Chinese actor Jing Boran is back in the spotlight following the August 26 premiere of The Early Spring on Netflix, a new drama he leads alongside actress Sun Qian. While the series has yet to receive an official Douban rating, its arrival has prompted fans to revisit his extensive body of work and ask which of his past dramas earned the highest critical standing.
Across more than a decade on screen, Jing Boran has taken on a wide range of roles — from psychological thrillers and period mysteries to time-travel romances and youth comedies. The following ranking covers nine of his leading Chinese dramas that have received official Douban scores as of August 28, 2026, ordered from lowest to highest. Series in which he had only a supporting role and The Early Spring, which has not yet opened for ratings, are excluded.
Where To Watch The Early Spring On Netflix
The Early Spring, starring Jing Boran and Sun Qian, is currently streaming on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/tw/title/83067202
No. 9 The Psychologist (2021) Douban Score 5.2
Based on novelist Bi Shumin's book of the same name, The Psychologist follows counselor He Dun through a series of cases exploring psychological wounds in family, workplace, and romantic relationships. Jing Boran plays radio host Qian Kaiyi — sunny and easygoing on the surface, but quietly carrying scars from his upbringing, and a key figure in helping He Dun gradually confront her own past.
The drama received divided responses, with its portrayal of counseling practices and narrative pacing drawing considerable debate. Jing's scenes opposite co-star Yang Zi, however, found a warm audience. Viewers described their chemistry as "evenly matched and mutually elevating," while others praised Jing for his "strong delivery and command of dialogue." One review noted that "all the leads delivered" and gave the ensemble as a whole a positive assessment.
No. 8 New Editorial Department Story (2013) Douban Score 5.3
Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, New Editorial Department Story is a spiritual successor to the beloved 1990s sitcom Story of the Editorial Board, transplanting the familiar magazine office setting into the internet era. Jing Boran plays web editor He Cheche, a digital native whose fluency with online culture puts him at generational odds with his senior colleagues. It remains one of the earliest television roles of his dramatic career.
The series polarized audiences largely because of how sharply its comedic style diverged from the beloved original. Jing himself acknowledged in interviews at the time that comparisons to the classic were inevitable. He Cheche nonetheless stands as an early on-screen snapshot of the actor finding his footing in drama.
No. 7 Road Home (2023) Douban Score 5.8
Adapted from Mo Bao Fei Bao's novel of the same name, Road Home is an urban romance centered on two former lovers who find each other again after years apart. Jing Boran plays Lu Yanchen, a bomb disposal officer whose feelings for Gui Xiao never fully disappeared even as life pulled them in different directions. The character speaks little and keeps his emotions tightly guarded, communicating through action and expression more than words.
Lu Yanchen's reticence divided viewers: some found the pacing slow and the protagonist too closed off, while others felt his restraint was entirely consistent with the character's background. One five-star review framed his tendency toward silence and emotional withholding as traits rooted in his personal history. Others were simply moved by the reconnection story, with one viewer summing up the experience as "genuinely so romantic."
No. 6 A League Of Nobleman (2023) Douban Score 6.2
A League of Nobleman is a period mystery drama co-starring Jing Boran and Song Weilong. Jing plays Lan Jue, a Ministry of Rites official who presents a polished, diplomatic face to the world while privately pursuing the truth behind his father's long-buried wrongful conviction. When his path crosses that of the relentless investigator Zhang Ping, mutual wariness gradually gives way to an unlikely partnership.
Lan Jue emerged as one of Jing's better-regarded period roles. Viewers on Dcard noted that he "brought the character to life fully," capturing Lan Jue's inscrutability, haughty elegance, and moments of emotional disruption. Discussions on PTT similarly focused on the character's complex inner conflict. One review praised Jing's portrayal for its "poise and grace, warm and luminous as jade."
No. 5 Love Through A Millennium (2015) Douban Score 6.6
Adapted from the Korean drama Queen In-hyun's Man, Love Through a Millennium stars Jing Boran alongside Zheng Shuang. Jing plays Gongming, a Han dynasty scholar who finds himself transported two thousand years into the present, where he meets actress Lin Xiangxiang while searching for a way back — and falls in love along the way. The drama became one of the most recognizable leading roles of Jing's early career.
The chemistry between the two leads drew a loyal following. Viewers described the pair as having "incredible couple energy," particularly responding to the quiet moments of connection between them. Some became so invested they declared the ideal boyfriend would look something like Gongming. The character's warmth, faithfulness, and classical restraint cemented his place among Jing's fan-favorite roles.
No. 4 Steel Forest (2026) Douban Score 7.0
Steel Forest is a 2026 crime thriller co-starring Jing Boran, Cai Wenjing, and Qin Junjie. Jing plays criminal psychology professor Jiang Hansheng — outwardly cool and analytical, yet emotionally intense where the people he loves are concerned. He and detective Zhou Jin are both spouses and partners drawn into the same dangerous case. The role marks a noticeable departure from the romantic leads Jing has been most associated with, leaning into shadow, obsession, and psychological complexity.
The performance prompted fresh conversation about Jing's range. Fans on Weibo said he had "completely inhabited Jiang Hansheng," while others who went back through his earlier work concluded that he looked fundamentally different in this role from anything he had done before, reflecting that "you can always trust a great actor to build a character unlike any other."
No. 3 Regeneration (2024) Douban Score 7.0
Directed by Shen Ao, Regeneration opens at a mysterious memorial gathering where five strangers realize they all knew the same man — Fei Ke — who is supposedly dead. The catch: each of them describes an entirely different person. Jing Boran plays Fei Ke across multiple identities, shifting between a struggling student, a wealthy socialite, a sharp corporate professional, and a high-functioning con artist, letting each narrator's version reveal a new layer of who Fei Ke really was.
The role earned Jing some of the strongest acting notices of his career. Multiple viewers admitted it was their "first real discovery of Jing Boran's acting ability," calling Fei Ke a character with unusual depth and texture. One review singled out his work in the first six episodes as particularly well-calibrated. While the later plot and ending generated debate, his command of the character's shifting faces drew widespread praise.
No. 2 Nonstop (2009) Douban Score 7.2
One of Jing Boran's earliest television appearances, Nonstop is a 2009 youth sitcom adapted from the Korean series of the same name. Set against university life, it follows a group of young people through the everyday comedies of friendship, romance, and growing up. Jing plays one of the main characters, Jing Bao, making it one of the foundational works of his early career on screen.
No. 1 Girl Rushes Forward (2009) Douban Score 7.3
Also from 2009, Girl Rushes Forward holds the top spot in Jing Boran's Douban rankings to date. The campus comedy stars Huang Shengyi, Tang Zhenye, Wang Yanan, Jing Boran, and Yang Zi. Jing plays Jing Xiaoqiao, a childhood acquaintance of Yang Zi's character Sun Quan — a classic rivals-turned-sweethearts arc that picks back up when the two cross paths again in college. It also marks one of the first major television roles Jing Boran took on after transitioning from a career as a pop singer, making it a milestone in more ways than one.