We all have our favorite Korean drama, have seen at least one Japanese drama, and at least heard of a few Chinese dramas, but what about the completely understated Vietnamese dramas?
With influences from all over Asia, Vietnamese dramas have exponentially risen in popularity over the past decade.
Many years ago, only native-language speakers could appreciate the cultural and language nuances of Vietnamese dramas. These days, the development of Vietnamese drama storylines and characters is as good as any.
The 10 Best Vietnamese Dramas
If you’re looking to expand your viewing of Vietnamese dramas, have a read our list of the top 10 best Vietnamese dramas you need to watch.
- Gao Nep Gao Te
- Bong Dung Muon Khoc
- Tuoi Thanh Xuan
- Hau Due Mat Troi
- Moi Tinh Dau Cua Toi
- Hoa Hong Tren Ngoc Trai
- The Arbitrator
- Mui Ngo Gai
- Nguoi Chong Dien
- Cong Mat Troi
1. Gao Nep Gao Te
This popular drama is a remake of a Korean series. It closely follows the lives of three sisters and their parents, and painfully yet accurately portrays the true intricacies of family dynamics.
You watch as the characters hit roadblocks in their lives, overcome conflicts, and become closer as a family – you grow as the characters grow.
Whilst many family dramas tend to gloss over the drama and mistakes that many average families go through, this drama does not shy away.
Read More: Best Korean Dramas
2. Bong Dung Muon Khoc
This is one of the most highly-rated Vietnamese dramas to date.
The drama follows the story of a poor girl who sells books to get by whilst struggling to juggle school and a spoilt rich boy who doesn’t take his education seriously and spends his time idling away with his friends.
It sounds like a cliche plotline, but the charm of this drama lies within the amazing chemistry of the actors, the nuanced dialogue, and the portrayal of beautiful Vietnam throughout the series.
3. Tuoi Thanh Xuan
This Vietnamese – Korean collaborative film took the drama world by storm and is still a much-loved drama today, albeit it’s rather a typical storyline.
It follows the life of Linh, a beautiful, smart, and rich girl who is besotted by her parents. She wins a scholarship that sends her over to Korea, where she meets the charismatic Junsu.
However, Linh’s family runs into some serious trouble back in Vietnam and she must immediately return. Junsu, with his life and responsibility in Korea, decides not to pursue her.
Fast-forward a few years and they meet again in Vietnam. Many things have changed, and whilst there are hurdles to overcome, they eventually work through them together.
4. Hau Due Mat Troi
This drama is a remake of the super successful ‘Descendants of the Sun’ Korean drama, starring the famous couple Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo.
It follows the epic love story of a Special Forces Captain and a beautiful doctor who is stationed in his area. Their professions initially stood in the way of their relationship, but as they both worked through their personal and professional struggles together, they fall hard for one another.
This drama not only works because of the believable romance, but it also touches on issues such as the value of life, friendship, and the dangers of war.
Read More: Best Chinese Romance Dramas
5. Moi Tinh Dau Cua Toi
Moi Tinh Dau Cua Toi há to make our list of the best Vietnamese dramas!
This series is yet another Korean drama series that was remade in Vietnamese. It’s a light-hearted comedy about love, friendship, and the careers of modern, young people.
It follows the life of a beautiful and charismatic woman and her unattractive and unemployed best friend who has been around since they were children.
One day, two handsome men show up and all hell breaks loose.
6. Hoa Hong Tren Ngoc Trai
This 34-episode drama is relatable and realistic as it focuses on women’s lives and statuses in modern society.
The characters are portrayed as real, everyday working women who have real problems and issues that they face. The actors will have you rooting for them to achieve their happiness and find value in their own lives.
The series also touches upon adult themes such as marriage, divorce, and unfaithfulness.
7. The Arbitrator
This popular Vietnamese drama is a remake of the Israel crime series of the same name.
The storyline is loosely based on a character who finds out his real father is involved in the crime world as, you guessed it, an arbitrator.
You get to know the characters through the criminal world conflicts, and you can marvel at the vast contrast of the underground world vs society as portrayed in this intriguing series.
8. Mui Ngo Gai
People always love a good story about people catching a break after years of hardship, and this drama encapsulates this theme perfectly.
It follows the heartbreaking story of a girl named Vy who, from childhood to adulthood, has to endure some pretty confronting hardships.
However, she eventually finds her feet as she ages. This drama has captured the hearts of many Vietnamese people, and the realistic portrayal of an upbringing of a typical Vietnamese person has intrigued many.
9. Nguoi Chong Dien
What’s a drama list without including an epic melodrama that might have your heart being wrenched out of your chest?
This Vietnamese drama has as many plots as there are knots on your earphones when you leave them in your bag for 5 minutes. As the characters delve deeper and deeper into their lies, you’ll find it difficult to keep up with just how many deceits are happening all at once.
The storyline follows a girl who marries a rich family and thus her status is raised. However, her endless greed means that she continues to manipulate and plot her way into more power and money.
Her husband eventually catches on and gets to work trying to expose her.
This drama is as dramatic as it is dark.
10. Cong Mat Troi
Cong Mat Troi is a slice-of-life drama that light-heartedly follows a few college students who live together and work through their college life trials and tribulations together.
The best thing about this drama is just how well-casted it was: friends and romantic interests are all believable and will have you rooting for them from the beginning.
It has been likened to the American series “Friends”.
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I hope you enjoyed our selection of the 10 best Vietnamese Dramas!
From romance to action, to crime to slice-of-life, the Vietnamese media scene has catered to all tastes. We hope you found some Vietnamese dramas on this list that pique your interest!
If you have one that you loved and it hasn’t been mentioned, we’d love for you to drop a line in our comments section below!
If you want to watch more asian dramas, feel free to also check out our list of the best Thai dramas and the best Chinese historical dramas.