The Lead Review (2026): Is It Worth Watching?

Is The Lead worth watching?

Yes — The Lead is worth watching, holding a 92/100 Celluloid Editorial Rating and 96% Audience Snapshot on Celluloid. Its 90% Celluloid Score combines Celluloid editorial, Metascore (81), IMDb (9.0/10), and aggregated fan rating (96%), with audience sentiment shown separately.

Created by Zhang Yimou & Li Shaofei & Chen Yan, The Lead ran 1 season, 48 episodes on iQIYI in Mandarin, from China. The Lead has ended, so you can watch the complete story without waiting on a renewal.

What is The Lead about?

Yi Qin’e is taken to the cultural troupe by her uncle Hu Sanyuan to learn to sing Qinqiang Opera. From then on, her life unfolds with ups and downs. She achieves glorious artistic accomplishments, yet also experiences a profound sense of loneliness beyond ordinary people’s comprehension.

Celluloid verdict: The Lead — a notable Celluloid catalog credit with strong audience discovery. The cast is led by Liu Haocun, Zhang Jiayi, Qin Hailu, Shawn Dou, Zhai Zilu, among others.

How many seasons of The Lead are there, and where do I start?

The Lead has 1 season, 48 episodes, and there is no reason to start anywhere but the first episode. At 1 season, 48 episodes, it is a single-season commitment you can finish in a week. The series page breaks the 90% Celluloid Score into its four rating inputs plus the separate audience snapshot so you can see exactly where the rating inputs and audience snapshot differ before committing.

Where can I watch The Lead?

The Lead is carried by iQIYI, though rights are licensed by territory and change often. Check the iQIYI hub for everything else on the same service, and the series page for the regions where Celluloid has confirmed availability.

What should I watch after The Lead?

If it lands, try Moonlight (96%), The Classic of Mountains and Seas (96%), A Splendid Match (94%) next — same shelf, comparable scores. You can also browse all drama series, everything from China, or the year it premiered.