Two sweet and stubborn young adults from countryside fight tooth and nail to get a foothold in the much desired capital, and become each other's home and source of warmth in the process. Emotions and the harsh reality of life complicates things and it's noone's fault, really.

Comrades is the more unhinged, tropey, fairytale like and happy version with imperfect main leads that you will have to learn how to fully fall in love with as the story progresses, while Us and Them is the more dire, more practical and raw version with leads who will make your heart hurt for them from beginning to the end and then some more.

Both talk about funerary services and the little pockets of interactions between the service providers and those who come seeking their aid. Both have main leads who find the meaning of life through death, in a sense.

Both talk about funerary services, and generally the stories of people who live on as someone else passes away, and the relationships and dynamics in-between.

Galloped Era is a very good drama made with a pretty similar setup (locomotive production in the early era of Republic of China and lead by a stellar veteran cast (the actress who played Hua Fei in Zhenhuan Zhuan is the female lead). Highly recommended.

Anyone who had seen Reset knows what a rare and standing ovation portrayal it did with the police. It's sadly rare ro see policemen in dramas who actually know what they are doing and are terrifyingly capable at it, you don't want to find yourself at their scrutiny.
Now we have another drama like that, also within the first quarter of 2022! Yaaayy! Be Reborn's cops will not make your intelligence feel insulted as the audience, guaranteed.

For me, one of the most noticeable things about I Don't Want To Be Friends With You was that the backdrop wasn't the usual Beijing/Shanghai etc but the cold Northeastern China; Harbin. It was really refreshing.
And Vacay 2 is also set on Harbin, which instantly intrigued me.
If you are a fan of this kind of silly little details like me and looking for a change in the usual backdrops of Cdramas, these two dramas are good choices! ? (well there are other reasons too, they both are very good dramas, backdrop or not, lol)

Both dramas revolve around pottery/ceramics and the potters behind the craft. Whereas Goddess of Fire is more like a lighthearted romcom about the Royal Workshop and the first female ceramist of Korea, The River Children would offer you a more grounded and slice-of-life approach to the commoners who were pioneers of the craft in the Republican China and the struggles they faced (plus with some family drama haha).
Really, the two are QUITE different, but if you are interested in checking out dramas about this craft, do check both of them out.

Both are really well made and highly enjoyable dramas about Coroners/Forensic Medicine in Ancient China and Crime Investigation. Both have capable and smart characters who don't mess around, and the plot is carefully designed and fast-paced, not a single second is wasted. I wish there were more dramas like this.
About Judge of Song Dynasty, don't hesitate because it's an old drama. Only the camerawork/color palette is dated (actually better and consistent than some dramas these days) but everything else is really good and holds well against time.

The kiddie actor version for the 2006 classic of the same name. I wish they make kiddie versions for popular dramas these days too, that'd ve quite fun haha.
Well I guess we have Chibi these days, but it's not the same thing.

Though I was excited to find out that there was a movie remake for the 2006 classic drama and with basically the same cast at that, it quickly turned out to be a dissapointment.
All the humor felt too cringey and try-hard, whereas the original was effortlessly over the top in a very enjoyable and funny way. Even aving the same cast could not save it.

Palace of Desire is one of the best palace dramas I've seen, with quite humane portrayal of Wu Zetian, her daughter Princess Taiping and many other renowned historical figures surrounding them and the struggles of life and politics surrounding them, with a dash of slice of life vibe. Empress of China is comparatively more extravagant, over the top and "dog bloody", filled with harem shenanigans, but if you enjoyed that one, definitely give Palace of Desire a try. This one shouldn't be missed especially if you are interested in Empress Wu Zetian and her legendary life.

While they are quite different stories, Suzuran also follows the story of a girl from since her childhood to old age, her struggles as an orphan and then as a struggling single mother who strived to give her child the best life. It was a very heartwarming story as well.