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The second half of 2025 brings some of the most anticipated Chinese dramas for both domestic and international fans. With fresh storylines, star-studded casts, and captivating visuals, these shows have taken the domestic OTTs by storm.
Among them, here are the top five dramas on air in China as of August 15, 2025, as per Guduo Popularity Index Ranking.
1. This Thriving Land
Top on the list is This Thriving Land. The C-drama tells the story of Ning Xiu Xiu (Yang Mi), daughter of the wealthiest man in Tianniu Temple Village, who, on the day of her wedding, is kidnapped by bandits.
Her father, Ning Xue Xiang (Ni Da Hong), unwilling to sell land to ransom her, instead marries off her younger sister, Ning Su Su (Xing Fei), to her childhood sweetheart, Fei Wen Dian (Zhang Tian Yang). Xiu Xiu severed ties with her father and married Feng Da Jiao (Ou Hao), a farmer who had rescued her from the bandits’ lair. She learned to do farm work and gradually came to understand the significance of land to the farmers.
Inspired by the revolutionary ideas of Communist Du Chunlin and others, she used the knowledge she had acquired to help her neighbors, leading the village women in breaking free from the shackles of feudal thinking.
Together with the villagers, she fought to eliminate banditry, resist the Japanese, and support the army. During the harsh yet legendary twenty years of a life, Xiu Xiu ultimately reconciled with her father and realized her own self-worth.
This Thriving Land is streaming on iQIYI.
2. The Immortal Ascension
Ranking second is The Immortal Ascension.
The series follows Han Li (Yang Yang), a poor boy from a mountain village, who accidentally steps onto the path of cultivation. As he gradually moves toward success, he steadfastly holds onto the heart of a mortal, relying on self-reliance and perseverance. Despite facing constant exclusion and being framed due to his humble origins and mediocre talent, Han Li never once gets the thought of giving up. Instead, with perseverance and wisdom, he keeps refining himself. In the end, he defeats the demonic forces, breaks through the blockade, and successfully passes through the teleportation array to a new continent, embarking on a new journey and adventure.
Starring in the drama alongside Yang Yang are Gina Jin as Nangong Wan, Wang Duo as Wang Chan, Zhao Xiao Tang as Chen Qiao Qian, Zhao Qing as Mo Cai Hua, and Xu Hai Qiao as Yun Lu.
The Immortal Ascension aired from July 27 to August 12, and is available to stream on Viki and YOUKU.
3. Legend of the Female General
Third on the list is one of the highly anticipated C-dramas of 2025, Legend of the Female General.
Legend of the Female General follows He Yan (Zhou Ye), the eldest daughter of the He family, who, to protect her family's noble title, is forced to wear a mask and pretend to be the family's eldest son, He Ru Fei. Determined to escape her family's fate, she heads to the battlefield. Years later, He Yan returns home in glory but finds herself betrayed by her family when her brother reappears. After surviving a near-fatal incident, He Yan adopts a new identity and disguises herself as a man again to enlist in the military at Yezhou, determined to reclaim what rightfully belongs to her.
Ryan Cheng plays the male Xiao Jue, and Zhang Kang Le stars as Chu Zhao, Zhang Miao Yi as Song Tao Tao, Li Qing as Cheng Li Su, and Bai Shu as He Ru Fei.
Legend of the Female General is streaming on Viki, WeTV, iQIYI, TencentVideo, and iflix.
4. Sword Rose
Claiming the fourth spot is the mystery thriller Sword Rose, which follows Deng Yan (Dilraba Dilmurat), a young policewoman, determined to join the anti-narcotics unit and uncover the truth behind her bae, a narcotics officer's death. However, she attains success during an unexpected operation to rescue an infant hostage, earning a promotion to the position of acting director of the anti-trafficking team in Tianhai City.
Deng Yan uses her meticulous reasoning, precise judgment, and fearlessness to crack cases involving child trafficking and the trafficking of girls from other regions forced into prostitution. Her efforts not only turn once-skeptical colleagues into admirers and steadfast supporters, but also gradually uncover the shocking dark secrets hidden behind each trafficking case. Facing cunning and brutal criminals, Deng Yan and her colleagues work together to unravel the truth, piece by piece.
Also starring the C-drama are Jin Shi Jia as Chang Rui, You Yong as Yin Jian Sheng, Li Zhi as Sun Wen Han, Wang Yi Zhe as Yang Jia Jia, and Gao Ji Cai as Yan Lei.
Sword Rose aired from July 28 to August 9. Stream it on WeTV.
5. The Wanted Detective
Ranking fifth is The Wanted Detective.
The C-drama tells the story of Xiao Bei Ming (Wang Xing Yue), the top detective of Qi, who, accused of treason and murder, flees on the day of his wedding. To clear his name, he returns to the capital and joins forces with allies to uncover the truth and restore peace to Qi.
Julia Xiang plays Zhong Xue Man, Chen You Wei portrays Feng Qing Zhuo, Zhang Nan takes on Huo Dai Rong, He Luo Luo stars as Tong Shuang, and Deng Kai as Zhuge Kong Yun.
The Wanted Detective aired from August 1 to August 14. Stream it on iQIYI.
