After the premiere of the crime drama *Sweep Drug Storm*, its viewership soared, reaching over 100 million views in a single day, with Tencent Video's internal heat crossing 23,000. Many viewers quickly realized that *Sweep Drug Storm* and last year's *Hunt the Ice* share the same story prototype.
Both shows are inspired by the 1999 Guangzhou 12.36-ton methamphetamine case, with the central figure being the notorious drug lord Liu Zhaohua. Despite having the same storyline foundation, astute viewers can easily spot the stark differences in their themes, plot focus, and cinematic language.
While *Sweep Drug Storm* follows a dual narrative of both drug trafficking and drug busting, it leans more into portraying the responsibilities, courage, and intelligence of anti-drug officers, offering an epic portrayal of these heroes. After Lin Qiangfeng becomes the captain of the Xigang anti-drug team's second squad, although the team consists of just him, Yang Wei, Feng Hao, and Bandehai, they remain disciplined, cooperative, and increasingly in sync. Although Lin Qiangfeng retains a rebellious, cocky persona due to his past undercover work, this doesn’t affect the trust and respect his teammates have for him. There’s no room for personal heroism or rebellious members in the squad.
In *Sweep Drug Storm*, Yang Wei is a relatively young member of the second squad, but the series doesn’t intentionally emphasize his youth for dramatic effect. Liu Zhaohua, originally a law enforcement officer, is portrayed in *Sweep Drug Storm* as a security officer in a chemical factory before getting involved in drug manufacturing and trafficking. His storyline starts from his days as a security officer, providing the audience with a clearer view of his gradual descent into criminality. The show effectively weaves in his environment and psychological transformation, without overshadowing the dynamics between Lin Qiangfeng’s second squad and Li An’s first squad.
In contrast, while *Hunt the Ice* also has a dual narrative, the storyline of drug lord Huang Zongwei takes center stage, making the show feel more like his personal biography or legend. The camera work in *Sweep Drug Storm* presents drug lords and traffickers through a lens of desire, violence, and bloodshed, offering a stronger, more visceral impact and a sharper moral warning to viewers. On the other hand, *Hunt the Ice* lacks this intensity, with a more subdued cinematic approach.
When it comes to performances, *Sweep Drug Storm* features powerhouse actors Duan Yihong and Qin Hao, whose performances are evenly matched, whether in dialogue or action sequences, making it unnecessary to highlight one over the other. In comparison, in *Hunt the Ice*, actress Yao Annan's portrayal of Zhao Younan doesn’t measure up to the experience or presence of her co-star Zhang Songwen, both in terms of acting and screen presence. To balance this, the production added more screen time to Yao Annan’s character, forcing a narrative imbalance between Zhao Younan and Huang Zongwei, which eventually led to viewer dissatisfaction. Many viewers, upon the premiere, even admitted they were only watching for Zhang Songwen’s performance.
In *Sweep Drug Storm*, such issues are nonexistent. Despite being based on the same story prototype, the differences in themes and plot focus have led some viewers to dub *Sweep Drug Storm* as the \"upgraded version\" of *Hunt the Ice*.
But is it truly just an upgrade? Yes, *Sweep Drug Storm* can indeed be considered an upgraded version of *Hunt the Ice*, but it is also the opposite — the story has been restructured, putting things back in their rightful place. Over the past few years, for reasons difficult to understand, some crime and suspense dramas have featured younger protagonists while sidelining middle-aged and older characters. This often results in a mismatch where young characters are tasked with overly complex roles, creating both comical situations and viewer frustration.
In *Sweep Drug Storm*, the veteran actors Duan Yihong and Qin Hao take on the leading roles, and even though the show has its flaws, audiences are more forgiving. The principle of placing the right person in the right role applies equally to television and real life — otherwise, things will become a laughingstock.
Putting aside other considerations, *Sweep Drug Storm* certainly starts off strong.
