2020 Mainland Chinese Dramas

Once again, I am back with a list of all the 2020 Mainland Chinese Dramas that I have watched. If you are interested in my past lists, please refer to the links below. Also, this post will constantly be updated so be sure to check back in every once in a while!

2015/2016/2017/2018/2019

Well Intended Love 2


Episodes:
Synopsis:
Xia Lin (Wang Shuang) is an up-and-coming actress who is intertwined in a scandal with Lin Yi Zhou, the president of Ling Group, a multinational corporation that controls the economic lifeline of Guangdong. In order to settle this career crisis, the two enter a contract marriage.

Comments:
The characters from season 1 meet again in an alternate universe. Both seasons have the same basic plot, so do not watch if you want a continuation of season 1. Treat this as an upgraded version of season 1. This season, the production crew has a larger budget, so the sets and scenes are of higher quality. The cute romantic scenes that everyone fell in love with in season 1 is also upgraded here.

 Trailer:

IPartment 5


Episodes: 36
Synopsis:
IPartment is finally back with an all new season. IPartment is a sitcom focusing on a group of friends/neighbors that live in an apartment called IPartment. In this season, some of the old cast members have gotten married, some have left the apartment to move on with their lives, and new residents have moved in. A new story detailing their lives begins.

Hu Yi Fei (Lou Yi Xiao) and Zeng Xiao Xian (Chen He) are now married but before they are even past the honeymoon phase, Zeng Xiao Xian has to move out of the country for his job as a radio host. Chen Mei Jia (Li Jin Ming) and Lu Zi Qiao (Sun Yi Zhou) are now married and are expecting a baby. Guan Gu Shen Qi (Wang Chuan Jun) and Tang You You (Deng Jia Jia) are in Japan about to get married. Zhang Wei (Li Jia Hang) opens a new law firm. He now has a girlfriend named Zhuge Da Li (Cheng Guo) and an assistant named Ga Li Jiang or Curry Sauce (Wan Zi Lin). Zhang Wei also has a love rival named Zhao Hai Tang (Zhang Yi Duo).

Comments:
Even before its release, this drama has been in the public's spotlight. Six years later, the new, long-awaited season is finally back. As one of the most popular Chinese comedy sitcoms, this sitcom has a huge following. However, not all the news about this sitcom was positive. One of the main complaints is the change in cast members. Half of the original cast is now gone and three new cast members have been added. Though I was also skeptical of this as well, to be honest, it did not bother me that much. In previous seasons there were many cast line up changes. Literally every season, at least one original cast member leaves and a new cast member joins. This is nothing new. I do not see why the public is complaining so much. Another reason for negative comments is due to the change in screenwriter. The screenwriter for four seasons is now changed. This new screenwriter added lots of musical aspects to the drama.

After watching a couple episodes, here are my thoughts about these new changes. In terms of the new characters, I am a bit sad that Zeng Xiao Xian has barely any scenes. He was one of my favorite characters. In terms of the new cast, I like Zhuge Da Li and Ga Li Jiang. They are pretty loveable characters. Zhao Hai Tang, on the other hand, is soooooo annoying. All he does is chase after Zhuge Da Li, complain, and sings. He performs a majority of these musicals.

In terms of the change in screenwriter, I think that overall the plot is not too bad. I will say there is a lot less humor compared to previous seasons, which is pretty bad for a comedy sitcom. If you watch it as a family drama and have lower standards for comedy, this drama could suffice. However, the musicals in this drama are way too excessive.

Trailer:

Skate Into Love

Episodes: 40

Synopsis:

Growing up, Li Yu Bing (Zhang Xin Cheng) was constantly bullied by his shoulder partner, Tang Xue (Wu Qian). Years later in college, the tables have turned. Li Yu Bing is now the "Ice God" aka star hockey player at their school while Tang Xue is just your average pre-vet student. To make things worse, Tang Xue is now Li Yu Bing's personal assistant, and Li Yu Bing is taking full advantage of this opportunity to get back at Tang Xue for all those years of bullying. However, as they spend more time together, Li Yu Bing sees the good in Tang Xue and even helps her regain her passion for speed skating. 

Comments:

I have great expectations for this drama. Only 5 episodes are out at the moment and I cannot wait for more. The leads are super cute with great acting. I especially love Tang Xue's character. She is tough, charismatic, loyal, funny, determined, cute, etc. Li Yu Bing as of now is kind of a brat to Tang Xue but he has his moments of redemption. Short, funny flashbacks of Tang Xue bullying him during their childhood also helps us understand his hate for her. I also love Tang Xue's two besties. They are super funny and two amazing wingman and wingwoman. They also have a cute love line of their own. I also love the way they shoot the scenes on ice. Super pretty and a bit dramatic but in a good way. 

Trailer:

My Roommate is a Detective

Episodes: 36

Synopsis:

During the Republican era, a crime-solving trio upholds justice in Shanghai. Lu Yao (Hu Yi Tian) was a stockbroker until he lost his job after being involved in a case. After realizing his strong investigative skills and knowledge in medicine, he is recruited and hired by Chief Inspector Qiao Chu Sheng (Zhang Yun Long) to work on cases for the police. Qiao's childhood friend, Bai You Ning (Xiao Yan) is a female reporter with a strong sense of justice and curiosity. 

Comments:

Nice, quick drama to watch because each case is only 1-2 episodes long. The cases are all a bit particular. For example, in the first case, a businessman is killed in a bathroom and his underlings swear they saw that he had been stabbed by a mirror. This makes the cases very interesting and the truth to be very unexpected. I try to solve the case with the trio but sadly my IQ is not as high as them. 

In terms of the acting, I want to compliment Hu Yi Tian. In previous dramas, namely A Love So Beautiful, some people complained that his acting was too stiff and robotic. I agree, he was a bit robotic. This drama is a complete 180. He plays a mischievous, money-loving, narcissistic private detective. His acting here is very natural. His interaction with Qiao is soooo cute. The cutest bromance that I have seen in a while. Qiao is the opposite of Lu Yao. Qiao is formal and mature. Their contrast just makes their bromance cuter. As for the last member of the trio, I have nothing against her except her makeup. It makes her look ill. I wish she would have less makeup because she's actually really pretty. Also, the dynamic of the three is also super cute and fun to watch. As of episode 4, Lu Yao dislikes and constantly bickers with Bai who constantly bothers him for news to report on. Lu Yao and Qiao have a cute, blossoming bromance. Qiao takes care of Bai. 

The costumes in this are so pretty. Lu Yao's outfits and Qiao's uniforms are so pretty and they look AMAZING in them. 

One con that I have noticed is the dubbing. During this time, there are many foreigners in China. They do legal business and shady business in China and reap huge profits by benefiting off of the Chinese people. There's lots of dubbing of their voices which kinda throws me off because the sound sounds weird and does not sync with the movement of the mouth. Lu Yao is a Cambridge University graduate so he also "speaks" English in the drama; however, it is so obviously dubbed and it bothers me. 

Trailer:

Only two episodes are out so far but I have a feeling this drama will be a hit.

楼下能女友请签收 or Girlfriend

Episodes: 36

Synopsis:

Wen Xiao Nuan (Xu Hao) is an extra that gets hired to pretend that she has a crush on hot CEO Ye Fei Mo (Wang Guan Yi).

Comments:

As I said, only two episodes are out but I have a gut feeling that this drama will be a hit. Mainly because the male lead is so hot and good looking. The actor that plays the male lead is Wang Guan Yi. Some might recognize him from Story of Yanxi Palace for his role as Hai Lan Cha. This is my first time seeing him in a modern-day drama and oh my god what have I been missing out on! He is so handsome. He is also pretty muscular. His acting is also more natural than many actors who portray cold CEOs. As for our female lead, she hasn't grown on me yet. She is a very pretty actress but her makeup makes her look less attractive. She also trips A LOT and she makes lots of exaggerated sounds as she falls. From two episodes, I am not able to tell much but my prediction is that this drama will be a cute romance drama and fans will also fall in love with the male lead. One of the supporting characters played by Wu Hao Ze is also very handsome. Below is a trailer for this drama. Sadly, I was not able to find an English subbed version. From the trailer, we can see that there are actually many romantic plotlines. Let's see how this drama will play out. 

The Romance of Tiger and Rose

Episodes: 24

Synopsis:

Chen Xiao Qian (Zhao Lu Si) is a screenwriter who after countless hours finally perfected her script only for the male lead to slash it and she is forced to make major edits to it. After countless more hours she finally finishes editing the script. Due to overworking, she falls asleep/faints. When she wakes up she realizes that she is now stuck in her own script and can only return to the real world when her script ends. However, she also learns that she is now Chen Qian Qian, a small character that dies in the third episode when Han Shuo (Ding Yu Xi), the male lead, poisons her on their marriage day. In an attempt to survive, she befriends Han Shuo. At the same time, she has to make sure that events follow her plot. Her first task is to make Han Shuo fall in love with the actual female lead of the script, Chen Chu Chu (Zhou Zi Xin), her second sister. However, things do not go according to the plot at all and everything goes haywire.

In her script, the plot is set in two fictitious villages. In Hua Yuan Village women are the superior sex, and only women can hold government positions. On the other hand, the neighboring village, Xuan Hu Village, considers males to be the superior sex. Their differences in values made the two villages long-time enemies. After Xuan Hu Village loses the battle against Hua Yuan Village, they are forced to send their only son, Han Shuo (Ding Yu Xi) to form a marriage alliance with the second princess, Chen Chu Chu (Zhou Zi Xin). However, this plan is ruined when the third princess, Chen Qian Qian (Zhao Lu Si) develops an interest in him. On their wedding day, Han Shuo poisons Chen Qian Qian and ultimately meets Chen Chu Chu, and the two fall in love. However, this is all ruined when Chen Xiao Qian ends up stuck in Chen Qian Qian's body during the day of the marriage. In an attempt to survive, she changes the plot by avoiding Han Shuo's poison attempt. However, she must now make things right by setting Han Shuo up with Chu Chu but things do not go as she plans.

Comments:

This drama reminds me a lot of Extraordinary You, a popular Korean drama about a non-female lead character trying to change her fate. However, the two dramas are different in the sense that the female lead's goal here is to make herself almost invisible and have the focus be on the lead characters. Her main goal/job here is to ship the two actual leads together so her script will play out so she can return to the real world. However, her cute, kind personality captures the attention of the male lead who ultimately falls in love with her instead of the actual female lead, Chu Chu. This drama is super cute because Qian Qian is so focused on shipping Han Shuo and Chu Chu that she is completely oblivious towards Han Shuo's feelings for her. Due to this unique plot, we also see many hilarious moments where Qian Qian's plans go completely haywire and stray further and further from the actual plot.

The two leads are both very likable actors and actresses. Zhao Lu Si is soooo cute as Qian Qian. She is adorable, kind, playful, a bit childish, and soooo cute. The way she apologizes to Han Shuo. The way she tries to get on Han Shuo's good side by attempting to suck up to him. Everything about her is just too cute. Zhao Lu Si is also very pretty and cute and suits this character perfectly. The male lead... omg he is handsome. I love his character. He plays a scheming prince who ultimately falls desperately in love with the very person he is trying to kill. The dynamic between the two is soo cute. He is always jealous whenever she talks to other guys but she is always oblivious of his jealousy which makes it extra funny. 

The side characters are also very likable. I feel like most historical time travel dramas nowadays all include a funny, loyal servant. To this, I am not complaining one bit. Qian Qian's male servant, Zi Qian is soooo funny. He does everything he can to please his master even if it means doing illegal things with her such as stealing sacred medicine. He is more of Qian Qian's partner in crime. Han Shuo's assistant, Bai Ji, is also hilarious. He also gives his 110% when accomplishing every single task Han Shuo assigns him. However, Han Shuo constantly changes the plan in the middle and wastes all of his hard work. He is more like Han Shuo's best friend. Bai Ji and Zi Qian are constantly going at each other when defending their own masters which is hilarious to watch. 

The setting of the two villages which have different values is also very interesting. This drama often comments on gender discrimination. It is refreshing to see a world where the tables are turned and males are faced with discrimination. It lets viewers, especially male viewers, feel what it is like to be discriminated against for their gender. For example, men in Hua Yuan Village cannot hold government positions which is how the world was like in the past. Though there is now more gender equality, gender inequality still exists. Our female lead, coming from a world where there is comparatively less gender discrimination than during imperial China, often comments on the unfair system and how females and males should be treated the same. By starting these conversations, I think this drama is encouraging less gender inequality which I commend. 

All in all, this drama is super funny, cute, fast-paced, and has a unique plot. With only 24 episodes, this drama is perfect for anyone who just wants something fun and short.

Trailer:

Another Ding Yu Xi drama. I am in love with this man. Not only is he hella cute but this man can act. Also, he looks like NCT's Taeyong in my opinion.

Intense Love

Episodes: 24

Synopsis:

Su Jin Bei (Zhang Yu Xi) is a popular actress while Zhou Shi Yun (Ding Yu Xi) is a handsome and talented doctor. These two's lives are intertwined when their families have them be engaged to one another. They did not start off on the right foot but the two slowly see the good in each other. However, their different career paths pose to be a problem for their relationship. 

Comments:

This drama is nothing out of the ordinary. The plot is nothing unique and the characters' setup is pretty basic. However, the reason I like this drama is because of the male lead and female lead. Like I said, a popular actress is a very popular character in dramas nowadays. Doctors have always been a popular character set up. What makes this drama special is how the two characters are both pretty great people. Though they are flawed in some way, they are able to bring out the best in each other. I see a lot of character development, especially for the male lead. He used to be very cold and indifferent to the world. He views everyone as a human body and nothing more than that. He used to be indifferent to feelings, relationships, gossip, and etc. This was all until he met Su Jin Bei. He is not a cold-hearted person; he is just not good at expressing his feelings. Seeing Doctor Zhou open up to Bei Bei is super cute. Su Jin Bei is very likable. She is so adorable when with Doctor Zhou but as an actress, she is professional and kind. She is a good people person and would make a great therapist. She has a way of comforting and encouraging others.

This drama moves at a decent pace so it is not too dragged out. However, their first kiss took forever. Right when everyone thought they were about to kiss, there's always an interruption be it someone's phone rings or someone barges into the room... SOMETHING ALWAYS PREVENTS THEM FROM KISSING. When they finally kissed, it felt so hard-earned.

There are other characters in this drama, but not gonna lie, I don't really care much about them. The drama didn't make them likable enough. Thank god this drama doesn't focus too much on the side characters.

Overall, this is nothing unique but if you enjoy sweet, cute romance dramas with little to no melodrama and conflicts, this is for you. Also, the two leads are so gorgeous... so much eye candy. 

Trailer: