Animosity to reluctant friendship to ultimate love. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a sucker for a good hate-to-love romance where opposites attract, and misunderstandings get resolved into a neat little bow with some angst in the middle. For your lovesick heart, here are the top 10 Chinese dramas with an enemies-to-lovers trope.
1. Falling Into Your Smile
A cute young girly girl, Tong Yao (Cheng Xiao), has just entered the world of E-sports, joining an all-male gaming team, ZGDX. The leader of the group is Lu Si Cheng (Xu Kai), who is very protective of his team and is aiming for the ultimate championship. Will Tong Yao be a valuable addition to a team in a sport dominated by men while also warming up to the other players on her team? Watch the show to find out.
2. Arsenal Military Academy
It’s the early 20th century, and women aren’t allowed to join the military. Xie Xiang (Bai Lu), a determined young woman, disguises herself as a man and enters the Chinese military, where she meets Gu Yan Zheng (Xu Kai), a spoiled rich brat with more under the surface. Will Xie Xiang and Yan Zheng be able to conquer both love and war?
3. Skate Into Love
Li Yu Bing (Zhang Xin Cheng) and Tang Xue (Janice Wu) have more in common than they’re willing to admit. They continually bicker as they try to fulfill their dream on the ice, one as a speed skater and the other as a figure skater. In sports played on the frozen ground, will they be able to warm up to each other?
4. Intense Love
Su Jin Bei (Zhang Yu Xi) is a famous actress whose career interferes with her love life, while Zhou Shi Yun (Ding Yu Xi) is a doctor who does not have the patience or the time for love. With their parents pushing them for marriage, the two are at odds with each other, but destiny seems to have other plans for them as they can’t stay away from one another.
5. Perfect And Casual
Zhang Si Nian (Miles Wei) is a professor known to be cold and harsh towards his students, one of whom is Yun Shu (Ruohan Xu), a bright but clumsy girl. Somehow the two, despite being polar opposites, decide to enter a contract marriage. As they try to hide their growing feeling from those around them, and each other, will they be able to keep their relationship perfectly casual?
6. A River Runs Through It
Xi Xiao Ju (Hu Yi Xuan) has just entered a new school in her senior year and is struggling to settle in. She finds friendship in her classmates Lu Shi Yi (Wang Rui Chang), Qiu Yue Tao, and Lin You. When Xiao Ju finds out that the boy she likes is in love with her best friend, she leans on Shi Yi for support, and they inevitably grow closer. Will Xiao Ju be able to notice Shi Yi’s affection towards her in time, or will she remain hung up over what could never be?
7. My Unicorn Girl
After failing the entrance exam of a university, Sang Tian (Sebrina Chen) tries for its male ice hockey team and somehow succeeds. She enrolls in the college, disguised as a man, and meets Wen Bing (Darren Chen), with whom she had crossed paths before in a less than stellar situation. As Sang Tian tries to hide her identity as a woman, she seems to grow closer to Wen Bing. Could their love survive big secrets, or will it freeze up on the ice?
8. Gank Your Heart
Qiu Ying (Wang Zi Xuan) is a hardworking e-sports commentator, and Ji Xiangkong (Wang Yi Bo) is an e-sports player with a bad reputation. The two get involved with each other, but it turns out to be a disaster of epic proportions since there are other players involved in their story. Will their romance be able to overcome these obstacles and reach the finale?
9. Meteor Garden
An arrogant rich brat and a fearless poor girl clash in this classic drama based on the manga ‘Hana Yori Dango.’ A prestigious school is ruled by F4, four wealthy boys treated as kings, the leader of whom is Dao Ming Si (Dylan Wang). Enters a tough young girl Shan Cai (Shen Yue), who challenges the bullying in this school and the cause of it: Ming Si. As the two fight with sharp horns, they come to understand and respect each other, paving the way for a super angsty romance!
10. The Brightest Star In the Sky
Zheng Bo Xu (Z. Tao) is a haughty celebrity, and Yang Zhen Zhen (Janice Wu) is a passionate young lady assigned as his manager. The two quarrel about every single thing but also help each other whenever needed, making themselves better people in the process. Will they be able to realize their love for one another, or is this romance not written in the stars?
