Hey guys it's Anton. So probably one of the most common questions I get from you
guys is which dramas do I recommend that you guys watch if you're completely new
to Chinese dramas and want to expand your watch list. Now, as someone who's
been watching Chinese dramas since basically the early 1990s as a kid with
Hong Kong TVB and ATV dramas up until the present day it's really hard to come
up with a comprehensive list of all-time favorite dramas, so for the purpose of
simplicity today I'm going to omit all dramas except for those from mainland
China and also only include dramas from the last five years. I also chose dramas
today that would be good starter dramas for someone who is a complete beginner
wanting to get into Chinese dramas. You probably already know what they are if
you are a C-drama veteran but keep watching and see if you agree with this list.
I picked dramas that I would basically be fine sitting down right now and
re-watching again because they're just so good. Before I go on please take a moment
to subscribe to this channel if you haven't already but would like to see
more content like this in the future. The shows on today's Top 7 are absolute
must watches if you're new to Chinese dramas or even just looking to expand
your current watch list. So let's get right to it, this is my list of the Top 7
absolute must watch Chinese dramas for beginners who are looking to get into
the C-drama world, 2020 edition. This list is not ranked by position by the way so
just because something appears earlier or later doesn't mean that it's being
ranked higher or lower. I just wanted to throw that out there ahead of time.
Anyway it's let's begin. Number one, Eternal Love. Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms
is the absolute king of fantasy dramas, bar none. Released back in 2017, it still
holds the crown as one of the very best fantasy C-dramas of all time. What I
like most about Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms is the fact that the story
flows nicely. Nearly every episode moves well and we don't get bogged down by
many fillers, which is basically the cardinal sin of every single Chinese
drama. It's very rare to have a show that you are interested in watching all the
way through, especially one that is 58 episodes long. Ten Miles Peach Blossom's
conflicts are easily understood and the more you get into the series, the more
you start feeling for its characters. The chemistry between all the characters are
fantastic, but particularly the two main leads. Pretty much everyone from the show
supporting or otherwise were able to solidify their own acting careers after
the drama ended. We had fantasy C-dramas before, but Ten Miles of Peach
Blossoms put everything together decisively with its compelling plot,
excellent cast, and fantastic visuals. Eternal Love is one of those shows that
you reflect on many years after it's over, even in 2020 it simply is the
greatest fantasy C-drama of all time. I could go on for days about Ten Miles of
Peach Blossoms, but we have more dramas to cover, so let's move on.
Number two, The Story of Ming Lan. Ming Lan is a historical drama for those
looking for depth in their shows. It is incredibly well-written. If you want to
watch a drama with cunning plots and intelligent strategy, The Story of Ming
Lan is the one for you. Now, this is not a palace drama like The Story of Yanxi Palace,
which, by the way, is an honorable mention that I did think about including
on this list of Top 7 Must Watch Dramas, but in the end, I chose to go with
Ming Lan as it has a more cohesive storyline. It doesn't have the grandiose
over-the-top schemes like a palace drama would but you will find the close intra-
family relationships between characters in Ming Lan is what really makes it
shine. Now, the story of Ming Lan perceivably moves a bit on the slower
side, especially in the initial episodes, but the actors and screenwriting are
what really make the show great. The characters in Ming Lan are all
intelligent, especially the main leads, and they never annoy you with their
decision-making process like certain other dramas do. There are many little
schemes written into the show that are very clever, much like the characters
themselves, and this is the reason why I would put the story of Ming Lan among
the best historical Chinese dramas in recent times. Number three, Ashes of Love.
Now, Ashes of Love style-wise is one of my favorite fantasy C-dramas. The Ashes
of Love world is rich and vibrant and the world dynamic between its characters
is immersive and engaging. It's very easy to get hooked into this drama in its
first few episodes and it is a great choice for C-drama beginners to get into
these fantasy drama. Just a preface the main female lead here is basically the
opposite of our last drama lead Ming Lan and is somewhat of a polarizing
character amongst audiences. You either love her or hate her. I liked her here
especially during her interactions with the other characters, as you can see a
lot of chemistry going on. I think that overall the story of Ashes of Love moves
along nicely but I know one source of contention with the show is how much
screen time was given to the non-main leads. This show is where I first started
liking Luo Yunxi and Yukee Chen, but I do agree that they added just a bit too
much story filler for the supporting cast. I didn't mind the Night Immortal so
much, but Yukee Chen's romance I found a bit boring. Otherwise Ashes of Love is a
brilliant piece of work of visually and story-wise and is a definite must watch
if you like fantasy C-dramas. Number four, The Joy of Life. The most recent
addition to the Top Must Watch C-Drama list is The Joy of Life, having just
completed airing at the beginning of this year. This drama has, quite frankly,
one of the best screenwriting ever done in C-drama in recent years. Powerfully
witty and comical, The Joy of Life reaches further than others in the genre
in terms of its cleverness and dialogue. This is one of those shows where the
plot actually moves and you can't wait to see the next episode as you finish
the last. I think many watch the show seeing that Xiao Zhan will be in the
cast, but I will be perfectly honest with you guys...
Xiao Zhan does not appear until much later in the series. It still doesn't
mean that the earlier episodes aren't good, they are, but I just wanted to clear
that expectation up. His presence definitely adds to the star power of the
show, but I like The Joy of Life even without him here, the acting and
storyline is simply superb. I would go as far to say that this is probably my top
Chinese drama of 2019 if it wasn't for another standout series from last year
that has me conflicted on the rankings. Stay tuned for that drama at the end of
this video. Anyhow moving on. Number five, Love O2O.
It might be a bit controversial but I just had to include Love O2O in this list.
Love O2O is a modern romance drama focusing on gaming and I know that the
genre is not for everybody, but I feel
that Love O2O really paved the way for gaming dramas recently such as the
Kings Avatar or Go Go Squid. Love O2O is the only modern drama on this list and I
did want to include more but I felt like this series was really one that showed
just how polished C-dramas can be, especially if you consider that it was
first broadcasted in 2016. The story is light and fluffy without the usual
annoying plot twists or drama between the characters. You know, the one where
one of the main leads gets into a fight with the other one because of some silly
misunderstanding? Those can really get on your nerves. I really like Love O2O
because it's extremely straightforward and addictingly entertaining. Because
sometimes all you want is a bubbly and cheerful show to watch. There are
questionable CGI sequences in this drama, but I can forgive them because this show
was made four years ago and despite that Love O2O is still fairly revolutionary
in bringing the gaming genre to the mainstream. The director for Love O2O
was the same person responsible for directing Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms
a year later and you have to really commend her ability to bring together a
compelling storyline this drama is a fantastic example of a feel-good drama
the type that will keep you entertained but smiling the entire time you are
watching. Number 6, Nirvana in Fire. This drama appeared as the only costumed
C-drama in the Top 10 list of Asian Dramas In The Last Decade as rated by Chinese
viewers on Douban. I'll link that video in the top right corner and in the video
description below if you're interested. This drama is another thinking drama
which you guys know I love. Set in the Liang dynasty, what I like about this
drama are the intricate character plots. My goodness is the screenplay
well-written. The storyline flows so beautifully as plots get revealed, you
end up getting hooked on each episode as you find out more and more. I love that
the characters have plots and then counter plots, and have clearly thought
very far in advance when they are planning something. I just truly relish
intelligently written characters. Now this drama leans towards political
struggles at a kingdom level, and what really amazes me are the dynamics and
interactions between the main characters. Hu Ge is really amazing and this drama
is truly the height of his career. The rest of the cast are amazing as well but
we have to move on to our final must watch drama for those new to Chinese
dramas. You guys know what it is, so let's get to it.
Number seven, The Untamed. Last but certainly not least on our list, The
Untamed took everyone by surprise when it aired last year and rocketed to the
top, being one of the most top viewed and highly rated C-dramas in recent years.
Stylistically beautiful with a unique aesthetic, The Untamed really shined with
its two main leads. The chemistry between Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo was phenomenal
and drives a lot of what makes The Untamed great. There are some issues with
this drama, however, such as the first 10 to 15 episodes or so. If you haven't read
the drama or watched the anime it can get a little tedious as the storytelling
and these initial episodes can get a little draggy. Just a forewarning, but
hang in there and you will get to the core of what made The Untamed so
extremely popular. And after having finished the entire drama, you will go
back to those first few episodes and see them in a new light. There have been
dramas in the past with strong bromances between the male leads such as even
"Nirvana in Fire" back in 2015, but "The Untamed" truly brought this concept into
the mainstream and has made this category one of the most popular genres
unquestionably in mainland China right now. And for that, in addition to its
fantastic cast and screenwriting, The Untamed is indisputably part of one
of the top best Chinese dramas that you absolutely have to watch, especially if
you are new to C-dramas. So there you have it guys, the Top 7 absolute must
watch Chinese dramas for beginners who are looking to get into the C-drama
world, 2020 edition. In terms of which one to start with, it all depends on your
personal preference of exactly which genre you'd like to watch, but you can't
go wrong picking any of these. Also there were lots of honorable mentions that I
would like to include as well but this video was getting a little long and I
just didn't have time to include them all. So let me know if you agree with
this list or not, and if I'm missing anything what would you guys recommend
in addition for someone who is completely new to mainland Chinese
dramas. I love making lists like this so if you have any other list you'd like to
see then feel free to ask me down below and I might make a video about it later
down the line. Anyhow that's all I have for you guys today, thank you
for joining me. Hit that thumbs up button if you like videos like this and if you
would like to see more like it in the future then go ahead and subscribe to
the channel. Anyways my name is Anton, this is Asian Drama News, I will see you
guys in the next episode. Later!