Can watching Chinese language shows can improve language skills? Yes! Listening to Chinese can strengthen tone recognition which helps to improve pronunciation. Watching Chinese shows and dramas can also increase vocabulary and introduce colloquial terms that you often don’t see in textbooks.
Below is a list of Chinese shows and movies to help your teen learn Mandarin. These are suitable for ages 14 and up who can already understand Mandarin. These shows and movies are great to enjoy together for some parent teen bonding time!
For younger kids, check out my list of family friendly shows and movies in Chinese or non-cartoon live-action shows for kids in Chinese.
Romantic Dramas and Movies in Chinese
A Use for My Talent
我亲爱的小洁癖
A romance blooms between the germophobic owner of a cleaning company and his slovenly employee as they help one another heal from their painful pasts.
Watch on Netflix
Attention Love!
稍息立正我愛你
Despite being polar opposites, Li Zheng and Shao Xi have been destined to be together since birth and an unlikely bond develops between them.
Watch on Viki
Falling Inn Love
After a break-up, corporate executive Gabriela Diaz enters a contest to Win an Inn overlooking New Zealand’s countryside. Thousands of airline miles later, she finds The Bellbird Valley Farm lacking in curb appeal but is determined to renovate.
Watch on Netflix
More Than Blue
比悲傷更悲傷的故事：影集版
In this series based on the movie, a man with a terminal illness seeks to help his beloved find a long-term partner.
Watch on Netflix
Let’s Go Crazy on Live
網紅的瘋狂世界
Let’s Go Crazy on LIVE is a Taiwanese drama about an ordinary girl who is scouted by a CEO to become a famous influencer.
Watch on Viki
A Love So Beautiful
致我们单纯的小美好
The ups and downs of school, family and growing up test the affection between a budding artist and her handsome but indifferent classmate and neighbor.
Watch on Viki
A little Thing Called First Love
初恋那件小事
A shy, artistic student develops a crush on a classmate with a knack for basketball and embarks on a journey of self-discovery through college.
My Unicorn Girl
穿盔甲的少女
An aspiring figure skater disguises herself as a boy to join a men’s ice hockey program.
Watch on Viki
Fantasy and Action Shows and Movies in Chinese
Super Me
超级的我
A struggling screenwriter discovers his lucrative ability to bring antiques from his dreams into the real world — but his new life soon unravels.
Watch on Netflix
The Yin Yang Master
侍神令
A feud erupts between realms, and Yin Yang master Qing Ming teams up with disgraced guard Yuan Boya to vanquish a demonic threat as a conspiracy looms.
Watch on Netflix
The Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
阴阳师: 晴雅集
When a demonic serpent reawakens, the Yin-Yang Masters must solve a murder mystery and protect their realms from a dark conspiracy at the royal court.
Watch on Netflix
The Great Magician
大魔術師
A Chinese warlord hires a conjurer to help him impress a resistant concubine.
Watch on Netflix
Double World
征途
In a fictional universe comprising ten nations. Seeing the neighbouring country become more and more powerful, a warlord organises a competition to reveal the best warriors.
Watch on Netflix
Handsome Siblings
绝代双骄
Twin brothers separated in their youth grow into martial arts masters without knowing of the other’s existence, all while a conspiracy threatens their world.
Watch on Netflix
Didi’s Dreams
吃吃的爱, 吃吃睡睡爱
Didi is an actress trying to prove herself before her superstar sister, while Chunmei owns a noodle shop and got dumped by the boy she had fancied forever.
Watch on Viki
Monster Hunt
In an ancient world, monsters rule the land while humans keep to their own kingdom. But when cute baby monster Wuba is born to a human father and the monster queen, humans and creatures alike set out to capture the newborn, and Wuba’s adventure begins.
Monster content can be scary for some children.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video with subscription or FREE with ads
Monster Hunt 2
Monster Hunt 2 is the giggly, nutty, and wildly entertaining live-action sequel to the megahit 2015 family film that broke all box office records in China.
Monster content can be scary for some children.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video with subscription or FREE with ads
Feel Good Shows in Chinese
The Prince of Tennis
奋斗吧，少年！
A tennis whiz beats the odds to excel on the court while juggling school and inspiring teammates.
Watch on Netflix
Tall Girl
When the tallest girl in high school falls for a handsome foreign exchange student, she becomes embroiled in a surprising love triangle and realizes she’s far more than her insecurities about her height have led her to believe.
Watch on Netflix
Oolong Courtyard Kung Fu School
新乌龙院之笑闹江湖; 新乌龙院
A prestigious kung fu academy finds itself upended by two strange new students in this action comedy.
Watch on Amazon Prime and Viki
Tall Girl
When the tallest girl in high school falls for a handsome foreign exchange student, she becomes embroiled in a surprising love triangle and realizes she’s far more than her insecurities about her height have led her to believe.
Watch on Netflix
Anime and Cartoons in Chinese
Stand By Me Doraemon
哆啦A梦：伴我同行
Fourth-grader Nobita Nobi tries to improve his present life so that his loyal cat robot, Doraemon, can return to his home in the future.
Watch on Netflix
Stand By Me Doraemon 2
哆啦A梦 2：伴我同行
beloved grandma his bride, but adult Nobita has fled his own wedding. Can he ever be a good husband to Shizuka?
Watch on Netflix
Nezha
哪吒
Bound by a divine mandate, rebellious outcast Ne Zha grapples with his formidable powers and a destiny that would imperil his loved ones.
Watch on Netflix
Reality Shows in Chinese
TWogether
투게더
Lee Seung-gi and Jasper Liu travel to destinations suggested by their fans and become friends despite their language differences.
Watch on Netflix