Entertainment

The Best Romantic Chinese Dramas to Add to Your Watchlist

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5m ago

Jun 10, 2024 / 9878 Views

Evan Walker

Much like K-dramas, the fan base for Chinese dramas has also significantly increased. Shows like Hidden Love, have tugged at heartstrings with their romantic storylines and the palpable chemistry shared by the leads Zhao Lusi and Chen Zhe Yuan. Several shows like Hidden Love have become a global phenomenon, here’s a look at some of the best Chinese dramas to add to your watch list.

Chinese dramas, mostly swoon-worthy romantic shows, have steadily been gaining recognition around the world. One of the best examples is When I Fly Towards You (2023). Starring Zhou Yiran and Zhang Miaoyi in the lead roles, the show was released around the same time as the Chinese drama Hidden Love on the same platform in China. Despite the comPetition from Hidden Love, When I Fly Towards You became phenomenally popular among Chinese audiences, signalling that the pull of the best Chinese romantic dramas is massive. Eventually, both Hidden Love and When I Fly Towards You found equally impressive success with their worldwide streaming release on Netflix.

But what is so special about Hidden Love? A key factor behind the show’s success was its portrayal of slow-burn, old-school romance. The chemistry between the lead characters, who have a considerable age gap of five years in the drama, appealed to audiences in China and beyond. It was in line with some of the best romantic Chinese dramas, which strike a chord with the audience through a senior-junior relationship angle transcending into love.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, the drama went on to bag multiple awards at the 2024 Weibo Awards such as Dazzling Actor of the Year (Zhao) and Leap Actor of the Year (Chen).

Several other Chinese romance dramas are equally popular. All of them explore the soft touches of romance between their lead characters, but at the same time, they also present unique angles to the relationships through the environments they are placed in.