{ "id": "epaz0msaex", "slug": "burning-flames", "title": "Burning Flames (烈焰 (电视剧))", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "label": "Titles symbols to Co", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "label": "China · 2021 and later: Titles symbols to Co", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021", "label": "China · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "label": "Titles symbols to Co", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Burning Flames (烈焰), also titled 烈焰之武庚纪, is a 2024 40-episode iQIYI Chinese fantasy drama adapted from the animation Wu Geng Ji and comic Feng Shen Ji, starring Ren Jialun as enslaved prince Wu Geng who leads humans against the god clan; aired March 13 to April 3, 2024, amid costume controversy and a script-theft accusation.", "snippet": "Burning Flames (烈焰), also titled 烈焰之武庚纪, is a 2024 40-episode iQIYI Chinese fantasy drama adapted from the animation Wu Geng Ji and comic Feng Shen Ji, starring Ren Jialun as enslaved prince Wu Geng who leads humans against the god clan; aired March 13 to April 3, 2024, amid costume controversy and a script-theft accusation.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "markdown": "# Burning Flames (烈焰 (电视剧))\n\n**Burning Flames** (烈焰) is a 2024 Chinese costume fantasy television series adapted from the 3D animation *Wu Geng Ji* (武庚纪) produced by Xuanji Technology, which in turn was adapted from the Hong Kong comic *Feng Shen Ji* (封神纪) by Zheng Jianhe and Deng Zhihui.[1](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26800601) • [2](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731) Directed by Zheng Weiwen and Liu Chongchong and starring [Ren Jialun](https://www.edgepedia.org/ren-jialun), Xing Fei, Zhu Xudan, Yan Yikuan, Zhu Zhengting, and Mi Re, the 40-episode series premiered on iQIYI on March 13, 2024 and ran to April 3, 2024.[3](https://www.iq.com/play/%E7%83%88%E7%84%B0-2c3d65htggo?lang=zh_cn) • [4](https://thetvdb.com/series/burning-flames)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Native title | 烈焰, also released under the title 烈焰之武庚纪 (Burning Flames: Wu Geng Ji)[4](https://thetvdb.com/series/burning-flames) • [5](https://reading.udn.com/read/story/124409/7850853?from=udn-next-newnews_ch1014) |\n| Source material | Xuanji Technology's animation *Wu Geng Ji*, itself adapted from the Hong Kong comic *Feng Shen Ji*[1](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26800601) |\n| Broadcast | iQIYI, March 13 to April 3, 2024, 40 episodes, average runtime 45 minutes[4](https://thetvdb.com/series/burning-flames) |\n| Lead cast | Ren Jialun as Wu Geng, with Xing Fei, Zhu Xudan, Yan Yikuan, Zhu Zhengting, Mi Re, Xu Zhengxi as Hei Long, and Peter Ho as King Xin[3](https://www.iq.com/play/%E7%83%88%E7%84%B0-2c3d65htggo?lang=zh_cn) • [2](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731) |\n| Premise | A human prince, enslaved after his kingdom falls, leads humans and allied races in revolt against the new god clan[6](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_nyl3ip0doh.html) |\n| Performance | iQiyi in-site heat passed 8500 within three days of airing, with a peak approaching 9000; cumulative effective views reached 753 million[7](https://cinehello.com/stream/152193) |\n| Overseas reach | First place on iQIYI International's overseas hot-play list and weekly popularity charts in multiple countries and regions[8](https://aqdzb.aqnews.com.cn/epaper/xml/aqwb/20240802/WB2024080215.pdf) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and story\n\nThe series is set in a mythic antiquity in which the new god clan (新䰠族), ruled by Hei Long (黑珑, played by Xu Zhengxi), dominates the three realms and forces the human kingdom of Xin (辛国) to mine blood stone with ten times its manpower.[6](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_nyl3ip0doh.html) • [9](https://epaper.guilinlife.com/glwbpc/glwb/20240321/13.pdf) King Xin (辛王, Peter Ho) refuses and dies in the resistance, while the queen, Xin Yuehu (心月狐, [Ma Su](https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-su)), a former god-clan priestess, exhausts her divine essence to protect their son Wu Geng (伍赓, Ren Jialun).[2](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731)\n\n**From prince to slave.** Wu Geng falls to the bottom of a mining camp as the slave A Gou (阿狗) but keeps his resolve for revenge. He follows his grandfather and mentor Fuxi (伏夕, Liu Xiangjing) to the God-Hidden Village to train, instructed by Zi Yu (子羽, Yan Yikuan) and [Shi Xing](https://www.edgepedia.org/shi-xing) (十刑, Mi Re), and grows from a proud, willful prince into a leader determined to carry on King Xin's will and fight for his people's freedom.[2](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731) In the finale he assembles a powerful army against heaven, marches on the god realm, and ends the long struggle against enslavement.[10](https://www.iq.com/play/%E7%83%88%E7%84%B0-g691amz9x8?lang=zh_tw) The iQiyi synopsis describes him leading the human race together with the God-Hidden clan, the Yao clan, and the Sea Spirit clan against the new god clan's oppression.[6](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_nyl3ip0doh.html)\n\nThe story is a male-led revenge fantasy in the lineage of dramas such as *Ever Night* and *Snow Eagle Lord*, built on the theme that humans can overcome heaven.[2](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731) Commentators noted that its theme of mortals with human bodies defying gods in search of human freedom and dignity is uncommon in earlier fantasy dramas.[11](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html)\n\n## Adaptation from the animation\n\nThe animation *Wu Geng Ji* ran for four seasons between 2016 and 2021 and was generally well received.[1](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26800601) Its distinctive choice was to invert the familiar Shang-Zhou transition narrative: in the animation, the Shang king is punished not for tyranny but for challenging the authority of Heaven, and the true oppressors are the gods rather than King Zhou.[1](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26800601) The live-action series changed this worldview, and the critic Zeng Yuli, writing in The Paper's monthly web-novel adaptation column, argued that the adaptation lost the animation's subversive innovation on familiar mythology.[1](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26800601)\n\nThe production treated the animation's visual identity as a creative keyword; cinematographer Jiang Kai shot the series with eight Sony CineAltaV 2 cameras, chosen for low-light capability, latitude, and color reproduction.[12](https://cinehello.com/stream/149755) The drama follows the main plot of the animation's seasons 1 through 4 (first part) while extending and adapting it.[13](https://reading.udn.com/read/story/124409/7840698)\n\n## Reception\n\n**A contested opening.** On premiere day the production's social media accounts were flooded with negative comments mocking the costumes and makeup, with criticism spreading across Douyin, Weibo, and [Xiaohongshu](https://www.edgepedia.org/xiaohongshu).[11](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html) Within about a week opinion shifted: fans of the *Wu Geng Ji* animation defended the styling as highly faithful to the animation, and viewers praised the drama's dialogue scenes, special effects, and pacing, a pattern the entertainment press described as \"durian-style viewing,\" meaning it smells bad but tastes good.[11](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html) Reviews were polarized: many viewers praised the high character fidelity, expensive effects, and plot twists, while criticism targeted the leads' line delivery and acting and the costume design, with some netizens noting that the unusual looks for King Xin and Xin Yuehu replicated the animation.[2](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731)\n\n**Viewership.** Within three days of airing the series' iQiyi in-site heat index passed 8500, and it topped multiple industry tracking platforms for consecutive days; during its run it repeatedly reached the top of iQiyi's heat rankings with a peak approaching 9000, and by early April its cumulative effective views across platforms had reached 753 million.[14](https://www.jiemian.com/article/10925919.html) • [7](https://cinehello.com/stream/152193) The iQiyi page lists a user score of 8.1.[6](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_nyl3ip0doh.html) In the first half of 2024, iQiyi reported that the series ranked first on its international platform's hot-play list and on weekly popularity charts in multiple countries and regions.[8](https://aqdzb.aqnews.com.cn/epaper/xml/aqwb/20240802/WB2024080215.pdf)\n\n## Copyright dispute\n\nOn March 20, 2024, Zhejiang Haibin Film and Television Culture Co. publicly accused the series' producer Yuan Xin of obtaining the IP authorization through improper means and stealing its script.[15](https://sina.cn/news/detail/5013972083019402.html) The company stated it had licensed the *Wu Geng Ji* adaptation rights from Hangzhou Xuanji Technology, developed a full script, and sent it to Yuan Xin in November 2019 for a platform filing; it alleged that Yuan Xin instead signed the rights through her own company, Zhan You Culture, and that a third-party screenwriter comparison found the filmed script highly similar to theirs in structure, character settings, and original plot, with some scene descriptions and dialogue nearly identical.[15](https://sina.cn/news/detail/5013972083019402.html) Taiwanese coverage reported that if the allegations were substantiated the series could face removal, and connected the dispute to the title change from *Burning Flames: Wu Geng Ji* to *Burning Flames*.[5](https://reading.udn.com/read/story/124409/7850853?from=udn-next-newnews_ch1014)\n\n## Context in the manhua-adaptation genre\n\nLive-action adaptations of comics and animation have a reputation in the Chinese market for frequent failure, but the two years before *Burning Flames* saw the genre become a new focus for streaming platforms with better-than-expected results; *Hikaru no Go*, *Blood of Youth*, and *Under the Strange Skies* all scored above 8 on Douban.[11](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html) The genre's central challenge is landing the animation's exaggerated, hot-blooded tone in a realistic live-action medium, and adaptations of image-based animation IP have less room for free rein than novel adaptations because the visuals already fix the audience's imagination.[11](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html) For *Burning Flames*, even viewers who never adjusted to the costume style said the quality of the dramatic scenes held them.[11](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html)\n\n## References\n\n1. [网文改编观察丨《烈焰》《与凤行》：大男主与大女主的抗争, 澎湃新闻 (The Paper), 2024-03-27](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26800601)\n2. [孤傲王子沦为奴隶 任嘉伦上演逆境复仇, 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao), 2024-03-20](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240320-3164731)\n3. [烈焰 (2024) 全集, 爱奇艺 iQ.com](https://www.iq.com/play/%E7%83%88%E7%84%B0-2c3d65htggo?lang=zh_cn)\n4. [烈焰 (Burning Flames), TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/burning-flames)\n5. [《烈焰》漫改後成爛劇 劇本被指非法盜用或將面臨下架, 琅琅悅讀 (UDN), 2024-03-23](https://reading.udn.com/read/story/124409/7850853?from=udn-next-newnews_ch1014)\n6. [烈焰-电视剧-全集高清正版视频在线观看, 爱奇艺](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_nyl3ip0doh.html)\n7. [执导《烈焰》，是我职业生涯的分水岭：专访青年导演刘崇崇, 影视工业网, 2024-04-03](https://cinehello.com/stream/152193)\n8. [2024-08-02 安庆晚报 A15](https://aqdzb.aqnews.com.cn/epaper/xml/aqwb/20240802/WB2024080215.pdf)\n9. [在古装玄幻剧《烈焰》中, 桂林晚报, 2024-03-21](https://epaper.guilinlife.com/glwbpc/glwb/20240321/13.pdf)\n10. [烈焰 (2024) 全集 帶字幕, 愛奇藝 iQ.com (繁體)](https://www.iq.com/play/%E7%83%88%E7%84%B0-g691amz9x8?lang=zh_tw)\n11. [从《烈焰》来聊聊，漫改剧为何总陷入\"榴莲式追剧\"模式？, 界面新闻·镜象娱乐](https://m.jiemian.com/article/10936665.html)\n12. [《烈焰之武庚纪》: 8台CineAltaV 2拍摄漫改大剧：专访摄影指导江凯, 影视工业网, 2023-08-29](https://cinehello.com/stream/149755)\n13. [《烈焰》漫粉心碎了 實力派演員魔性cosplay, 琅琅悅讀 (UDN)](https://reading.udn.com/read/story/124409/7840698)\n14. [近期热度最佳，《烈焰》凭\"漫感\"+特效破圈, 界面新闻·读娱, 2024-03-18](https://www.jiemian.com/article/10925919.html)\n15. [浙江海滨影视文化有限公司声明, 新浪新闻, 2024-03-20](https://sina.cn/news/detail/5013972083019402.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles symbols to Co*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Burning Flames (烈焰 (电视剧))\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Burning Flames (烈焰 (电视剧))](https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames](https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Burning Flames (烈焰 (电视剧))\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/burning-flames. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Burning Flames, also titled 烈焰之武庚纪, is a 2024 40-episode iQIYI Chinese fantasy drama adapted from the animation Wu Geng Ji and comic Feng Shen Ji, starring Ren Jialun as enslaved prince Wu Geng who leads humans against the god clan; aired March 13 to April 3, 2024, amid costume controversy and a script-theft accusation." }