The best C-Dramas of 2026 to add to your watchlist before the year ends

Chinese dramas are all the rage now. From enthralling storylines to on-screen darlings, C-dramas have it all; it’s no wonder then we’re all so absorbed in chasing after C-dramas these days.

The good news: a few more series are slated for release in the rest of 2026. Better yet, some of these dramas are headlined by heartthrobs Yang Yang, Dylan Wang, Song Weilong, and Zhang Linghe, making them even more worth looking forward to. So, keep a lookout for the dramas below, and you can thank us later.

Where The Mask Ends

Commoner A Chou (Tian Xiwei) and noble lady Wei Rao may come from vastly different backgrounds, but they share one thing in common—their uncanny resemblance. Wei Rao (Tian Xiwei), forced to marry the dying Lu Zhuo (Yan An), heir to the Guo Gong Mansion, decides to make her lookalike, A Chou, the substitute bride. 

Lu Zhuo’s health takes a turn, and he suddenly awakens. Upon finding out that his newly wedded wife is Wei Rao, whom he’s always known to be vicious and cruel, he threatens to divorce her. Realising that Lu Zhuo isn’t dying, the real Wei Rao now wants to reclaim her identity and marriage. At the same time, A Chou is keen to keep her newfound noble status, but not without trying to survive the schemes from those around her. 

Starring: Tian Xiwei, Yan An

Genre: Historical romance

Episodes: 33

Where to watch: Netflix

Release date: 16 October

The Lament of Autumn

Set in the tumultuous era of the Republic of China, a student named Ye Ping Jun (Xu Ruohan) is caught in the crossfire of an assassination attempt on Yu Chang Xuan (Cheng Lei) of the influential Yu family. 

Ye becomes wrongly accused of murdering Yu, and to clear her name, she sets up a daring deal with Yu. If Yu can’t find the real offender within ten days, he must set Ye free. Somehow, the ensuing investigation blossoms into a romance as Yu tries to win Ye’s heart amid war and power struggles.  

Starring: Xu Ruohan, Cheng Lei

Genre: Historical romance

Episodes: 38

Where to watch: iQIYI

Release date: 12 October

The Vanishing Beauty

Famous blogger Yu Meng (Li Yitong) comes from an affluent family and is married to an ideal husband, living a life many envy. However, on her fifth wedding anniversary, she uncovers a shocking truth: her husband has been betraying her while her in-laws have been financially exploiting her. Upon realising this, Yu sets off on a journey of revenge, reclaiming her life with the help of her trusted friends. 

Starring: Li Yitong, Chang Huasen

Genre: Family melodrama

Episodes: 28

Where to watch: WeTV

Release date: 9 October

The Shadow Punisher 

To uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of the Fourth Prince, Li Si (Luo Yunxi) secretly joins the Imperial Detective Bureau. There, he teams up with top female forensic examiner Bai Zhenzhu (Shen Yujie), ghost-catcher Meng Rui (Fang Yilun), and bureau chief Xuanyuan Shan (He Hongshan). Together, they form the Divine Detectives and solve bizarre crimes.

Starring: Luo Yunxi, Fang Yilun, Shen Yujie

Genre: Historical fantasy

Episodes: 30

Where to watch: iQIYI

Release date: 2 October

Light The Dark

A pipeline explosion blows up the harmonious life of the Chens, causing siblings Chen Ying and Chen Shan to lose their parents. Their father, the factory’s head of engineering, ends up being murdered while investigating corruption related to pipeline work. Their mother, to protect the children, took the blame for the explosion and died in a mysterious death. The children seek justice, working with engineer Qi Mo to bring down the corrupt factory director, Wan Yang. 

Starring: Chen Zheyuan, Jiang Xin

Genre: Crime

Episodes: 12

Where to watch: iQIYI

Release date: 15 October

Irreplaceable

Xu Chi (Zhao Jinmai) works at a stressful consulting firm and climbs the corporate ladder, striving for success. She becomes the assistant to Ye Xinzhi (Wei Daxun), who is plotting revenge after being framed by his superior early in his career. The duo grows closer as they navigate office politics and reach a crossroads when Xu is offered a promotion while Ye faces an unexpected whirlwind of career changes. 

Starring: Zhao Jinmai, Wei Daxun

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

Release date: 28 September

The Road to Glory

Adapted from the web novel Gui Luan by Tuan Zi Lai Xi and set in the imperial court era, this drama stars Zhang Linghe as a rule-breaking male lead named Xiao Li. He unexpectedly crosses paths with Jelly Lin Yun’s character as an exiled Princess Wen Yu, resulting in their fates becoming intertwined. Their pragmatic relationship evolves into a romantic one when Xiao Li helps Princess Wen Yu reclaim her throne. 

Starring: Zhang Linghe, Jelly Lin Yun

Genre: Historical romance

Episodes: 40 

Where to watch: Tencent Video

Release date: Likely to be in late 2026 to early 2027

Love For You

Set in the 1990s, the story follows two childhood friends, Chen Yi (played by Song Weilong) and Miao Jing (played by Zhang Jingyi), who were once hostile but came to depend on each other for survival after losing their parents. Fast forward to their university days, Miao Jing confessed her love for Chen Yi, but their relationship ended abruptly, and they had to be separated as the latter was entangled in an arson case. Later, in adulthood, they reunite through work, and former feelings reemerge amid complications. 

Starring: Song Weilong, Zhang Jingyi

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 32

Where to watch: Mango Tv

Release date: 5 July

Empress Reborn

Shen Miao (played by Meng Ziyi) is a disgraced empress who passes away of an unfair death after being sent to the cold palace. She miraculously returns as her youthful self, and this time, after witnessing the malicious side of those around her, she decides it’s time for revenge. She unexpectedly teams up with Xie Jingxing (Dylan Wang), and together they soldier on to improve the empire’s fate. 

Starring: Dylan Wang, Meng Ziyi

Genre: Historical sci-fi

Episodes: 36

Where to watch: Tencent Video

Release date: Likely to be late 2026

Bu Rang Jiang Shan

A humble young man named Li Chi (played by Yang Yang) is determined to shield the commoners from the chaos during an erratic war period when Prince Yu seizes control over Ji Province. He rises through the ranks of the military and faces the ongoing turmoil fearlessly with one aim in mind: to protect the land and restore peace for its people. 

Starring: Yang Yang, Zhou Jie Qiong, Zhai Zi Lu

Genre: Historical 

Episodes: 32

Where to watch: Tencent Video

Release date: To be announced 

Love Has Fireworks

After her fiance calls off the engagement, Qian Fei (Wang Churan) is left single and struggling, facing the heavy burden of her mortgage alone. To make ends meet, she decides to lease a room in her home. Enter Li Yi Fei (Tan Jianci), a wealthy second-generation heir who becomes her tenant. Later, their different views on love and life lead them towards a bond that neither would have predicted.

Starring: Tan Jianci, Wang Churan

Genre: Comedy romance

Episodes: 40

Where to watch: iQIYI

Release date: 15 June

Overdo

Set in Republican-era Shanghai, the drama follows Zhang Linghe as Murong Qingyi, the youngest son of a warlord. Switched at birth, Murong becomes the target of abuse by his adoptive father. Ren Susu (played by Wang Churan) rescues the teenage Murong, setting their fates in motion. 

When the pair meets again years later, they become lovebirds with no romantic ending in sight. Ren faces a dilemma: unbeknownst to Murong, she must fake her death and go into hiding to keep him alive. 

Meanwhile, Murong becomes saddened by Ren’s abrupt disappearance. When Ren returns as—shocking!—his future sister-in-law years later, Murong believes she has betrayed him. Will the duo find their way back to love? You’ll have to keep watching to find out.

Starring: Zhang Linghe, Wang Churan

Genre: Romance

Episodes: 33 

Where to watch: iQIYI

Release date: 18 July