On June 20, a light rain fell in Chengdu. It was the first day of the Chengdu leg of the *Love and Producer* 2026 “Whispers in the Woods” Concert Tour, and also the final stop on the five-city tour.
The rain didn’t stop anyone. The Chengdu concert was set to begin at 7:30 p.m., but by a little before 2:00 p.m., a long line had already formed outside the Sichuan Grand Theater.
"Love and Producer" launched its open beta in 2017, and it has now been nine years since then.I first heard about this game at a college book club meeting, when a senior quietly and shyly asked, “Have you guys heard of a game called *Love and Producer*?” Today, young women no longer need to hide their interest in shame; instead, they come in droves, turning their affection into cheers at live events.
On June 24, *Love and Producer* topped Weibo’s Game Influence Chart. This surge in popularity was certainly not due to just one concert. Viewed within the context of the development of domestic games targeting female audiences, it has long been more than just a long-term operation—it has become a benchmark that is frequently cited.By seamlessly blending storytelling, voice acting, music, and the daily engagement mechanics typical of mobile games, it brought dating sims into the public eye for the first time in such a high-frequency, nuanced, and relatable way—and allowed the emotions cultivated in the virtual world to gradually extend into real life.
01
We Meet Again in the Music
Love blossomed thanks to an in-person concert.
The moment you step into the Sichuan Grand Theater, a cool breeze washes over you, sweeping away the early summer heat. Inside the theater, elegantly dressed young women gather in small groups of three or five, sharing the materials in their hands or posing for photos in front of roll-up banners, sweet smiles playing on their lips.Further inside stood a massive truss backdrop, where five characters—each holding a different musical instrument—waited amidst a lush, serene forest. They were the very people the girls had been longing for—and the reason they had gathered here.
The venue was decorated in a green, forest-themed style that echoed the “Whispers in the Woods” theme, with chibi-style dolls of the five characters hidden among the grass on either side of the stage. The five characters were dressed in light, airy outfits that complemented the concert’s refreshing atmosphere.Every player in attendance had carefully prepared their own costumes and makeup, and took turns posing for photos with the character cutouts in an orderly fashion.
The last “Love & Producer” concert dates back to the 2020 third-anniversary special “Love Through the Years,” which featured a single performance in just one city.Six years later, the “Whispers in the Woods” tour kicked off with a five-city run—from Guangzhou and Shanghai to Wuhan, Beijing, and Chengdu—with every show selling out.
Music is the key that unlocks memories best.
The first song of the concert was “Silent Confession.” It was the soundtrack to the first promotional video for *Love and Producer*, and as soon as the melody began, it was hard not to think back to the day I first encountered it.The melodious music was interwoven with the soft murmurs of characters and players meeting for the first time, and not long after the concert began, some people in the audience had already started to quietly sob.
Starting with “Silent Confessions,” a series of classic IP songs unfolded one after another. Between the songs in each chapter, short skits featuring the various characters were interspersed—some heartwarming, some humorous, and some filled with pop culture references that the entire audience instantly recognized. Waves of laughter and tears followed one after another.
In the second half, the chubby kids representing the five characters took the stage one by one, swaying and dancing to the music, and the audience immediately raised a sea of cell phones.Midway through the Chengdu show, Lolo’s inflatable mascot suddenly deflated and, tilting its head back, stumbled offstage, prompting the audience to exclaim, “So cute!” This little mishap actually became one of the concert’s most entertaining moments. The organizers were thoughtful enough to have the group perform “Cute Summer” in its entirety one more time at the end.
As the concert came to a close, the lights dimmed, but no one wanted to leave just yet. Someone shouted, “Don’t go!” and many people rushed forward, reaching out to touch the chubby baby on stage.
After the show ended, at 12 a.m., there were still many people taking photos outside the Sichuan Grand Theater, and they lingered there for quite some time.
It’s not just the atmosphere that’s hard to let go of—it’s also the care the organizers have put into the details.
Someone said, “Even the security guard calls us ‘producers.’” An older woman even came over specifically to ask, “Aren’t there any guys at this event? We were just talking about cleaning out the men’s restroom for you to use—we’re worried there’ll be too many people and the lines will get too long.”
There was a dedicated staff member in front of each photo prop to help guide players in taking photos. One player shared: “While waiting in line to take a photo with the prop, the staff kept order by calling out, ‘Next in line, Mrs. X, please step forward.’ They even helped me fix my hair, and if I wasn’t sure how to pose, they’d give me guidance. It really made me feel so happy.”When they saw players sitting on the ground, the staff would proactively hand them a blanket and remind them not to catch a chill.
(Many players have spontaneously shared moments on Xiaohongshu when they were moved by the official staff.)
Given that the audience consisted mostly of women, the organizers made arrangements in advance for all the women’s restrooms at the venue. A netizen posted a photo of a small note that read: “All restrooms on this side are reserved for the female producers. Gentlemen, please use the odd-numbered restrooms on the second floor. Thank you for your cooperation!”
Players documented all of this and posted it on Xiaohongshu. Even after many days, they still couldn’t break the habit. One person wrote, “I think I’ll keep thinking back on this night—these two-plus hours—for a long time to come.”
02
A Summer Romance
Emotions that were hard to let go of in person found a quick response online.
On the evening of June 27, the launch event for *Love and Producer*’s 2026 Summer Island Paradise “LIANYU LAND” kicked off.
“Walking with you through the golden flower fields, the sun warming the air, that song playing softly in my headphones.” A Citypop track begins to play, its upbeat rhythm interwoven with each character’s romantic moments: walking side by side on the beach, smiling at each other under the setting sun—these scenes flash by one after another, pulling the listener into a midsummer dream set in Renyu City.
During the hour-and-a-half livestream, there was no shortage of the abstract antics typical of *Love and Producer*: skits and stand-up comedy took turns on stage during the *Love with You* talent show, and the five chubby cuties—beloved by players—even performed a sizzling dance in beach skirts during the livestream.One player remarked that the spectacle was just like the Spring Festival Gala, exclaiming, “This solves the problem of not being able to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the summer.”
Following the exciting show, the livestream aired a teaser for the new summer update.
From the retro vaporwave tones and pink seaside vibes that hit us right from the start of the livestream, we could already guess quite a bit.
This time, we’ll head to the beach with our loved ones to host and run a vibrant island music festival. With the launch of the new update, the “DROP THE BEAT” and “Chase the Summer Beats” events will kick off simultaneously.
“DROP THE BEAT” is the gacha pool for this summer event. Here, players can touch and caress their favorite characters, place cute stickers on different parts of their bodies, or have a water gun fight with them while enjoying the hot summer weather.As you level up your character cards and grow closer, the intimacy of skin-to-skin contact is amplified by the summer heat, turning into a flirtatious and sweet date.
Following the release of "Chasing Summer Sounds" in the Mixed Pool, a massive RPG map event combines a trendy music festival with the management of a cozy, charming island.Players can join him in decorating the beach stage, arranging band performances, and even setting up food stalls to earn tokens—which can be exchanged for exclusive avatars or titles at the souvenir shop—to create a music festival island brimming with summer memories together.
In keeping with the summer theme, *Love and Producer* is holding its latest offline event in Guangzhou.
This place has a strong summer vibe and was a location many players requested in the early teasers. The collaboration route not only highlights Guangzhou’s best spots for cooling off in the shade but also showcases must-try local delicacies through the characters’ experiences, all while showcasing Guangzhou’s rich historical and cultural heritage.
Even though the new version hasn’t officially launched yet, some players have already followed the character’s Weibo account and can’t wait to check in.
Beyond the sizzling beach, there’s also a subtle, classical beauty. In the new update, *Love and Producer* will launch an in-depth collaboration with the Museum of the King of Nanyue, introducing the “Spirit of Heaven and Earth” ER card.
Each of the five characters’ card illustrations is modeled after a cultural relic in the courtyard:Zhou Qiluo is depicted as a four-connected bronze incense burner; Bai Qi as a gilded bronze tiger-patterned staff with inscriptions; Xu Mo as a jade cup with a high foot resting on a bronze stand; Li Zeyan as a double-ringed jade pendant with openwork dragon-and-phoenix motifs; and Ling Xiao as a “dragonfly’s eye.”Each artifact resonates with the character’s personality, conveying traditional culture while leaving players in awe of the ancient-style card art.
In addition, with the release of the new update, “Love and Producer”’s “Personal Space” will also introduce a brand-new DIY display board feature.The new Personal Space features a wide variety of display frames, freely repositionable decorations, and multiple lighting and shadow effects, allowing players to showcase their card collections in a more personalized way. Additionally, the display board can be set as the main screen and viewed on the Profile and Personal Space screens, enabling players not only to enjoy their collections themselves but also to share them with fellow fans.
The heartfelt livestream event touched many players. After the livestream ended, one player wrote: “I think I’ll keep playing *Love & Producer* for the rest of my life—that way, I can witness every step of your progress.”
03
Companionship Across Dimensions
And that is precisely why the significance of *Love and Producer* has never been limited to the fact that it has been around for eight years; rather, it lies in the fact that it demonstrated one thing very early on: the long-term viability of games aimed at female audiences does not depend on short-lived surges in traffic, but on sustained, nuanced, and tangible emotional companionship.
A long time ago, I saw online that some of the girls who were among the first to play *Love and Producer* had written about it in their theses. Some became fascinated with physics because of the game and are now about to become physics teachers; others actually became producers.
Someone else wrote: “I am the girl who has been with them for eight years and has grown up. Although I haven’t achieved great success or fame, I’ve grown up safely and smoothly, and I’m grateful for every encounter and every moment of joy.”
I’ve said before that, prior to the release of *Love & Producer*, the sense of romance and companionship that female players sought had long been missing from video games. *Love & Producer* filled that gap, and finally, in a game, they felt that they were being taken seriously.
This “sense of companionship,” which extends from the online world to the real world, has always been the core of *Love & Producer*.
Online, their in-game lovers have become an indispensable part of their everyday lives. Offline, they’ve also traveled to various places alongside *Love and Producer*.
Xiamen, Xi'an, Qingdao, and Chengdu—the cities featured in the offline check-in campaign—have become unforgettable memories for players.
In 2023, the game launched an "Animal Keeper" event, while outside the game, it partnered with the Shanghai Zoo to transform virtual cuteness into real-life interactions and laughter.
The 2024 seventh-anniversary “Forever and Ever” traditional wedding event in Xi’an offers a journey into ancient culture, allowing players to stroll through the millennia-old capital in elegant attire and join their in-game characters in a vow that transcends time and space.
Last July, the “Shape of You” sculpture-themed event partnered with the Shanghai Rodin Art Center to blend art and emotion into a single experience.
This time, the 2026 “Whispers in the Woods” concert kicked off a five-city tour, making stops in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan, Beijing, and Chengdu from May through June. Five cities, five performances—every seat was filled to capacity.
As the concert came to a close, everyone rushed toward the ones they loved. Someone wrote down their feelings at that moment: “The girls all rushed toward their loved ones.” Someone in the comments replied: “How loud would you have to shout for them to hear you in another time and space?”
This cross-dimensional love may be bittersweet, but it was handled perfectly by the official team. As the concert came to a close, a new summer event kicked off immediately afterward, ensuring that the companionship never truly ended.
Epilogue
Actually, right up until the moment I rushed off to the concert, I was still busy with work. Worried that the line would be too long and I wouldn’t make it in time, I asked some friends online first. They understood my concern and even wished me a wonderful evening.
This is a special date for every girl, as well as a grand gathering of like-minded friends. Even before stepping into the theater, many of them ran into fellow fans heading to the same destination on their way there.
Love plays out in everyone’s story. One netizen shared her experience at the Wuhan event: a long line, with only 30 seconds per person to take a photo with their favorite character standee. Feeling she hadn’t taken a good photo, she hid in a corner and cried while texting a friend, feeling upset—and a girl behind her in line saw her.That girl kept comforting her and encouraging her to try again; she even waited in line with her for two more rounds and lent her her own camera.
She said, “With time being so tight and precious, I never expected any of the girls to be willing to spend time with me like that—just giving up their time for nothing. At that moment, I no longer cared about how the photos turned out; the girls’ sincerity made me feel something even more genuine.”
The love found in games is worth cherishing, and the love that girls share with one another outside of games is just as precious. Together, these two elements make up this rare date.
To this day, *Love and Producer* remains the "one and only" for many players. Even those who no longer play the game still made the trip to attend this live concert. Because it’s a wonderful memory no matter when they think back on it—and a safe haven they can always return to.
"Love and…"'s summer has never been just another in-game update—it has been a series of real, tangible journeys toward love. It proves that the long-term vitality of female-oriented mobile games is never built on trends and traffic alone, but rather on gentle and steadfast companionship.
"Love and Producer" serves as an excellent example of sustainable, long-term operation for the entire romance-themed entertainment IP, and it has heightened anticipation for how "Love and Producer"’s next summer, next city, and next romance will once again unfold in surprising and delightful ways.
原创文章，作者：游茶妹儿，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/208071
