Hunting (2025)

Plot Synopsis

A story about cops chasing drug dealers isn't new. But "Hunting" (Original name: 围猎) tries to offer a fresh take. Set in the "post-meth era," the show depicts traffickers who are "upgrading their industry" with new types of synthetic drugs.On thepolice side, you have Wang Yangplaying the veteran anti-narcotics cop, Yang Yipeng. He teams upwith a rookie,played by Deng Enxi, and an informant named Duo Zai to take down a major operation.

The drama unfolds along two main storylines. One is the case itself, where thepolice start with a captured trafficker, Mou Haidong (played by Li Chengru), and meticulously unravel the entire drug manufacturing and distribution network behind him.This network is extensive, stretching from Hong Kong and Hunan all the way to the border of Yunnan and Sichuan.The other storyline focuses on the next generation,pitting the "cop's kid" against the "trafficker's kid." Deng Enxiplays Zhi An, the daughter of an officer, while Zhang Youhaoplays Duo Zai, a young man raised in a world of drugs.Their lives, though worlds apart, become entangled.

So, what makes it worth watching?

In a word, realism. Director Li Shaohong reportedly went to great lengths, using over 200 real locations to make the world feel authentic and grounded.Thepolice officers aren'tportrayed as superheroes but as ordinarypeople you couldpass on the street.While there are car chases and explosions, the core of the drama lies in the intellectual battle between the cops and the criminals.

The cast is also a major draw. Wang Yang has become a familiar face in coproles, and for thispart as Yang Yipeng, he reportedly committed fully, growing out his hair and sporting apotbelly to fit the character.His adversary is the drug chemist Mou Sen,played by Yu Haoming, who appears refined with his gold-rimmed glasses but is ruthlessly violent—a chilling contrast.The show is anchored by veteran actors like Li Chengru, Yang Haoyu, and Yu Ailei.Among the younger cast, Zhang Youhao'sportrayal of the informant Duo Zai, a man struggling to do good while trapped in a criminal environment, is expected to be a standoutperformance.

Ultimately, "Hunting" is a cat-and-mouse game.Both thepolice and the traffickers are constantly evolving their methods. The show explores not just the criminal case but also how drugs can derail the lives of ordinarypeople.The struggles of these minor characters might just be as compelling as the mainplot. We'll have to watch to see how it all comes together.