Copyright Screen Rant
K-dramas have become a global phenomenon in recent years, but Netflix has just as many amazing Chinese dramas to stream. K-drama romances have had a meteoric rise to international popularity in the last decade, due in no small part to Netflix acquiring beloved Korean titles for its expansive video library. Seemingly overnight, Korean dramas became incredibly popular in North America. The creation of Netflix original K-dramas helped proliferate the genre, with titles such as Squid Game becoming worldwide hits. However, South Korea isn’t the only country creating memorable dramas each year— in fact, Netflix has also created original Chinese dramas and films to supplement its catalog. Comparatively, C-dramas are incredibly underrated despite typically touching on the same themes as K-dramas. 10 Put Your Head On My Shoulder Roommates Of Convenience Fall In Love Put Your Head On My Shoulder is a classic case of one person falling first and the other falling harder. After Situ Mo (Xing Fei) and Gu Weiyi (Yin Li) begin secretly living together to cut costs, it doesn’t take long for Gu Weiyi to develop a crush on his roommate. For weeks, he subtly tries to woo her. Once Situ Mo realizes her own feelings, the pair become an adorable couple. Put Your Head On My Shoulder is similar to K-dramas that are over before you know it, as the C-drama’s main plot seems to fly by. The secondary couple is hit or miss, but there’s no denying Situ Mo and Gu Weiyi’s relationship is fiercely loyal. 9 A Love So Beautiful This Iconic Drama Inspired A Korean Remake A Love So Beautiful is arguably the blueprint for many tropes in modern Asian dramas. Similar to the abundant K-dramas set in school, A Love So Beautiful follows Chen Xiaoxi (Shen Yue) and Jiang Chen (Hue Yitian) as they grow up and graduate high school— and later college— together, alongside their three closest friends. From the central love triangle to their convoluted post-grad breakup, Chen Xiaoxi and Jiang Chen’s relationship had intense ups and downs throughout A Love So Beautiful. However, Xiaoxi gets her happy ending, as Jiang Chen was her first love and, after a few mishaps, became her forever love. The talented Xiaoxi even immortalizes their love story in a comic. 8 Our Generation A Heartfelt Period Piece Following A Small Friend Group If you enjoy period piece K-dramas, Our Generation’s late 90s/early 00s setting will instantly capture your attention. The main duo, Lin Ying Tao (Zhao Jin Mai) and Jiang Qiao Xi (Zhang Ling He), first meet as children but are torn apart after a sudden move. The pair reconnect when, years later, Ying Tao transfers to Qiao Xi’s high school. The repercussions from real-world events— most notably the 2008 recession—create grounded obstacles for their romance, but Ying Tao refuses to give up and tracks down Qiao Xi in Hong Kong. He finally allows himself to accept happiness and pursue a relationship with Ying Tao, meaning Our Generation’s ending is a hard-earned victory for the central couple. 7 The First Frost Two High School Friends Get A Second Chance At Love The First Frost also features a couple that met when they were young but were separated for years. After Wen Yi Fan (Zhang Ruo Nan) unexpectedly applies to a different college without telling her best friend, Sang Yan (Bai Jing Ting), the two lose contact. Years later, a comedy of errors results in the pair having to share an apartment. Though Sang Yan still loves Wen Yi Fan as much as he did as a teenager, he has to mask his true feelings behind a cold demeanor as a defense mechanism. Once the roommates warm up to one another, a wholesome second-chance romance blooms. The First Frost has tear-jerking K-drama elements, but the main characters fortunately prevail. 6 Use For My Talent Opposites Attract When A Germophobe CEO Meets His Messy Employee There are many workplace romances in K-dramas, but Use For My Talent is a unique spin on the formula. CEO Gu Ren Qi (Jasper Liu) is extremely germophobic, while Shi Shuang Jiao (Shen Yue) is an especially unkempt employee at his cleaning company. The C-drama employs many familiar tropes like enemies-to-lovers, but the cheesiness makes it even more entertaining. Not every drama needs realistic, drama-laden subplots to succeed. Use For My Talent doesn’t try to be anything other than a fanciful romantic comedy, and that’s precisely what makes it such an easy watch. For K-drama or rom-com fans in general, Use For My Talent is a comforting, classic tale of a quirky protagonist falling in love with her boss. 5 Ski Into Love A Manga Artist's Life Takes A Sporty Twist In Ski Into Love, Wei Zhi (Esther Yu) is a creative manga artist who flees to a ski resort after a career-threatening scandal begins circulating. There, she meets skilled professional Shan Chong (Lin Yi), who agrees to teach her how to ski. Quickly, their casual mentorship evolves into something much more romantic. For fans of feel-good K-dramas, Ski Into Love would be a very accessible introduction to C-dramas, as it has classic romance elements but offers something new in the form of its sporty focus. The snowy setting makes for especially cinematic shots, which only bolster Ski Into Love as an immersive Chinese romance. 4 Love Between Fairy and Devil This Fantasy Romance Is Adapted From A Novel After orchid fairy Xiao Lanhua (Yu Shuxin) accidentally frees the demon Dongfang Qingcang (Dylan Wang), the two are cursed with an inexplicable link that causes them to feel everything the other person does, including emotions and injuries. As such, the moon demon has to protect the fairy as they search for a cure. The love story between them plays off of universal themes and classic relationship dynamics, making Love Between Fairy and Devil the perfect starter for fantasy K-drama fans. Furthermore, the unique magical landscape of Love Between Fairy and Devil makes it one of the most visually striking dramas on Netflix. 3 Everyone Loves Me A Perfect Storm Of Hidden Identities Everyone Loves Me is essentially about the romance between Gu Xun (Lin Yi) and Yue Qian Ling (Zhou Ye), but the C-drama takes the path of most resistance to get there. The two were unknowingly online gaming friends, which leads to a complicated web of secret identities. All the while, Gu Xun and Yue Qian Ling become colleagues. Together— alongside an excellent ensemble cast of characters— the two leads realize their dream of creating a Triple-A game. Everyone Loves Me takes K-drama’s love at first sight trope and turns it on its head, causing chaotic misunderstandings but an equally satisfying conclusion for Gu Xun and Yue Qian Ling. 2 Falling Into Your Smile Romance Blooms On A Professional E-Sports Team Falling Into Your Smile creates an unforgettable romance in an unlikely arena: professional E-sports. After Tong Yao (Cheng Xiao) joins ZGDX Gaming under captain Lu Sicheng (Xu Kai), she and her fellow gamers set their sights on an upcoming championship. Along the way, though, she learns the high price of fame. The C-drama tackles real issues like misogyny in online spaces and obsessive parasocial fan behavior, but it has a classic K-drama happy ending for the entire team, not just the central couple. This unique drama has widespread appeal thanks to its highly-stylized editing, well-rounded side characters, and heartwarming romance. 1 When I Fly Towards You One Of The Best Dramas On Netflix Arguably the best sub-genre of K-dramas is coming-of-age stories, which makes When I Fly Towards You a must-watch for fans of Our Beloved Summer, True Beauty, and the Reply series. Though it follows a tight-knit friend group, Su Zai Zai (Zhang Miao Yi) and Zhang Lu Rang’s (Zhou Yi Ran) romance is the heart of When I Fly Towards You.
