Author Robynne Trueman
With foreign language movies and shows like K-Dramas taking the Western world by storm, it’s no surprise that the popularity of Taiwanese dramas is also rising in the United States and beyond. In recent years, Taiwanese TV shows and movies have been picked up by massive streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, giving them a global audience.
It’s hard to choose just a few to highlight, but these 8 Taiwanese dramas have received positive ratings on IMDb and MyDramaList, or are highly anticipated releases coming in 2023. Looking to expand your watch list? We’ve got you covered!
1. Taiwan Crime Stories (2023) 台灣犯罪故事
This new series recently aired on Disney+ and was a highly anticipated 2023 release. The drama series has 50-minute episodes and is a four-part anthology inspired by true crime cases that took place in Taiwan. Stories in season 1 include a train derailment, insurance fraud, a school teacher’s murder, and a child homicide case.
- Genre: Thriller, Anthology, Crime
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.6/10
- Where to Watch: Disney+
- Watch The Trailer: Official Trailer
2. Copycat Killer (2023) 模仿犯
Copycat Killer is a thriller/mystery series coming to Netflix on March 31, 2023. The highly anticipated Taiwanese drama promises to be a dark and suspenseful watch starring Wu Kang-ren from Light the Night. The show is adapted from a novel by Japanese writer Miyuki Miyabe and takes place in 90s Taipei with a dangerous serial killer on the loose.
- Genre: Thriller/Mystery
- IMDb Rating: No Ratings Yet
- MyDramaList: No Ratings Yet
- Where to Watch: Netflix
- Watch The Trailer: Netflix Official Trailer
3. Small & Mighty (2022) 正義的算法
This 2022 drama series currently has 1 season on Disney+ and follows the story of craft lawyer Liu Lang as he defends a big corporation in a food safety case against a defense lawyer whom he despises. Life turns upside down for Liu Lang when he loses his job at the law firm and has to deal with the rookie defense attorney he hates. To top things off, his son makes a sudden appearance on his doorstep.
- Genre: Drama, Light Comedy, Legal
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.8/10
- Where to Watch: Disney+
- Watch The Trailer: Teaser Trailer
4. Women In Taipei (2022) 台北女子圖鑑
Women In Taipei is a dramatic series with 1 season, which originally aired in September 2022. The show follows a young woman from Tainan who longs to live in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, and goes to stay with her aunt in the big city. Despite making the move, she continues to struggle with daily life there.
- Genre: Drama
- IMDb Rating: 4.5/10
- MyDramaList: 6.9/10
- Where to Watch: Disney+
- Watch The Trailer: MyDramaList Trailer
5. Shards of Her (2022) 她和她的她
Shards of Her is a dramatic series with 1 season which aired in 2022. The show follows a woman who wakes from a coma and finds herself in an alternate reality. This life forces her to confront childhood trauma that lingers in mind. The series is dark and deals with mature themes like sexual assault.
- Genre: Drama
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- MyDramaList Rating: 8.1/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix
- Watch The Trailer: Netflix Official Trailer
6. Till We Meet Again (2021) 月老
Till We Meet Again is a 2021 romantic film in the fantasy genre that is based on a novel of the same name. The movie has a 2-hour and 8-minute run time and follows the protagonist who is killed and finds himself in the underworld with a choice to make. Opting to be the God of Love, he finds himself in a difficult position when faced with tying the red string for his former love interest.
- Genre: Romance, Fantasy
- IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8/10
- Where to Watch: Disney+
- Watch The Trailer: Official Teaser
7. Light The Night (2021) 華燈初上
Light The Night is a 2021 Taiwanese Netflix original series that is now in its third season. The show was written by Ryan Tu and is directed by Lien Yi-chi. It originally went by the name Blue Hour and takes place in the red light district of Taipei in the 1980s. The show is a drama thriller that looks at the relationship between the staff at a Japanese-style nightclub there and its clients.
- Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix
- Watch The Trailer: Official Trailer
8. Man In Love (2021) 當男人戀愛時
Man In Love is a 2021 Taiwanese film with a run time of 1 hour and 55 minutes. The romantic drama follows the story of a debt collector who dates and then falls for a young woman who is struggling financially while caring for her elderly father. His goal becomes helping her with debt repayments in exchange for dates. The film is a remake of the 2014 Korean drama of the same name.
- Genre: Drama
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- MyDramaList: 8.2/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix
- Watch The Trailer: Netflix Official Trailer
Check Out These Other Shows On Disney+ And Netflix
All of these shows are currently available to stream on either Disney+ or Netflix. Both of these platforms operate on a monthly subscription model but Disney+ is more affordable than Netflix (for the time being). Other Taiwanese dramas that people are enjoying on Disney+ include Precious Is The Night (今宵多珍重 2020) and A Fool in Love, Love Like a Fool (傻傻愛你，傻傻愛我 2019). On Netflix, fans of Taiwanese dramas are also watching A Taiwanese Tale Of Two Cities (雙城故事 2018) which is a single season of 20 episodes, and A Boy Named Flora A (花甲男孩轉大人 2017) which also currently has 1 season (available in Vietnamese and Mandarin). Other streaming sites that work in Taiwan include Amazon Prime and Hulu, which have their own set of exciting drama series and movies.
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