10 Popular Douban C-Dramas

Synopsis: A story that follows three children from a coastal town who unintentionally film a murder scene. As the kids become involved with the suspect, it opens up a far more complicated case than it looks and entraps several families into an unpredictable outcome.

It has the most number of raters on Douban from this list. Critics note that it has an impressive cast list with no idol actors, which can often be viewed negatively. A notable aspect of the show was the location and how the simple town contrasted with the complicated psychological aspects of human nature. Others mention how instead of it being like past Chinese crime dramas focusing on government vs. the criminals, the drama is focused on the harsh realities and social welfare of the ordinary Chinese people.

MDL: 8.2 from 34 users

Genres: Historical, Business, Life 

Episodes: 39 | Duration: 45 minutes

Cast: Wang Kai, Yang Shuo, Dong Zi Jian

Synopsis: Continuing from the first season, it follows the story of Song Yun Hui, Lei Dong Bao, and Yang Xun. Watch these three individuals and how they took part in China’s economic reform from the 1980s to the 1990s as a deputy leader, a family businessman, and an entrepreneur.

Synopsis: Set in medieval China, Li Xiao Yao (Hu Ge) is a rough-and-tumble young man known as a troublemaker. When his aunt, who has raised him, falls ill, he is told to travel to Dream Island to get the antidote. He meets the beautiful Zhao Ling Er (Crystal Liu), falls in love, and marries her. Xiao Yao returns home with the cure for his aunt, but the Lunar Sect Cult assassins wipe out his memories. Despite not remembering his marriage, Xiao Yao takes Ling Er back home with him. 

Domestic Achievements and Thoughts: The drama won 9 awards over three years associated with the show, actors, actresses, and soundtracks. Chinese Paladin did not have high ratings upon its release, and the lovers of the original game highly criticized it. Yet, it was able to leave a lasting impression as a xianxia drama and the only one on this list. Another negative aspect was that the main characters were young and essentially “idol” actors. So how did it become so highly rated even with its lack of response upon its release? First, many viewers comment on the nostalgia of the show. Second, others mention the theme of the drama and how it was able to bring in a fresh insight into the xianxia genre with the love and friendship amongst the young characters. A keyword I found was the word “innocent.” Positive comments state the drama highlighted the youthfulness of the actors. They utilized it to portray the innocence of the characters and their development in life and love. It came in the form of the look in their eyes, the sacrifices they had to make, and the person they become at the end of it all.    

Synopsis: Battle of Changsha retells the turbulent events of the second Sino-Japanese War from the perspective of the Hu family, mainly through the eyes of a 16-year-old girl named Xiang Xiang (Yang Zi) and her twin brother, Xiao Man (Niu Jun Feng).

Gu Qing Ming (Wallace Huo) is a strict Intelligence Officer in the Nationalist Army from a prominent political family. The feisty fun-loving Xiang Xiang and the arrogant Gu Qing Ming start on bad terms; however, their romance blossoms as they constantly bump into each other. (Source: MyDramaList)

Domestic Achievements and Thoughts: The drama was picked in July of 2020 by the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. With it being a drama centered around the Anti-Japanese war, viewers praised that it didn’t focus on patriotism. Instead, they emphasized the emotional involvement of those stuck in a war. The viewers could feel the sincerity of the actors and characters portrayed. Essentially, the impact of the character’s growth and their interpersonal relationships with the people around them made the impression of the drama more impactful.

Synopsis: It follows a prosecutor who has made countless sacrifices in the past ten years to find the truth about a case. In his youth, Jiang Yang (Bai Yu) was bright, sunny, and righteous. He once served as a prosecutor at Pingkang County Procuratorate. Jiang Yang takes Hou Gui Ping’s case, yet his investigation spans a decade. 

Synopsis: The story of villagers from Ningxia who migrated and built Minning Town from scratch. The government wants to build the rural housing land and encourage Xiji Country farmers to migrate or relocate. However, the conditions of the desert are too harsh. The villagers who moved there mostly left the second day. Ma De Fu (Huang Xuan) tries his best to get the villagers to stay and build the Minning Town. In 1996, the Party Central Committee made a strategic plan to promote counterpart cooperation between the East and the West, identifying Fujian counterparts to promote poverty alleviation work in Ningxia. As time passed, Minning Town was given a new lease of life. (Source: MyDramaList)

Domestic Achievements and Thoughts: Nirvana in Fire won over a whopping 68 awards associated with the drama over three years. It received the title of “China’s Game of Thrones.” The drama was so popular that it had been translated and dubbed in several languages. The response in South Korea was so well received that a South Korean travel agency created its own Nirvana In Fire-themed tour to visit the filming location. It is a no-brainer why Nirvana in Fire is the top-rated Chinese drama on MDL. This is one where it seems like domestically and internationally, it was loved by its viewers.

Some of the positive points listed were the emotional depth that the drama gave its viewers, even though it focused on political schemes. As it had several arcs in the storyline, it created a packed and intense storyline. Others commented on how the characters and settings were well written and brought out the best of its themes. Another positive note was the actors and the conviction they gave to each of their characters. They allowed its viewers to see the evolution of their relationships with one another and made them feel that connection as well.  

Many highlighted the acting of these actors and the well-written script. The comments that praised this drama highlighted how intricately written each of the characters was and how that intertwined with the drama’s plot. Despite its 46 episodes, no moments felt like filler episodes as each moment was tightly packed with political schemes. We have to note this drama is loosely based on history with fictitious elements, but this didn’t bother its viewers. Another positive aspect many seemed to agree with is that this drama did not focus on harem conflict. With its popularity and the later releases of Ming dynasty dramas, viewers can’t help but think back to this classic as a reference.

Milestones in Chinese Dramaland

If I included the actual top ten, none of the dramas following Ming Dynasty 1566 would’ve made this list. The new wave of interest in Chinese dramas has allowed subscription plans by having newly aired dramas to be concurrently subtitled by their release date. I hope that older shows will receive the same treatment and get subtitles to be put online for non-native speakers.

Although it may not be correct, I assume domestic viewers or Douban raters like seeing dramas based on realistic fiction or well-written storylines. While I have not seen most of these dramas, these characters seem to possess a lot of character depth from just the comments and reviews. Some of them allow for character growth, and for others, it seems to play a role in enhancing the show’s plot. Most positive comments generically stated that whether it was about family, war, or societal issues, it was thoroughly explored and presented in the story that resonated well with the watchers of the show.  

It is said the drama, Lurk (2009) created a milestone in the Chinese entertainment industry for espionage dramas as it became the first espionage drama to peak in ratings. In the following years, The Disguiser (2015) was able to outcompete Lurk. It led me to think some of these can be the game-changers to the Chinese drama industry or be a catalyst to the future production of similar shows. Or they have already outcompeted the game-changing show. I do think that while storylines like With You (2016) aren’t new, the positive reception and success may have helped create a craze of youth dramas in recent years. This would be an interesting insight, so please share it in the comments if you know of it.

With new episode count regulations, dramas are already cutting down on the length. The Bad Kids seemed to be the first of its genre to tell a gripping story that kept its viewers on their toes with just 12 episodes. So far, not many Chinese dramas have been able to solidify their script to tell a story like The Bad Kids. From my research, it seems like The Bad Kids has the most raters on both Douban and MDL from the Light On series – setting the bar high for future suspense-thriller dramas.

Douban vs. MDL

You will notice that while many say that Douban raters are harsh, the MDL ratings on these ten dramas beg to differ. There are fewer raters per drama on MDL compared to Douban. Yet, the only dramas that came close to a match were Nirvana in Fire and The Bad Kids. The rest of the dramas were at least 0.5-1.5 points lower than Douban ratings. If more people have rated it, do you think the overall rating would increase?

I concluded a possibility of why ratings may vary on Douban and MyDramalist, which is the type of rating scale used. Douban uses a 5-star rating scale, while MyDramalist uses a 10-star rating scale. A 10-star scale gives more room for there to be an in-between with 5 and 10. In contrast, a 5-star scale has less to offer and could bring down the overall rating. The results may differ depending on how one views and uses the scale.

So while I highlighted the domestic thoughts and comments on the show, I hope to open up the comment section to discuss what international/MDL users feel about these dramas and their own opinions associated with the ratings between the two. What elements made these dramas have a higher rating than your favorite Chinese dramas? Could it be the cultural differences and appreciation with international and domestic viewers? Or do you feel like this is a pretty representative list of the better Chinese dramas? Do share your thoughts!