Different Types of Chinese Television Series

By Linda L. Melendrez 2 years ago

Everyone loves some quality entertainment to relieve stress and have a pleasant time. However, it is often not easy to find a TV series or show that one can label as a good watch. Each individual’s preference differs from another’s; some may prefer either quality or quantity while others may prefer both.

Here comes in Chinese TV series. Also known as Chinese TV dramas or C-dramas, these series provide a mammoth quantity of varieties suitable for all age groups.

Genres:

Chinese TV series covers almost all genres available in the entertainment market. Some of those include:

  • Comedy
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Thriller
  • Historical
  • Horror
  • Science Fiction
  • Documentary
  • Action
  • Western
  • War
  • Adventure
  • Suspense
  • Sports
  • Slice of life

The TV series can use one or more than one genre to portray the story. In case two or more categories are clubbed together, the genres become such:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Sports Documentary
  • Romance Comedy
  • Western Thriller
  • Historical War

Types of Chinese Television Series:

The C-dramas fall into three categories. Each such variety can have several genres under them.

The three types are as follows:

  • Modern Drama:

    • As the name suggests, these TV series delineate present progressive times.
    • They can depict various aspects of teenage life, working society, mental health issues, different professions, political domain, etc.
    • Romance, comedy and slice of life genres are the most famous in this category. Here, romance can illustrate all kinds of endearment, from familial love to brotherly amity.
    • A few well-known Chinese TV series under this category include ‘Home with Kids,’ ‘Love Journey,’ ‘The Lost Tomb,’ ‘Struggle,’ and ‘Sweet Dreams.’ Others are ‘If I Can Love You So,’ ‘Skate Into Love,’ ‘A Little Reunion,’ ‘Surgeons,’ etc.


  • Period Drama:

    • These dramas are set in a period of the past, having a vague or fixed era.
    • They are also known as costume drama as the cast have to wear the attires of ancient times. The costumes are to match and depict the historical setting.
    • Romance, horror and adventure are the prevalent genres of this category.
    • Some examples of period dramas are ‘A Leaf in the Storm,’ ‘Guardian,’ ‘Siege in Fog,’ ‘Lurk,’ Please Give Me a Pair Of Wings,’ etc.


  • Ancient Drama:

    • They are similar to period dramas but differ in the essence that they may depict factual events of the past.
    • These dramas include genres of war, thriller, action, fantasy and suspense.
    • They are primarily of two varieties- Wuxia, depicting the martial artists’ adventures in ancient China, and Xianxia, a version of wuxia portraying immortals.
    • A few exemplars include ‘Bing Sheng,’ ‘Ren Bishi,’ ‘My Fair Princess,’ ‘Justice Bao,’ ‘Ice Fantasy,’ ‘Scarlet Heart,’ Nirvana in Fire,’ ‘Ma Zu,’ ‘Sword Dynasty,’ ‘The Untamed,’ etc.

Availability:

Due to the grace of the internet, Chinese TV series are now accessible globally. Several websites offer these dramas for free with subtitles in multiple languages.

The only requirements to stream online or download these dramas are:

  • Stable internet connection
  • A device that supports the functions

A few sites from where one can watch Chinese dramas comprise:

  • iQIYI
  • WeTV
  • Viki Rakuten
  • Newasian TV
  • Kissasian
  • Dramacool
  • Fall Drama
  • Asian Crush

Last but not least, C-dramas are also present on YouTube. Although not all are available, YouTube offers a colossal number of Chinese TV series with subtitles and high quality.

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