We’re going to guess that it’s global climate change that’s caused temperatures around the world to soar higher than ever. But while the weather outside is frightful, hopefully the inside of your air-conditioned house is delightful.
This summer, while you’re avoiding the wrath of nature in the comfort of your own refrigerated home, you might as well fire up a streaming site and see what cool Chinese language content there is to binge. We’ve picked the best of new TV & movies available on Netflix right now:
The One That’s On Everyone’s Lips: Word of Honor
It should come as no surprise that the biggest Boys’ Love (BL) period drama to make waves since the epic Wang Yibo-Xiao Zhan vehicle, The Untamed, has wound up on this list.
Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan are everywhere now, and if you want to know more about that conversation, this show is the best place to learn why. Magic, mayhem, handsome men dressed in Hanfu — what more do you want in a series? Be warned, the first episode gives an extremely long and confusing backstory. Remain patient for the good stuff.
Watch Word of Honor on Netflix here.
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The One That’s Super Relatable for Women at Work: The Rational Life
Qin Lan stars as Shen Ruoxin, a career-driven and emotionally independent thirtysomething whose life is transformed by her new assistant Qi Xiao (played by little fresh meat Dylan Wang). Over time, Qi Xiao proves to be more than just a diligent mentee and a trusty confidant. The two navigate everything from misogynistic colleagues to the pressures of family and friends who don’t get why marriage might not be the first priority.
Why will you like it, you ask? It features a respectable protagonist with solid morals, a well-meaning but nagging mom who will test your patience but elicit empathy at the same time, and relatable secondary characters who are all trying to stay afloat with the right amount of courage, sacrifice, and humility.
Watch The Rational Life on Netflix here.
A Quicker Bite of BL: Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
In the mood for a BL period drama, but don’t have time to watch an entire series? Yin-Yang Master is just what you’re looking for, featuring elements of BL classics without the excruciatingly long backstories.
Regrettably there are no breakout stars worthy of mention, but the fight scenes are well-edited and entertaining. Also, the special effects are pretty cool in this one. The giant snake could definitely give King Kong a run for his money.
Watch Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity on Netflix here.
The Fun RomCom: Use for My Talent
Starring Shen Yue as Shi Shuangjiao, a downtrodden university graduate who takes on a cleaning job to support her alcoholic father and spoiled brother, and Jasper Liu as Gu Renqi, a germaphobic CEO of a cleaning company, Use for My Talent follows the typically uncanny trajectory of Asian soap operas.
Shi and Gu bump into each other in a series of coincidences and proceed to fall in love, helping each other to fix their relationships with their families and friends in the process. It’s based off a Korean drama and borrows heavily from those tropes, but ultimately the plot lines are easy to follow and the heroes easy to root for. It’s a cute, highly snackable series.
Watch Use for My Talent on Netflix here.
The One For Those Suffering Writer’s Block: Super Me
A struggling science fiction screenwriter finally falls asleep after a bout of insomnia. His dream is a nightmare but leaves him with a special gift: each night, he’s killed by a demon, but whatever treasure he is holding while dying materializes in the real world. As he begins using this power to attain unimaginable riches, he attracts the attention of gangsters that threaten everyone he loves.
Stylish and snappy, this movie plays with the genres of comedy, fantasy, and horror to create a wish fulfillment story with an open-ended conclusion. It’ll make the hours pass while giving you some extra food for thought.
Watch Super Me on Netflix here.
Here comes the sun! Draw the curtains, order some ice cream, and settle down in your microclimate of choice to avoid any unnecessary extra Vitamin D before the school year starts up again.
Cover image via IMDb
