Sci-Fi/Fantasy (NOT Xianxia)

19th Floor - A group of people get into a traffic accident, loses consciousness, and wake up having to fight for their life in a escape room like challenge. Interesting plot. great OST, great actors. - u/noungning

An Ancient Love Song is a short, angsty time travel drama, telling the story of "a love separated by a thousand years," with every episode refined and full of meticulous details: A drama I would call most worthy of at least one rewatch. - u/ditaohcy

Derailment - FL awakens into what she believes is back in time, the first number she dials is a phone number she remembers as her father's but ML picks up. Leads have good chemistry, and the FL is really a great actress, the story is interesting in that it's not the typical plots. - u/noungning

I am nobody... Truly entertaining. I love it that it is a modern take on people with powers. Really impressed me not just because of the beautiful people but also their martial arts and the story line. - u/Dependent_Ad_8951

Story line was layered, immersive, and takes you through a rainbow of emotions. Very well-developed. You can take it at the surface level for sheer entertainment (and/or amusement) but there is so much depth, especially with every character's individual story arc.

Oh goodness, the character development for everyone was intense. So many complex characters, but this drama really explored the depths of life trajectories and moral greyness of all the characters. It's easy to get invested.

And wow, yes the martial arts are so beautiful. Super cool to see. Love the reflection of internal conditions and values with their use. Not really a graphics promoter, but they were on point for these martial arts/fights!!

I Am Nobody is definitely seconded. Great scifi! The donghua has been recommended to me, too! - u/about10joules

I Belonged to Your World is definitely a hidden gem in the genre.

Qi Shuo builds a time machine to go back in time to help his mother, Qi Yue, bring her life on track so that she doesn't die in misery and despair in the future.

There is a sweet romance between the FL and her son's future teacher, Lu Xiao. But the stand-out about this show (and why it's dear to me, having two sons myself) is the beautiful story of a mother and son relationship. Qi Shuo loves his mother enough to change the past for her and Qi Yue learns to love her adult son from the future. - u/scarletreddit

Mr. Bad  - FL, a writer, makes a wish to encounter true love at a fountain and the villain in her novel comes to life. This is surprisingly quite underrated but I loved it due to it's comedic sides, fluffiness, and not much stress. I thought FL and ML had great chemistry. - u/noungning

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble - great supernatural comedy/mystery/drama with great mix of humor and emotional moments. - u/rewriteryan

Parallel World (or, as in the much more atmospheric Chinese title, West out of the Yumen).

A group of people cross over from the western deserts of China in our modern world to another world populated by magical creatures and various political factions. The ML was a guide who lost a team of people in a freak sandstorm, while the FL woke up in the desert with no memory, and they have to unravel their pasts.

It has really interesting desert settings on the old Silk Road. A fantastic mature main couple (especially the ferocious FL played by Ni Ni), some great side characters (including two roosters), magical beasts, and an intriguing but slowly revealed plot.

It has some flaws in pacing, plot, and an unconvincing villain, but it's one of my personal all time favorites. I haven't seen any other cdrama like it. - u/the_cla

Rattan - alien FL comes back to life because of ML. Interesting story, beautiful FL. Some comedy, some romance, some mystery, great OST. - u/noungning

Reset is basically a time loop drama with a mystery that peels away like an onion. The characters are multifaceted and by the end of the twelve episodes you feel like you know everyone on that bus, including the cops who are also frantically working to stop the explosion. I enjoyed all aspects of this show and recommend for anyone looking for time travel, mystery, or anything just a little different. - u/TVAddict4

The Spirealm - An adventurous story combining comedy, friendship, love and is kinda "horrorish". The story is about a group of people playing some kind of escape + mind games. If they are unsuccessful in escaping from the game, that would cost them their lives. Perfect for someone who likes a little of everything. - u/MagicMoon13

Three Body “hard” scifi adapted from the novel by Liu Cixin. Physics, existential dread, aliens, the Cultural Revolution, environmental activism.

Tencent just put out a slightly edited “anniversary edition” that supposedly addresses some pacing issues in last years series. Otherwise, very good production if this is your cup of tea. Season 2 for second novel in the series is in the works. - u/Previous_Throat6360