Shows I really loved

Why'd you become the Third Crown Prince's agent?

For my family.

Your family? Where are they?

In hell.

This is a fast-paced, tightly-plotted, gritty supernatural thriller about a doomsday countdown and a man who's tangled within it because of his own karma. Iconic figures are reinvented through a modern-day urban fantasy-type lens, retaining their power and mythic status but gaining contemporary style and interpretation.

Dark tone, lush camerawork and a vivid, moody atmosphere lend this show a unique feel. With only 8 episodes, the action is relentless and intense. I enjoy when a drama drops me straight into the story without warning and it really works here.

Our leading ML, a man whose death has been paused while he performs supernatural errands beneath the weight of karmic debt, is fantastic and carries the show with charisma and talent. A cynical badass who gets shit done. Many memorable and fun supporting characters, especially Third Prince. Great twists, and a finale that I found emotional and satisfying.

I felt as though I had been dunked in the story and only came up for air at the end. Really fabulous. Amazing cast and very cool production. I can't recommend this hidden gem enough.

"I'm going down to hell. Give me a hand."

Blood River knew exactly what it wanted to be and the story it wanted to tell. A tight, skillfully written wuxia drama with a stellar cast, great action scenes, and solid plot. Features some of my favorite FLs ever. One of my favorites to rewatch.

Brooding, psychological drama that never shies away from the painful underbelly of its story. In fact, that's the heart of the drama. Anchored by stunning performances and an understated, bittersweet romance between the leads. Truly unforgettable.

Super sweet, hopeful and affirming. This is a slice-of-life romantic drama about a gender nonconforming ML and the FL who loves him just the way he is. A bit of an office romance too. One of my favorite dramas ever. It's really wonderful and very underrated.

A meditative and bittersweet wuxia story that rests on the stellar performances of its cast, both in acting and the intense action scenes. I really enjoyed it, I feel like it's a matter of personal taste and others may not love what I did.

A well-plotted thriller, but the real draw for me was the central relationship between the leads. Turns a lot of tropes on their head. Somewhat goofy but very fun. Hyped up for a good reason. The two leads play a game of emotional cat and mouse that I really enjoyed, they're both so talented.

One of the cleverest and most heartbreaking transmigration dramas I've ever seen, and the one that haunts me the most. This show will hook you, reel you in, and leave you stunned by the time it ends.

FL is transmigrated, nothing new. But ML- the tyrannical emperor- is also transmigrated, and the truth of how he got there before her is horrifying. Their romance is extremely well done. In the eyes of the court, they have strict roles to play. But in private, they can be their real selves. The tender vulnerability of this romance, in the sweet moments as well as the funny ones or the emotional ones, is deeply moving. The heart of the drama rests upon this relationship and it works well.

The plot is interesting too, as FL and ML try to stay ahead of the story as it unfolds and fight to change their fates. The ending is haunting and bittersweet, but ultimately happy.

This show doesn't shy away from exploring trauma and mental illness and portrays its characters with affection and sympathy, as well as honestly depicting the impact mental illness and trauma has on a life.

The relationships in this show are the standouts to me, and are what kept me watching, along with the show's frank, genuine tone. Seeing these characters become closer with each other and inspire each other to live was wonderful. I cried my eyes out.

A story of justice and vengeance and the complications that life and humanity introduce to both. Anchored by some of my favorite FLs of all time and a truly wonderful ML who supports the leading lady's incredible performance. One of the more satisfying crime and revenge dramas I've seen.

What kept this show in my list of favorites is actually not the plot, but the characters and their relationships. The leads are excellently cast and the show rests entirely on their charismatic and compelling performances, and the beautiful bond between them. However the villains also deliver, with subtle and charismatic performances that infuse their roles with nuance.

Campy, cheesy and imperfect, but with some really talented leads and a cast of very fun characters-- I have a huge soft spot for this drama. At the time I was craving a story set in the jianghu with lots of cool and complex women, and this show delivered exactly that.

The lead is a bold and daring FL and the story is always centered on her, as she becomes a true hero, living up to her grandfather's legacy. A sweet romance and many great dynamics between friends, unlikely allies, mentors, and family. Comedy, action, and angst. I really liked it. YMMV.

As Priest stories, both this show and Word of Honor have a similar tone IMO and if you enjoy one, you might enjoy the other. (Same goes for Guardian.)

Loved how this show was a classic scheming and politicking type of drama, but it had nothing to do with the plots of royalty or nobility and was more focused on regular people: merchants, pawnbrokers, convicts, tea farmers, and so on. Slice of life married to a steadily building plot; each bleak circumstance is faced with courage and cleverness. A fabulous cast and an engaging story underpinned by a sweet slow-burn romance.

Very cute and lighthearted. A wuxia master travels to the modern day, after a modern day woman travels to her time and becomes her apprentice. They fall in love along the way. Also has some nice emotional drama that is happily resolved. A nice quick watch, funny and sweet.

A satisfying wuxia epic. Beautiful production, solid acting, lots of crying (from me). If you are looking to immerse yourself in a wuxia drama, I recommend giving this one a try. Surprisingly fast paced compared to other wuxia dramas I've seen, but I think it works pretty well.

Creative, kindhearted and very emotional romantic drama. Hopeful and heartwarming, but it pulls you through the entire wringer first.

You as the viewer inhabit the main ML's head and his perspective on life, and the show doesn't flinch away but quietly follows him as he begins to change and take control of his life instead of existing miserably in a world that feels hostile to him. As the show begins to spool out from his perspective, you see the other ML first through his very biased eyes and then slowly the truth emerges, as ML begins to see himself with kinder and clearer vision.

Very underrated in my opinion. An office romance that is truly unlike any you've ever seen before.

Deserved the hype! Villain ML who slowly becomes a better and nicer guy thanks to his love for FL, who has a mysterious destiny of her own. A perfectly paced slow-burn romance. Lots of cute comedy and juicy angst. Their chemistry was wonderful. Terrific story too, with good twists and a happy ending.

This is a solid xianxia if you're looking for one to watch!

So many things to love about this show.

The ladies are all written amazingly well, the writers flip so many tired tropes and stereotypes around and explore deep friendships and loving bonds, as well as some possible gay undertones between a certain pair. I adored them so much. And the romance is wonderful too.

This is a skillfully written romcom, the comedy is a masterfully done satire, tongue in cheek but knowledgeable about it. The romance develops beautifully and warmly, with strong character arcs for both FL and ML and a lovely happy ending.

All of the actors are brimming with talent and they're given interesting and nuanced roles to flex their skills on. It was a pleasure to see BJT and TXW in strong, well-written leading roles, supported by such an incredible cast. They're both phenomenal actors and I loved seeing them in such a rewarding story that truly shows how talented they are. This is a gem of a historical romcom drama and I highly recommend it!

Nostalgic fave. This show either really works for you, or it doesn't. For me, it worked. It was the fabulous cast, each of whom is layered in interesting ways, that kept me watching. They're all overflowing with talent, and each character has their own unique story and depths of personality. A web of relationships and complex connections fills the story with many smaller stories that all mesh together. I think it's well done.

Fun as hell, a nice choice for when you want to sit back and just have a good time. A comedic take on a wuxia drama that still delivers hefty emotional weight, featuring a talented cast with many interesting dynamics and some gay vibes too. I loved the story and the cast, as well as the style of comedy. One of my favorites to rewatch.

Poignant drama about a crossdressing painter who disguises herself as a man for personal advancement but finds her life complicated by romantic feelings. I especially enjoyed how this story explores the lead's feelings about her life, her gender and sexuality, and societal expectations. Bittersweet open ending, I found it well-told. This is a nice drama if you want to try a sageuk that is a little different from others you may have seen.

Grim and passionate historical romance drama set in 80s Kowloon City. A slow and steady build of both story and romance, as each of the two MLs reveals more of their personality and pasts. Immensely satisfying, played by two incredibly talented actors. Thoughtful, intense, and deeply moving. I loved all the supporting characters too. Nice bits of humor and lighter moments woven among the emotional and serious main parts.

An atmospheric tale...

A cinematic masterpiece. I try to keep this list dramas-only, but I believe this is one of the greatest films ever made, so I had to include it.

Dark, bleak and thoughtful drama about two gangsters falling in love without either of them seeing their own feelings coming. Very layered and subtle performances from them both.

The story follows them through the nasty end of an inheritance drama and an old feud; a conflict they're both involved in, but not central to, as well as a more personal feud lying silently between them. It's focused on their lives in the present and in the past. Tragedy turned them against each other, but neither of them have the full story. One of them has been assigned to kill the other and they both know it. Both of them are hung up on each other, the relationship is a tangled mess of conflicting emotion, pain, affection, resentment, and yearning.

YMMV, this show is rough and the relationship between the leads has fucked up aspects, especially at the beginning. But it's very true to their circumstances IMO. As the story progresses, you see them climb out of the pit together, and face the costs. The show is unflinching and portrays the characters and their choices without trying to water anything down or make them seem more palatable. They are what they are.

A classic tragedy adapted with perfect poise. Beautifully produced and filmed, wonderfully acted. Heartbreaking and unforgettably good.

YMMV because the ML starts off extremely unlikable, this is done on purpose and he could definitely be an antagonist in a different story. But this drama masterfully explores his character and there's a lot of realism to his story as well as the heightened exaggeration of a fictional character. And of course he's played by Kim Myung Min! Truly a stunning performance, and it needs to be for the show to work.

A send-up of drama tropes and a drama in its own right. This classic focuses on the making of a drama, riddled with way more conflict than what is actually in the show, and a slow burning opposites attract/age gap romance that I really, really liked.

Full of twists, many of them direct parodies of drama tropes you've probably seen before, and packed with a talented cast. Very "of its time", but I think it could be cool to watch as a time capsule for this particular decade (I remember watching when it just came out LOL, time has flown). Funny and heartwrenching. Ends on a bittersweet but happy note.

One of my favorite xianxia dramas of all time, if not my favorite. Commanding and competent immortal general FL defends the world against the Xutian Abyss, but accidentally meets the forbidden love of her life (all-powerful deity ML) in the mortal realm. The plot is creative and twisty, with so many great moments throughout. Turns some tropes on their head and fully indulges in others. I can't recommend this show enough to xianxia fans.

If you've ever wanted to see an FL who wears elegant armor and wades into battle with a cool spear the way so many awesome MLs do, this is your show. She's one of my favorite FLs ever.

A smart, mature romance that ends with a satisfying finale and bonus episode. The plot is clever and well developed, he worldbuilding is creative and fun. Highly, highly recommend.

Age gap romance done in a really satisfying and original way. FL wants to become a court official, ML is one of the royal princes. Together they uncover a mystery and accidentally fall in love. An understated, yearning type of romance with a satisfying happy ending. The secondary cast is incredible, packed with talented actors who bring so much depth and emotion to their characters. I loved the friendships as much as the romance, and I stayed up WAY too late bingewatching this show.

Old favorite. I love swashbuckling adventures and this one is a good time. Bonus points in my book for a very cool lady character :)

One of my favorite court/political intrigue guzhuang dramas despite the flaws that arise at the end of the show. Featuring an incredibly talented cast, an intricate web of subplots, and a beautiful heartbreaking romance.

Deeply satisfying, from the story to the acting to the lavish production and cinematography. The characters are all so real and interesting, the antagonists have just as much depth as the protagonists, and the leading actors are so stunningly talented that I felt swept away by their powerful, yearning love for each other, a love that defied so much trouble and pain.

Ning Yi, our ML, is an amazing lead, a cunning and guarded character who wears a mask to fool people at court into underestimating him while he first plots to avenge his family and then to unite the country. It's Chen Kun's stunning performance that makes Ning Yi so unforgettable; brilliant, bold, and wickedly charismatic, he is magnetic and commands your attention in every single scene he's in. I adored him.

FL is amazing for most of the show, a strong lady protag who disguises herself as a man and is just as clever and tenacious as ML. In fact they are often on opposing sides thanks to their personal goals, convictions, and ambitions, and they fall in love with each other during all of this. Unfortunately toward the end of the show they turn her into a helpless and irrelevant FL because they have to change the plot and her character to facilitate the ending they came up with. And speaking of...

The ending is awful because they changed it (for some reason) from the book's ending. You might want to skim the last 10 episodes, because that's where the story starts to fall apart. The last seven minutes or so are just ridiculous lol. And the book's ending is MUCH better and actually makes sense for the characters and story. But up until then it's such a stunningly made drama, it's genuinely worth watching despite the poorly made ending.

i didn't put untamed: special edition on this list because it would basically be a repeat, but i enjoyed it just as much. <3

This extremely famous show was right up my alley, a cultivation drama with some very creative twists and an amazingly talented cast. Every character has depth and nuance and an intriguing story to tell. Cried my eyes out at the ending.

Famously censored BL and I thought they did a great job conveying the romance despite the censorship restrictions.

Don't even start me on how much I loved this show... It's kind of a mess in some parts but that only made me move it more. One of the most compelling xianxias for me personally.

Enemies to lovers... sorta. Drama and tragedy is the name of the game as FL tries to find a way to prevent Devil God ML from destroying the world by going back in time. But then they end up falling in love... toxic, heartbreaking love... across multiple lifetimes and timelines. I adored them! I like when enemies to lovers is unhinged, I like tragic MLs, and this hit the mark for me.

Definitely a show that will rip your heart out and stomp on it. I love it.

My icon of transmigration/tragic "villain" romance dramas; even with its flaws, I love it so much.

Modern FL that you will adore meets powerful grandmaster ML you will also adore (if you like morally grey insane men who go all out for their lovers.) Incredible chemistry, their first kiss was crazy as hell. The plot still haunts me, it's such an unforgettable tragedy, and the layers to their bond together are what kept me watching to the very end. FL never gives up on trying to pull ML out of the bloody mire that everyone else wants to push him down into.

Beautifully filmed, costumed, and paced, with an open ending that felt so fitting for the characters and their story. I really love all the performances from the entire cast, so much stunning talent. Not only from the leads but the supporting characters as well. The central romance is so sweet and develops with such tenderness... All of the side characters are so wonderful too.

There's an underlying gentleness and affection to this show that makes the tragedy and tension doubly impactful. This drama is every bit as good as you expect it to be, it's a gem.

My favorite part of this show besides the thoughtful, beautiful production of sets and costumes, was the amazing performances from the cast! I felt like they really understood the characters, and they fleshed them out further in some parts than in the novel. Everyone is so talented and plays their roles with so much enthusiasm.

This drama tells a classic wuxia story not from the hero's perspective but from the perspective of two villains, though I'd argue one of them is also a mentor figure. The hero is a secondary character! It's a lot of fun.

This was a censored BL and the vibes are more than there lol. The leads and showrunners did their best to sneak in as much romance as they could.

"You must live. That is the only divine law for me."

An underrated sleeper hit of 2026, this phenomenal take on Zhan Zhao's story examines morality, justice, loyalty, what we owe to each other, and the worth of human life. All the themes you'd hope to see explored in a drama about Zhan Zhao. Featuring jaw-dropping stunts and wonderful acting from Yang Yang, a talented cast, a dark and intriguing plot, and a trio of main leads you will adore. Each of the three was cast perfectly and they did a great job with their roles.

This drama relies on a previous knowledge of Zhan Zhao's character, as well as his connection to Judge Bao, but if you go in without that, just keep your mind open so you can understand who he is and what he stands for. I saw some comments about how frustrating it was that he didn't seek vengeance, that's not the kind of character he is. In fact, the drama explores this! It's really very good IMO.

Don't let the lack of romance turn you away; actually, the lack of romance is what made me want to watch LOL. The OT3 dynamic between the two MLs and FL is so good. I adored them, and there's no love triangles, just their relationships growing stronger as they go through grief and joy together. Each of them is important to the other, part of each other's personal struggles, and they deeply impact and inspire each other.

A wonderful show all around for wuxia fans and Zhan Zhao fans.

(I think in some ways the lack of closure regarding a certain character in the finale is because it would be beyond the show's scope- Judge Bao would need to be involved, and he doesn't actually show up in the show itself. So it's a compromise between the court drama they couldn't do and the wuxia adventure they were concluding.)