2025 delivered a captivating lineup of Mandarin dramas filled with romance, power struggles, and fate-driven love. Fall for high-stakes romance and family drama in Love's Ambition, navigate arranged marriage twists in The Prisoner of Beauty and Love in the Edge of Divorce, and cheer on fierce revenge in Legend of the Female General. 

✨ Ready to dive into the top Mandarin dramas of 2025?

BEST MANDARIN DRAMAS of 2025

Tencent Video

Xu Yan (Zhao Lu Si) has spent nearly a decade building up her career as a celebrated television host, transforming herself from a small-town girl into a young woman in the big city through a carefully-crafted public persona. To complete her "perfect" life, she marries wealthy businessman Shen Hao Ming (William Chan). While the two are admired as a well-matched couple, they struggle behind closed doors due to their different backgrounds and beliefs. After a fight, Xu Yan decides she's had enough of Hao Ming's controlling nature and divorces him. Shocked, Hao Ming realizes how much Xu Yan truly meant to him, and decides to win her back. Will they finally allow themselves to be vulnerable with each other and find true connection? This drama was adapted from the web novel "Da Qiao Xiao Qiao" by Zhang Yue Ran.

Love's Ambition

💕Where Love Truly Began💕

Xiao Qiao (Song Zu Er), a clever woman from the Qiao family, is arranged to be married to Wei Shao (Liu Yu Ning), the head of the Wei family, in order to create a strategic alliance between the two feuding clans. Initially, they struggle to lower their guards around each other due to years of bad blood between their families, but gradually begin to trust each other as they face issues that require working together. Over time, their opinions of each other start to shift – and before they know it, Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao begin to develop genuine feelings for each other. Will they form a lasting connection despite their early relationship qualms? This drama was adapted from the web novel "Zhe Yao" by Peng Lai Ke.

The Prisoner of Beauty

🔗Prisoners of Love ❤️

Tencent

Trapped in a loveless arranged marriage for three years, young designer Sheng Mian (Li Xing Yao) and CEO Fu Yan Cheng (Ryan Ren) agree to divorce, but a series of delays prevents their planned meeting in person. However, Sheng Mian's stepmother orchestrates an encounter that results in Sheng Mian and Yan Cheng sleeping together without them knowing who the other really is, and once Sheng Mian realizes what happened, she decides not to reveal who she is. Coincidentally, Yan Cheng is looking for designers for his villa – and Sheng Mian, whose design firm is desperate for clients, decides to apply under an alias so he doesn't know who she is. As they spend time together, Yan Cheng and Sheng Mian begin to fall for each other, but the pressure of maintaining a false identity continues to weigh on Sheng Mian. This drama was adapted from the web novel "Ex-Wife Strategy" by Er Qiao.

Love in the Edge of Divorce

The Strategy of Love Team

When the He Family's noble standing is at risk, He Yan (Zhou Ye), the oldest daughter, is forced to adopt the identity of her brother He Ru Fei, the family's firstborn son. While attending school, He Yan meets Xiao Jue (Ryan Cheng), an aspiring scholar, and the two develop a friendship. However, He Yan decides to join the military to fight on the battlefield. She becomes a celebrated general, and returns home to her family – only to find that the real He Ru Fei has returned, and he wants "his identity" back. He Yan manages to escape, joining the military in a new city and vowing her revenge. There, she reunites with Xiao Jue, but he suspects her of being a spy. Can she and Xiao Jue rebuild their trust – and help He Yan achieve her goals? This drama was adapted from the web novel "Rebirth of a Star General" by Qian Shan Cha Ke.

Legend of the Female General

How to bath the Husky General

Youku

Ding Zhi Tong (Zhuang Da Fei) is beset by financial worries, and has no time for romance. That all changes when cheerful and carefree Gan Yang (Chen Fei Yu) makes a bid for her heart. Eventually, they fall in love, despite their very different backgrounds. When Gan Yang’s family business collapses, he cannot bear to tell Zhi Tong what has happened. So he keeps the truth from her and breaks off their relationship. Fate, however, has other plans for them. A decade later, their respective jobs force them to work together. Zhi Tong is full of anger toward her former lover. But Gan Yang dreams of turning the clock back on their relationship. Can they heal the wounds of the past – and rediscover a romance they once thought would never end? This 2025 series was based on the novel “A Billion Dollar Romance” by Chen Zhi Yao.

Eat Run Love

💖 Heart's Journey 💖 

iQIYI

When she was a child, Jiang Mu (Esther Yu) lived a charmed life in the shadow of her loving and gifted older brother Jin Zhao (He Yu). But when she was just nine years old, their young lives fell apart. Her parents divorced, with Jin Zhao and their father moving away to Thailand. A decade later, Jiang Mu learns that the brother she once loved was actually adopted. Jiang Mu decides to continue her studies abroad in Thailand as she tries to reconnect with her father and Jin Zhao. To her utter surprise, Jin Zhao’s life has gone off in a very different direction: he is now a streetwise racing driver who also doubles as an underground martial arts fighter. Jiang Mu is a complete outsider in this strange, high-octane world. But her desire to reconcile with Jin Zhao burns bright, leaving her undeterred. Could the love they once shared reignite – and even transform into lasting romance? This drama was based on the novel "Shuang Gui" by Shi Jiu Yuan.

Speed and Love

Vroom Vroom into Love ❤️

Despite being the eldest daughter of a merchant family, Jun Qi Luo (Angelababy) is unable to succeed in the male-dominated world of trade. She decides to pose as an illegitimate son of the family to break into the industry, adopting the name Jun Fei Fan. Unfortunately, while on a business trip to the city of Bei Xuan, she gets kidnapped, encountering Xuan Lie (Song Wei Long), the leader of the Xuan clan, who discovers her hidden identity. The two initially butt heads over differing ideologies, but gradually develop a mutual sense of respect for each other as they help each other survive life-and-death situations that eventually morphs into love. However, their love is put to the test by societal opposition due to their identities and political tension. Can they overcome the odds, or is their romance not meant to be? This drama was based on the web novel Qiang Lai De Xin Niang by Xi Juan.

Everlasting Longing

Burning Hearts

Lin Qi Le (Zhao Jin Mai), also known as Cherry, grows up in the mountains of a small town. While her family isn't wealthy, she's surrounded by love from her parents and the broader community, who all look after each other. At nine years old, Qi Le meets Jiang Qiao Xi (Zhang Ling He), a new transfer student from the province's capital. Qiao Xi immediately stands out, as his gloomy demeanor and upper-class family background contrasts with the rest of the townspeople. However, Qi Le isn't deterred, and treats Qiao Xi warmly despite his cold first impression. Gradually, Qiao Xi begins to thaw, as Qi Le's family shows him love that his own parents rarely gave. As Qi Le, Qiao Xi, and the other children grow up, they begin to go their separate ways, but Qi Le can't let Qiao Xi go so easily. This drama was adapted from the web novel "Ying Tao Hu Po" by Yun Zhu.

Our Generation

✨ Fans for Fans ✨

Sima Jiao (Chen Fei Yu), the master of Gengchen Immortal Mansion, has been sealed away in the mountains for 500 years. However, when Liao Ting Yan (Wang Ying Lu) accidentally stumbles into the world of spiritual cultivation, she manages to awaken him – but Sima Jiao is largely unmotivated to do much of anything. Ting Yan decides that this won't do, and commits herself to helping Sima Jiao find himself again. Through her efforts, Sima Jiao slowly begins to change, and while their relationship goes through ups and downs, they eventually fall in love. But can their love endure the trials of living in different realms across multiple lifetimes? This drama was adapted from the novel "Xiang Shi Zu Xian Shang Xian Yu" by Fu Hua.

When Destiny Brings the Demon

🐟 Salted Fish Team

A mysterious virus has swept across the country, causing the entire population to develop sub-genders that affect their reproductive organs and pheromonal attraction. Most people fall into alpha, beta, or omega categories, but rare outliers exist. Alpha Sheng Shao You (Qiu Ding Jie), the head of a leading biopharmaceutical company, has heard rumors of an "enigma" sub-gender that supersedes even an alpha's power, but believes that it's nothing more than gossip. During a business meeting with a corporate rival, he meets omega Hua Yong (Huang Xing), and after learning that he's in a precarious financial situation, Shao You decides to support Hua Yong, despite his objections. Shao You and Hua Yong quickly find that they're intensely attracted to each other – however, Hua Yong is hiding a secret that could change everything about their relationship. This drama was adapted from the novel "Desire" by Nong Jian.

Desire The Series

⚣ When Α meets Ω ⚣

After a blind date and one-night stand six years ago, heiress Bu Yan (Chen Fang Tong) became a mother to twins. However, one of her children is diagnosed with leukemia, and his treatment requires compatible blood from a close relative. Bu Yan unexpectedly crosses paths with the twins' father, boxer He Yu Chen (Dai Gao Zheng), whose career took a nosedive after a match-fixing scandal. Desperate to secure a blood match for her ailing son, Bu Yan proposes a contract marriage with He Yu Chen, intending to keep her true motives hidden. However, as they spend more time together, their relationship begins to change, forcing them to confront long-buried misunderstandings and bring their pasts to light.

Rainkissed Fate

How to Reclaim Daddy

Although Zhuang Han Yan (Chen Du Ling) was abandoned in the countryside as a child, she eventually made her way back to the capital city, making a dramatic unannounced arrival at the gates of the Zhuang family estate. Her sudden reappearance throws the household, especially the family patriarch, into turmoil. The situation catches the attention of Fu Yun Xi (Xin Yun Lai), the Deputy Minister of the Court of Justice. While Yun Xi suffers from a rare illness, he seeks a woman to marry, finding himself attracted to Han Yan’s courage and kindness. As Yun Xi and Han Yan get to know each other – and each other's families – will they manage to fall in love?

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