Whether historical or fantasy, I just love a good costume drama.😍 (Check out my Skinship/Romance list to see my skinship rating guide for these symbols: 🚫💋,💋,💋💋,💋💋💋,🫦🫣.)

Costume Dramas (Historical & Fantasy)

Since losing her husband, Jeong Soon Deok (Cho Yi Hyun) has lived an eventful life, moonlighting as a matchmaker for eligible bachelors and would-be brides. Soon Deok’s path crosses with that of Shim Jeong Woo (Rowoon), a talented scholar whose princess bride died moments after their marriage. Together, this duo must pool their wits to find husbands for a group of important noblewomen. But will playing Cupid for others also put them back on the path to love? This 2023 South Korean drama series was directed by Hwang Seung Gi and Kim Soo Jin.

The Matchmakers

The Fabulous Matchmakers

Tencent Video

The Emperor’s grandson Li Ni (Xu Kai) cares little for power – all he wants to do is fight on the front lines. He disguises his identity and joins the army, rising quickly through the ranks. But he’s not the only soldier with a secret: His new rival Cui Lin (Jing Tian) is also the only daughter of a well-known military leader, but poses as an ordinary fighter. They cross swords on the battlefields of a dangerous border region. But could their competitive and combative relationship one day lead to love? This 2023 Chinese drama was directed by Steve Cheng.

Wonderland of Love

Cheng Shao Shang (Zhao Lu Si) has grown up alone in a town devastated by a bloody war. When the powerful and influential general Ling Bu Yi (Leo Wu) visits the town, he falls in love with Shao Shang at first sight. Shao Shang warns him that she’s stubborn, slow to trust others, and independent – and may not fit the usual profile of a general’s “obedient” wife. Little does she know, however, that Bu Yi has his own secrets – many of which he is keen to learn more about. Together, could this duo discover the truth about Bu Yi’s mysterious past? And will they find love in the process? This 2022 Chinese drama series was directed by Fei Zhen Xiang.

Love Like the Galaxy

֍♡ Spiral Love ♡֍

A scheming prince carries out a bloody coup, taking charge of the Tang Dynasty and killing Li Chang Ge's (Dilraba Dilmurat) family in the process. She escapes, and vows to take revenge on the prince, who places himself on the throne. Chang Ge gathers an army, but her plans take a turn when her forces fall to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. The victorious General Ashile Sun (Leo Wu) holds her captive, ordering her to become his military strategist as he looks to pursue his own goals. Over time, they form a formidable partnership, and she slowly finds herself falling for her captor while he starts to develop feelings for her as well. Despite this, Chang Ge hasn’t forgotten her quest for vengeance on the usurper. Can she convince Sun to help wipe out her family’s killer? And will she and the general find love on the way? This 2021 Chinese drama series, based on a hit comic by artist Xia Da, was directed by Chu Yui Bun.

The Long Ballad

The Ode to Love Team

When his older brother is poisoned to death, Crown Prince Lee Hwan (Park Hyung Sik) becomes the prime suspect in his murder. To make matters worse, he receives a cursed letter containing a prophecy concerning his death. With his future looking grim, Lee Hwan finds a glimmer of hope in Min Jae Yi (Jeon So Nee), a noblewoman accused of murdering her family days before her wedding. Agreeing to help her if she agrees to help him find a way to break the curse, the two set out on an unexpected path toward love. Directed by Lee Jong Jae, this 2023 South Korean historical romance drama is as full of mystery as love.

Our Blooming Youth

🌸Blooming Love of Youth🌸

Born blind, Hong Cheon Gi (Kim Yoo Jung) is a gifted painter who miraculously regains her sight and earns an unprecedented position at the prestigious royal art school during the Dan dynasty. In contrast, astrologer Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo Seop), despite his ability to see the future, lost his sight in a childhood accident. Fate brings Cheon Gi and Ha Ram together, and they quickly fall in love. However, their budding romance is threatened by political machinations of the royal court. Is their love fated to last or was it doomed from the start? Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jung Eun Gwol, this 2021 South Korean fantasy romance series was directed by Jang Tae Yoo.

Lovers of the Red Sky

For Your Eyes Only 👁‿👁  

Political unrest brings disaster for a county magistrate, who is unjustly imprisoned due to a malicious plot. His daughter Xue Fang Fei (Wu Jin Yan), narrowly escapes with the help of Jiang Li (Yang Chao Yue), the Secretariat Director’s daughter. Fang Fei vows to free her father and fight injustice, so she poses as Jiang Li when she returns to the capital to execute her plan. With the support of the Duke Xiao Heng (Wang Xing Yue), she embarks on her mission against formidable odds. Will her courage and determination be enough to overcome the challenges ahead? And could love also find its way into her heart? This 2024 Chinese drama series was based on a novel by Qian Shan Cha Ke and directed by Bai Yun Mo, Lu Hao Ji Ji, and Ma Shi Ge.

The Double

🪷 Vigilante 🪷

The Lord Devil of the Moon Tribe, Dongfang Qingcang (Dylan Wang) is an emotionless monster who once wreaked chaos in the realm of gods, leading his demon army to victory. Thousands of years later, Orchid (Esther Yu), a fairy, accidentally frees the cursed and imprisoned Lord Devil. Qingcang plans to sacrifice Orchid to regain his powers and conquer the world again. However, a magical mishap causes them to swap bodies: the formidable Lord Devil is now trapped in Orchid's delicate form, while she inherits his super strength. As they seek to reverse the spell, they must keep their secret to survive. Amidst the chaos, love begins to weave its own enchantment. "Love Between Fairy and Devil" is a 2022 Chinese series directed by Yi Zheng.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

Tencent, Mango TV

Aspiring screenwriter Chen Xiao Qian (Zhao Lu Si) is struggling to get her TV series off the ground. The male lead is kicking up a fuss about her script, leading her to worry that the series will never reach viewers’ screens. Suddenly, she is dragged into the pages of her own screenplay, where she becomes the Third Princess, a lowly minor character with a terrible reputation... and a drastically short lifespan! Fortunately, she knows that her killer will be Prince Han Shuo (Ding Yu Xi) and Xiao Qian uses her “insider knowledge” to rewrite the character’s fate to ensure she survives. Can she cheat death and reverse her TV show’s fortunes? And could this messy situation inadvertently lead her to love? This 2020 Chinese drama was based on a novel by Popsicles and was directed by Cha Chuen Yee.

The Romance of Tiger and Rose

iQiyi

As Chinese military forces fight back against the invading Imperial Japanese army, the government conscripts young men to defend the country. Xie Xiang (Bai Lu) urgently wants to join the battle, fueled by her hatred of injustice. There’s just one problem… she’s a woman! Refusing to let that stop her, she cuts her hair short and assumes her brother’s identity, eventually getting drafted into an elite military academy in Shanghai and befriending other recruits, including the quarrelsome rich kid Gu Yan Zheng (Xu Kai) and the more introverted Shen Jun San (Li Cheng Bin). Xie Xiang wants to keep her true identity a secret, but when both Yan Zheng and Jun San start to fall for her, the challenge becomes increasingly difficult. Will the comrades-in-arms survive the bitter ravages of love and war? This 2019 Chinese period drama was directed by Hue Kai Dong.

Arsenal Military Academy

The All Guns Blazing Team

When Princess Qi Pa (Wu Xuan Yi) wakes in another world, she quickly realizes that being taken by a tribe of beast-like beings is the least of her problems. Forced to marry the tribe’s wolfish king, Kui Mu Lang (Chen Zhe Yuan) in less than a week, Qi Pa pours all of her energy into finding a way to escape. While all of Qi Pa’s attempts to escape are thwarted, she finds an unusual comfort in the presence of Li Xiong (Chen Zhe Yuan), a gentle, handsome man who spends his days at Qi Pa’s side only to disappear every night when her would-be husband makes his appearance. Drawn to Li Xiong yet repulsed by Kui Mu Lang, what will become of Qi Pa’s heart? Will she ever discover the connection between the two?

The Princess and the Werewolf

The Double-Faced Love Team

Ling Miao Miao (Esther Yu) unexpectedly finds herself transported into the world of a fantasy novel called "Chasing Demons" as a villainous supporting character. To escape and return to the real world, she must complete a series of tasks – including winning the heart of Mu Sheng (Ding Yu Xi), the female lead's adoptive brother with a possessive love for her. Teaming up with expert demon catchers, they battle creatures, level up, and gradually work to dissolve an age-old animosity between humans and demons. As Miao Miao and Mu Sheng grow closer, can they rewrite their stories in favor of redemption... and possibly even romance? This 2024 Chinese drama was directed by Zhao Yi Long, adapted from the web novel "The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus" by Bai Yu Zhai Diao Gong.

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