Mainland Chinese dramas have taken great leaps forward in quality in recent years, but the sheer quantity of output makes it a veritable smorgasbord of offering too voluminous for the novice to sort through. I only watch what interests me, quality not withstanding, and sometimes the sheer awfulness makes it worth the lulz factor alone. But for those looking for critical and popular acclaimed C-dramas, look no further than China’s Douban website for viewer feedback.

The top 20 highest rated C-dramas on Douban, which is China’s equivalent of Rottentomatoes, will be a great launching off point for those wanting to watch the legit good stuff. Topping the list of highest audience ratings for any C-drama is the Hu Ge and Wang Kai period drama Nirvana in Fire (Lang Ya Bang). Coming in second is Battle of Changsha, the war and romance drama with Wallace Huo and Yang Zhi. And rounding out the top three is serious war era drama All Quiet in Peking. Peruse the top 20 full list below, which is heavily skewed towards war and war-era dramas, but has one romance drama in Remembering Lichuan. Continue reading →