High-quality, non-idol costumed dramas
You're probably thinking - why am I discriminating against idol dramas?? Well, it's just that after you see the usual idol costumed dramas being recommended over and over again, you want to yell: But there is so much more out there beyond these shows! (And due to many international streaming platforms' habit of almost always picking up idol dramas, many non-Chinese international viewers are not even aware of the vast selection out there.)
Idol dramas often star traffic actors, who are not always professional actors but attract a lot of viewers due to their popularity. These dramas often focus on romance and focus on pretty/handsome actors.
The list below are CDramas recommended from members of the r/CDrama Reddit sub, which I'm a member of.
While some can be arguably borderline idol-ish (Rise of the Phoenixes, Nirvana in Fire), they are more in-depth and complex than the average idol drama.
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1. The Advisors Alliance
Chinese Drama - 2017, 42 episodes
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2. The Longest Day in Chang'an
Chinese Drama - 2019, 48 episodes
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3. Water Margin
Chinese Drama - 2011, 86 episodes
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4. Journey to the West
Chinese Drama - 1986, 25 episodes
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5. The Dream of Red Mansions
Chinese Drama - 2010, 50 episodes
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6. Three Kingdoms
Chinese Drama - 2010, 95 episodes
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7. Winter Begonia
Chinese Drama - 2020, 49 episodes
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8. Fan Cheng Zhi Xia
Chinese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
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9. Palace of Desire
Chinese Drama - 2000, 40 episodes
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10. April Rhapsody
Taiwanese Drama - 2000, 20 episodes
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11. Ripening Orange
Chinese Drama - 2002, 25 episodes
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12. Kang Xi Dynasty
Chinese Drama - 2001, 50 episodes
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13. Feng Qi Long Xi
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
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14. The Rebel
Chinese Drama - 2021, 43 episodes
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15. Xian Wei Jing Xia De Da Ming
Chinese Drama - 2023, 14 episodes
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16. Da Ming Wang Chao 1566
Chinese Drama - 2007, 46 episodes
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17. Battle of Changsha
Chinese Drama - 2014, 32 episodes
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18. Secret of Three Kingdoms
Chinese Drama - 2018, 54 episodes
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19. The Great Revival
Chinese Drama - 2007, 41 episodes
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20. The Virtuous Queen of Han
Chinese Drama - 2014, 47 episodes
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21. Nirvana in Fire
Chinese Drama - 2015, 54 episodes
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22. The Rise of Phoenixes
Chinese Drama - 2018, 70 episodes
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23. Legend of Mi Yue
Chinese Drama - 2015, 81 episodes
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24. Judge of Song Dynasty
Chinese Drama - 2005, 52 episodes
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25. Judge of Song Dynasty 2
Chinese Drama - 2007, 41 episodes
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26. The Qin Empire 4
Chinese Drama - 2020, 78 episodes
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27. Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
Chinese Drama - 2017, 50 episodes