CMGE Co-produced “Yiru: A Sword and Fairy Story” Wins the Golden Orchid Award for Best Series
At the awards ceremony of the 5th Asian International Youth Film Festival held recently, “Yiru: A Sword and Fairy Story,” co-produced by Softstar Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CMGE, won the Golden Orchid Award for Best Series.
The Asian International Youth Film Festival is dedicated to supporting young film and television creators. Its core award, the Golden Orchid Award, is selected by experts to honor works that combine creativity with artistic merit. This honor is a professional recognition of the Eastern aesthetics and cultural expression of “Yiru: A Sword and Fairy Story,” and an endorsement of CMGE's commitment to premium Chinese-style content and the continued development of the Sword and Fairy IP.
Upholding the Chivalrous Spirit and Writing a New Chapter of Sword and Fairy
The appeal of Sword and Fairy lies in the heartfelt loyalty found in jianghu adventures, and in the sense of duty behind every twist of fate. This chivalrous heart, rooted in Chinese culture, connects generations of players and audiences.
As the first landscape-format medium-length drama in the Sword and Fairy series, “Yiru: A Sword and Fairy Story” centers on Li Yiru, a descendant of Nüwa, and follows her growth from a willful young girl into a heroine of great compassion. From personal growth to the survival of all beings, the series continues the spiritual core of Sword and Fairy — love, courage and responsibility — through a new narrative.
Crossovers with classic characters such as Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Ling'er, Lin Yueru and Anu bring familiar figures together with an all-new story.Filming has been completed, and the drama is scheduled to air in 2027.
Blending Intangible Cultural Heritage Craftsmanship to Enrich the Eastern Charm
The chivalrous spirit gives the story its spiritual undertone, while traditional crafts lend the xianxia world a tangible Eastern charm.
During production, “Yiru: A Sword and Fairy Story” systematically incorporated traditional intangible cultural heritage crafts — including Yuhang oil-paper umbrellas, Yuhang paper-cutting, Liangzhu jade carving, Jingshan whisked tea, Zhongtai bamboo flutes, Yuhang indigo dyeing, Yuhang paper horses and Yuhang embroidery — into its art direction and the design of the characters' weapons. The look of leading lady Li Yiru also blends Miao silver forging with Jiangnan weaving, embroidery and braiding techniques, letting heritage culture blossom naturally within the xianxia narrative and reimagining the classic Sword and Fairy worldview through a visual style of “Eastern xianxia aesthetics.”
From the shapes of the paper umbrellas and the patterns of the paper-cutting, to the texture of the jade carvings and the weave of the garments, traditional craftsmanship adds tangible cultural detail to the xianxia world. As audiences follow the characters' destinies and feel the bonds of the jianghu, they can also appreciate the craftsmanship behind these heritage arts, extending their emotional connection with Sword and Fairy into an understanding of and closeness to fine traditional Chinese culture.
This cultural expression is the result of a joint effort. The drama is co-produced by Hangzhou Yaoshunli Culture Film & Television Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Satellite TV (China Blue New Platform), Softstar Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CMGE, and other partners, with support from the Yuhang District Arts Development Fund of Hangzhou, jointly advancing the integration of a classic IP with local culture.
Expanding a Diversified Portfolio to Build Momentum for Long-term Growth
“Yiru: A Sword and Fairy Story” is one of the fruits of CMGE's deep cultivation of the Sword and Fairy IP. Around this classic IP, CMGE has continued to build out remastered single-player games, premium animated series and premium live-action dramas, sustaining the IP's vitality through continuous content development.
In single-player game remasters, the remastered version of “Sword and Fairy 4” received its game license in June 2026 and is scheduled for release in mid-2027, allowing veteran players to relive the classic while opening a gateway for new players into the Sword and Fairy world.
In premium animated series, the “Sword and Fairy 3” animation premiered on Tencent Video on December 30, 2025, with pre-release reservations surpassing 1 million. The “Sword and Fairy 4” game-based animation is co-produced by CMGE with Bilibili and produced by Sparkly Key Animation, and will air exclusively on Bilibili upon completion; a “Sword and Fairy 1” animation is also in planning.
In premium live-action dramas, since the broadcast of “Sword and Fairy (Chinese Paladin)” in 2005, the franchise has released seven titles, including “Sword and Fairy 3,” “Sword and Fairy Inn,” “Qi Jin Zhao” and “You Jian Xiao Yao.” Projects such as “Xian Jian Ran Gui Chen” and “Sword and Fairy 3: Dream of a Thousand Years” are also in preparation, building up new stories and characters for the future development of the IP.
As these diversified projects advance, the stories, characters and emotional assets accumulated by Sword and Fairy are gaining new room for development. Live-action and animation expand audience reach while games deepen engagement, and the different content forms are expected to reinforce one another, creating more opportunities for long-term IP operation and commercialization.
Looking ahead, CMGE will also explore new content formats such as AI hyper-realistic long-form dramas, AI animated films and AI interactive film-games, enriching the cultural expression of the Sword and Fairy IP through technological innovation.
From winning professional recognition for a single work to steadily advancing a diversified content portfolio, CMGE will continue to join hands with quality partners, cultivate premium Chinese-style content and carry forward our cultural roots, turning the cultural legacy of Sword and Fairy into sustained creative output — bringing new moments of inspiration to players and audiences while building momentum for the company's long-term growth.