Coming-of-age soccer drama scores global success

Road to Success, a Chinese youth drama centered on a group of aspiring soccer players, has been released on multiple overseas streaming platforms, reaching audiences in more than 100 countries and regions.

Actress Yu Shuxin stars as Lin Wanxing, a psychology doctoral student at a prestigious university whose studies are unexpectedly cut short. Returning to her hometown, she takes a job as a sports equipment custodian at a local high school and, through an unexpected turn of events, becomes the manager of the school's soccer team.

Actor Chen Jingke plays Wang Fa, a once-renowned soccer coach who returns to China carrying the grief of losing a beloved student. On the same campus, as both adults struggle to rebuild their lives after personal setbacks, they join forces to mentor a group of soccer-loving teenagers navigating prejudice, family pressures and the uncertainties of growing up.

While set against the backdrop of high school soccer, the series goes beyond the excitement of competition to explore family trauma, identity, and the difficult choices that define adolescence — themes critics say resonate strongly with today's young audiences.

The drama has also struck a chord overseas, earning ratings of 8.3 out of 10 on MyDramaList and 9.0 out of 10 on Rakuten Viki.

Reflecting on the role in an earlier interview, Yu said the biggest lesson she learned from Lin Wanxing was to "allow herself to slow down" and take time to gain a clearer perspective on the future. She added that portraying the character also taught her that confronting one's inner vulnerability and pain is, in itself, an act of courage.

Yu also revealed that several scenes relied entirely on silent performance, including moments when Lin writes in her diary late at night or quietly gazes out a window. Without dialogue, those scenes allowed her to express the character's inner world through subtle emotions and nuanced facial expressions.