Here are several TV dramas from both China and other countries which enjoy high reputations on China’s social media platforms as of early 2018.
If you have the time, maybe you can check them out.
Best TV dramas among Chinese TV viewers in the first quarter of 2018.
1. Peace Hotel
Country: China
Genre: spy and war drama
Starring: Chen Shu and Lei Jiayin
Recommendation Index: ★★★★
The 39-episode TV drama has aroused much attention since its debut on China’s Zhejiang Satellite TV on Jan 25. The story is set in the renowned Peace Hotel in Shanghai in the 1930s.
The drama tells the story of the Japanese occupation of Northeast China in 1935. The civil patriarch Wang Daitou and returned overseas Chinese Dr. Chen Jiaying penetrated the enemy and destroyed the Japanese bacteria laboratory.
The complicated yet rigorous story line, the portrayal of characters and the humorous relationship between the lead roles highlight the drama.
A scene from the TV drama Peace Hotel
2. Black Mirror (Season 4)
Country: United States
Genre: science fiction anthology television series
Starring: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti and Jimmi Simpson
Recommendation Index: ★★★★
The awards-winner TV series Black Mirror returns with season four at the ending of 2017. Without questioning it, the six stand-alone stories that tap into humans’ collective unease with the modern world has once again shown that technology has transformed all aspects of our lives.
The brilliant cast and visual effect make the whole thing a must-see. The creator Charlie Brooker's continues to lead audience to take a look at our wired lives and the dark paths digital technology might lead us.
A scene from the TV drama Black Mirror
3. Misty
Country: South Korea
Genre: career-oriented and detective drama
Starring: Kim Nam-joo and Ji Jin-hee
Recommendation Index: ★★★☆
Undoubtedly, Misty would have a higher reputation among Chinese TV fans this year, if the ending were not so poor according to viewers.
Following the story of Go Hye-ran (Kim Nam-joo), an ambitious television anchor who gets mired in a murder case, and her lawyer husband Kang Tae-wook (Ji Jin-hee), the drama portrays the bittersweet life of the TV host and makes viewers guess at the culprit’s identity every step of the way.
A scene from the TV drama Misty
4. Unnatural
Country: Japan
Genre: medical TV series
Starring: Satomi Ishihara, Arata Iura and Masataka Kubota
Recommendation Index: ★★★★★
Mikoto Misumi, played by Satomi Ishihara, is a pathologist at the Unnatural Death Investigation Lab. She can't stand neglecting unnatural deaths and believes there must be a deeper reason behind them.
Together with her team members, including autopsy doctor Kai Nakado, recorder Rokuro Kube, clinical test technologist Yuko Shoji and UDI director Yasuo Kamikura, they work on unnatural death cases and try to find the truth. The cast has great chemistry and each story never fails to touch viewers’ hearts.
A scene from the TV drama Unnatural
5. Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
Country: China
Genre: historical drama
Starring: Liu Haoran and Huang Xiaoming
Recommendation Index: ★★★★
Nirvana in Fire achieved huge success not only in China, but the whole Asia as a whole. Based on Hai Yan's novel with the same name, it tells the tough journey of Lin Shu who under the alias Mei Changsu, enters the capital of Liang to seek justice for a conspiracy that labeled his family as traitors 12 years before.
As the sequel to Nirvana in Fire, the second part goes further in touching upon the theme of patriotism, and the strongly held Chinese conviction that "the state comes before the family".
A scene from the TV drama Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Country: United States
Genre: period comedy-drama
Starring: Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Zegen and Alex Borstein
Recommendation Index: ★★★★☆
From a normal housewife to the stand-up comedian, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has been known as the western version of The First Half of My Life, a huge popular TV drama in China last year.
By emphasizing the importance of female independence, the series is a heroic fantasy. It has caused heated discussions online and obtained a high rating of 9.4 points on Douban, China's leading film rating platform.
A scene from the TV drama The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Source: By Zhang Xingjian | chinadaily.com.cn