Watch Out! Go Go Squid’s Li Xian Will Steal Your Heart

It all started out innocently.

You hear a lot of buzz about the 2019 hit Chinese drama Go Go Squid but somehow, you’re too focused on K-dramas to even care. Until one fateful day, you gave in to curiosity and see what’s up with all these glowing tweets and posts about the much-talked about Chinese series. And after a few episodes, all you can think about really is: “Why didn’t I start on this as soon as possible? I could have met Li Xian much, much earlier!”

Fair warning: Li Xian is that incredibly handsome Chinese actor that just might effortlessly charm you and have you make that surprising swerve from Korean oppa to Chinese gege real quick!

The hit eSports-centered romantic comedy Go Go Squid is about Tong Nian (Yang Mi), a young lady who’s both a computer whiz and a popular online singer who falls for the cold, aloof but eSports genius Han Shangyan (Li Xian) who leads a team in international cybersecurity competitions. The show was so successful that it became China’s most-streamed series in 2019 and is also set to air its sequel/spin-off entitled Go Go Squid 2: DT & Appledog’s Time this 2021. Li Xian and actress Yang Zi are slated to reprise their roles and make a special guest appearance on the show.

Go Go Squid also served as a massive breakthrough project for Li Xian. He debuted in the entertainment industry back in 2011 and had several acting projects under his belt but it wasn’t until his turn as a male lead in Go Go Squid that his popularity exploded not just in China but also internationally.

Basically, it is a truth universally acknowledged that once you’ve decided to watch Go Go Squid, you will definitely fall helplessly in love with Li Xian and the way he played the role of a seemingly uncaring, emotionally unavailable man who’s secretly sweet and caring once his defenses were broken down.

Think of this Metro.Style article as your first date with Li Xian as we help you with some helpful information about him in this getting-to-know stage.

He was born at Jingzhou in Hubei, China on October 19, 1991. Yes, he’s a ’91-liner so you can make some age computations now and think about your age gap with him. The actor is turning 30 this year.

Li Xian has actually visited the Philippines! To celebrate the new year, Li Xian posted his very first vlog on his Weibo account in January 2021 featuring video footages of his past trips including the ones from the time he visited the Philippines back in December 2018. In the video, he’s seen riding a motorcycle, taking videos of tricycles in the countryside, diving and even cleaning up the ocean. Who would have thought that a future Chinese superstar was just roaming around our country and enjoying the dive sites here?

He was recently named “The Most Popular Actor of the Year” at the Douyin Star Motion Night. Held just this January 2021, Li Xian is reaping the rewards of his hard work as his success continues even after Go Go Squid. After the series, he made special appearances on the movies The Captain and Leap, starred in historical drama Sword Dynasty and films The Enigma of Arrival, Love Song 1980, and Soul Snatcher. He has an upcoming drama, A Love Never Lost, and a movie, Schemes in Antiques this year.

Li Xian is an in-demand endorser and brand ambassador in China. Currently, he has 19 brand endorsements under his belt: PUMA, Estee Lauder, Cartier, Levi’s, Acqua di Parma, Ricoh Imaging, Honor, Honor of Kings, 7Up, Lay’s, Wedgwood, Weichuan Daily C, Yili, Midea, JD, Master Kang Jasmine, Gemice Zhenxi, V6 Home and Philips Men’s Grooming. He is THAT powerful. Who knows? Some other brands just might decide to get him as their model before the year ends.

He is the first Chinese star to be featured on the cover of Dazed Korea. Just as Filipinos are watching Korean dramas, Koreans are into watching Chinese dramas. When Go Go Squid was aired in Korea, Li Xian gained new fans and supporters in the country. Because of his popularity, he landed on the July 2020 cover of Dazed Korea and was described as the “Asian New Wave.” He is the first Chinese artist to be on the cover of the Korean fashion magazine.

Like his Go Go Squid character Han Shangyan, Li Xian is afraid of heights. In an interview by iQiyi, Li Xian was asked about his similarity with his character Han Shangyan. He readily replied that like his onscreen character, he is also afraid of heights. He’s into diving so he also humorously said: “Haven’t you noticed that I’d much rather go down [in the ocean] than go up?”

He also sings and plays the guitar. As if his good looks and skillful acting are not enough, Li Xian’s soothing singing voice and guitar-playing will send your heart fluttering. He even sang the song “For the Future” on the Go Go Squid OST.

He likes movies that leave him in awe. In an interview during the Go Go Squid promotions, he shared the movies he re-watches because it makes him think and say “How is that possible?!” and mentioned Inception, Your Name and Dunkirk.

Li Xian considers himself a homebody. When he’s at home, he takes time to work out, read books, watch movies or play video games. Don’t underestimate his gaming prowess. In a recent eSports event, Li Xian became a real-life Han Shangyan when he played and led his team to a victory against the team of Chinese actress Yang Mi.

Li Xian doesn’t have an ideal type. In an interview, Li Xian mentioned he doesn’t have an ideal type for a reason that will melt one’s heart: he believes it depends on destiny when it comes to meeting the right person. But for reference, he considers Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone as female goddesses.

Now that you’re acquainted with some basic details about Li Xian, these are the C-dramas where you can watch more of him:

Sword Dynasty. It is a Chinese wuxia live-action adaptation of the novel of the same title.Li Xian co -stars with actress Li Yitong. The drama tells the story of Ding Ning (Li Xian), a mysterious man who has gone through hardships in life, who’s out to seek revenge against the King. Li Xian was nominated for Best Actor for his role in the series on The Actors of China Award 2020 and Asia Contents Awards 2020.

Tientsin Mystic. In this mystery and detective drama, Li Xian plays the role of Guo De You, a policeman who has a supernatural ability to determine the guilty ones. He ends up being suspected of a murder. Joining with unlikely partners, he begins an investigation to uncover the truth.

Medical Examiner Dr. Qin. The drama revolves around medical examiner Qin Ming (Zhang Ruo Yun) who has an unusual ways of doing things making him difficult to work with. However, he soon finds himself working with and teaming up with a new assistant, Li Da Bao (Jiao Jun Yan) and police detective Lin Tao (Li Xin) where they crack the most mysterious crime cases.

Only Side By Side With You. It may be a supporting role but Li Xian as Chang Jian Xiong, a member of Special Forces, and doing action scenes? Worth it! The drama creatively mixes romance and technology. The story revolves around Nan Qiao (Bai Bai He) who runs a tech company that specializes on drones. Li Xian’s character is friends with male lead Shi Yue (William Chan) but they had a falling out earlier on. After all, both of the male characters have romantic feelings for the same girl: Nan Qiao.

Get on the C-Drama train and meet the handsome, charming and talented Mr. Li Xian (Instagram: @mr.lixian). Thank us later. Catch Li Xian’s dramas on Netflix, iQiyi and WeTV Philippines.