Top 10 Chinese School Dramas That Bring Back School Memories

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - For many people, school is one of the most memorable times of their lives. It is the place where lifelong friendships are formed, where first crushes quietly bloom, and where the pressure of exams makes every small victory feel enormous. Even years after graduation, a familiar classroom setting or a coming-of-age story can bring all of those feelings back. That is exactly what Chinese school dramas do so well, with their honest look at youth, friendship, and first love.

In this article, we have selected ten Chinese school dramas that are sure to bring back those bittersweet school day memories, whether you are watching for the first time or coming back for another round.

The first on our list is one of the most iconic Chinese school dramas of its time. Shen Yue plays Dong Shancai, a working-class girl who earns her place at the most prestigious school in the country, only to clash with F4, four wealthy boys led by the arrogant Daoming Si, played by Dylan Wang. Directed by Lin He Long, this 50-episode series is adapted from the Japanese manga Boys Over Flowers and is a remake of the beloved 2001 Taiwanese series.

Starring Chen Zheyuan and Xu Mengjie, this warm romance follows Zhou Siyue, the top student everyone admires, and Ding Xian, the determined new girl who wants nothing to do with him. Forced to share a desk, their daily clashes slowly soften into something far more meaningful. Following them from high school through university, this 24-episode drama captures how two very different people can quietly grow into each other. It is directed by Zhang Xiao An and adapted from the novel Secrets in the Lattice by Er Dong Tu Zi.

Directed by Han Yang, this coming-of-age drama follows Li Xia, a girl from a poor family who earns her way into a top arts high school, where she forms a close bond with the talented Fu Xiaosi and the kind Lu Zhiang. What begins as the brightest years of their lives, however, does not last. As the group scatters after graduation, real life slowly pulls them in different directions. Starring Zheng Shuang, Chen Xuedong, and Bai Jingting, this 46-episode series is adapted from Guo Jingming's novel of the same name.

This 24-episode drama takes a creative approach to the school story. Nan Xiangwan appears to have it all at 28 as a successful HR director, yet beneath the surface she carries deep anxiety rooted in her school days. Through a high-tech therapy session, she finds herself reliving her senior year, this time stuck at the very bottom of the class. As she fights to turn things around, an unexpected friendship forms with the carefree athlete Lin Xiaoran. Directed by Chen Feihong, the series stars Li Landi and Lai Guanlin.

Set against the backdrop of a small mountain mining town in the early 1990s, this drama centers on Lin Qile, a warm and spirited girl nicknamed Cherry, played by Zhao Jinmai. Her world quietly shifts when Jiang Qiaoxi, a gifted but emotionally closed-off transfer student played by Zhang Linghe, arrives from the city. Having been raised as a substitute for his parents' late son, he finds in Cherry's family a warmth he has never known before. Directed by Zhang Kaizhou, this 24-episode series is adapted from the web novel Ying Tao Hu Po by Yun Zhu.

Yu Zhouzhou and Lin Yang become close friends from the very first day of primary school, but rumors soon cause his parents to pull him away from her, leaving a silence between them that stretches on for years. When the two unexpectedly reunite in high school, the old connection begins to find its way back, slowly and quietly. Directed by Sha Mo, this 30-episode drama stars Li Landi and Zhang Xincheng and is adapted from the novel Hello, Old Times by Ba Yue Chang An.

Not many Chinese school dramas capture the ache of a one-sided school crush quite as well as this one. Chen Xiaoxi has quietly admired her neighbor and classmate Jiang Chen for years, but he is difficult to read and even harder to reach. As the story follows them from high school into adult life, it shows both the tenderness and the frustration that come with young love. Starring Shen Yue and Hu Yitian, this beloved 23-episode drama is adapted from the novel To Our Pure Little Beauty by Zhao Qianqian and later inspired a Korean remake.

Zhang Yang, played by Daniel Zhou, is loud, impulsive, and never far from trouble, while Zhou Jingmang, played by Bubble Zhu, is gentle, trusting, and always willing to see the good in people. As classmates, their early interactions are driven by pranks and misunderstandings, yet something genuine slowly takes root between them. Years later, when their paths cross again, those buried feelings resurface. Directed by Jin Xionghao, this 24-episode drama is adapted from the novel I Remember That Boy by Jian Man.

Starring Zhang Xueying, Joseph Zeng, and Wang Bowen, this 32-episode drama follows twin sisters who were separated at birth and raised in completely different worlds. When a serious bullying incident brings them together, the two decide to switch identities and dig into the dark secrets lurking behind their elite school's polished image. Directed by Zhou Yuanzhou, this is a Chinese school drama that sets itself apart by weaving romance together with mystery and suspense, adapted from the 2015 Korean drama Who Are You: School 2015.

Last but not least is this drama, which follows Xia Xiaoju, a transfer student who arrives at a new school at the most stressful point of her academic life, just days before her college entrance exams. What starts as a series of awkward misunderstandings slowly opens the door to a close-knit circle of friends, including the steady Cheng Lang, the outspoken Lu Shiyi, and her new best friend Lin You. Starring Hu Yixuan, Wang Ruichang, and Chen Bohao, this 36-episode series is directed by Sha Weiqi and adapted from the novel Tears Run Through by Ming Qian Yu Hou.