Shows Like Xi Shi
If you enjoyed Xi Shi, should consider this hand-picked list which questions the purpose and weight of our choices while grounding the story in targets the intellect with complex, multi-layered ideas. Carefully balances character depth with narrative flow makes this a deeper look into what makes these stories stick.
Standard feature-length experiences.
Best for fans of who appreciate concise storytelling.
★ Top Picks

The Vendetta of An
Xie Huai'an, son of the Huben Army's creator, survives his family's massacre. After ten long years in hiding, he returns to Chang'an disguised as a lowly registrar, moving step by step through jianghu clashes and palace power plays in a tense battle of wits to avenge his family and safeguard the realm.

The Qin Empire
The rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin.

North & South
Margaret Hale is a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and willfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton...

Moonlight Mystique
Bai Shuo, the youngest daughter of the General's Mansion, aspires to cultivate immortality in order to repay a favor. On her journey to seek immortality, she accidentally rescues the great demon god Fan Yue. As the saying goes, healthy fights strengthen relationships, and they go from mutual manipulation to mutual affection as they fall in love with each other, navigating a love affair intertwined with sweetness and cruelty. Even though they face countless difficulties, their love is strong enough to overcome all limitations, allowing them to truly embrace each other.

Fangs of Fortune
During the Zhenyuan era, the accidental death of the Bai Ze goddess, who governed both human and demon realms, leads to chaos as demon beasts run rampant. Disguised as Zhao Yuanzhou, the demon leader Zhu Yan offers to form a demon-hunting bureau to help restore order. Wen Xiao, suspicious of Zhao Yuanzhou, joins the bureau along with her childhood friend Zhuo Yichen, skilled archer Pei Sijing, and the talented but timid doctor Bai Jiu. Together, they confront the creatures from "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" and uncover the darker truths behind the chaos.

Drawing Sword
Li Yunlong, a bold and unconventional leader during the War of Resistance, leads his battalion to victory against Japanese forces. Amid rivalry and friendship with fellow general Chu Yunfei, he is wounded in battle and later finds love with nurse Tian Yu, facing the challenges of war and changing times alongside his comrades and family.

New Life Begins
Because of a marriage election, girls from all over the world gather in Xinchuan. Yin Zheng, the sixth young master of Xinchuan, and Li Wei, who only wants to lose the election and live comfortably in her hometown, accidentally meet. There, a new interesting and fun chapter of their lives start. As Yin Zheng opens his house and goes to court, the two of them gradually grow closer, and spend everyday through all four seasons together. They grow together with other siblings of different personalities and fates, writing the warm daily life of the Xinchuan family together.

The Legend of ShenLi
The ancient gods died, and there is only one last god in the world - Xingzhi. Rumor has it that this God of Action has lived alone in the heavens for tens of thousands of years, ruthless and lustless. In the battle of the immortals and demons, he turned the tide by himself, and since then, Du Men has been swept away, and his traces are hard to find. Hundreds of years are just a click away. As the queen who was born with a pearl in the devil world, Shen Li's life was bright and dazzling. But on the occasion of her thousand-year-old birthday, the claws of political marriage were scratching their heads. On the way to escape from the marriage, Shen Li was beaten back to the original form of a phoenix and fell to the world with injuries. When she was seriously injured and comatose, the mortal hawker treated her as a fat chicken, plucked all the hair from her body, and locked her in a cage for sale. The fate of the two is tightly linked by a seemingly casual transaction.
More Shows Like Xi Shi

The Prisoner of Beauty
Xiao Qiao, a clever girl from the Qiao family, marries Wei Shao, the brave and kind master of the Wei family. Despite initial wariness due to ancestral grievances, Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao navigate their relationship with humor and determination. As they face challenges together, they come to appreciate each other's qualities through their warm daily life, intertwined with family and national affairs, and work to restore peace and resolve conflicts.

The Story of Ming Lan
Sheng Minglan, the intelligent but overlooked sixth daughter of the Sheng family, hides her talents to survive a difficult childhood and avenge her mother’s death. As she navigates family struggles and political intrigue, she forms a complex bond with Gu Tingye. Together, they rise as a powerful couple, balancing love, loyalty, and duty in a changing empire.

Arsenal Military Academy
In 1910s China, nineteen year old Xie Xiang follows in her deceased brother's footsteps and enrolls in military school disguised as a man. She befriends her fellow cadets and and earns the respect of her instructors during the intense training. However, when the unfortunate arrival of the Imperial Japanese troops creates a web of distressing conspiracies, the batch and their allies are forced to prove their courage and resilience.

Land Girls
The lives, loves and highs and lows of four members of the Women's Land Army working at the Hoxley Estate during World War II.

TURN: Washington's Spies
The story of New York farmer, Abe Woodhull, who bands together with a group of childhood friends to form The Culper Ring, an unlikely group of spies who turn the tide in America’s fight for independence.

Legend of the Female General
A female general with a gentle appearance but a strong inner spirit, and a male general with a cold exterior and internal but with stronger martial prowess. The two join forces to combat deceit, assist the weak, and eliminate external threats.

My Journey To You
Yun Wei Shan, a spy longing for freedom, infiltrates the palace to complete a mission. Within the eerie and mysterious palace, she encounters love and friendship, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and finds the determination to move forward. Together with the rebellious nobleman Gong Ziyu, they grow and mature through their shared experiences.

A Dream of Splendor
Zhao Pan'er is a smart and savvy teahouse owner in Qiantang, living alongside her two best friends Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhang. When she finds out her fiancé left her for another woman of a high ranking officer after becoming an official in the capital of Bianjing, she refuses to give into her fate and decides to travel to the capital in search for the truth. On her way there, she crosses paths with both of her best friends whose lives she saves, and they follow her onward. Gu Qianfan is a commander in an elite capital squadron nicknamed "Living Devil". He is setup by the very people he swears allegiance to and must find out the truth behind a nefarious scheme involving the imperial court. When he first meets Zhao Pan'er, they don't see eye to eye, however this intelligent businesswoman has caught his attention and as they help each other, they get closer to their own goals.

The Romance Of Three Kingdoms
Adapted from the classical 14th century novel of the same title by Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. The focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu.

House of Guinness
Dublin, 1868. The Guinness family patriarch is dead, and his four children — each with dark secrets to hide — hold the brewery's fate in their hands.

Love in the Clouds
At the annual Qingyun Conference in the Hexu Six Realms, Ji Bozai, a warrior from the Jixing Abyss with a past as a convict, defeated Ming Yi, the cold warrior goddess who had reigned supreme for seven consecutive years. Overnight, Ji Bozai became the hottest new star in Jixing Abyss. Meanwhile, Ming Yi, hiding her true identity, disguised herself as a dancer to get close to Ji Bozai. Under their carefully crafted personas, the two engaged in a thrilling dance of deception and attraction, fighting for justice and fairness, and ultimately found a deep and moving love.

Bomb Girls
Focusing on a group of women working in a munitions plant during World War II, this ensemble drama depicts the dangers and new experiences they face.
Why These Shows Are Similar
These recommendations share core qualities with Xi Shi (1996): Drama and War & Politics themes, similar pacing, and comparable production quality. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface series most likely to resonate with fans of Xi Shi.
See full details for Xi Shi (1996)



