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Chinese Drama Recommendations (Patreon)

Published:
2026-08-17 13:00:20
Imported:
2026-10
Tags:

Content

This week we will finish The Prisoner of Beauty, so I'm finally starting another C-Drama.I will start the poll in like 3-4 days and I will start uploading my reactions for the show on Monday, August 31st.

Drop a recommendation for any CHINESE DRAMA series below 👇

NOTE: All Patrons can recommend a series! What I've seen: https://mydramalist.com/dramalist/JoeFreshest

Top 5 most “❤" will be added to a poll.

1. DO NOT RECOMMEND ANIME. 

2. Avoid repeating dramas that are already recommended as I will delete duplicates.

3. Maximum 1 recommendation per person.

ONLY available to Freshest/Non-Anime Patrons.

Comments

Ash

Blossoms of power

RahaMi

The First Frost

AceLaR17

For a historical one, The Last Jasmine, it recently came out and it’s pretty good. For a modern one, The First Frost is a pretty good one in my opinion.

DevilsQueen

Love between fairy and devil ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Blaquex

Joy of Life

Budumbudum

Blossoms in Adversity :)

Seelia

Arsenal Military Academy

Kay

Fated Hearts

Laja

Legend of the Female General

Crystal

The Long Ballad

Kylie

go go squid!

Lovely Strawberry90

I was going to recommend this one since it's my favorite drama but I wasn't sure if he would like it because of the themes of war and everything.

Nachi89

Never-Ending Summer

Brissygirl

This is such a good show! There's supposed to be 2 epilogue episodes somewhere too

DevilsQueen

Sadly never found them yet

Taty

Hidden Love

Ghada

the flourished peony

Amber

"Fangs of Fortune" was an amazing show. Fantasy, suspense, great action, and visually stunning.

Carlotta

The white olive tree

Jordan

My Journey to You!!! (But im also rooting for LBFAD

Leah

Love You Seven Times (Fantasy/Reincarnation/Mythology based)

Aish

Time for a modern c drama "The Best Thing" - stars Zhang Linghe from POJ, great adult healing romance. Sweet and simple.

Jordan

Im actually watching that rn! 😂

MrGrimReaper

My fav Chinese series is: Nirvana in fire (Chinese name - Lang ya bang)

Dj

Falling into your smile

HyukaDune

Who rules the world

Flickerjax

Under the Skin - very good and very different from the cdramas you've watched so far.

Flickerjax

I keep recommending this to reactors. Someday we will get someone to watch it!

Jae

Sa_ji

First C-drama I watched.

DramaWatcher

my personal opinion: it is the same genre as Pursuit of Jade and Prisoner of Beauty (historical romance dramas). It would be better for him to have a break from this genre to enjoy it better.

SJN

Road to Splendor - it is romance / political so you can watch when you want to return to this genre

Dilmurod

Twelve Letters, I think you should watch a modern drama next.

Dilmurod

He said he wanted to watch something different. Why are you guys still recommending similar dramas?

Sa_ji

Night of Love With You (2022) Its a short C-drama with a run time of (9×24)= 216 minutes. You can easily watch this in 3 or 6 parts. And it has a good plot.

Sa_ji

A look into professional gamers life. Loved it. This a kind of Drama you wont see in western media.

DawidP

Meet Yourself (2023)

Nikki

Yes!!! He would love this! This was one of the only 2 cdramas I was able to finish after POJ.

DramaWatcher

my personal opinion: it is the same genre as Pursuit of Jade and Prisoner of Beauty (historical romance dramas). It would be better for him to have a break from this genre to enjoy it better (even though I love this drama as well).

DramaWatcher

my personal opinion: it is the same genre as Pursuit of Jade and Prisoner of Beauty (historical romance dramas). It would be better for him to have a break from this genre to enjoy it better (even though I love this drama as well).

FreshestAnime

It looks like someone else recommended this. Feel free to look for their comment if you'd like to "❤" their comment. You also get the chance to recommend another series since this one was mentioned.

FreshestAnime

It looks like someone else recommended this. Feel free to look for their comment if you'd like to "❤" their comment. You also get the chance to recommend another series since this one was mentioned.

Bicca

I am nobody, it's soo underrated

FreshestAnime

It looks like you and someone else recommended the same one at the same time 😅 to make it fair ill delete this one since it has less "❤" s. Feel free to look for their comment if you'd like to "❤" their comment. You also get the chance to recommend another series since this one was mentioned.

FreshestAnime

It looks like someone else recommended this. Feel free to look for their comment if you'd like to "❤" their comment. You also get the chance to recommend another series since this one was mentioned.

FreshestAnime

It looks like someone else recommended this. Feel free to look for their comment if you'd like to "❤" their comment. You also get the chance to recommend another series since this one was mentioned.

judecarden supremacist

oh this one was pure cinema, wouldn't mind this one since the trope is so different

Light Angle

Yes! I loved it. Fantasy, drama, storytelling, adventure, suspense, and all that eye candy was dreamy. This would be new characters unlocked!

Nachi89

I think same. If those are first c-dramas reaction maybe it is better to actualy watch some modern c-drama, not yet another historical/wuxia.

Dana

Story of Yanxi Palace. Not a romance focused drama. Historical/politics.

Dana

I really do like this series and on many levels I think it's better than the previous dramas that were reacted to...but its still a historical romance, albeit better historical accuracy with era and costumes.

Dana

Because historical romances are dominant in China. Plus it's also recency bias, there are older dramas that are better.

Cecilia Zhang

Mannn I wanna recommend Chinese Paladin 3 (2009) but idk if there’s Eng sub since it’s pretty old 🙂‍↕️

Dana

This series came out last year. Is it the type of drama anyone would remember in 5 years?

Dana

Its certainly an eye candy series

Kay

I think it is. It was my favourite drama of last year 🤷‍♀️

Seelia

I think it's a solid request. It's war theme but more about female lead in disguise and she's a strong female lead. And it'll be a nice change from what he's seen already.

Dana

Yeah I dropped it after 3 episodes because it was formulaic. But everyone loves the tropes so it's popular.

Dana

Liked because of Wu Jinyan.

Dana

The only modern Chinese drama I'd recommend.

eimi

The Untamed? Worth a shot

judecarden supremacist

just an fyi to joe, hidden love and first frost are from the same universe

Dana

Always worth a shot.

Dana

Separate to the rec, I'd advise next time you'd put in the criteria that the drama be 2023 or earlier. The vast majority of dramas recced here are in the last two years. Most veterans of Chinese dramas agree the best years for Chinese dramas was between 2014 and 2020. A lot of critics have pointed out (not just me) that since then a lot of the dramas are just remixes of the same tropes and derivative. There are some really good dramas recently, Im not a snob just because it's new, but the bulk of dramas that are considered top tier are from that era I mentioned. You're missing out by just watching the most recent.

FreshestAnime

I feel you, but I have a whole life ahead of me, eventually older dramas will also be chosen. As always, the main thing for me is watching what the majority of people are interested in me watching. If that happens to be a drama from 2024, cool, if its from 2019, cool.

Dana

I understand too. But its kinda like, three of the dramas recced haven't even finished streaming Im like guys...guys..at least wait until its finished! How can you rec something when you don't even know how it ends? Eta: you'll be watching romantic costume dramas with female leads FOREVER btw. Which is fine, but looking at the polls you'll never get to anything else. Every month a number of those dramas come out.

FreshestAnime

This is one of like 3 shows I was debating adding as my own recommendation. I scheduled this post so I didnt get a recommendation in quick enough lol

Dana

Ikr. Do you think it's because a lot of people only started watching last year.? Its natural to love the first dramas you see. My first drama was in 2014 so I love it a lot and over the years just become jaded when studios keep recreating the same stories. That happens with every entertainment industry . But you might want to know it was around 2020 that the CCP cracked down harder with censorship so drama writers tried to stay as vanilla as possible. The earlier dramas are more adventurous with violence and sex and politics.

Shellee

This is the show that got me watching costume dramas so two enthusiastic thumbs up

Shellee

This one got me hooked after the first episode this male lead is unlike any other. He definitely put the S in shameless. I just finished it a week ago and I would definitely definitely watch it again with this community

Shellee

I enjoyed this when I watched it would not rewatch it not because …

BTS_ARMY NOONA EVENTS & MEETUPS SEATTLE

Folks can we take advantage of the different genres and sub genres we have access to in c drama suggestions, and avoid making suggestion for the same same story repackaged with different M and F leads. Please 😆 Historical and Costume Genres (Gu Zao Ju)Wuxia (武侠): Classic martial arts and chivalry. Grounded in a realistic historical world where heroes follow a code of honor (jianghu) and master physical combat.Xianxia (仙侠): High fantasy rooted in Chinese mythology. Features gods, immortals, demons, and spiritual "cultivation" to achieve eternal life.Xuanhuan (玄幻): Fantastical settings that blend Chinese folklore with broader or Western-style magic, monsters, and shape-shifting.Gongdou (宫斗) / House-and-Court: Palace intrigue and intense political or harem power struggles set within imperial dynasties.Historical / Period: Straight dramas tracking military strategy, war, or political realism across actual Chinese dynasties without high-magic elements.

DAC_clara99 MJ

He said he needs a break from this genre. Why are people recomending similar dramas? Joy of life. The story of yanxi palace. Empresses in the palace. Guardians of the Dafeng. Nirvana in fire. Heck, Even ''How dare you'' and "Legend of Zhang hai" are better fits. Talk more of some others not mentioned yet. P.S _ Not really a recommendation, more of a reminder to fellow fans to pick something he will enjoy as well.

judecarden supremacist

this is also in my top dramas after pursuit of jade and love in the clouds

judecarden supremacist

i think this got lost in the comments 😭 would've been an amazing watch for contrast after seeing zlh in poj

judecarden supremacist

i only really started watching cdrama from march so i prefer the newer ones bc of the higher quality in cinematography and directing. i tried picking up cdrama a few years back but my main issue was the quality so that may be another factor in why some ppl prefer the newer ones.

judecarden supremacist

ooh another slice of life wholesome one is when i fly towards you. it's more of a growth journey from high school to young adults. it's very cute.

RahaMi

It's just soo heart wrenching and beautiful at the same time.. the emotions you feel.. is beyond description and it's just soo realistic and ironic at the same time.

Melanie Friedman

I’m new to this recommendation thingy, so I’m going to make a pitch for a drama that blew me away and is still my #1 of all time. "You have to watch A Journey to Love. Think of it like a modern spy thriller mixed with a chaotic road trip movie, just set in ancient times. It is about a literal squad of misfits who start out as strangers but end up defining what real friendship and brotherhood actually mean. The action is insane, the comedy is top-tier, and while there is a romance, it takes a back seat to the incredible bond of the team. You will 100% fall in love with this chaotic family."

Dana

How Dare You, Dream within a Dream are great because they are comedies, so it's a break from the deep drama, even if they are romantic. Or even something fluffy and funny like New Life Begins.....but, what can you do? I prefer a palace drama or cultivation bromance- but at least a comedy would be a nice break, especially the ones that make fun of the romantic genre.

Dana

Its funny you talk about quality, a lot of the criticism of the more recent costume dramas is they are lazy about doing correct period costumes, or have inaccurate set designs. A lot of the earlier dramas spent a lot of effort on those things, Story of Yanxi Palace had a 300 million dollar budget on the costumes alone to make sure they were created traditionally. These days all the budget goes towards hiring idol actors...eta: every now again the ccp bans a certain genre because it's considered 'corporate greed' to over-exploit it, so I am wondering what the next genre they will ban for a period of time.

Kiryuu Yona

When a snail falls in love

Mr. GPT

Love's Ambition

Tiffany Vuong

i 2nd this one, and its a shorter one, compact and impactful

Tiffany Vuong

The First Shot (not to be confused with the first frost), VERY different from the historical romances we've been doing up til now, complete 180, so much so that its more like a 540 turn. but wow is the acting Oscar worthy

Tiffany Vuong

dont get me wrong, i liked this drama but it was a SLOOOWWW burn... feel like hidden love needs to be watched first or have to have investment in the actors to really get into this one

RahaMi

Yes but hidden love is light hearted

Tiffany Vuong

all time top 10 easily. and ive watched 100s of cdramas

Tiffany Vuong

where to watch? ive been trying to find this one for a while

Kiryuu Yona

I went to look it up and it's nearly non existent geez, dailymotion has it but I'm not sure if all episodes. Prime also has it but depends on region. Other than that ig some other illegal website

booploops

my journey to you (2023) is a good one. genre: mystery, romance, historical/wuxia. It mainly features zhang linghe (same ml in pursuit of jade), esther yu, cheng lei and lu yu xiao (my fav actress :)) she's also in love in the clouds which is a reallyy good one but it has been commented already)

booploops

yess if he does react, i wanna see him react till the end of the episodes with the cast dancing along to the ost hahaha

booploops

oop sorry can i ask where he mentioned he needs a break from this genre? i understand that most popular recommendations rn are majority historical and romance. would it be acceptable to suggest something that is historical, romance and (another type of genre like comedy/wuxia (intro to martial arts for him)/mystery/fantasy)? or is your statement about similar drama, more based on the fact that it's historical genre vs modern genre? thank youu

X_PK

Falling into your smile

Dani B

Till The End Of The Moon. It's always one of my go to rewatched series.

Yan

Fated Hearts, you will like the fighting scenes

Dana

He mentioned it a couple of times in his previous videos. However if you didn't see it you wouldn't have known.

amy

love game in eastern fantasy

Ivana

Mobius

Coco T

I know I've recommend to you the Blossom. But if you are temporarily sick of romantic drama, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND a very popular show called JOY of LIFE. It's a highly rated series which blends ancient court politics with a modern twist. It's a story about a young man who have modern memories and knowledge and go back to an ancient time. It's like a very appealing novel or video game turned into a show. The plot is very good and funny at the same time. And also there are so many great actors in this show. Great acting.

DAC_clara99 MJ

Oh, understandable if you didn't see it. He said it in a couple of his videos. I think historical as long as it has another genre is fine. He mentioned how POB and POJ are similar in taste and would prefer a palette cleanser before returning to something similar. Something about, comparing the shows if they are after one another .... something something .... forgot his other reasons.

DAC_clara99 MJ

someone recommend JOY OF LIFE. look for the comment and like. Top 5 likes gets on the poll, sadly its losing

Overlord

I'm late but back at it again with Joy of Life

Wilma

When I Fly Towards You 🩵

Tanya M

You Are My Glory

Jordan

I watched this show on IQiYi and there are two “extra” things, both about 2ish minutes long. Plus a Fan Meeting thing, if you were interested. But if there wrre supposed to be two EPISODE long epilogues, then someone please lmk when you find them 😂

Rav

Oh, I’d absolutely love it if he started watching Love in the Clouds! I think it’s a great entry point for xianxia. Yuxiao and Hou Minghao’s performances are incredibly captivating. I love the nuances of their characters :).

Serko

Blood River You would totally dig it, I've never seen a C-Drama with better action, two epic male leads that are like brothers and ruthless assassins and basically every episode there is an epic fight xD not much romance, but perfect if you want a break from the slow burn Pursuit of Jade Style romance heavy genre

Serko

This! Or even better "Blood River" for a darker tone and more action (same universe as Dashing Youth and The Blood of Youth)

LindseyB

I could just watch this series over and over. The yearning and the effortless support he gives her is just stunning. Also there is a lot of subtle comedy if you watch people's reactions and facial expressions throughout. It also deals with some really heavy topics so well. i think this is a good contrast to the two historical cdramas already done.

RahaMi

Literally ... i just can't describe it

awo awad

love in the clouds and hidden love

Daaisyg

Lost You Forever S1 or Go Go Squid S1. Yang Zi is a great actress.

Melina

it's one of the best series and ML is the Chinese Version of Sunjae from Lovely runner IMO

Astrage

A Record of Mortal's Journey to Immortality. So much dedication, emotion, growth, and even chess moves. Never really felt like to watch donghua even though I am Chinese, started this series out of boredom, but my god this IS peak.