Best Chinese Historical Dramas

This drama is very long, and it’s placed at the top of the list due to the fact that I loved how intelligent the FML is. The storytelling is amazing. Every character gets a good amount of screen time. It’s slice of life, so the first 10 episodes do feel slow. Ming Lan is such an emotionally intelligent character. She knows how to play her cards right. It’s almost scary. It’s mostly the little gestures or things that she says that change the trajectory of the story. She can be very manipulative. She’s very soft-spoken and calm. Even though Ming Lan can be ruthless when she wants to be, she’s very kind. She’s the type of person who, if you don’t cross her, won’t cross you. She’s very reasonable. Very reasonable, but I still wanted her to get back at some of her family members for the way she was treated. It took a while to warm up to the ML, especially with his past encounters with women. But I ended up loving him. He presented himself properly and proudly in front of everyone and performed the proper marriage rites. Ming Lan also had a hard time warming up to her new home, but she did manage to do it. And they both were a power couple.

Don’t get me started on this. It was the most frustrating but beautiful C-drama ever. 10/10. The first 20 episodes are basically introducing Bai Qian during her youth. And really, we don’t see any actual encounter between the FML and ML until around episode 20. Either way, I loved every minute of it. All three trials and tribulations Bai Qian went through. The designs and styling were amazing, especially the hair. Very natural. Usually, in costume dramas, the hair always looks horrible, but not in this one. The designer, William Chang, did amazing. We need to petition C-dramas to style like this all the time. It should be a crime to style actors horribly. Our FML wouldn’t be considered very emotionally intelligent. During her human era, she was absolutely pathetic, allowing Ye Hua to treat her like that. I will never forgive our ML. But during the third arc, she’s very emotionally detached. Emotionally unavailable. As she should be. Had Ye Hua groveling. This drama is about the journey between Ye Hua and Bai Qian and their eternal love.

This is third on the list due to the fact that this is another emotionally intelligent woman. She’s very soft-spoken. I loved the costume designs and the way they styled A’wu. It was frustrating at times due to the fact that she has this tendency to forgive everyone and their shortcomings. She even befriended someone who previously kidnapped and attempted to assault her. That’s why my rating is an 8.0. A’wu is a very kind soul to those she holds dear. I hated how everyone mistreated her, but she treated them with absolute kindness and loyalty. She does know how to hold her own, defending cities and saving the royal family. A’wu showed me you don’t have to be in armor to defend your country. And then there’s Xiao Qi. He’s very manly, mature, and passionate. He’s very patient with A’wu, and whenever he was on my screen, I loved every minute of it. The most green-flag ML in C-drama history. This drama is about a strong feminine woman and how she maneuver between strong powerful figures. A woman he holds the a strong fortitude.

This first part of this C-drama was absolutely the best. I don’t know how to describe it. Niao Niao was just that girl. She wouldn’t be considered emotionally mature. She was very immature, actually. Niao Niao was the type to hold grudges and even get revenge. The revenge was amazing and funny. She was never one to be pushed around. Very carefree and different from a typical nobleman’s daughter. She honestly just wanted a mother’s love. A hug. But she never received that. Instead, she received harsh punishments. I hated Niao Niao’s mom. This drama is about a girl who despite circumstances always remain carefree and true to herself. The romance was such a slow burn, the candle wasn’t even lit yet. There’s a kiss scene in this show, the only one, and it’s not our FML and ML. I am obsessed with Ling Bu Yi. The casting of this whole show was just perfect.

Zhao Lusi and Leo Wu did amazing in Love Like the Galaxy. The costume designers were awesome. The Han Dynasty is always my favorite dynasty because of the style during that time. Onto Part 2, Niao Niao and Ling Bu Yi are engaged. Hurray. This part 2, focuses on her developing romance with Ling Bu Yi and how she navigates palace life. You would think since Ling Bu Yi personally asked to be granted this engagement, he wouldn’t disappoint Niao Niao. Nope, he did. Our ML in this drama is by far one of the top 10 biggest red flags in C-drama history. But in this aspect, I consider myself color blind. The setting is the royal palace. Our FML, Niao Niao, has abandonment issues due to the absence of proper parenting. In the second part, she receives the most heartwarming affection from the Empress. Sometimes, I denounce Niao Niao’s real mom and consider the Empress her true mother. Her and Niao Niao’s relationship is absolutely beautiful. As always, Niao Niao is a badass, getting revenge—an eye for an eye. And there’s one word to describe Ling Bu Yi in the second part of the show: a fēngzǐ. Which translates to an insane person. No, he’s genuinely insane. My favorite fēngzǐ. I loved every minute of this show.

There are no words to describe this show. Just absolutely heartbreaking. Our FML, Ru Yi, is elegant, poised, and kind-hearted. But no one wants her to be happy in that palace besides her bestie, my girl Consort Yu, who stood by her. I’m sad she chose that ending. In the walls of the palace it’s hard to stay true to yourself. Certain circumstances changes you. Despite those changes, Ru Yi consciousness remains clear. Because some aspects remains unchanged her relationship with the emperor grows more and more estranged. This drama is a harem intrigue set during Emperor Qianlong’s reign. This C-drama is 87 episodes long. I put it above the other harem intrigue dramas because it’s absolutely a masterpiece. The characters, the storytelling, and the very human depiction of life in the harem during the Qing Dynasty. This drama is very historically accurate, in my opinion. The designs are beautiful. The hair, makeup, and costume designs are amazing. I think there’s even a museum featuring what they wore during this show. Every design was personally created by hand. I can go on and on about the beauty of this C-drama. Anyways, it was a great watch. It’s a great show if you love female rivalry + palace intrigue. Oh, if you liked The Story of Yanxi Palace, this may ruin your image of Consort Ling from that drama. But she is a villain in this one.

This is a harem intrigue drama during Emperor Yong Zheng. Fun fact the empress dowager from Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace is the fml in this drama. In a way Empresses in the Palace is the parent show. And Ruyi’s is a continuation from when her adopted son takes the throne. Either way I’m a big fan of this show it had its epic moments. But because of the fact it came out in the year 2012. I didn’t really like the styling. You see the main reason I watch historical cdramas is for the costumes. And another reason although it showed the fml, Zhen Huan, was very intelligent from the beginning but she still a teenage girl and the first part of the show spent a large portion of it on romance. From her fall from grace to her rise to empress dowager. We watch as Zhen Huan learns the game of the palace and plays the games better than experienced players. By the second arc. Her comeback. It’s belt to ass. She’s literally just kicking ass. Even the emperor wasn’t spared. Cuckold too. Multiple times it was hilarious. Idk if it’s historically accurate or not but the character names certainly are. Best revenge ever she was ruthless. It takes first place in the revenge drama list.

This show wasn’t very historically accurate, per se. It was mostly about Ying Lou’s journey toward revenge. Netizens argue that Ying Lou was very Mary Sue. I could kind of see what they mean, but at the same time, idgaf. I was just here for Ying Lou. She’s such a badass. RIP to what could have been with the second ML. I resented the Emperor for that. It took me a very long time to warm up to their romance. But by the end of the show, it was actually kinda cute. I also love the sisterly love between the Empress and Ying Lou. It was absolutely beautiful. I was so heartbroken… This palace intrigue is about revenge and navigating love and sisterhood in the place where loyalty is scarcely possible. Ying Luo rise from maid, to consort, to formally titled empress after her son ascended the throne. But Ying Lou gets away with too much as a palace maid. Top 10 revenge stories, coming in at number 2.

The First Jasmine. What a beautiful show. I love the Tang Dynasty. It was considered the richest era in Chinese history. In The First Jasmine, we have our FML, Ye Li, who seems to be hiding something, and Xiu Yao and his journey toward healing. Ye Li’s revenge was the most satisfying revenge ever. I was kinda sad her last target wasn’t targeted, and she died of natural causes and guilt. She was let off too easily, especially when she was the cause of so many deaths. Ye Li is smart and very quirky. She seems to be lonely and dealing with something internally. This drama is about mutual healing between both leads. It tackles the sensitive topic of schizophrenia, which one of the characters deals with as a defense mechanism after so many traumatic events happened around them. Number 3 on the list of revenge dramas. That clears the list of the top 3.

This was the spiciest C-drama yet. I think I can speak for everyone and say the C-drama community was not ready. At least I wasn’t ready for that emotional roller coaster. Our FML is a habitual liar. Ji Bo Zai was going through it here. The whole entire plotline was out to torment him. It was actually absurd. I grieved for him. He went through so much. He couldn’t catch a break. So much angst for no reason. The romance was beautiful, but the way the world didn’t give Ji Bo Zai a moment to breathe was too much. The world gave up on Ji Bo Zai but Ming Yi refuse to give up on him. This drama is about Ming Yi and Ji Bo Zai learning to love and trust each other. I loved the way they styled the FML. I didn’t like the fact that there weren’t that many moments of her showing off her fighting skills. It was a great show to watch.

This drama was something else. It starts off as enemies to lovers, then back to enemies, and then, once again, lovers. Of course, the ML, Xing Zhou, had to work for it. Our ML is a habitual liar, and I hate habitual liars the most. We watch as Mian Tang learns to trust Xing Zhuo once more and Xing Zhuo determined to marry Mian Tang as his principal wife despite everyone disapproval. Mian Tang is portrayed as a strong, independent woman who is used to doing most of the protecting. She also has self respect. She’s very assertive. Even though she lost her memory, she still retained that aspect of herself. She’s absolutely ruthless toward those who hurt her. A strong FL. This was my first drama watching actors Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Chu Ran, and they did absolutely amazing. In the show, they were just so calm and soft-spoken. So tender toward each other. I especially loved their voices.