Feminist realism drama Wild Bloom is set to exclusively premiere on iQIYI from 27 November 2022. Set in the 90s, the highly-anticipated series stars Zhao Liying, Oho Ou, and Li Guangjie and is directed by award-winning directors Fu Dongyu and Mao Wei.

Being helmed a “ratings guaranteed” actress, Zhao Liying plays Xu Banxia, a character who in many ways resembles the actress’ own younger self. The road to stardom did not come easy for this well-known actress who was born in the suburbs to a policeman father and saleswoman mother who could not fork out much to support Zhao Liying, who had already developed a liking for acting into the industry. It was also through her upbringing in the suburbs that shaped her into the strong and tenacious woman she is today.

As part of iQIYI’s Her Story slate of female-centric shows, the plot of Wild Bloom surrounds the journey of the female lead, Xu Banxia. This drama aims to overturn social norms in China’s workforce, which tends to be disadvantageous for women. With the rise of China’s economy, Xu Banxia leads her friends Xiao Chen (starring Li Guangjie) and Tong Xiaoqi (starring Oho Ou) in an attempt to leave their mark in the steel scrap and transport industry which is largely dominated by men. The success she finally achieves in the series reiterates the message that one’s ability should not be defined by their gender.

With an original fanbase from the novel the series was adapted from, Bu De Wang Sheng, and the strong cast, the series trailer has garnered a total of 25k views on YouTube and also raked up 970k pre-launch reserves on the iQIYI app, as well as 22k fans on the Weibo hot topic segment, making it a highly anticipated drama by many.

Wild Bloom depicts the story of Xu Banxia, whose mother died in childbirth and is born to a negligent father. Growing up under these circumstances, Xu Banxia’s character grew up to be independent and daring. With China’s economic takeoff in the early 90s, Xu Banxia and her close friends Tong Xiaoqi and Xiao Chen embark on a journey to start a steel scrap and transport business.

In this male-dominant steel industry, Xu Banxia is driven by the virtue of her spirit of adventure and her pragmatic attitude, choosing to challenge herself by entering the Russian markets. Through all the hardships and even near-death experiences, she successfully builds an independent international steel import business, striking her first pot of gold.

With her foresight, her bold personality and sense of the market, Xu Banxia overcomes all difficulties in the competitive steel market, and gradually expands her business territory. After her experiences through life, relationships and career, Xu Banxia learns to solve her problems decisively and how to break through herself, and gained career and love.breaks through new milestones to find success in her career and love.