Netizens Choose Their Top 10 Chinese Dramas of the Year
With the arrival of fall 2020, Weibo has asked netizens to vote on which Chinese television dramas were their favorites for the year, and the results are quite surprising.
No. 10: Love Yourself <他其实没有那么爱你> with 317,716 votes
Starring Victoria Song (宋茜), Celina Jade (盧靖姍), Zhang Jianing (张佳宁), and Li Chun (李纯), Love Yourself was not very highly-rated when it first premiered this summer. Earning only a 5.4 rating on Douban, it isn’t far-fetched to say that Love Yourself is only a mediocre production. It tries too hard to emulate the style of both Tiny Times <小时代> and Sex and the City that it falls flat in everything else. However, it appears that Victoria’s popularity alone manages to bring this drama as a top ten favorite of the year.
No. 9: Reunion: The Sound of the Providence <重启之极海听雷> with 357,442 votes
Starring Zhu Yilong (朱一龙) and Mao Xiaotong (毛晓彤), Reunion is suspense thriller split into two seasons. Adapted from a novel, Reunion has earned critical acclaim for its story telling and acting. Zhu Yilong in particular is receiving praise for his subtle portrayal of the main lead Wu Xie.
No. 8: Miss S <旗袍美探> with 483,298 votes
Miss S premiered this summer to mixed reviews, though the suspenseful crime series, set in pre-World War II China, is able to draw in viewers who are looking for a bit of noir to fill in their summer. The drama stars Ma Yili (马伊琍) and Gao Weiguang (高伟光).
No. 7: Eternal Love of Dream <三生三世枕上书> with 566,016 votes
Due to Chinese broadcasting restrictions and regulations, the highly anticipated spin-off of 2017’s hit series Eternal Love <三生三世十里桃花> was pushed back several times before finally premiering in January 2020. Though it was a critical disappointment at the start, the popular pairing featuring Dilraba Dilmurat (迪丽热巴) and Gao Weiguang kept the series going, breaking 8 billion viewers online, and is currently the most-watched television drama series of 2020.
No. 6: The Sleepless Princess <离人心上> with 634,259 votes
Starring Zheng Yecheng (郑业成) and Hu Yixuan (胡意旋), this period drama series was a surprise summer hit. With relatively unknown actors, the drama relied on a solid script with suspense and humor. Zheng and Hu are also praised for their good chemistry, and the ending leaves behind a satisfying feeling.
No. 5: Under the Power <锦衣之下> with 667,937 votes
Coming to a close fifth place is Under the Power, a period drama focused on the Jinyiwei, the Ming dynasty secret police. Based on the novel of the same name, the popularity of Under the Power is owed to the two main leads, Ren Jialun (任嘉伦) and Tan Songyun (谭松韵). It was their chemistry that carried the entire show.
No. 4: And the Winner is Love <月上重火> with 716,363 votes
And the Winner is Love is a typical period drama fantasy, about two people from two different factions who come together and fall in love. Despite getting a meager 5.9 rating on Douban, the popularity of the two leads Luo Yunxi (罗云熙) and Chen Yuqi (陈钰琪) pulled the drama to fourth place.
No. 3: The Romance of Tiger and Rose <传闻中的陈芊芊> with 738,149 votes
With a modest budget, a niche IP, and relatively unknown stars, The Romance of Tiger and Rose is regarded as this year’s dark horse of the web drama market. It has broken through 2 billion online views, with over 230,000 reviews on Douban, where it was given a 7.5 rating. The drama stars Zhao Lusi (赵露思) and Ding Yuxi (丁禹兮).
No. 2: Go Ahead <以家人之名> with 751,025 votes
Coming at second place is Go Ahead starring Tan Songyun, Song Weilong (宋威龙), and Zhang Xincheng (张新成). The drama centers on three non-blood related siblings who rekindle their relationship and fall in love.
No. 1: Love and Redemption <琉璃> with 921,026 votes
Topping the list is Love and Redemption starring Cheng Yi (成毅) and Yuan Bingyan (袁冰妍), one of the more successful book-to-TV adaptations as of late. Loved by book fans and new fans, Love and Redemption was a surprise hit and kickstarted Cheng Yi to unprecedented fame.
Source: beauty321
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
This reminds me that I dropped Eternal Love of Dream more than 10+ episodes in because it was so boring, maybe I should finish what I started…
@linda
lemme save you some golden time by suggesting: don’t continue it. i finished it and it was a hella disappointment..draggy and boring tbh (as most cdramas these days lol).
if you want a good drama. i recommend go head. i was hesitant to start it at first because of song weilong’s stoic acting but the storyline is really good and relatable.
Have only watched Romance of Tiger and Rose out of the whole list. The lead actress is quite endearing so I’m currently watching another of her drama Dating in the Kitchen which is quite funny and a good stress reliever.
A bit tempted to watch Love And Redemption until I read leading man coughs up blood every episode, the love story is torture and the torture is thanks to his own sect. Why is costume drama love story so abusive emotionally? So I just continued with Ming Dynasty which I enjoyed despite the frustrating flaws, Hanzawa Naoki 2 and Stranger 2. And I just realised at the same time I was watching 1 Kdrama, 1 Cdrama and 1 Jdrama. Very international.