chinese drama recs!!

Genre/tags: Historical, Political, Court Intrigue/Politics, Romance

I mean what can I say. The sets, the costumes, the cinematography. The acting. The chemistry. The scheming. The humor is on point, although it does die down nearing the end. It is on the longer side though (72 episodes. I know) and the last few episodes are a trainwreck but I could watch these two act forever so it's fine! Kind of.

Genre/tags: Romance, Medical, Police

So adorable. This drama is literally my go-to rec for a cdrama rom com. I'm convinced that these roles were made for Ma Sichun and Bai Jingting. Loved both of the main leads, loved their dynamic and their relationship, loved their growth in their respective careers. Ma Sichun's smile??? She's so cute??? Gave zero craps about the second couple, unfortunately.

Genre/tags: Romance, Business, Law

Highly recommend to people who are a fan of calm rom coms with cool city shots. The chemistry was on fire in this one. Also filled with super mature growth and conversations, along with determined characters who fight for themselves. The humor is lowkey but very much still there and got a few giggles out of me.

Genre/tags: Comedy, Melodrama, Family, Romance

Made me laugh and then cry and then laugh and then cry a lot. Yes, the love triangle is just a bit weird, but I prefer to focus on the found family aspect of the drama which is so. freaking. sweet. This drama did give me a small but constant bad feeling after the first few episodes though LOL which I guess is where the melodrama genre comes through. There was also a bit more to be desired from Song Weilong's acting, but it definitely wasn't bad. Overall, lots of feels and laughter.

Genre/tags: Wuxia, Smart Male Lead, Journey

It's so easy to fall in love with this drama. Quirky characters, mesmerizing scenery, witty dialogue. This drama is so captivating for reasons I can't explain, but I thoroughly enjoyed the humor and the unique characters.

Genre/tags: Romance, Comedy, Law

Best part of this drama is hands-down the dynamic between the leads. Both of the leads are hilarious and fiery and loud, and it makes for the best chemistry between them! They're so natural with each other, and the romance is just adorable. Song Zu'er is an absolute queen in this – such great acting. The "present" storyline is a bit more suspenseful than I would prefer it to be, but honestly the romance is worth the inconsistent mood lol.

Genre/tags: Historical, Life, Romance

It’s long and slow-moving but absolutely worth it. I love that it’s not intensely political in a government sense (throne fights and all that), but explores the “politics” of a family, focusing on women’s day to day lives. The FL is so easy to fall in love with and root for. The scenery and the atmosphere is also a treat.

Genre/tags: Mystery, Wuxia, Friendship

Lovable characters and interesting cases! Highlight was still definitely the characters and their dynamics, it’s impossible not to laugh and smile while watching them. I love the wit and petty schemes in this one.

Genre/tags: Historical, Romance, Mystery, Political Scheming Kind Of

FEMINISM!!! (but they really throw it in your face.) The female lead in this was clever, unapologetic, powerful, and pretty likable in my opinion. Basically, she knows what's up. She's also flawed, which actually made me like her more. AND THE CHEMISTRY!!! These two are too cute. Their back-and-forth bickering! The kiss made me more disappointed than usual because of how palpable their chemistry was lol. I did not like certain characters in this drama and how they were dealt with, and the ending is also pretty trash for various reasons, but it was enjoyable for the most part. Certain parts of the plot are also pretty unbelievable.

Genre/tags: Historical, Romance, Scheming/Investigating/Political Stuff and What Not

I like to think of this drama as a more subtle, slightly more mature version of The Autumn Ballad. Basically FEMINISM!!!! again but less in your face. The female lead is so smart and effortlessly, elegantly strong, I would literally faint if I were in her presence. And the chemistry??? I love how it's all in the way they look at each other.

Genre/tags: Romance, Comedy, Girl Squad

I literally can't figure this drama out because it's not even that good, but I enjoyed watching it so much?? The comedy is a bit over-the-top but I was still laughing so hard. It's cute, it's sweet, it's feel-good, so what else more could you want in a rom com I guess. I really liked the female lead for some reason, and her relationship with her friends, but while the chemistry between the FL and the ML was cute, it wasn't particularly intense or notable.

Genre/tags: Romance, Xianxia

This is by no means a perfect drama but the vibes are immaculate. Even with the whole "this is supposed to be a love story with impossible obstacles" thing going on, it's somehow kind of a feel-good drama. And the comedy is actually so good – I love how the humor comes from utter chaos lol. The female lead isn't for everyone, but I loved her. She starts off as adorable, naive, and trouble-making, and true to Xianxia fashion, develops into a more mature (but still hilariously adorable) character. I didn't care much for the main couple, but they had nice chemistry and their cute moments (although Dong Hua is lowkey pretty toxic, and the whole mysterious thing going on with him made it harder to like him as much as the FL).

Genre/tags: Slice of Life, Romance, Village Setting

Slow-moving but healing vibes all the way. The leads are mature, wholesome, and warm, with a dash of chaos on the ML's part. My favorite part was the bond between the residents. It can get a bit slow and maybe slightly boring at times, but the conversations they have are meaningful and beautifully written. The setting is also absolutely gorgeous.

(There was one scene that I still cringe thinking about to this day, only because it came out of nowhere and the mood was absolutely not right lol).

Genre/tags: Historical, Romance, Politics

literally watch this for zhao lu si. she excels in this kind of role: a character who is witty and intelligent, but still young and naive. and absolutely hilarious. cheng shao shang is the goat. that's why you should watch this. the romance was the most disappointing part; it was horribly written first of all, but also as much as it hurts to say this, wu lei my man you gotta step it up.

(note: STOP AFTER PART 1. do not watch part 2.)

Genre/tags: Romance, Youth, Friendship, Life, High School/College

In my opinion, and others might disagree, this drama should not be watched for the romance. To me, the romance alone was mediocre at best – chemistry is not really there, but it's cute to watch. The main reasons I would recommend this are the friendship and the lovable characters. It was so heartwarming watching these five friends support each other and do crazy childhood things. I will admit I wasn't completely sold in the beginning, but I slowly fell in love with these characters and their beautifully nostalgic high school experience. It was also pretty cute when the FL made the ML flustered, or the ML made the FL smile.

Genre/tags: Romance, Comedy, Music, Boss/Employee, Celebrity ML

 The sass! The attitude! I honestly enjoyed this drama mostly because of its use of the "bickering couple" trope, which I love. Huang Zi Tao is a menace in this though lol. It's honestly not as deep as it tries to be, but the comedy is pretty good and I did like the FL most of the time.

Genre/tags: Romance, High School, College

Just a really cute school drama. The departure from the tracksuit school uniforms was a bit of a shock for me LOL but the high school time period does take place nearer to the present time than I'm used to. Chemistry between the leads was pretty good, nothing amazing but definitely above average. The FL goes through a nice development arc with a few bumps in the road, although she did regress quite a lot in the character development department. I was for sure not a fan of some of the choices the FL made and how it was handled.

Genre/tags: Historical, Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Time Travel (kind of)

A bit of a hit or miss with this one. I found it absolutely hilarious, and Zhao Lu Si did great with such a comedic FL.  The ML was a bit less likable for various reasons, but the romance was still sweet and cute most of the time. I'd recommend this for anyone who loves comedy like me lol, but expect that this drama will not take itself seriously at all.

Genre/tags: Historical, Comedy, Friendship, Romance, Palace Harem, Episodic

HEAR ME OUT okay hear me out. I never actually finished this but it might be both the dumbest and most hilarious thing I've ever watched. Low budget, over-the-top slapstick comedy, but I absolutely adore the FL and her friends. The shenanigans they got up to were super entertaining and funny. I kind of disliked the romance, it's actually why I stopped watching the show, but the first 15 or so eps don't deal with romance much. Beware: watchers who like plot, avoid this at all costs.