The Lead (Season 1)

The Lead (主角, 2026) is a Chinese drama series directed by Li Shao Fei — watch it online on iFILM. As a girl, Yi Qin'e is brought to a local cultural troupe by her uncle Hu Sanyuan to learn Qinqiang, the ancient operatic tradition of Shaanxi province. What starts as a practical arrangement becomes the defining force of her entire life.

Zhang Jia Yi leads the cast through decades of Yi Qin'e's story — a career built inside an art form that few outside northwestern China know well. She reaches the heights. And then discovers that total dedication to a craft costs things no applause can replace. The series doesn't romanticize the stage; it shows how artistic glory and profound loneliness can occupy exactly the same space. Stream all episodes of The Lead online on iFILM.