Song of Phoenix

Song of Phoenix is a 2017 Chinese television series adapted from Liang Zhenhua's namesake novel, focusing on the legendary life of great Chinese poet Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period (475-221BC). It stars Ma Ke as the titular protagonist, alongside Viann Zhang, Qiao Zhenyu and Jackson Yi from TFBoys. It aired on Hunan TV from 28 April to 10 June 2017.

Synopsis
It tells the story of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and government official known for his accomplishments during the Warring States Era. In the fictionalized dramatization, Qu Yuan falls in love with a slave girl named Mo Chou Nu. Their love is a forbidden romance, which is complicated by palace politics and the affairs of the nation. Motivated by his love for his country, Qu Yuan embarks on a difficult endeavor to save his people.

Cast

 * Ma Ke as Qu Yuan
 * Jackson Yi as young Qu Yuan
 * Viann Zhang as Mo Chou Nu
 * Qiao Zhenyu as King Huai of Chu
 * Li Zifeng as Qu You
 * Liang Tian as Zhao Bixia
 * Liu Yun as Zheng Xiu
 * Lan Xi as Queen of Nan
 * Li Yuxuan as Zhang Yi
 * Peng Bo as Zhuang Qiao
 * Ning Xin as Concubine Tian
 * Li Enxi as Ying Sheng
 * Ding Yingying as Qing'er
 * Kelly Niu Tien as Empress Dowager
 * Gallen Lo as King Huiwen of Qin
 * Wu Yang as Luo Lan
 * Yin Zhusheng as Qu Buoyong
 * Wu Qianqian as Bo Hui
 * Huang Xiaowan as Mi Bazi
 * Lan Ge as Cai Wei
 * Wang Xinyu as Liu Waizui
 * Dou Jinhan as Mu Yi

Reception
Though the series premiered with 2.18% ratings and ranked first in its time slot, its ratings rapidly dropped in the next few episodes. It was criticized for distortion of history, absurd plot and characters as well as poor CG effects. Despite the criticism, Phoenix was popular among teenagers and young viewers in their early 20s and the series averaged 18 million views per episode. The series earned a 3.3 out of more than 13,000 user reviews.

Ratings

 * Highest ratings are marked in  red , lowest ratings are marked in  blue