Modern C-dramas w/sci fi, fantasy, ACG, or related elements

I can't get too into mundane contemporary dramas, but I'm working on improving my Chinese and it's probably best to occasionally watch something that isn't a costume drama. This list is just getting started but will include Chinese-language drama series that include elements related to science fiction, fantasy, animation, gaming, comics, writing, and so on. I haven't watched most of them yet, so it's just a list, not a list of recommendations. NO guarantees as to quality!

I haven't yet added them all but the X Family/KO One series qualifies too; ditto for the Lost Tomb/DMBJ etc. series.

Warning: some of these may have only automatically generated subtitles. (None of the series I write my own comments have auto subs though.)

wintersweet May 4, 2025

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1. 19th Floor

Chinese Drama - 2024, 30 episodes
2. Adventure behind the Bronze Door

Chinese Drama - 2024, 32 episodes

DMBJ
3. Bureau of Transformer

Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
4. Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns

Chinese Drama - 2020, 18 episodes

Not DMBJ; this is from a series by a different author that preceded and inspired the DMBJ books (if I understand correctly)
5. Connecting to You

Taiwanese Drama - 0000, 13 episodes
6. Cross Fire

Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes
7. Derailment

Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes
8. Fairyland Lovers

Chinese Drama - 2020, 35 episodes
9. Falling into Your Smile

Chinese Drama - 2021, 31 episodes

6.5

Esports romance, no sf or fantasy elements
10. Fell upon Me

Chinese Drama - 2025, 22 episodes
11. Ferryman

Chinese Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
12. Ferryman 2

Chinese Drama - 2015, 20 episodes
13. Ferryman 3

Chinese Drama - 2016, 13 episodes
14. Filter

Chinese Drama - 2025, 32 episodes

Very popular and highly recommended by others (I haven't seen it yet)
15. Gank Your Heart

Chinese Drama - 2019, 35 episodes
16. Guardian

Chinese Drama - 2018, 40 episodes

8.0

Extremely changed from its source material due to censorship, and very clearly short on budget, but the casting is GREAT and overcomes the choppy editing and unfortunate story changes.
17. Heartbeat Love

Chinese Drama - 2021, 28 episodes
18. Hikaru no Go

Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes
19. I Am Nobody

Chinese Drama - 2023, 27 episodes

8.0

Seems like a goofy superpowers show with a cringey protagonist, but trust me, it's much weirder (complimentary) than that. Hou Minghao has a fun role. No canon romance.
20. I Am Nobody: The Showdown Between Yin & Yang

Chinese Drama - 2025, 13 episodes

Sequel, watch the other one first
21. Justice in the Dark

Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes

The novel did not have sf elements but the series does. Recently aired in Japan, so there's hope for an official release (and it can be found...in places). Compelling acting.
22. Long for You

Chinese Drama - 2017, 20 episodes
23. Long for You Season 2

Chinese Drama - 2018, 24 episodes
24. Love in Time

Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
25. Love on the Turquoise Land

Chinese Drama - 2025, 32 episodes
26. Make a Wish

Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
27. Meet Me @ 1006

Taiwanese Drama - 2018, 26 episodes
28. Moonshine and Valentine

Chinese Drama - 2018, 25 episodes
29. Mr. Bad

Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
30. My Deepest Dream

Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes
31. My Girlfriend Is an Alien

Chinese Drama - 2019, 28 episodes
32. Night of Love with You

Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
33. Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

Taiwanese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

8.5

Taiwanese paranormal; highly recommended. A mix of funny and poignant (CW for abuse, death, etc.)
34. Parallel World

Chinese Drama - 2023, 38 episodes
35. Present, Is Present

Chinese Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
36. Rattan

Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes
37. Reset

Chinese Drama - 2022, 15 episodes

Time loop
38. Reunion: The Sound of the Providence

Chinese Drama - 2020, 32 episodes

DMBJ
39. Reunion: The Sound of the Providence Season 2

Chinese Drama - 2020, 30 episodes

DMBJ
40. San Xian Mi Hui

Chinese Drama - 0000, 24 episodes
41. Spiritpact

Chinese Movie - 2018
42. The Bionic Life

Chinese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
43. The Comic Bang

Chinese Drama - 2025, 33 episodes
44. The Company

Chinese Drama - 2025, 30 episodes
45. The Devil Punisher

Taiwanese Drama - 2020, 20 episodes
46. The Fairy Fox

Chinese Drama - 2017, 23 episodes
47. The Ferryman: Legends of Nanyang

Singaporean Drama - 2021, 36 episodes
48. The King’s Avatar

Chinese Drama - 2019, 40 episodes

7.5

Entertaining enough story about pro gamers. There are a million characters but they're all interesting and well-cast. No canon romance.
49. The Legend of the Monster

Chinese Drama - 2016, 20 episodes
50. The Lost Tomb

Chinese Drama - 2015, 10 episodes

6.5

DMBJ
51. The Lost Tomb 2

Chinese Drama - 2019, 40 episodes

6.5

DMBJ
52. The Next Stop W

Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
53. The Player

Chinese Drama - 2021, 20 episodes
54. The Promise of the Soul

Taiwanese Drama - 2025, 12 episodes
55. The Seven Relics of Ill Omen

Chinese Drama - 2025, 32 episodes

Another supernatural novel turned into "aliens"
56. The Spirealm

Chinese Drama - 2024, 78 episodes

I've only read the novel, but putting a caution in here for horror elements anyway.
57. Time Raiders

Chinese Drama - 2025, 18 episodes

A new intro to the tomb-raiding adventure series DMBJ's main timeline. 18 eps/1 season are out now, with more to come...at some point. Overall more coherent than The Lost Tomb (which is using the same source material) and probably a better introduction to the series. Cast seems good.
NOTE 1: Some people consider the DMBJ novels and dramas to be horror, what with all the mobile corpse and murder trees and hand clams. It doesn't hit horror notes for me, a known horror wimp, but YMMV.
NOTE 2: Not to be confused with Time Raiders, the movie (which is *also* an attempt to start the DMBJ story, sort of, and is best watched with popcorn).
58. Tomb of the Sea

Chinese Drama - 2018, 52 episodes

DMBJ
59. Twelve Letters

Chinese Drama - 2025, 12 episodes
60. Ultimate Note

Chinese Drama - 2020, 37 episodes

7.5

DMBJ: Sort of nonsensical tomb-raiding shenanigans, but it's a fairly entertaining ride. Good cast in this one.
61. Wisher

Chinese Drama - 2021, 12 episodes
62. You Are My Glory

Chinese Drama - 2021, 32 episodes