BASIC INFORMATION 
Pinterest Drama Finds: Enchanted by an Image
Hi, here's Ari and JulyMoon. Together, we want to introduce you to Dilraba Dilmurat through this Fan Guide. To those of you who already know her well, maybe we still have something here that you didn't know yet! Since Dilraba has starred in over 25 dramas, we will not include them all here, but focus on the newest and the most popular ones.
Ari: My first encounter with Reba was most notably the drama Eternal Love. It wasn't until I saw a couple more of her dramas such as You Are My Glory, The Blue Whisper, and my favorite, The Long Ballad, before I started seeing her as one of my favorite actresses. I look forward to watching all of her works one day and I'm happy to help with this Fan Guide for her!
JulyMoon: My first encounter with Dilraba was (probably like many others) in the 2017 hit drama Eternal Love. Her portrayal of the charming and cunning cute nine-tailed fox Bai Feng Jiu captured my heart and made me start following her career. Since then, I have watched more of her works and deemed it time to put all of this into an article dedicated to her.
We tried our best to avoid spoilers but as we're sharing our thoughts on a couple of her works, there will be information that can be considered as spoilers (though nothing major). Therefore, we ask you to please read at your own discretion. |
This article can be read in light or dark mode. Covers and gifs are linked to their drama/movie page on MDL. |
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 | Name: Dilraba Dilmurat (Uyghur: دىلرەبا دىلمۇرات) Born: June 3, 1992 Height: 168 cm (5’6″) Zodiac Sign: Gemini Chinese Zodiac: Monkey Blood Type: AB Hometown: Urumqi, Xinjiang, China Education: Xinjiang Art Institute, Shanghai Theatre Academy Careers: Actress, Singer, Model Talent Agency: Jaywalk Studio (Jiaxing) & Dilireba Studio (independent studio under Jaywalk) Instagram: @dilrabaxx63 Weibo: Dear-迪丽热巴 Nicknames: Dilireba, Pan Di, Re Ba, Xiao Di Dilraba is of Uyghur descent. |
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In 2001, when Dilraba was just nine years old, her father signed her up for the entrance exams for Xinjiang Art Middle School’s dance program. Dilraba graduated six years later in 2007 from with a major in dance performance and became a dancer of the Xinjiang Song and Dance Troupe. In 2009, she took a year of preparatory studies at the College of Nationalities of Northeast General University. During this period, she also participated in the first Minority New Song Competition in Jilin Province, and finally won the third prize at the provincial level. Discovering that this was not the life she wanted, Dilraba decided to continue her studies, originally planning to apply for the Central Conservatory of Music because she had a good foundation in piano. In 2010, she was admitted to the department of Drama, Film and Television of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Dilraba made her acting debut in 2011 in the drama Anarhan (which aired in 2013) where she played the title role. The drama was nominated for "Outstanding TV Series" at the 30th Flying Asparas Awards. After her appearance in her second drama, Swords of Legends, a popular xianxia drama, Dilraba had a rise in popularity. In 2014, roles in the dramas V Love and Cosmetology High followed before Dilraba played a main role in the 2015 rom-com drama Diamond Lover, which earned her the "Audience's Favorite Newcomer" award at the 7th China TV Drama Awards. One year later, she won the "Outstanding New Actress" award at the 2016 ENAwards for her performance in the drama Hot Girl. Her breakthrough was in the xianxia drama Eternal Love, despite her only playing a supporting character.
 Hot Girl (drama) |
Dilraba has often been criticized for a perceived lack of acting talent. Many viewers have expressed frustration with her lack of range, and Chinese netizens have called her "just a pretty face."
Dilraba once expressed her feelings regarding the downside that comes with a pretty face, "For seven or eight months, I realized that what I could choose from (role offers) was really very little. If many people tell you your face is very suitable for commercial films and not artistic films, then you’d be sad as it is something you want to try yet many people have this uniform opinion." In other words, many directors think her face is too commercial and won't cast her for their dramas or movies. Typecasting in general is still an issue. Dilraba is one of many celebrities in this business that is affected by this. This makes the criticism about her "lack of range" really sad, because an actress who does not get casted for other roles is not able to widen her range.
Nonetheless, Dilraba is a raising star and considered one of the most popular actresses these days. She is also known for her engagement for social causes such as helping with various charities in Xinjiang (her birthplace), the MAKEAPROMISE campaign (held by UNICEF and Louis Vuitton), supporting 'Medical Insurance for Diseases', and donating on the BAZAAR Star Charity Night and to Henan (inland province of China), which suffered great damages through a storm with heavy rainfalls resulting in flooding in 2021.
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The Backlight of Love |
JulyMoon: After I discovered Dilraba, I wanted to watch more of her works. Since The King's Woman and The Flame's Daughter were out because I'm not too fond of tearjerkers and love triangles, I decided to go for The Backlight of Love. It's a short drama and I liked the plot idea so I went for it. Overall, my conclusion is that it's an okay watch. Nothing outstanding, really, though Dilraba does deliver a good performance. Pretty much a revenge feast with very little mystery thrill, because it's not too hard to guess who the culprit is. That's why it felt unsatisfying to me. But if you lack a love, hate, revenge plot in your life that isn't causing you a headache, this might be your drama. |
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Eternal Love |
Ari: Eternal Love was my first wuxia and the story left a huge impression on me. This was also my first time seeing Reba in any drama. I loved the fantasy elements, how strong the female lead was, and how adorable the character Reba played, Feng Jiu, was. Although I didn't love the story between Feng Jiu and Dong Hua, it was the first time I'd seen Reba play such a charasmatic, cute, and love-stricken role and it did not disappoint. |
JulyMoon: If you read my other article about dramas I should've dropped but didn't, you may know I have a love and hate relationship with Eternal Love. Hate because, for me, the drama was too draggy and spent too much time on manipulative, scheming side characters. Love because Dilraba and Gao Wei Guang carried the drama for me. I enjoyed their performance and chemistry as Bai Feng Jiu and Dong Hua. |
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Eternal Love of Dream |
JulyMoon: To be fair, I didn't complete this drama. I dropped on episode 7 out of a total of 56. I just couldn't stand it anymore. I wish the production team of Eternal Love and Eternal Love of Dream would have produced the dramas without boring filler episodes and the illogical and super annoying jealous characters that just won't understand that love is not always returned just because one wants it. Just seven episodes in and both were already there. The suffering from this through Eternal Love's 58 episodes was enough for me to not have the muse to do it again for another 56 episodes. I love Dilraba and her character Feng Jiu but even that could not make me stick with it. |
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The Long Ballad |
Ari: The Long Ballad is my number one favorite drama (yes, of all time). What made this drama so special is the bond between the leads and how they fought together as a unit. I love how Reba portrayed her character. Chang Ge is strong, smart, and willful, she doesn’t need Ashile Sun to enact her revenge, she’s capable enough to do that on her own. But as time goes on, she begins to trust the partnership as a means to get to where she wants to be and eventually falls for the man that has been sticking by her side through all the chaos. It’s a slow burn romance and it isn’t super in your face like other romance dramas might be, but it’s still touching to see their interactions on screen and how ride or die they were for each other. I’d highly recommend just for seeing the chemistry between the leads, the story telling, and watching the characters change and grow as a result of others around them. |
JulyMoon: What a gem. I was inspired to watch this drama by the article from Cho Na and Wanderer. I did not regret it for a second. At first, I found it hard to get into the story, but then I binged the hell out of it with up to 7 - 8 episodes a day (not recommended unless you want to feel fuzzy in your head xD) and found it hard to stop. The Long Ballad not only became a favorite of mine but didn't let me go for a while even after completing it. I fell for the characters and their motives. The character development, especially for the strong female leads played by Dilraba and Zhao Lu Si, was outstanding. They learn to see the bigger picture of things and grow on hardships while going their way. |
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You Are My Glory |
Ari: You Are My Glory is an example of healthy relationships and finding a way to make it work. I don’t love slow burns but I was looking forward to seeing how Yu Tu and Jing Jing’s second chance at love would reconnect when their first chance didn’t work out so well. I found the story very realistic and it tells us in depth about Yu Tu’s growth, recognizing Jing Jing’s feelings and understanding her heart and his career while also portraying Jing Jing’s current life with her parallels to the past and how much she loved Yu Tu. With such a talented cast, it’s not shocking that Reba and Yang Yang played so well together. Reba especially had this beautiful glow about her throughout this story, her character was cute, intelligent, and loyal which I feel that Reba played especially well. I’d recommend this story to those looking for a realistic and mature approach at a second chance at love. |
JulyMoon: You Are My Glory quickly became one of the modern romance C-Dramas that made it to my favorites. At first, I was a bit worried it would get draggy or boring with the topic of gaming, but it wasn't that bad. Some episodes overdid it a bit with the focus on gaming, but later in the drama it doesn't play a big role anymore, which balances the entire arc out. The only "negative" aspect of the drama is the male lead's profession (aerospace engineer). If you're not into this topic, the scenes that focus on his workplace and colleagues tend to become boring. On the other hand, I could understand his character and work/life-related struggles so the writing was really good. What I loved about You Are My Glory was the cast and chemistry between Reba and Yang Yang. Both are excellent actors that made me feel with their characters. It was sweet to watch how they slowly formed a strong bond of love. If you look for a well-written modern romance drama with smart main leads and a healthy relationship of friends that become lovers, then this could be your drama. |
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The Blue Whisper Part 1 & 2  |
Ari: The Blue Whisper is a heavy drama to watch as you find yourself feeling sorry for the merman and wondering how this forbidden romance would even work. As the story goes on, Yun He is given a lot of adversity as her freedom is always dangling right in front of her but she’s never able to grasp it. While I didn’t feel like Yun He had much character development, I liked seeing the merman change and grow in temperament because of Yun He. Additionally, some people pointed out that they didn’t feel the chemistry between the two actors, but I felt it was there while watching the two leads’ romance develop gradually. Part 2 was a bit more of a struggle for me to watch because of the rollercoaster of emotions. Chang Yi becomes a darker version of himself while Yun He’s light (that we felt in Part 1) begins to dim. We find ourselves back where we started in reverse positions with many hardships the two have to face until they’re able to live in peace together. Watching this drama for Reba, I wasn’t surprised that she excelled in another role where the character is carefree, strong, and warm on the inside. I also enjoyed watching the romance between her and her onscreen partner, Allen Ren. While this wasn’t my favorite drama, I was happy to see Reba in a new project with one of my favorite actors at the moment of watching. |
JulyMoon: The Blue Whisper is made of pure angst. Usually angst does not bother me, here it was the biggest obstacle. I'm all in for angsty situations where one of the leads can show through actions or taking upon a burden themselves how deep their love for the other one is. The Blue Whisper had plenty of that and well, that's the problem, in my opinion. In their desperate yearning for freedom and finding a companion in each other who strives for the same thing, Chang Yi and Yun He develop feelings for each other. I understand the base this romance is build on, but the scriptwriters overdid it with angsty situations that were full of sacrifices and lack of communication. The purpose to show how the feelings between our main leads grow was overshadowed by the repetitive feeling I got. It was frustrating to know how the story would unfold before seeing it actually happen, because the production kept using the same pattern. In Part 1 as well as in Part 2, our main leads start with a relationship that isn't on eye level, one has more power or freedom than the other, and that feels more like dominance than romance even though the drama wants to make us see it as love and trust. This, together with misunderstandings and a stoic Chang Yi, could be the reason why many think the actors lack chemistry. I like the strong female character that Dilraba played and Ren Jia Lun did great, too, along with the rest of the cast. I blame the script for turning the story into a frustrating loop of angst for the viewer and having a relationship that doesn't work for me for the majority of the drama. |
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The Legend of Anle |
Ari: Reba is back in her element of revenge plots as she plays the character Ren Anle. Scorned by the wrongful assassination of her family, she seeks justice while falling for the crown prince, Han Ye. Reba's character reminds me of the playfulness much of her role in Eternal Love. She's playful and flitatious but in this story, she is also bold, strong and can fight her own battles. I love plots that have or surround a strong female lead, and Ren Anle is no exception. I love when Reba plays a strong female lead because she does it with ease and certainty. What I appreciated about the story was that we find a female leader with her own crew/family and most importantly, that I couldn't guess what would happen next. This being said, I did feel like the plot would veer off in different directions and sometimes that took my attention away from watching the story unfold. |
JulyMoon: The plot sounds like The Long Ballad and that alone was reason enough for me to watch it. Gong Jun (Word of Honor) and Liu Yu Ning (A Journey to Love) made my expectations only grow as I've seen them in other dramas and liked their performance. Maybe that was my fault. I did not enjoy this drama like I thought I would. Anle is a strong female character and that's something I like, but when we first see her on screen she's a carefree, bold "pirate" and that did not match with the image I had of someone whose entire clan got unjustly wiped out, and thanks to the scriptwriter, we got enough lines in the entire drama who keep rubbing that in. As I enjoy how Dilraba plays such "bubbly" characters, it wasn't bothering me too much, but the story got draggy for me in the first couple episodes already. It does pick up later but by then it already felt flat and boring to me. I hate to say it, but Legend of Anle was a forgettable watch for me. |
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The King's Woman | Dilraba plays the character of Gong Sun Li, the granddaughter and disciple of a military commander. She and her childhood lover, Jing Ke (Liu Chang), are forced to escape when Qin troops attack. Her beauty catches the eye of Qin Emperor Ying Zheng (Zhang Bin Bin), which leads to her captivation and being sent to the emperor, where she discovers she's pregnant with Jing Ke's child. The emperor treats the child like his own, but tragedy arrives when Jing Ke tries to assassinate the emperor.  |
Lie Ru Ge (Dilraba) is the daughter of the master of Lie Huo Manor, the most powerful Jiang Hu sect. In an attempt to win over the heart of her eldest senior (Zhang Bin Bin) that went back on his word to marry her, she goes to the most popular brothel where she wants to learn how to attract him. There she meets Yin Xue, owner of the brothel. Unknown to Ru Ge, he has a mysterious past that involves her and would do anything to protect her. | The Flame's Daughter |
Sweet Dreams | Ling Ling Qi (Dilraba) is an employee at Bei Ma Hotel and known to be kind, considerate, and helpful. Her insecurities often get in the way though, especially as they make it impossible for her to confess her feelings towards her colleague Bo Hai (Deng Lun). A public experiment of a dream technology company in which they both participate changes that. A malfunction in the test device causes a transfer of Ling Ling Qi's brainwave records into Bo Hai's dream sequence, so she's able to enter his dreams. In this alternate reality she's able to leave her insecurities behind.  |
Dilraba plays the fashion designer Zhou Fang, who meets Song Lin (Huang Jing Yu) because of a lawsuit. Even though they dislike each other from the start, they are forced to cooperate. What can possibly go wrong when two hard-headed people compete with each other? | Love Designer |
Prosecution Elite | An Ni (Dilraba) is the top student at a prestigious law school. Upon her Procuratorate entry, she is assigned to a new department where she works alongside police captain He Lu Yuan (Tong Da Wei). Together, they investigate cybercrime offenders.  |
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Dilraba plays Tang Nan Nan, an aspiring writer with an imaginative mind that is often too unconventional for the average person. Hoping to make it big, she daydreams a bit too excessively. One day, she accidentally ruins Zhu Huo's (Zhang Yun Long) proposal to his ideal girl and immediately makes an enemy out of him. Holding on to their own pride and prejudices, the two end up in a living arrangement where they have to cohabit. Zhu Hou's good friend Xiao Jian Jun (Gao Wei Guang) falls in love with Tang Nan Nan at first sight and starts to actively pursue her. Instead of helping, Zhu Hou creates more conflict and that's where their love begins.  | Mr. Pride vs. Miss Prejudice |
Namiya | An evocative story that follows three orphaned youths who stumble upon a letter slipped under the door as they hide out in a food store. They write a response, thus beginning a correspondence with people from 30 years ago. From a terminally-ill boyfriend, a girl caught between love and passion, an aspiring musician, and a student who'd rather quit school and run from home as he deals with his troubles, the movie focuses on simple stories of different individuals who hope for a miracle. They send letters to a nondescript store that was run by Namiya, an elderly man who offered wisdom and heartfelt advice to those who'd listen.  |
Liu Jia Yin (Dilraba) goes bankrupt after breaking up with her wealthy boyfriend. Caught in a bind and forced to pay off her debts, she sells all of her belongings. Wang Ji Wei (Guo Jing Fei) was born frugal and goes to extremes just to save money. An accidental meeting forces them to live under one roof and reassess their disparaging outlooks when it comes to money and love. | 21 Carat |
Date(Advertisement Short Movie)  | Dilraba plays Li Li, a deaf girl who is nervously preparing for a date when her hair clip accidentally breaks and she needs a replacement. She orders one online and gets frustrated at the delivery guy who's late and takes it out on him. But then she realizes he's deaf just like her.  |
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All Star Detective | All Star Detective is a live-action mobile drama and is different from ordinary film and television dramas because it has interactive web videos that users can "play."  |
Lin Jin is a young man fond of dancing. After meeting Xiao Zi, she helps him become a good dancer.  | Live for Real |
Eternal Love of Dream Special | Two special episodes that serve as the series' epilogue.  |
A story about a young woman who collects buttons and makes art from them. She meets a tailor with a sad past whom she teaches to love the buttons not just the clothing.  | Button Life |
Lost in your Eyes | BAZAAR invited the 77th Academy Award for Best Special Effects Award winner, Anthony Ramolinara, to write and direct the Lost in your Eyes microfilm. Temporarily remove all the shackles on the streets of Tokyo, and pursue with Wu Lei the neon of the night, this is the era of rebellion we all have, may your future be as colorful as this beautiful night.  |
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Policewoman Hua Deng Yan hopes to join the anti-drug team to find out the truth behind her boyfriend's death. However, she shines during an unexpected operation to rescue a baby hostage which earns her a promotion as the acting director of the anti-trafficking team in Tianhai City. Hua Deng Yan becomes part of the six-member anti-trafficking team who pit wits and will against criminals. Given her meticulous reasoning, precise judgment, and readiness to put her life on the line as they face off with crimes such as child abduction and forced prostitution, Hua Deng Yan earns the respect and support of her initially skeptical colleagues. | Sword Rose |
Love on the Turquoise Land | In the ancient Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with immortality. He sent a mysterious army, known as the "Tangled Army", to find the mystery of immortality. However, their whereabouts and secrets disappeared as time passed. In the present, this mysterious story is suddenly revived. Scupltor Nie Jiu Luo is a descendant of the Tangled Army. She lives an ordinary life, but her identity makes it impossible for her to avoid entanglements with the past. At the same time, Yan Tuo, a wealthy young man, whose family is controlled by a woman named Lin Xi Rou, is looking for the truth. When Nie Jiu Luo and Yan Tuo meet, their destinies start to interwine. They begin to explore the secrets of the Tangled Army and the truth behind Lin Xi Rou, revealing a world beyond their imagination, the secret of earth owls, mysterious powers, and immortality. Status at time of article submission: wrapped up filming, but no airing date announced. |
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 | Dilraba has been nominated for and won over 30 awards in her career as an actress. She has certainly grown in the type of awards she has won as an actress, ranging from best rising star/supporting to most popular/best actress. Some of her most notable awards were the ‘Newcomer Award’ for her role in Namiya from the Golden Phoenix Awards and the ‘Best Actress Award’ for her performance in Pretty Li Huizhen at the Golden Eagle Awards. Additionally, some dramas she won an award for were: You Are My Glory with the ‘Popular Actress of the Year’ award, The Long Ballad with the ‘Best Actress’ award, and Eternal Love of Dream with the ‘Most Popular Actress’ award. Reba has also been listed on Forbes China Celebrity 100 three times while notably increasing in rank on the list, which we think is an incredible feat. Dilraba with her two awards, 'Most Popular Female Chinese Actress of the Year’ and ‘Most Popular Star of the Year’, in 2017.  |
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Outside of her dramas and movies, Dilraba has graced viewers with a few different variety appearances for shows such as Divas Hit the Road, Hello, Saturday, and The Game Start. As of this year, it appears her schedule includes rumored appearances on Music Camplus and The Truth Season 2. We look forward to what she’ll add to these shows through her guest appearances!
 Dilraba at Hello, Saturday with The Legend of Anle cast in 2023. |
 Dilraba’s appearance on Divas Hit the Road |  Dilraba’s appearance on Hello, Saturday |
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Dilraba is also one of the most known brand ambassadors as she’s completed an assortment of brand deals in food, beauty, technology, and fashion. Some known brands that Reba has worked with are Dior, Dior Beauty, and Valentino. When keeping up with Dilraba’s brand deals this year, we can see her working with Dior, showing off their spring and summer fashion line as their Global Brand Ambassador. We can also see her at brand events for Lux, Little Dream Garden, and Mikimoto showing her versatility one brand at a time.
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In addition to brand deals, we can also find Reba dominating a variety of modeling shoots for Cosmopolitan China, Dior Beauty, L’Officiel China, and Wonderland.
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Thank you for reading our article!We'd love to hear your thoughts and what you like about Dilraba. |
Color Codes: #fbf5f7, #D4A2BC, #f3dee7, #dec8d6 | Picture Credits: Dilraba Render used for Banner by Mittuoi @deviantart, General: 1, 2, 3 ; drama gifs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; movie and special gifs: 1, 2, 3; other appearances & more than just an actress: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 . | Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | Edited by: devitto (1st editor) |
