Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! It's easy to start watching Chinese dramas with this C-drama 101 guide!

Here is a selection of evergreen & trending dramas with simple but fascinating plots to enjoy. From costume & period dramas to modern day ones, there are lots of Chinese dramas to choose from. Check out our newest C-Drama favorites below.

Follow the collection and share your favorites for other C-Drama beginners!

C-drama Beginners

Nan Xing (Shen Yue) is a young woman who likes to write in her free time. She has written a novel based in the distant past, whose antagonist is named Xiao Wu Di (Chen Zhe Yuan). The latter is a fierce fighter, and is as cunning and manipulative as they come. One day, in a spurt of desperation, Nan Xing makes a wish for Xiao Wu Di to come to life and help her. But the old warning “be careful what you wish for” rings true after Xiao Wu Di suddenly appears before her!

To her amazement, Xiao Wu Di resolves to stay in the real world, and even insists on becoming her neighbor. He also vows to help her whenever she needs assistance – even when that involves matters of the heart. In fact, Nan Xing wants nothing more than to find love with the man of her dreams. But when Xiao Wu Di begins to fall for her, things threaten to get very messy indeed. Can a man who began as a villainous figment of her imagination become her Romeo? Or will “Mr. Bad” live up to his name?

“Mr. Bad” is a 2022 Chinese drama series that was directed by Lee Ching Jung.

Mr. Bad

📖My Mr BADass📖 Team

Nine years ago, An Ran (He Hong Shan) was a senior at university. She was beautiful and popular, and her college junior Yan Yue (Winwin of NCT) was just one of the many young men who had a crush on her. Now, almost a decade later, An Ran has become a career-driven entrepreneur. She dreams of rising to the top of the business world. But when she tries to pull over a stunt aimed at wooing potential investors, her bluff is exposed and she loses her chance. Distraught, she gets drunk and stumbles into a “romantic” evening with her landlord – unaware that he is actually her college junior...and that he has had feelings for her for years!

In fact, Yan Yue is also secretly a very successful voice actor who keeps his identity a secret. And as destiny would have it, he is also a partner on a new project An Ran is about to start work on. All this means that Yan Yue and An Ran have no choice other than to spend more time together. Yan Yue is delighted about all of this: He has never stopped liking An Ran. But could she also feel the same way about him? As the bond between them deepens, fate appears keen to bring them together…

“Sweet Games” is a 2023 Chinese drama series that was produced by Fang Fang, Su Han, Zhang Zhi Wei, and Xia Wen Yang.

Sweet Games

Bring Your "A" Game

Youku

In the ultra-competitive world of e-sports, the all-male ZGDX team is second to none. Armies of adoring female fans follow the team wherever it goes. But when one of the team’s star players suffers a hand injury, the tall, handsome, and notoriously hard-to-please ZGDX captain Lu Si Cheng (Xu Kai) will not be rushed into choosing a replacement.

The petite, lollipop-loving Tong Yao (Cheng Xiao), meanwhile, is a budding amateur gamer – obsessed with honing her skills. Her abilities are exceptional, but she is of the firm belief that in the male-dominated world of pro gaming, love is a big no-no – even though her own boyfriend is a gamer. When the ZGDX team manager learns of her skills, he contacts her, thinking that recruiting her as the scene’s first female player will help score a major PR coup. She breaks up with her arrogant boyfriend, who scoffs at her dreams of becoming a pro. And Lu Si Cheng is dismissive of her initially, but eventually agrees to accept her as a trainee – a move that polarizes the team’s fanbase. But as they start to get to know one another better, could a closer bond begin to form between them?

“Falling into Your Smile” is a 2021 Chinese drama series that was based on a novel by Qing Mei and directed by Qiu Zhong Wei.

Falling Into Your Smile

🎮 League of Love Team ❤️

One rainy day, Su Zai Zai (Zhang Miao Yi) is taking shelter at a small store when a dashing young high school student named Zhang Lu Rang (Zhou Yi Ran) stops by to buy something. He stands next to her for a brief moment and she instantly falls for him. The next day, their paths cross again as she drops her wallet while cycling to Jiangyi High School and he picks it up – later handing it in at the school. It is not long before she discovers that he is her new classmate.

Their personalities are very different, however. While she is always cheerful and never daunted, Zhang Lu Rang comes across as aloof and haughty. He is an academic whizz who lives with his uncle, but despite his cold exterior, he is actually wracked with self-doubt and has trouble letting people get close to him. However, once he is confronted with Su Zai Zai’s seemingly unending optimism and cheer, he begins to soften. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship – or maybe something more romantic?

This drama was based on a novel named “She’s a Little Crazy” by Zhu Yi.

“When I Fly Towards You” is a 2023 Chinese drama series that was directed by Mao De Shu.

When I Fly Towards You

✨Spread Your Wings & Fly✨

MGTV

He Qiao Yan (Wei Zhe Ming) is the superbly intelligent CEO of a powerful conglomerate – a title he inherited from his affluent family. He has no real sense of empathy, however, and understanding human relationships appears to be beyond him. He also struggles to express his emotions – and sees the world in a very straightforward manner. This causes no end of complications at home: He is the single father of a young son named Xiao Bao (Lennon Sun). While he loves this boy very much, he has no idea how to control or discipline a child.

The situation is starting to get out of hand. But when He Qiao Yan and Xiao Bao meet the child psychologist Qin Yi Yue (Hu Yi Xuan), relief may be at hand. She is a natural with the child, and He Qiao Yan quickly realizes that she could provide him with a solution. He offers her a huge sum of money if she will become the boy’s “contract mother.” She agrees and the arrangement gets off to a good start. But things get complicated again when He Qiao Yan begins to develop feelings for Qin Yi Yue. Will his emotional and romantic ineptitude scupper his chance at love? Or will Cupid come to his aid?

“Unforgettable Love” is a 2021 Chinese drama series that was directed by Li Yu Lei.

Unforgettable Love

Tencent

As a successful attorney with a thriving career, the last thing on Qin Shi’s (Yang Mi) mind is marriage. Her parents, however, can think of nothing else. Determined to see their daughter married, Qin Shi’s parents have been trying to force her into marriage for ages, but to no avail. Determined to land a position at Cheng and Hui, one of the top law firms in the country, Qin Shi is focused solely on advancing her career. Little does she know that one of the requirements for working at Cheng and Hui is being married.

Aware of the law firm’s hiring requirements, Qin Shi changes the marital status on her resume to “married”. With such an impressive resume and her brother’s little tweak, it doesn’t take long for Qin Shi to land the job. However, things get more than a little complicated when her "husband" Yang Hua (Xu Kai) appears on the scene. Hoping to clarify the situation, Qin Shi tries to approach her boss but can't seem to find the right moment. With his parents forcing him into a blind date with Qin Shi’s biggest rival, Yang Hua decides the best way to help them both out of their current predicament is to marry Qin Shi. Acknowledging that the plan is mutually beneficial, the two head straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register their marriage.

Though her sudden marriage solves one set of problems, another quickly arises as both Qin Shi and Yang Hua’s parents suspect the two are up to something. Between dodging their parents' questions and Qin Shi’s ex suddenly coming back into her life, this newlywed couple has a lot to deal with. Will their rash decision to marry come back to haunt them or will it eventually lead them toward a brighter future?

A delightful tale of finding love in unexpected places, “She & Her Perfect Husband” is a 2022 Chinese romance drama directed by Lin Yan.

She and Her Perfect Husband

The fearsome Lord Devil, Dong Fang Qing Cang (Dylan Wang) once wrought utter chaos in the realm of gods, defeating entire clans and vanquishing all of his foes at the head of his fearsome demon army. One of the young women from the defeated army is reborn as a fairy named Xiao Lan Hua (Esther Yu) many thousands of years later. Lord Devil has long since been cursed and imprisoned in a magical tower – and has remained there for thousands of years.

But when, due to a mishap, Xiao Lan Hua unwittingly sets him free, he thinks he is able to escape. He believes that all he needs to do is sacrifice Xiao Lan Hua and he will be free to unleash chaos again and conquer the known world. There is a twist, however. In the process of setting him free, some bizarre magic appears to have taken place – and the two have “swapped” bodies. Suddenly, the fearsome Lord Devil is trapped inside the body of a puny female fair. And Xiao Lan Hua finds herself in possession of superhuman strength! If anyone learns of what has happened, he assures her, they will both be done for. But as they search for a way to undo the spell, love begins to cast its own magic spell!

“Love Between Fairy and Devil” is a 2022 Chinese drama series that was directed by Yi Zheng.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

Chai Xiao Qi (Wan Peng) is an alien woman from a faraway planet. When she lands in her spacecraft on Earth, she comes across Fang Leng (Bie Thassapak Hsu), a handsome, control-freak CEO, whose car has crashed and is about to explode. She uses her superhuman powers to save him from the blast, but it takes its toll on her – leading her to lose a homing device that she needs in order to return home. Now she is stuck on Earth and forced to pretend she is a normal earthling – when in fact she is anything but. To add to the trouble, she finds she is uncontrollably attracted to human male hormones.

Fang Leng, meanwhile, cannot remember what happened to him on the night of the accident. He also suffers from a strange form of amnesia that leads him to forget the women he knows when it rains. Chai Xiao Qi’s quest to retrieve her device leads her back to Fang Leng. Over time, the duo becomes attracted to one another. Can a man – and an overbearing man with such a strange predicament at that – really fall for an extraterrestrial being? And what will happen when Fang Leng’s half-brother Fang Lie (Wang You Jun) also develops a crush on Chai Xiao Qi?

“My Girlfriend Is an Alien” is a 2019 Chinese drama series that was directed by Deng Ke and Gao Zong Kai.

My Girlfriend is an Alien

🛸UFOund me in the Star 💫

Dragon TV

At 19, Tong Nian (Yang Zi) has the whole world at her feet. A brilliant IT programming student, with stellar grades and an equally impressive social media following built around her covers of Japanese songs, Tong Nian never has a problem meeting new people or making friends. But that all changes the day Han Shang Yan (Li Xian) walks into her life.&nbsp;

A genius in his own right, Han Shang Yan is one of the world’s top professional gamers. A legend in the world of esports, Shang Yan is used to living in the spotlight but never once has he let it his position get in the way of his profession. Always working towards that next win, he has never let himself be distracted by the people around him, especially when it comes to women.

Smitten by Hang Shang Yan the moment she first lays eyes on him, Tong Nian tries to find a way to approach her new crush, but can never seem to find the words. Every attempt she makes ends up failing miserably. Cold and uninterested, Shang Yan barely even recognizes Tong Nian’s existence, or so it seems.&nbsp;

Could Tong Nian’s persistence catch the eye of a man who sees no one? To Tong Nian it may seem impossible but everyone knows, anything’s possible when it comes to love.

Based on the novel “Stewed Squid with Honey” by Mo Bao Fei Bao, “Go Go Squid!” is a Viki Original 2019 romantic comedy-drama directed by Xiang Xu Jing.

Go Go Squid!

🍯 Honey Stewed Squid! 🐙 

Xu Qing You (Zhang Yu Xi) is a hard-working, focused woman with a senior position at an up-and-coming firm. She is devoted to her job and is also in a relationship with Fan Yun Xi (Li Zi Feng), whom she has been dating for 10 years. They are planning to wed in the near future, but when she discovers he had a fling with another woman, she is incensed and decides to break off the engagement. She later heads to a bar to drink away her sorrows.

At the bar, a man named Mo Ling Ze (Liu Xue Yi) performs a musical number on stage. She recognizes him as a man she’d run into earlier in the day in the street and had a minor and slightly unpleasant exchange of words with. She is very drunk and gets talking to him. The next day, she wakes up in a hotel room with only vague recollections of the end of the night, assuming that she has had a one-night stand with him. To her horror, she turns up to a meeting the next day...only to discover that Mo Ling Ze has taken over the operations at her company. The duo is forced to spend time together, but eventually realizes that they have a lot in common and appreciate one another’s charms. Meanwhile, her former fiancé is desperate to win back Xu Qing You’s heart. Will she return to her former love, or could a new romance be in the cards for her?

“Love at Night” is a 2021 Chinese drama series that was directed by Lin Yi.

Love at Night

💘 Tempted by You Team 💘

Three successful women – Wang Man Ni (Maggie Jiang), Gu Jia (Tong Yao), and Zhong Xiao Qin (Mao Xiao Tong) – experience a turbulent start to their thirties.

Wang Man Ni has had a successful career so far – and hopes to enter into a marriage that will prove every bit as successful.
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But after meeting a man she thinks will be her perfect match on a cruise, she discovers that he does not believe in marriage. Worse still, she discovers that she is not the only woman in his heart – he has a girlfriend of seven years, too!

Meanwhile, Gu Jia was once happy to take a backseat role, playing the unseen hand and carefully guiding the career of her socially awkward and somewhat geeky husband. Her efforts paid dividends, with her spouse becoming his company’s CEO.

However, in an unexpected turn, her husband suddenly becomes involved with another woman. Will her happy home be broken up? Or will she find a solution to this nasty conundrum?

Meanwhile, life is very different for the more carefree Zhong Xiao Qin. She is married to a faithful husband who works in a steady job. She also has a middling career.
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After her divorce, she spends her free time writing novels.
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She expects that nothing will ever come of her writing, which is basically little more than a hobby for her. But one day, the unthinkable happens – a book company comes across her manuscripts and offers a huge sum for the right to publish her work.

Can the trio resolve their life and love dilemmas as the going gets tough?

“Nothing But Thirty” is a 2020 Chinese drama series that was produced by Chen Fei and Xu Xiao Ou.

Nothing But Thirty

For Mu Wan Qing (Zhang Jing Yi), 1926 would always be remembered as the year that changed her life forever. After the death of her mother, Wang Qing knew the time to return to China had finally come. Bringing her mother’s ashes home to be buried, Wan Qing returned to the land of her birth, with no idea of what awaited her once she arrived.

Growing up without a father, Wan Qing returned to China determined to reconnect with the man she barely remembered, in the hopes that while she did so, she might be able to discover the real reason why her parents separated all those years ago. But even more pressing than the mystery surrounding her parents' separation was the unspoken story of how the siblings she never really knew, had lost their lives. As Wan Qing begins to uncover the secrets of the past, she finds her path often crossing with those of Tan Xuan Lin (Chen Xing Xu) and Xu Guang Yao (Lin Yan Jun). One the newly appointed leader of insurgent troops and the other the son of a powerful military commander, they stand on opposite sides of the unrest in Shanghai, but they each take a liking to Wan Qing and agree to use their power and influence to help her on her quest. As they do so, the three begin to develop a strong and lasting friendship; a friendship that is soon put to the ultimate test.

Digging deeper into the past, the three friends soon discover that the story of Wan Qing’s family is much more complicated than they could have ever imagined. Working to unravel the mysteries of the past, Wan Qing finds her heart leading her down an unexpected road. Will her journey bring her the answers she seeks or will she find that what she’s been searching for the most has been beside her all along?

A story of family, friendship, and fealty, “Fall in Love” is a 2021 historical romance drama directed by Lin Jian Long and Chen Guo Hua.

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