
*The Chinese drama title 醒来 can be translated as “wake up.”*

***

About twenty minutes ago, the production team announced the release date and dropped a new trailer.

The distribution license was obtained on December 29, 2025.

Clip description:

*Each person rises and falls in their own way, each holding fast to their own convictions. Everyone is waiting for that final vision called peace.*

***

**Cast:**

More information regarding the actor credit guidelines in [this summary here](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/s/64RnpxCl7V) and [the full notice here](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/s/ewoyufbmUa).

(I put the character stroke count as: 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣)

Leading actors (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* 5️⃣ Gulnezer Bextiyar 古力那扎尔·拜合提亚尔
* 5️⃣ Feng Wei 冯威 (stage name: Feng Shaofeng 冯绍峰)
* 6️⃣ Jiang Shuying 江疏影
* 8️⃣ Ou Hao 欧豪

Special appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* Xu Sisi 许思思 (stage name: Xu Fangyi 许芳铱)
* Ni Hanjin 倪寒尽
* Huang Jue 黄觉
* Liang Jie 梁洁

Appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* Ma Yujie 马渝捷
* Wang Kai 王凯 (stage name: Wang Ziquan 王梓权)

***

* Episodes: 40 (according to Baidu Baike)
* Streaming platform: iQIYI 🥝 and CCTV 🐑 
* Official cast announcement: September 25, 2025
* Distribution license obtained: December 29, 2025

***

* 🎬 Directors: [Zhao Bao Gang](https://mydramalist.com/people/43451-zhao-bao-gang) (Spy Game, Harbin Enveloped in Darkness, One Step Away), [Liu Xingang](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%88%98%E5%BF%83%E5%88%9A/9335120) (Hero of the Year, Five Star Hotel, The Biography of Sun Tzu, Seven Days)
* ✍️ Original creator and screenwriter: [Hai Fei](https://mydramalist.com/people/35351-hai-fei) (Genuine Heroes, Thin Ice, Insects Awaken, Sparrow, Code Namel
* 📖 Novel: [Xing Lai 醒来](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%86%92%E6%9D%A5/55499274)


***

🔗 [Previous trailer, posters, etc.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/search/?q=%22The+Awake+%E9%86%92%E6%9D%A5%22&type=posts&sort=new) 

***

[Synopsis translated from Baidu Baike](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%86%92%E6%9D%A5/62093479):

⚠️ *Plot spoilers!* ⚠️

In the winter of 1941, an underground member of the Communist Party, Li Musheng, >!was exposed and killed in Hangzhou. Before his death,!< Li entrusted dozens of film rolls that contained information identifying the locations related to the Japanese military’s “Sleeping Plan” to Chen Kailai, a young apprentice photographer, urging him to deliver them to the Party in Shanghai.

Chen Kailai set out for Shanghai, accompanied by Jin Bao, a down-and-out showgirl. Along the way, they were unexpectedly drawn into the power struggle between Su Men, a senior official in the puppet regime’s inspection bureau, and the leader of No. 76 (the secret police organization stationed in No. 76 Jessefield Road in Shanghai under [Wang Jingwei’s regime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Jingwei_regime)).


>!Through a string of incidents, including a corruption case and an assassination at the racetrack, Chen Kailai eventually made contact with Shen Kexi, an underground operative codenamed “Su Di”, and successfully handed over the intelligence.!<

>!Recognizing Chen Kailai’s remarkable powers of observation, the Party enlisted his help to analyze photographic clues and assist in thwarting the enemy’s “Sleeping Plan.”!<

>!Caught between multiple dangerous forces - No. 76, the Japanese military, and the KMT’s intelligence agency, Chen, with the determined support of underground comrades Su Men, Zhao Qian, and Shen Kexi, managed to overcome one peril after another. He underwent a profound transformation, fully “awoke,” and ultimately crushed the enemy’s sinister plan, growing into a true communist fighter.!<

***

[Synopsis from MDL](https://mydramalist.com/685277-awaken):

⚠️ *Plot spoilers!* ⚠️

Set in wartime China, the story follows Chen Kai Lai, an apprentice photographer who is entrusted with crucial intelligence >!after an underground operative is killed.!< Accompanied by a dancer down on her luck, Chen is drawn into the shadowy world of espionage, corruption, and political intrigue in Shanghai.

As rival factions clash and hidden agendas surface, Chen is forced to rely on his sharp perception and courage while navigating constant danger. >!With the guidance and protection of underground agents, he begins a transformative journey from an ordinary civilian into someone deeply entangled in the resistance, where every choice could mean survival – or sacrifice.!<

(Source: MyDramaList)

~~ Adapted from the novel "Xing Lai" (醒来) by Hai Fei (海飞).

🔎 [Baidu Baike](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%86%92%E6%9D%A5/62093479) | [Douban](https://m.douban.com/movie/subject/36126289/) | [MDL](https://mydramalist.com/685277-awaken) 

***

**Translated Synopses**

Note: All translated synopses I share in the "trailers & posters" posts are based on the original Chinese sources (Douban, Baidu, Chinese Wikipedia, etc.) and were first published here. If you see them elsewhere, please know they originated from our sub. Thanks for reading!

***

📊 Information and translations compiled by u/admelioremvitam. 



The Awake 醒来 from 🥝 iQIYI and 🐑 CCTV. 📣🗓️ Airing on August 26, 2026. Starring Gulnezer Bextiyar, Feng Shaofeng, Jiang Shuying and Ou Hao. New trailer.