LayarHijau – The newly released costume drama The Heir (家业), starring Yang Zi and Han Dongjun, officially premiered on May 17. Although its initial ratings trailed behind Zhan Zhao Adventures (雨霖铃), starring Yang Yang and Zhang Ruonan, as well as The Lead (主角) starring Liu Haocun, the drama has still received overwhelmingly positive reactions from viewers.
The series reportedly secured seven advertisements immediately after its premiere, reflecting strong market confidence in the production. The first four episodes have also been widely praised for their fast-paced storytelling, ink-painting-inspired cinematography, and powerful performances from the veteran cast members.
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In the drama, Yang Zi plays Li Zhen, the daughter of a traditional ink-making family whose life changes completely after her family falls from grace. Her grandfather, Li Jinshui, played by Tian Xiaojie, is the most skilled ink craftsman in the family and the key figure behind “Li Mo,” an imperial tribute ink once recognized by the royal court.
However, tragedy strikes when Li Zhen’s father, Li Jingfu, played by Fu Dalong, falls asleep while guarding the tribute ink shipment after getting drunk. A fire destroys the entire shipment, enraging the emperor. Three members of the family are subjected to brutal torture in prison, leaving one dead, one severely injured, and another permanently disabled. Following the incident, Li Zhen’s family is expelled from their clan.
Years later, Li Zhen prepares to marry her childhood sweetheart Tian Benchang, played by Wang Zihao. However, on their wedding day, members of the clan storm the ancestral hall and reveal that Tian Benchang had approached Li Zhen only to steal the Li family’s secret ink formula. After learning that her fiancé deceived her for the formula, Li Zhen publicly ends their relationship.
The sequence became one of the most emotional moments in the first four episodes. Li Jinshui even humiliates himself in front of the clan in an attempt to apologize to the family elders. Witnessing her grandfather’s humiliation pushes Li Zhen to inherit and continue her family’s ink-making legacy.
Yang Zi’s performance has earned widespread praise, with viewers applauding her ability to portray Li Zhen’s emotional transformation naturally. She convincingly shifts from an innocent young woman to someone devastated by betrayal. Her emotional scenes opposite Tian Xiaojie have especially become a highlight among audiences.
Many viewers praised the drama’s depiction of the grandfather-granddaughter relationship, describing it as warm yet layered with conflict due to both characters’ stubborn personalities. Tian Xiaojie in particular received acclaim for a shocking scene in which his character realizes the family secret formula was almost stolen. In one intense moment, he knocks out one of his own teeth in public to show his determination and guilt before collapsing into despair afterward.
Meanwhile, although Han Dongjun is the male lead, his adult character has yet to properly appear in the first four episodes. Viewers have only seen the younger version of his character briefly crossing paths with young Li Zhen. As a result, some netizens jokingly referred to Han Dongjun as a “background male lead” because of his limited screen time so far.
Aside from the performances, The Heir has also been praised for its tightly structured plot with almost no unnecessary filler scenes. Viewers noted that the drama clearly establishes the downfall of the Li family, the clan conflicts, and Li Zhen’s broken engagement within just four episodes.
The drama’s visuals have also drawn significant praise. The detailed presentation of traditional ink-making techniques and the carefully composed close-up and wide-angle shots have been described as resembling classical Chinese ink paintings. Veteran actors including Tian Xiaojie and Wu Mian have further strengthened the overall quality of the series.
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