Best Chinese Drama Adaptations of Popular K-Dramas

As K-dramas have started to to dominate the world entertainment, many of these top-rated shows have been remade into Chinese dramas. Characterized by their exquisite storylines, these titles delve into a variety of genres, including romance, slice-of-life, thriller etc. From Meteor Garden to Pretty Li Hui Zhen, here’s a list of Chinese dramas that are actually adaptations of Korean shows:

Meteor Garden (2018)

This youth rom-com Chinese Drama is a remake of popular South Korean show, Boys over Flowers (2009). The series is based on the Japanese manga, with the same title, that has been remade in several languages, including an anime adaptation and a Taiwanese version.

Meteor Garden follows the story of Shan Cai (Shen Yue), a girl from an ordinary family who gets admission to a prestigious elite school. She constantly finds herself clashing with her elitist classmates, who don’t want her there. Four of her classmates, known as the F4, make her life a living hell. But Shan Cai does not budge and stands her ground. Her determination and diligence win their heart, and they slowly form a bond. Meteor Garden is available to stream on Netflix.

Pretty Li Hui Zhen (2017)

It is an adaptation of popular K-drama, She Was Pretty. It follows the story of Li Hui Zhen (Dilraba Dilmurat) who used to be gorgeous, but her beauty faded with years after facing a family crisis. Once an ordinary looking guy, Bai Hao Yu (Peter Sheng), on the other hand, looks unrecognizable after getting success. When Li Hui Zhen crosses his path years later, she is too embarrassed to face him and asks her good-looking roommate to pose as her.

However, the problem is that Bai Hao Yu is actually Li Hui Zhen’s boss, and she now has to pretend to be someone else while working under him. Slowly, even without knowing her true identity, Bai Hao Yu finds himself being attracted to Li Hui Zhen. Can Li Hui Zhen get over from her insecurity and accept that true beauty comes from within?

Unknown Number (2019)

Ab adaptation of 2016 thriller K-drama Signal, Unknown Number follows detective He Jun (Li Xiaoran), who teams up with a young and passionate criminal profiler named Gu Ming Zhe (Wang Tianchen). Gu Ming Zhe unexpectedly stumbles upon a mysterious old phone that connects him to detective Cao Zheng (Du Chun).

But what Gu Ming Zhe doesn’t know is that his new acquaintance has been missing for 20 years and is making the calls from the year 1998. To get to the bottom of this mysterious encounter, He Jun and Gu Ming Zhe team up with Cao Zhang to investigate the complex cold cases.

So It’s You (2022)

This is a remake of the fam-favorite 2016 K-drama, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo. Yuan Lai (Luo Yutong) is among a group of college athletes who are fighting for their dreams. She is a Judo player, who is kind-hearted but looks intimidating.

She develops a strong friendship with swimming prodigy Jiang Gu Nan (Derek Chang), who appears distant but is hiding a lot of pain. As they fall in love, Yuan Lai heals his trauma and also helps him repair his relationship with his parents. The drama is available for streaming on Viki and MGTV.

Love the Way You Are (2022)

A remake of 2018 K-drama Something in the Rain, this drama tells the story of Yin Yi Ke (Angelababy) has lived 32 years of her life as a diligent woman. Meanwhile, Xu Guang Xi (Lai Kuan Lin), is a young man who looked up to her during their youth.

After returning from his studies abroad, Xu Guang Xi finds himself feeling attracted toward Yi Ke. But winning over her heart seems impossible. He becomes more mature and responsible for her sake. Love starts to bloom between them as they both become better versions of themselves. The drama is available on iQIYI and Viki.

The Ordinary Glory (2020)

This workplace Chinese drama is a remake of Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014). It follows the story of Wu Ke Zhi (Mark Chao) and the new intern, Sun Li Qiu (Bai Jingting). Wu Ke Zhi finds himself entangled in office politics and is unable to ride the corporate ladder. Sun Li Qiu, on the other hand, looks up to him and considers him his mentor.

Happy streaming!