Year in Review 2020: Most Memorable Drama Characters

“He learnt his lesson well.” Illustration of a scene from The Bad Kids by 电子鲫鱼

I can count on one hand how many dramas I watched from beginning to end, so I’ve decided to do things differently this year and shine the spotlight on the characters that I really liked. Feel free to submit your own reviews and posts here.

Standalone reviews 2020: A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower, We Are All Alone, The Romance of Tiger and Rose

Which dramas did you follow this year, and which characters made a lasting impression on you?

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Crime thriller The Bad Kids releases Wong Kar-wai-style stills

The drama was filmed in the seaside city of Zhanjiang.

It’s not even halfway through 2020 but I’m 95% certain I’ve already found my favourite drama of the year. The Bad Kids is directed by Xin Shuang, and revolves around three kids who blackmail a murderer (Qin Hao).

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Promo Round-up: The Bad Kids

Previously translated as The Hidden Corner / Cat’s Cradle, The Bad Kids takes over the mystery thriller baton from Kidnapping Game, and stars Qin Hao as a long-suffering son-in-law whose crimes are caught on camera by three kids.

The 12 episode miniseries will be available with Eng subs on the iQiyi app.

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iQiyi prepares to cool the summer with a slew of new mystery thrillers

Poster for Kidnapping Game

iQiyi has lined up an impressive list of 12 episode miniseries that will air over the next three months – which ones are you looking forward to most?

On a related note, Ive given up on compiling a list of air dates for upcoming dramas because there is always so much uncertainty surrounding drama premieres.

Instead, feel free to bookmark our Watch Dramas Online page, which is constantly updated with premiere details for all the latest Chinese dramas (even the ones we don’t post about).

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Writer of Burning Ice to work with Qin Hao, Liao Fan for upcoming iQiyi crime thrillers

Streaming giant iQiyi has bought the adaption rights to two more novels written by Zi Jinchen, the screenwriter and original author of critically acclaimed thriller Burning Ice 无证之罪. Both web dramas have already started filming, and will have twelve 60 minute episodes.

The Hidden Corner / The Bad Kids 隐秘的角落 is already in production, and stars Qin Hao, Wang Jingchun and Zhang Songwen.

A long-suffering live-in son-in-law (Qin Hao) hatches up an elaborate murder plot to kill his cheating wife and her family after she demands a divorce. His actions are recorded by three children playing nearby, yet he soon discovers that he was actually set up by the three young children. Consequently, he begins to work out how and why a thirteen-year-old boy is able to twist the truth to his advantage.

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