Top 25 Best Chinese Costume Dramas 2023

There are some outstanding Chinese costume dramas 2023 in diverse styles.

Fantasy genre. Lost You Forever, Till The End of The Moon, The Longest Promise …
Suspense genre. Ripe Town, Under the Microscope …
Romance genre. The Starry Love, Back From The Brink, The Legend of An Le …
Wuxia genre. Mysterious Lotus Casebook, A Journey to Love, The Ingenious One…

In addition, there are also frequent surprise works in the genres of comedy, adventure, pastoral and other niche themes, such as Be With You, Legend of Quedao Sect, Romance on the Farm …

Let’s take a look at the most popular Chinese costume dramas in 2023. (The rankings are comprehensively based on multiple dimensions such as word-of-mouth, plot, popularity, etc. Douban ratings are only for reference.)

Top 25 Best Chinese Costume Dramas 2023 List

1. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Mysterious Lotus Casebook Chinese drama has great staying power. It was unremarkable at first glance, but becomes more and more interesting the further you watch it.

This is why this drama not only had little heat when it first aired, but also had a low Douban rating. However, long after the drama ended, through a strong long-tail effect, it counterattacked and became a dark horse among the top Chinese drama in 2023. It has received a rating of 8.5 out of 10 from more than 600,000 people on Douban.com.

The drama runs through the entire plot through ten strange cases. The stories of each unit in the drama are interlocking and the plot is compact, including various elements such as wuxia, detective, suspense, and funny.

This drama tells the story of Li Xiangyi, the famous master of the Sigu Sect in Jianghu, who was seriously injured after a big battle and retired from Jianghu to become a “fake miracle doctor” Li Lianhua, who was indifferent to fame and fortune. After meeting his new friend Fang Duobing and his old enemy Di Feisheng, he was once again involved in the disputes of Jianghu.

The three people experienced a series of strange cases, formed a deep friendship amidst laughter and curses, and finally fought hand in hand to restore justice and peace to the world.

As a wuxia detective drama, it talks about Jianghu at all times, and love and hatred running through it. After all, where there are people, there is Jianghu, and in Jianghu, there are inevitably swords, chivalrous tenderness.

2. An Ancient Love Song

He doesn’t know when she is in love, and she doesn’t know when he is deeply in love.

The first time she sees him is the last time he sees her.

They fall in love in this misplaced time and space, does it count as reunion?

Shen Buyan embarks on a thrilling adventure to save Lu Yuan’s fate by traveling to an earlier time each time than the last time. When he stands at the end of the story, her story has just begun. In this reverse time river that is destined to pass by each other, where should the two go?

An Ancient Love Song Chinese drama is a small-budget online drama, but it has created popularity and reputation through its sincerity, standing out from the crowd of Chinese dramas.

The exquisite costumes, tones, compositions and camera movements in the drama all have an ancient style and charm.

Moreover, the setting of reverse time travel is a breakthrough and unconventional.

Going back again and again, there is both the ambition to change history and the emotional energy brought about by constant dislocation.

3. Ripe Town

Murders occur one after another in a small town. The identities of the dead are different and unrelated to each other. The bodies are arranged in bizarre postures, and a sentence is left at each crime scene. As the apprentice of the first victim, the small constable Qu Sangen collaborates with his buddies to launch an investigation. As the investigation goes deeper, people from all walks of life, such as the scholars, farmers, businessmen, etc. appear one after another. Amidst the fog, an old case from twenty years ago comes to the surface. Who is the murderer and what is his purpose?

The shadowy Jiangnan small town, the mysterious serial murders, the Yamen with hidden talents, and the mixed Jianghu, all togehter create a suspenseful drama with still waters running deep.

However, when enjoying the Chinese drama Ripe Town, what the audience sees is not the suspense itself, but the uniqueness of the whole drama in tone and camerawork movement, the insinuations reflected everywhere in the drama, and the excellent performance of the actors in their acting skills.

4. Lost You Forever

Lost You Forever Chinese drama is adapted from the long novel by the writer Tong Hua. It is created using the ancient book “山海经Shān Hǎi Jīng” as its source material, is a fantasy xianxia drama with typical Chinese local characteristics. It presents a mythical story about love, friendship, family affection, loyalty, betrayal, sacrifice, choice and destiny.

In the ancient times, humans, immortals, and monsters lived together, and the three kingdoms of Xiyan, Chenrong, and Haoling stood in power. Ji Jiuyao (Xiao Yao), the daughter of king of Haoling, who was living in the Dahuang, experienced a hundred years of suffering, not only lost her identity, but also lost her appearance. She settled down in Qingshui Town and became Wen Xiaoliu, who had no place to go, no one to rely on, and no way to protect herself.

Xiao Yao longs for love. However, due to a strange combination of circumstances, the people she loves hurt her the most. Everyone loves Xiao Yao, and everyone uses Xiao Yao.

The emotional entanglement between four men and one woman has become one of the biggest highlights of the drama. Xiao Yao, played by Yang Zi, a great heroine who still has a kind heart after suffering, is deeply rooted in people’s hearts.

The plot is full of the majesty of a mythical epic, the painting style is full of oriental aesthetic elements, and the unconstrained special effects are even more breathtaking.

5. The Longest Promise

Fate, changed as early as the day it was spied on.

The Longest Promise Chinese drama is adapted from Cang Yue’s novel “朱颜Zhū Yán”. The story revolves around the battle between the Kong Sang, the Mermaid and the Ice Tribe.

It is one of the most popular Chinese xianxia dramas in 2023.

One of the biggest attractions of the drama is the costume of the male protagonist Xiao Zhan. His extraordinary and otherworldly temperament has captured the hearts of many female viewers.

In addition, the scene design, special effects, and soundtrack of The Longest Promise also have an oriental fantasy charm. The production effects are shocking, and the xianxia world created is like stepping into the wonderland of Eastern mythology.

6. Under the Microscope

Mathematical genius Shuai Jiamo (played by Zhang Ruoyun) accidentally discovers a century-old taxation error in the Renhua County tax account book, and starts the road to correct the error and prove it. The common people, officials, and squires in different camps are all involved in the silk case, and they are constantly entangled and fighting with each other.

Under the Microscope Chinese drama is adapted from Ma Boyong’s novel of the same name(显微镜下的大明之丝娟案Xiǎn Wēi Jìng Xià De Dà Míng Zhī Sī Juān Àn). The original work has six stories, and this drama is only the first one. Ma Boyong once said straight to the point in the preface of the novel. “This book is not a novel, but a historical record.” If separated from the history of the Ming Dynasty, it may be difficult for the audience to get a clear picture of the whole story.

The drama version has made a drastic adaptation of the original work, adding many dramatic creations, and the combination of “light comedy + suspense” gives the drama an exquisite atmosphere like a stage play. Using everyday brushstrokes and a humorous and relaxed way, the complex contradictions are peeled off, making it easy for the audience to understand.

The play unfolds from the perspective of ordinary civilians and reveals a corner of the chaos of officialdom in the Ming Dynasty. From a grassroots perspective, it vividly demonstrates where the “people’s suffering” lies.

In recent years, Zhang Ruoyun has gradually become a “guaranteed for good dramas”. In addition, the cast of the drama is very strong. The leading actors Zhang Ruoyun, Wang Yang, Qi Wei, etc. are all low-key and outstanding actors. The script is based on real historical events and the fictional storyline, which brings the audience into the mystery. These have all contributed to the good reputation.

7. Be With You

Legend has it that there are many Jianghu forces hidden in Muyun City, among which the Liang family, the Liu family, and the “Sanqi Dao”. Meng Sanxi (played by Xie Xingyang), a martial arts master who once traveled all over the world and had a chivalrous heart, suddenly loses all his skills while investigating the murder of his friend in Muyun City. To avoid being pursued and killed, he escapes into Muyun City by mistake.

In the process, Meng Sanxi also meets two partners who are also being chased, Yan Sifang (played by Wang Hanwen) and Ye Wuzhi (played by Su Mengdi).

Be With You made its debut with funny plots, but it won a good reputation with the social reality and life reflections reflected in the drama.

This is also a group drama. Although it is an online drama, it has the characteristics of logic, comedy, and positive and healthy outlook.

8. Legend of Quedao Sect

Eunuch Cao of Dongchang colludes with Japanese pirates and harmed the Jianghu chivalrous persons in the Central Plains, intending to rebel. Ximen Changhai’s external identity is the head of the Quedao Sect, but in fact he is a member of a secret anti-Japanese organization. In addition to destroying Japanese pirates, another important task is to find out the traitors in the imperial court who colluded with Japanese pirates. At the same time, Eunuch Cao also discovers that there are people in Jianghu who oppose him, and secretly send people to monitor every move of various sects in Jianghu.

In order to cover the secret mission, Ximen Changhai (played by Zhao Benshan) finds his twin brother Ximen Changzai (played by Zhao Benshan) who is far away in his hometown and asks him to impersonate himself. Under the temptation of Ximen Changhai, Ximen Changzai transforms from a chef to a master of a sect in a daze, and enters the bizarre wuxia world.

Legend of Quedao Sect can be said to be “a dark horse” in the costume comedy Chinese dramas in 2023. With almost no publicity, it started low and went high, becoming a miracle drama among many people.

The familiar Northeastern-style humor plus the wuxia core, the suspense and humor perfectly combined, frequent golden sentences and constant jokes, even the design of the action scenes are eye-catching.

The drama is in the form of a unit drama. Each episode is a short story, with a tight rhythm, lots of laughs, and it also reflects reality. In particular, the “hot jokes” and irony thrown out from time to time in the drama always make the viewers smile.

9. Young Blood 2

During the Qingli period, the Northern Song Dynasty trains young secret agents in order to avoid war and maintain peace and stability among all ethnic groups. After rigorous selection and vetting, six young men, the intelligent Yuan Zhongxin (played by Zhang Xincheng), the beautiful and astute Zhao Jian (played by Zhou Yutong), Xiao Jing who never kills, Wang Kuan who never lies, Xue Ying who does not like to communicate, and the cheerful Wei Yanei, form the new team, “Di Qi Zhai”.

After experiencing life and death related missions, the once young and ignorant teenagers gradually grow up. They unite with each other and dedicate their blood and loyalty to defend peace and eliminate the disasters faced by the Song Dynasty.

The plot of Young Blood 2 is full of twists and turns, with the six teenagers from the Song Dynasty to the Xixia for assassination, which still makes people excited. Viewers follow the protagonist’s growth and transformation and feel the weight of history and the glory of human nature.

When the first season was released 4 years ago, it was not expected to be a low-budget production with a cast of mostly new actors. However, as it aired, the drama gained critical acclaim for its outstanding cast of characters and various extreme twists. It was named and praised as a dark horse in Chinese dramas 2019. It was also shortlisted for the China Golden Eagle TV Art Awards, which fully affirmed the plot, rhythm, and acting skills.

Young Blood 2 continues the plot advantages of the first season, basically the original cast return. Whether it is brain-burning twist or brilliant group portrayal, or comedy laughs, this sequel has retained the advantages of the previous work.

10. Jiu Yi Ren / Faithful

This is an underrated masterpiece that once suffered from terrible ratings, but it finally managed to counterattack with its growing reputation.

The narrative mode is refreshing. The first section is based on the fate of the heroine, and the latter section is based on revenge and reversal of the crime. It is abusive seven years ago and enjoyable seven years later. The ups and downs of the plot always grip the hearts of the viewers, and the moment of breakthrough is really satisfying.

Jiu Yi Ren Chinese drama is a female costume revenge drama that focuses on power and intrigue. The plot of the drama has a good pace. It is not only a revenge drama, but also an elegy about violated women and an ode to female friendship.

The drama has also completed a group portrait creation. Although there are many characters, each character has a distinct personality, and the side stories are also superbly told.

Some people comment that the drama uses the past to satirize the present to show the current social problems, and shows hope and soothes people’s hearts with the heroic feats of many righteous people holding together for warmth, working together, and upholding justice in the world.

No matter in which era, women have the right to pursue a better life. Villains are everywhere, but the one to be blamed should never be the victim.

11. The Starry Love

The queen of the Human Race has given birth to a pair of sisters, one good and one evil. The elder sister Qing Kui is gentle and kind-hearted, respected by the human race, and will be married to the Divine Race. The younger sister Ye Tan is smart and cunning, but suffers bullying, and and will be married to the demon world.

When the two worlds of gods and demons welcomE their bride, the sisters’ bridal sedan chairs are accidentally exchanged. Ye Tan and the god Xuan Shang becomes a happy couple, while Qing Kui becomes a pawn of the princes Chao Feng for the throne in the demon world. The two couples make countless jokes, but also each other’s love grows gradually.

At this time, the crisis of extinction is coming, the identity of the sisters is related to the survival of the four worlds. The four people are facing a huge test between caring for the life of the world and sticking to love.

Since its launch, The Starry Love Chiense drama popularity has been rising, and the data is impressive.

In terms of reputation, it also relies on its hilarious style, sweet-sadistic plot, and novel characters to inject new vitality into the Chinese costume drama, create a new sense of mythological love story, and dazzle the viewers.

The element of light comedy is an important reason for attracting attention. The media commented that it “opens up a differentiated route for the market outside of the cliché. The drama has contributed many hilarious and famous scenes. The characters’ hilarious characters and unexpected plot present the viewers with a very joyful mythical love story.

12. Back From The Brink

It tells the story of Yan Hui (played by Zhou Ye), a young immortal cultivator who was expelled from her Xuan Sect because she was too rebellious. She originally wanted to live a lazy life of “eating and waiting for death, waiting for money to fall from the sky”, but she was tricked and abducted by the rumored “Evil Dragon” Tian Yao(played by Hou Minghao), and was forced to help him unlock the body seal. The two fell in love with each other after experiencing life and death, and finally fought against the ultimate devil together.

The cartoon and animation elements added to the Chinese costume drama Back From The Brink give this work a novel vitality, and opens up the visual pattern of xianxia dramas.

The plot setting is innovative, with both the male and female protagonists are losers, and the character’s behavior conforms to the logic of “normal people”. Compared with ordinary xianxia dramas, it is refreshing and unconventional.

Although it cannot be called a big production, the plot is compact and does not fall into the cliché, the characters in the drama are vivid and substantial, and various laughter elements are constantly present. It is a typical funny drama to watch while eating alone.

13. The Ingenious One

Yun Xiang (played by Chen Xiao) carries the mission of Yuntai Sect and the hatred of extermination of his family, and steps into the bloody and stormy Jianghu. Yun Xiang cleverly calculates the hearts and makes plans amidst the surging undercurrents, and meets several friends such as Shu Yanan (played by Mao Xiaotong), a powerful heroine, and Su Mingyu (played by Tang Xiaotian), a young man from an aristocratic family.

Everyone grows and transforms in the turbulent Jianghu disputes, step by step clearing the fog of the past, and ultimately protecting the righteousness of the world.

The Ingenious One is adapted from Fang Baiyu’s wuxia novel “千门Qiān Mén” and is a new wuxia drama. It takes martial arts as its main element and also uses wisdom to conquer the world. In the Jianghu, fights are certainly scary, but it is the human heart that really make people feel shivery.

The new character design is different from male and female in the traditional wuxia drama. The drama just creates a contrast. The male protagonist is unparalleled in resourcefulness and the female protagonist has unparalleled martial arts skills.

The action style of the drama combines the realism of fists and the aesthetic of free and neat.

The unpredictable power and intrigue, the Jianghu of deceit, so the familiar flavor is finally back.

14. A Journey to Love

A Journey to Love Chinese drama tells the legendary adventure road story of a passionate team headed by Ren Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou, who went from Wudu to Andu, overcoming obstacles and fighting side by side, and finally achieving peace in the world.

The ancient costume group portrait, martial arts, power and strategy, and a little bit of big female lead tendency, are all in line with the current viewers’ drama preferences. Liu Shishi’s return to costume performance after many years still brings surprises to the viewers.

The narrative of this drama is smooth and powerful, and the rhythm is fast. From the script to the characters, from the camerawork to the action scenes, all can be seen. The male and female protagonists fall in love with each other amidst the constant reversal of identities and images, which makes people more and more fascinated by it. The group portrait scenes are also very well done.

A Journey to Love has created a differentiated plot and a fresh viewing experience. It puts elements such as Jianghu, the imperial court, passionate adventures, grudges and hatreds into the setting of a road drama. It unfolds the narrative with group portraits and constructs a wonderful “landscape along the way”, which breaks the traditional formula of Chinese costume dramas through multiple dimensions. It also provided a good creative and innovative proof for subsequent creations of the same type of subject matter.

In addition, the drama has both beautiful and classical fighting scenes, hilarious comedy scenes, as well as concerns and thinking on women’s issues.

15. Story of Kunning Palace

It tells the story of Jiang Xuening who goes through ups and downs to become a queen, but encounters a palace coup and is forced to commit suicide. After being reborn, she determines to uncover the truth and rewrites the ending of her life.

Although the show’s reputation has been polarized since its premiere, its popularity has remained high, and it has been ranked high in the number of views on the platform during the online broadcast. The viewers obviously loves and hates it.

Story of Kunning Palace is also a female-led drama with 1 woman versus 4 men, which reflects the fact that today’s Chinese TV dramas are trying to use “female power” to awaken women’s self-awareness and help women break through their shackles, know themselves, and get out of the dilemma.

16. Hilarious Family

Du Ruyu, a single mother who has been widowed for 18 years, raises four daughters with completely different personalities on her own, and wants to marry them into “good” families. For this reason, she grits her teeth and buys a house in the capital under huge financial pressure, so that her daughters can have a “either rich or noble” marriage. As a result, the golden son-in-law do not come, but inexplicable young people breake into their lives one after another. Du Ruyu doesn’t like any of these people, but they are getting closer and closer to her daughters…

Hilarious Family Chinese darma tells the story of a “funny family” in an ancient setting. Although it is a costume light comedy, it uses comedy to satirize some current social phenomena, which is of great practical significance and many scenes can resonate with the audience.

A lot of effort has also been put into the character design, with both young actors, capable actors and veteran actors, ensuring the freshness of the characters and supporting the plot at the same time.

Although the story is a cliched house fight, the characters are well established, the jokes come one after another, and the focus is on “harmony in the family leads to prosperity”.

A mother urging marriage and four daughters with very different personalities create different sparks with the son-in-law of different classes. After watching one episode, you will have an extra bowl of rice.

17. Till The End of The Moon

In order to save the world, the heroine Li Susu takes the form of Ye Xiwu, the youngest daughter of the Ye family, and dedicates herself to preventing Tantai Jin from becoming the demon god. In this process, the relationship between Li Susu, the dawn of righteousness, and Tantai Jin, a born evil creature, is as dramatic and emotionally entangled as the magical plot.

Till The End of The Moon has a novel storyline. Not only did it remain popular when it first aired, but it also received a lot of positive reviews. Although the drama is not very rigorous in terms of plot adaptation logic, resulting in some controversy in word-of-mouth, the drama still improves the post-production level of Xianxia dramas with its cool special effects.

The use of various Chinese god elements in the drama is extremely beautiful, especially when the bodies of the twelve gods fall and return to the world, what are transformed into ice and snow on the mountain tops, pebbles in the streams, and weeping willows on the banks. . . Not only is it full of beauty, but it also perfectly interprets the Chinese divinity.

Both the architecture and the costumes of the characters in Till The End of The Moon show a mysterious Chinese aesthetic style. “Dunhuang style” is a major feature of the drama, which combines solemnity, elegance, and ethereal agility without any sense of contradiction.

The most stunning thing is the wedding look of Ming Ye and Sang Jiu. The scene of the two slowly walking into the hall hand in hand is simply a visual feast.

18. Wonderland Of Love

With the dynasty turmoil and fall of imperial power, the imperial grandson Li Yi (played by Xu Kai) who guards the border is forced to take on the task of countering the rebellion. He and Cui Lin (played by Jing Tian), the only daughter of the general who concealed her true identity, each leads an army and gets involved in the dispute. The two meet their opponents and fall in love with each other in several battles, staging a romantic love story.

In a love story that blends sweetness and sadness, this drama incorporates narrative elements such as family and country righteousness and military intrigue, evoking emotional resonance in the viewers.

The relationship created in the drama begins with the equal attraction of the male and female protagonists to each other. Although Li Yi and Cui Lin are different in their personalities, their equal strength and chivalry for the world make them cherish each other and have a tacit understanding.

The viewers are deeply impressed by the emotional portrayal of Li Yi and Cui Lin from mutual testing to mutual trust, equal strength and mutual respect.

Although the subsequent plot has been criticized as being a bit bland and the war scenes are not grand enough, it is still novel among many dramas that focus on small romances.

19. Provoke

Provoke Chinese drama tells a suspenseful love story about a fake young master and a fake singer during the Republic of China, who go from being spies against each other to living under the same roof, falling in love with each other.

Provoke is a small-budget web drama. The director has created works such as A Familiar Stranger and The Killer Is Also Romantic. He is especially good at filming hazy atmospheres, and the sense of taboo and desire.

This drama is a suspenseful love short drama with a total of 25 episodes. Each episode is less than 20 minutes, short and concise but full of highlights. It combines labels such as “revenge” and “young stepmother”. The overall plot and picture composition, as well as the presentation of artistic effects, are all excellent. It is not only suitable for watching in your spare time, but also suitable for viewers who like to watch the entire drama in one go.

20. The Legend of Zhuohua

It tells the story of Mu Zhuohua, a female official who has ambitions to gain fame and glory, and Liu Yan, the king of Ding, who has vowed to avenge his comrades. They redeem each other, get to know each other, and work together to defend their home and country.

The main cast of The Legend of Zhuohua are all on the older side. Overly heavy filters lead to serious skin polishing and loss of many facial details, so they have been criticized by many viewers. However, despite the age of the actors, there is nothing wrong with their appearance and acting skills.

Different from other “Mary Sue” and big heroine dramas, the plot of The Legend of Zhuohua not only depicts the love in detail, but also has a narrative line of a woman studying and becoming an official, adding more highlights and topics to the drama.

Every woman in the drama perfectly interprets the positive “female power”. As a costume drama, it not only meets the psychological needs of the audience, but also conveys strength and courage in real life.

Moreover, the drama is based on traditional Chinese charm and integrates modern aesthetics. The overall aesthetic is very sophisticated, which has also been well received by many viewers.

21. Scent Of Time

Hua Qian (played by Zhou Ye) once did something wrong because she was obsessed with Zhong Yelan (played by Peng Chuyue) who did not love her, which eventually led to the death of her family. When her destiny is re-incarnated, Hua Qian wakes up to find that she has returned to the wedding night with Zhong Yelan. After experiencing death, Hua Qian has a profound enlightenment and is determined to make up for her past mistakes and start over.

This time she begins to value the family and friends around her. In order not to repeat the same mistakes, she no longer persist in the emotional entanglement with Zhong Yelan in the past, and chooses to fulfill the lovers Zhong Yelan and Mu Yao (played by Zhao Qing) and devotes herself to Let the family members who have gone astray return to the right path.

In the process, the mysteries of the past gradually emerge. Hua Qian also discovers Zhong Xiwu (played by Wang Xingyue) who has been silently guarding her, and meets Hua Rongzhou (played by Zhang Yijie), who always puts her safety first. Eventually, she realises the two-way redemption of herself and her family and friends.

The drama is adapted from the long romance novel “洗铅华Xǐ Qiān Huá” by 七月荔Qi Yue Li. The plot design of this drama is very unique, allowing viewers to constantly guess the fate of the characters through the narrative technique of going back and forth in time. Every reversal is shocking.

The characterisation in the drama is also very three-dimensional, with each character having their own story and personality, allowing the audience to delve into the inner world of each character.

The flow of time and the reincarnation of life are one of the themes of the drama. It teaches viewers to cherish the present, bravely pursue the true inner emotions, and reflect on the meaning of life through the fate of the characters.

22. Destined

Liu Yuru, the daughter of a cloth merchant, has suffered from the plight of her birth mother’s illness, her concubine mother’s lack of kindness, and her father’s lack of attention since she was a child. She has no choice but to be cautious and act as a exemplary girl for more than ten years. She originally has longing for marriage, but unexpectedly, she is arranged by her family to marry Gu Jiusi, a famous playboy in Yangzhou city. Gu Jiushi misunderstands that Liu Yuru is marrying him because she wants to climb up the ranks of the rich and powerful, and scoffs at her. Liu Yuru realizes that she can’t tie her destiny to her marriage or other people, so she decides to follow Gu’s mother to learn the ways of business and realize her self-worth truly, independently and wonderfully.

After hard work, Liu Yuru gradually gets good at business and discovers Gu Jiusi’s pure and sincere side in the process, and the two of them get closer and closer. However, at this time, the Yangzhou governor’s perverse behaviour lead to the displacement of the people, and the Gu family has no choice but to flee the city. Gu Jiusi watch thousands of refugees and grow up overnight.

In order to end the chaos and allow the people to live in peace, Gu Jiusi starts as a policeman and becomes the Secretary of Ministry of Revenue in feudal China, working with like-minded people to eliminate the problems, light taxes and corvee. Liu Yuru assists him on the side, and finally achieves material prosperity and people’s well-being. Together, they write a story of a prosperous age.

Destined Chinese drama is adapted from Mo Shu Bai’s novel “长风渡(Chǎng Fēng Dù)”. Most of the popularity of this drama comes from the CP sense of Bai Jingting and Song Yi. The two fell in love during the filming, and received blessings from the fans. Therefore, after the drama was aired, everyone wanted to support this real couple.

But in the end, the real couple couldn’t turn things around. The overall reputation of this drama is not good, on the one hand, it was a magical adaptation of the original work, and the male and female main character change is too big. The male lead is too perfect but he is raised like a son by the female lead, whose personality is also awkward. Even the goodwill of the real CP cannot resist the bugs of the drama’s CP.

On the other hand, the logic of the plot is broken, and the adaptation is full of flaws. Especially after entering the plot of the Eastern Capital, it becomes slow-paced and the narrative is bland, becoming a chronicle without narrative skills.

All I can say is that this drama is highly discussed, but overall there are too many things that make people sigh in pity.

23. My Journey to You

The marriage selection ceremony of the Gong sect is approaching, and the assassin Yun Weishan (played by Yu Shuxin) takes this opportunity to sneak into the sect to explore information. Unexpectedly, the master of the Gong sect and the original heir, Gong Huanyu, are suddenly killed by an assassin. The fourth princes, Gong Ziyu (played by Zhang Linghe), who has always been rejected, becomes the master of the sect.

Due to changes, Yun Weishan can only re-target the new master Gong Ziyu. After some planning, she becomes Gong Ziyu’s bride as she wishes. Who knows that there will be more dangerous challenges later, and the only one she can take advantage of is Gong Ziyu, who seems to be uneducated and has no skills and is forced to become the Gong master.

The drama excels with visual enjoyment, and the overall picture presented is beautiful. The director is very good at capturing the the characters. Every character in the drama is beautifully photographed, and the actors are all good-looking. Even the supporting roles are memorable. After the play is broadcast, some supporting roles are even more outstanding than the protagonists. The skill in creating atmosphere is particularly strong, and a lot of effort has been put into the props and scenes.

In addition, director Guo Jingming’s own topic discussions and value discussions can occupy most of the hot searches. During the broadcast of My Journey to You, the term “Guo Jingming aesthetic” quickly became popular, beautiful costumes and actors…

However, the confusing plot, mysterious photography, pretentious lines, and collapsed characters also make the audience feel cheated.

But that’s precisely why viewers love and hate it at the same time and can’t stop watching.

24. Romance on the Farm

Modern girl Lian Maner (played by Tian Xiwei) takes part in the test of an ancient farming game in order to get a high bonus. She traveles into the ancient countryside and meets the mysterious young man Shen Nuo (played by Zeng Shunxi). The two join hands fighting with the weird relatives, farming and managing, making a fortune, and gradually getting to know each other and fall in love. In the end, Lian Maner learns Shen Nuo’s true identity. Facing a huge challenge, where will their feelings go…

Romance on the Farm is China’s first farming comedy drama, adapted from Ruo Yan’s novel “重生小地主Chong Sheng Xiao Di Zhu”(means Rebirth as a Small Landlord). “Farming novel” is very niche, also called everyday story, focusing on describing the protagonist’s ordinary life trivial matters. On this basis, adding different themes can show a rich and colorful plot that still retains the unique charm of farming.

This drama changes the scene of the heroine’s rebirth in a car accident in the original work into a game where she experiences farming stories, involving farming, business, family conflicts, the status of men and women, etc. On this basis, the plot also incorporates comedy elements. Long-flowing farming stories and comic conflicts are combined to make this drama full of fun.

However, the finale forces a happy ending, and the villains are not punished, which has also made many viewers dissatisfied.

25. The Legend of An Le

It is said that the Han and Di family jointly created the country Dajing. However, ten years ago, the Di family was convicted of treason, and only an orphan girl was left imprisoned in Dai Mountain.

Ten years later, Prince Han Ye (played by Gong Jun), who is determined to save the orphan girl of the Di family, goes to Jingnan, the hometown of the Di family, to eliminate pirates, then he unexpectedly encounters a pretty bandit who claims that she would marry him.

The bandit calls herself Ren Anle (played by Dilraba). She takes a 30,000 navy to the capital as a betrothal gift to marry Prince Han Ye. In the process of pestering Han Ye, she shows her extraordinary talent.

Only Luo Mingxi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, who is secretly assisting Ren Anle, knows that she is the orphaned daughter of the Di family, Di Ziyuan, who has come here to reverse the family’s case.

Ren Anle solves the imperial examination fraud case and the Jiangnan flood case, and also has a great relationship with the Princess An Ning, who guards the border. And Han Ye also has a good impression of her because of the consistent stance of family and country.

But at this time, Ren Anle’s stand-in, the false Di Ziyuan, also returns to the capital, ordered to run for the wife of prince. The palace, which is already full of conspiracies, fall into a greater whirlpool.

The Legend of An Le is adapted from Xing Ling’s novel “帝皇书”(Di Huang Shu). As a costume drama with political and wuxia elements, it has a huge world view, exciting war, delicate and tender love, and the treacherous palace intrigues.

This drama has gathered top stars. However, the quality of the plot is very worrying, especially the special effects and filters are complained about by many viewers. In addition, the subsequent plot logic is confusing, and the conflicting character design, etc., have given this originally promising drama a poor reputation.