iQIYI's Absurdist Crime Drama 'Born with Luck' Sets New Genre Benchmark

BEIJING, May 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 13, iQIYI, China's leading online entertainment platform, announced that its crime drama "Born with Luck" surpassed 10,000 on its content popularity index, placing it among the platform's most-watched titles since its May 4 premiere. Debuting via iQIYI and iQIYI International, the series has sustained strong momentum in both audience engagement and chart performance, reflecting iQIYI's consistent ability to develop distinctive drama genres.

Adapted from the novel of the same name by acclaimed author Zijin CHEN, "Born with Luck" opens with an anonymous whistleblowing letter that sets off a chain of increasingly absurd criminal cases. As police officers Yi'ang ZHANG and Qian LI investigate the deaths of a former police chief and a criminal investigation captain, they are drawn into a complex web of relationships in Sanjiangkou City, involving related groups, violent criminals, and local troublemakers. The result is a genre-blending narrative that fuses crime, suspense, and sharp absurdist comedy into a distinctive viewing experience.

iQIYI Senior Vice President and the drama's chief producer Ying DAI said, "From 'Burning Ice' to 'Born with Luck', this is our fourth collaboration with Zijin CHEN. Filmed in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, the series brings together the distinctive humor of Northeast China and the tone of the story in a way that feels truly organic." This further underscores iQIYI's long-term commitment to premium suspense storytelling and genre innovation.

The series draws an added dimension through promotional tie-ins with iQIYI's hit variety show "Super Sketch Show". Several comedians from the show appear in the drama, while familiar comedic references have been widely picked up by viewers in bullet comments, further amplifying the show's humor and audience engagement.

As of today, its Weibo rating has climbed to 9.2 out of 10. The series has also delivered strong performance across major platforms, ranking No. 1 on related drama charts on Douyin and Kuaishou, two major short-video platforms in China, while continuing to top major third-party charts including Enlightent, ky.live, and Dengta. These results demonstrate growing market appetite for absurdist crime storytelling.

Contact: iQIYI Press, [email protected]

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SOURCE iQIYI Inc.