Best movies & TV Shows like The Rational Life

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The Rational Life Starring Qin Lan, Dylan Wang, Lin Xinyi, Bao Wenjing, and more. If you liked The Rational Life then you may also like: Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker, Shanghai Calling, The Stoning of Soraya M., Hello, It's Me, The Last Run and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

Shen Ruo Xin is a thirty-something professional who decides to take a stand against unfair societal expectations At her workplace she finds herself drawn to two different men - one her trusted, younger assistant, the other her bachelor boss. Knowing she is considered a 'leftover woman' weighs heavily on her. Will she opt to marry the man society deems appropriate, or will she listen to her heart and screw up the courage to pursue a romance with the younger man?

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Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker

A woman inherits her father's fireworks factory, as he had no son. The business does well and everything works in an orderly fashion until one day, an itinerant painter is hired to decorate the doors and vases at the factory. The woman, forbidden to marry and thereby involve outsiders in the factory ownership, finds herself drawn to the headstrong painter. When they fall in love, the situation throws her entire life into disarray

Shanghai Calling

When ambitious New York attorney Sam is sent to Shanghai on assignment, he immediately stumbles into a legal mess that could end his career. With the help of a beautiful relocation specialist, a well-connected old-timer, a clever journalist, and a street-smart legal assistant, Sam might just save his job, find romance, and learn to appreciate the beauty and wonders of Shanghai.

The Stoning of Soraya M.

A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into a conversation with Zahra, who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya, whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant had a tragic ending.

Hello, It's Me

Two years after her husband dies in a sudden accident, Annie and her two children are left to cope with the loss. Annie can't imagine falling in love again, until she meets a wealthy bachelor who is drawn to her free spirit. Afraid to love again, she longs for guidance when she starts to develop feelings for this new man. Her prayers are answered when she starts receiving communications from her late husband that encourage her to follow her heart.

The Last Run

When a young accountant is devastated after discovering his inspiringly beautiful girlfriend is cheating on him, his best friend, who's engaged to a girl he doesn't love, convinces him to go on a "run" and sleep with as many women as he can to get over his heart break.

The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart

20 single men and women embark on an incredible journey to find love through music. Singing well-known songs, both individually and as couples, they will look to form attractions through the melodies, find and reveal their feelings, and ultimately fall in love.

Boss & Me

Based off Gu Man’s very popular internet novel, the story tells of a kind hearted young girl who works at a big conglomerate. However one of her weaknesses is eating, she loves to eat, and so upon discovering this her boss decides to intentionally fatten her up; she just so happens to share the same blood type as his sister, and thus has the motive of making her the blood donor. Hence comedy ensues as she melts his heart with her exceptional appetite and her cute charm.

My Best Ex-Boyfriend

Parents force the breakup of two couples, but what happens to their lingering feelings years later? Li Tang and Fu Fang Si were high school sweethearts, but the two end up breaking up due to pressures from Li Tang’s father and a misunderstanding. Li Tang eventually stands up to his father and leaves to start his own company. Years later, Fang Si is finally achieving her dreams as a fashion designer and dating Yin Hao Ran. But their relationship gets complicated when Li Tang comes back into Fang Si’s life just as she is struggling professionally. Li Tang is now engaged to Cheng Xiang Nan, a supermodel, who also happens to be Hao Ran’s ex-girlfriend. Xiang Nan was forced to break up with Hao Ran by her ambitious mother, but she has never gotten over her feelings for him. Will Li Tang and Fang Si now have the courage to listen to their own hearts?

Love O2O

What is it that makes a man fall in love with a woman at first sight? Appearance? Aura? Wealth? NO, when campus prince and gaming expert, student Xiao Nai first saw Bei Wei Wei, what made him fall in love was not her extraordinary beauty, but her slim and slender fingers that were flying across the keyboard and her calm and composed manner!!! Embarrassing, no? At the same time, gaming expert Bei Wei Wei, at this time and place is on the computer, methodically commanding a guild war, and won a perfect and glorious victory despite being at a disadvantage, and was completely unaware that cupid is nearby. Soon after basketball player, swimmer, all-around excellent student, and game company president, Xiao Nai, uses both tactics on and off-line to take this beauty’s heart. Therefore this romance slowly bloomed.

Her Story

Her Story is about two trans women in Los Angeles who have given up on love, when suddenly chance encounters give them hope. Violet is drawn to Allie, a reporter who approaches her for an interview, while career-driven Paige meets James, the first man she’s considered opening up to in years. Will they risk letting what they are stand in the way of being loved for who they are? Trans women in the media have long been punchlines, killers, indications of urban grit, pathetic tragedies, and dangerous sirens. Rarely have they been complex characters who laugh, struggle, and grow, who share strength in sisterhood, who seek and find love. Her Story depicts the unique, complicated, and very human women we see in queer communities, and explores how these women navigate the intersections of label identity and love.

The Fox's Summer

Gu Chengze, the adopted son of the Gu family, is the CEO of Gu Mall Corporation. Mrs. Gu wishes for her biological grandson, Gu Jinyu to take over the company; and Gu Chengze is tasked to guide the rightful heir towards becoming a respectful businessman. During this time, he meets fashion designer Li Yanshu and discovers that she is Gu Jinyu's ex-girlfriend. He decides to hire her aboard to motivate Gu Jinyu, who still harbors feelings for Li Yanshu. The plan worked on when Gu Jinyu decides to join the company and pursue her. When Mrs. Gu finds out about Gu Jinyu's feelings for Li Yanshu, she was livid and tells Gu Chengze to separate the both of them. This creates an opportunity for Gu Chengze and Li Yanshu to get closer to each other, and they fell in love. With the help of Li Yanshu, Gu Chengze overcomes many difficult situations. Gu Jinyu, after undergoing life-changing experiences, also matures and successfully took over his company.

Meteor Garden

An ordinary girl is admitted to the most prestigious school in the country where she encounters F4, an exclusive group comprised of the four wealthiest and handsomest boys in the school - Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei, Xi Men and Mei Zuo.

I Hear You

Bei Er Duo, a girl from an ordinary family, dreams about studying in Japan to be a professional voice actor. However, her mother wants her to marry rich whilst she is young, leading to continuous blind dates which irritate Bei Er Duo. In her desperation to raise funds for studying overseas as well as helping her best friend Tang Li out of a crisis, Bei Er Duo joins a couple reality program, encountering top violin maker Ye Shu Wei.

Unrequited Love

Luo Zhi has a crush on an outstanding boy named Sheng Huainan and follows up his steps to get into the same university. They have to get over problems between themselves and their families, and make progress in their relationship.

My True Friend

A modern drama focusing on the relationship between real estate agents and customers wanting to find the perfect home in a growing property market.

Lucky's First Love

A story about first love and romances from the perspective of three couples in the workplace. It follows an independent young woman brimming with potential who crosses paths with a black-bellied boss. Because of the prosperous meaning behind her name, Xing Yun is recruited by Xia Ke to work at his gaming company. He is determined and headstrong, a son who refused to take over the family business and chose to make it on his own. In her journey from a sketch artist to a gaming designer, she experiences many extremes and jumps many hurdles in dealing with her black-bellied boss. Their continuous bickering brings them closer and the girl who has never been in love before finds that the last hurdle is love.

Ten Years Late

A story about six young individuals with different backgrounds and different outlooks who work hard to build a life for themselves in the big city. Jin Ran gives up his high-paying position abroad for the sake of his love and his dreams. He takes up a job as the Chief Operating Officer of a tourism company and gets reunited with his first love Yuan Lai as he jumps at the chance to pursue her again. Career woman Xu Xin Yi crosses paths with professional gamer Ding Ang to start their lives as a couple but things do not turned out as planned due to an unexpected tragedy. Zhao Cheng Zhi, a lawyer making strides in establishing his own practice, butts heads with intern Shen Shuang Shuang and her bright and bubbly personality brings excitement to his otherwise monotonous life. (Source: ChineseDrama.info)

Standing in the Time

A story that follows Lin Xia's journey to establishing a career in the world of publishing and how she finds love at the same time. Lin Xia has always been buoyed by her love for literary works and dreams of becoming a fashion editor one day. After graduation, she applies for a job at a publishing house but realizes on her first day that she has been 'lured' into the wrong department. Department head Qian Wen Feng has plenty of confidence in Lin Xia and tells her that as long as she does a good job, she'll have the chance to transfer to the editorial team. Lin Xia finds it difficult to keep up with the high-intensity nature of the work and her boss's expectations, but her optimistic attitude enables her to face the trials that come her way. By chance, Lin Xia encounters Zhou Zi Mo, a writer that she's been working with and they fall into a romance.

Find Yourself

A love story between an accomplished career woman and a younger man... He Fan Xing's company is at risk of being acquired, while her relationship with Yuan Song faces societal pressures due to their age difference. The consecutive blows in her work and love life push her to an emotional quagmire, and it is during this time that Ye Lu Ming enters her life. Being older in age, he is mature, stable and knowledgeable. He becomes He Fan Xing's life coach and the source of conflict between the couple. For He Fan Xing, it's not merely a matter of choosing the man that she loves, but considering the contradictions of adopting the traditional mindset on marriage.

Love Designer

The love story between a fashion designer and a man in the e-commerce industry. Fashion designer Zhou Fang met Song Lin because of a lawsuit. They were a mismatch from the very start but had to cooperate due interdependence in their lives and their work. Having two hard-headed people together was bound to result in conflicts but in the process of competing with each other, Zhou Fang and Song Lin gradually fall in love. As they seek to be better versions of themselves, Zhou Fang works hard to create a sophisticated brand while Song Lin who prioritizes efficiency above all pushes for a breakthrough in his career.

Well Dominated Love

Nie Xing Chen is the new assistant of Yan Jing Zhi. Despite meeting for the first time, she already knew the difficult daily habits of her boss. He is an arrogant CEO with a high IQ, suffers from mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, is assertive at work, pursues perfection in life, but is also a perfect man in the hearts of many girls.

Dating in the Kitchen

Working as an assistant chef at the Zijing Hotel, Gu Sheng Nan was a woman well on her way to making her dreams come true. Well situated, in a job that she loved, she was free to express herself through her food, as she sharpened her skills as a chef. In addition to having a great job, she was happily settled in her secret relationship with the hotel’s head chef. Convinced they were destined to build a beautiful life together, Sheng Nan was devastated the day she caught her boyfriend cheating. As if breaking up with her boyfriend wasn’t bad enough, Sheng Nan soon learns that she may soon be out of a job, thanks to the hotel’s impending acquisition. To make matters worse, an unfortunate misunderstanding lands her on the wrong side of her soon-to-be boss, the sharp-tongued CEO, Lu Jin.

Professional Single

Single since birth, Yuan Qian and Qin Shen are two people who will probably end up being single for life because they want to. Set against the backdrop of an art school, the story follows students who overcome many difficulties to pursue their artistic ideals. Qin Shen is a student who dreams of becoming a sculptor. A freshman in their department, he is like a god-level existence in their school - cold, disciplined and a perfectionist. However, girls mean nothing to him and he finds dating to be a complete waste of time. Yuan Qian has the appearance of the cute girl next door but has a headstrong personality. She is eloquent and determined such that no one can stop her once she sets her mind to something. However, she has a tendency to pick at other people's shortcomings so much that no guy can impress her.

Invisible Life

In order to avoid her mother meddling in her love life, Ye Xiao Bai joins a business project that strict boss Guan Yi He is running. The two end up falling in love and having a secret relationship because their workplace doesn't allow romance between colleagues. They end up marrying and establishing a family in secret, and Xiao Bai thinks life is going well, but the pressure of keeping their relationship a secret puts a strain on their family. Other problems arise both personally and professionally, opening Xiao Bai's eyes to the issues women face in the workplace and the struggle to balance work and family. The naive girl learns to be stronger, advancing at work and protecting her family and marriage.

Forever and Ever

This story is about Shi Yi, a gentle pleasant and low-key but industry's top voice actress, who ran into the elegant returnee chemistry professor Zhousheng Chen at the airport one day. They gradually develop a mutual understanding in getting along with each other, and join hands to preserve traditional craftsmanship and overcome many storms as they decide to accompany each other for the rest of their lives...

She and Her Perfect Husband

Elite lawyer Qin Shi and resident homebody Yang Hua who got "married" for their own purposes unexpectedly find true love in each other. Together, they walk hand in hand towards a happy and fruitful life.

Live Your Life

Wu You and He Xiya have been pitting their wits and will against each other for so long only to realize that they've become a bickering couple. Wu You discovers that He Xiya was the man who saved her life when she had gotten into a car accident. The amorous Su Fei is a blogger whose tried and tested techniques in dealing with emotional affairs amassed her a large following. In reality, she has zero experience when it comes to love. Lucky for her, there's always this warm and dependable guy around even when her credibility was being questioned.

Dream Garden

When it comes to matters of the heart, Xiao Xiao believes she is something of an expert. The blogger behind a popular social media account which addresses all sorts of relationship issues, Xiao Xiao has no shortage of experience when it comes to love. However, all of her experiences online can’t prepare her for her first encounter with Lin Shen, a professional psychological counselor, who sees the world in an entirely different way. After butting heads on a popular variety show, Xiao Xiao hoped that she would never have to deal with Lin Shen ever again. But fate, it would seem, had other plans. Hoping to improve her ability to analyze emotional problems by learning from a true professional, Xiao Xiao applies for a position as a professional psychologist’s assistant. Only too late does she realize that the professional she’s working for is none other than the cold-hearted Lin Shen.

The Love You Give Me

Many years ago, a young woman named Min Hui fell for a young man named Xin Qi. They dreamed of spending the rest of their lives together and had even planned to marry. But things between them became complicated. Xin Qi suffered from a dangerous and potentially life-threatening heart condition. And a misunderstanding between them led them to split acrimoniously. Now, years later, they are reunited at a business event. Min Hui has risen to become an R&D director at a tech firm and Xin Qi has also made a name for himself in the business world. Deciding that “fate” has brought them back into contact for a reason, they start to talk. But Min Hui reveals that she has a son. What is more, a paternity test appears to show that the child is Xin Qi’s! Xin Qi reacts by taking on the role of the boy’s father – much to the child’s delight. But will this lead them back down the path to romance? Or has their love ship already sailed?

Best Choice Ever

Mai Chenghuan, a post-95 girl born into an ordinary family in Shanghai, agrees to marry her boyfriend, Xin Jialiang, under her mother’s urging. However, the economic gap between them creates an imbalance in their relationship, ultimately leading to its end. Mai Chenghuan then gains her grandmother's approval and is entrusted with the heavy responsibility of managing a hotel. Through cooperation, Mai Chenghuan and the professional hotel manager Yao Zhiming become working partners and go hand in hand. Mai Chenghuan transitions from being under her family's control to achieving self-fulfillment, forging her own path.

War of Faith

Set in 1928, it tells the story of Wei Ruo Lai and his determination to courageously pursue his strong aspirations in serving his country. He regarded Shen Tu Nan, a senior adviser, as his mentor when he was a low-level employee at a financial institution. Through the excellence of his memory and data analysis ability, Wei Ruo Lai has been favored by Shen Tu Nan. However, his line of work made him witness the blatant corruption and darkness in the financial field unleashed by the Kuomintang with his own eyes.

Homeland

A story that follows Wei Da He, a man who was once fighting against the Communists. Due to his experiences, his ideas begin to change and he eventually becomes a member of the Communist party. Set against the backdrop of the Xi'an Incident, Wei Da He achieved a win after successfully capturing Tong Guan. Despite the merits that he has earned, Wei Dahe is dismissed and sent home due to his conflict with Gao Xiao Shan of the Red Army. As the war erupted, Wei Dahe returns to the frontlines and rescues military adviser Jiang Huai Zhu. He falls in love with Jiang Huaizhu's daughter Jiang Ya Zhen without knowing that she is a member of the Communist underground.

Young Babylon

Knowing nothing more than the working-class life he is born into, headstrong Lu Xiaolu reluctantly starts down the path he is expected to follow. At age nineteen in 1990s China, he feels pressure to follow suit with those around him and takes a job at the town’s saccharin factory. Slowly, he adjusts to the bureaucratic factory routine, making the best of the situation by bonding with coworkers, flirting with girls, and refusing to give in completely to the expectations of those around him. As Lu Xiaolu finds his way, a startling portrait of an economically expanding China comes into view; the propaganda of a common goal gives way to a bottom-line system that he sees as indifferent to individual happiness. But thanks to the relationships he develops, Lu Xiaolu decides to fight for the life he wants.

Castle in the Time

An encounter that brings a paleontology student together with an established actor and the romance that ensues. Xu Zhen is a bright and optimistic young woman who doesn't easily give up. In order to patch things up between her mother and father, she applies for a job at Jiang Ye Entertainment where her mother is a Director and witnesses Gu Chi Jun getting rejected by his ex-girlfriend yet again. In order to protect his huge and heavily-bruised ego, Gu Chi Jun does everything in his power to force Xu Zhen out so that she'll never have a chance to expose what happened to him. She wins him over instead and becomes his personal assistant. However, Xu Zhen also learns about a plot within the firm and finds out she may be in danger do to find out plot in the firm .

Half a Lifelong Romance

Set in the Republican-era Shanghai, Gu Man Zhen works as an assistant in a factory, while Gu Man Lu works at a nightclub to support the family. Gu Man Zhen falls in love with the wealthy Shen Shi Jun, a young engineer who happens to be engaged. Gu Man Lu marries the lustful Zhu Hong Cai, though is unable to prevent him from hankering after her younger sister. Gu Man Zhen and Shen Shi Jun meet again a decade later when both are married and try not to let societal expectations ruin their prospects for happiness.

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