Cover These are the cosy C-dramas to curl up with when you want your next binge to feel like a hug (Photo: WeTV)
These are the cosy C-dramas to curl up with when you want your next binge to feel like a hug (Photo: WeTV)
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When the skies turn grey, it’s time to trade palace intrigue and tragic immortals for warm kitchens, sleepy towns, first loves and romances that feel like a soft blanket. Try these cosy C-dramas for size
Is there anything better to do when the rain is falling than watching cosy C-dramas all the way till the end?
The world outside goes quiet. The windows turn grey. Suddenly, spending an entire afternoon watching two fictional people fall in love over noodles, walking through a sleepy little town or sitting under a shared umbrella feels less like procrastination and more like self-care.
C-dramas happen to be exceptionally good at this kind of television. Beyond the sprawling historical epics and emotionally catastrophic xianxia romances, Chinese television has perfected a gentler kind of storytelling: dramas built around ordinary routines, comforting food, beautiful landscapes, found families, old friendships and romances that unfold at their own pace. Some are pure fluff. Others carry a little melancholy. But all of them have that rare quality of making you want to stay a little longer.
So, if the forecast calls for rain—and your only real plan is to stay indoors—here are the cosy C-dramas to queue up.
In case you missed it: 15 slice-of-life C-dramas when life feels a little heavy
1. ‘When I Fly Towards You’ (2023)
Above A cheerful high school girl falls for her quiet, reserved classmate and their friendship gradually blossoms into a sweet coming-of-age romance surrounded by a close-knit group of friends.
For: when you want to feel young and hopeful again
A bright, outspoken high school girl develops a crush on her quietly principled classmate, and their friendship gradually grows into a tender coming-of-age romance surrounded by an equally lovable group of friends.
There is something wonderfully low-stakes about When I Fly Towards You: friendships feel genuine, the romance is sweet rather than torturous and the drama captures the tiny rituals of adolescence—studying together, walking home, eating snacks, teasing friends—that become precious precisely because they seem so ordinary. It has the warmth of a favourite childhood memory, making it ideal for a rainy afternoon when you want something that leaves you smiling.
2. ‘Meet Yourself’ (2023)
Above After a devastating loss, a young hotel executive retreats to a quiet village in Yunnan, where new friendships, a slower pace of life and an unexpected romance help her begin to heal
For: when you need to escape your own life for a while
After a devastating personal loss, a young woman leaves her life in the city behind and retreats to a rural village in Yunnan, where she slowly rebuilds herself through new friendships, community and an unexpected romance.
Meet Yourself is practically a prescription for slowing down. Its greatest romance isn’t even the central love story—it’s the relationship between the characters and the place they now call home. There are local businesses, traditional crafts, shared meals, village gossip and long conversations that don’t need to lead anywhere. It’s one of those cosy C-dramas that makes you want to book a one-way ticket to the countryside, open a little guesthouse and dramatically announce that you have retired from email.
3. ‘Hidden Love’ (2023)
Above A girl develops a secret crush on her older brother’s charming best friend, only to reconnect with him years later and discover that her youthful feelings may have grown into something deeper
For: when you want maximum butterflies with minimum emotional damage
A young woman develops a long-standing crush on her older brother’s best friend, only for their relationship to evolve years later into a tender, mature romance.
Hidden Love understands the appeal of a comfort romance: the pleasure isn’t in wondering whether the leads will survive an elaborate conspiracy or defeat an evil immortal. It’s simply in watching two people gradually realise that they are very, very good for each other. The drama’s domestic scenes—late-night conversations, university life, family gatherings, meals together—give the romance a lived-in quality that makes it especially easy to binge when the weather outside is miserable.
4. ‘Will Love in Spring’ (2024)
Above A medical sales representative wearing a prosthetic leg reconnects with a childhood classmate who has become a funeral mortician
For: when you want something warm, grown-up and quietly sexy
A medical sales representative wearing a prosthetic leg reconnects with a childhood classmate who has become a funeral mortician, and the two begin a mature romance shaped by grief, physical insecurity and the complicated business of moving forward.
This is for viewers who have graduated from fluffy campus romances but still want something soothing. Will Love in Spring has more emotional weight than a traditional comfort watch, but its central relationship is refreshingly adult. These are two people who have lived enough life to understand disappointment and loss, yet still choose tenderness. It’s intimate rather than explosive, with the kind of emotional warmth that feels particularly appropriate when the rain is tapping against the window.
5. ‘The Best Thing’ (2025)
Above A woman struggling with chronic migraines meets a gentle traditional Chinese medicine doctor whose care and companionship gradually help her heal and open her heart to love
For: when you want romance that feels like a deep breath
A young woman struggling with chronic migraines meets a traditional Chinese medicine doctor whose calm presence gradually helps her reclaim control over her life, leading to a gentle romance built on trust and patience.
The Best Thing leans into healing in the most literal sense. Its romance is less about grand declarations than about two people slowly becoming a safe place for each other. The drama’s quieter rhythm, everyday routines and emphasis on emotional recovery make it particularly suited to the “rainy day, blanket, cup of tea” category. It feels like the television equivalent of finally getting eight hours of sleep.
6. ‘A Love So Beautiful’ (2017)
Above A bubbly high school student relentlessly pursues her reserved childhood friend as their youthful crush slowly evolves into a love story that follows them into adulthood.
For: when nostalgia is the entire point
A cheerful high school student relentlessly pursues her reserved childhood friend as their relationship grows from youthful crush to something deeper over the years.
A Love So Beautiful is essentially a warm bowl of nostalgia. It captures the awkwardness of first crushes, school friendships, silly misunderstandings and the particular intensity of believing that the person you like at 17 might be the person you love forever. It’s simple, sweet and nostalgic in the way only a coming-of-age romance can be.
7. ‘You Are My Glory’ (2021)
Above A famous actress reconnects with her former high school crush, now an aerospace engineer, when an online game unexpectedly brings the two back into each other’s lives
For: when you want a glamorous adult romance that still feels soft
A famous actress reconnects with her former high school crush, now an aerospace engineer, after an online gaming opportunity brings them back into each other’s lives.
There’s something wonderfully escapist about watching two extremely attractive, successful adults fall in love without the usual barrage of unnecessary toxicity. You Are My Glory is romance as wish fulfilment: beautiful people, beautiful apartments, gaming sessions, space technology and a relationship built around mutual admiration. It’s the C-drama equivalent of ordering your favourite takeout and knowing exactly what you’re getting.
See more: From ‘Eternal Love’ to ‘You Are My Glory’, here are 9 unmissable romance C-dramas
8. ‘The Love You Give Me’ (2023)
Above Years after a painful break-up, two former lovers cross paths again and must confront the secrets, regrets and unresolved feelings that have kept them apart
For: when you want domestic romance with a little more plot
Years after a painful separation, two former lovers reunite and discover that their past isn’t quite as finished as they thought.
This one adds a little more melodrama to the comfort formula, but the appeal lies in the domesticity of the story. The romance isn’t just about falling in love—it’s about what happens when people have to build a life around love, family and responsibility. If you like your comfort watches with a little more emotional momentum, this is a good rainy-day binge.
9. ‘Forever and Ever’ (2021)
Above A gentle voice actress and a reserved chemistry professor meet through an unexpected connection and gradually build a deeply devoted relationship founded on patience, trust and mutual respect
For: when you want quiet, mature devotion
A gentle romance develops between a reserved voice actress and a chemistry professor, whose relationship grows through patience, mutual respect and an unusually deep sense of emotional security.
If Hidden Love is the warm, fizzy comfort drink of cosy C-dramas, Forever and Ever is the herbal tea. There is something almost radical about how little these two people need to play games with each other. The romance is built on consideration and trust, with the pleasure coming from watching two emotionally mature adults quietly choose one another. It’s low-conflict, deeply affectionate and ideal for a day when you want the television equivalent of being tucked into bed.
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Sasha Lim Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila and currently a marketing content specialist, she still dabbles in entertainment, beauty and dining coverage. She was the former managing editor of Esquire Philippines and was the food editor at SPOT.ph. She also edited several best-selling books about food.
She now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
