C-dramas are rising in popularity among global audiences due to their diverse themes, characters, and unpredictable plot lines that introduce us to their traditions, culture, and folk tales. Another one of the factors contributing to the rise of these dramas is their availability globally from platforms such as Amazon Prime YouTube, Netflix, and Viki. The industry is rapidly expanding, and 2023 has provided us with numerous captivating dramas that can’t be missed. The top ten latest Chinese dramas are.
1. The Forbidden Flower
The Forbidden Flower is a drama released in 2023, starring Sichao Ma, Yi Huang, and Zeng Tang. It follows the romance story of He Ran, an 18-year-old aspiring painter whose family is conservative and wealthy. At her hair salon, one day, she hears a man’s voice and instantly falls for him. Xiao Han is a middle-aged man. She can not forget his voice and tries to find him. She pursues him, and they soon get into a relationship, but they soon face problems. The show is as sweet as it is painful to watch the couple meet through fate and have to separate through fate.
2. Warm On A Cold Night
Warm on a cold night is a historical drama released in 2023. It begins with Su Jiu Er, a young and skilled constable with a keen mind for investigation. She hails from the Qian Kingdom, meaning she has a rabbit-like spirit and constantly feels cold. During the investigation, she is forced to go undercover, where she meets a member of the Qi Kingdom’s family, Han Zheng. It has all the elements of thrill and excitement, including fantasy characters, a murder mystery, a burning romance, and a historical plot line.
3. The Long Season
It is a fast-paced and riveting drama that follows a taxi driver’s journey to unravel a brutal murder that shook his entire town two decades ago. Wang Xiang is the protagonist who encounters a figure from his past in Hualin that pairs a mystery that entwines a decked lover, a lost father, and an old friend. Even after the mystery gets solved the threads of their fate persist. The director masterfully crafts a wistful and rich portrayal of a fictional Northeast China town.
4. Meet Yourself
Meet Yourself is a slice-of-life and romance drama about Xu Hong Dou, whose best friend dies of cancer, leaving her distressed and someone who can fill the void in her life. Xu to take a break quits her job and moves to a rural village her best friend had once longed to visit. Her journey in this new village changes her perspective on life, and she discovers new feelings. She meets Xie Zhi Yao, who wants to start a tourism business. Xu Hong soon realizes that she can put her hotel industry knowledge to use by helping him.
5. My Lethal Man
My Lethal Man is a mystery romance drama that stars Mozhi Li, Fan Zhixin, and Wang Xu Dong. It is about Shen ManNing, who gets kidnapped and meets her doppelganger. But soon Zhuang Xin Yan, her doppelgänger gets killed. She is now forced to live as the fiance of Xing Cheng, who is quite powerful. While trying to survive she comes to know about a 17-year-old truth which can break the wall between her and her fiance. The story is about revelations, a lot of drama, and love.
6. Road Home
Road Home is a romance drama starring Tan Song Yun, Li Min Cheng, and Jing Bo Ran. The story is about Gui Xiao and Lu yan Chen, two teenage lovers who met in school, and as they grow, so does their love, but destiny has some other plan for them. Gu Xiao, to train as a police officer, has to go to the end of the country, and Lu Yan enters the world of finance. They try to keep their relationship afloat, but it slowly disappears. Will they eat a second chance at romance?
7. Till The End Of The Moon
Till the End of the Moon is a fantasy romance drama released in 2023. It is about Li Susu, an immortal who has to travel 500 years back to stop a hostage prince, Tantai Jin, from dying and turning into a devil god. It is essential to stop him as he is going to destroy the three realms and four continents of the world. She assumes the identity of Ye Xi Wu, the second daughter of General Ye and is married to Tantai. As a witness to his past life and the rise of his power, an unexpected tale complicates her quest.
8. Hidden Love
Hidden Love is a hit Chinese romance drama released in 2023. At 13, Sang Zhi had a crush on Duan Jia Xu, her brother's friend. He often visits their home to play video games and occasionally delivers snacks to her brother. They lose contact for some time later on. When Sang Zhi graduates and enters university in the city where Duan resides, their paths cross again. With their day-to-day interactions, they form a bond, and they fall in love. This drama was quite popular and gained a considerable fan base.
9. Three-Body
Three-Body is a science fiction drama based on the novel by Liu Cixin, premiering in 2023. In 2007, one of China’s leading nanomaterial experts, Wang Miao, was enlisted by Shi Qiang. Shin is a detective who specializes in counterterrorism in the case of strange suicides in the scientific community. Wang during their investigation encounters Frontiers of Science, a mysterious organization, and learns the truth behind how an alien world, a popular video game is connected with these suicides and the fate of this world.
10. The Knockout
The Knockout is a Chinese crime drama that took the internet by storm, becoming so popular that it temporarily crashed iQIYI, the streaming platform. An Xin is a criminal police officer who is constantly struggling with evil and black forces and isn’t able to bring the criminals to justice. It follows a two-decade power struggle between the leader of a criminal gang and a policeman in the city of Jinghai. The drama is gritty, suspenseful and unafraid of depicting the dapper societal flaws.
