Chinese dramas had a huge 2026. Sweeping historical epics pulled in viewers around the world, while modern romances proved C-dramas can be just as addictive without the palace walls. With Netflix, iQiyi, Youku and Tencent Video all streaming new titles worldwide, it has never been easier to keep up.
To find the biggest hits of the year so far, we ranked 2026's C-dramas by their popularity on kisskh, which is based on how many users have added each show to their watchlists. From revenge-fueled fake marriages to small-town summer romances, these are the 10 most popular C-dramas of 2026 so far.
10 'Veil of Shadows' (2026)
A still from Veil of Shadows
Image via Youku
Veil of Shadows follows Lu Wu Yi (Ju Jing Yi), the youngest nine-tailed fox of a secret organization, who disguises herself as a priest to track down the great demon Xiao Wei. Inside Wei Manor, she quickly learns she is not the only one hunting it. Wu Shi Guang (Joseph Zeng), her cunning fox sister Wu Wang Yan (Chen Du Ling) and the mysterious priest Ji Ling (Tian Jia Rui) all want the Dragon Deity's power, each for very different reasons.
If you like your fantasy dramas big, dark and beautiful, this is an easy pick. It has one of the most stacked young casts of the year, with Yan An rounding out the ensemble, and the mix of demon battles, shifting loyalties and found-family moments keeps all 29 episodes moving.
MDL RATING | 8.2 / 10
9 'Where the Mask Ends' (2026)
Tian Xi Wei and Yan An in Where the Mask Ends
Image via Youku
Where the Mask Ends begins with A Chou (Tian Xi Wei), a lowly night-soil collector who happens to look exactly like Wei Rao, the noble daughter of a marquis household. That resemblance gets her forced into a substitute marriage, sent to bring good fortune to Lu Zhuo (Yan An), the comatose heir of the Duke Lu Mansion. Then he wakes up, and he is convinced his new wife is a schemer.
This is the fastest climber on the list: it only wrapped on November 3 and has already broken into the top 10. The suspicious husband and the clever wife who keeps outplaying him make for a sharp, satisfying slow-burn, and it is a must for anyone who fell for Tian Xi Wei earlier this year.
MDL RATING | 8.6 / 10
8 'Love for You' (2026)
Song Wei Long and Zhang Jing Yi in Love for You
Image via Mango TV
Set in the late 1990s, Love for You follows Chen Yi (Song Wei Long) and Miao Jing (Zhang Jing Yi), two teenagers pushed under the same roof when their parents get together. Still grieving his mother, Chen Yi wants nothing to do with her at first, but Miao Jing's steady kindness slowly breaks through his guard.
This one is for viewers who like their romance with real weight. It is a raw, emotional slow-burn about two people who only have each other, and Song Wei Long and Zhang Jing Yi give it the kind of quiet intensity that keeps you up for just one more episode.
MDL RATING | 8.1 / 10
7 'The First Jasmine' (2026)
Ryan Cheng and Bai Lu in The First Jasmine
Image via Tencent Video
In The First Jasmine, eldest daughter Ye Li (Bai Lu) is married off to the disabled Prince Mo Xiu Yao (Ryan Cheng) on the same day her sister weds another prince. What nobody knows is that Ye Li is a descendant of the Lishan clan with a score to settle, and her new husband has a revenge plan of his own.
If marriage-of-convenience stories are your weakness, start here. Two people hiding their real goals from each other gives every scene an edge, and Bai Lu is in top form across all 40 episodes.
MDL RATING | 8.2 / 10
6 'Blossoms of Power' (2026)
He Yu and Meng Zi Yi in Blossoms of Power
Image via Tencent Video
Blossoms of Power centers on Gu Qing Zhi (Meng Zi Yi), the sole survivor of a bloodbath who wakes up under a new identity as Shen Xi He, Princess of the Northwest. Once a proud and spirited girl of the frontier, she is now cold, calculating and determined to win the game of power. Her match is Crown Prince Xiao Hua Yong (He Yu), frail in body but razor-sharp in mind.
Fans of court intrigue will feel right at home. Two schemers who see right through each other is one of C-drama's best tropes, and this one plays it beautifully, with lavish costumes and a romance that grows out of genuine respect.
MDL RATING | 8.5 / 10
5 'Never-Ending Summer' (2026)
Bao Shang En and Daniel Zhou in Never-Ending Summer
Image via Mango TV
In Never-Ending Summer, top student Zhou Wan (Bao Shang En) is desperate to pay for her grandmother's surgery. When the mother who abandoned her years ago refuses to help, she deliberately gets close to Lu Xi Xiao (Daniel Zhou), her mother's rebellious stepson, hoping he can be her way to the money.
What starts as a plan turns into something real over one summer after graduation. It is moody, gorgeously shot and a little heartbreaking, which is exactly why it became this year's big youth romance.
MDL RATING | 8.5 / 10
4 'How Dare You!?' (2026)
Wang Chu Ran and Ryan Cheng in How Dare You!?
Image via iQiyi
How Dare You!? drops office rookie Wang Cui Hua (Wang Chu Ran) into the world of a novel, where she crosses paths with Zhang San (Ryan Cheng), another transmigrator who turns out to be a hidden king biding his time for over a decade. One is fighting fate and the other is hiding his power, so they join forces to survive. Tang Xiao Tian and Hu Yi Xuan co-star.
This is the funniest hit on the list. It mixes modern jokes with real palace stakes, and the banter between the two leads is the main event. If you want a historical drama that doesn't take itself too seriously, this is the one.
MDL RATING | 8.5 / 10
3 'The Early Spring' (2026)
Sun Qian and Jing Bo Ran in The Early Spring
Image via Youku
The Early Spring follows Shang Zhi Tao (Sun Qian), a fresh graduate from an ordinary background who lands a job at a top-tier global ad agency in Beijing. On her very first day, her brilliant but brutally blunt creative director, Luan Nian (Jing Bo Ran), tells her to resign. She stays.
This is the grown-up office romance of the year. It is stylish, mature and grounded in real career pressure, and watching Shang Zhi Tao grow into a genuinely good professional is just as satisfying as the chemistry. Netflix streaming it alongside its China run helped it find a big international audience.
MDL RATING | 8.5 / 10
2 'Love Between Lines' (2026)
Chen Xing Xu and Lu Yu Xiao in Love Between Lines
Image via iQiyi
Love Between Lines introduces Xiao Zhi Yu (Chen Xing Xu) and Hu Xiu (Lu Yu Xiao) as strangers playing fake identities in a Republic of China-themed murder mystery game. They grow curious about who the other really is, and then fate keeps throwing them together in real life.
The year's first big C-drama hit has stayed near the top since January. The story jumps between the game and reality, and that playful, clever structure, plus two leads with easy chemistry, is why fans are still recommending it ten months later.
MDL RATING | 8.7 / 10
1 'Pursuit of Jade' (2026)
Zhang Ling He and Tian Xi Wei in Pursuit of Jade
Image via iQiyi
Pursuit of Jade pairs Fan Chang Yu (Tian Xi Wei), a butcher's daughter, with Xie Zheng (Zhang Ling He), a fallen noble seeking revenge. Their marriage starts out as fake, then turns into the real thing just as war tears them apart. Snow Kong and Deng Kai co-star.
No contest. With a 9.1 rating, this is the C-drama of the year. It is a romance, a revenge story and a war epic all at once, led by a heroine who picks up her butcher's knife and walks onto the battlefield, and Netflix simulcasting it helped turn it into a global talking point.
MDL RATING | 9.1 / 10
Which 2026 C-drama has been your favorite so far? Let us know in the comments!
