Blood River | Review

A group of warm-blooded assassins find retirement complicated.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Gong Jun: Su Mu Yu

Peng Xiao Ran: Mu Yu Mo

Chang Hua Sen: Su Chang He

Director

Yin Tao

Screenwriter

Zhou Mu Nan (author)

Chinese Title

暗河傳

The Tale of Dark River

Genres: Wuxia, BL, Palace

Network: Youku

Year: 2025
Episodes: 38

Under the Skin 2 | Open Thread

A no-longer-newbie and even-more-genius forensic artist continues solving cases with his gruff, sidekick detective.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Tan Jian Ci: Shen Yi

Jin Shi Jia: Du Cheng

Director

Zeng Qing Jie

Screenwriter

Jia Bin Bin, Zhang Jing (Author)

Chinese Title

獵罪圖鑑2

Genres: Contemporary, Slight BL, Mystery

Network: iQIYI / Tencent Video

Year: 2024
Episodes: 28

Fangs of Fortune | Recap and Review

A BL xianxia that deftly slipped right past censorship.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Hou Ming Hao: Zhao Yuan Zhou

Chen Du Ling: Wen Xiao

Director

Guo Jing Ming

Screenwriter

Guo Jing Ming

Producer

Guo Jing Ming

Chinese Title

大夢歸離

Big Dreams Returns and Leaves

Genres: Xianxia, Romance, Bromance

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2024
Episodes: 34 + Extra

The Spirealm | Recap and Review

A man enters a deadly game with a deadly flirt. 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Huang Jun Jie: Lin Jiu Shi

Xia Zhi Guang: Ruan Lan Zhu

Chinese Title
致命遊戲

Deadly Game

Screenwriter

Gao Wei

Genres: Contemporary, BL, Suspense

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2024
Episodes: 78 (20 minute eps)

Recap Grade: A/B

A League of Nobleman | Open Thread

A nobleman with not so noblemen uncover the secrets of the past.
Notable Actors/Actresses

Jing Bo Ran: Lan Jue / Pei Zhi

Song Wei Long: Zhang Ping

Director

Yang Fan

Screenwriter

Yang Fan

Chinese Title
君子盟

Network: Tencent Video

Genres: Period, BL/Bromance, Mystery, Suspense

Year: 2023
Episodes: 29

Under the Skin | Reviews

A newbie genius forensic artist meets a gruff, and experienced detective.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Tan Jian Ci: Shen Yi

Jin Shi Jia: Du Cheng

Chinese Title
獵罪圖鑑

Producer: 

Zhang Xiao Bo

Genres: Contemporary, Slight BL, Mystery

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2022
Episodes: 20

The Untamed | Recap and Review

Notable Actors/Actresses
Xiao Zhan: Wei Wu Xian / Wei Ying
Wang Yi Bo: Lan Wang Ji / Lan Zhang / Han Guang Jun

Director: 

Zheng Wei Wen, Chen Jia Lin

Scriptwriter: 

(Author: Priest)

Chinese Title:

陈情令

Genres: Qihuan, BL

Network: Tencent Video

Year: 2019
Episodes: 50

Costume Qihuan

Criteria: 

✓ Fantasy World-Building 

✓ Costumes

✓ Includes Xuanhuan

✓ Includes Xianxia with little romance

✓ NOT Wuxia

**Qihuan is a broad genre that means Fantasy and should include contemporary dramas, but I'm only using it for fantasy costume dramas that are not xianxia and wuxia. 

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ Qihuan / Historical Era (e.g. Republican Fantasies)

✓ All variations of romances: Romcom, Romance, Slight Romance, No Romance, BL

Excluding overlapping dramas that are mainly:

𐄂 Wuxia 

𐄂 Xianxia

Action | Thriller | Sports

Criteria: 

✓ Action (+ Desert)

✓ Sports

✓ Thriller

✓ Sci-fi

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ Contemporary, Action, Sports, Team 

✓ All variations of romances: Romcom, Romance, Slight Romance, No Romance, BL

Excluding overlapping dramas that are mainly:

𐄂 Police / Mafia

𐄂 Crime / Suspense

Investigative / Procedurals

Criteria: 

✓ MC is a professional who investigates crimes (constables, PSPs, forensic scientists)

✓ Police Procedurals and Police vs. Mafia 

✓ Two/Many-Men-on-Poster-Dramas

✓ Detective Fiction (Periods)

✓ Minimal Romance or BL

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ Period and Contemporary 

✓ Mostly Slight Romance / No Romance / BL 

Excluding overlapping dramas that are mainly:

𐄂 Crime / Suspense

𐄂 Republican (Era Dramas)

𐄂 Contemporary ones with more romance is in Work/Life/Family ≥ Romance

𐄂 Period ones with more romances is in Period Mystery Romances

BL & Ambiguous Bromance

Criteria: 

✓ Romance between men 

✓ Ambiguous BL

Terms

Brotherhood: Pure friends. [Excluded in list]
Bromance: Boy friendship with chemistry.
Ambiguous Bromance: Between love/friendship. Interpretation is possible

BL: They're in love. 

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ All time periods: Contemporary, Period, Wuxia, Xianxia, Qihuan, Era

✓ BL

✓ Bromance (but not all bromances are ambiguous BL)