Looking for something to sharpen your Hokkien skills? Then, try watching Hokkien dramas! Although they are using the Taiwanese Hokkien dialect, Taigi, it is still somewhat close to the Hokkien dialect that we use.
Aside from Chinese dramas like Upcoming Historical dramas, Romance dramas, and more, you can broaden your horizons with Taiwanese and Singaporean dramas.
To start this new adventure, here are 5 Taiwanese Hokkien dramas you should watch:
1. U Motherbaker 2020 (我的婆婆怎麼那麼可愛)
Also known as My Cute Mother-in-Law, this family drama revolves around the tropes of generational gaps, parent and child relationships, and issues with one’s mother in law. In the drama, a family bakery deals with adapting to modern times while maintaining traditions of the past.
Number of Episodes: 40
Genre: Comedy, Family
Casts: Xin Ling Zhong, Huang Pei Jia, Joe Zhang, Darren Chiu
Where to watch: YouTube, iQIYI
2) The Making of an Ordinary Woman 2019 (俗女養成記)
Chen Chia-Lin was raised as a straight-A student in southern Taiwan, but she went against her family’s wishes and left home to pursue her Taipei dreams. Now, she is 39 years old, but she doesn’t have an apartment, a car, or a husband. She even lost her job, but she continues to live her life with unapologetic confidence. This drama has a mix of Mandarin and Taigi, so if you want to practice your skills in both dialects, this show is a good place to start.
Number of Episodes: 10
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Life, Drama, Family
Casts: Ying Shiuan Hsieh, James Wen, Bella Wu
Where to watch: YouTube
3) Coolie 2019 (苦力)
A coal mine disaster in the Keelung mountain area causes many families to break apart. The Coolies are a group of laborers living at the grassroots level and victims of the tragedy who had to leave the mine. Through it all, they help each other in adversity and bravely march towards a new life.
Number of Episodes: 30
Genre: Life, Drama, Family
Casts: Emerson Tsai, Wen-Sing Huang, Jun Fu, Ikeya Chen
Where to watch: ptsplus.tv, YouTube
4) The Coming Through (奇蹟的女兒)
This drama chronicles the life of the Taiwanese workers in the ’70s. During this time, the economy of Taiwan was beginning to take off, but there were a lot of Taiwanese who suffered while doing so.
Number of Episodes: 4
Genre: Drama, Life
Casts: Jenny Wen, J.C. Lin
Where to watch: YouTube
5) Q Series: A Boy Named Flora A 2017 (植劇場 – 花甲男孩轉大人)
Part of the Taiwanese Q Series, this drama is about Zheng Hua, a 28-year-old college junior who still lives at home and is being endlessly doted on by his large, extended family. His grandmother’s illness and his cousins’ misfortunes force him to reexamine his life and commitment to the family business.
Number of Episodes: 7
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Casts: Crowd Lu, Yan Yu Lin, Esther Yeh
Where to watch: Netflix, YouTube
