Zhan Zhao Adventures (2026) First Impressions (Episodes 1-8)

This is one that I had been waiting for since a year or so ago and only realised that it had started airing when the first episode popped up on my YT feed. The titular character has his origins in Justice Bao mythology and I was eager to see how he could be used as the protagonist of his own story. Justice Bao aka Bao Zheng was a historical figure who presided over the Kaifeng Court during the Northern Song dynasty. Fiercely upright, the magistrate/prefect is legendary in his execution of justice particularly in relation to the royal family. According to MDL, Bao Zheng’s exploits have been the subject of apparently 55 screen adaptations. Stunned by the number, I definitely can’t say I have seen all of them but I have fond memories watching an early Justice Bao series as a child in the 1970s. Zhan Zhao is part of the Kaifeng constabulary which assists the judge in his investigations. The most memorable screen Zhan Zhao up to now has been Chen Xiaolong (Ashton Chen), who was a popular (and adorable) child actor, trained properly in Shaolin martial arts. The three seasons of that series which he was a part of (Young Justice Bao), has some of the best detective stories in C drama history.

In the latest iteration of the Justice Bao mythos, actor Yang Yang plays Zhan Zhao. Here Zhan Zhao traverses jianghu in search of answers to a conspiracy aimed squarely at the throne. Jianghu is the landscape of wuxia stories — the martial arts world, populated by a panoply of powerful if eccentric pugilists/schools cooperating or competing with each other. Traditionally the affairs of the court seldom spill over to jianghu but gradually there’s been an encroachment. The pugilistic community are forced to take sides and many become stooges to various political figures in a bid to maintain/boost their prestige among their peers. Loyalty to the incumbent ruler or patriotism is no longer a common cause for good.

When the show opens an injured Zhan Zhao is on the run after being tasked with delivering an explosive message to the capital. His reputation precedes him wherever he goes. At a tavern he encounters the brash and indiscreet Huo Linglong (Zhang Ruonan) and together they save a mute lad from multiple interested parties all willing to kill. She’s running away from an arranged marriage with an official. It’s par for the course that fights between rival sects break out at the drop of hat and to hasten a fatal end to a fight, poison is added to the mix.

One thing is immediately obvious about this more old-school style wuxia story are the fight scenes. They are well staged, executed and exuberant. Whatever his limitations are as an actor, Yang Yang does great justice to that side of the character. His Zhan Zhao lives up to his reputation as a skilled fighter seldom equalled and a righteous law enforcement officer — a boy scout with superpowers. Zhang Ruonan’s Huo Linglong, on the other hand, I’m less enthusiastic about. She’s running away from an arranged marriage with an up and coming official. While she might be excited about travelling jianghu after an overly sheltered life, she comes across as impulsively garrulous in dangerous places.

It’s certainly the case that there’s a lot of exposition dumping in those first five or six episodes. There’s also the matter of trying to get one’s head around various characters and their connections in the martial arts community. They pop in and out of the narrative at breakneck speed. Once the set-up is done and all events are set in motion, the show definitely comes into its own.

To round out the triumvirate, is Alen Fang’s Bai Yutang. Fang Yilun who was delightful in The Journey to Love, is a similarly shrewd cavalier pugilist here but with more of an edge and less goofiness. His entry certainly livens things up and quickly becomes Zhan Zhao’s comrade-in-arms as the trio dodge assassins and spears for their troubles.

The series demonstrates plenty of potential. With C dramas I hate to make predictions about where this might be headed. I’ve been bitten too many times. But as someone who really likes the theme and world building, I am optimistic but with the usual added dose of caution.

If you found this helpful, please like, share or leave a comment. Appreciate you all swinging by and taking the time.