My Chief and My Regiment
Synopsis
My Chief and My Regiment is a war-themed television series that aired in 2009, directed by Kang Honglei, written by Lan Xiaolong, and starring Duan Yihong and Zhang Yi. Set against the backdrop of the Chinese Expeditionary Force's resistance against Japanese invasion on the Yunnan-Myanmar border in 1942, it holds a Douban rating of 9.6, ranking among the top-rated domestic TV series. The series is acclaimed as one of China's greatest war dramas for its first-ever direct portrayal of the Nationalist army's wartime efforts in the Yunnan-Myanmar theater.
Overview
"My Chief and My Regiment" is a war-themed television series that aired in 2009, directed by Kang Honglei, written by Lan Xiaolong, and produced by Huayi Brothers. This marks the reunion of director Kang Honglei and screenwriter Lan Xiaolong following the great success of "Soldiers Sortie" in 2006. The series is set against the backdrop of the 1942 resistance war fought by the Chinese Expeditionary Force on the Yunnan-Burma border, telling the story of a group of defeated soldiers who rediscover their dignity and faith from a state of despair akin to the walking dead.
The series premiered on Jiangsu Satellite TV and Yunnan Satellite TV on March 5, 2009, with a total of 43 episodes. It holds a Douban rating of 9.6 (based on over 180,000 reviews), ranking among the top-rated domestic TV series and evaluated as better than 99% of historical dramas and 99% of war dramas. Notably, the series' Douban rating has steadily climbed from around 8.7 in 2016 to its current 9.6, reflecting its growing recognition as a classic over time.
Main Characters
| Actor | Character | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Duan Yihong | Long Wenzhang | Self-proclaimed regiment chief, mysterious origin, unconventional |
| Zhang Yi | Meng Fanliao | Narrator, cynical defeated soldier |
| Zhang Guoqiang | Mi Long | Northeastern man, straightforward and hearty |
| Xing Jiadong | Yu Xiaoxi | Division commander, iron-fisted military officer |
| Li Chen | Zhang Lixian | Officer |
| Luo Jingmin | Hao Veterinary | Old military doctor |
Long Wenzhang, played by Duan Yihong, is the central figure of the series—a man of unknown origin who proclaims himself regiment chief on the Burma battlefield, leading a group of defeated soldiers to break through with extraordinary courage and wisdom. Meng Fanliao, played by Zhang Yi, is the narrator of the series, an intellectual-turned-defeated soldier who evolves from cynicism to rediscovering faith.
Plot
In 1942, the small border town of Chanda in Yunnan houses a group of defeated soldiers from all over the country. They are disheartened and only wish to survive. Division Commander Yu Xiaoxi reorganizes these scattered soldiers into the Sichuan Regiment and airdrops them into Burma. However, upon arrival, they find the battle already lost and are surrounded by Japanese forces in a small house.
At the critical moment, a man calling himself the regiment chief—Long Wenzhang—appears and leads the survivors across the Nu River back to Chanda. Instead of receiving commendations, they are imprisoned. Long Wenzhang is exposed as not being a real regiment chief but a lieutenant who擅自 tore off his military rank. However, Yu Xiaoxi does not punish him; instead, he formally appoints him as the chief of the Sichuan Regiment—thus drawing them into a deeper vortex.
The series profoundly depicts the struggles of individuals in war, the instinct for survival, and the brilliance and darkness of human nature in extreme environments.
Historical Background — The Chinese Expeditionary Force
The historical background of the series is the 1942 entry of the Chinese Expeditionary Force into Burma to fight. This was one of the most important overseas military operations by the Chinese army during World War II, but it remained largely unknown in mainland China for a long time. The series was the first in mainland Chinese television to relatively positively portray the Kuomintang army's resistance on the Yunnan-Burma battlefield. Taiwanese media praised the series as a milestone for historical reconciliation across the strait.
The series is also closely connected to the real history of Tengchong, Yunnan, sparking public attention to the National Martyrs' Cemetery and a tourism boom focused on Tengchong's history. Screenwriter Lan Xiaolong later expanded the script into a full-length novel, published by People's Literature Publishing House.
Awards and Honors
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 15th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards | Most Noteworthy TV Series | Won |
| 2009 | Magnolia Awards | Most Powerful Director | Kang Honglei won |
| 2009 | Magnolia Awards | Audience's Favorite Actor | Zhang Guoqiang won |
Despite its extremely high Douban rating, the series did not receive national-level awards such as the Feitian Award or the Golden Eagle Award, widely considered a major regret in Chinese-language television awards.
Cultural Impact
"My Chief and My Regiment" is widely recognized as one of China's greatest war dramas, often compared to the American series "Band of Brothers." Many viewers believe it surpasses the latter in the depth of character portrayal. Over 17 years, its Douban rating climbed from 8.7 to 9.6. On Douban, there are still over 52,000 short reviews and more than 1,400 long reviews, with sustained discussion热度 proving its enduring classic status.
References
- Douban — My Chief and My Regiment: https://movie.douban.com/subject/2997325/
- Baidu Baike — My Chief and My Regiment: https://baike.baidu.com/item/我的团长我的团
- IMDb — My Chief and My Regiment: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1479138/
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