# Arsenal Military Academy

Arsenal Military Academy (Chinese: 烈火军校; pinyin: Lièhuǒ Jūnxiào) is a 2019 Chinese streaming television series, directed by Hue Kaidong, starring Bai Lu, Xu Kai, Li Chengbin and Wu Jiayi in main roles. The series tells the story of Xie Xiang, who disguises herself as a male student under her brother's name to join the military academy .

## Synopsis

Xie Xiang (Bai Lu) enrolls into the Arsenal Military Academy in Shunyuan disguised as a male, to follow her deceased brother's footsteps, with only her good friend Tan Xiaojun (Zhang Xin) knowing her secret. In an unexpected situation, she in disguise, encounters hot-headed and playful Gu Yanzheng (Xu Kai). Her first impression of him wasn't good though. Gu Yanzheng turns out to be her roommate in the academy, and then onwards they indulge into periodic quarrels with each other.
At academy, Xie Xiang becomes good friends with the country bumpkin Huang Song (Liu Sibo) and the quiet Shen Junsan (Li Chengbin). Despite her small stature and weak constitution, she gradually trains into an able soldier, winning the respect of her peers. Parallel to their training, students soon uncover a dangerous conspiracy surrounding the Japanese occupiers, the Chinese resistance, as well as past royal descendants of the now defunct Qing dynasty. Students support each other in bringing justice to their country.

## Casts
### Main Cast

* Bai Lu as Xie Xiang / Xie Liangchen
* Xu Kai as Gu Yanzhen
* Li Chengbin as Shen Junshan
* Wu Jiayi as Qu Manting

### Supporting Cast
#### Academy Faculty

* Liu Runnan as Li Wenzhong
** An academy cadet who often causes trouble and goes against Xie Xiang at the academy.
* Wang Yizhe as Ji Jin
** An academy cadet who is Shen Junshan's best friend. He always catches Gu Yanzhen's whimsical yet questionable antics and gestures towards Xie Xiang at the academy.
* Liu Sibo as Huang Song
** An academy cadet from the countryside who befriends Xie Xiang on the first day. He is playful and simple-minded yet passionate and loyal.
* Meng En as Zhu Yanlin
** An academy cadet who has a full sense of justice.
* Shao Bing as Guo Shuting
** The Deputy Director of the Academy and the student's tactics instructor. He indulges himself in alcohol, unable to move on from his first love, Pei Nianqing. He becomes a close ally and mentor of Xie Xiang.
* Lin Yo-wei as Lu Zhongyu
** The Head Academy Instructor who is harsh due to the pressure of keeping the Academy together and in harmony with the political state in Shunyuan.
* Nan Fulong as Instructor Song
* Dalai Harihu as Academy Deputy Director

#### Nan Shan Bar

* Liu Min as Huo Xiao Yu
** The Nan Shan Bar's owner and a close friend of Guo Shu Ting. She was a part of the Opera troupe during the Qing Dynasty before becoming a bar owner. Xiao Yu is a well-respected individual in Shunyuan with a lot of connections underground.
* Zhang Xin as Tan Xiaojun
** Xie Xiang's best friend who is also a waitress and bartender at Nan Shan Bar. She often visits the Academy Cadets on their outings with Qu Manting.
* Zheng Long as Xiao Liu
** Huo Xiaoyu's subordinate.
* Chang Cheng as Xiao Dai
** Huo Xiaoyu's subordinate.
* Ma Wen Chao as Zha Meng
** Huo Xiaoyu's subordinate.

#### Paramo Cabaret

* Zhang Nan as Yuan Pingting
** A new actress that gains popularity quickly during Manting's downfall.
* Sun Tao as Manager Huang
** Butler of the Shen household who also manages the Cabaret.
* An An as Xiao Yang
* Fei Li Qi as Xiao Tao

#### People of Shunyuan

* An Yuexi as An Wen
** Owner of a florist shop in Shunyuan. She suffers from anterograde amnesia.
* Liu Feng Gang as News Agency Director
* Liu Yin Jun as Zhang Hao Ran
** Newspaper Editor's son.
* Gong Zheng Nan as Director Sheng
* Feng Wu Sheng as Jiang Hao / Jiang Han Nian
** A criminal.

#### Chinese Chamber of Commerce

* Hong Yao as Shen Tingbai
** An influential and powerful leader of the Shunyuan Chamber of Commerce. He is Qu Manting's ex-fiance who still devotes himself to her and aids her from afar. He is Shen Junshan's older brother.
* Shen Qi as Benzi
** Shen Tingbai's assistant.
* Sun Rong as Master Shen
** Tingbai and Junshan's father.

#### Japanese Chamber of Commerce

* Gao Yu'er as Jin Xianrong / Oda Hiroshi
** Character Allusion: Yoshiko Kawashima
** A complex and calculating businesswoman and eventually leader of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. She was originally adopted into Prince Rong's manor but was driven out and taken in by Oda Yukihide. She is also Shen Junshan's friend who met him abroad while studying in the United Kingdom.
* Ma Ang as Fujiwara Ichiro
** Jin Xianrong's aide and bodyguard. He comes into conflict with her as he intends to hurt Shen Junshan for their plan against the Chinese.
* Liu Enshang as Sato Kazuo
** A Japanese businessman. Jin Xianrong replaced his position as chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce.
* Wang Kan as Lieutenant General Miyazawa

#### Qing Dynasty Royalty

* Yin Zheng as Cheng Rui, Prince of the Third Rank
** He is the son of Prince Rong, the last remaining royal descendant of the Qing Dynasty. He is Oda Xianrong's adoptive older brother.
* Shen Baoping as Prince Rong
* Li Qinqin as Prince Consort (Fujin) Rong
* Huai Yuan as Pei Shun

#### Gu Manor

* Ren Shan as Gu Zong Tang
** Newly appointed Vice Governor of Feng'an at the beginning of the series. Gu Yanzhen and Gu Qiqi's father.
* Zhang Yixi as Gu Qiqi
** Yanzhen's stepsister. She later has a crush on Xie Xiang, disguised as Xie Liangchen.
* Zheng Sheng Li as Butler Zu
* Yue Chun Yu as Mr. Zhao

#### Xie Family

* Dong Li as Xie Liangchen
** Xie Xiang's older brother. He passed away after enrolling to be a student at the Academy. Xie Xiang decides to take his place to fulfill his dream.
* Zhang Gong as Xie Zhipei
** A professor in Beijing who is Xie Xiang and Xie Liangchen's father.
* Lu Ling as Mrs. Xie
** Xie Xiang and Liangchen's mother.

#### Qu Family

* Li Jie as Mr. Qu
** Matriarch of the Qu Family, Manting, and Manshu's father. He is stubborn and opposes Manting.
* He Jiayi as Mrs. Qu
** Mr. Qu's wife and Manting and Manshu's mother. She is also Pei Nianqing's sister.
* Sun Anke as Qu Manshu
** Manting's younger sister.
* Zuo Xiaoqing as Pei Nianqing
** Xiaoyu's friend and Guo Shuting's sweetheart, a character before the beginning of the series.
* Yang Yu Lan as Mrs. He
** The Qu family's housekeeper.

#### Officials, Ministers, Commanders

* Yang Hongwu as Mayor Bai
* Chen Bao Guo as Mr. Zhou
* Xiao Rong Sheng as Commander Zhang Si Ling
* Sun Di as Captain He
** Shunyuan Police Captain.
* Zhao Yong Zhan as Wang Bo Xun
** Shunyuan Police Chief.

#### Daughters of Shunyuan Officials

* Xuan Lu as Bai Biyun
** Mayor Bai's daughter.
* Wang Ruo Xue as Miss Du
** Shen Tingbai and Junshan's cousin. She looks down on Manting because of her profession.
* Han Le Yao as Zhao Qianqian
** Gu Yanzhen's cousin.
* Zhang Jialin as Dong Xiaowan
** Gu Yanzhen's ex-fiancee.

#### People of Peking (Beijing)

* Li Jun Yi as Lin Xian Wei
* Hua Cheng as Chen Rong
* Fan Xishi as Song Mao Gong
** Beijing Police Chief.

## Soundtrack

| Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer |
| Soldier (战士): Opening Theme | Yu Zheng | Lu Hu | Lu Hu |
| Enter a Dream (入梦) | Wang Yaoguang | Ai Qing and Zhaho Se | Bai Lu and Xu Kai |
| Raging Fire (烈火): Ending Theme | Yu Zheng | Wang Yaoguang | Dong Li |
| Moonlight Tango (月光探戈) | Wang Yaoguang | Wang Yaoguang | Wu Jiayi |
| Poison (毒药) | Yu Zheng | Wang Yaoguang | Wang Yizhe |

## Production

On 26 March 2018, Filming of the series began at Hengdian Studios and Zhejiang Province. On 6 August 2018, the filming was completed and it officially entered post-production.

## Broadcast

It originally aired two episodes daily on iQiyi, Tuesday to Friday at 20:00 from 6 August 2019 to 6 September 2019. The series was presented on Viki Rakuten Global TV.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| China Entertainment Industry Summit (Golden Pufferfish Awards) | Best Drama | Arsenal Military Academy | Nominated |
| Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival | Best Web Series | Arsenal Military Academy | Nominated |
| Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival | Best Actor | Xu Kai | Nominated |
| Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival | Best Actress | Bai Lu | Nominated |
| 6th Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China (Wenrong Awards) | Best Actor | Xu Kai | Won |
| 6th The Actors of China Award | Best Actor (Web series) | Xu Kai | Won |
| 6th The Actors of China Award | Best Actress (Web series) | Bai Lu | Nominated |
| StarHub Night of Stars 2019 | Best Actor (China) | Xu Kai | Won |
| StarHub Night of Stars 2019 | Most Promising Actress | Bai Lu | Won |
| 8th iQiyi All-Star Carnival | Most Popular Actor | Xu Kai | Won |
| 8th iQiyi All-Star Carnival | Most Popular Actress | Bai Lu | Won |