2021 Drama Rankings

My personal drama rankings for 2021.

2021 starts and finishes strong with Word of Honor and Sword Snow Stride beginning and ending the year for me on a high note. One is a "new wuxia" while the other is a classic wuxia.

This is also the year where low budget, relatively new scriptwriters took everyone by surprise with how addictive and well written their dramas were. The two standouts were Word of Honor and The Imperial Coroner. Of lesser note Definitely Not Today, Mysterious Love and Fall in Love (which I only skimmed a few episodes of) are also modest and curiously watchable dramas.

Big budget dramas on the other crashed an burned, notably The Rebel Princess and Ancient Love Poetry (dropped). I would say that even the successful S+ dramas didn't quite meet viewer expectations including my personal favorite Sword Snow Stride and Pearl Eclipse. Both My Heroic Husband and Luoyang peaked too early and disappointed in the back end.

The highly anticipated Mist Theatre (also known as Light on Series) lineup for 2021 was dismal, foiled by weak writing, artificially contrived suspense and censorship. Even the slew of big name acting talent behind the series could not save it.

Despite the strong start and finish, overall 2021 was a decent but unexceptional year with too many mediocre dramas (I lost count of how many I dropped). 2020 was a better year.

PeachBlossomGoddess Jan 9, 2021

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1. Word of Honor

Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

9.5

Despicable Me. *Tied for No 1*
Best wuxia in years - BL novel adaption.
2. Sword Snow Stride

Chinese Drama - 2021, 38 episodes

9.5

Be the chess player, not the chess piece. *Tied for No 1*
A classic wuxia that pushes all the right buttons.
3. Minning Town

Chinese Drama - 2021, 23 episodes

9.0

If you build it they will come.
A masterpiece fupinju.
4. One and Only

Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes

9.0

'Cause I saw the end, before we'd began.
A tragic, poignant love story that will drown you.
5. The Long Ballad

Chinese Drama - 2021, 49 episodes

8.5

An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
Empowering historical drama about a smart and independent women.
6. The Rebel

Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes

8.5

The Spy Who Loved Me.
Republican era psychological spy thriller.
7. The Imperial Coroner

Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

8.5

A eunuch of a mystery.
A diamond in the rough of an ancient crime solving drama
8. Awakening Age

Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes

Currently Watching
9. Novoland: Pearl Eclipse

Chinese Drama - 2021, 48 episodes

8.0

Journeys end in lovers meeting.
A dark tale of love, obsession and fate set in fantasy Novoland universe.
10. Luoyang

Chinese Drama - 2021, 39 episodes

8.0

Wild goose chase.
Exciting ancient conspiracy thriller; Longest Day in Changán Lite.
11. The Rebel Princess

Chinese Drama - 2021, 68 episodes

8.0

Rebel Without a Cause.
Big budget historical with politics and adult romance
12. My Heroic Husband

Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

8.0

The Virtuous Husband.
Hilarious role reversal satire about a matrilocal marriage.
13. The Master of Cheongsam

Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

8.0

A cut above.
A riveting tale of sibling rivalry during a changing era.
14. Court Lady

Chinese Drama - 2021, 55 episodes

8.0

Karma is a Court Lady.
A high budget, historical tragicomedy.
15. A Girl Like Me

Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

7.5

Rules are made to be broken.
A hilarious romance with an unconventional heroine.
16. The Justice

Chinese Drama - 2021, 42 episodes

7.5

The Dark Side of the Moon.
Republican period power couple that build a banking powerhouse.
17. The Sword and the Brocade

Chinese Drama - 2021, 45 episodes

7.5

Survivor: The Mother-in-Law Obstacles.
A very tropey and sweet harem romance.
18. Forever and Ever

Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes

7.5

Remember us and all we used to be.
A sweet romance, the modern day sequel to One and Only.
19. Song of Youth

Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes

7.5

Women hold up half the sky.
An entertaining ancient Chinese soap opera.
20. Definitely Not Today

Chinese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes

7.5

Death Proof.
A cute, quirky dark romantic comedy.
21. Mysterious Love

Chinese Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

7.5

Abs-olutely Fabulous.
A smoking hot romance with a dash of mystery.
22. Danger Zone: The Dark Night

Taiwanese Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

7.0

Hard core gore.
Suspenseful crime thriller. Warning - hard core gore.
Two seasons 24 episodes in total.
23. Who Is the Murderer

Chinese Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

7.0

Cop out.
Mist Theatre - investigative suspense thriller.
24. The Pavilion

Chinese Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

7.0

Homecoming.
Mist Theatre family suspense drama.
25. The Lie Detective

Chinese Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

7.0

Lie like a dog.
Heart moving police procedural.
26. Miss the Dragon

Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

7.0

Which asshole wrote this script?
An entertaining, light xianxia to kill time with.
27. The Blessed Girl

Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

7.0

Man made goddess.
Decent fantasy drama with funny and fabulous father daughter relationship.
28. Rebirth for You

Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

3.5

Like a mucus bath.
A complete waste of time.