My very first introduction to Chinese dramas was a moving slice-of-life drama, and what stood out the most in that drama was the deep friendship at its core.
And, if there’s anything I’ve learned in my few years on Earth, it’s that friendships are oftentimes overlooked and under-celebrated.
In this post, I’ll be listing 15 amazing Chinese dramas where true friendship is at its most genuine, and I can assure you that these Cdramas literally breathe life into this motif.
Here are 15 beautiful Chinese dramas about friendship to add to your watchlist:
1. The White Castle
This Cdrama follows Wang Yang Ming, a medical student who decides to switch from scientific research to clinical practice.
He joins the emergency department of a top hospital and faces various challenging cases, honing his medical skills.
Soon, he becomes part of a group called the “four masters of emergency medicine” which includes Lu Qing Qi, Zu Wen Da, and Liu Fei.
And, the drama revolves around their friendship, love, growth, and experiences in the hospital ward.
Ode To Joy follows five women living on the 22nd floor of the same apartment building in Shanghai.
Despite having different personalities and facing challenges in their careers, families, and love lives, they become friends and support each other.
Through their journey together, they experience personal growth and transformation, and this is easily one of my favorite Chinese dramas about female friendship I always recommend.
3. Just An Encore
Yan Ze is an ordinary high school student who is secretly in love with her desk-mate, Ji Xiao, and when she discovers that he might like her, she nearly explodes.
Her best friend and adopted sister, Gu Xi Ye, is beautiful and a top student, while Yan Ze feels overshadowed.
Later on, a transfer student, He Xin Liang, supports Yan Ze during tough times, and this makes Xi Ye jealous for so many reasons.
Both friends envy each other’s qualities secretly, and this story of friendship, love, and self-discovery in high school evolves as Yan Ze and Xi Ye come into their own.
One thing I’ll always appreciate about Chinese dramas about true friendship is how they don’t shy away from talking about the ugly parts of being connected to a person, like jealousy.
This Chinese drama follows Xue Wen Xi, who comes from a poor family and takes a job as a writer by pretending to be a boy.
The Prime Minister’s son is impressed by her work and forces her to enroll in an all-boys school.
Soon, she becomes friends with three fellow scholars and they are known as the “Yun Shang Quartet”.
Despite her fears, she thrives at school but worries about her secret being exposed.
And, the Cdrama revolves around her friendship, love, and the challenges she faces when her secret is at risk of being revealed.
5. Flourish In Time
Childhood friends Jiang and Lu grew up like siblings, but as they enter high school, Lu starts to see Jiang in a romantic way.
Their love story unfolds amid new friendships and challenges, and while this is a rare one on this list as it’s a Cdrama about friends becoming lovers, I still loved the depiction of their friendship and felt it deserved a spot in this list.
This Chinese drama is about three friends from college: Fang Tian Yi, who owns an inn and loves dreaming about making movies; Hu Yan Zu, a not-so-famous actor; and Yuan Zhi Jie, a freelance screenwriter with a quirky brain.
They all want to make movies and run an inn near a filming set to fund their dreams.
But they face lots of challenges with the inn and their filmmaking dreams.
If you’re in the mood for a Chinese series about true friendship that will absolutely tug at your heartstrings, then I couldn’t recommend this more.
Also, I need to add that the Korean version of this drama is Welcome To Waikiki which is honestly feel is the funniest thing ever.
7. So Funny Youth
This is yet another Chinese drama that centers around a friendship between 5 boys and girls who grew up together on Junma Road.
Zhang Xiao Ran, the stubborn girl, has four best friends: Zhu Cheng Hai, a clever but sharp-tongued guy; Xiang Nan, a kind-hearted and strong girl; Zhou Rui, the handsome and quiet nephew of Zhang Xiao Ran; and Lin Tao, the lovable and cheerful one.
I’ll tell you for free that this Cdrama made me laugh a good number of times and I was so reasonably entertained.
8. Never Grow Old
Set in the 90s, the story of Never Grow Old unfolds in the Xiaoji Neighborhood, where people from different generations come together and grow alongside each other.
And, the Chinese drama explores family, friendship, and love despite their ordinary lives.
You’ll really enjoy this Cdrama if you’re in the mood for something wholesome that just feels like a warm, warm hug.
Crossroad Bistro follows five women who started a restaurant called Bei Zhe Nan Yuan in Beijing, and through their journey, they grow and find love.
You Shan Shan, the main shareholder, brings her best friends together, and Bao Xue and Dai Xiao Yu, who are cousins, add fun to their daily lives.
The other two shareholders, Si Meng and Feng Xi, have their own unique stories as a housewife and someone who moved to Beijing for love.
10. Youth Melody
This Chinese drama about best-friendship follows a group of music-loving students at Yi An University.
Lin Mo, the music club’s president, with the support of his teacher and club members, work together to revive the music club while pursuing their dreams.
This is another fantastic Chinese drama that revolves around a group of friends I don’t hesitate to recommend it when the topic comes up – it’s so fun and deep.
11. Who Sleeps My Bro
The Chinese drama is about a group of college freshmen experiencing the ups and downs of friendship, pranks, and love, as they relate to a song about friends growing apart after college.
12. When We Were Young
Set in 1996, this nostalgic Chinese drama follows Yang Xi, who gets injured while chasing a bike thief and can no longer compete in a run.
To her surprise, the culprit behind her misfortune, Hua Biao, transfers to her class and becomes class president.
And, the story unfolds with their ups and downs in life as they navigate friendship and challenges together.
13. Forever Love
Forever Love follows Xia Lin Xi and Jiang Zheng Han, who become close friends during their high school years.
As they enter university together, their friendship grows into a profound love, but, after graduation, they pursue different paths in their careers.
And, despite the challenges, their feelings for each other only strengthen over time.
Now, as working professionals, they contemplate whether it’s time to take their relationship to the next level.
14. Wait, My Youth
This is a sweet, sweet tale about young love and the special bond of friendship and you can watch it on Netflix RN.
Su Can Can loves books and makes amazing friends during her teenage years: Xu Mei Li, who’s full of life, Lan Tian Ye, who’s confident, brash, and good-looking, Lin Jia Ze, who’s gentle and classy, and Tao Ya Ting, who’s beautiful but a bit sad.
They share secrets and worries as they grow up, creating lots of treasured memories together.
And, when Su Can Can turns 28, she realizes that the friends she had at 18 are still by her side, and this reminds her of the warmth of family and the joy of lasting friendships.
This is also an amazingly good Chinese drama about female friendships that made my heart sing with joy, as I felt the representation was spot on and everything about this drama screamed wholesome.
15. Please Classmate
Senyong High had two rival groups: literature students and sports students.
The school merged them one year, and the best students from both classes, Yuan Cai Xi, Ning Ze Yu, and Li He, who used to not get along, ended up in the same class.
They went from enemies to friends, working together and making the school proud, and when I tell you that the ending made me absolutely squeal with delight, I’m not kidding.
The Chinese dramas I listed in this post are the perfect reminders that true friendship does exist, and that you can choose a family for yourself.
I have an amazing tribe of women around me in real life, and watching these boys and girls bound together to uplift themselves made me tear up a good number of times.
If you want some more on-the-spot recommendations that will leave you smiling with glee, check out the related posts below – I have a good feeling you’ll find something interesting there.
