fave dramas

it just makes me happy :') miho & woongie will forever have a special little place in my heart.

my forever otp. this has everything: comedy, tragedy, romance. such a classic that never fails to tug at my heartstrings.

though farcical at first glance, the show does a really good job of conveying the source material's overarching theme of a girl who finds her true calling and makes something of herself. it's rather empowering & inspiring for a drama that doesn't appear to take itself too seriously on the surface.

i've seen many settv dailies and this is by far my favorite. it was engaging from start to finish, and i was genuinely invested in all three couples' trajectories. for anyone who's curious to see puff guo in something other than her usual silly/innocent/sweet leading lady fare, enclosed is her standout performance as a true badass who reeks of femme fatale in a supporting lead role. you'll thank me later.

don't let the tacky poster fool you. it may be a dated historical drama, but this is such an entertaining ride all the way. fills me with the fuzzies and has high rewatch value.

i think i just really like dysfunctional relationships and fake marriages bc it makes for good comedic fodder, but this here is GOLD on a whole other level y'all.

it's hard to come by such a well-done taiwanese drama, in the time travel genre at that. this show is freaking brilliant. tightly-written, cohesive, and hauntingly beautiful. absolutely worth a watch and a rewatch.

a story about coming into one's own, set against a medical backdrop. unexpectedly heartwarming and heartbreaking.

need a down-to-earth friends-turned-lovers drama with no unnecessary angst, just two mature adults recovering from their respective heartbreaks and finding peace in one another? look no further, this is the show for you.

truly an epic account of a young girl who weathers intense childhood trauma and grows into a woman in her own right, fighting so many emotionally taxing battles along the way. even if slightly contrived, its heart is in the right place. tragic in many ways, but beautiful.

the misunderstandings in this show are what drives the narrative. it's misleading in the best way possible: first you're repulsed, then turn it on its head, and it's the most wholesome damn thing ever. a must-watch.

this one hits different. it's not a feel-good drama; you root for the main character's success, and experience his resounding pain with every failure. but with an unusual support system turned family, there's a tiny glimmer of hope.

a short one that packs a punch, this is a hilarious fast-paced webseries that just lives to poke fun at itself and doesn't take anything seriously at all. but the underlying message is a heartfelt one—two young lovebirds on their way to the altar living out their last leg of singlehood & rediscovering why it is they love each other. my favorite of the late godfrey gao's works.

now, i know the title ain't referring to that type of lighter, but this show is anything but light. quiet and subdued in tone, the relationship between our titular lighter & princess develops so organically as they navigate through university. the tacit understanding between these two is a beautiful sight to behold—no words need be exchanged to know what exists between them is something special. and when tragedy strikes, the painful fallout is genuinely searing. the chinese title encapsulates this show all too well: 點燃我，溫暖你。 light me on fire, to keep you warm. (chef's kiss, innit?)

set during the second sino-japanese war, this historical drama provides a raw, powerful insight into the lives of an ordinary multigenerational family living in changsha. the show puts it best:「戰爭對每一個人來說，都是滅頂之災，沒有人可以置身事外。」"warfare is a fatal disaster for everyone; no one can escape it." good, bad, innocent, guilty—we are all the same in the eyes of war. absolutely heartbreaking and eye-opening to the inhumanity of our world.

a brilliantly-written, smart historical. zhang ruoyun's performance is such a delight to witness unfold; rarely is a character portrayed with such depth and nuance that he takes you right into his world with him. deftly-written plot, fantastic ensemble, impressive world-building. i've never been so intrigued. romance is light, but gratifying.

easily one of the best modern cdramas in recent memory. song zu'er is hilarious beyond words and her profuse rambling is a talent in itself. i was skeptical of z.tao as an actor since i had only known him from his k-idol days, but i was proven wrong entirely. hands down, this show is an incredible rendition of the age-old question, what if? tightly-written and underrated. funny, but deeper than it looks, and tugs at your heartstrings unexpectedly with life lessons and regrets.

a fair warning: this is not for the faint of heart. the psychological repercussions and aftermath of a tragedy are almost more gutwrenching than the tragedy itself, which is awful to say. as portrayed by this brilliant ensemble, the journey to healing is not easy, nor is it linear—the scars will never fade, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

a thrilling psychological drama whose very premise is deceiving to the eye. ain't gonna spoil anything else. a must-watch, with brilliant performances by lee jun-ki & moon chae-won.

a xianxia by nature, this show takes you on an ethereal, magical journey like no other. i can't sing higher praises for this one. esther and dylan hit it out of the ballpark with their respective portrayals of lil orchid & big wooden head, star-crossed lovers that are truly a match made in heaven.

god this is so tragic, but worth every teardrop. good luck piecing the tiny shards of your shattered heart back together after this one. despite the heartbreak, i wouldn't have minded watching this one by itself as it's far superior to its modern-day sequel.

for a show whose premise is so silly—a sissy (like really sissy) boy wants to become tough—this teen drama's message runs deeper than you'd think. a unique turn of events makes you just fall in love with the story and really, really root for the titular lead. also where i first discovered yang mingwei so no regrets :')

all-around good vibes and an inspirational message to pursue your goals & dreams. a great watch for some motivation to keep fighting on in the face of adversity.

surprisingly, this is solid from start to finish and i never would've thought so from the outset, but following this live and seeing the narrative unravel in such an organic, well-paced manner was such a treat. think of it as fluff with purpose and direction. the characters were all written with dimension. i definitely enjoyed the writing in this one.

another one of those understated shows. nothing super groundbreaking about it, but it's fun to watch a playboy turn over a new leaf in the pursuit of a woman who has been nothing but unlucky in love. it's sweet and simple, but also rewarding.