Top 10 Chinese Celebrities’ Popularity Rankings in May

The television stars everyone are talking about.

It may seem as if Dilireba (迪麗熱巴) dominated discussion groups with her new drama Love Designer <幸福，觸手可及>, but this actor surprisingly took the top spot in search rankings in May. Here are other Chinese television artistes holding strong on the popularity radar:

10) Andy Yang (楊紫)

Even without any drama airing, Andy Yang has maintained her popularity. Currently busy with filming, she has not made many public appearances besides ongoing endorsements with Korean brand Artiz Studio and PepsiCo. The launch of her and co-star Kris Wu’s (吴亦凡) poster for The Golden Hairpin <青簪行> has fans looking forward to the drama, in which she plays famous female detective Huang Zixia of the Tang dynasty who is known for solving a notorious wife-killing crime at the age of 12. At 17, she becomes the sole survivor of her family in a tragedy, which led to accusations of her murdering her own family members.

Escaping to Chang An to join Li Shubai (played by Kris Wu), the two team up to investigate her family tragedy and Li’s curse, gradually falling for each other in the process.

9) Arthur Chen (陳飛宇)

Catching attention with his role in xuxia drama Legend of Awakening <天醒之路>, Arthur Chen delivers a steady performance though his character is somewhat similar to Ning Que in Ever Night <將夜>. While not an extremely popular drama, Legend of Awakening has a rating of 6.4 on Douban and has its fair share of audiences.

Being the son of acclaimed director Chen Kaige (陳凱歌) has earned Arthur much media spotlight since starting out. Aided by his father’s strong relations in the industry, Arthur has proven his acting chops but seemed to lack a strong affinity with the audience. His role as Mo Ran in the upcoming drama Immortality <皓衣行> has fans guessing if he would be the next Sean Xiao (肖戰), who achieved popular success in a similarly themed drama,The Untamed <陳情令>.

8) Maggie Jiang (江疏影)

Historical epic Serenade of Peaceful Joy <清平樂> was the most hotly-discussed Chinese drama in the first half of May. While viewer responses have been mixed, it has still appeared onto search rankings every day. Initially praised for her gentle and virtuous empress persona, Maggie Jiang’s character later turns into a cold and cruel stepmother-like character, resulting in netizens’ negative comments.

After the drama ended, the actress posted her reflections in a long update, “Airing until now, Serenade of Peaceful Joy had its share of recognition and brickbats. I was once hurt by a drama coach’s comments, wanting to rework my performance again agitatedly. This time I admit that I was once again hurt by some comments, and guessed for an instant if they merely hated me (as the actress).”

7) Jackson Yee (易烊千璽)

TFBoys‘ Jackson Yee caught viewers’ attention recently on the reality program Welcome Back to Sound <朋友請聽好>, a show which susses out listeners’ trouble based on radio program recordings. Jackson’s warm image once again won the hearts of many fans.

Despite being only 20, he displays maturity of disposition and wisdom, impressing viewers when sharing his personal thoughts on life’s dilemmas and how he deals with everyday situations. His recent performances in film and television have also made an impression, with the movie Better Days <少年的你> in which he stars alongside Zhou Dongyu (周冬雨), being discussed even after ending its run.

6) Zhu Yilong (朱一龍)

Despite not having any dramas airing at the moment, the 32-year-old maintains his popularity, joining the cast of The Rebel Genre <叛逆者> immediately after wrapping up filming To Dear Myself <親愛的自己> where he stars alongside Cecilia Liu (劉詩詩).

His Zhongshan imaging in In The Rebel Genre was hotly searched, while his gentlemanly onscreen aura as the determined special agent Lin Nan Sheng also shows his flexibility as an actor.

5) Sean Xiao (肖戰)

Despite being entangled in a censorship controversy affecting his image and acting career, the 28-year-old still remains popular. Recent news about Sean Xiao making a comeback was confirmed when photos of him on the program Youth Periplous <青春環遊記2> made its rounds.

While his drama The Wolf <狼殿下>, did not air as expected in May, his single Spotlight <光點> earned a spot on many musical charts. Breaking his silence on Weibo several times in May to remind fans to be rational when star-chasing, Sean wrote, “Please listen to me seriously again! I hope everyone puts their career, work and life before chasing celebrities. Study diligently and do your work seriously. Fulfill your role and responsibility; abide by your career and professional etiquette. I don’t need support,” Rousing attention with his comment about not wanting support, the post earned eight million likes with over a million shares and comments, proving Sean’s continued popularity.

4) Wang Yibo (王一博)

Just wrapping up his drama alongside Zanilia Zhao (趙麗穎) in The Legend of Fei <有翡>, Wang Yibo has already been cast in a new police drama Being A Hero <冰雨火> with Chen Xiao (陳曉). Riding on the success of The Untamed <陳情令>, Wang Yibo’s collaboration with established co-stars is proof of his strong popularity.

Looking dashing in his police outfit in the latest character posters released, Wang Yibo plays a smart and passionate narcotics officer in Being A Hero, with his character going undercover with Chen Xiao in a complicated cat-and-mouse storyline.

3) Wang Kai (王凱)

Wang Kai won many netizens over with his well-received performance as Emperer Renzong in Serenade of Peaceful, thanks to his convincing benevolent and scholarly aura.

Two of his dramas were airing at once, with the other being police drama Hunting <獵狐>. While Hunting is not as hotly discussed, reception has also been positive with a respectable 7.2 Douban rating. There’s plenty to like about Wang Kai’s dashing and witty character Fu Yuan, while the actor also shows his good grasp of action scenes.

2) Dilireba (迪麗熱巴)

Dilireba stars in the hotly discussed Love Designer <幸福，觸手可及> as Zhou Fang, a chic, domineering designer who does not mince her words. A surprising contrast from her usual sweet and goody-two-shoes personas, the actress earned good reviews with her performance, especially since the drama was not dubbed. Dilireba also deliberately lowered her tone of voice so her character would sound more forceful and rich in emotions, successfully drawing viewers into the plot.

1) Allen Ren (任嘉倫)

Following Under the Power <錦衣之下>, the actor appeared in Republican-era spy thriller Autumn Cicada <秋蟬>, which has consistently obtained strong television ratings.

Playing an undercover spy among Japanese soldiers, Allen’s character is surrounded by opposing forces and forced to survive with no close aid. Overcoming obstacles with his wit and tenacity, his fearsome gaze reminds of the equally dashing Lu Yi in Under the Power.

Allen’s drama with actress Xing Fei (邢菲), Miss Crow With Mr Lizard <烏鴉小姐與蜥蜴先生>, is set to air in May. He plays Gu Chuan, the founder of a winning design agency. Holding a big secret, Gu Chuan cannot get angry, agitated or fall in love, adding to the story’s appeal.

Falling out of the top 10 in May but placing eleventh and twelfth are actresses Zhao Lusi (趙露思) and Zanilia Zhao.

Source: Sohu

This article is written by JoyceK for JayneStars.com.