Costume dramas like Joy of Life Season 2, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II: To the West, The Legend Of Shen Li and The Double were among the most popular dramas in 2024 so far.
Among the three major streaming platforms online, Tencent and Youku seemed to dominate the costume genre this year. While iQIYI lagged slightly behind, it still delivered a hit with Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II: To the West, which earned the highest rating for a costume drama on Douban in 2024.
So, Curious to know which historical Chinese dramas were the most popular or watched by viewers in 2024? As of August 2024, these are the top-rated dramas.
The Double
Episodes: 40
Genre: Historical, Romance
Starring: Wu Jinyan, Wang Xingyue
Broadcast Details: June, 2024
Douban Ratings: 6.6 rated by over 148K users
“The Double” tells the story of a revenge-romance theme where the female lead, Xue Fang Fei, is framed and betrayed, ultimately being killed by her own husband. Surprisingly, the heroine takes on the identity of her savior, Jiang Li, who had been abandoned in the cold mountains for over ten years. With this new life and identity, she embarks on a journey to seek justice for Jiang Li and avenge herself.
The story is gripping, intense, and fast-paced. The chemistry between Wu Jinyan and Wang Xingyue is top-notch. If you’re a fan of this genre, you should add this to your watch list. “The Double” is a certified hit drama on Youku in 2024. You can watch it on Youku, Netlix, VIki and Youtube.
The Legend Of Shen Li
Episodes: 39
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Starring: Zhao Liying, Lin Gengxin
Broadcast Details: March 2024
Original Platform: Tencent Video
Douban Ratings: 7.2 rated by over 290K users
Princess Agents left the viewers in cliffhanger (not sure if we’ll get season 2), so one might find solace in The Legend of Shen Li. The drama reunites the beloved duo of Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin!
The Legend Of Shen Li follows the story of Shen Li, a Demon Phoenix played by Zhao Liying, who tries to escape an arranged marriage. During her escape, she’s badly injured and loses her energy, forcing her to transform into her true phoenix form. Lost and weakened, she ends up in the mortal realm. Mistaken for a chicken by a vendor, she’s fortunately rescued by a kind mortal who brings her home. This chance encounter sparks a life-altering entanglement between the two.
Despite its high quality production, it took me at least 12 episodes to get invested in the drama because the pacing in the beginning is quite slow, and the story felt relatively simple. Though comedy in the first two episodes were truly engaging.
Find ‘The Legend Of Shen Li’ on Tencent Video, We TV, Mango TV, Viki and Youtube.
Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West
- Episodes: 40
- Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Action
- Starring: Yang Xu Wen, Yang Zhi Gang, Gao Si Wen
- Broadcast Details: July 2024
- Douban Ratings: 8.6 rated by over 180K users
In 2024, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II: To the West is the highest-rated costume drama on Douban so far. This series is particularly appealing those viewers who enjoy detective, thrilling mystery, and martial arts shows.
As the title suggests, the show is set during the Tang Dynasty, where the two main protagonists, Lu Ling Feng (Deputy Minister of the Grand Court of Justice) and Su Wu Ming (Registrar of Qianling), encounter a series of mysterious cases. Despite the apparent prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, hidden dangers and brewing storms lurk beneath the surface.
If you haven’t watched the first season, ‘Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty’ released in 2022 , then I recommend watching it first. You can watch it on iQIYI.
Joy Of Life Season 2
Episodes: 36
Genre: Historical, Fantasy, Wuxia, Comedy
Starring: Zhang Ruoyun, Li Qin, Wu Gang, Chen Dao Ming
Broadcast Details: May 2024
Original Platform: Tencent Video
Douban Ratings: 7.3 rated by over 318K users
Joy of Life Season 2 picks up exactly where Season 1 left off. The second season explores Fan Xian’s growth, survival, marriage to Lin Waner, and head-on confrontations with his enemies, including the Second Prince (Li Chengze).
The drama shattered records so far. Within the first hour of its release, it exceeded a 30,000 Heat Index on Tencent Video, eventually breaking 34,000 and becoming the Top Drama on every broadcasting platform to ever reach such a high number. Audiences are excited to see which future drama will break this record.
While Season 2 is as exciting and intriguing as Season 1, the pacing is quite inconsistent, at least for the first 15 episodes. However, there’s still plenty of comedy to enjoy.
Well, you can’t enjoy or understand this if you haven’t watched its first season yet. The show is available on Disney+, Viki, and We TV.
Are You The One
- Episodes: 40
- Genre: Historical, Romance
- Starring: Zhang Wanyi, Wang Churan
- Broadcast Details: Aug 2024
- Douban Ratings: 7.9 rated by over 48K users
Are You The One follows the story of two highly skilled and smart individuals from different regions who considered each other as enemies before meeting/knowing. Cui Xingzhou, the ruthless and efficient Lord of Huaiyang, is a minister from the royal court.
Meanwhile, Liu Mian Tang is a cold and badass leader of Mount Yang. Unfortunately, one day Liu Mian Tang is severely injured and loses her memory after severe attack. She is then rescued by Cui Xingzhou, who mistakenly believes her to be the concubine of his archenemy, Lu Wen.
taking advantage of her amnesia, Cui Xingzhou pretends to be her husband in order to catch Lu Wen off guard. However, what he did not expect was that he would eventually fall for Liu Mian Tang in this process.
Despite their deceptive start, the two main characters develop a strong relationship over time. Zhang Wanyi and Wang Churan and their mature, sweet and fluffy dynamic is highlight of the show. This is another one of the top-rated dramas on Douban in 2024 with a score of 7.9. Audiences can stream ‘Are You The One’ on Viki and We TV.
Blossoms In Adversity
- Episodes: 40
- Genre: Historical, Business, Romance
- Starring: Zhang Jingyi, Hu Yitian
- Broadcast Details: April 2024
- Douban Ratings: 7.3 rated by over 57K users
This is a story of women empowerment, business, and family. The drama is well-received in mainland China for its unique storytelling and plotline.
Blossoms In Adversity is a story about a young woman named Hua Zhi (played by Zhang Jingyi), the eldest daughter of the Hua family. When the family falls from grace, the male members are forced to leave the city and live in exile, while the female members are left with nothing as their property is confiscated. To protect her family from danger and hunger, Hua Zhi takes a bold step and leads them through this difficult time. During this period, she also encounters Gu Yan Xi (played by Hu Yitian), an unassuming man with a hidden identity.
You can watch it on Youku, Viki, and Youtube.
Heroes
- Episodes: 36
- Genre: Mystery, Action, Adventure
- Starring: Qin Jun Jie, Liu Yuning, Pang Han Chen, Maggie Huang
- Broadcast Details: May 2024
- Douban Ratings: 8.5 rated by over 49K users
If you’re a fan of martial arts shows, then ‘Heroes’ might be the perfect choice for you. While there are multiple C-Dramas with the same title, but here we are talking about the one that premiered in 2024. Following ‘Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II: To the West,’ this is another drama with a very high rating on Douban this year. The production was highly praised for its rich historical and cultural texture.
Set in the late Qing Dynasty, a pivotal time in modern Chinese history, the story follows a group of individuals from different backgrounds who are unexpectedly drawn into a mysterious treasure-hunting journey.
You can watch it on Youtube.
Lost You Forever Season 2
- Episodes: 23
- Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy
- Starring: Yang Zi, Zhang Wanyi, Deng Wei, Wang Hongyi and special starring Tan Jianci
- Broadcast Details: July 2024
- Douban Ratings: 5.9 rated by over 90K users
Lost You Forever Season 2″ continues the story from the first season. After becoming King, Cang Xuan reunites Dahuang.
While Season 1 was quite faithful to its original source material, Season 2 strays away from that part. Mostly Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu’s parts remained quite intact (not 100%, but to some extent compared to other characters), but for others, it was not the same. They modified the plot points significantly, causing heated discussions among viewers during its run. The pacing was uneven, especially in the last few episodes, where it felt too rushed. The editing, including CGI, was not as good as in Season 1, and the budget for the drama seemed limited. Though the casting performance remains top-notch, Part 2 might not be as good as Part 1, but it’s still worth watching!
Audiences can watch it on We TV and Viki.
In Blossom
- Episodes: 32
- Genre: Romance, Thriller, Fantasy, Mystery
- Starring: Ju Jingyi, Liu Xueyi
- Broadcast Details: March 2024
- Douban Ratings: 5.2 rated by over 99K users
‘In Blossom‘: Pan Yue and Yang Cai Wei were childhood sweethearts who were separated. Years later, their paths crossed again. While Pan Yue had become admired by all, Cai Wei was despised. Remembering their childhood promise, Pan Yue married Cai Wei, but on their wedding night, she was mysteriously murdered. Suspicion naturally fell on Pan Yue. However, Cai Wei returned, reborn as Shangguan Zhi, a woman infamous in the city for her wickedness.
This is another supernatual theme drama set in the historical backdrop where the female lead’s body gets swapped with villaous woman Shangguan Zhi.
Where to watch: Youtube
Dashing Youth
- Episodes: 40
- Genre: Fantasy, Wuxia
- Starring: Neo Hou, He Yu, Hu Lian Xin
- Broadcast Details: July 2024
- Douban Ratings: 6 rated by over 31K users
“Dashing Youth” is the prequel to the 2023 hit martial arts drama “The Blood of Youth.” If you haven’t watched the sequel yet, it’s a good idea to start with “Dashing Youth” to get the full story.
It’s a youthful coming-of-age story about friendship, youth, and adventure. Baili Dongjun and Ye Yun are two martial arts prodigies from Beili who were best friends since childhood. While Dongjun enjoys a privileged life, Ye Yun’s path is fraught with challenges and betrayals. Their once-close bond is weakened as they grow apart due to their differing circumstances.
Find ‘Dashing Youth’ on Youtube, Youku and Viki.
The Princess Royal
- Episodes: 40
- Genre: Romance, Mystery, Fantasy
- Starring: Zhang Linghe, Zhao Jinmai
- Broadcast Details: June 2024
- Douban Ratings: 62. rated by over 61K users
‘The Princess Royal” is a drama about redemption and self-discovery. After killing each other, the two leads wake up back in time 20 years, where they must resolve their past misunderstandings and learn new sides of themselves.
You can watch it on Viki, Netlix and Youku.
Follow Your Heart
- Episodes: 40
- Genre: Romance, Mystery, Supernatural
- Starring: Luo Yunxi, Song Yi, Sebrina Chen, Cheng Lei, Huang Riying
- Broadcast Details: June 2024
- Douban Ratings: 5.9 rated by over 30K users
This tells the story of Head Constable Jiang Xin Bai, who suffers from face blindness, and the wandering female doctor Yan Nan Xing, who has the unusual condition of changing appearance every month. While on a mission, Jiang Xin Bai encounters Yan Nan Xing, and despite their attempts to avoid each other, they keep crossing paths, ultimately leading to a blossoming romance.
This is a sweet and fluffy costume drama with minimal emotionally heavy scenes. You can watch it on Youtube.
Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact
- Episodes: 36
- Genre: Romance, Fantasy
- Starring: Yang Mi, Gong Jun, Crysy Guo, Wei Zheming
- Broadcast Details: May 2024
- Douban Ratings: 5.3 rated by over 103K users
Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact tells the story of Fox Queen Tushan Honghong from the spirit realm and the boy Dong Fang Yue Chu from a powerful human bloodline. The drama is available on iQIYI.
Love’s Rebellion
- Episodes: 36
- Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery
- Starring: Jing Tian, Zhang Linghe
- Broadcast Details: July 2024
- Douban Ratings: 6.4 rated by over 19K users
So, Love’s Rebellion is a captivating tale of fate, friendship, and romance. Nan Yan, a skilled alchemist, encounters Ji Yang, the wrongfully accused monarch, under life threatening situation. Their chance meeting leads to a mutual rescue and a budding relationship. As they navigate misunderstandings and face shared challenges, a strong bond forms between them. Simply, the story explores themes of destiny, love, and the power of friendship.
I would recommend this drama to new C-drama fans who enjoy watching fantasy costume dramas, especially those into the romance genre. However, if you’ve been chasing fairy tale dramas for years, you might find Love’s Rebellion falls short of your expectations. the predictable plotline and overused tropes play a significant role in this. I often found myself fast-forwarding or skipping parts of the drama.
