Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan's "This Second is Overdone" Lost! The Strongest Chinese Republican-Era Romance Drama Top 10 Champion is Him: Love Deeply, Hurt Thoroughly, No One Surpasses the Tortured Love Story

Chinese Republican-era romance dramas often blend historical backgrounds such as warlord factions, family feuds, and national turmoil with the emotions of men and women. The following ranking is based on the top 10 as of July 23, 2026, considering the completion of roles, the spark between male and female leads, broadcast topics, social media comments, and Douban audience reviews. The drama "This Second is Overdone," starring Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan, which premiered on July 19, is also evaluated based on its premiere discussion and actor performances.

10th Place: Zhang Xincheng, Cai Wenjing "Light" "Light" is set in 1920s Shanghai, with Zhang Xincheng playing Cheng Yiji, who rises from a poor background to the financial circle, and Cai Wenjing playing Wu Lijie, the daughter of a banker. Wu Lijie investigates the truth behind her father's death, while Cheng Yiji faces choices between his mentor's affection, financial ideals, and national duty. The two unexpectedly marry due to their circumstances, initially harboring secrets and lacking trust. However, as they establish Lihang Bank and nurture national industries, they gradually become trustworthy partners, giving the emotional line a rare maturity seen in business dramas.

This work may not have had as much impact as other popular dramas during its broadcast, but many viewers rediscovered it later, with some saying, "I think it should have been higher." Critics describe the relationship between Cheng Yiji and Wu Lijie as "both shining together." Unlike one-sided salvation, the two are more like partners who mutually achieve success in turbulent times.

9th Place: Dai Gaozheng, Chen Fangtong "Thousand Gold Maid" "Thousand Gold Maid" is a short but highly dense Republican-era romance drama. Chen Fangtong plays Dong Tingyao, the daughter of the Dong family who seeks refuge with her fiancé's family after her family is annihilated. However, her identity has already been replaced by her half-sister, forcing her to become a maid in the Fang family. Dai Gaozheng plays Fang Tianyi, who holds military power in Jiangcheng. Dong Tingyao initially believes he is her father's killer but discovers that Fang Tianyi has been secretly protecting her. The real culprit behind the Dong family's annihilation is someone else. The two develop feelings amidst suspicion, control, and testing. The setting of a domineering military governor and a fallen heiress is quite fresh.

Some describe it as "highly dramatic and satisfying," and despite knowing the plot is exaggerated, they can't help but watch episode after episode. Facing a regretful ending, many shout, "It's hard to accept," even coming up with their own sequels like "Second Brother didn't die, he lost his memory, from the coffin..." showing the strong appeal of Fang Tianyi's character.

8th Place: Chen Jianfeng, Shu Chang "War and Beauty" "War and Beauty" stars Shu Chang as Tong Yuruan, a Manchu princess, and Chen Jianfeng as Du Yuntang, a wealthy young master. Tong Yuruan was originally in love with Zhou Tingcheng but was arranged by her family to marry into the Du family, starting a marriage from mutual rejection and lacking an emotional foundation, to one of enduring hardships together. The drama weaves together family feuds, business competition, and war-induced separations, with complex character relationships.

Drama fans call "War and Beauty" "a drama loved by everyone," especially Shu Chang's qipao costumes and Tong Yuruan's growth line, which are still often edited into nostalgic videos. Some can never accept her missing out on Zhou Tingcheng, stating even years later that the ending is still "hard to let go of." The triangular love triangle has become the most unforgettable memory of the entire drama.

7th Place: Chen Xingxu, Zhang Jingyi "Love at First Sight" "Love at First Sight" is set in Shanghai, dominated by warlord forces. Chen Xingxu plays Tan Xinlin, a lesser-known young marshal, and Zhang Jingyi plays Mu Wanqing, a wealthy heiress who returns to Shanghai with her mother's ashes after years in Japan. She pretends to return to her father but actually wants to uncover the truth behind her brother's death and her parents' estrangement. Mu Wanqing and Tan Xinlin initially ally for their own purposes, gradually opening their hearts through crises and power struggles. The emotional line follows a path of equal strength and joint breakthrough.

Viewers admit they initially watched "just for the high-quality cast," and Chen Xingxu's military uniforms and Zhang Jingyi's Republican-era heiress look are indeed major attractions. Later, Tan Xinlin and Mu Wanqing's unwavering choice of each other, "mutual affection," became the reason viewers continued to stay.

6th Place: Dou Xiao, Chen Duling "Good Times Know How Many" "Good Times Know How Many" stars Dou Xiao as Xiao Beichen, the son of a warlord, and Chen Duling as Lin Hangjing, who moves in with the Xiao family after her father is wrongfully imprisoned. Xiao Beichen grows from a reckless youth to a soldier burdened with national responsibilities, while Lin Hangjing holds firm to her choices amidst family changes, arranged marriages, and war. Their love story experiences misunderstandings, arranged marriages, long separations, and life-or-death tests, almost encompassing all high-intensity plotlines of Republican-era tragic love dramas.

Netizens often describe it as "cheesy but addictive." Even knowing the leads will separate again due to misunderstandings, they continue watching. Xiao Beichen's persistence in love and Dou Xiao's military uniforms also receive high praise, but the dramatic twists in the latter part of the drama leave many viewers "fans also collapsing" by the end.

5th Place: Xu Kai, Bai Lu "Fiery Military Academy" "Fiery Military Academy" stars Bai Lu as Xie Xiang, who impersonates her deceased brother Xie Liangchen and enters a military academy for training, and Xu Kai as Gu Yanjing, a playful and wealthy young master. Gu Yanjing appears carefree and irresponsible but is always the first to protect Xie Xiang in danger. Xie Xiang grows from a new cadet hiding her identity to a capable soldier, with their love story built on fighting side by side and mutual protection.

Many viewers initially watched casually but ended up "falling in love with it." Gu Yanjing's "ruffianly charm" becomes one of Xu Kai's most representative character traits, switching from playful to "very charming" when serious. The banter between Gu Yanjing and Xie Xiang also slightly reduces the overall torment level.

4th Place: Zhang Linghe, Wang Churan "This Second is Overdone" "This Second is Overdone" stars Zhang Linghe as Mu Rong Qingyi and Wang Churan as Ren Susu. Mu Rong Qingyi suffered identity swapping in childhood and endured torture under his adoptive father until Ren Susu rescued him, but this also brought disaster to the Ren family. The two fell in love but were separated by fate again. Ren Susu faked her death to save someone and returned three years later as Fang Mulan, becoming Mu Rong Qingyi's future sister-in-law, making their reunion a mix of revenge, suspicion, and inseparable feelings.

While opinions on the visual filters and narrative pacing of the premiere were divided, the appearances and acting of the two leads have sparked numerous discussions. Netizens describe Zhang Linghe's "broken feeling" in injury and restraint scenes as "very intense," and Wang Churan is called the "chosen qipao beauty." Some viewers even say there's "one memorable scene per episode." As the work is still airing, this ranking is based on initial heat, with room for future reputation changes.

3rd Place: Chen Kun, Dong Jie "The Golden Age" "The Golden Age" stars Chen Kun as Jin Yanxi, the son of a prime minister, and Dong Jie as Leng Qingqiu, a poor but elegant female student. Jin Yanxi pursues Leng Qingqiu passionately, and they marry despite their class differences, but their marriage is gradually torn apart by class consciousness, personality differences, and the decline of the Jin family. This love story starts romantically but ends in shattered reality, elevating the work beyond typical aristocratic love stories.

Years later, viewers are still moved by Dong Jie's elegance, sighing, "Dong Jie is truly pure." Chen Kun's portrayal of Jin Yanxi is praised as "perfectly capturing the flair of the little prince of the Jin family." Jin Yanxi is not a perfect male lead and often angers viewers with his selfishness and immaturity, but it is these character flaws that make this mistaken marriage more realistic.

2nd Place: Aaron Kwok, Zhao Wei "Romance in the Rain" "Romance in the Rain" is set in the Shanghai concession, with Zhao Wei playing Lu Yiping, who is expelled from the Lu family with her mother, and Aaron Kwok playing He Shuhan, a newspaper reporter. Yiping performs in a nightclub for a living and, out of resentment towards her father and the Lu family, deliberately approaches He Shuhan, who is loved by her half-sister Ruiping. What initially started as a revenge plot turns into true love. The intertwining of love, family, sisterly rivalry, and war fate gives the story high recognition even today.

Netizens summarize the status of this drama as "a classic among classics." The songs, lines, and expressions from the drama are still widely quoted. As viewers age, their perspectives change, with some re-watching and joking that "Yiping is one of the few normal people in the drama." He Shuhan's repeated hesitation between Yiping and Ruiping has become a focal point of debate with every re-run.

1st Place: Zheng Hanliang, Li Xiaoran "Can't Say I Love You" "Can't Say I Love You" stars Zheng Hanliang as Mu Rong Huai, who holds military power, and Li Xiaoran as Yin Jingwan, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. The two meet by chance on a train and quickly fall in love in turbulent times. Jingwan even escapes her arranged marriage to run to Mu Rong Huai. However, military interests, political marriages, and power ambitions gradually overshadow their promises, leading their once passionate love to separation. Mu Rong Huai is both deeply emotional and selfish, while Jingwan chooses to preserve her dignity after repeated disappointments. In the latter part of the TV drama, Mu Rong Huai joins the anti-war effort and loses his memory, reuniting with Jingwan many years later. The ending differs from the original novel.

Drama fans describe the chemistry between Zheng Hanliang and Li Xiaoran as "endless to watch," whether in arguments, intimacy, or breakups, their emotions are naturally expressed.