen Feiyu's armor, blood-spattered snow). Early VFX samples, like a spectral ice dragon coiling around the leads, suggest a hybrid of Game of Thrones' scale and Chinese ink-painting aesthetics. Costume details also hint at lore: Dilraba's hairpin, shaped like a snow lotus, may signify her character's connection to immortality herbs.

Xianxia's Evolution: Intimacy Over Spectacle

While recent xianxia hits (Love Between Fairy and Devil, Till the End of the Moon) prioritized cosmic stakes, Love Beyond the Grave's leaked script fragments focus on quieter moments: sharing congee by a fire, mending robes, silent walks through blizzards. This aligns with director Lin Yufen's signature style (Three Lives, Three Worlds series), which grounds fantasy in human-scale emotions. If successful, the drama could pioneer a "subtle xianxia" trend—less CGI battles, more psychological depth—appealing to audiences fatigued by formulaic epics.

Love Beyond the Grave isn't just a drama—it's a cultural event in gestation. Dilraba's reunion with xianxia, Chen Feiyu's ascent to A-list status, and the production's frost-kissed artistry converge into 2025's most anticipated fantasy. While plot specifics remain veiled, the fragments promise a love story where every glance holds the weight of millennia, and snowflakes carry whispered destinies. For those craving a xianxia that values tender poetics over thunderous clashes, mark your calendars: Winter 2025 may redefine celestial romance.

From Bai Fengjiu's three-life romance to Li Changge's political warfare, Dilraba's dramas prove costume stories thrive when women drive the narrative. Her upcoming Love Beyond the Grave, teased with snow-drenched visuals and Chen Feiyu's fiery chemistry, suggests she's far from done innovating. For newcomers, start with The Blue Whisper—its morally gray heroine and merman lore offer bite-sized fantasy. Veterans craving nostalgia? The Flame's Daughter revives wuxia's golden-era charm.

Dilraba doesn't just wear costumes; she weaponizes them, turning silk robes and battle armor into extensions of her characters' souls. These five titles aren't just recommendations—they're proof that in her hands, ancient tales feel urgently alive. Stay tuned for more from this dynamic star!