Always on the Move: The Funny Tandem of Bai Jingting and Ding Yongdai

 Always on the Move premiered on February 6, 2024, on CCTV (China's state television channel) and iQIYI. It stars Bai Jingting, Ding Yongdai, and Jin Chen. 

This is a reunion drama of Bai Jingting and Ding Yongdai. They co-starred in Destined, one of iQiyi's hit dramas in 2023.

A period drama set in 1978, Always on the Move essays the life of two railway policemen as they safeguard train passengers in a rural area.

Bai Jingting and Ding Yongdai in Always on the Move

This is a fresh take on a life of policemen on duties, chasing thugs on railways rather than in narrow urban streets. A story about railway life in China during the old days is rarely tackled in a series. So this is a bit unique. 

It's also a new thing to me that a police Chinese drama did not center on crimes and drug syndicates but more on the unlikely and often funny relationship of two buddy policemen who clashed due to generation gap and opposing approaches to duties.  

Here's my first impression of this drama after watching the first four episodes. It's funny 😂 It has a good sense of humor and not totally boring. 

Bai Jingting is naturally funny lol! As Wang Xin, his humorous side energizes this drama, showcasing the enthusiasm of a neophyte policeman who is eager to perform his responsibilities but often encounter mishaps. And it's where he becomes hilarious 😆

Ding Yongdai plays Ma Kui, a former railway policeman who was convicted of murder ten years ago. When he got out of prison he was reinstated into his former post and became Wang Xin's mentor, much to Xin's disbelief. 

The daily life of railway policemen safeguarding the lives of train passengers

Due to their different approaches, Wang Xin and Ma Kui often clashed in the funniest way. Unlike most policeman-themed dramas from mainland China, which are serious and suspenseful, Always on the Move showcases a different style of storytelling about policemen.

Ding Yongdai and Bai Jingting star as railway policemen

A good amount of sense of humor is needed to keep a period drama interesting because this type of genre (especially if it's not in an ancient setting) can really be dull and boring. 

Ding Yongdai as Ma Kui and Bai Jingting as Wang Xin

The funny mentor-disciple relationship of Ma Kui and Wang Xin

Jin Chen plays Ma Yan, the daughter of Ma Kui, she is Wang Xin's friend and seems to be his love interest. We still yet to see the volume of her character here. Hopefully, she's not merely a supporting role. 

Jin Chen

I also love the relationship between Wang Xin and his father. The support, warmth, and care are so inspiring.

At least C-Drama is different. They often stay away from the stressful revenge plot that K-Drama redundantly tackles. 😄

Here's the Plot Summary: 

In 1978, on the steam train from Ningyang to Hacheng, a young railway policeman, Wang Xin, diligently performed his duties, ensuring train passengers feel comfortable and safe, then a scuffle happened as he chased a fugitive who jumped off the train. 

When he reported back to their headquarters, he found the fugitive in the office and to his disbelief, the man would be his mentor! 

Bai Jingting and Ding Yongdai, a fresh partnership in a police drama

Ma Kui was wrongfully convicted of a crime 10 years ago and just released from prison. Wang Xin found the circumstances weird that he would be working alongside this man, so every day, they clashed.

The young and idealistic Wang Xin often found the traditional approach of Ma Kui a bit outdated, but somehow effective. 

From initial dislike to mutual respect, Wang Xin and Ma Kui fought side by side on the front line of railway public security. They tackled issues such as theft, robberies, abduction, and drug enforcement, prioritizing the safety of train passengers.

Bai Jinging as Wang Xin

This is a slice-of-life drama, the backstory of the main characters adds a colorful texture to the play. But the most interesting part is the funny mentor-disciple relationship between Wang Xin and Ma Kui, which makes this play different from the usual police crime dramas from the mainland. 

Jin Chen as Ma Yan

Both Bai Jingting and Ding Yongdai have abilities to fuel the popularity of this drama. In 2022, one of the highest-rated dramas of iQIYI was A Lifelong Journey starred by Ding Yongdai. He won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Zhou Zhigang at the Huabiao Awards in 2023.

At 65, he is still active in the drama industry, he played a supporting role in many popular series such as Destined, Fearless, Who is He, The Blood of Youth, Unshakable Faith, and many more. 

Bai Jingting also had drama hits on iQIYI in 2022 (New Life Begins) and 2023 (Destined). So this tandem is quite interesting. Bai Jingting and Ding Yongdai's dynamic brings a fresh approach to police-inspired dramas.

So let's see what happens to succeeding episodes. It has 39 episodes in total.