{ "id": "eph87t1c8w", "slug": "sword-and-fairy", "title": "Sword and Fairy (祈今朝)", "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-sp-to-z", "label": "Titles Sp to Z", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "China · 2021 and later: 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", "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" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Sword and Fairy (祈今朝, Qi Jin Zhao), also called Legend of Sword and Fairy 6: Qi Jinzhao, is a 2024 Chinese xianxia drama adapted from the game Chinese Paladin 6, starring Xu Kai and Esther Yu; 36 episodes on Tencent Video from January 18, 2024.", "snippet": "Sword and Fairy (祈今朝, Qi Jin Zhao), also called Legend of Sword and Fairy 6: Qi Jinzhao, is a 2024 Chinese xianxia drama adapted from the game Chinese Paladin 6, starring Xu Kai and Esther Yu; 36 episodes on Tencent Video from January 18, 2024.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "markdown": "# Sword and Fairy (祈今朝)\n\n**Sword and Fairy** (祈今朝, *Qi Jin Zhao*) is a 2024 Chinese xianxia (Chinese fantasy genre of immortal cultivators and magic) television series adapted from the single-player role-playing game *Chinese Paladin 6* (仙剑奇侠传六) by Softstar Entertainment, starring [Xu Kai](https://www.edgepedia.org/xu-kai) and Esther Yu as two amnesiac companions searching for their origins[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy) • [2](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1706602816168574.html). It ran for 36 episodes on [Tencent Video](https://www.edgepedia.org/tencent-video) beginning January 18, 2024, one day after the rival platform iQIYI premiered *Chinese Paladin 4*, setting up a head-to-head airing of two dramas from the same game franchise[2](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1706602816168574.html) • [3](https://www.chasingdramas.com/drama-updates-transcript/february-2024-chinese-drama-update-chinese-paladin-4-sword-and-fairy-love-endures-admist-a-snowstorm-of-love/).\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Chinese title | 祈今朝 (Qi Jin Zhao); international title Sword and Fairy[4](https://drama.fandom.com/wiki/Sword_and_Fairy_%282024%29) |\n| Source material | The game *Chinese Paladin 6* (仙剑奇侠传六) by Softstar Entertainment[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy) |\n| Broadcast | 36 episodes, Tencent Video, premiered January 18, 2024[2](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1706602816168574.html) |\n| Lead cast | Xu Kai as Yue Jinzhao and Bian Luohuan (double role); Esther Yu as Yue Qi[5](https://www.cpophome.com/sword-and-fairy-xu-kai-esther-yu/) |\n| Director and music | Liu Guo Nan (with Sun Meng Fei); score by Yuki Kajiura and Mak Chun Hung[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy) |\n| Filming | August 5 to November 30, 2022[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy) |\n| Reception | Douban 4.9 as of February 6, 2024; Tencent danmu interactions passed 15 million by January 30, 2024[6](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26274546?commTag=true) • [2](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1706602816168574.html) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and characters\n\nThe story opens with Yue Jinzhao (越今朝) and [Yue Qi](https://www.edgepedia.org/yue-qi) (越祈) waking in Wuyan Village three years before the main action, with no memory of their pasts and a mysterious \"resonance\" (共鸣) linking them. They travel the jianghu (the martial-arts world of wandering heroes and factions) together as companions, hoping to recover their lost memories and identities[7](https://wetv.vip/zh-tw/play/xbt9vh2njpp6a5n/a0045z4t1pr-Ph%E1%BA%A7n_%C4%91%C3%B3ng_m%C3%A1y_%C4%91%E1%BA%B7c_bi%E1%BB%87t_%7C_Ti%C3%AAn_Ki%E1%BA%BFm_6%3A_K%E1%BB%B3_Kim_Tri%C3%AAu). Their journey draws them into a cult's unrest (the Qihun Sacred Sect) and the blood-sacrifice mysteries of the Luo family stronghold, and during the fight against the sect a seal on Yue Qi's memories and emotions is unexpectedly broken[7](https://wetv.vip/zh-tw/play/xbt9vh2njpp6a5n/a0045z4t1pr-Ph%E1%BA%A7n_%C4%91%C3%B3ng_m%C3%A1y_%C4%91%E1%BA%B7c_bi%E1%BB%87t_%7C_Ti%C3%AAn_Ki%E1%BA%BFm_6%3A_K%E1%BB%B3_Kim_Tri%C3%AAu).\n\nAlong the way the pair gathers a six-person party: Luo Zhaoyan, head of the Luo family stronghold; Ju Shifang, a maker of mechanical devices; Xian Qing, a thousand-year wolf demon; and the master-and-disciple pair Gu Hanjiang and Ming Xiu, who hates demons[8](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26180195). Four factions converge on the plot: the Zhengwu Alliance, the Qihun Sacred Sect, the Hengdaozhong, and the Yu demon tribe, as the protagonists work to uncover the mystery of the \"Nine Springs\" and save the world[7](https://wetv.vip/zh-tw/play/xbt9vh2njpp6a5n/a0045z4t1pr-Ph%E1%BA%A7n_%C4%91%C3%B3ng_m%C3%A1y_%C4%91%E1%BA%B7c_bi%E1%BB%87t_%7C_Ti%C3%AAn_Ki%E1%BA%BFm_6%3A_K%E1%BB%B3_Kim_Tri%C3%AAu) • [8](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26180195).\n\nXu Kai plays a double role as Yue Jinzhao and Bian Luohuan, a gentle mentor who resembles the male lead; the drama makes Bian Luohuan, who has little connection to Yue Qi in the game, into a one-sided love interest, an adaptation choice that divided viewers[5](https://www.cpophome.com/sword-and-fairy-xu-kai-esther-yu/) • [8](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26180195). The supporting cast includes Fu Xinbo as Xian Qing, Wan Peng as Luo Zhaoyan, Bai Bingke as Ming Xiu, and Zhou Lijie as Ju Shifang[5](https://www.cpophome.com/sword-and-fairy-xu-kai-esther-yu/).\n\n## Production\n\nThe series was directed by Liu Guo Nan and Sun Meng Fei, with Wang Hong leading a team of screenwriters; the score was composed by [Yuki Kajiura](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuki-kajiura) and Mak Chun Hung, and production companies included Shandong Film & TV Media, Linique Pictures, Asian Stars, and Soft Stars[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy). Filming ran from August 5 to November 30, 2022[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy). Internationally the series streamed on WeTV, simulcast with the Chinese release in Thailand from January 18, 2024[9](https://mgronline.com/drama/detail/9670000006142).\n\nThe soundtrack leaned on nostalgia for the earlier Xianjian dramas: new insert songs were performed by the duo JS and Zhang Yunjing, singers associated with the classic *Chinese Paladin* and *Chinese Paladin 3* television soundtracks[8](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26180195).\n\n## Reception\n\n**Engagement metrics were strong even as critical scores were low.** On January 19, 2024, one day after premiere, Tencent announced the drama had set the platform's 2024 record for the fastest TV drama to pass one million danmu (bullet-comment) interactions, with a total of 1.5 million[10](https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1705647917169448.html). Interactions passed 10 million on January 25 after seven consecutive days above one million per day, and 15 million by January 30[11](https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2024-01-26/doc-inaevxky0039940.shtml) • [2](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1706602816168574.html). In the ArtEnt content index for late January 2024 it ranked ninth among all web dramas with a play index of 342.63[12](https://runwise.oss-accelerate.aliyuncs.com/sites/15/2024/03/2024%E5%B9%B41%E6%9C%88%E6%96%87%E5%A8%B1%E8%A1%8C%E4%B8%9A%E5%B8%82%E5%9C%BA%E8%A7%82%E5%AF%9F_%E8%89%BA%E6%81%A9_2024%E5%B9%B4.pdf).\n\nCritical reception was mixed to negative. As of February 6, 2024 the drama held a Douban score of 4.9, in the platform's low-to-mid range, against 4.2 for *Chinese Paladin 4*; a later report gives its opening score as 5.1[6](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26274546?commTag=true) • [13](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-04-18/detail-inhuwnkq0464524.d.html?oid=anti+rungkad+demo+slot%E3%80%90GB999.bet%E3%80%91.jrbu&vt=4). Common criticisms targeted the idol-drama styling and makeup, the perceived childishness of some comedic scenes, and Esther Yu's high-pitched delivery, while reviewers generally judged the mystery and adventure plotting to be within the franchise's framework and reasonably paced[6](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26274546?commTag=true) • [14](https://yule.360.com/detail/3536141). A fan-community assessment called it the most faithful live-action adaptation in the Xianjian series, estimating roughly 80 percent script fidelity while noting heavy changes to the Bian Luohuan storyline and low-budget large-scale scenes[15](https://bangumi.tv/subject/352742/collections).\n\nThe drama's official account reported that its soundtrack was the most-streamed drama original soundtrack of 2024 on NetEase Cloud Music and that the series placed in WeTV's 2024 global top five most popular Chinese costume dramas[16](https://weibo.com/xjqxzl). A Sina entertainment piece credited it with a faithful rendering of the game's characters and a nuanced treatment of chivalry across opposing factions, noting praise from Yao Zhuangxian, the creator of the Xianjian series, and from the game's original artist[17](https://k.sina.cn/article_7879922982_1d5ae152601909xb5g.html).\n\n## Place in the Xianjian franchise\n\nThe drama belongs to the *Legend of Sword and Fairy* (仙剑奇侠传) franchise, a long-running Chinese RPG series spanning nine generations of games, several of which have been adapted for television[18](https://financialfilings.com/filings/cmge-technology-group-limited/earnings-release/2026/33079029/). It was one of three Xianjian dramas released in early 2024, alongside *Sword and Fairy: Youjian Xiaoyao* (a remake of the first game's story) and *Legend of Sword and Fairy 4*[18](https://financialfilings.com/filings/cmge-technology-group-limited/earnings-release/2026/33079029/). CMGE Technology Group, the IP holder, later cooperated with the team behind *Qi Jinzhao* to develop a series of micro-short dramas exploring supporting characters from across the nine game generations[18](https://financialfilings.com/filings/cmge-technology-group-limited/earnings-release/2026/33079029/).\n\n## References\n\n1. [Sword and Fairy – DramaWiki](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sword_and_Fairy)\n2. [许凯、虞书欣主演《祈今朝》腾讯视频站内弹幕互动量破1500万 – 新京报](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1706602816168574.html)\n3. [February 2024 Chinese drama update – Chasing Dramas](https://www.chasingdramas.com/drama-updates-transcript/february-2024-chinese-drama-update-chinese-paladin-4-sword-and-fairy-love-endures-admist-a-snowstorm-of-love/)\n4. [Sword and Fairy (2024) – Drama Wiki Fandom](https://drama.fandom.com/wiki/Sword_and_Fairy_%282024%29)\n5. [Sword and Fairy – CPOP HOME](https://www.cpophome.com/sword-and-fairy-xu-kai-esther-yu/)\n6. [不要再拍\"仙剑\"了，住手吧！ – 澎湃新闻](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26274546?commTag=true)\n7. [《仙劍六祈今朝》殺青特輯 – WeTV](https://wetv.vip/zh-tw/play/xbt9vh2njpp6a5n/a0045z4t1pr-Ph%E1%BA%A7n_%C4%91%C3%B3ng_m%C3%A1y_%C4%91%E1%BA%B7c_bi%E1%BB%87t_%7C_Ti%C3%AAn_Ki%E1%BA%BFm_6%3A_K%E1%BB%B3_Kim_Tri%C3%AAu)\n8. [\"仙剑\"重启，为何双双折戟？ – 澎湃新闻·湃客](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_26180195)\n9. [เรื่องย่อซีรีส์จีน \"SWORD AND FAIRY\" [2024] – MGR Online](https://mgronline.com/drama/detail/9670000006142)\n10. [《祈今朝》创2024年腾讯视频电视剧弹幕互动量最快破百万纪录 – 新京报](https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1705647917169448.html)\n11. [许凯、虞书欣新剧《祈今朝》腾讯视频站内弹幕互动量破千万 – 新浪财经](https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2024-01-26/doc-inaevxky0039940.shtml)\n12. [2024年1月文娱行业市场观察 – 艺恩](https://runwise.oss-accelerate.aliyuncs.com/sites/15/2024/03/2024%E5%B9%B41%E6%9C%88%E6%96%87%E5%A8%B1%E8%A1%8C%E4%B8%9A%E5%B8%82%E5%9C%BA%E8%A7%82%E5%AF%9F_%E8%89%BA%E6%81%A9_2024%E5%B9%B4.pdf)\n13. [\"重启\"立刻\"折戟\",仙剑IP是否还能\"亮剑\"? – 新浪](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-04-18/detail-inhuwnkq0464524.d.html?oid=anti+rungkad+demo+slot%E3%80%90GB999.bet%E3%80%91.jrbu&vt=4)\n14. [好家伙！《祈今朝》播出后差评一片！ – 360娱乐](https://yule.360.com/detail/3536141)\n15. [看过 祈今朝 的 Bangumi 成员 – Bangumi](https://bangumi.tv/subject/352742/collections)\n16. [电视剧《祈今朝》官方微博](https://weibo.com/xjqxzl)\n17. [《祈今朝》:创新诠释少年侠义 – 新浪娱乐](https://k.sina.cn/article_7879922982_1d5ae152601909xb5g.html)\n18. [CMGE Technology Group Limited – Earnings Release](https://financialfilings.com/filings/cmge-technology-group-limited/earnings-release/2026/33079029/)\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 Sp to Z*\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/sword-and-fairy", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/sword-and-fairy.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": "\"Sword and Fairy (祈今朝)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/sword-and-fairy. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Sword and Fairy (祈今朝)](https://www.edgepedia.org/sword-and-fairy)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/sword-and-fairy](https://www.edgepedia.org/sword-and-fairy). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Sword and Fairy (祈今朝)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/sword-and-fairy. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Sword and Fairy, also called Legend of Sword and Fairy 6: Qi Jinzhao, is a 2024 Chinese xianxia drama adapted from the game Chinese Paladin 6, starring Xu Kai and Esther Yu; 36 episodes on Tencent Video from January 18, 2024." }