Unless you’ve been chronically offline, you know that in 2026, which is the Year of the Horse, everyone on social media is in a “very Chinese time in their lives.” ‘Chinamaxxing’ took over our feeds earlier this year, spawning a growing interest toward Chinese subcultures, especially as experienced through the diverse storyworlds within Chinese dramas.
Fans of K-Dramas have naturally segued into Chinese dramas, but these stories are now carving out a space across genres, a few of them being Wuxia (martial arts–based stories), Xinxia (high-fantasy epics), Republican dramas (stories set within 1912–1949, a significant period in Chinese history) and Xuanhuan (a mixture of Western and Chinese fantasy). If you’re a novice, you might want to start with Chinese crime dramas, a popular sub-genre within C-dramas that blends romance, mystery, thriller and fantasy. In the vein of shows like The Bad Kids and Sandstorm that have become cult favourites in the fandom, we have spotlighted some underrated Chinese crime dramas that are bound to keep you hooked throughout.
The Imperial Coroner (2021)
A brilliantly written and executed crime drama set in the Tang dynasty, The Imperial Coroner is centred on a young girl, Chu Chu, a gifted coroner from a family of coroners who works for the Imperial court in solving crimes. When she meets Prince Xiao Jin Yu, the two get involved in solving a shocking case together. The show stands out for deviating from portraying the female lead as just a pretty face and giving her the nuanced role of a smart, neurodivergent person with her own quirks. Blending thrill, romance, cinematography, fleshed-out characters and a neat ending, the show makes for a compelling, cinematic watch.