#this is rec list not your mdl list | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

niaoniaos · 2 years

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this got really long so its going under a read more LMAO but here is a japanese drama rec list combined from things i have watched along with recs from @storge and @machikeita! if you want to start watching jdramas but aren’t sure where to start, check out drama-otaku’s drama resource guide bc it truly tells you everything you need to know. obviously there are so many more jdramas then this, and mdl truly does not due japanese dramas service tbh so i recommend also browsing drama-otaku (the site is in beta and you do need an account to view any subs) and seeing if anything else catches your eye!

if you’re looking for a romcom

Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Doko Made mo (2020): one of my top dramas of 2020, sakura nanase becomes a nurse after helping save someone with tendo kairi. she melts his heart and its so cute i can vomit (on viki)

Rinko-san wa Shite Mitai (2021): this may be my 2022 drama of the year, its short, its on viki, and its about how rinko presents herself as a “perfect” woman, but has been single her whole life. she ends up entering a friends with benefits relationship with fellow forever single co-worker kamisaka gen and i do not know how this drama expected to convince me that man was a virgin bc i was screaming the whole time. its def an Adult drama so minors beware lmao but god its great even if the last few episodes felt rushed

Ashi Girl (2017): time travel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is a zoe @storge rec but now im gonna watch it bc of time travel (beloved). yui travels back in time and meets a hagi clan boi, but when she goes back to history class she finds out his clan is going to be wiped out, and does her best to save him

Jimi ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko (2016): this may be on viki in some regions and is another zoe rec! kouno etsuko joins a publishing company wanting to be a fashion editor, but becomes a proofreader instead, and the drama follows as she begins to realize the allure of the profession and prob follows in love with a coworker as well but i have not watched this

Shanai Marriage Honey (2020): a contract marriage so yall know im gonna watch this eventually but a zoe rec!! miura manatsu and haruta ami meet on a dating app and decide to get married for various reasons, unaware that they’re actually coworkers. i can imagine the shenanigans already tbh

Cherry Magic (2020): if you havent watched cherry magic you’ve made a mistake and should fix it immediately. thx.

Kieta Hatsukoi (2021): if you havent watched kieta hatsukoi you’ve made a mistake and should fix it immediately. thx.

Black Cinderella (2021): its a lex rec @machikeita! kamiya manah childhood dream was to enter a beauty pageant, and in doing so meets two boys, one handsome and self absorbed and the other a transfer student.

Koi wa Deep ni (2021): completely head empty romcom about an oceanographer trying to stop a company from building a resort on the ocean

I Don't Love You Yet (2019): its a lex rec! mitarai yo is a successful career women but lacks in the love department. she and her best friend ishida ren make a bet seeing who can fall in love and get married within the next year, and whoever loses must pay the winner 300,000 yen. this sounds like friends to lovers at its fucking finest.

Love Is Phantom (2021): its a lex rec! another shorter time drama that seems ~ steamy ~ minors beware lmfao. strangers hirasawa momoko and hase kei meet on the observation deck of the hotel where momoko works and i’m sure what follows is a lot of making out!!!

if you’re looking for a slice of life

Neechan no Koibito (2020): possibly my new favorite japanese drama, momoko has to raise her three younger brothers after their parents die when she is in high school. the drama mostly covers her workplace, but presents a great family relationship and healing, growth, and communication in her newfound romantic relationship with yoshioka manato

Nijiiro Karute (2021): kureno masora is a budding young doctor when illness strikes, and she decides to work at a countryside clinic where she can more easily hide her illness. its a wonderful story that deals with chronic illness not only in our mc, but in side characters, and shows different types of relationships through main and side character interactions. NO ONE DIES but like. you will cry.

Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori (2022): i think this is on netflix and viki?? maybe one??? idk but its food porn Galore and its about a found family running a bistro where they basically help people relax via food. theres a lil bit of family drama but overall just a really nice relaxing drama

Damena Otoko ja Dame Desu ka? (2022): its a lex rec! follows the hijinks when gonta, a tokyo man ends up switching bodies with katsuyo, a grandma living in the countryside.

Tonari no Kazoku wa Aoku Mieru (2018): its a lex rec and its also on my plan to watch! tonari focuses around an apartment complex, and three different families as they deal with everything life throwa at them.

if you’re looking for mystery/suspense/revenge

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (2017): adapted from a manga and on netflix as erased, satoru gains the ability to travel back in time and tries to stop a kidnapping that occurred when he was in elementary school

Enjiya (2021): this is Technically a revenge drama because the found family runs a service where they complete tasks for people, and tbh just so much found family. 10/10. also super short and super good and i desire so much more from this drama

Ouroboros (2015): ryuzaki ikuo and danno tatsuya grew up together in an orphanage, and witnessed the murder of their older-sister figure, but were ignored by police. ikuo is now a detective, and tatsuya is now a leading figure in the underworld. working together, they try and unveil who murdered their sister and expose the organization behind it.

if you’re looking for case of the week/medical/law/police etc

Unnatural (2018): my love of the tv show bones as a youngin makes me love any type of medical examiner show but unnatural is Truly great and tackles as the synopsis says, “its main theme is the change of reality brought upon by imminent death of a loved one.”

Code Blue (2008): this is like the quintessential old medical drama about five doctors training to become doctor heli doctors, where they’re sent out via helicopter to areas quickly that an ambulance may not be able to reach. i marathoned this series and if you’re like me and love medical dramas this really hits the spot

Hakozume: Tatakau! Koban Joshi (2021): its a lex rec! follows rookie police officer mai, who works in a police box in a rural town. she is thinking about quitting before meeting seiko, a former ace detective who has been sent to the police box. the two team up to take care of their rural town.

Oretachi wa Abunakunai ~ Cool ni Saboru Keijitachi (2020): its a lex rec! follows two procrastinating detectives as they try and solves cases but get into nonsense bc they’re focusing on the non-investigating parts of the job.

Talio Fukushu Daiko no Futari (2020): i’ve only watched the first ep so does this belong here Who Knows but talio is about a lawyer and a conman teaming up to get justice and its @mostlyfate‘s fave drama so don’t take my word for how good it is take theirs LOL

Kounodori (2015): revolves around an obgyn facility, and doesn’t just focus on the doctors, but also the trials of pregnancy and how it effects new parents. its a great drama and covers issues that most other medical shows won’t touch

if you are brave and want to watch an asadora (but please do):

an asadora is a morning drama in japan. episodes are 15 minutes long, and shown in the morning every day of the week (or almost every day of the week). they range from about 120-150 episodes, but because of their length, in reality you’re only watching about 32-36 full hour length episodes (i think my math could be wrong). asadoras typically cover a hero or heroines full life, and deal with family, work, and whatever else is thrown their way

Okaeri Mone (2021): every single person who watched forecasting love and weather you were watching the WRONG weather drama bc this is it yall. this is it. momone (aka mone) is from a small island, and after high school begins working in an inland big city, where she eventually falls in love with weather forecasting (and a hot doctor). this drama mostly follows mone and her dedication to helping people through the weather, but it does cover some family members and her family friends, as well as the repercussions an old typhoon still has on the residents of kesennuma bay. this is a modern day set asadora, with the timeline catching up to 2021.

Natsuzora (2019): screaming crying throwing up watching okaeri mone and natsuzora back to back was a mistake bc they were the asadora standard and idk how anything will ever beat them tbh. natsuzora begins after the end of the second world war, and natsu (or heroine) is orphaned, along with her siblings, after her father dies in the war and her mother dies in a bombing attack. she begins living her with her fathers friend, who is a dairy farmer, and is originally planning to take over the farm before she decides to take her destiny in her own hands and moves to tokyo to become an animator. this is honestly a lovestory to the beginning of animation at its core, and the story revolves around natsu, her foster family and friends back home, as well as biological brother and the family she creates in tokyo. 10/10. fucking love this drama. the subs are messed up for the last two? weeks, but you torrent the subs for the last week and sync them to the raws. the drama starts right around 1946 and covers into the late 70′s? i could be incorrect with the dates but it covers the showa era.

if you’re even BRAVER and made it this far and want to watch toku:

did you watch power rangers of child? confused why some of the scenes looked out of place?? thats bc the footage is taken from super sentai. super sentai and kamen rider are basically 30 minute long 50 episode length shows that are just advertisements for kids toys yet somehow have made me cry harder than any other show <3 it can be daunting bc theres so many seasons so these are just my opinions on where to start

Gokaiger (2011): it’s a anniversary season, and they were able to get So Many older actors back for the episodes corresponding to their seasons. it has baby yamada yuki, ot6 pirates, and its a great way to gauge what other seasons you want to watch that are older than gokaiger. gokaiger is what made me watch magiranger (banging 10/10)

Lupinranger vs Patranger (2018): its thieves vs cops but tbh the cops are always on the backburner (sorry pats it is what it is). also the reds are in love with each other (they kissed in the liveshow we’re not making it up!!!)

Kamen Rider Fourze (2011): kamen rider and sentai air together, and this was gokaigers pair. its a glee ripoff in terms of sterotypes, but its literally 10x better. featuring a baby fukushi sota and yoshizawa ryo fourze is literally about utilizing the power of friendship to defeat boomers. 10/10

#jdramasource #japanese drama recs #drama recs #anyways dont be a coward watch some jdramas #most of my dramas this year have been jdramas no regrets

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absolutebl · 3 years

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This Week in BL

May 2021 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

It’s a cray cray Friday when Vietnam gets its eng subs up before GMMTV Thailand. What alter-reality are we in? Well, the Vietnamese offerings are better right now anyway. (Oooo, feel that burn.)

Ongoing Series - Thai

Top Secret Together Ep 2 - pulping it up in the best possible way. Sure sound and production values are pants, and in classic Thai fashion the editing in post is exacerbating (rather than fixing) pacing issues, but it’s still CUTE AF. I don’t even mind the added university storyline, because they’ve got good chemistry (and a confident gay fresher after a panicked gay hazer is an old favorite... what can I say, SOTUS was my first love). We aren’t spending too much time with any one couple, so it’s weighted a lot better than Brothers was, but also character development is slow.

Siew Sum Noi Ep 2 - Unfortunately, it’s just too hard to find, plus no subs. I’m dropping it in the hopes it comes back on my radar some day.

Y-Destiny Ep 8 - (Thurs) It’s rough having a ghost boyfriend, half your friends are scared, the other half think you’re crazy, and kissing shortens your lifespan. This was a cute couple even if I wasn’t wild about the surrounding story.

Close Friend Ep 5: (Dear My Star/JimmyTommy) - about high school penpals. It had to rely entirely on voice over work as the actors only meet face to face at the end. It’s a good thing they are appealing screen presences on their own, with good vocal control. It’s hard to imagine any other BL pair carrying this kinda plot. It’s by far my favorite of the series so far, and I’m not even a big JimmyTommy fan.

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 7 - no subs. Do we care? Not really. Because we have...

Nitiman Ep 3 - currently my favorite out of Thailand. It’s the university Thai BL i’ve been waiting for since... when was the last good one? My Engineer? Yowza. Anyway we got: head on my shoulder, baby is a floppy drunk (but still wants to be in control), proximity alert, boyfriend’s closet, seme gets seriously jelly, and a cute twist on feeding him. There’s something fun and complex about Jin’s character. He’s not a panicked bi. He knows exactly what’s going on, he just hasn’t decided if he wants Bb or not. He clearly enjoys being looked after, the compliments, and the attention, but he’s not sure if he’s going to like what happens if he gives in. I like that twist on the usual tsundere uke archetype a lot, cautious rather than willfully obtuse or freaked out. We can see Jin realizing in stages: I like this person, I like that they like me, I like the romantic attentiveness. But in the background is... do I actually want to f*k him? It’s a dynamic we don’t often see on BL.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 10 fin - the most ridiculous show using BLs worst tropes in a sort of weird smoothie of bitter greens and too ripe banana. The ending was the sappiest cheesiest thing ever, like cheese syrup tapped from the cheese tree. So of course I loved it, but I’m pretty sure I giggled through all the bits meant to be profound. Because, in the end, to tolerate this show at all, you just can’t take ANY of it seriously. RECOMMENDED (with some SERIOUS reservations and trigger warnings.) Full review here.

Be Loved in House: I Do (Taiwan) Ep 1-2 - I don’t mind a damaged seme character but this one is a bit weird for me. Like creepy Cheese in the Trap level weird. On the bright side, the story has given our tsundere uke good motivation for his angst and great existing friendships, loyalty, and likability. Plus I’m invested in the cafe owner/innocent puppy side dishes. So if it’s only the seme character I’m not jiving with, and he’s the most established actor, it should all turn out fine. I believe in you, Taiwanese BL.

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan) Ep 6 fin - speaking of belief. This such a good show but they gave us a cliffhanger ending. Now we must hope against hope for season two. That’s never guaranteed with Taiwan tho. So, I’m docking a few points and saying, RECOMMENDED so long as you realize it’s a cliffhanger.

Love is Science? (Taiwan) Ep 1-9 (BL subplot) - this is a good het romance, but the fact that the BL subplot is a beautifully acted disaster bi + confident gay means you’re hearing about it whether you want to or not. Plus they just added in some GL! Come on! I gotta support Taiwan normalizing queer to this extent. They are fighting the good fight and if I also have to watch a career lady and her much younger softest straight boi get it on, too? Twist my arm with that service sub subtext. Go on Taiwan, TWIST IT. It’s on Viki. Join the revolution. * Incidentally if you actually like the D/s het dynamic of this show, I highly recommend Japanese Kimi wa Petto - career woman keeps a hot young dancer boy as a pet. Oh yes, an actual pet, that IS the pitch. Never doubt Japan when kink is on the line. It’s also on Viki. Go get your kink on, thank me later. (If it helps: That was not a request.)

Most Peaceful Place 2 (Vietnam) Ep 2 (AKA 5) - love triangles aren’t my thing, but if you’re gonna do it short form, by all means bring in the lead’s other BL pairing so the chemistry is on point. Now I've no idea who I want him to end up with. Can’t they just be in a poly triad?

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 7 - I’m still enjoying it a lot. It’s still unabashedly queer and the tension is ramping up. We now have secret identity, blackmail, femme fatale, faen fatale, and incoming seme confrontation. Best of all, the series is still airing, which makes it longer than any other Vietnamese BL I’ve seen (aside from Tein Bromance - which is just too weird to count).

Gossip - Thai BL

SEVEN PROJECT TEASERS

No one is entirely sure what Studio Wabi Sabi’s Seven Project/7Project will entail.

It might be like Close Friend (1 episode per couple, no linking),

or Y-Destiny (2 episodes per couple, loosely linked),

or The En of Love (4 episodes per couple, linked but independent consecutive stories).

They’re giving the couple’s arcs separate titles. So each one would be what? Seven Project: Once Upon a Time or the like? We’re in Taiwanese title territory people and NO ONE WANTS TO GO THERE. Anygay...

Once Upon a Time is the BounPrem (og UWMA) anchor story, and seems to be the most dramatic and likely saddest. These two can handle most of what’s thrown at them at this juncture, so it should be good.

Vs Love is a BoomPeak (og Make it Right) university vehicle. Since I thought Boom was done with our nonsense, I couldn’t be more thrilled and surprised this pair is doing another show together. I don’t think either of them are the greatest actors but I find Peak very endearing and Boom charismatic on screen, so I’ll watch.

Would You be My Love is the hotly anticipated SantaEarth launch. They’re a (cultivated) IRL ship and Earth is an established BL actor. They have great chemistry and high energy so this could be lots of fun.

We are also getting a GL from this series from established BL actresses Samantha and Pineare. Nothing teased yet on that, but I’m looking forward to this installment the most. Also curious to see how the ladies handle the branding and promo side, not to mention the culture. (Thailand variety shows gonna force *girls* to play the Pepero game?)

Secret Crush on You upcoming Thai BL with no release date, co-produced by and featuring (but NOT staring) Saint and directed by Cheewin (sigh) with all fresh faces. (Previously known as Stalker the series.) It looks like pure pulp and I’m not wild about the plot but could be better than expected as it’s adapted from a novel. Cheewin is an okay director when he has an actual story to follow.

Don’t Say No the series. Coming from the producers of TharnType this is the JaFirst vehicle many have been waiting for. Friends to lovers + a good boy/bad boy pairing on a sports romance foundation. It’s basketball so they tapped Meen as well (he’s semi-pro). The bad news? You get one guess as to who is writing the darn thing? Yep it’s MAME. So, ya know, expect some slam dunk kidnapping, a light dribbling of rape, and me turning into a basketcase. AKA...

Will I have to live blog this series in order to survive it? That seems to be the only way I can. So probably. Which means the bad sports puns will continue. Look, if I’m suffering, SO ARE YOU!

Rumors of a new YinWar vehicle The Best Story (mini series) coming in July. Also rumors that their previously announced Love Mechanics (full length series) has either been delayed, is facing money issues, or is moving studios, or all three.

Breaking News

DELAYED (I’m talking these three off the watch list until we get new airing dates)

Love Area’s release was pushed out but it got a trailer.

Golden Blood was supposed to drop Weds but comments in MDL report that it is delayed due to C19.

Love’s Outlet (Taiwan) is supposed to have started a 50 episode run (only 3-5 min each, what utter nonsense). Sadly, this delay is due to a surge in cases in Taiwan which was doing so well, but also doesn’t have many inoculations.

Bad Buddy has started workshopping at GMMTV actual.

Kang Insoo’s BTS for Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding is SO FLIPPING CUTE. You have to watch it. Trust me, I don’t rec behind the scenes stuff often.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

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dangermousie · 3 years

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Okay thanks for saying she does I know like MDL it's hard for me to believe if what they're saying is true or not that's why I had to ask you since I trust your opinion the most. Alright I'll bookmark that post and try those novels as well how is the romance in all of them? Thanks for the rec list you're always so helpful and that's new to me.

Awww, you are welcome!

I don’t read things with no romance (or romance that doesn’t work for me) so it’s A+ in all of them though Return of the Swallow probably has less than the other ones I listed and Demon Wang has a bunch but it’s a trashy book, heh. The rest are A+ on that score.

#asks

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overthinkingkdrama · 4 years

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Hi! So, I’ve just recently gotten into K-Dramas, and... I have a small issue, and that is though I LOVE them in the beginning, by the end they always disappoint me? Like, they start lighthearted and fun, and then by the end suddenly everyone’s in mortal peril, and I don’t care? Or they start all fantasy, and then it’s all about the romance in the end? So... Could you possibly recommend me ones that are good, or tone consistent, throughout? Please?

Hi! Thanks for dropping by for recs. These are some of my favorite asks. I just love going back through my watch list and finding dramas that fit a given criteria. It gets more fun the more dramas I've seen.

The thing about Kdramas that makes them a uniquely sticky beast is that many of them are live-shot week to week, at least for part of their run, and often the scripts are not fully written before filming begins. Popular Kdramas will also occasionally receive extensions which can cause further pacing and plot issues and (sometimes) cause a story to sputter out entirely. With the increasing prevalence of entirely preproduced dramas there's been an increase in overall drama quality and consistency in past years. That being said, Kdramas are still a decidedly mixed bag in terms of overall production quality. So it pays to either drop things with extreme prejudice if you stop enjoying them and watch widely, or to have a good drama filter friend (like me!) to give you vetted recs. As a genre a lot of the more "classic" feeling dramas have a tendency to start really light hearted and then swing super dramatic in the latter half. That's something I occasionally like, but lucky for you not all dramas are like that!

Your ask doesn't really tell me what genre of Kdrama most appeals to you, so I went through my list and tried to find you wide a variety of dramas that I think of as being well-paced and tonally consistent throughout. I've also tried to limit myself to dramas that I rated highly on MDL, although my primary criteria was "good and tonally consistent" so this list of dramas is kinda all over the map. But then, so are my tastes. Also, I kinda got the impression from your ask that you're not a fan of the uber-melodramatic side of kdramas and you want something a little more restrained and less soapy, so I tried to steer away from those more makjang dramas but did not entirely succeed, lol. I gave a couple sentences of description so you can more readily narrow down what you're interested in, and if you would like a more thorough review of the dramas some of these have full reviews on my blog which I went ahead linked where they exist.

Age of Youth: A well written slice-of-life ensemble drama about a group of 5 college age women who end up boarding together. There are a couple moments of high drama/trauma toward the end of the show that might be a turn off. But other than the finale the tone is consistent. 9/10

Arang and the Magistrate: A dark fantasy fusion sageuk with a romance. I included this drama because it does a good job of developing the creepy worldbuilding and fantasy throughout. Though at points it can be a bit slow and the special effects are hella cheesy. 8/10

Argon: A tight, journalism driven suspense drama. Not always my genre but I found it very engaging, and at eight episodes it does not overstay its welcome. 8/10

Be Melodramatic: Another female-centric slice-of-life ensemble drama, though with an emphasis on fourth wall breaking comedy and clever dialogue. Very funny and heartfelt. 8.5/10

Cheese in the Trap: Maybe a controversial inclusion, but I very much enjoyed this drama. A slice-of-life college romance with psychological thriller elements. Some critics felt that the drama focused too heavily on the second male lead in the later half of the story, but YMMV. 8.5/10

Coffee Prince: Classic cross-dressing romance and still probably the best of its kind. A wonderfully nuanced and progressive handling of the subject matter, even after 13 years. Deals with serious subjects but doesn't go too melo with it. 8.5/10

Children of Nobody: My best of 2019, a dark psychological thriller about a child psychiatrist and a police detective who have to confront gray morality while attempting to track down a serial killer who only targets unrepentant child abusers. 9.5/10

Ex-Girlfriend Club: On the lighter side, a friends-to-lovers type romantic comedy about the writer of an autobiographical webtoon who has to figure out a way to get along with a group of his ex-girlfriends to make a movie based on his work. Only 12 episodes. 8.5/10

Go Back Couple: Also only 12 episodes (these shorter dramas tend to be better paced I find) a time-slip drama about a divorced couple who get the chance to relive their twenties and end up realizing they still have feelings for each other. This drama is both very funny and it had me bawling on multiple occasions. 9.5/10

Healer: A favorite of a lot of drama fans, this is an action-focused romance about an awkward soft boy with a secret identity as a highly skilled errand boy to criminals and an intrepid tabloid reporter who is his biggest fan. This drama is pretty tropey, but it's fun and the romance is great. 8.5/10

Hello Monster (aka I Remember You): A police procedural with a background love line about a criminal profiler looking for his lost brother and a detective looking for her father's murderer. One of my personal favorites. 10/10

Hit the Top (aka The Best Hit): A time-slip fish-out-of-water comedy about a 90s pop star who winds up in modern day Seoul and ends up befriending his biological son and meets old friends who his disappearance left in the lurch. 9/10

Incomplete Life (aka Misaeng): A realistic office drama that gave me real world work anxiety, focusing on a failed Go player who winds up an intern at a highly competitive shipping company and has to find a way to earn his keep even without the background and college education of his coworkers. Unbelievably well done ensemble drama. 9/10

Just Between Lovers: A romantic melodrama about two people whose lives were irrevocably changed by a tragic mall collapse that nearly killed them as children, meeting again as adults and finding comfort and healing in each other. A rough sit at times, but a wonderful love story with incredible acting. 9/10

Just Dance: High school, slice-of-life, drama about a dance club in a technical high school and a group of working class kids who reluctantly become involved in this club and befriend each other. Only 8 episodes (or 16 thirty minute episodes, depending on how you recon it.) 8.5/10

Life on Mars: Remake of the British show of the same name, this is a surreal time-slip police drama, about a forensics expert who gets shot in the head and wakes up in 1988. Or does he? He could also be dying on an operating table. It's hard to tell. Dark, suspenseful and trippy. 9/10

Matrimonial Chaos: An off-beat comedy about two dysfunctional couples who become inescapably mixed up in each others lives. One that's having a hard time getting divorced and another that's having a hard time getting married, and all the messy weird emotions that go along with that. This is another one of those, makes you laugh/makes you cry throughout dramas I have an affinity for. 9/10

Moment of Eighteen: A heartfelt high school drama about a straightforward but awkward loner who is forced to transfer to a new school, immediately earns the ire of a powerful student and experiences first love. Not my usual thing, but very well written with complex and likeable characters. 8/10

Mother: A cold and socially isolated woman becomes a temporary teacher and upon discovering one of her students is being severely abused and neglected, decides to pose as the child's mother and go on the run with her. Like Children of Nobody, this can be a bit of a rough watch because of the subject matter but it is very well done. 9.5/10

My Mister: A healing, human drama about a structural engineer in his 40s and a debt-ridden young woman in her 20s who end up crossing paths and saving each other from a miserable existence. My current all time favorite drama. Cannot say enough good things about it. Practically perfect in every way. 10/10

One Spring Night: A very restrained and naturalistic slow-burn romance about a woman who is about to get married and suddenly begins to question her relationship and a single father who had given up on love who find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another. 9/10

Prison Playbook: An ensemble slice-of-life drama centered on prisoners and correctional officers in their day to day lives. I find the actual het romances in this drama totally useless, but it's a large and talented cast playing a variety of lovable characters. 8/10

Psychopath Diary: Recent fave. A screwball black comedy about a mild mannered pushover who loses his memory and finds a diary that convinces him he's a psychopathic murderer, which gives him a huge boost of confidence from his new found identity, much to the chagrin of those around him and the actual owner of the diary himself. 8.5/10

Queen In Hyun's Man: A drama about a Joseon scholar who time travels to modern day Seoul and meets an actress who just landed a part playing the queen he served in the past. This one might be on the border line of too dramatic or tonally inconsistent, but it's got one of the most pitch perfect finales in Kdramas and the 45 min episodes keep it a snappy watch that doesn't drag or meander too much. 8/10

Reply 1988: A late 80s nostalgia drama about a group of families who all live off the same alley. Lovely family drama, comedy with a variety of romances. Long ass episodes especially later in the run, but I have rewatched the whole thing and I loved every minute of this show. 9.5/10

Save Me: A dark drama about a young woman who finds herself forced into a dangerous cult by her family, and is desperate to escape, and a group of 4 local young men who try to help her. One of the more unique and well done OCN thrillers. 9/10

School 2013: High school ensemble drama that launched a whole bunch of careers. In general I avoid school dramas (I know there have been three on this list so far, but those are like the only three, lol) but this show got me so invested in all these students and teachers. Also the two male leads are so shippable. 9.5/10

Secret Love Affair: A romantic melodrama about a piano prodigy from an underprivileged background who catches the eye of a married older woman and the two fall into a passionate affair. This drama involves cheating (obviously) but it's beautifully filmed and written and the music is to die for. 9.5/10

Signal: This is a supernatural crime thriller and a perennial favorite in the Kdrama community. An imbittered criminal profiler finds an antique police radio which allows him to speak with a police detective 15 years in the past, and uses this to crack cold cases and try to prevent brutal crimes from ever happening. 9/10

Six Flying Dragons: This one is a bit different from the others on the list, first of all because it's a more traditional historical drama, and secondly because it 50 episodes long. But it is so, so very good. And if you're looking for overall consistency in terms of storytelling and tone this drama has it in spades. 9/10

SKY Castle: A unique melodrama about a group of affluent competitive mothers who will go to any lengths to get they're children into the best medical schools, and a mysterious school coordinator with shady motives who gets brought in as a ringer to give them an edge. This show is kind of hard to sell but very entertaining and watchable. 7.5/10

Stranger (aka Secret Forest): The story of a stalwart prosecutor who, due to a childhood trauma is unable to feel the full spectrum of emotions, works with a bighearted police detective to root out corruption around a series of murders. This one’s rather cerebral and requires your full attention but the leads are amazing and there's a second season coming out this year I'm very much looking forward to! 9/10

The Nokdu Flower: Another sageuk drama about the latter years of the Joseon Dynasty surrounding three people who fall on different sides during the Donghak Peasant rebellion. Incredibly well written and involving historical drama. If you're not sure you're ready to commit to something like Six Flying Dragons, I think this would be another good entry point into the genre. The acting is amazing. 9/10

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes: A romantic melodrama and psychological thriller about a dangerous enigmatic young man on the cusp of becoming either a human being or a monster. He becomes involved in a fraught relationship with the sister of a police detective at the same time her protective older brother begins to focus on him as the prime suspect for a murder. High key moody and tragic if you're into that kind of thing (I am). 9/10

Touch Your Heart: On the complete other end of the drama spectrum, this show is pure unadulterated fluff, which managed to keep me giggling and swooning throughout the run, even though it's typically not my thing. An actress joins a law office as research for a role and falls for the ace attorney she's assisting. 8.5/10

WATCHER: Another OCN thriller about three different people with shady motivations who are connected to the same murder case and become involve in a corruption task force looking into dirty cops. One of those "trust nobody, everyone's a suspect" dramas with lovely complex characters and a fully engaging plot. 8.5/10

Sorry that got so out of hand! This is what happens when you don't give me a little more direction I guess. These are all dramas I quite enjoyed and I believe you will find something in there that will suit your fancy. This is a pretty accurate cross section of my tastes.

Happy watching!

Jona

#asks #answered #kdrama recs #this got stupid long #i got half way through writing my two sentence plugs and was like #omg why did i put so many dramas on this list #lemme just casually throw together a list of 30+ titles that’s what you want right #like wtf #oh well #hope you find something you like anon #i have no idea why i’m this way either

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mousieta · 4 years

Photo

Links to rec’ed dramas on MDL

Life on Mars - for Bromanc with cops

Shut Up: Flower Boy Band - for bromance with angsty puppys teens

Signal - for scifi with serial killers

Circle - for scifi but no serial killers, just some timey-wimey stuff and aliens

Secret Investigation Record - for those into the supernatural and like x-files

When the Devil Calls Your Name - for those who want the supernatural but not into x-files

Stranger - for those wanting a thriller along with unravelling corruption and conspiracies

Two Weeks - for those wanting a thriller with a bit of revenge

My Ajusshi - for a human drama dealing with the lives of mostly 40 somethings

Misaeng - for a human drama dealing with the lives of mostly 20 somethings

forthcoming rec lists

Romcoms | Dramas with Romance | Dramas with romance but that’s not The Point

#kdramas #signal #incomplete life #my mister #kdrama recs #mousie watches kdrama #mousies recs #seriously guys i always wanted to do more kdrama content so i'm trying #gonna try to make another rec flowchart next week

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italianpersonwithashippersheart · 3 years

Note

Thank you so much for the recs, I'll look them up for sure!

And yeah, if you liked them rec them for sure. I don't personally have any triggers so I have nothing to worry about, at most I simply won't like it and watch something else. (Something problematic isn't necessarily bad as long as you acknowledge that it's bad instead of acting as if it's actually good. eg: i can enjoy a relationship were the character are dysfunctional and maybe toxic for each other, doesn't mean that I think it's good irl but it's still enjoyable to watch. Idk if you get what I mean). xx

Perfect!!! Here it is. part 2.

History 2 Right or Wrong (professor-teacher relationship with what some people would say too much of an age gap):

MDL https://mydramalist.com/26352-history2-right-or-wrong

Watch https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/history-web-series-season-2-right-or-wrong

My Gear And Your Gown (not problematic but i personally did not love the last couple of episodes, specifically for the main couple):

MDL https://mydramalist.com/62815-my-gear-and-your-gown

Watch https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYYyUhZKiEj49TOwC8ce40NuDWZw911tP

Why R U (this has one has the unfortunatly popularish trope of girl fan of bl that takes it to the next level by shipping real people, it’s very much plot relevant so that’s why it’s here)

MDL https://mydramalist.com/32592-why-r-u-the-series

3 episode Side story https://mydramalist.com/78141-saifahzon-story

Watch https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/why-r-u

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/saifahzon-story-2020

Together With Me (same actors of manners of death - the side couple is kind of creepish and the plot especially of season 2 is a bit all over the place but the main couple chemestry makes it kind of worth it)

MDL

TWM https://mydramalist.com/22990-together-with-me-the-series

BR https://mydramalist.com/19644-bad-romance-the-series

TWMNC https://mydramalist.com/27601-together-with-me-the-next-chapter

Watch https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy5w5Zsc63sIGvlmFPXJyMIAPj4NC08_p

This one has a sequel series and It is technically prequel of the show Bad Romance that focuses on a straight ship and they are only side couple. I will put a playlist that has all the episodes of the three season in the right order.

My Engeener (main couple is written badly and uses the only gay for you trope with a side of “fighting for who tops and who bottoms” that was not pretty. But has a lot of good side couples and the chemestry between the main ship is real and very good if you overlook some of the badly written parts --- it will have a sequel)

MDL https://mydramalist.com/26362-my-engineer

Watch https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrUEXgucMM08MZbRhOvzcbWuH1A4gONIX

Ok the next recs require a bit more explaining in regards to casting so brace yourself. I apologize in advence for the long winded rant. I am only explaning this, cause the first time i watched this series i was confused af.

Love By Chance - https://mydramalist.com/27393-love-by-chance - multiple ships, main couple (ae and pete) is amazing. Side couple ends with an open semi bad ending (tin and can). There is some non blood related incest that thankfully doesn’t actually have them endgame and a side couple that contains a scene where a drunk and therefore not consenting guy is taken advantage of by another guy and that is not ever treated as rape.

TharnType - https://mydramalist.com/32555-tharntype-the-series - is a prequel to LBC - but has different cast for some of the characters. Because it was shot a couple of years after LBC. The series main ships has a survivor of sexual assult (when he was a child) that hates gay people discovering his roomate his gay. And them eventually becoming a couple. The main problem i have with the ship is that despite seemingly understanding that rape is wrong there are several moments between them that coulod very well be sexual assoult adjecent in my opinion. This one has a s1 a special (https://mydramalist.com/54385-tharntype-special) and a s2 (https://mydramalist.com/56199-tharntype-2)that is currently ongoing.

A Chance at Love - https://mydramalist.com/52541-love-by-chance-2 - This is technically s2 of LBC with the side couple that ended badly being the focus. Only they decided that for some reason that the side couple that is the focus of this one is getting a new storyline. Basically for every other character is a countinuation of LBC but for the main Tin and Can they start over. And yes, it’s exactly as confusing as it sounds. Also Ae and Pete get split up because Pete is forced to move away by his father. And we don’t get to see them reunite on screen because there was drama bts where the the managing company of the actor that plays Ae was awful to the actor that plays Pete, so the actor did not come back.

LBC

watch https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4FpLFqhZywwizqV-YRrjXeyM-UzxLY25

s1 https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/tharntype-the-series

special p1https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sftbl

p2 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sftbk

s2 https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/tharntype-2-7-year-of-love

Ok that is it. There are others. But i didn’t really like them in the sense of i want to rec this people. Hope it helps.

#bl list #mod anon #bl anon #ask #Anonymous

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gunsatthaphan · 3 years

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Some people just SLEEPING on Korean BLs Lol. Korea has made a decent amount of GLs and BLs... People just werent interested in them because they were too short, or that there werent many shows, but more movies. Or that people were more conservative SO HERE I AM WITH RECOMMENDATIONS!!!♡

Life Is Beautiful (this one is actually really long lmao. 63 episodes. Some people dont like it though cause there werent as many kissing scenes, or that people seemed sympathtic towards gays maybe, Ive only seen 28 episodes, but I liked it lol.. Korea was just really conservative in 2010 LMAO)

My Pistachio, (Muyeong has a crush on his senior, its really cute... is it only 20 minutes? YEAH, would I rewatch? YEAH)

Two Weddings One Funeral, (I love love love love love this movie and I really reccomend watching it oh god, its so good, such a masterpiece, please watch it) its like 1 hour and 45 mins lol. ITS SO GOOD. (Basically a gay man marries a lesbian woman to keep a secret also so the woman and her girlfriend could adopt a baby oh gosh, jskeje ITS CUTE AND I LOVE IT but its also very realistic)

Long Time No See, (Two men are supposed to be hunting eachother as assasins but they end up falling in love *without knowing that they're both trying to kill eachother*) NOT A SAD ENDING EITHER!!!

Our Love Story (Korean GL... I've seen very mixed reviews about this one, I recommend trying to watch the movie, but idk, there was a lot of stuff going on lmao)

Boss in Love (Korean GL)

Some of these are short, only 20-30 minutes of your time, but sometimes I feel as if people would rather get invested in longer things that have a smaller affect then smaller more joyous things that have larger affects... Idk, I cant speak for everyone

There's many more, but they're really short and I wanted to give people things that they could fit in breaks and stuff

-much love,,, Jason

HI JASON BLESS YOU OMG!!! 🥺💕

All of these sound so lovely honestly and I do consider myself one of these people who have been sleeping on korean lgbt content lol but not bc I’m not interested but bc so many are unknown so BLESS YOUR SOUL for sending in these recs!!!! 🙏🏻

I listed all of them below, including MDL and streaming links :)

Life Is Beautiful // Stream

My Pistachio // Stream (requires payment)

Two Weddings One Funeral // Stream

Long Time No See // Stream

Our Love Story // Stream

Boss in Love // Stream (requires payment as well)

xxx

#kdrama #bl drama #korean bl #recommendations #ask #doreen answers #my pistachio is still on my watchlist actually!!!#i should watch that soon #thank you jason <333 #ily

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motherflecker · 2 years

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Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you are comfortable sharing your MDL account? I saw your ask with your impressive amount of watched BLs and wanted to scour it for recs

oh man, not a bother at all!! i'm happy to share 🥰

here is my list!!

i keep my mdl pretty organized bc i watch so much stuff that if i don't, i'll forget what i'm watching entirelyjlsdhglh

i feel like there's nothing exactly new on the list and the number can probably be smushed down if i discount some of the one-offs but! let me know if you want my opinion on anything here, would be happy to share

#squee chats #all-you-had-to-do-was-neigh #my mdl is just #tokusatsu and bl and ikki sawamura dramas HAHAHA

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storge · 3 years

Note

hi! i’m new to cdramas and honestly don’t know where to start. i was wondering if you have any recs, it can be any genre, ongoing or not too. thanks so much!

Hello friend!!! 💖💖💖💖 Ahhhhhhh okay sorry this took so long to answer. I go blank when people ask me to rec things. Let’s seeeeeeee..... I will give you 3 types of drama areas (85% of these are very popular and are at the top of MDL list for cdramas so sorrryyyyy I’m not original. I am a simple woman that watches wtver grabs me. Also plss try not to judge dramas too harshly by their synopsis on MDL lol.)

This came out longer than I intended so under the cut:

1) Short Less than 35 Eps. (95% romance)

The Romance of Hua Rong- I love this little one. Its cute and funny. People get annoyed by FL but I rather like her and don’t mind her voice. ANDDDD the ML is hot as alll everrrrr. its fun delciousnesssss and there is a supposed Season 2.

Fake Princess- a GEMMM. It’s cute and funny. The FL is great and the plot is pretty good.

Maiden Holmes- Nice little youngins and their found family. Both main and 2nd couple are very cuteeeee.

One and Only- Okay loook, It’s a heartbreaker but it’s sweeeet and there is a sequel coming out to mend your heart.

Put your head on my shoulder- they cuteeee and not dramatic.

The Eternal Love (S1,2,3)- Never gonna give you up type of couple. Cute, funny, and they have good chemistry

When a Snail fall in Love- Its a little gem. Deserves to be at least tried.

Hikaru No go- FRIENDSHIPPPP. RIVALRY. CHU YINGGGGG. one of the best live action related ones Ive seen.

Killer and Healer- Republican "bromanceeee”. Angsty and simple but deliciousnessss. + Painnnnn

QIng Luo- A nice little b-cdrama. Its cute. The cast is pretty good. couple is great.

Dating in the Kitchen- Age gap. They are cute, funny, and have chemistry.

2) Historical setting “more serious”

Nirvana in Fire- it's just GOOODD

Monarch industry (The Rebel Princess)- GOOOOOOD. IT’S a MUST try imo. the couple is everythinggggg

The Rise of Phoenixes- Rip you heart, a little messsy, but goo00od and chen kun loong lockssssss like hellooooo

The Story of the Yanxi Palace - WOMENNNN and GOOOD

Legend of Ruyi- WOMENNN + beautiful clothing + straight up SHADINEESSS but soo gooood

Goodbye My Princesss- PAINNNNN but Good. Great FL and ML.... but I’m ngl you are gonna wanna go 9 rounds in the ring with the ML.

Ever Night- YOUNGINS with a hard knock life. goooood. The romance is a you like it or don’t but good regardless.

Joy of Life- GOOOD. Almost everyone I know seen it. (I liked it less as it got towards the end but that’s just meeeee)

Secret of the three kingdoms- A gooodieee

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty- A gooodieee. a “bromanceeee”. foood is a languageeee.

Story of the Minglan- goooood. more like slice of life?

The longest day of Chang’an- its goooood and its pretty.

3) Random Dramas that are 50+ eps that don’t really fit other 2 but are very well liked.

Under the Power- okay a lot of people have seemingly not watched this, but its nice, funny at times, and has a some depth. the FL is Great and yeahhh just try it.

Meteor Garden- (2018 version) It’s the F4 that you probably know of from the other countries. The new one is better than what I thought it would be.

Go ahead- Everyone I know love lovedddd this. I don’t like childhood besties to lovers trope so i dropped it but that’s just me. From what I saw its goood.

The Legends/Arsenal Military Academy- Bai Lu and Xu Kai are just deliciousnessssss. The dramas are perfectly fine, but these 2 chemistry are worth watching them.

The Untamed- Come onnnnnnnnn. If you have even looked at cdrama tumblr you have seen thissssss. It really is worth EVERY BIT.

Love and Redemption- deep love + PAINNNN + tropeeessss + chengyi you make pain look delicioussssss + happy ending

Love better than Immortality- I feel shamed if I don’t include long haired Hong yi. Friend its not the best, but the plot works and the couple is deliciousnesssss. and cheatingggg but its only 40 eps.

Ashes of love- another everyone watcher. This drama got my mother back into cdramas so yeahhhh, try it lololol.

Only a few of these are in a Modern setting... sorry, it’s just not what I watch and enjoy mostly. I tried to be broad with the choices. I’ve seen all of these but 1. If you like any of these I can probably rec something close to it. And If you tried these and think they are all terrible than I’m sorry I got your hopes up.😅😅😅😅

#thanks for asking me friend!!!!#this seems long but i literally had to trim it #i talk to much I know i knoowwwwww #so many better dramas I missed but heyyyyyy i never promised taste #some of these I have no idea why they popped in my head but i just HAD to add them ololol #anywaysss #cdrama #*recs #*no anons only friends #words

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cuddlybitch · 2 years

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Your secret valentine is back!

*receives hug very gratefully* ❤

I've recently started happiness, inspector koo, uncle, my kings affection, and I technically also started season 2 from Hospital Playlist, but I'm still not sure if I'm planning on finishing that one. But all of these, I have only watched a few episodes from, and I like all of them; I just haven't been able to continue them. Do you know that feeling where you like the drama but for some reason finishing it is a very hard task?

Speaking of Vincenzo - who is your favorite character and why?

Well if it's anything like Law School group dynamic, then I have to watch. That's the main reason I liked Law school and I wish we could have seen more of it in Law School.

What is your favorite couple?

When you finish Just Dance, I would be very interested in reading your thoughts.

Anyway, I hope you have a good weekend.

Kind regards from your secret Valentine ❤

Oh wow, secret valentine, you have started a lot. But yes, I do know that feeling. I think when that happens to me, I just know I'm not in the mood for that genre or show at the moment and I'm craving for something else and I just don't know what yet.

It seems like you have started a lot of good shows, so hopefully soon you can find the right time and mood to finish a few of those! Inspector Koo and Hospital Playlist S2 are two of my favs from that list. I especially rec Inspector Koo, but that's definitely interesting to watch.

My favourite character in Vincenzo is my queen Hong Cha-young! I love how she's loud, abrasive, and not afraid to get a little dirty to get what she wants. Jeon Yeo-been did such a good job finding the fine line between being Annoying, but somewhat making that endearing. I love her. I'd take another season with more focus on her character. I can't wait for Glitch on Netflix. How about you? Who's your Vincenzo fav? :D

:O Secret valentine you watched Law School? 💖💖💖 Honestly same. I struggled with the first 2 eps of Law School from what I remembered, but as soon as they started having more group shenanigans I got more invested. Right now I feel like Rookie Cops is more lighthearted than Law School (mostly cause Law School had an actual murder in the first 10 mins lmao). It does deal with some heavy topics, but overall the vibe of the show is really more coming of age/positive vibes. If you do start watching it, let me know. It was a show I didn't even expect to like, which I only started cause I had nothing else to watch right now, so I'm honestly happy it's doing better than what I expected. I guess sorta like the same reaction I had with Law School lmao.

What is your favorite couple?

Hmmm do you mean in general or in Rookie Cops? If in general, my kdrama OTP is Si-mok/Yeo-jin from Secret Forest/Stranger. All aspect of their relationship? I love. Also. xD They're written as platonic in the show, but Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona has such good chemistry that Si-mok and Yeo-jing together are just WOW. (Also I feel like CSW 100% plays some of their scenes with some romantic subtext but you know 👀👀).

My second fav couple right now is probably Vincenzo/Cha-young.

I guess all I can say with my shipping habits is...... it's usually the pairings that aren't completely romantic from start to finish that hit me the hardest. :PPPPP

I will let you know! I don't think I can start Just Dance anytime soon just because there's a whole bunch of new dramas coming in the next few weeks, but I have put it on my watchlist on MDL and Viki, so when I find sometime to start it, I will!!! And I'll DM you to talk about it when I do :D

Have a good weekend!!!!

#ask #Anonymous #dramatines2022

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rughydrangea · 7 years

Text

@momo2 said: Father is Strange has turned out to be one of my favorites. Also enjoying Lookout, Forest of Secrets, Seven Day Queen, Fight My Way, Best Hit. Finally too exasperated to finish watching Suspicious Partners. Rewatching Flower Boy Next Door. Will watch Duel, Circle, Rebel:Thief later.

@the-feminine-grotesque said: so how open are u to cdrama historicals then? and also that but this time with fantasy elements. cuz if u are…i may have a few in mind (or like 25 but i wont rec that much XD just a top 5). i always have jdrama recs but ofc they arent ever on viki, df or netflix. Hirugao is on DF and looks good but i havent actually seen it yet tbf. i will soon enough tho. (also on DF?Yae no Sakura, a taiga starring Ayase Haruka so that’s def on my list too)

also link me to ur MDL so i can rec u some kdramas too but i wanna double check what you’ve seen first or i’ll end up reccing stuff u prob alrdy saw and finished or dropped. Just off the top of my head Discovery of Love, Angry Mom and llll are definitely worth your time. The other faves i usually rec u’ve already seen tho! (Heart to Heart, Jealousy Incarnate and Rebel Hong Gil Dong round out the top 5 for me of kdrama faves. for now ne way lol)

oh yeah seconding the Fight My Way rec! (sorry for spamming)

@repinipi (who I can’t tag for some reason) said: I want to recommend Juhan Shuttai!, but I’m not sure if it’s available on DF/Viki. It’s such a lovely little show, the kind that Japan is best at. Light but not stupid, optimistic but not preachy.

Thank you friends! I will check out Father is Strange, Forest of Secrets, and Fight My Way. (In terms of not-currently airing dramas, I definitely appreciate the recommendations, and will add them to my to-watch list (if they aren’t there already!), but since I’m already watching a few older dramas, I’m trying to focus on relatively current ones!)

Also: I am very open to historical/fantasy cdramas!

#replies #thank you beautiful people!

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overthinkingkdrama · 5 years

Note

hi! love in sadness anon again. if you can rec some good melos i would be thankful.

[Oh my gosh, anon. I suck. Seriously. I’ve been trying to sit down and get this done from the moment I got your ask and I just haven’t been able to do it. Anyway, hopefully you see this. Thank you for your patience.]

Little do you know how long I have been waiting for this moment. This is my time to shine! Jk, but I would be happy to give recs. It’s a delight. I started going through my MDL and realized just how many dramas in this genre I have actually seen and realized I would probably have to trim my recommendations somewhat not to seem like a crazy person. Also I have subcategories! Yay!

(I’ve included the *** next to titles that I have watched multiple times or that stand out from the rest of the pack.)

First of all, Movie Melos.

Sometimes you don’t have time for 16-30 hours of drama. Sometimes you want to get all your feels out in a single sitting and move on with your life. That’s where movies are so helpful. My favorite bite-sized melos are:

Always*** – An ex-con trying to get his life together falls in love with a blind woman, but his efforts to help her recover her sight might drag him right back into the violence he’s tried to escape.

Shoot My Heart – A young heir is forced into a mental hospital by his rich family where he meets a disturbed young man. They become friends, try to protect each other, and eventually escape. This one has a bit more of a comedic element to it than the other movies I’m recommending, but there’s plenty of the melo tone as the movie goes on.

Will You Be There? – After finding out that he’s dying of cancer, a man travels through time to beg his younger self to save the life of his first love.

Butterfly Sleep – This is a Japanese movie, but it also stars Korean actor Kim Jae Wook, who recently got a boost in popularity from Her Private Life. The movie revolves around a poor young man from Korea who ends up living with an older woman, a novelist who has just discovered she is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and the passionate relationship that develops between the two as he helps her finish what will be her final book. #tragedy_tag

High Quality, Human Melodramas

So, this category is for if you want something with all the emotional gut punch of a really wild family drama, but you also want your melos to have actual artistic merit so when you tell your non-drama watching friends and family members about them they don’t end up losing respect for your taste.

Just Between Lovers – This is the story of two young people involved in and scarred by the same horrific accident, but survived and end up finding solace in one another as they deal with their combined traumas. If you’ve seen this drama around the kdramasphere on tumblr you might have seen a lot of gifs of the soft romance. Don’t be fooled though. The romance is indeed wonderful, but the themes are heavy and it can be rough sit.

My Mister*** – I really am just looking for every possible opportunity to recommend this drama. It has supplanted my former favorites and become my top drama of all time. It’s about two people, a troubled young woman in her 20′s and a structural engineer in his 40′s who have become beaten down and broken by life. Their two lives end up intersecting and they develop a really complex friendship that changes both of their lives. Acting, writing, directing…I have nothing bad to say about My Mister. This drama is actually perfect.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes – Do you like your melos a bit murdery? I know I sure do. Give me a sociopath any day of the week and I’ll say, “Thank you. I’ll take two.” This drama is about a young man who might be a monster. He becomes a detectives prime suspect in a murder investigation. At the same time he meets the detectives younger sister and they begin to fall in love. #tragedy_tag If this sounds like your thing, but you don’t like super sad endings check out Hello Monster, also starring Seo In Guk.

Secret Love Affair – I think it’s probably safe to say this drama is considered a modern kdrama classic, and for good reason. A story revolving around a woman who gave up her dreams for security, trapped in a loveless marriage, who meets a piano savant from an extremely underprivileged background and he sets off a spark for passion, music and love that she hasn’t felt in a long time. This is a quiet, pensive drama with a lot of wonderful music and atmosphere. YMMV depending on your tolerance for cheating and a slow-burn pace.

Alright, Cut the Crap Jona, Show Me the Extra Soapy Guilty Pleasure Dramas We All Know You Like…

Maybe you don’t go in for this type of self-conscious, “serious” drama watching. You’re going to watch these things in the sanctity of your own room and never tell a soul about them. Or perhaps you’ve evolved past needing other people’s approval to enjoy the things you like. Good for you, I say! As it should be. In that case, I have some top shelf makjang crack to deal you. This is the part of the list where the sliding scale of quality gets a little wobbly. Most of these shows contain a little, if not a lot, of crazysauce. All of them are over-the-top melo fun.

Baker King Kim Tak Gu – A drama about the illegitimate son of a conglomerate CEO who has inherited his preternatural baking abilities looking for his place in a family that will never acknowledge him. Yeah, the premise is pretty “what”? When I first watched this drama I thought it was supposed to be a satire of the makjang genre. To this day I’m not sure how seriously this drama actually takes itself. What I will say is it’s hella entertaining, even as it piles on more than it’s share of craziness (machinations, murder, affairs, chaebol fuckery, love polygons, gangsters, birth secrets, and on and on.) I was surprisingly invested and remarkably satisfied by the ending.

Ms. Perfect – This drama is something of a gothic romance/makjang melo mash up. It involves a woman whose marriage shatters just as she loses her home and finds herself desperate to take care of her family. She’s enticed by a mysterious woman to live with her in her huge house, but this stranger has eerie motivations of her own. Really fun, weird show. But brace yourself to be blue-balled by the romance. It’s one steamy make out session from being noona-romance catnip.

Money Flower*** – I unironically love this drama. It’s very close to the platonic ideal of the Revenge Melo. It involves a Dantes-esque male lead, Kang Pil Joo, who is willing to destroy himself to enact his multi-decade revenge on a wealthy family that took everything from him. He is the shadow of a spoiled young heir who he plans to use to take down the whole evil empire of Chungha group, but in order to do that he has to orchestrate the heir’s marriage with the innocent daughter of a powerful politician, the woman who Pil Joo himself is in love with.

That Winter, The Wind Blows – This one is a lurid conman tail about a gambler who, in his attempts to pay back a dangerous gangster out for his life, pretends to be the prodigal brother of a blind heiress. He tries to get the money and skip town, but ends up falling in love with the mark which comes with a host of other complications, not the least of which is she thinks he’s her brother. This one is high on the guilty-pleasure-o-meter for me.

Come and Hug Me – Some people might disagree with my putting this one on here, but for me the premise is too wildly melodramatic to omit. The leads start out as childhood sweethearts, but the problem is his father is a deranged serial killer and her parents end up two of his victims. As adults he becomes a detective trying to make up for his father’s legacy of cruelty and she becomes a famous actress like her mother. Traumas resurface when she becomes the target of an apparent copycat and their past connection becomes the fixation of a ruthless tabloid journalist.

Thank You – After his fiancee dies of cancer, a Doctor travels to a remote island to fulfill her last wish–to help the family of a little girl the late fiancee was responsible for inadvertently infecting with HIV. Unexpectedly he finds himself attracted to the girl’s single mother. However, he will have to contend with the prejudices of the island people about AIDS and the reappearance with the girl’s father. This one is as heavy as it sounds, and the oldest drama on this list, from 2007, with all the idiosyncrasies that go along with older dramas. But it’s remarkably well done. From the same writer of a bunch of classic melodramas (I’m Sorry, I Love You; A Love To Kill; Innocent Man; Uncontrollably Fond, etc) but this is my personal favorite of hers.

The Last Empress – Okay, I couldn’t omit this one. I tried. Average musical actress Oh Sunny winds up married to the Emperor in an alternate history version of Korea and becomes embroiled in the machinations of the corrupt royal family. With a nice side helping of revenge plot. It’s demonstrably not a good show. It’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen. But it had me hooked early on and then I couldn’t get myself free. What a magnificent train wreck this drama was. If you’re looking for problematic nonsense melos that were MASSIVE hits in Korea and you’re torn between this and Baker King, go with the silly bread show and keep this one in your back pocket.

Fated to Love You – This one is probably the most off-brand on the list, because it leans heavily on the comedic tone, especially for the first half. There’s a definite turn at the midpoint of the drama where it becomes MUCH more melodramatic (with all the tropes you expect to go along with that), but I think it pulls of the transition impressively well. Besides, it’s a fun watch with a fluffy feelgood ending with a bow on top. It’s a dash of sugar for your melodrama sojourn, a genre that admittedly can be a bit of a bummer.

There it is. I tried to do an extra good job with my list because it took me so long to get it out. I’m sorry again. Happy watching!

Jona

#kdrama recs #answered #melodramas

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