Sun Qian C-dramas: 6 must-watch titles, from ‘The Early Spring’ to ‘Wind Direction'

Based on Meng Zhong De Yi’s novel A Pragmatist’s Love, the C-drama tells the story of Fei Ni (Sun Qian) and Fang Muyang (Arthur Chen). Set in 1975, at the end of China’s Cultural Revolution, it offers a glimpse into a generation of young Chinese people beginning to regain access to education, with Fei Ni determined to pursue opportunities that had once been out of reach.

A textile factory worker with dreams of becoming a writer, Fei Ni sees a chance to change her circumstances when Fang Muyang, a former middle school classmate, re-enters her life. After an accident leaves Fang with amnesia, Fei volunteers to nurse him back to health, hoping that her good deed might earn her a recommendation to university. When that plan falls through, the pair enter into a marriage of convenience to secure housing, setting the stage for a slow-burn romance that gradually becomes something more genuine.

Heartwarming and sweet, Love Story in the 1970s is a comfort C-drama built from the quiet details of the characters’ everyday lives. Sun Qian and Arthur Chen play Fei Ni and Fang Muyang with an understated chemistry that makes their relationship feel grounded. More than simply falling in love, the pair support each other as they work toward their respective goals. It is this sense of mutual encouragement, woven into the romance and the changing world around them, that gives the drama its particular warmth.

See more: 9 cosy C-dramas for the perfect comfort watch

Set in 1997, Wind Direction offers another nostalgic trip back in time. The youth and family C-drama centres on a group of teenagers growing up in a coastal oilfield community. Sun Qian plays Cheng Miaomiao, a spirited 17-year-old whose family has spent three generations working at the oilfield. Curious about the world beyond her hometown, Miaomiao’s appetite for adventure often puts her at odds with her protective mother.

What sets the drama apart is its affectionate look at the bonds that surround its young characters. Friendships shift as childhood companions grow older, while sibling rivalries and parent-child tensions bring the everyday complications of family life into the mix. Wind Direction finds its appeal in the small moments, capturing the squabbles and lessons that make adolescence feel both fleeting and formative.

As Miaomiao, Sun Qian brings plenty of energy to a character who is impulsive and occasionally prone to getting herself into trouble. Her lively performance adds to the charm of the coming-of-age story—giving the C-drama much of its personality—and earned her the Best Breakthrough Actor in a TV Series award (alongside Chen Zheyuan) at iQIYI Scream Night 2024.

Remembrance of Things Past is an urban drama that follows four women from different backgrounds as they navigate work, relationships and the challenges of making a life in Beijing. Sun Qian plays Xu Yan, a young woman who moves to the capital to be with her boyfriend, though her materialistic outlook and spending habits eventually put a strain on their relationship.

Rather than romanticising the experience of starting over in a big city, the C-drama takes a candid look at the pressures facing young people living away from home. As the four women contend with career setbacks, financial pressures and loneliness, their friendships become an important source of support. Xu Yan, meanwhile, is forced to reconsider her priorities after a break-up and a scam leave her dealing with the consequences of the lifestyle she has been pursuing.

Praised for its realistic portrayal of young urbanites, Remembrance of Things Past balances its heavier themes with tenderness and empathy. As Xu Yan, Sun Qian brings a rawness to a character who can be frustrating yet sympathetic as she learns from her mistakes. The role earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2021 WenRong TV Awards, marking an early step in her evolution from youthful romantic roles to more nuanced characters.

In Sun Qian’s debut C-drama, the slice-of-life sibling drama Take My Brother Away, she wins over viewers as Shi Miao, the literal butt-kicking younger sister of the mischievous Shi Fen, played by Joseph Zeng. Based on the Chinese webcomic Please Take My Brother Away! by artist duo You Ling, what unfolds is a story of everyday sibling chaos, propelled by constant bickering and the occasional high kick.

Shi Miao is perpetually exasperated by her brother’s pranks and would happily have him out of her life, but what she doesn’t know is that behind his goofy antics, Shi Fen has been quietly taking care of them both. With their mother gone and their father struggling with alcoholism, the seemingly irresponsible older brother has stepped into a role neither asked for. Soon, their rivalry gives way to a deeply moving brother-and-sister bond.

Sun Qian makes a striking debut, taking on a lead role in her very first C-drama and bringing sharp comic timing and real emotional range to Shi Miao. Her performance, alongside Joseph Zeng’s playful turn as Shi Fen, anchors the series—and makes it an easy entry point for fans curious about where Sun Qian’s career began.

Fans of the K-drama I Am Not a Robot will recognise the premise behind Sun Qian’s A Robot in the Orange Orchard, an official remake of the 2017 series. In the sci-fi rom-com C-drama, an intelligent companion robot named Friday—modelled on Yang Shan Shan (Sun Qian)—is created to help Lu Sen (Liang Jingkang), a tech company chairman with a rare allergy to human touch. But when a mix-up leaves Friday unavailable, Shan Shan is forced to step in and impersonate the android herself.

As Lu Sen grows increasingly comfortable around “Friday”, Shan Shan finds herself caught between maintaining the deception and dealing with his growing feelings for her. The set-up leaves plenty of room for physical comedy, as a very human woman attempts to convince a guarded CEO that she is a robot without blowing her cover. Playing Shan Shan, Sun Qian leans into a more playful, high-energy register, balancing the robot-act comedy with the real emotional stakes of falling for a man who believes she’s a machine.

For K-drama fans looking to explore Sun Qian’s C-dramas after The Early Spring, this remake offers a familiar way in. She and Liang Jingkang sell the premise well enough to make A Robot in the Orange Orchard a fun detour for anyone working through her catalogue, with just enough of its own spin to stand apart from the original.

From workplace romance to coming-of-age series, these six Sun Qian C-dramas show just how much ground the actress has covered since her 2018 debut. If The Early Spring was your introduction to Sun Qian, the rest of this watchlist offers plenty of reasons to work your way through her other dramas.

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