I followed you enough to know that these were the ones that would be mentioned! I realize that for those who have been watching Chinese dramas for more than a few years, it's harder to find good dramas to watch if you stay within this realm. So I think this is why apart from your obvious blunt and not-chasing-trends-for-views drama comments, it's easier for me to connect to your videos because we've both seen things being done already and repeated, we're now just trying to find better acting, better directing, and better storytelling to give us something worthwhile to sit through. Thanks for continuing to put out videos in this rough year, not expecting much for 2025! It's so dry in Chinese dramaland that I've already been watching way more Korean and Japanese dramas, so that's a plus on my end.
@bartonbella3131 Sadly, I'm probably not the best person to ask 😅 I think out of the 3, I explore Japanese dramas the least because I don't know where to access all the good sources for English fansubs and that means I'm not so critical when I watch them. So, though I see many interesting ones, I have to skip them. I think one that by all means not perfect but intention in storytelling, good music, and different than the typical Japanese cinematography that I enjoyed was "First Love: Hatsukoi." That one I know is a favorite among many, so if you have already seen it, I'm sorry for the lack of help! Hopefully, someone else will see your request and push a few your way!
same here. i didn't have any c-drama i finished watching last 2024 (even blossom i lost interest mid way, but will try to complete it though). i watched k-drama much more / all the time now and watched a few japan drama. hopefully 2025 will be a better year for c-drama.
@@bartonbella3131 i second luariel recommendation of first love : hatsukoi. Even though it not 2024, i think. Probably 2023 or 2022. It is available in netflix, iirc. I also liked alice in borderlands, which is also netflix, iirc.
Your comments are spot on as usual. I agree that LGIEF was juvenile... BUT it was REALLY good. I've watched it twice - just had to fast forward when they are climbing the stairs at the end. It made me wonder if they had some sort of time minimum they had to meet. Anyway - Yu Shuxin CRACKED ME UP! Her comedic timing was superb. When she drank the liquor... her scolding under her breath... really funny stuff. Ding Yuxi was sublime as usual and the actor who played the father really moved me. Blossom is a classic for sure! I was glued to the screen in my longest binge-watching session of the year. Would I watch it again? Maybe next year.
I have the same comments about LGIEF as you. Have already watched it twice at normal speed. Planning to watch again with comments activated. I heard those are equally hilarious.
I enjoyed Fangs of Fortune. I know it's not on many people's list. For me it was the shear fun of it that hooked me. It is completely "over the top" and I found it simply entertaining.
Compelling period drama, BUT: the hero intends to butcher dozens innocent women and children + his future wife to prevent a potential !!! leak about 1 (in words, one) child - moral compass? And then, in a fit of rage, waterboards his own brother, who is younger than him, so how would he be involved in the mom's death, who brother thought was HIS mom as well, until 5 minutes ago. MacGuffin to explain the brother turning...
For me somehow two dramas with blossom in the name were the best for me : blossom and also blossoming in adversity which was quite similar and had enjoyable character writing
been following your channel for a while now and the thing is even when you happen to talk bad about a drama a lot of the times that somehow still makes it sound appealing to me & even found a few faves that way this year 😂
Mine are into the wild, she and her girls, love game in eastern fantasy and blossom🥰 and true about regeneration. It would be in my favorite list too if they didn’t mess up the last 2-3 eps, it went downhill from there. I also like imperfect us and tender light
I appreciate your channel. You're not an idol-chaser or a rabid and I appreciate that a lot. The cdramaland has been bad for me since 2022, nothing good since the year Dream of Splendor was aired.
Have you watched Meet Yourself? It also had Liu Yifei, the main girl in Dream Of Splendor. I don't know about the ending because I didn't finish, but it's such a calming and warming story.
I agree with you on Blossom. This drama truly stands out with its well-paced, consistency in acting and more importantly, the chemistry between the leads that got me way invested then I actually expected. So this is to me in my opinion is the #1 drama of the year
1.) The Spirealm 2.) the Double 3.) Blossoms in Adversity 4.) Blossom. Still a few I need to see.... There were a few where I liked but could only access two episodes; I think I might give a few from your list a shot. :)
Thank you so much for a year of thoughtful, intelligent, enlightening, entertaining, informative commentaries. You are amazing. Let's hope we get a better 2025. Happy New Year!
@@agungp.2580 yes it is him. Idk Chinese so I can't comment on his accent or mandarin-speaking skills but I CAN tell he sounds more like he's blabbering compared to a professional dubber. For any mandarin-speaking folks, does it hurt your ears?! 😂
I have been watching your videos a long time and been a Chinese drama fan all my adult life. I missed some of these and some I caught . I love Blossom and it’s pacing last year I loved Journey to Love it caught me there where some fantasy drama’s that caught my eye but I quickly got bored . I think you gave me some to watch and actually expressed my thoughts on some. As expected on of my favorite cdrama critics is always on point. Happy New Year!
Thank you for all your hard work; Chinese drama and the Black Myth Wukong " information series"! Happy New Year AvenueX! Heroes and To the wonder were my ultimate favorite of this year.
This year I really liked "The Double" which also had a really good music score. Blossom was not bad as well. Both were genuinely entertaining and addicting. I wonder how Dafeng is doing now. Haven't heard about it much online
I don't know how it's doing in ratings but I am enjoying it very much. Haven't laughed like that since the first season of Joy of Life, cause this really reminds me of it. Second season I couldn't finish because the comedy parts felt really forced.
i watched other dramas from the list more or less 10eps and not able to finished. LGIEF is the only cdrama i finished this year and fun to go back the eps with funny and memorable (the father, musheng, ninja and firework’s explosion thingy) scenes. Coz it is just fun to watch esther and the drama really has a fun and light vibe to it and not like so over the top … thou mls really don’t have kissing scenes but the chemistry is thereee unlike others as well so much 💋
I really enjoyed "Are You the One" it wasn't the most complex plot, but I felt it was STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL and most of the acting was smooth and very natural, the "scorned girl, and her mother" were the exception, but I understood the stylistic choice. It was nice that the Female Lead was portrayed as someone whose personality is polite and kind while also being a strong warrior. To be honest, I also want to eat "Crab Roe Rice" so badly! Brocade Odessey is still airing and it's not the best but I'm a textile junkie, and it is again STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL.
This year I have 4 Cdramas that became my favorite. In Blossom, My Altay, Fangs of Fortune and Blossom. I enjoyed these four a lot, and IMO they have all elevated the lead actors to a new level of success. I probably would have added The Double to the list, but only if they had another actress as FL.
I can't remember how veteran I am as a subscriber but I do remember your recommendations and video reviews from way back then. I guess I'm not the only one who thought 2024 was pretty disappointing considering that I didn't watch many of the C-dramas that aired. Even the actors and actresses that I usually don't mind I didn't watch their recent projects either. It was a bummer year for sure.
I'm glad to see someone else say that. I totally agree, but Avenue X never seemed to even mention it which felt odd since it was so well done and the story was so unique.
Thank you, Avenue X. Through the years, I have relied on your review to filter the worthy dramas to watch out for. There are so many dramas that I never even bother to finish because they are so bad.
I’m from Pakistan but I’ve been watching Chinese dramas since 2017. I’m more inclined to Chinese period dramas than to modern ones.I often get drama recommendations from your channel and trust me your recommendations have never disappointed me. Among your top 5 drama list, 3 are my most favorite ones. Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Heroes Blossom But I’ll add my favorite ones to this list Fangs of fortune Best choice ever I’d say nothing is perfect. You can’t expect 100% from anything. Everything has flaws. But I follow your recommendations for good dramas.
Happy New Year! And thanks for the video as usual. I kinda dropped the ball on cdramas for lack of good stuff to watch but I still enjoy watching your videos. Currently watching She and Her Girls and it's indeed very good! I will definitely watch Blossom at some point. And I know it's a 2023 drama but I'm desperately trying to find a subtitled version of Blossoms Shanghai, if anyone has a tip on where to find one. My usual go-to website only has the raw original version. And I'm dying to watch that one!
I didn't find this year that devoid of good dramas. Some of my favs were The Double, Blossom, Strange Tale of Tang Dynasty, The Princess Royal, Blossoms in Adversity and too many more to mention here. There was one total delight for me at the end of the year in watching Riverside Code at Qingming Festival.
1. The Rise of Ning 2. Love Game of Eastern Fantasy 3. Blossom 4. Are You The One 5. Tender Light 6. The Double Shorts: 7. Secrets of the Shadow Sect 8. Palace Shadows: Between Two Princes Not in order.
And if you remember me Avenue X , it has been 6 years now as a follower of your channel since I renew my unbeatable number one Drama that personally impregnated me: Bloody Romance: with Chang'an and Wan mei ; their pristine bounding in a messy chaotic ,filled with spite environment.. Liyitong the pariah and Chu xiao the doomed lost heir ..
My two favorites were The Double and Blossom with Blossom leading by a little more. I especially liked the fighting/martial arts choreography of Blossom. I thought I got used to the style of Chinese fighting choreography with all the flying and epic motions but after watching Blossom I noticed how comfortable I felt watching their fighting scenes. It’s a lot more “realistic” and the choreography had really good rhythm. I watched some of the scenes over and over again bc of how satisfying they looked. And ofc the pace of the plot with the sizzling chemistry helped A LOT.
I loved Blossom.. though it became a tad romance novel like and boring in the middle. Everything else! A great time! I'm wondering where I can consistently find out who designs sets and costumes?
Thank you for all your recommendations. We're watching SHE & HER GIRLS now. There one series I'm not sure why you omitted it, perhaps it's not Mainland China but THE TALE OF ROSE belongs on this list anyway. My list is (best to worst) TO THE WONDER, THE TALE OF ROSE, and SHE AND HER GIRLS. The reason SHE isn't at my top is that extremely awkward mid-series STUMBLE. SPOILERS: When Zhang gets buckets of money that rescues her school, it was like an episode was then completely cut. In that episode we'd see the kids celebrates, the spirits rise, but they'd set up the disappearing student storyline better. Instead it was HERE'S THE MONEY, but WHERE'S THE GIRL It was very jarring. I'm about 4 eps later and they story completely screwed up showing how hurt the teacher was. Yes, they show after the fact, but the great scene when she learns the girl is gone was omitted. Sloppy.
The series I enjoyed watching are "The Rise of Ning", "Are you the one?" and "The Legend of Shen Li". All with happy ending and a fairy-tale-like story that creates a good atmosphere. :)
Only watched Love Game in Eastern Fantasy from the list and really enjoyed it. I did start watching Blossom, but then a few episodes in this "master strategist" ML makes such a rookie mistake for the sake of the plot (i.e. to make the FL come across as smart too) that I had to put it on hold. Maybe I'll come back to it, but I'm watching Guardians of the Dafeng for now.
I don’t see a lot of people mentioning The Spirealm but it was honestly very good ! The adaptation was fairly close to the novel despite censorship and it managed to draw out so many emotions I was surprised. OFC it wasn’t top notch quality but it had a vibe to it that didn’t make feel like a modern setting but a bit more mysterious and thriller like. Apart from that, Fangs of Fortune and Blossom were also amazing❤️
One of my favorite dramas this year was blossom in adversity. Blossom is not bad but very similar to adversity with the strong female lead trope. You are right though, not much watchable dramas in 2024. I hope the new year is different.
I agree that Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 and Blossom were really good. The director for Blossom definitely got heaps of chemistry flowing from the 2 leads. I haven’t watched all the shows that aired this year either being relatively “new” to cdramas. Top of my list so far (in no particular order): Joy of Life 2 | The Double | Blossom | Blossoms in Adversity | The Princess Royal | Under the Skin 2 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 I do enjoy your reviews and the ones you recommend are definitely on my to watch list!
Blossom just really hit what I need for a drama, I liked Ten Miles of Peach Blossom but I think blossom would be my favorite now. It just hit the right places and points, it's really enjoyable and satisfying.
Thank you for pulling together such a thoughtful year-in-review video so quickly while in China. I have enjoyed most of Zeng Qing Jie's work, so I am curious how people are intent on creating drama on a proven director's set. Where does one find the 'gossip video'?
My number one was Fangs of Fortune - Beautiful cinematography, beautiful actors, beautiful story about family, friendship, brotherhood, sacrifice and about the big grey area between good and evil.. 2. Blossom 3. The Double 4. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy BUT: I will definitely watch to the world, heroes and She and her girls.
Personally I loved MLC and Fangs of Fortune. They saved this shitty drama year for me 😅 The “found family” trope has become strangely rare in fantasy cdramas (they tend to focus on romance storylines) which made these series remind me of older Wuxia/Xianxia dramas that were more focused on exploration and making friends in jianghu. It’s the same reason that Ancient Detective charmed me during release, and still has to this day.
I know I am hooked when I saw the opening where the crown said you got the wrong person and before I could react he did that. 😂 And I realised I didn't fast forward Jiuchongzi in the first 2 episodes, 40+minutes passed so fast 😅 and then I binge watched til ep20 in 2 days, without fast forward. I had to go backward multiple times to rewatch how the other characters react to certain event 😂 I recommended to my mom and I caught her watching the drama without doing other things (in fact she stopped doing her virtual farm game just to pay attention what was happening.. )😂 It's such a normal drama it's rare these days.
My favourite drama from last year was Fry Me to the Moon. Last year was more a gaming year for me so I missed out on the C-drama down year. But FMttM was stellar --- nothing serious but heartfelt and with a happy ending. Plus, Song Yi is hella cute😅
My dramalist of 2024 looks like this: 1. 19th floor 2. The Spirealm 3. To the Wonder 4. The Double 5. Highschool return of a gangster (Korea) 6. Link Click 7. Strange Tales of the Tang dynastie (season 1&2) 8. Strange Tales of Jiang Cheng 9. The First Shot 10. Love in the Eastern Fantasy 11. Under the skin 2
Number 1 for me was The Double. Looks like I also gave The Legend of Shen Li a 9 ( I should probably lower that ) I enjoyed The Rise of Ning more than Blossom myself. I only gave Amidst a Snowstorm of Love a 7 but I still remember every bit of it, how do you rate that? And finally the only 10 on my list is one of those super short dramas which I usually skip after the first few minutes but I watched this one because it was just so kinky (lol) Embrace in the Dark Night (2024)
Happy you listed To the Wonder as for me it was a little wonder that had me entranced as much by the landscape as the story and the depiction of life in that region as well as the conflict with the encroaching Han culture, something that must have been happening and continues to happen throughout the regions of China. Currently enjoying Blossom. Major achievement for me of 2024 was watching Rise of the Phoenixes all the way to the end and atm working through the final episodes of Yanxi Palace. I have abandoned deliberately or by loss of interest and not deliberate decision, so many dramas that I had to finish some just so I could say I had finished some. Keep up you good work!
I’ve only watched 1.5 dramas on your list, the others are still to-watch😅 The .5 is due to Heroes, which I’m currently at ep 22 and enjoying it so far. I’m not a fan of Qin Junjie but he’s really good here.. although his cp is with the Gege, I really enjoy his chemistry with the revo girl. Hoping for more good dramas this year❤ thanks as always😊😊
Loved Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty and The Double. Still watching Blossom but the first 10 episodes was on the slow side…however will forge through to see why everyone thinks it’s amazing.
I really enjoyed Romance in the alley for the acting as you pointed out and the evolution of the society- it was educational for me as a westerner! Also enjoyed Fake it until you make - unless it was from 2023? 🤔 Anyway, thank you for your great review work. Have a great 2025! 🐉
thank you for the overview and i do agree, mostly idol dramas with no depth. I started to watch way more K-dramas these days as they have a unique way of story telling that gets me glued to the TV with its story plot twists and telling style. for the other 5 good ones, can someone type out the english title too, so I can look them up?
Agreed. The 2024 was pretty bad for c-dramas. What I find most frustrating is that a lot of dramas had potential to be at least enjoyable but after few episodes they turned out pretty boring like The Double, Story of the Pearl Girl or The Princess Royal. My top would be Blossoms in Adversity, Joy of Life Season 2 (it wasn't that good, but everything else I've seen was even worse xD) and Blossom (I'm still watching and hoping it won't turn out a bit dissapointing like Love Game).
I’ve been watching Cdramas almost every day since 2020. 2024 certainly is not the worst year for Cdramas. The last 2 years were so bad that 2024 is pretty good for me. My top would be: 1. Heroes (Love Qin Junjie’s character, the historical time setting, the style that reminds me of TVB wuxia dramas) 2. She and Her Girls (so realistic on the hardships of girls from underprivileged bg) 3. SToTD (love the cases & main leads) 4. Riverside Code at Qingming Festival (just for production alone it’s worth-watching. And I love the little family) 5. Romance in the Alley (that drama that uplifts you & leaves you with warmth in your heart) Special mention: 1. LGiEF (the chemistry & comedy worked & it’s just so entertaining to watch) 2. War of Faith (the best Republican Era drama I watched in the last 3-4 years) 3. Escape From the Trilateral Slopes (very rare to watch a Cdrama that’s so gritty, brutal and raw)
I have to agree with most of your picks, #4 Riverside Code was a bit stalled in the later eps, and the voice acting could have been better so I would have put that as #6. For me, Love Endures was a top 3 because of the cinematography, storytelling and acting (voice and physical).
So happy to see someone else who put Heroes as their first choice, this drama is just too good to be true! I was planning on watching Romance in the Alley but there aren't any decent English subs out there, have you watched the raw version?
I followed you enough to know that these were the ones that would be mentioned! I realize that for those who have been watching Chinese dramas for more than a few years, it's harder to find good dramas to watch if you stay within this realm. So I think this is why apart from your obvious blunt and not-chasing-trends-for-views drama comments, it's easier for me to connect to your videos because we've both seen things being done already and repeated, we're now just trying to find better acting, better directing, and better storytelling to give us something worthwhile to sit through. Thanks for continuing to put out videos in this rough year, not expecting much for 2025! It's so dry in Chinese dramaland that I've already been watching way more Korean and Japanese dramas, so that's a plus on my end.
I've not watched Japanese dramas yet. Any that you recommend
@bartonbella3131 Sadly, I'm probably not the best person to ask 😅 I think out of the 3, I explore Japanese dramas the least because I don't know where to access all the good sources for English fansubs and that means I'm not so critical when I watch them. So, though I see many interesting ones, I have to skip them. I think one that by all means not perfect but intention in storytelling, good music, and different than the typical Japanese cinematography that I enjoyed was "First Love: Hatsukoi." That one I know is a favorite among many, so if you have already seen it, I'm sorry for the lack of help! Hopefully, someone else will see your request and push a few your way!
Me too. It's been a great time to follow AvenueX's review because most of the time I found that I like the same drama that she recommended.
same here. i didn't have any c-drama i finished watching last 2024 (even blossom i lost interest mid way, but will try to complete it though). i watched k-drama much more / all the time now and watched a few japan drama. hopefully 2025 will be a better year for c-drama.
@@bartonbella3131 i second luariel recommendation of first love : hatsukoi. Even though it not 2024, i think. Probably 2023 or 2022. It is available in netflix, iirc. I also liked alice in borderlands, which is also netflix, iirc.
'Avenue X' and 'Marcus Here' are my favorites UA-cam channels.
Your comments are spot on as usual. I agree that LGIEF was juvenile... BUT it was REALLY good. I've watched it twice - just had to fast forward when they are climbing the stairs at the end. It made me wonder if they had some sort of time minimum they had to meet. Anyway - Yu Shuxin CRACKED ME UP! Her comedic timing was superb. When she drank the liquor... her scolding under her breath... really funny stuff. Ding Yuxi was sublime as usual and the actor who played the father really moved me.
Blossom is a classic for sure! I was glued to the screen in my longest binge-watching session of the year. Would I watch it again? Maybe next year.
I have the same comments about LGIEF as you. Have already watched it twice at normal speed. Planning to watch again with comments activated. I heard those are equally hilarious.
Kindly inform, what is LGIEF stand for? @@marsalatea
@@katherinelouannesetiyadi2545
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024)
omg that scene of the stairs was SO Bad that I actually skipped it on my first play through.
@@marsalatea Now THAT's a good idea!
Blossom is my favorite!🎉
❤
❤❤❤
Mineee tooo
Do you know any such more drama
I enjoyed Fangs of Fortune. I know it's not on many people's list. For me it was the shear fun of it that hooked me. It is completely "over the top" and I found it simply entertaining.
Yes to this!! I seriously loved it!!
Hahaha yeah, definitively the number 1 of fun this year ^^
Me as well.
Unfortunatly i dont like sad ending 😂
@@galuhdwi8568 Just ignore the end and read fanfic ;)
Blossom 🌸 by far, was my fave for 2024.
Blossom is a masterpiece its #1 for me
Likewise ❤
👏👍
Compelling period drama, BUT: the hero intends to butcher dozens innocent women and children + his future wife to prevent a potential !!! leak about 1 (in words, one) child - moral compass? And then, in a fit of rage, waterboards his own brother, who is younger than him, so how would he be involved in the mom's death, who brother thought was HIS mom as well, until 5 minutes ago. MacGuffin to explain the brother turning...
I hv rewatched it three times by now…loved it to bits!
She and Her Girls and To The Wonder were such a revelation for me. I haven't been hooked to any c-drama since I saw The Bad Kids in 2020.
You have really opened the chinese dramaland world for me. Thank you so much
Finally someone mentions my favorite drama, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty! Thanks!!! Please I'll be waiting for Under the skin review
That’s my favorite too
@@moonasaleemmoonaAM Me too❣
For me somehow two dramas with blossom in the name were the best for me : blossom and also blossoming in adversity which was quite similar and had enjoyable character writing
LGIEF was pure entertaining to watch. I love how they went all out on the fantasy genre with their costumes and ridiculousness of the plot.
been following your channel for a while now and the thing is even when you happen to talk bad about a drama a lot of the times that somehow still makes it sound appealing to me & even found a few faves that way this year 😂
Mine are into the wild, she and her girls, love game in eastern fantasy and blossom🥰 and true about regeneration. It would be in my favorite list too if they didn’t mess up the last 2-3 eps, it went downhill from there. I also like imperfect us and tender light
I enjoyed watching The Double & Blossom the most ❤
Blossom is my favorite in 2024 💕
I loved your Journey to the West videos, man they were really good!
mine would be
1 will love in spring
2 blossom
3 the double
4 the rise of ning
5 love game in eastern fantasy and she and her girls
and i will also add tender light, it was pretty good esp the acting
I appreciate your channel. You're not an idol-chaser or a rabid and I appreciate that a lot. The cdramaland has been bad for me since 2022, nothing good since the year Dream of Splendor was aired.
Have you watched Meet Yourself? It also had Liu Yifei, the main girl in Dream Of Splendor. I don't know about the ending because I didn't finish, but it's such a calming and warming story.
I agree with you on Blossom. This drama truly stands out with its well-paced, consistency in acting and more importantly, the chemistry between the leads that got me way invested then I actually expected. So this is to me in my opinion is the #1 drama of the year
Love Game, The Double, and The First Shot were the most enjoyable for me.
....Same here, I love "First Shot"
I think that angels fall sometimes was also a pleasant surprise. Loved that drama and the way it was out across ❤
1.) The Spirealm 2.) the Double 3.) Blossoms in Adversity 4.) Blossom. Still a few I need to see.... There were a few where I liked but could only access two episodes; I think I might give a few from your list a shot. :)
Thank you so much for a year of thoughtful, intelligent, enlightening, entertaining, informative commentaries. You are amazing. Let's hope we get a better 2025. Happy New Year!
The shade at WHD @ 15:28 cracks me up 😂😂😂
I have to slow the play speed before i can pause at the right time, and see who it was 😂
Is it supposed to be Wang Hedi? I thought his dramas were mostly dubbed by a voice actor?
@@ang3432 yes, it is whd, ML of guardians of da feng. He is not dubbed in da feng. I think it is the first time he was not dubbed.
@@agungp.2580 yes it is him. Idk Chinese so I can't comment on his accent or mandarin-speaking skills but I CAN tell he sounds more like he's blabbering compared to a professional dubber. For any mandarin-speaking folks, does it hurt your ears?! 😂
I have been watching your videos a long time and been a Chinese drama fan all my adult life. I missed some of these and some I caught . I love Blossom and it’s pacing last year I loved Journey to Love it caught me there where some fantasy drama’s that caught my eye but I quickly got bored . I think you gave me some to watch and actually expressed my thoughts on some. As expected on of my favorite cdrama critics is always on point. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I was waiting for this video (and for this diss at certain someone)! Please, make "worst dramas of 2024" list!
The Double and Blossom were my favourites
Thank you for all your hard work; Chinese drama and the Black Myth Wukong " information series"! Happy New Year AvenueX! Heroes and To the wonder were my ultimate favorite of this year.
I loved that long monologue in ep30 of Heroes! It was so amazing. I've rewatched that part a few times already :'D
This year I really liked "The Double" which also had a really good music score. Blossom was not bad as well. Both were genuinely entertaining and addicting.
I wonder how Dafeng is doing now. Haven't heard about it much online
I don't know how it's doing in ratings but I am enjoying it very much. Haven't laughed like that since the first season of Joy of Life, cause this really reminds me of it. Second season I couldn't finish because the comedy parts felt really forced.
yayyy the first shot will of course end up in this in one way or another!!!
i watched other dramas from the list more or less 10eps and not able to finished. LGIEF is the only cdrama i finished this year and fun to go back the eps with funny and memorable (the father, musheng, ninja and firework’s explosion thingy) scenes. Coz it is just fun to watch esther and the drama really has a fun and light vibe to it and not like so over the top … thou mls really don’t have kissing scenes but the chemistry is thereee unlike others as well so much 💋
WTF is LGIEF
@@bldomain love game in eastern fantasy
I agree Esther was really very good in this I’m rewatching the drama for the 3rd time❤
I really enjoyed "Are You the One" it wasn't the most complex plot, but I felt it was STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL and most of the acting was smooth and very natural, the "scorned girl, and her mother" were the exception, but I understood the stylistic choice. It was nice that the Female Lead was portrayed as someone whose personality is polite and kind while also being a strong warrior. To be honest, I also want to eat "Crab Roe Rice" so badly! Brocade Odessey is still airing and it's not the best but I'm a textile junkie, and it is again STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL.
Thanks! I was waiting for this video. I stopped watching new dramas this year, and wanted to know where to start so I'll go with your list first.
For me >> The Double; The On1y One, Love game in eastern fantasy and Blossom ^^
This year I have 4 Cdramas that became my favorite. In Blossom, My Altay, Fangs of Fortune and Blossom. I enjoyed these four a lot, and IMO they have all elevated the lead actors to a new level of success.
I probably would have added The Double to the list, but only if they had another actress as FL.
Happy new year !!! Seem like there were few big scandals hope you can cover them on your weekly video or so 😅
I can't remember how veteran I am as a subscriber but I do remember your recommendations and video reviews from way back then. I guess I'm not the only one who thought 2024 was pretty disappointing considering that I didn't watch many of the C-dramas that aired. Even the actors and actresses that I usually don't mind I didn't watch their recent projects either. It was a bummer year for sure.
Hello AvenueX! Happy New Year! 🎆🎊🎈! I hope 2025 brings you joy and happiness! Good work on the channel!
The Wonder was a trip heart for me.( even now...)..beautiful drama ❤❤❤
Thank you for your video and Happy new year.....❤❤❤❤❤❤
Love Game in the Eastern Fantasy, Melody of Golden Age and the Double for me❤
Blossoms of Adversity was #1 for me
I'm glad to see someone else say that. I totally agree, but Avenue X never seemed to even mention it which felt odd since it was so well done and the story was so unique.
Please do a worst list of 2024 as well🤗
You want blood 🩸😂
Gonna be a long list
The whole over-hyped dramas of 2024..
lol i want her to do that too bcs the list is def too long
Thank you, Avenue X. Through the years, I have relied on your review to filter the worthy dramas to watch out for. There are so many dramas that I never even bother to finish because they are so bad.
Happy New Year. I still watch you. Been here since 2019-2020.
王子奇leads two of my favourite rainy day dramas now 😂
Glad to see 小林 having a breakout role to finish off the year. Blossom was a good breezy watch.
Thank you for this list!
Happy new year! Wishing you the very best for 2025!
Happy New Year. Looking forward to your reviews.
I’m from Pakistan but I’ve been watching Chinese dramas since 2017. I’m more inclined to Chinese period dramas than to modern ones.I often get drama recommendations from your channel and trust me your recommendations have never disappointed me. Among your top 5 drama list, 3 are my most favorite ones.
Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty
Heroes
Blossom
But I’ll add my favorite ones to this list
Fangs of fortune
Best choice ever
I’d say nothing is perfect. You can’t expect 100% from anything. Everything has flaws. But I follow your recommendations for good dramas.
Happy New Year! And thanks for the video as usual. I kinda dropped the ball on cdramas for lack of good stuff to watch but I still enjoy watching your videos. Currently watching She and Her Girls and it's indeed very good! I will definitely watch Blossom at some point. And I know it's a 2023 drama but I'm desperately trying to find a subtitled version of Blossoms Shanghai, if anyone has a tip on where to find one. My usual go-to website only has the raw original version. And I'm dying to watch that one!
I didn't find this year that devoid of good dramas. Some of my favs were The Double, Blossom, Strange Tale of Tang Dynasty, The Princess Royal, Blossoms in Adversity and too many more to mention here. There was one total delight for me at the end of the year in watching Riverside Code at Qingming Festival.
1. The Rise of Ning
2. Love Game of Eastern Fantasy
3. Blossom
4. Are You The One
5. Tender Light
6. The Double
Shorts:
7. Secrets of the Shadow Sect
8. Palace Shadows: Between Two Princes
Not in order.
Are You The One 😍
I know youve had this haircut for a while but i just wanna say that you look so fresh in this hair!!❤❤
I here since 12 august 2018 and youtube still pushiing your video yes ! Happy new year to you and to all the people who will read me.
I'm really glad that you recommended 九重紫. I haven't been watching cdramas as much as before, so for me, this series is one of my top for the year.
Can’t wait for your Under The Skin S2 review. Also completely agree with Strange Tales S2 - quality got even better!
Happy new year!!!
And if you remember me Avenue X , it has been 6 years now as a follower of your channel since I renew my unbeatable number one Drama that personally impregnated me:
Bloody Romance: with Chang'an and Wan mei ; their pristine bounding in a messy chaotic ,filled with spite environment.. Liyitong the pariah and Chu xiao the doomed lost heir ..
Blossom is definitely my favorite idol costume drama in all of 2024
My two favorites were The Double and Blossom with Blossom leading by a little more. I especially liked the fighting/martial arts choreography of Blossom. I thought I got used to the style of Chinese fighting choreography with all the flying and epic motions but after watching Blossom I noticed how comfortable I felt watching their fighting scenes. It’s a lot more “realistic” and the choreography had really good rhythm. I watched some of the scenes over and over again bc of how satisfying they looked. And ofc the pace of the plot with the sizzling chemistry helped A LOT.
Girl please drop the tea on 逐玉 production!
Love game in Eastern fantasy best drama in 2024❤
Happy New Year 🎊
curious what good “older” dramas you recommend considering the ones in the last 5 years or so have been meh? 😅 always down to watch good dramas!
AvenueX, thanks for taking time to make this list ❤
I enjoyed Snowy Night Timeless Love ❤
Happy New Year 🍾🥂🍺❤❤❤
I loved Blossom.. though it became a tad romance novel like and boring in the middle. Everything else! A great time!
I'm wondering where I can consistently find out who designs sets and costumes?
Thank you for all your recommendations. We're watching SHE & HER GIRLS now. There one series I'm not sure why you omitted it, perhaps it's not Mainland China but THE TALE OF ROSE belongs on this list anyway.
My list is (best to worst) TO THE WONDER, THE TALE OF ROSE, and SHE AND HER GIRLS. The reason SHE isn't at my top is that extremely awkward mid-series STUMBLE.
SPOILERS: When Zhang gets buckets of money that rescues her school, it was like an episode was then completely cut. In that episode we'd see the kids celebrates, the spirits rise, but they'd set up the disappearing student storyline better. Instead it was HERE'S THE MONEY, but WHERE'S THE GIRL It was very jarring. I'm about 4 eps later and they story completely screwed up showing how hurt the teacher was. Yes, they show after the fact, but the great scene when she learns the girl is gone was omitted. Sloppy.
I remember 春色寄情人 (Will Love in Spring) being pretty good as well.
my no1 drama for this fr it was so good
@@smiayaneYes, Will Love in Spring was fantastic. My No 1 as well
The series I enjoyed watching are "The Rise of Ning", "Are you the one?" and "The Legend of Shen Li". All with happy ending and a fairy-tale-like story that creates a good atmosphere. :)
Only watched Love Game in Eastern Fantasy from the list and really enjoyed it. I did start watching Blossom, but then a few episodes in this "master strategist" ML makes such a rookie mistake for the sake of the plot (i.e. to make the FL come across as smart too) that I had to put it on hold. Maybe I'll come back to it, but I'm watching Guardians of the Dafeng for now.
"First Shot" is the only one on my list for 2024.
I don’t see a lot of people mentioning The Spirealm but it was honestly very good ! The adaptation was fairly close to the novel despite censorship and it managed to draw out so many emotions I was surprised. OFC it wasn’t top notch quality but it had a vibe to it that didn’t make feel like a modern setting but a bit more mysterious and thriller like. Apart from that, Fangs of Fortune and Blossom were also amazing❤️
One of my favorite dramas this year was blossom in adversity. Blossom is not bad but very similar to adversity with the strong female lead trope. You are right though, not much watchable dramas in 2024. I hope the new year is different.
I agree that Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 and Blossom were really good. The director for Blossom definitely got heaps of chemistry flowing from the 2 leads. I haven’t watched all the shows that aired this year either being relatively “new” to cdramas. Top of my list so far (in no particular order):
Joy of Life 2 | The Double | Blossom | Blossoms in Adversity | The Princess Royal | Under the Skin 2 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2
I do enjoy your reviews and the ones you recommend are definitely on my to watch list!
Blossom just really hit what I need for a drama, I liked Ten Miles of Peach Blossom but I think blossom would be my favorite now. It just hit the right places and points, it's really enjoyable and satisfying.
Thank you for pulling together such a thoughtful year-in-review video so quickly while in China. I have enjoyed most of Zeng Qing Jie's work, so I am curious how people are intent on creating drama on a proven director's set. Where does one find the 'gossip video'?
Happy New Year 🎉 Thank you for your video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
She and her girls made me cry all episodes. And I am a middle aged man.
My number one was Fangs of Fortune - Beautiful cinematography, beautiful actors, beautiful story about family, friendship, brotherhood, sacrifice and about the big grey area between good and evil..
2. Blossom
3. The Double
4. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
BUT: I will definitely watch to the world, heroes and She and her girls.
Personally I loved MLC and Fangs of Fortune. They saved this shitty drama year for me 😅 The “found family” trope has become strangely rare in fantasy cdramas (they tend to focus on romance storylines) which made these series remind me of older Wuxia/Xianxia dramas that were more focused on exploration and making friends in jianghu. It’s the same reason that Ancient Detective charmed me during release, and still has to this day.
I know I am hooked when I saw the opening where the crown said you got the wrong person and before I could react he did that. 😂 And I realised I didn't fast forward Jiuchongzi in the first 2 episodes, 40+minutes passed so fast 😅 and then I binge watched til ep20 in 2 days, without fast forward. I had to go backward multiple times to rewatch how the other characters react to certain event 😂 I recommended to my mom and I caught her watching the drama without doing other things (in fact she stopped doing her virtual farm game just to pay attention what was happening.. )😂
It's such a normal drama it's rare these days.
My favourite drama from last year was Fry Me to the Moon. Last year was more a gaming year for me so I missed out on the C-drama down year. But FMttM was stellar --- nothing serious but heartfelt and with a happy ending. Plus, Song Yi is hella cute😅
Love game in Eastern fantasy my favourite 2024 drama
Completely agree with your assessment!
My dramalist of 2024 looks like this:
1. 19th floor
2. The Spirealm
3. To the Wonder
4. The Double
5. Highschool return of a gangster (Korea)
6. Link Click
7. Strange Tales of the Tang dynastie (season 1&2)
8. Strange Tales of Jiang Cheng
9. The First Shot
10. Love in the Eastern Fantasy
11. Under the skin 2
My 2024 favorites: Spirealm, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2, White Cat Legend, The First Shot, Bright Time
I love Blossom!
Number 1 for me was The Double. Looks like I also gave The Legend of Shen Li a 9 ( I should probably lower that ) I enjoyed The Rise of Ning more than Blossom myself. I only gave Amidst a Snowstorm of Love a 7 but I still remember every bit of it, how do you rate that? And finally the only 10 on my list is one of those super short dramas which I usually skip after the first few minutes but I watched this one because it was just so kinky (lol) Embrace in the Dark Night (2024)
Happy new year 🎉
Currently watching Blossom based on your recommendation!
Happy you listed To the Wonder as for me it was a little wonder that had me entranced as much by the landscape as the story and the depiction of life in that region as well as the conflict with the encroaching Han culture, something that must have been happening and continues to happen throughout the regions of China. Currently enjoying Blossom. Major achievement for me of 2024 was watching Rise of the Phoenixes all the way to the end and atm working through the final episodes of Yanxi Palace. I have abandoned deliberately or by loss of interest and not deliberate decision, so many dramas that I had to finish some just so I could say I had finished some. Keep up you good work!
I’ve only watched 1.5 dramas on your list, the others are still to-watch😅
The .5 is due to Heroes, which I’m currently at ep 22 and enjoying it so far. I’m not a fan of Qin Junjie but he’s really good here.. although his cp is with the Gege, I really enjoy his chemistry with the revo girl.
Hoping for more good dramas this year❤ thanks as always😊😊
Happy new year.....❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Loved Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty and The Double. Still watching Blossom but the first 10 episodes was on the slow side…however will forge through to see why everyone thinks it’s amazing.
I really enjoyed Romance in the alley for the acting as you pointed out and the evolution of the society- it was educational for me as a westerner!
Also enjoyed Fake it until you make - unless it was from 2023? 🤔
Anyway, thank you for your great review work. Have a great 2025! 🐉
thank you for the overview and i do agree, mostly idol dramas with no depth. I started to watch way more K-dramas these days as they have a unique way of story telling that gets me glued to the TV with its story plot twists and telling style.
for the other 5 good ones, can someone type out the english title too, so I can look them up?
Agreed. The 2024 was pretty bad for c-dramas. What I find most frustrating is that a lot of dramas had potential to be at least enjoyable but after few episodes they turned out pretty boring like The Double, Story of the Pearl Girl or The Princess Royal. My top would be Blossoms in Adversity, Joy of Life Season 2 (it wasn't that good, but everything else I've seen was even worse xD) and Blossom (I'm still watching and hoping it won't turn out a bit dissapointing like Love Game).
Thanks for your videos! Is She and her girls available to watch in the US?
I’ve been watching Cdramas almost every day since 2020. 2024 certainly is not the worst year for Cdramas. The last 2 years were so bad that 2024 is pretty good for me. My top would be:
1. Heroes (Love Qin Junjie’s character, the historical time setting, the style that reminds me of TVB wuxia dramas)
2. She and Her Girls (so realistic on the hardships of girls from underprivileged bg)
3. SToTD (love the cases & main leads)
4. Riverside Code at Qingming Festival (just for production alone it’s worth-watching. And I love the little family)
5. Romance in the Alley (that drama that uplifts you & leaves you with warmth in your heart)
Special mention:
1. LGiEF (the chemistry & comedy worked & it’s just so entertaining to watch)
2. War of Faith (the best Republican Era drama I watched in the last 3-4 years)
3. Escape From the Trilateral Slopes (very rare to watch a Cdrama that’s so gritty, brutal and raw)
I have to agree with most of your picks, #4 Riverside Code was a bit stalled in the later eps, and the voice acting could have been better so I would have put that as #6. For me, Love Endures was a top 3 because of the cinematography, storytelling and acting (voice and physical).
So happy to see someone else who put Heroes as their first choice, this drama is just too good to be true!
I was planning on watching Romance in the Alley but there aren't any decent English subs out there, have you watched the raw version?
@@juz1025 I didn’t watch Love Endures so couldn’t rate it.
@@xxiyyi I watched it on UA-cam on the official site and the Eng sub is wacky but still understandable after some repetition.