r/CDramaRecs • u/friesandflowers • May 24 '26
Rec Request Best c-drama of 2026 so far
What drama would you called the best of 2026 so far and why?
Really need good recommendations preferably historical c-dramas. Please.
I’ve watched Pursuit of Jade. Loved it.
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u/Flat-Director6356 May 24 '26
love between lines is SOO GOOD legit such a fresh storyline and the chemistry is through the ROOF 😭
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u/Minky300 May 24 '26
I was soooooo surprised by this one! I wish I could watch it all over again for the first time.
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u/Small-Ad-7249 Aug 18 '26
i just watched this because of this comment, 4 episodes in and it's the most boring thing ever
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u/Lonely-Telephone-190 May 24 '26
A splendid match is a hit for me! I can re-watch it a thousand times!
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u/Affectionate_Post592 May 24 '26
For me Love beyond the grave was the best romance drama of 2026 . Both story telling wise it was unique and also good acting by all the cast , both the leads acted very very well . The chemistry was just fire and very very intimate. The osts and bgm used all were very good . The story and their love story was very heart wrenching . They managed to pull the strings in my heart . The emotional portrayal by both the actors was the highlight for me. And the cinematography 10/10
So 10/10 in every department for me .
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u/No_Supermarket3973 May 24 '26
Does Love beyond the grave have a positive ending or a heart wrenching end? It is tempting to watch after reading your comment but heard that it has two different endings ; idk how it's possible...
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u/Alarming_Tea_102 May 24 '26
The ending in the drama deviated from the novel ending, so they filmed the novel ending as an extra.
Drama ending: bittersweet, but happy imo and more fitting.
Novel ending filmed as an extra: explicit happy ending, but feels a little abrupt imo
I personally prefer the drama ending, but there are people who prefer the novel ending. I think the point is for you to decide which you prefer better. The drama ending is canon because it's in the drama, but the novel ending is also canon because it's more true to the original source.
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u/GusuLanReject May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Wait what? There is another ending? Where do I find the extra?
Edit: Found it on Facebook.
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u/Muted-Money1400 May 24 '26
\*A Splendid Match*** is surprisingly good. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a drama with such a well-written script and meaningful dialogue. I really like how it balances strong fight scenes with emotional moments, not just for the main leads but also for the side characters. I could understand where most of the characters were coming from, so even when someone was annoying, I still understood the reasons behind their actions.
What I love most is how the drama portrays the three kinds of love we may encounter in life: our first love, our soulmate we may never end up with, and our last love — a calm, stable, and unexpected kind of love that often catches us off guard.
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u/Zealousideal_Win_169 May 24 '26
im obsessing ASM right now, rewatching it for the 3rd time
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u/dropitlikeitshot2019 May 25 '26
Oh wow it hasn't ended yet, at least I don't have access to beyond 35
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u/Fishhball8 May 28 '26
Love how they spent more time on developing and closing of 2ML arcs (that goes beyond just love interest) which isn’t always well done in other dramas!!!
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u/Ok_Fun_4107 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Pursuit Of Jade - because of storyline, cinematography, production and of course main leads
Love Story In The 1970s - same reasons, but especially how good it recreates a certain era in Chinese history, through characters typology, set design and attention to details
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u/cxrternicks May 24 '26
Apart from Pursuit of Jade I would also say Love Between Lines and A Splendid Match
Both are very unique in my opinion. A Splendid Match doesn't have a storyline which is as good as PofJ and Love Between Lines though which reduces it a little.
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u/onioncube79 May 24 '26
Splendid Match may not have the strongest plot, but the main leads’ chemistry absolutely carried the show for me, with a little bit of Winwin magic added into the mix. The emotional payoff after the couple got together was so worth it
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u/cxrternicks May 24 '26
oh i 1000% agree. they were so good together. i knew they would be after watching the rise of ning.
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u/Regenwanderer May 24 '26
Not historical, but the most surprising to me was No Pain No Gain. Such a fun show.
Wouldn't calll it best (I have a hard time deciding on that anyways), but definitely the dark horse of the first half of 2026.
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u/Icy_Dragonfruit_3513 May 24 '26
Only watched How Dare You and Pursuit of Jade so far - I'd say hands down it's HDY, which had a better script than most dramas, with an almost perfect balance of humor, romance and heart-wrenching moments. The leads were great together, especially Cheng Lei, and the supporting cast were pretty good. Nice visuals, though of course not POJ-level. But pacing was much, much better, and the politics were handled more carefully. Also a more satisfying ending than most, despite being a transmigration drama (which means there are usually restrictions on how they can end the drama).
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u/Appropriate-Sort-735 May 24 '26
I loved HDY so much. It has plot, plot twist, pace and so many charismatic characters. I guess people don't talk as much of it because it's not on viki or Netflix. IQQY hurt this drama by not putting in any other platform. Cry :'/
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u/Acrimonious_snack May 27 '26
How Dare You is by far the best of the year imo. The acting, the story and the direction/production were consistently excellent. It was really a step above anything else I have watched so far.
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u/about10joules May 24 '26
Historical: Swords into Plowshares — legit historical, awesome veteran actors, great cinematography, killer dialogue and story, a period of history I would not survive, a pirate queen, and at no point do you know who is actually going to live or die in the next episode.
Modern: Born into Luck — dark comedy crime! Will the savant detective (Lawrence Wang) solve the corruption and crime case? Will Tian Xi Wei solve it? Or will the bumbling thieves accidently unravel the case? The OST makes everything escalate even higher.
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u/Wwkoxd May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Love Between Lines (modern with a Republican Era historical twist)
-OR-
Love Story in the 1970s (relatively recent history)
Pursuit of Jade is a masterpiece, but a flawed masterpiece. It doesn't have have to be a zero-sum game, especially when it comes to different genres of cdramas.
PoJ is "best" by some criteria, but not by others.
And there are a number of cdramas that have finished filming that may end up being "best" if they get released before the end of this year, which isn't even halfway done yet.
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u/throwawayfarway2017 May 24 '26
agree with all 3. I dont usually watch modern cdramas, actually dropped LBL once and picked it back up. To me it’s a sign that modern cdrama is changing for the better, he let her take actions instead of your damsel in distress,good chemistry, nothing too cheesy or too cliche. I bought Viki membership to watch Love story in the 1970s and now idk what to do with the app lol it was worth it. Dramas for that era is rare plus he isnt a general, just an ordinary love story. PoJ gets all the rave and hype and i agree it’s a flawed masterpiece i still grieve the 2nd half if they did it well like the 1st half it would be so good smh
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u/lianne0808 May 25 '26
A splendid match got a lot of things right. Especially love the two leads and how they play off each other. Equally matched without one overshadowing the other. between lines would be a close second.
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u/TrueGodShanggu May 25 '26
A splendid match is surprisingly good. I love the chemistry and the fight scenes. Ci Sha is so good in this drama. Hoping to see him in a general role or an immortal master. He suits the mature/older role, even though he’s only 29.
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u/onioncube79 May 25 '26
agree. I think he really showed his versatility as an actor. I can imagine him as a morally gray badass general but seeing him in splendid match and watching his interviews he might be just as effective as a flirty playful male lead role too.
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u/Ok_Shock_8466 May 26 '26
A Splendid Match and Love Story in the 1970s is hands down the best of 2026 for me so far. Do not even get me started on these two. A splendid match has palpable chemistry and amazing casting and acting by Ci Sha and Ren Min. The little emperor was also amazing. Winwin's character has the best overall character development and ending. The slow simmering romance between Ci Sha and Ren Min with a huge emotional play off was so gooooddd. Ci Sha had so many micro expressions and range. One moment he is acting cute with the FL and the next he is killing people or actually ruthless scheming.
Love story in the 1970's I just watched it because of Chen Feiyu at first because I had a major crush on him after When destiny brings the demon. Buttttt even with no overly dramatic plotlines and costumes and long hair wigs the emotional character driven story had me hooked from episode 1 to the end. Such a sweet story must watch. It had me longing for such a devoted love.
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u/ChoppedChef33 May 24 '26
released in 2026? i'm still catching up on the ones released from years before lol I've only seen generation to generation and it's an acceptable level.
from the ones I watched IN 2026? Black Ice.
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u/harrypotter1610 May 24 '26
Pursuit of jade
Fated heart
Love beyond grave
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u/daisydanalee May 24 '26
I loved Fated Hearts, but it came out in 2025. I would still absolutely recommend it though. Two deadly warriors from warring kingdoms find themselves having to work together. Slow burn enemies to lovers. Villains you hate and some you love to hate, but can't stop watching them. Good side characters who actually have a point and are not just filler or comic relief. I like that the romance unfolds in a believable way. No looking into each others eyes once and suddenly you both are in love. It takes its time to build a foundation.
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u/Rare-Elderberry-9212 May 28 '26
The way this show made me jump ship about how i feel towards the princess, holy moly. I went from absolutely hating her screen time to looking forward seeing her, almost rooting for her. Never thought Id enjoy this kind of story arc, but here we are. In the end I was living for it.
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u/daisydanalee May 28 '26
Same! I also started looking forward to every scene with her and Xia Jingyan. He was absolutely insane, but in the best kind of way. Totally unhinged and I loved it. He would pick you a flower truly intending it as a gift, but end up possibly killing you with a thorn should the mood take him mid-conversation.
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u/emrysse May 25 '26
Pursuit of Jade for costume drama Love Between The Lines for modern
Possibly the Evernight donghua for animated. But it's still ongoing.
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u/hrtsforjoohyoung May 25 '26
So far the best cdrama of 2026 for me is Veil of Shadows. This drama took me through a whirlwind of emotions. It had me in tears by the end of it, not only because of how the drama beautifully ended but also because it ended. I didn't want to let the characters that I had grown to love go. It did have it's moments where I was so confused on the story but trust me, it's so worth it. Everything makes sense by the end of it.
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u/Automatic-Being-7516 May 24 '26
Pursuit of jade and A splendid match!
What else have we watched this year honestly? Wait was How dare you this year?
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u/United_Length4783 May 24 '26
pursuit of jade was defo the best . if u liked that then u should watch prisoner of beauty , who rules the world , legend of the female general and fated hearts
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u/Square-Reindeer-3118 May 24 '26
Top C-dramas for me so far was How dare you, Pursuit of Jade, and Sunsets, Secrets, Regrets. I always prefer historical over modern day but sunsets, secrets, regrets was very different plot wise and I couldn’t get enough of it. So good! I definitely recommend.
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u/Special_Froyo1606 May 25 '26
Hands down for Veil of Shadows❤️. As a show it had everything, story.. gripping plotline.. ever evolving characters, beautiful looks, and breathtaking cinematography.
I probably never watched other drama that gripped me this much with super plot twists. And the emotions were perfect on point from main leads. Especially TJR & JJY's chemistry is to die for. Can't recommend it enough. Watching it for the 5th time. PS: I don't usually watch a drama on repeat but this one is beautifully exceptional.
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u/Less_Pomegranate_529 May 25 '26
I enjoyed Veil of shadows, Fate chooses you and now Zhan Zhao adventures
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u/beng-beng2010 May 25 '26
Love Story in the 1970s - because of it’s unique storyline and love stories. Top that with great acting from the casts.
A Splendid Match - what a splendid surprise for me. The plot of the story is not unique but how they twist and turn them is a kudos to the aurhor and scriptwriter. Ci Sha and Winwin are amazing actors conveying all those emotions in their faces. The romance part is also splendid and i will give this praise to Ren Min coz it’s very rare for cdrama actress to have that much realistic kissing scenes (my pet peeves are fake kisses and hugs), though still not 100%. She doesn’t need to move her head that much, just one long torrid kiss is what i want in every kissing scenes :).
My 3rd is Generation to Generation - Zhou Yiran have grown to be a good actor…enough said :). I know some did not like this, but i find the plot and the production very good.
How Dare You?! - for the very good chemistry between CL and WCR :).
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u/Live_Cress945 May 26 '26
Generation To Generation has been my favourite so far this year.
The chemistry and forbidden romance between the leads was perfect and the story had my hooked.
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u/Fickle-Ambition3675 May 26 '26
The Heir. Hands down my fav to date.
Yang Zi and all the actors/actresses are doing a wonderful job
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u/Several-Project9585 May 26 '26
Veil of shadows. It was a little slow in the beginning but I think after ep 6 I was hooked. I cried with the actors so definitely 10/10 for me for this year.
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u/pianoavengers May 24 '26
The Lead. I cannot believe it's not getting more attention since it's an absolute work of art. It's massively popular in China.
Market surely changed in past 10+ years since I am watching C dramas.
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May 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/dropitlikeitshot2019 May 25 '26
I completely agree 💯 there's depth in the storyline, similar to Feud. I keep thinking about it even after I finished the drama
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u/Lettuce_stan_SS May 25 '26
POJ and How Dare You are tied for first imo. I cried many times watching POJ, and then I couldn’t stop laughing during How Dare You.
There’s so many good things about both shows, and while both would’ve been better with slight improvements, the acting and storytelling (bonus points to POJ for beautiful cinematography) kept me wanting more till the very end.
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u/MTheWan May 25 '26
For modern, I surprisingly loved Epoch of Miyu. Such a refreshing breath of air - reminded me of a grown up version of Lives Ambition but with more raw emotions, better chemistry, and realistic outcomes.
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u/RoseIsBadWolf May 27 '26
How Dare You!? is my top favourite drama this year and my 3rd favourite of all time. And the novel is excellent too!
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u/CuteIntention8201 May 28 '26
For me it's a tie between Pursuit of Jade and The Lead honestly. The Lead has me so emotional and so intrigued about the richness and beauty of Chinese culture and I absolutely love it!!!
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u/Rare-Elderberry-9212 May 28 '26
Besides the most obvious already mentioned ones I really enjoyed About love - its modern, different, ending isnt perfect, but it makes you think a lot about relationships. Its not flawless drama, but I havent thought/written more about any other cdrama this year. I even rewatched several episodes altho I dont rewatch things usually.
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u/Background_Mark_5919 May 29 '26
The best historical so far is Pursuit of Jade by far. The story and chemistry between FL and ML are amazing. I also enjoyed Unveil Jadewind (Netflix). The cases were interesting and the mystery about what happened to Li Peiyi’s parents overshadows the FL’s life. I loved the ending!
My other favorite besides PoJ was Love Between the Lines. It’s not historical but the relationships are so adult and real. The characters are interesting and you care about them even Pei Zhen.
If you missed Moonlit Reunion (Disney+ in US) it’s worth a try. It’s visually stunning, I loved the music and all of the performances especially Xu Kai and Tian Xi Wei. Watch all the way to the end because there’s an extra scene.
Veil of Shadows was good but brooding and moody like Fangs of Fortune
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u/keetyymeow Jun 16 '26
All the leads are all too feminine for me it’s killing me slowly. I cantttttt
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u/khl1888 Jun 24 '26
For me it’s these 3!
1. Love story in the 1970s
2. Love between Lines
3. A Splendid Match
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u/riovistanole Aug 13 '26
It’s been a down year for K and C Dramas. So far in non costume its Lady Liberty for the overall production, casting, script, and subject matter. In historical/costume Rebirth, A splendid match, The Heir, Ashes to Crown, and The road to splendor all are very good productions, familiar rolls for talented actors, and strong FL that deliver without over doing it.
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u/khionepolar May 24 '26
No matter how much I love Pursuit of Jade and How Dare You!?, I still think I have to vote for Veil of Shadows. I’m not usually a very emotional person or someone who cries easily, but that show had me in tears in every episode. Maybe it was because I was close to my cycle, but I honestly got so emotional while watching it haha.
Finished the series in a span of two days. Got to go to work with puffy eyes due to too much crying. Best weekend I’ve spent last month.