Following the success of Blossom in 2024, Meng Ziyi has received significantly more opportunities than many actresses of her generation. She currently has five heavily invested drama projects backed by notable casts and production teams, including The Princess’s Gambit, Blossoms of Power, and the yet-to-air Have It All, Tigers Sniff the Rose, and Empress Reborn. At a time when China’s drama market has been relatively subdued in 2026, with many long-form series struggling to generate significant buzz, Meng Ziyi’s continued involvement in major productions demonstrates her strong market appeal.
Among them, Blossoms of Power surpassed 100 million character-related discussions on its streaming platform just 18 minutes after its premiere. Four days later, the drama ranked first on the platform’s weekly chart for attracting new users. Less than two weeks after its debut, the number of users who had rated the series exceeded one million. These figures suggest that Meng Ziyi has established a notable position among costume-drama actresses receiving strong support from streaming platforms.
However, strong media attention and a large number of projects have not ended debates over her acting or role selection. One of the most frequently discussed issues surrounding Meng Ziyi is the similarity between the characters she plays. Three of her roles in particular—Dou Zhao in Blossom, Shen Xihe in Blossoms of Power, and Shen Miao in Empress Reborn—have been compared for their remarkably similar styling and character setups. All three come from prestigious families, hold significant positions within their clans, experience major upheavals, and attempt to change their destinies. Rebirth, revenge, endurance, and personal rise are also recurring motifs across these stories.
The similarities are not limited to characterization and plot. The productions also overlap in directors, dubbing teams, and visual styling. Elaborate period costumes, refined makeup, and the image of a cold yet resilient female lead have created a consistent visual identity for Meng Ziyi. However, according to the article’s assessment, that consistency could also make her characters increasingly difficult to distinguish from one another.
Some critics have argued that the characters can feel as though they have simply been given new names before being placed into another story. If the same formula continues without meaningful changes, they believe the visual image that has become one of Meng Ziyi’s strengths could gradually turn into a limitation.
Beyond her choice of roles, Meng Ziyi’s acting has also become a topic of discussion. Some viewers believe her emotional performances lack variety, depth, and truly explosive moments. One scene involving her character falling into water has been cited as an example, with critics arguing that her expression barely changes as the character closes her eyes and awaits death, without clearly conveying the character’s shifting psychological state.
Why, then, does Meng Ziyi continue to remain closely associated with costume dramas despite the ongoing debate over repetitive roles?
The answer may lie not only in her personal choices but also in how the entertainment market shapes an actor’s image. Meng Ziyi has previously spoken publicly about choosing scripts based on her age and career development needs. The actress, born in 1995, has only relatively recently established herself as a leading star. After facing considerable negative reactions in 2019, she experienced a major career turnaround when Blossom was well received in 2024. Her career has accelerated rapidly ever since.
Audience preferences have also helped define Meng Ziyi as a costume-drama heroine who is often cold, resilient, and forced to overcome major hardships. Producers have subsequently continued to favor her for roles that fit this established image.
When most opportunities come from a familiar genre, choosing dramatically different projects can carry greater risks. An actor hoping to change direction needs more than the desire to experiment—they also need projects capable of proving that they can adapt successfully to different characters. This is a challenge faced by many young actresses with large fan bases. Commercial popularity can give them access to more productions, but it can also encourage the market to repeatedly capitalize on the character types that previously brought them success. Meng Ziyi could continue maintaining a strong industry presence by building on her advantages in costume dramas. However, to expand her range, audiences are likely to look for greater experimentation in genre, characterization, and performance style.
Meng Ziyi has already taken some steps in that direction. She has reportedly turned down several costume-drama scripts with similar storylines and recommended suitable projects to friends instead. One notable move was cutting her signature long hair to star in the modern mystery drama San Xian Mi Hui, an attempt to explore a different image and genre rather than continuing to rely exclusively on her established strength in historical dramas. For now, however, it remains only a relatively small example among her recent lineup of projects.
Sources: kenh14