Douban, which has around 500 million registered users, is China's largest online database and social networking service. It allows registered users to create content related to film, books, music, recent events, and activities in Chinese cities. It is also a platform for finding ratings and reviews of media. It is where the pulse of domestic film and drama viewers in mainland China can be heard.
Recently, Douban tightened its membership after the state authorities fined them in 2021 for the fake ratings from "water armies" of traffic stars. So the platform cleaned it out and removed the questionable accounts. Today, only individuals with mobile numbers in China can register on the platform.
Some Chinese authors as well as critics register their official personal pages on the site so most of its drama reviewers are real critics. Networks and drama productions respected the ratings and scores reflected in Douban because they reflect the feedback of domestic fans, so let's take a look at which series aired in the first quarter of 2025 impressed Douban registered users.Â
As of March 1, 2025, the following are the highest-rated (scoring at least 7.0):
1. I am Nobody season 2Â (Youku)
- Douban rating: 8.3
- Number of reviewers: 86,008
- Number of episodes: 13
- Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
- Leads: Peng Yuchang, Wang Yinglu, Neo Hou, and Vicky Chen
2. Legend of the Undercover Chef season 2 (Tencent/WeTV)
- Douban rating: 8.0
- Number of reviewers: 23,059
- Number of episodes: 40
- Genre: Costume Comedy
- Leads:Â Zhao Benshan, Song Xiaobao, Song Xiaofeng, and Wen SongÂ
Zhao Benshan |
- Douban rating: 7.9
- Number of reviewers: 14,305
- Number of episodes: 27
- Genre: Family
- Leads: Zhou Yutong and Wu Yue
4. Flourished Peony (Hunan TV, Mango TV)
- Douban rating: 7.8
- Number of reviewers: 328,009
- Number of episodes: 32
- Genre: Costume Historical Business
- Leads: Yang Zi, Li Xian, Wei Zheming, and Zhang Yaqin
- Douban rating: 7.8
- Number of reviewers: 20,335
- Number of episodes: 30
- Genre: Costume Fantasy
- Leads: Zhai Xiaowen, Daniel Zhou, Yang Xizi, He Qiu
6. Trident season 2 (iQIYI, Dragon TV)
- Douban rating: 7.7
- Number of reviewers: 18,832
- Number of episodes: 34
- Genre: Crime Thriller
- Leads: Chen Jianbin, Dong Yong, Hao Ping
7. Reopen My Journals (Tencent/WeTV)
- Douban rating: 7.7
- Number of reviewers: 16,745
- Number of episodes: 33
- Genre: Family and Youth
- Leads: Li Yunrui, Huangyang Tiantian, Ni Hongjie, Yang Haoyu
The adults and youths in Reopen My Journals |
Story background:Â A heartwarming family and youth drama, telling a story of their growth and friendship in a close-knit community. It tackles two generations - parents and their children, and their relationship towards each other, the dreams of their children and the adjustments the parents must make as their children prepare to enter college.
8. Under the Moonlight (Youku, CCTV-8)
- Douban rating: 7.5
- Number of reviewers: 29,845
- Number of episodes: 36
- Genre: Costume/Investigation
- Leads:Â Hu Bingqing, Zhai Zilu, He Peng, Ding Xiaoying
from left: He Ping, Hu Bingqing, and Zhai Zilu |
Story Background: The young girl Luo Shu's family fell into poverty and she became a slave. Because she understood people's hearts and was considerate, she was nicknamed "Jin Nang". To change her fate, she volunteers to help the new county magistrate Han Muzhi solve a major case. Since then, she has stayed in the county government office and worked as a detective. She later met Qi Menglin, who she partnered in solving many cases.
9. Love of the Divine Tree (iQiyi)
- Douban rating: 7.0
- Number of reviewers: 87,602
- Number of episodes: 40
- Genre: Costume/FantasyÂ
- Leads: Deng Wei and Julia XiangÂ
![]() |
Julia Xiang and Deng Wei |
- Douban rating: 7.0
- Number of reviewers: 19,946
- Number of episodes: 28
- Genre: Costume Suspense Thriller
- Leads: Wang Ziqi and Sun Yang
1. The Blossoming Love (Youku)
- Douban rating: 6.9
- Number of reviewers: 24,011
- Number of episodes: 36
- Genre: Costume Fantasy
- Leads: Zhang Binbin, Sun Zhenni
2. Small Police Station (Tencent)
- Douban rating: 6.8
- Number of reviewers: 23,689
- Number of episodes: 33
- Genre: Police drama
- Leads: Guo Jingfei, Chen Shu, Li HaofeiÂ
3. Fearless 2 (iQIYI)
- Douban rating: 6.8
- Number of reviewers: 11,445
- Number of episodes: 38
- Genre: Legal drama
- Leads: Wang Yang and Reyiza
4. Kill My Sins (Youku): 6.4
- Number of reviewers: 69,608
- Number of episodes: 30
- Genre: Costume/Politics
- Leads:Â Liu Shishi and Shawn Dou
- Douban rating: 5.9
- Number of reviewers: 44,084
- Number of episodes: 36
- Genre: Family, Light Comedy
- Leads: Lu Yuxiao, Wang Xingyue, Ni Hongjie
6. Six Sisters (Tencent)
- Douban rating: 5.9
- Number of reviewers: 18,733
- Number of episodes: 38
- Genre: Family
- Leads:Â Mei Ting, Lu Yi, Wu Junmei, Xi Meiju
7. Moonlight Mystique (iQIYI)
- Douban rating: 5.8
- Number of reviewers: 186,958
- Number of episodes: 40
- Genre: Costume Fantasy
- Leads:Â Bai Lu, Ao Ruiping, Chang Huasen, Dai Luwa
8. Guardians of the Dafeng (Tencent)
- Douban rating: 5.6
- Number of reviewers: 164,065
- Number of episodes: 40
- Genre: Costume Fantasy
- Leads:Â Dylan Wang, Tian Xiwei, Liu Yijun, and Yan Zidong
- Douban rating: 5.5
- Number of reviewers: 99,444
- Number of episodes: 32
- Genre: Youth Romance
- Leads: Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan
10. Drifting Away (iQIYI):
- Douban rating: 5.3
- Number of reviewers: 155,365
- Number of episodes: 14
- Genre: Crime Thriller
- Leads:Â Guo Jingfei, Wang Qianyuan, Zhao Jinmai
11. The White Olive Tree (iQIYI)
- Douban rating: 5.3
- Number of reviewers: 43,126
- Number of episodes: 38
- Genre: Military Romance
- Leads:Â Liang Jie and Chen Zheyuan
12. Everlasting Longing (Tencent)
- Douban rating: 5.1
- Number of reviewers: 31,804
- Number of episodes: 30
- Genre: Costume/Clan conflict
- Leads:Â Angelababy and Song Weilong
0 Comments