30 historical Korean and Chinese TV series worth watching: part 1

As soon as you get to China, Korea, or Japan, you can feel at home if you are a fan of historical gifts. These fascinating series show not only the life and customs of past eras, but also modern traditions and customs. The creators of the dramas boldly take their compatriots from the 21st century to the ancient times, where they are forced to adapt, fall in love and live a life full of adventures. Viewers also empathize with the characters and immerse themselves in an attractive bygone era, as well as learn a lot about the culture of Asian countries.

Our Blooming Youth (2023)

Our Blooming Youth (2023)
Image credit: Celebrity okezone

Genre: Drama, History, Mystery, Romance
Cast: Park Hyung-sik, So-nee Jeon, Pyo Ye-jin, Jong-Seok Yun, Tae-sun Lee, Heo Won-Seo

Country: South Korea
Rating: IMDb – 7.7


The new movie will tell the story of the daughter of the crown prince’s mentor, who secretly conducts detective investigations and prepares for a wedding with a young general. Everything changed when unknown people poisoned the girl’s entire family. Min-jae-yi is accused of the crime. She changes into a man’s dress and runs to the capital to meet the prince. The girl wants to enlist his support.

The Forbidden Marriage (2022 – 2023)

The Forbidden Marriage (2022 - 2023)
Image credit: Hancinema

Genre: Comedy, Drama, History, Mystery
Cast: Young-Dae Kim, Park Ju-hyun, Jeon Jin-oh, Choi Deok-moon, Kim Woo-Seok, Song Ji-woo

Country: South Korea
Rating: IMDb – 7.5


The new historical drama will tell the story of the reign of King Lee Hong. Seven years ago, his wife tragically died. Since then, the ruler has not found a replacement for her. And all this time, young people across the country have been suffering because of the marriage ban. Seo Ran is a fraudster who illegally unites loving hearts. When she was imprisoned, she pretended to be possessed by the spirit of the late queen.

The Queen’s Umbrella (2022)

The Queen's Umbrella (2022)
Image credit: Dailyresearchplot

Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Kim Hye-su, Moon Sang-min, Chani, Choi Wonyoung, Ja-Yeon Ok, Kim Eui-sung, Rain

Country: South Korea
Rating: IMDb – 8.5


The royal palace is a place where everything is subject to strict rules and laws, and therefore the queen’s life is full of worries. Hwa-ren has to make sure that the princes fulfill their duties and live up to their status every day. Not a single day goes by without worry, because they are real tomboys and rebels.

Red Sleeve (2021 – 2022)

Red Sleeve (2021 - 2022)
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Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Cast: Lee Jun-Ho, Se-yeong Lee, Kang Hoon, Park Ji-young, Jang Hie-jin, Lee Deok-hwa, Lee Joo Won

Country: South Korea
Rating: IMDb – 8.5


The new historical series is based on the novel of the same name. Song Dok-im is a court lady who wants to maintain her independence in decision-making, not just be one of the king’s many wives. Her life changes after she meets the crown prince. Li San wants to become a strong and just ruler. He faces the most difficult test yet. He must choose between his duty and the woman he loves.

The Rebel Princess (2021)

The Rebel Princess (2021)
Image credit: Viki

Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Cast: Ziyi Zhang, Yiwei Zhou, Ke Shi, Xiaoqing Zuo, Hewei Yu, Tony Yo-ning Yang, Angie Chiu, Liu Yun

Country: China
Rating: IMDb – 8.2


Shanyan was born into the family of a court nobleman and spent her entire life in the palace, unaware of the passions and intrigues that were going on inside the royal court. When she came of age, she dreamed of getting married to one of the princes she liked. But fate prepared her for difficult trials. The rootless colonel Xiao Qi receives Shanyan as a wife as a gift for winning the war.

The Imperial Coroner (2021)

The Imperial Coroner (2021)
Image credit: Soompi

Genre: Drama, Mystery
Cast: Xiaotong Su, Zi Qi Wang, Tingdong Yang, Yaoke Zhao, Yanxin Wang, Huaihu Mu, Jun Guo

Country: China
Rating: IMDb – 7.7


Chu Chu arrives from the province to the capital to take an exam and enter the palace service. However, there is a problem with her gender, as girls have not served as coroners before. Despite this, Chu Chu demonstrates her professional aptitude and is selected among many candidates, but now she faces the main tests. Xiao Jinyu becomes her new partner, and they have some difficult investigations ahead of them, although he is not very happy about his assistant.

Mr. Queen (2020 – 2021)

Mr. Queen (2020 - 2021)
Image credit: Doramy

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Cast: Hae Sun Shin, Kim Jung-hyun, Seol In-ah, Kim Tae-woo, Lee Jae-won, Yoo Min-Kyu

Country: South Korea
Rating: IMDb – 8.6


This stunning historical drama is a fascinating novelty that you can’t put down. Jeon Bong-hwan is a chef in a prestigious restaurant who cooks for high-ranking politicians. Due to a misunderstanding, he is fired, and shortly afterward, the police show up at his door. To escape, Bong-hwan falls into a swimming pool from a great height and is magically transported to the distant Joseon era. Now he has to recall the important moments of this period and survive in a difficult situation, because his soul finds itself in the body of Ms. Kim, the future wife of the king.

Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos (2020)

Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos (2020)
Image credit: YouTube

Genre: Drama
Cast: Zhuocheng Wang, Yi Dai, Aarif Rahman, Xinduo Feng, Yitong Li

Country: China
Rating: IMDb – 7.1


During the Zhou Dynasty, a legend arose about a girl from the Fu family who ascends to the throne. At first, the people of the kingdom perceived this prophecy as a funny joke, but when the prediction suddenly comes true, everything changes. Both Fu sisters enter the palace, but fate has prepared a significant role for only one of them in the country’s history. Caught in the center of political intrigue, the girls face trials that make it difficult to preserve their best human qualities.

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
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Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Cast: Lee Min-Ho, Kim Go-eun, Woo Do-Hwan, Kim Kyung-Nam, Jung Eun-chae, Lee Jung-Jin

Country: South Korea
Rating: IMDb – 8.1


The fantasy historical drama will tell the story of two parallel worlds that follow different development scenarios. In one of the realities, modern Korea, human rights are respected, while in the other world, an alternative reality, patriarchy reigns supreme. The delicate balance between these worlds is threatened by the activation of a portal by evil demons. The Korean emperor Lee Gong seeks to close the magical door to prevent destruction, and in this case he is assisted by a brave detective from the XXI century – Jeong Tae-il.

Emperors and Me (2019)

Emperors and Me (2019)
Image credit: YouTube

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Cast: Liu Zhaohong, Dai Wenwen, Gao Jicai, Gao Taiyu

Country: China
Rating: IMDb – 7.3


After unexpectedly discovering the ability to travel through time, student Luo Xi and her friend are accidentally transported to the Three Kingdoms era. Upon meeting the young monarch Qin Shan, Lo Xi is mistaken for a powerful goddess because of her mystical ability. Stunned by this secret, the monarch intends to marry the sorceress. To avoid undesirable consequences, the two friends decide to flee, but the emperor is accidentally transported to the present with them.

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