6 best Chinese drama adaptations of popular K-Dramas

The popularity of Chinese dramas is growing rapidly these days. Along with its versatile storylines, the production houses work on appropriate cast and broad exposure. Due to its rising fame, OTT platforms like We TV, Netflix, etc are featuring them.

Taking inspiration from Korean dramas and tweaking them in a Chinese background are quite ubiquitous in the Chinese entertainment industry and vice versa. The ongoing K-drama Family By Choice is one of the prime examples. It is the Korean dub of the popular Chinese drama Go Ahead.

On the other hand, fans of Kill Me Heal Me, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, and Signal can enjoy the Chinese version with English subtitles. Most of the dramas are available on OTT platforms, while some can be watched on YouTube for free.

Note: The article reflects the author's opinion and is listed in no particular order.

The Next Stop W, Meteor Garden, and some other Chinese dramas to explore as a K-drama fan

Here is a list of Chinese remakes of K-dramas:

Meteor Garden
Unknown Number
Seven of Me
Love the way You are
Prince Coffee Lab
Pretty Li Hui Zhen
The Next Stop W

1) Meteor Garden

Meteor Garden is the Chinese dub of the Korean drama Boys Over Flower, which is itself based on the Japanese manga series Hana Yori Dango. Chinese producer Angie Chai announced the remake in 2017 and the first episode of this Chinese drama was aired in the following year.

The story of Meteor Garden revolves around a poor girl Dong Shancai who is admitted to a reputed university and is portrayed as a well-principled girl. She meets F4 which is a group of the four popular and rich boys in the university. Dong Shancai clashes with Daoming Si, the leader of the group, and both of them fall in love.

Streaming on: Netflix

2) Unknown Number

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Unknown Number, released in 2019, is the Chinese adoption of the K-drama Signal. Due to the huge success of this 2016 K-drama, the creators have announced its second season which is scheduled to start filming at the end of 2024.

Unknown Number is a crime thriller that follows the life of a hardworking detective He Jun. He works with a criminal profiler Gu Ming Zhe. The plot twist begins when Gu Ming Zhe finds an old phone, through which he connects with Cao Zheng.

The narrative unveils mystery through that phone and connects past and present.

Streaming on: We TV.

3) No Secrets

No Secrets, released in 2019, is the Chinese adaptation of the K-drama I Can Hear Your Voice. The story revolves around a boy who possesses a superpower, which helps him to protect his lover.

Jiang Xia, who has a telepathic ability, is rescued by a girl during a car accident. A truck driver smashes the car and murders his father. When the driver is about to kill the young boy, a girl named Lin Xingran clicks the pictures, stopping him from doing it.

The story then shifts to 10 years later when the young girl becomes a lawyer and goes for a work interview. She tells the story of that accident and gets a feature in the newspaper. Jiang Xia recognizes her, while the murderer watches her photo and determines to take revenge.

He meets Lin Xingran and develops feeling for her as he protects her from the killer.

Streaming on: IFLIX, WeTv

4) Love the Way You Are

Love the Way You Are is a Chinese drama, adapted from Son Yeo-jin's Something in the Rain. Released in 2022, the show highlights a love story between an older woman and a younger boy.

The drama begins with a 32-year-old woman Yin Yi Ke who is doing good in her life. She is passionate about her career and cares for others around her. Meanwhile, Xu Guang Xi returns from abroad after completing studies.

In his childhood, he used to come to Yi ke's place for meals and she was his comfort zone. When Guang Xi meets her in adulthood, he develops feelings for her. Slowly, Yi Ke feels the same and they face many challenges in the show.

Streaming on: Viki

5) Prince Coffee Lab

Prince Coffee Lab (Image via Dailymotion)

Another Chinese drama, Prince Coffee Lab is the adaptation of the Korean drama Coffee Prince. The first episode of this drama was aired on August 8, 2018, portraying the love story between a rich barista and a cross-dressed woman.

Gao Xing wants to follow her father's footsteps to become a barista. She finds a diary after her father dies. However, she needs a real job to take care of her family and applies to a nearby coffee shop, that hires only male employees.

To fit in this role, she disguises a man and meets Jiang Shangwu, the CEO of the cafe. The Chinese drama showcases a slow transition of the duo from being in an employee-owner relationship to becoming friends and then eventually lovers. However, the romance between Qin Zhemo and Han Xiaoxiao builds a hooking subplot.

Streaming on: YouTube, Plex

6) Pretty Li Hui Zhen

Pretty Li Hui Zhen, released in 2017, is a Chinese drama that is adapted from the popular K-drama She Was Pretty. The rom-com highlights the insecurity regarding body image while delivering a sweet love story between two individuals at workplace.

Li Hui Zhen used to be a pretty girl in her childhood and she was a close friend of Bai Hao Yu, who used to be a fat boy. However, Li Hui Zhun loses her charm when she enters into her adulthood.

On the other hand, Bai Hao Yu becomes handsome and Li Hui Zhun is his employee. Feeling ashamed of her ugly face, she hides her true identity and sends her roommate to meet Bai Hao Yu but he still feels attracted to Li Hui Zhun.

Streaming on: We TV, Plex

Several other Chinese dramas take inspiration from K-dramas. Thriller accolades can explore Seven of Me, which is an adaptation of Kill Me, Heal Me. The Ordinary Glory and No Secret are some other Chinese dramas that fans can enjoy.

Edited by DEEPALI