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| iQIYI Reveals Best Performing Chinese Dramas of 2025 in International Markets. (Credits: iQIYI Intl) |
iQIYI has officially revealed the Chinese dramas that ruled its international market in 2025, confirming what viewers across Asia and beyond had already been shouting online for months.
During the China Internet Conference, the platform said four series stood above the pack in overseas popularity, proving once again that Chinese dramas are no longer a niche export. They are mainstream entertainment now, and rival platforms will not enjoy reading that.
The list focuses only on 2025 C-dramas aired on iQIYI, with rankings tied to overseas charts, search trends and digital buzz.
Romance, ambition, identity twists and emotionally messy characters all made the cut. In short: if audiences could cry over it, argue over it or obsessively clip it, it had a chance.
LEGEND OF THE FEMALE GENERAL landed at number four, and it is not hard to see why. Starring Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng Lei, the historical drama gained serious traction in several overseas markets and reportedly reached the top of Google trends in key regions.
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It also entered Thailand’s top trending topics on SNS, which usually means viewers were either praising it passionately or typing in all caps.
The story follows a woman disguising herself as a man to defend family honour, a setup that continues to work because audiences clearly never tire of courage, hidden identity and dramatic eye contact in armour.
Fans praised Zhou Ye’s commanding screen presence, while others said the political tension gave the series more bite than the average costume romance. Some viewers joked that every episode delivered enough betrayal to fuel three separate dramas.
At number three came SPEED AND LOVE, starring He Yu and Esther Yu Shuxin, a title that turned heads globally thanks to chart success and a strong international promotional push.
The drama hit number one on iQIYI overseas popularity rankings and also topped Google trends in several markets during its launch period.
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The family conflict storyline mixed identity struggles with ambition and emotional chaos, which is usually a reliable recipe for audience addiction.
Esther Yu’s international visibility helped boost attention further, especially through appearances in Thailand and Indonesia.
Netizens said the show was stylish, addictive and packed with tension, while others admitted they started for the cast and accidentally stayed for the plot. A dangerous situation many viewers know well.
Second place went to THE BEST THING, led by Zhang Linghe and Xu Ruohan.
The romantic drama quickly climbed to number one on overseas charts at release and became a major search trend in multiple regions.
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A warm love story with steady momentum turns out to be a smart move in a year full of louder, flashier competition.
Centred on a doctor-patient relationship and emotional healing, the drama connected with viewers looking for something gentler but still meaningful.
Fans praised the chemistry, the slow-burn pacing and the sense that characters behaved like actual humans for once. Others joked the series raised impossible standards for kindness, communication and handsome doctors.
Taking the top spot was FATED HEARTS, starring Li Qin and Chen Zheyuan, which iQIYI said generated more than 2 billion global exposures during its run.
It also ranked first on overseas popularity charts and led Google search trends in Thailand and South Korea. That is the sort of performance platforms frame on the wall.
The enemies-to-lovers drama won viewers through conflict, emotional tension and enough twists to keep social media busy nightly.
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Memory loss, survival alliances and constant friction between the leads gave audiences exactly what they wanted: romance with stress attached.
Fans praised Li Qin for sharp emotional delivery, while Chen Zheyuan drew attention for his layered performance. Many viewers summed it up simply: exhausting, dramatic, impossible to stop watching.
Reaction to the overall ranking has been mixed in the best possible way. Some fans agreed FATED HEARTS was the obvious winner, while others argued THE BEST THING had stronger staying power.
Supporters of SPEED AND LOVE insisted it was the real sleeper hit, and historical drama loyalists said LEGEND OF THE FEMALE GENERAL deserved higher. As ever, rankings end and comment wars begin.
What the list really shows is that iQIYI’s global strategy is working. Whether through romance, historical intrigue or family conflict, these dramas found audiences far beyond China. The streaming race is crowded, attention spans are shorter than ever, and yet these four titles still broke through.
Which one deserved number one in your view — FATED HEARTS, THE BEST THING, SPEED AND LOVE, or LEGEND OF THE FEMALE GENERAL?