Recommended Underdogs

Dramas that haven’t got the highest scores here, have aired quite some time ago or wouldn’t be my usual go to drama, but that seem really compelling/other people’s arguments convince me that they’re worth watching.

Ling Jan 2, 2025

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1. Novoland: The Castle in the Sky

Chinese Drama - 2016, 28 episodes

only for Zhang Ruoyun, he’s supposedly very intense & great acting as usual + he’s not in enough romance or fantasy dramas
2. War of Faith

Chinese Drama - 2024, 38 episodes

10

Wang Yibo and lots of great other actors (Li Qin + Wang Yang from Joy of Life)
Not my usual genre at all, but overall sounds like a very thrilling espionage drama.
3. The Ingenious One

Chinese Drama - 2023, 36 episodes

The scene where he has his hands up like a child waiting for her to pick him up lives rent free in my head
4. Oh My General

Chinese Drama - 2017, 60 episodes

Wife goes after the concubines & becomes friends and they then scheme for her to fall for the husband and vice versa!
5. Justice in the Dark

Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes

BL Thriller!? Based on 默读 -> read novel first or alongside the drama; confirmed to be released in Japan
6. My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

Chinese Drama - 2017, 16 episodes

“intelligent comedy”
“gets away way borderline gay and trans representation in a country where queerness is pretty censored.”
polyamory tag??
7. Sparrow

Chinese Drama - 2016, 61 episodes

Comment about ZRY in this drama: "his style; extremely manly, if you don't like spy dramas, just hang there till 6 th episode"; "so charismatic"; "his acting is superb"
8. Missing

Chinese Drama - 0000, 16 episodes

Really interesting synopsis - mystery about why a daughter went missing all those years ago + it’s Liu Yijun in the main role
9. Dashing Youth

Chinese Drama - 2024, 40 episodes

Hou Minghao as ML, comment said that it’s like the ancient version of I Am Nobody which I absolutely love
10. The Little Fairy

Chinese Drama - 2006, 39 episodes

Hu Ge as the ML; "one of the tightest scripts I've ever seen"
11. Hero

Chinese Movie - 2002

said to have a great performance of Chen Daoming
12. The Epoch of Miyu

Chinese Drama - 0000

great actors
13. The Garden of Missing Paths

Chinese Drama - 0000, 12 episodes
14. Playing Go

Chinese Drama - 2025, 22 episodes
15. Riverside Code at Qingming Festival

Chinese Drama - 2024, 26 episodes
16. De Xian Jin Zhi

Chinese Movie - 2025

Starring Xiao Zhan and Peng Yuchang!
17. A Moment but Forever

Chinese Drama - 2025, 36 episodes

Avenue x 3 Goldmine

« Xianxia is a pretty slim list because xianxia these days is what the Chinese call "baobao xianxia" - baby xianxia, lacking the original spirit and themes of the genre and is all about grand romances. A Moment But Forever is probably the only xianxia I can say that legitimately comes close to portraying the genre authentically. »
18. Star of Tomorrow: The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea

Chinese Drama - 2018, 10 episodes

Xianxia is a pretty slim list because xianxia these days is what the Chinese call "baobao xianxia" - baby xianxia, lacking the original spirit and themes of the genre and is all about grand romances. A Moment But Forever is probably the only xianxia I can say that legitimately comes close to portraying the genre authentically. My ultimate fav is the old Cdrama "The eight Immortals cross the sea".