2021 Drama Rankings

My personal drama rankings for 2021. 

2021 starts and finishes strong with Word of Honor and Sword Snow Stride beginning and ending the year for me on a high note. One is a "new wuxia" while the other is a classic wuxia. 

This is also the year where low budget, relatively new scriptwriters took everyone by surprise with how addictive and well written their dramas were. The two standouts were Word of Honor and The Imperial Coroner. Of lesser note Definitely Not Today, Mysterious Love and Fall in Love (which I only skimmed a few episodes of) are also modest and curiously watchable dramas.

Big budget dramas on the other crashed an burned, notably The Rebel Princess and Ancient Love Poetry (dropped). I would say that even the successful S+ dramas didn't quite meet viewer expectations including my personal favorite Sword Snow Stride and Pearl Eclipse. Both My Heroic Husband and Luoyang peaked too early and disappointed in the back end. 

The highly anticipated Mist Theatre (also known as Light on Series) lineup for 2021 was dismal, foiled by weak writing, artificially contrived suspense and censorship. Even the slew of big name acting talent behind the series could not save it. 

Despite the strong start and finish, overall 2021 was a decent but unexceptional year with too many mediocre dramas (I lost count of how many I dropped). 2020 was a better year.

PeachBlossomGoddess gen 9, 2021
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  • Word of Honor

    1. Word of Honor

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

    9.5

    Despicable Me.    *Tied for No 1*
    Best wuxia in years - BL novel adaption.

  • Sword Snow Stride

    2. Sword Snow Stride

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 38 episodes

    9.5

    Be the chess player, not the chess piece.  *Tied for No 1*
    A classic wuxia that pushes all the right buttons.

  • Minning Town

    3. Minning Town

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 23 episodes

    9.0

    If you build it they will come.
    A masterpiece fupinju.

  • One and Only

    4. One and Only

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes

    9.0

    'Cause I saw the end, before we'd began. 
    A tragic, poignant love story that will drown you.

  • The Long Ballad

    5. The Long Ballad

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 49 episodes

    8.5

    An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
    Empowering historical drama about a smart and independent women.

  • The Rebel

    6. The Rebel

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes

    8.5

    The Spy Who Loved Me.
    Republican era psychological spy thriller.

  • The Imperial Coroner

    7. The Imperial Coroner

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

    8.5

    A eunuch of a mystery.
    A diamond in the rough of an ancient crime solving drama

  • Awakening Age

    8. Awakening Age

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes

    Currently Watching

  • Novoland: Pearl Eclipse

    9. Novoland: Pearl Eclipse

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 48 episodes

    8.0

    Journeys end in lovers meeting.
    A dark tale of love, obsession and fate set in fantasy Novoland universe.

  • Luo Yang

    10. Luo Yang

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 39 episodes

    8.0

    Wild goose chase.
    Exciting ancient conspiracy thriller; Longest Day in Changán Lite.

  • The Rebel Princess

    11. The Rebel Princess

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 68 episodes

    8.0

    Rebel Without a Cause.
    Big budget historical  with politics and adult romance

  • My Heroic Husband

    12. My Heroic Husband

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

    8.0

    The Virtuous Husband.
    Hilarious role reversal satire about a matrilocal marriage.

  • The Master of Cheongsam

    13. The Master of Cheongsam

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

    8.0

    A cut above.
    A riveting tale of sibling rivalry during a changing era.

  • Ode to Daughter of Great Tang

    14. Ode to Daughter of Great Tang

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 55 episodes

    8.0

    Karma is a Court Lady.

    A high budget, historical tragicomedy.

  • A Girl Like Me

    15. A Girl Like Me

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

    7.5

    Rules are made to be broken. 
    A hilarious romance with an unconventional heroine.

  • Light

    16. Light

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 42 episodes

    7.5

    The Dark Side of the Moon.
    Republican period power couple that build a banking powerhouse.

  • The Sword and the Brocade

    17. The Sword and the Brocade

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 45 episodes

    7.5

    Survivor: The Mother-in-Law Obstacles.
    A very tropey and sweet harem romance.

  • Forever and Ever

    18. Forever and Ever

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes

    7.5

    Remember us and all we used to be.
    A sweet romance, the modern day sequel to One and Only.

  • Song of Youth

    19. Song of Youth

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes

    7.5

    Women hold up half the sky.
    An entertaining ancient Chinese soap opera.

  • No Young Man Park

    20. No Young Man Park

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes

    7.5

    Death Proof.
    A cute, quirky dark romantic comedy.

  • Mysterious Love

    21. Mysterious Love

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    7.5

    Abs-olutely Fabulous.
    A smoking hot romance with a dash of mystery.

  • Danger Zone

    22. Danger Zone

    Taiwanese Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

    7.0

    Hard core gore.
    Suspenseful crime thriller. Warning - hard core gore.
    Two seasons 24 episodes in total.

  • Light on Series: Who is the Murderer

    23. Light on Series: Who is the Murderer

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    7.0

    Cop out.
    Mist Theatre - investigative suspense thriller.

  • Light on Series: TBA

    24. Light on Series: TBA

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

    7.0

    Homecoming.
    Mist Theatre family suspense drama.

  • Huang Yan Zhen Tan

    25. Huang Yan Zhen Tan

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    7.0

    Lie like a dog.
    Heart moving police procedural.

  • Miss the Dragon

    26. Miss the Dragon

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

    7.0

    Which asshole wrote this script?
    An entertaining, light xianxia to kill time with.

  • Ling Long

    27. Ling Long

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

    7.0

    Man made goddess.
    Decent fantasy drama with funny and fabulous father daughter relationship.

  • Rebirth For You

    28. Rebirth For You

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes

    3.5

    Like a mucus bath.
    A complete waste of time.

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