LayarHijau – iQiyi has announced Bu Xian Yuan Yang Zhi Xian (不羡鸳鸯只羡仙), which literally means “Don’t Envy Lovebirds, Just Envy Immortals” — a literal translation, not an official English title. The project has drawn attention for using the licensed likenesses of real actors as digital assets, with Shen Yujie and Chen Heyi as its lead stars. iQiyi introduced the project on September 22, 2026, as a long-form AI-assisted drama featuring real actors.
What sets the project apart is not the use of AI in drama production itself, as AI-generated short dramas have already become increasingly common in China. The more notable aspect of iQiyi’s project is its use of licensed likenesses from real actors to create digital versions of their characters. Shen Yujie plays Huang Doudou, while Chen Heyi plays Lu Yang. The project therefore represents an experiment in using actors’ licensed digital assets in a long-form drama rather than being the first AI drama in general.
Next articles
There are some differences in how the production process has been described. Some reports say Shen Yujie and Chen Heyi licensed their likenesses and voices, with the characters and scenes subsequently created using AI. However, director Wei Zheng described the project as a roughly 1,000-minute drama combining real human performances with AI assistance. According to the director, the characters’ emotions, expressions, intensity and development come from the actors’ performances, while AI is used to expand the possibilities of camera work, settings and visual production. He also said the project involved extensive filming in Shanghai and Hengdian, using more than 100 cameras to capture the actors’ performances.
That explanation suggests that the term “AI drama” does not mean the technology has replaced the entire acting process. Instead, one of the project’s central ideas is to turn real actors’ performances into digital assets that can be used in an AI-assisted production process. The model also comes amid broader discussions in the entertainment industry about permission and licensing for the use of actors’ faces and voices in AI-generated content.
Shen Yujie previously appeared in the 2025 historical mystery drama Coroner’s Diary (朝雪录), which ran for 38 episodes. The drama starred Li Landi, Ao Ruipeng, Yu Cheng’en and Shen Yujie, who played Yue Ning. iQiyi lists the series as an adaptation of the novel The Powerful and Favored Coroner Imperial Concubine by Bu Yue Qianzhuang.
Chen Heyi, meanwhile, was among the cast of the 2025 historical romance drama Fated Hearts (一笑随歌). The 38-episode series starred Li Qin, Chen Zheyuan, Xia Meng and Chen Heyi.
Story-wise, Bu Xian Yuan Yang Zhi Xian is not a remake of a previous drama or film. It is an adaptation of the novel Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality (谁让他修仙的！) by Chinese author Zui Bai de Wuya (最白的乌鸦). “Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality” is a translated English title for the novel, whose original Chinese title is 谁让他修仙的！. The novel, which began publication in 2023, combines xianxia fantasy, action, comedy and everyday-life elements.
The story centers on Lu Yang, a young man who sets out on the path of cultivation in pursuit of immortality. On his way to the Wendao Sect, he meets Meng Jingzhou. The two eventually go through the sect’s selection process and become friends and companions as they encounter a series of unusual situations. The novel takes a comedic approach to the xianxia genre, frequently turning familiar cultivation-story conventions on their head rather than treating the world of immortals as an entirely serious setting.
One of the key characters in Lu Yang’s journey is Huang Doudou, also known as the Immortal Fairy. In the source novel, Huang Doudou is an ancient figure who once attained immortality. After her death and erasure from existence, she reappears when Lu Yang accidentally invokes her true name and immortal title. She subsequently resides in Lu Yang’s spiritual space and becomes an important influence on his cultivation journey.
The relationship between Lu Yang and Huang Doudou is an important part of the story, but the novel is not solely focused on romance. Lu Yang also goes through his cultivation journey alongside characters such as Meng Jingzhou and Yun Zhi, while facing conflicts, strange rules of the cultivation world and secrets surrounding the history of the immortals. Its comedic tone and playful twists on xianxia conventions are among the defining features of the novel.
For the drama adaptation, iQiyi has announced Shen Yujie as Huang Doudou and Chen Heyi as Lu Yang. The project is slated to be part of iQiyi’s 2027 lineup. By combining a popular source novel, real actors, AI-assisted production and licensed digital likenesses, Bu Xian Yuan Yang Zhi Xian offers an example of how Chinese streaming platforms are experimenting with new approaches to long-form drama production.
