After his successful 2007 hit "Soldiers' Sortie", director Kang Honglei has hit the headlines again. And it's for another TV series about men called "My Chief and My Regiment". The Chinese version of "Bands of Brothers" has been the latest hit on the country's small screen.

One difference between "Soldiers' Sortie" and "My Chief and My Regiment" is obvious. All the cast in the former were men, but the new series has added a lone female role, which only reinforces the hard men's image.

"My Chief and My Regiment" has its roots in Tengchong in Yunnan province in southwestern China during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1942. 60 thousand soldiers died there. Nearly half of the first episode is taken up with recounting the war scenarios.

All the cast and crew of "Soldiers' Sortie" have taken part except the former leading role Wang Baoqiang. Many of his "brothers" are glad to give a reply to the recent gossips of Wang's absence.