Chinese movies flourished a lot in recent years and their popularity is off the charts as people love their on-screen cultural beauty, drama, romance, or political themes. The most popular are the genres of drama where audiences go frenzy over them.
A few years back, Chinese films were popular for their martial arts and action but drama has been a new upcoming competition. Nowadays, people prefer a dramatic storyline with plot twists. So, here is a much-watch list of Chinese Drama series you shouldn’t miss.
15 Best Chinese Drama Series
1. Word of Honor (2021)
- Cast: Jun Gong, Zhehan Zhang, Ye Zhou.
- IMDb Rating: 9.3/10
- Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 with 36 Episodes.
Zhou Zi Shu decided to leave behind his former life of royalty to explore his interest in martial arts. On the way, he made a friend, and together they uncover the mystery about a legendary treasure.
The TV series is adapted from the novel “Faraway Wanderers” and is quite entertaining to watch. From friendships to conspiracy, this show will glue your eyes to the screen. It is one of the highest-rated BL Chinese dramas.
You can watch Word of Honor on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
2. The Untamed (2019)
- Cast: Zhan Xiao, Yibo Wang, Zhuocheng Wang.
- IMDb Rating: 9.0/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 50 Episodes.
This is one of the most popular Chinese dramas, that is recommended by almost everyone, and it’s worthwhile to watch it. Based on the historic novel “Mo Dao Zu Shi,” it’s a story of two brotherly disciples on a mission to sweep away evils that are creeping out in society.
The plot isn’t purely focused on action, but the comedic drama elements will cheer you up for watching more of it.
You can watch The Untamed on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and WeTV.
Recommended Read: Chinese Action Movies That You Can’t Miss.
3. Nirvana in Fire (2015)
- Cast: Kei Gambit, Ge Hu, Yongdai Ding.
- IMDb Rating: 9.0/10
- Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 with 54 Episodes, Season 2 with 50 Episodes.
Nirvana in Fire has the perfect blend of historical drama and thrill with mind games that just might demand all your attention on the screen.
Lin Shu and his father were marked as the traitors of their dynasty but he returned to take back what he lost and prove their innocence to the world.
You can watch Nirvana in Fire on Viki and YouTube.
4. Go Ahead (2020)
- Cast: Songyan Tu, Xilin Zhang, Tongshu Yang.
- IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 46 Episodes.
Go Ahead is one of the best family shows out there for this genre, and you won’t regret watching this. It revolves around the basic nature and relationships we have with everyone and how it affects each other in life.
The series took up the most basic topic and made it a masterpiece. Although the characters are unrelated, their act of being a family, and being there for each other will remind you of your closest friends.
You can watch Go Ahead on Viki and WeTV.
5. Love and Redemption (2020)
- Cast: Yi Cheng, Chun-Yi Li, Xueyi Liu.
- IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 59 Episodes.
This drama series is based on the novel “The Glass Maiden” where the story doesn’t bound itself to the human realm. The two characters are faced with numerous misunderstandings and hardships, but their friendship persisted which resulted in many revelations about the other realms.
If you love romantic dramas with historical events and the afterlife, this show is the perfect one for you. The misunderstandings had a lot of impact on the story but clearing them out made the series mushier altogether.
You can watch Love and Redemption on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Viki.
Recommended Read: Best Black Romance Movies That You Should Watch Atleast Once.
6. Hikaru no Go (2020)
- Cast: Chao Zhang, Ning Chen, Xianxu Hu.
- IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 36 Episodes.
Hikaru no Go has a perfect storyline that will leave you with nail-biting drama and excitement. The story is unique and starts off with a quest of finding treasure, but the main character discovers the Go board instead which summons a spirit that dedicates his life to him.
Although the Go board isn’t appealing to him, the spirit influenced him to play the game, which ultimately led to burning a passion for it and a lot of exciting matches to follow.
You can watch Hikaru no Go on iQiyi.
7. The Long Ballad (2021)
- Cast: Dilraba Dilmurat, Yilun Fang, Yuning Liu.
- IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 49 Episodes.
This series narrates a historical drama where the Princess seeks revenge for the injustice done to her family. But suffering defeat in the hands of a Prince, she was kept as a strategist and enthralled to become one of the formidable duos.
The former Princess was slowly falling for the charming Prince and was astonished to discover that they are in the same spiral of love. It’s a heartwarming series with cute gestures of romance instilled in it.
You can watch The Long Ballad on YouTube and Viki.
Recommended Read: Some of the Best Movies about Culture & Society.
8. My Little Happiness (2021)
- Cast: Xin Deng, Xing Fei, Weilun Fu.
- IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 28 Episodes.
Looking for a short, feel-good romantic comedy and drama? Then My Little Happiness is the ideal one for you. The story starts with the mother making her only daughter study finance abroad (it’s her wish), but she wants to be a lawyer, which made her proceed with it after getting over with finance.
Returning quietly, she got her internship in the medical firms for resolving the disputes, but fate brought her to her childhood playmate, and a new chapter of romance blooms (even if they resist, can they really?)
Watch My Little Happiness on Viki and WeTV.
9. Eternal Love (2017)
- Cast: Mi Yang, Mark Chao, Weiguang Gao.
- IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 58 Episodes.
Eternal Love or the English alternative name Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom is based on the novel “To the Sky Kingdom.” It’s a romantic Chinese drama depicting two soulmates (considered immortal) reincarnating in different lives yet finding each other to sustain their Eternal Love.
You should binge-watch this mushy love story with your partner and might find yourselves lost in the moment as well (*wink*).
You can watch Eternal Love on Netflix and Viki.
10. Love is Sweet (2020)
- Cast: Yunxi Luo, Gao Han Yu, Riley Wang.
- IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 36 Episodes.
The plot might be a sort of cliché, to be honest, but the execution and story-telling make up for the lost cause. It’s a story of a confident girl who has striven her way into the new prospect of her career (due to the last wish of her father) and how she reunites with her childhood playmate, eventually attaining success both in love and career life.
Anyways, if you love a romantic plot or new to the world of Chinese romantic comedies, this might actually hit you off with a good start. From childhood playmates to rivalries and to finally being lovers, the journey is amusing and executes with a happy ending.
You can watch Love is Sweet on Amazon Prime.
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11. Le Coup de Foudre (2019)
- Cast: Ge An, Li, Ma, Jampa Tseten.
- IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 35 Episodes.
Le Coup de Foudre is a Romantic drama where two lovers struggle to keep up with their relationship due to several circumstances presented by fate.
It is adapted from the novel “Don’t Like this world, I only like you.” The story highlights that relationships don’t amount to happiness every time, there are hardships and struggles to keep them intact.
You can watch Le Coup de Foudre on Viki and WeTV.
12. Love O2O (2016)
- Cast: Yang Yang, Shuang Zheng, Denny Huang.
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 30 Episodes.
A refreshing series about a popular gaming geek who falls in love with a girl, not because of her looks but her gaming skills! Its unique and innocent plot will melt your heart away.
The guy’s attempt of wooing the girl, both in-game and real-time will make you smile all the way. Also, they went for adventures, competitions, and journeys together which eventually makes them closer and closer.
You can watch Love O2O on Netflix, Viki, and WeTV.
Recommended Read: Movies That Are Must Watch for Teenage Girls.
13. You Are My Hero (2021)
- Cast: Jingting Bai, Hao Chen, Sichun Ma.
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 40 Episodes
You Are My Hero shares a plot that you can hardly relate to, but the impact of this romantic drama is much more than you imagine. It stands apart from all the romance stories as there are no unnecessary plot devices or themes to make them fall for each other.
The story follows the impacts of the earthquake where the two main characters are bound to work together due to the circumstances (though they had differences previously). But working together unleashes some of their characters, which eventually helps them to understand each other better.
You can watch You Are My Hero on Viki and WeTV.
14. Skate Into Love (2020)
- Cast: Janice Wu, Steven Zhang, Tianhao Wei.
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 40 Episodes.
Skate Into Love is based on a unique theme of Ice Skating, where both the main characters – Janice Wu (playing Tang Xue) and Steven Zhang (playing Li Yu Bing) are involved in the field as a speed skater and ice-hockey specialist, respectively.
The story follows a classic rom-com route of reuniting after school days and transition from enemies to lovers. From the constant bickering to getting ‘caught’ at that moment, this show will remind you of the basic school romances altogether.
You can watch Skate Into Love on Viki and Apple TV.
Recommended Read: Best Movies to Learn Filmmaking From.
15. Put Your Head on My Shoulder (2019)
- Cast: Xing Fei, Lin Yi, Tara Clance.
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Seasons & Episodes: 24 Episodes
It is one of the most popular Chinese dramas of 2019 where the female lead lost her clue of what to do after graduation. But things drastically change when the smartest guy in the school becomes her roommate.
A lot of chaos with sparks of fun and eventually harboring feelings makes this series absolutely entertaining and fun to watch!
You can watch Put Your Head on My Shoulder on Netflix, Viki, and WeTV.
FAQs on Best Chinese Drama
1. Name some of the Best Chinese Drama 2019
Some of the Best Chinese Drama of 2019 that created a worldwide sensation:
– A Little Reunion.
– All is Well.
– Go Go Squid.
– Le Coup de Foudre.
– Put Your Head on My Shoulder.
2. What are the Best Chinese Drama on Netflix?
Some of the Best Chinese Drama on Netflix are:
– Word of Honor.
– The Untamed.
– Eternal Love.
– Love O2O.
– The King’s Avatar.
3. Name some of the All-Time Best Chinese Drama List.
Some of the All-Time Best Chinese Drama List are:
– Scarlet Heart.
– Legend of Concubine Zhen Huang.
– Princess Pearl.
– Eternal Love.
– The Story of Ming Lan.
