15 Most Popular Chinese Drama on Douban in the First Half of 2025

So it's June! We are halfway through the year, and by now, we have watched some of our highly anticipated series in 2025. We, overseas fans, have a different perspective on Chinese dramas; we have our own set of favorites, and we have our own list of the most amazing series based on our viewing experiences. 

However, domestic fans also have their own preferences and favorites, and most of these have been revealed in their reviews on Douban, China's most influential rating platform for films and series. 

Here are the most popular C-dramas on Douban in the first half of 2025, reviewed and rated by domestic fans. Figures below are as of June 11, 2025, and these figures will change as the months drag on, so always check here for the updated list:

1. The Legend of Zang Hai (Youku). Genre: Historical Costume. Main Lead: Xiao Zhan. This is the most popular Chinese series so far on Douban in the first half of 2025, with more than 400,000 reviewers giving their ratings and comments. Number of reviewers: 436,078. Douban rating: 7.1

2. Flourished Peony (Hunan TV, Mango TV). Genre: Historical Costume. Main Leads: Yang Zi and Li Xian. Number of reviewers: 353,426. Douban rating: 7.8

3. Moonlight Mystique (iQIYI). Genre: Costume Fantasy/Xianxia. Main Leads: Bai Lu and Ao Ruiping. Number of reviewers: 199,377. Douban rating: 5.8

4. Filter (Tencent). Genre: Modern Fantasy. Main Leads: Tan Jianci and Li Landi. Number of reviewers: 185,480. Douban rating: 7.3

5. The First Frost (Youku). Genre: Modern Romance. Main Leads: Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan. Number of reviewers: 167,787. Douban rating: 5.4

6. Drifting Away (iQIYI). Genre: Crime, Suspense. Main Leads: Guo Jingfei and Zhao Jinmai. This is so far iQIYI's explosive drama in 2025 as the only drama on the platform that reached 10000 popularity heat index. Number of reviewers: 164,571. Douban rating: 5.3

7. The Demon Hunter's Romance (iQIYI). Genre: Costume Fantasy. Main Leads: Ren Jialun and Song Zuer. Number of reviewers: 159,692. Douban rating: 7.5

8. Northward (iQIYI). Genre: Period Drama/Slice of Life. Main Leads: Bai Lu, Ou Hao, Zhai Zilu, Gao Zhiting, Vanda Margraf. Number of reviewers: 137,096. Douban rating: 7.0

9. The Glory (Tencent). Genre: Historical Costume. Main Leads: Chen Duling and Xin Yunlai. This is the first explosive drama on Tencent in 2025 (drama that premiered in 2025), surpassing the 30000 popularity heat index during the broadcast. Number of reviewers: 130,251. Douban rating: 6.8

10. Love of the Divine Tree (iQIYI). Genre: Costume Fantasy/Xianxia. Main Leads: Deng Wei and Julia Xiang. This is Deng Wei's first main male lead role. Number of reviewers: 113,849. Douban rating: 7.1

11. The Prisoner of Beauty (Tencent). Genre: Costume Historical. Main Leads: Song Zuer and Liu Yuning. This is the second explosive drama on the Tencent app in 2025 (drama that premiered in 2025), reaching more than 10000 popularity heat index during the broadcast. Number of reviewers: 113,733. Douban rating: 6.4

13. Ski Into Love (Youku). Genre: Modern Romance Drama. Main Leads: Esther Yu and Lin Yi. Number of reviewers: 106,683. Douban rating: 6.1

14. Sandstorm (Youku). Genre: Police Crime Investigation/Suspense. Main Leads: Duan Yihong, Wang Xiang, Zhang Jianing. Number of reviewers: 102,971. Douban rating: 8.0

15. Playing Go (Tencent). Genre: Crime Suspense. Main Leads: Wang Baoqiang, Chen Minghao, Chen Yongsheng. Number of reviewers: 102,711. Douban rating: 7.4

Are you surprised by the drama preferences of domestic fans? There are popular series this year in the international scene that did not make it to the top 15. But then, yes, domestic fans have a totally different perception when it comes to local dramas than overseas fans.