cyn lynn : The Lead | Recap and Review

Recaps: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48]

*Not really recaps. Mostly captioning my pictures.

Cast


Zhang Jia Yi: Hu San Yuan (FL's uncle)	Liu Hao Cun: Lai Di Yi Qin E Yi Qing E

Qin Hai Lu: Hua Cai Xiang	Wang Xiao Chen: Mi Lan

Dou Xiao: Liu Hong Bing	Zhai Zi Lu: Feng Xiao Xiao

Ji Ta: Huang Zheng Jing	Li Ze Feng: Zhu Ji Ru

Han Pei Lin: Chu Jia He	Wang Li Kun: Xiao Bai Xie

Sun Hao: Gou Cun Zhong	Shi Wen Zhong: Gu Cun Xiao

Yu Jian: Glasses Director	Miao Fu: He Da Chui

Zhang Guo Qiang: Zhang Guang Rong	Hu Yao Zhi: Shan Yang Ping

Wang Hai Yan: Mother Liu

Mini Recaps

[Ep1] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Pan Di 盼弟 and Lai Di 來弟 are sisters. Pretty names, right? Oh, they’re meaningful too. Jiejie’s name means “Hoping for a Little Brother,” while meimei’s means “Brother Comes.” So sorry we're not sons.

Pan Di wants to join her uncle’s (Zhang Jia Yi's Hu San Yuan) qinqiang troupe and sing. That’s the dream. Unfortunately, this tween's future father-in-law has already started controlling her life. Yes. Her future father-in-law. He forbids her from leaving his son, and not even Pan Di’s OWN father can object.

This shepherd girl is our future qinqiang queen

Lai Di – this 瓜 (gua) – is forced to go instead. Poor girl is sobbing her eyes out the whole time. Lai Di genuinely doesn’t want to leave her family. The sisters cry with each other for themselves. It is heartbreaking.

瓜 gua. It means melon. But in Shaanxi, it's an adjective, meaning dumb and foolish. Like blockhead. But melonhead.

[Ep2] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Lai Di sleeps beside Hua Cai Xiang (Qin Hai Lu), and I still don’t fully know what Hua Cai Xiang’s exact relationship to Hu San Yuan is at this point. Wife? Not-wife? Emotional situationship? TBD. One thing we DO know: Neither woman gets any sleep that night. Guess who the snorer is in these screenshots?

BOTH. They were so upset at each other when they're just as loud. xD Maybe this is the sign of powerful qinqiang vocals. Snoring loudly.

[Ep3] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Chu Jia He: “Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do.”

= Model answer.

Hua Cai Xiang: “No. It’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.”

= Model petty attitude.

Lai Di gets renamed Yi Qing E (易青娥), and Hua Cai Xiang is not pleased because Hu San Yuan named her after Li Qing E. Turns out both Li Qing E and Hua Cai Xiang played dan (旦) roles, the principal female lead in qinqiang, and BOTH had feelings for Hu San Yuan… who is, by profession, a drummer. Beating percussion and accidentally beating women’s hearts too. Then comes the tragedy. Li Qing E delivers one of the greatest performances of her life. The audience goes wild. Hu San Yuan is drumming like his soul left his body. They’re all completely consumed by the stage, almost intoxicated by the performance itself… and then Li Qing E falls to her death on stage.

And now I’m suspicious that Mi Lan (Wang Xiao Chen) is the third woman into Hu San Yuan.

Mi Lan's first dan (旦), female lead.

And also Lai Di's first stage. See that scarecrow?

[Ep4] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Mi Lan LOL.

Feng Xiao Xiao (future Zhai Zi Lu)

Hu San Yuan negotiating/bribing the judges to let Lai Di into the troupe ~~is classic Chinese~~. He really is clever and sneaky. Lai Di is making it very hard though by barely speaking ten words since arriving. Then suddenly, out of pure rage, she “sings.” And by sings, I mean she unleashes a yell powerful enough to shake the mountains.

Everybody: Σ(°□°˶) !!

[Ep5] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

I wasn't expecting Hua Cai Xiang to cheat?! Hua Cai Xiang's husband Zhang Guo Rong is back, and though she never physically cheated, she's here taking a family photo with Hu San Yuan while her husband is away…

[Ep6] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Hua Cai Xiang asks Zhang Guo Rong for a divorce. And he asks what Hu San Yuan has over him besides drumming.

Hua Cai Xiang: Other than drumming, he’s inferior to you in every way.
So why?
Hua Cai Xiang: With him, there’s 活兒 (huo er).
Zhang Guo Rong: What does that mean?
Hua Cai Xiang: You don’t sing. You wouldn’t understand.

By 活兒 she means something deeper. Spirit. Vitality. Artistic soul. That electric aliveness on stage. She’s basically saying Hu San Yuan makes her feel artistically and emotionally alive.

Meanwhile, Lai Di experiences her first “divorce.” Okay, separation. Her first friend Ba Yi – Chef Song's son – flees town. This is the first person who will leave her life. And it won't be the last. According to the ominous narration. Thanks.

[Ep7] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Hua Cai Xiang gives up the granddaughter dan旦 role to Mi Lan, which is shocking to Mi Lan, but not to Hu San Yuan.

Hu San Yuan: Hua Cai Xiang loves the opera on the stage. You love the stage. One woman loves the art. The other loves the spotlight.
Then after dropping something this philosophical, he leaves.
Mi Lan: Where are you going?
Hu San Yuan: 尿. Piss. We just cannot be impressed with this man's thoughtfulness for more than five consecutive minutes, lol.

Introducing granddaughter and grandma:

Chef Song acts too! I love his line "Baka" timed right when Hei Wa slaps himself trying to kill a mosquito. LOL.

Baka!

[Ep8] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Hu San Yuan supposedly 搞破鞋 with Xiao Bai Xie – 搞破鞋 literally means “messing around with torn shoes,” but culturally it means having an illicit affair. And I guess it's not a coincidence Xiao Bai Xie’s name translates to “Little White Shoes.” Hua Cai Xiang is furious. And won't let Xiao Bai Xie (costume/wig designer) touch her hair. Of all people, it's Mi Lan on Hua Cai Xiang's side helping her.

Zhang Jia Yi lol

Hu San Yuan takes over Chef Song's role of Japanese invader in the opera performance. At the end of the show, the children decide to punish the Hu San Yuan / Japanese invader / 搞破鞋-er by throwing shoes/鞋 at him. The "shoe" wordplay deserves applause. Except… Hu San Yuan DID NOT actually have an affair. He was covering for Xiao Bai Xie so she could secretly meet her husband. Her husband was a cellist who studied in Russia, but during the Cultural Revolution he was persecuted over his class background and sent away for labour reform in the countryside. They haven't seen each other in three years. And now he dies. ?!?! On the way back, he takes a shortcut, falls off a cliff, and dies. What a shortcut lol.

[Ep9] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Hua Cai Xiang’s husband finally agrees to divorce her, and she goes to tell Hu San Yuan.

Hu San Yuan: 我這好日子到頭了. My good days are over.
Hua Cai Xiang: 那你接得住我不？Then can you handle me? (Read: take me)
Hu San Yuan: 接不住嘛. Probably cannot handle.
Hua Cai Xiang: 那你有啥打算呢？Then what are you planning to do?
Hu San Yuan: 扛著. Carry.
It's a wordplay. 接 jie that I translated to "handle" also means "receive." Hu San Yuan jokes that he can't 接receive her, but he can 扛carry her.

He's messing with her and then he gives her this tiny smile. <3

But oh no! Hua Cai Xiang is pregnant. With Zhang Gruo Rong's child. :O

[Ep10] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Hu San Yuan is such a petty uncle and I love him for it. A bully steals Lai Di’s hidden money, so Hu San Yuan stuffs scorpions into the box to attack the thief the next time he steals. The bully kid actor was actually his rascal son in Growing Together.)

Xiao Bai Xie goes crazy. :O I wasn't expecting her to go offline like this. She and Lai Di understood each other in that quiet, lonely way only introverts sometimes do. Neither had many friends.

Relevé-ing to Swan Lake

Ugly Duckling/Swan is homonyms with E in YQE's name

[Ep11] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

There's no place for Hua Cai Xiang on stage anymore. As Mi Lan performs as the 旦 on stage, Hua Cai Xiang listens from a distance. She quietly sings one last time for herself. Only Gou Cun Zhong is there to comfort her. Nuanced. Because as you watch more, you'll know who Gou Cun Zhong is. He understands exactly what she's losing because he used to be the troupe's 旦 too. Nobody has to explain the pain of being replaced. He already knows.

Remember back in Ep9 when Hu San Yuan yelled "Earthquake!" so everyone would scatter and he could cut the line for grain? Awful. And unfortunately, one girl actually believed him, panicked, jumped off a building, and broke her leg. Well, he runs into her again and somehow sets her up with Xiao Ding Zi, the theatre troupe's props guy. This uncle spontaneously creates problems and solutions.

[Ep12] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Xiao Ding Zi is BOMBED to death. On stage. =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇) His girlfriend is sitting in the audience happily clapping, completely unaware of the sudden ridiculous tragedy.

Afterward, Hu San Yuan needs a blood transfusion. Hua Cai Xiang volunteers, but she's pregnant.

Hua Cai Xiang: Why can't I donate? I'm fine!
The doctor is like no.
Mi Lan: …I'll donate.
And what I love is that there are plenty of men standing around in this scene and they haven't uttered a word.
But Mi Lan admits: I'm scared of blood. Aww. Come with me.

Why can't I donate? I'm fine!

I'll donate.

I'm scared of blood. Aww. Come with me.

Then when Mi Lan sees her own blood, lol

Hua Cai Xiang sits beside unconscious Hu San Yuan, complaining about him. Suddenly— SNORE. Hua Cai Xiang is offended. How is this man sleeping at a time like this?! A confused Mi Lan walks in, thinking Hua Cai Xiang hallucinating.

Later Mi Lan sits alone talking to unconscious Hu San Yuan. Then— SNORE. Mi Lan freezes. A few moments later Hua Cai Xiang walks in. Mi Lan, dead serious: "I heard him snoring." She knows, lol.

Feng Xiao Xiao comforts Lai Di. Entirely by coincidence. But that's already more kindness than any of the kids have shown her.

Escalation. Hu San Yuan is JAILED. For good (few years). Director Huang twisted the story to make what was an accident sound deliberate criminal activity from Hu San Yuan to remove liability from himself.

[Ep13] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

I love whatever strange relationship these two women have.

You think what I'm fighting you for is the opera role?

So you're fighting me for my man?

What I'm fighting over isn't important.

The important thing is that the person I'm fighting with is you.

...Are you sick?

I want good things for you.
But you cannot have more good things than me.

From Mi Lan it's jealousy, it's admiration, it's competition, it's affection.

[Ep14] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]

Narration: 一個瓜娃教另一個瓜娃練功 LOL. One little 瓜/gua/dummy teaching another little 瓜/gua/dummy how to train.

Hei Wa: You're so 瓜

Lai Di: I'm not 瓜

Cuts to two pigs playing together in a pig pen.

Definitely both are 瓜

Lai Di is discovered by Gou Cun Zhong who sees the spark in her eyes. Then Lai Di gains another master. Then another. Three old masters have all been reduced to humble jobs around the troupe: gatekeeper, food supervisor, set manager. Men who once stood in the spotlight now spend their days in the shadows. But every night they quietly gather together to teach one little girl.

Gou Cun Zhong; 旦; gatekeeper

Zhou Cun Ren; set manager

Qiu Cun Yi; food supervisor

(I'm not certain I correctly matched the names for these two)

Y'ALL.

TRAUMATIZED.

Hei Wa dies.

From FLIPPING.

=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇)

And then Lai Di grows up into Liu Hao Cun. ~~And what trauma?~~

By the way, they drew the three moles on Lai Di to match with Liu Hao Cun.

Remarks

[First Impression]

I think I had the wrong first impression of this show. I was expecting a story about a little girl growing up and learning Qinqiang (秦腔) opera. I thought we'd spend a lot of time looking into the art by watching Lai Di / Yi Qin(g) E train, struggle, improve, and gradually become a great performer.

Instead, the show is much more macro in scope.

We focus on the politics on how to get FL to become the FL of qinqiang. It's also interested in Hu San Yuan's life, people being persecuted, separations, deaths, divorces. A lot of the major themes are actually quite sad. But life would keep going in the next episode so even if someone dies, the new episode is another day. And so it's traumatic, but not as traumatic.

I kinda think I got roped into this. (My own fault). Especially with scenes like these:

Zhu Ji Ru sniffs

Hua Cai Xiang sniffs

Mi Lan sniffs

Note: Liu Hao Cun appears in Ep14. And Pre-Ep14 might be my favourite part of the show, lol.

[Cast&Crew]

主角 is directed by Li Shao Fei, known for Growing Pain and The Stage, and both also star Zhang Jia Yi as ML. Truly the 主角 of 主角.

But the 主角 is also Liu Hao Cun. The story is centred around her character becoming the queen of Qinqiang opera (秦腔), a traditional performing art from Shaanxi province.

The producer is THE Zhang Yi Mou. And Liu Hao Cun is his protégé, one of his Moa Girls.

You will recognize a lot of the same supporting cast if you've watched Zhang Jia Yi dramas (e.g. his kid from Growing Together acts as the kid-bully here, and "kids" from Growing Pain 1&2 are now Xiao Ding Zi and Chu Jia He).

Wrapped on August 16, 2025

[Ending]

[A Highlight]

[Review & Rating]

Rating: /5

Recommendations

Genre List:

Era Dramas

May 30, 2026

The Lead | Recap and Review

Cast

Mini Recaps

Remarks

Recommendations

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