My biggest discovery of 2019 was my obsession with c-dramas, or Chinese dramas.
During spring break, I was at my best friend Samantha’s house, completely bored out of our minds. We didn’t know what to do, or even what to watch on TV. My sister suggested a Chinese drama that she had been watching, Love 020. With nothing else we could’ve possibly done, we decided to give it a go. 5 minutes later, we were hooked.
Little did I know, this was only the beginning of my c-drama obsession. After finishing Love O2O, I couldn’t help but look for more c-dramas to binge-watch.
3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH C-DRAMAS
1. You can learn/improve your Chinese! Or get motivated to learn Chinese!
Funny story, awhile ago, my dad told my mom he noticed that my Chinese was improving all of a sudden (even though I had already stopped taking Chinese classes). My mom’s answer? She’s watching c-dramas!
Watching c-dramas exposes you to common conversational vocabulary that might not be taught at your average Chinese school or Chinese class, but might be useful to know. Depending on the drama, there also might be some difficult Chinese phrases that appear from time to time. This is when English subs for explanations come in handy! Ultimately, c-dramas are just a fun way to exercise your Chinese listening skills, regardless of skill level.
2. Huge variety to choose from, so you’ll never get bored!
Maybe you like action, history, fantasy, war, romance, or comedy. Or maybe something else. Whatever it is, there will be something to choose from. C-dramas come in all genres, and there’s something for every genre (although personally I prefer modern rom-coms), just like how American shows.
3. Good for a quick binge without seasons upon seasons of commitment, unlike many American shows.
Most of the c-dramas I’ve watched have been mostly around 25 episodes. That being said, there are also exceptions with some dramas being around 50 episodes (historical ones also tend to be longer) or more or even much shorter (the shortest one I’ve watched was 13 episodes!). They usually tend to only have 1 season and can be based on books, anime, or other dramas from other countries. The shortness of most c-dramas makes it easy to pick one up without worrying that you will be overly addicted to watching them for too long. At least, you will be more likely to be able to finish it quickly with less episodes to watch.
WHERE TO WATCH C-DRAMAS
Although they are geared towards Chinese audiences, the invention of the Internet has made watching c-dramas very convenient and easy internationally. Although you could also stream c-dramas on sketchy illegal sites, here are some free and paid alternatives. Personally, I recommend using Youtube or Viki.
1. Netflix ($)
If you have Netflix, Netflix has acquired some rights to stream a variety of c-dramas. There are
over 90 c-dramas / t-dramas (Taiwanese dramas) of various genres available to watch.
Unfortunately, I don’t happen to have Netflix so I resort to other sources. Also a side note: since Netflix acquires rights to c-dramas already aired, their c-dramas/t-dramas will probably also be available elsewhere before you find them on Netflix.
2. Youtube
Sometimes Chinese TV channels have their own YouTube channels that post either raw or subbed versions of their c-dramas for viewers outside of China.
3. Chinese TV Channels’s own Apps
These Chinese TV channels might also have their own apps where you can stream episodes for free or at a monthly cost. However, these apps are geared towards Chinese users, so it could be pretty difficult to use (sigh…my nonexistent Chinese reading skills). As a result, I don’t use and recommend using them.
4. Viki
Viki is probably the most ethical and reliable source aside from the previous sources as they actually PAY for the rights to stream dramas. You can pay to have a premium account to stream episodes without ads or you can suck it and deal with the ads. Although the ads can be long and annoying, at least you don’t get overly weird/scandalous ones you might find on some illegal streaming sites. They also stream Asian dramas, so if you’re interested in branching out to k-dramas or something else, Viki is also good for that too.
The subs are done by volunteers so there might a short wait before getting your subbed episode for newly released c-dramas. You can choose for subs in a variety of languages too, not just English, provided there are volunteers subbing for it.
Trick to avoid ads: watch on your phone/mobile device! I’ve noticed that you tend to get less/shorter/no ads.
C-DRAMA RECOMMENDATIONS (stay tuned for future reviews)
Disclaimer: Recommendations EXTREMELY UNSUITABLE for those who like action. My c-drama obsession is currently just modern cheesy rom-com dramas (basically I’m too chicken to watch anything horror/thriller/overly bloody oops).
Most of these can be found on Viki, and Youtube if not!
- Love O2O – 微微一笑很倾城
- Put Your Head On My Shoulder – 致我们暖暖的小时光*
- A Love So Beautiful – 致我们单纯的小美好*
- Before We Get Married (t-drama) – 我們不能是朋友
- Pleasantly Surprised / Love Myself or You (t-drama) – 喜歡·一個人
- The World Owes Me a First Love / Lucky’s First Love – 世界欠我一个初恋*
- Well-Intended Love – 奈何BOSS要娶我
* my top 3 faves!!