Douban Rating and Heat Index of Chinese Series Aired in the First Quarter of 2024

As we approach the final stretch of the Q1 of 2024, we are wrapping up the quarter by sharing the Douban score and the heat index achieved by the Chinese dramas (from the mainland) aired this first quarter. 

Part I - Douban rating of each drama, arranged from highest to lowest. In case of a tie score, a drama that has a large number of reviewers will be ranked higher.

The highest-rated C-Drama in Douban so far this first quarter of 2024

Here's the Highest to Lowest Douban Score list ( series that premiered in Q1 2024): 

1. Like a Flowing River Season III. Rating: 8.1 scored by 51,713 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 33. Streaming platforms: iQIYI and Tencent. Genre: Business/Social Issues. Main Leads: Wang Kai, Yang Shuo, Dong Zijian, Yang Caiyu

2. The Great Nobody. Rating: 7.9 scored by 17,365 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 14. Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Costume/Comedy. Main Leads: Tudou, Lv Yan, Ma Xudong, Wang Tianfang, and Zhang Youwei 

3. Growing Together. Rating: 7.9 scored by 17,255 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 40 Streaming platform: Mango TV. Genre: Family drama. Main Leads: Zhang Jiayi and Chen Hao

4. Born to Run. Rating: 7.5 scored by 37,535 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 28 Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Slife-of-life/Family. Main Leads:  Sun Qian, Wei Zheming, Bai Shu, Wang Ruoshan, Luo Yutong 

5. The Spirealm. Rating: 7.3  scored by 33,560 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 78. Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Virtual Reality/Mystery/Suspense. Main Leads: Xia Zhiguang / Huang Junjie / Liu Ruogu / Liu Xiaobei

6. Her Islands. Rating: 7.3 scored by 13,828 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 40. Streaming platform: Tencent. Genre: Family/Slice of Life drama. Main Leads: Xu Fan / Ma Sichun / Liang Jing / Li Xiaoran / Song Chunli

7. Our Parallel Universes. Rating: 7.3 scored by 16,478 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 12. Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Comedy. Main Leads: Zhang Zhehua / Zhan Xin / Tudou / Lv Yan 

8. Love Endures. Rating: 7.2 scored by 130,108 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 32. Streaming platform: Youky. Genre: Modern Romance. Main Leads: Yang Zi and Fan Chengcheng 

9. Always on the Move Rating: 7.2 scored by 48,661. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 39. Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Period/Police life/Family. Main Leads: Bai Jingting, Ding Yongdai, Jin Chen

10. My Boss. Rating: 7.0 scored by 32,845 users. Star rating: 4/5. Number of episodes: 36 Streaming platform: Youku. Genre: Modern Romance. Main Leads: Chen Xingxu and Zhang Ruonan 

11. A Soldier's Story. Rating: 6.9 scored by 19,390 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 24 Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Military. Main Leads: Jiang Long / Shi Ce / Qin Hailu / You Yongzhi / Jiang Yi

12. White Cat Legend. Rating: 6.7 scored by 10,972  users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 36. Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Costume/Investigative. Main Leads: Ding Yuxi / Zhou Qi / Wei Zheming / Ding Jiawen / Zhang Yicong 

13. Amidst a Snowstorm of Love. Rating: 6.5 scored by 109,780 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 30. Streaming platform: Tencent. Genre: Modern/Sports/Romance. Main Leads: Wu Lei and Zhao Jinmai

14. Frozen Surface. Rating: 6.5 scored by 3,105 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 12 Streaming platform: Tencent. Genre: Suspense. Main Leads: Chen Jianbin / Hu Jun / Deng Jiajia / Shi Ce

15. Our Interpreter. Rating: 6.5 scored by 11,307 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 36. Streaming platform: Mango TV. Genre: Modern Romance. Main Leads:  Victoria Song and Chen Xingxu

16. The 19th Floor. Rating: 6.1 scored by 18,625 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 30 Streaming platform: Mango TV. Genre: Suspense. Main Leads: Sun Qian / Wei Zheming / Bai Shu / Wang Ruoshan / Luo Yutong 

17. Judge Dee's Mystery. Rating: 5.7 scored by 36,912 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 32. Streaming platform: Youku. Genre: Costume/Investigative. Main Leads: Zhou Yiwei / Wang Likun / Zhong Chuxi / Zhang Jiayi

18. Fighting For Love. Rating: 5.7 scored by 5,783 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 36. Streaming platform: iQIYI. Genre: Costume/Suspense. Main Leads:  Zhang Tianai / Zhang Haowei / Wang Ruichang / Gao Ge

19. A Tale of Love and Loyalty. Rating: 5.6 scored by 5,554 users. Star rating: 3/5. Number of episodes: 20 Streaming platform: Tencent. Genre: Costume/Romance. Main Leads: Li Fei / Ming Jiajia / Quan Peilun / Mu Leen

20. Sword and Fairy 6. Rating: 5.0 scored by 44,057 users. Star rating: 1/5. Number of episodes: 36 Streaming platform: Tencent Genre: Costume/Xianxia. Main Leads: Xu Kai and Esther Yu

21. The Hunter. Rating: 4.5 rated by 43,492 users. Star rating: 1/5. Number of episodes: 18 Streaming platform: Tencent. Genre: Crime/Suspense. Main Leads: Zhang Songwen / Yao Anna / Han Geng / Bao Wenjing

22. Sword and Fairy 4. Rating: 4.3 rated by 59,077 users. Star rating: 1/5. Number of episodes: 36 Streaming platform: iQIYI Genre: Costume/Xianxia. Main Leads: Chen Zheyuan and Ju Jingyi

No Score yet:

• Eternal Brotherhood
• Everyone Loves Me
• Scout Hero
• Sweet Trap
• Yong An Dream

The number one drama of each of the three streaming platforms this Q1: Love Endures (Youku), Always on the Move (iQiyi), The Hunter (Tencent)

PART II - Heat Index of the three biggest streaming platforms in China

China's three biggest platforms: Tencent, iQIYI, and Youku, removed the view count feature of the drama in their system to prevent click farming (fans of drama stars who deliberately inflate the view counts) from contaminating the data.

They replaced it with a more comprehensive evaluation system to gauge videos' popularity, which was later called the popularity heat index. 

They did not specify how their technology measures the heat index during the broadcast but based on their annual report, the following is the determination factor of each platform on how the drama achieved success and popularity.

• Tencent: 30,000 heat (Equivalent to iQIYI and Youku's 10,000 heat). This is the indicator that the drama attains success in investment and popularity. However, it has no limit. The heat can go up depending on the number of viewers tuning into the drama during the broadcast.
• iQIYI: 10,000 heat (Equivalent to Tencent's 30,000 heat and Youku's 10,000 heat). This is the indicator that the drama attains success in investment and popularity. However, it has no limit. The heat can go up depending on the number of viewers tuning into the drama during the broadcast.
• Youku: 10,000 heat (Equivalent to Tencent's 30,000 heat and Youku's 10,000 heat). This is the ceiling indicator that the drama attains success in investment and popularity. But unlike in iQIYI and Tencent where the heat has no limit, in Youku's system, the peak will stop at 10,000, the system will just determine how many days the drama peaked at 10k during its broadcast.

Below is the heat index list from each of the three streaming platforms this first quarter. We also included the hot series in the 2023 from each platform to see if there's a drama in 2024 that can beat their records. 

1. iQIYI. There are only five series on iQIYI in 2023 that peaked at 10,000 heat index during its broadcast:

1. The Knockout. Highest peak: 11,800. Douban score: 8.5
2. Destined. highest peak: 10,353, Douban score: 6.5
3. Story of Kunning. Highest peak: 10,310. Douban score: 6.8
4. Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Highest peak: 10,118. Douban score: 8.5
5. A Journey to Love.  Highest peak: 10,106. Douban score: 6.5

Always on the Move is iQiyi's #1 drama this Q1

In the first quarter of 2024, so far, none has peaked at 10k. Below are the top 10 iQiyi series with the highest heat index this Q1 :

1. Always on the Move: 9,958
2. A Soldier's Story: 8,518
3. Born to Run: 8,505
4. White Cat Legend: 8,500
5. Sword and Fairy 4: 7,834
6. Detective Chinatown S2: 7,500
7. Like a Flowing River: 7,299
8. Fighting for Love: 6,611
9. Scout Hero: 6323
10. The Great Nobody: 6,318

2. Tencent. There are only four series on Tencent in 2023 that reached a 30,000 heat index during its broadcast:

1. Lost You Forever. Highest peak: 33,144. Douban score: 7.8
2. Blossoms Shanghai. Highest peak: 31,129. Douban score: 8.7
3. Alliance. Highest peak: 30,479. Douban score: 6.1 
4. The Youth Memories. Highest peak: 30,111. Douban score: 7.5

The Hunter is Tencent's #1 drama this Q1

In the first quarter of 2024, so far, none peaked at 30k. Below are the top Tencent series with the highest heat index this Q1 :

1. The Hunter: 29,930
2. Amidst a Snowstorm of Love: 28,504
3. Her Islands: 27,579
4. Like a Flowing River S3: 25,023
5. Frozen Surface: 25,010
6. Sword and Fairy 6: 24,815
7. Yong An Dream: 23,000
8. Scout Hero: 22,885
9. Have a Soft Spot for Her: 20,896
10. The Happy Seven in Chang'an: 20,241

3. Youku. There are 11 series on Youku in 2023 that peaked at 10,000 during its broadcast. But since Youku's heat system stopped at 10,000, the ranking is determined based on how many days the drama peaked at 10k:

1. Till the End of the Moon: 36 days. Douban score: 5.6
2. Who is He?: 22 days. Douban score: 5.8
3. Hidden Love: 22 days. Douban score: 6.7
4. The Legend of Anle: 22 days. Douban score: 5.7
5. The Hope: 14 days. Douban score: 6.1
6. The Starry Love: 9 days. Douban score: 7.2
7. Ray of Light: 9 days. Douban score: 8.0
8. Gen Z/Houlang: 8 days. Douban score: 4.1
9. I am Nobody: 6 days. Douban score: 8.1
10. South Wind Knows: 3 days. Douban score: 5.7
11. Back from the Brink: 2 days. Douban score: 7.2

Love Endures is Youku's #1 drama this Q1

In the first quarter of 2024, only Yang Zi's Love Endures peaked at 10,000 for 4 days. The figures on the right side indicate the drama's highest peak during its broadcast (Q1 of 2024):

1. Love Endures: 10,000 peaked for 4 days
2. My Boss: 9,504
3. Everyone Loves Me: 9,000 (on-going broadcast)
4. Judge Dee's Mystery: 8,587