Favorite Dramas List and what is says about me

[dangermousie]

I decided to post a quick and dirty version of my Top Dozen Kdramas/Jdramas/Twdranas (yes, I am still working on all kdramas ever list, next installment coming soon).

But this is just a quick version. It's probably a good indicator of my tastes and useful to determine how well my tastes align with your own. If half these dramas are something you loathe, then you should probably treat my general recs with caution.

Top Dozen Kdramas

1. IRIS
1. Worlds Within
3. The Legend
3. Mawang
5. Capital Scandal
6. Chuno
7. Hong Gil Dong
8. Spring Waltz
9. My Girl
10. Save the Last Dance for Me
11. A Love to Kill
12. Tree of Heaven
12. Friend Our Legend
12. Last Scandal

What this says about me:

* I love my kdramas angsty. Out of 14 dramas on the list (I cheated :P), only about half end well. Only 3 of these 14 dramas could ever plausibly classify as comedies and even those have plenty of moments that could make you bawl.
* I like my dramas plotty. All of these have fairly decent plots, and some are quite twisty. Dramas with little plot aren't my thing.
* Strong women - with a couple of exceptions, these dramas' ladies are TOUGH.
* Period dramas are my thing - 5 of these are period dramas of some sort.
* I like fights - half of them have plenty of those fight scenes - guns OR swords
* I tend to go for tough guy unabashedly worshipping the woman he loves scenario. That or best friends becoming a couple. Overwhelming majority of the dramas on the list qualify as one of these (only one does not, arguably)
* I clearly adore Kang Ji Hwan (2 dramas on the list), Hyun Bin (ditto), Lee Da Hae (ditto), and Shin Minah (ditto)
* Great production values are a must
*Not one of these dramas is over 24 episodes

Top Dozen Jdramas

1. Love Shuffle
2. Pride
3. Aishiteiru to Itte Kure
4. Itoshi Kimi E
5. Utahime
6. Hana Yori Dango
7. Forbidden Love
8. Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Date
9. Mukodono
10. Sapuri
11. Bara No Nai Hanaya
12. Tatta Hitotsu No Koi

What this says about me:

* I love romance stories - angsty, star-crossed ones. Too bad jdramas don't make more
* Happy endings are good (only two if these don't have it) but I like my dramas angsty - only two of them are happy fluffy bunnies.
* I will watch anything written by Nojima Shinji (the writer of N1 and N2 dramas on my list)
* I'd rather eat my own head than watch a school story (except for Hanadan, but that's an exception to everything).

Top Dozen Tw/Cdramas

1. The Outsiders
2. Mars
3. Black and White
4. Meteor Garden
5. To Get Her
6. Why Why Love
7. My Lucky Star
8. Return of the Condor Heroes
9. Autumn Concerto (Nest Stop Happiness)
10. Down with Love
11. Silence
12. It Started with a Kiss

What this says about me:

* 6 out of 12 star an F4 member. I am shameless.
* Angsty or fluffy is all good - just not too cracky.
* Vic Zhou = my fave drama guy ever. 2-4 and 11 are all him.

Comments

[biases.livejournal.com]

I love that Down With Love is on your list after only six episodes! It's definitely shaping up to be a winner for me as well, ELLA IS AMAZING. (Have you seen The Rose? It's like a kdrama, only from Taiwan!)

Was it insanely hard to limit yourself even to 14 for the kdramas? It took me a while to get into kdramas (they were the last type of the big three that I watched, I went jdrama -> twdrama -> kdrama) but they're probably my favourite now. They do romance so well!

...and I've seen exactly two of your favourite jdramas. *despairs*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I tried The Rose but the production values were horrific and I hated everyone except for Ella. Plus, so looooooong.

Yes, it was very very hard to limit - some of my faves got left off :) Kdramas were the last for me too (it was twdramas, jdramas, then kdramas) but they sort of took over my life.

Which 2 jdramas?

[biases.livejournal.com]

LONG BUT AWESOME. Seriously, I want to mount an epic watch-a-long for The Rose, like you did with Bali. When I've graduated I think I'm going to do it, more people need to be exposed to the awesomeness. :P

I've only seen Hana Yori Dango and Utahime, although I'm familiar with most of the plots of the rest.

And on the twdrama front, Next Stop Happiness is my next (LOLOL) one to watch. Mmm Vanness.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Happiness is so cheesy - like that fanfic you liked when you were 14. My inner 14yr-old reveled in it.

[hollyxu.livejournal.com]

THERE ARE 3 12s! I call shenanigans.

I love Sapuri! Most people haven't heard of it, for very odd reasons, but anyway, I thought it was possibly the one drama in which I actually liked Kame - but what happened to Koshonin? It makes my top [Insert asian drama theme] list every time!

(Psst, Return of the Condor Heroes was mainland. That frees up more room for F4 on your list. :D)

And my god, Silence was a trainwreck of angst wrapped up in an avalanche of tears.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Silence: That was the drama for which I learned to download. And I watched it raw, too.

I have never seen Koshonin. I know :)

Re: ROCH - yup, the list was tw/cdramas. I am not big into Mainland dramas so it was the only one which made it on the list.

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

Nojima Shinji did BaraHana too! :D

It seems our tastes only coincide every once in awhile (according to your list like every other time) but when they do, we both fall hard for the same things.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I forgot! *smacks self*

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

Vic! *Swoons*

I tried watching his very latest one, airing in China, ...no comment.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That bad?

[lestrange.livejournal.com]

Have you seen all of Down With Love? I thought only 7 episodes were out (at least on ViiKii for subs that's what it is)!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Nope, just 7 - I am rash this way :)

[lestrange.livejournal.com]

Ahaha, I see. Been keeping up with DWL myself and loving it!

[er-mused.livejournal.com]

Yay! We have nearly identical tastes in Jdramas and twdramas! I even share your love for Huang Xiaoming, which not many people know...LOL

For Kdramas, I haven't seen like half of those on your list, but I will get to them eventually....hahaha. My favourite has to be My Lovely Samsoon, followed by Stairway to Heaven.... I like a happy ending, or at least a bittersweet one. An outrightly tragic one....just exhausts me too much. Hahaha

I adore Vic too, I've been a fan since I first saw him as Lei in 2001, and as much as his acting has improved, the way he speaks still annoys me sometimes. He is my favourite F4 though, Oguri Shun comes a close second, but he needs to pick his dramas better!

But these days, I think my two favorites who consistently have dramas I love are Kimura Takuya and Nagase Tomoya. Kimura can make me watch anything and convince me of anything. Nagase....sigh, who doesn't want to marry him? But I was really disappointed with his latest one....that spy comedy...it was soo meh...

Did you ever do a post on your top 10, erm...okay, 20 all time favourite drama actors?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

HXM = too hot to be real.

My Lovely Samsoon, followed by Stairway to Heaven.... I like a happy ending, or at least a bittersweet one.

But StH has a crushingly angsty one :) I haven't seen it myself though.

Nope, never did a faves list - too hard :) But I might.

Kame

[(Anonymous)]

I recently started to watch Jdramas. (I owe you a long message regarding my appreciation for you introducing me to Kdramas and subsequently jdramas - I originally found your blog based on my bollywood love) In the last month I've been on a Kame kick and watched or skimmed all I could find- even the painful wine competition! 1 pound of gospel and Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge were entertaining. But I was really impressed with Sapuri and Tatta Hitotsu No Koi. I admit that I even searched your tags to see what you thought of them. Both shows had residual effects for me. If during my commute I am thinking, obsessing or actually basking in the glow of the story's aftereffects it is a sign of a good show. I found myself thinking about these storylines for several days. Tatta was superb.

Thank you for your lists - they will really help me to identify what to watch next. I am a bit tired of the jdrama fixation on high school centric plots. Today I tried the silly one about butlers for wealthy girls at a private school and wanted to stab myself.

Re: Kame

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hi! So glad you discovered drama fun - it's ridiculously addictive. Tatta was so lovely and Sapuri is my 'happy' drama - it always cheers me up.

The butler one? Mei-chan. Ohhh, kindred spirit! I loathed it so very much - ugh. Most people love it and I do not get it. I'd rather eat nails.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Our tastes in kdramas is similar but for jdramas it's completely different.

I think j/kdramas have really ruined twdramas for me. The crap production values and file quality really put me off. I need to see Vic Zhou in HD dammit!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

What kind of jdramas do you like?

Only HD twdrama one I saw was Black & White.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I really like their slice of life stuff. They are always so beautifully done (well the ones I've seen so far anyways). I like their comedies as well. Not the crazy OTT stuff like Mei-chan or HK. The procedurals are pretty good too mostly because they feature really kickass and colourful characters.
I've basically given up on expecting romance on jdramas. It's a nice bonus if it's there but kdramas more than fill the romance quota for me.

Ooh excellent. I've been downloading it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

See, I am really into unitary storylines so most of slice of life and procedurals lose me :(

[(Anonymous)]

OMG DM, Aishiteiru to Itte Kure. I cannot believe this. I thought I was the only one left on the face of the planet who still knew this 1995 oldie. (We ARE talking about the same drama, aren't we?) On my list, it's No.1 and always will be. And ever since I started watching Chuno, I have had this fantasy about seeing Oh Ji-Ho in the role of Sasaki Koji. It would be more perfect than Starbucks' Perfect Oatmeal because the man has eyes that talk -- extremely crucial when you're supposed to be mute. Just imagining the amount of "eye" candy is enough to make my mouth water.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup, it's that one from 1995. I was obsessed with it:

http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/tag/aishiteiru%20to%20itte%20kure

OMG, if I could see OJH as Koji, I'd explode and die. OMG, so perfect.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am glad IRIS is number one! As much I am unsure about some aspects of it's copycat-ness, it is really quite special for a Kdrama, where I just can't get it with "Worlds Within" (it neither angsty no plotty no has fight no period drama :D) . It is probably the drama that I have found most boring out of all Kdramas I have seen, but I only managed to get through 4 episodes - I keep wanting to re-start because "What do you see there?? I must find out!".

This boggles my mind even more because all the rest of your top-12 kdramas with the exception of "Friend" and "Spring Waltz" (I haven't seen any of those but I have a feeling I will like "Friend") and "Save the last Waltz" (not my type of story with romance developing too fast and the main guy doesn't do too much for me - too much of a doll face, but these are subjective things, I didn't dislike the drama) will be on my top 12 list too.

Oh, also - Kang Ji Hwan was in "Save the Last Dance" too. :P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, Worlds Within - I can understand others not liking it (it was one of those dramas where most people were indifferent towards it but those that loved it went rabid).

I can explain it simply - of all the dramas I have ever seen, Korean or otherwise, this is the only one where I see myself in the heroine (yes, solipcistic, I know) and where these seem the people I may know in my life. I feel like I've worked or studied with or dated these people. And that's very subjective. And so when I love the characters, I love them utterly - the way one would acquiantances, not just fictional beings.

It just feels realer to me than any other kdrama.

Also, it does get quite quite angsty later on. I bawled.

Also, it's one of those 'OTP gets together early on' dramas that I love but I know you are not fond of that trope but I adore it. (They make love in ep 5, I believe).

Plus, the secondary OTP is so amazing - I could so see them as mains in some other drama, a more traditional angsty evil families one like Bali (only with a happy ending) - she is hard-working and cheerful and plucky and he is rich and snide and comes from the family of evil emotional vampires. And there are walks in the rain and break-ups and his watching her make-out with others. Mmmm, yes please.

Re: KJH. Yeah, but he wasn't a contributing factor to my love :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

And that's very subjective. And so when I love the characters, I love them utterly - the way one would acquiantances, not just fictional beings.

yes, this is very subjective. And it is great when this click happens in a drama - "Pasta" I think is one of the recent ones I feel similar way about.

BTW, I also feel this way about Tae Ha- OMPH! A real person!

but WW's characters didn't click with me (I am willing to give it another chance, though) - I could not understand nor see any of them as real.

Plus, the secondary OTP is so amazing - I could so see them as mains in some other drama, a more traditional angsty evil families one like Bali (only with a happy ending) - she is hard-working and cheerful and plucky and he is rich and snide and comes from the family of evil emotional vampires. And there are walks in the rain and break-ups and his watching her make-out with others. Mmmm, yes please.

hee! Now my interest is truly re-kindled. You know, I love dramass with secondary OTPS! And who are they - is she the girl Hyun Bin's charcater was in love with at the beginning?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, Tae Ha feels real.

But in WW - the writer character is totally like one of my college roommates (and close friends) - seriously, they could be mental twins.

Yang Unni is totally like the guy my family tried to set me up with (his grandmother and mine are family friends) - didn't click but now he is happily married with twins and I am quite happy for him

The older actress (in her 40s) is totally like another friend of mine.

The heroine actually reminds me of my best friend, character-wise. Freakily so (only my friend is a surgeon - another male-dominated, crazy hours profession). Etc etc etc.

So that's in part why I like it.

And who are they - is she the girl Hyun Bin's charcater was in love with at the beginning?

Nope. They are the famous snarky director (the one who always gets 40% ratings in his dramas) and the starlet that really wants to be cast in his newest and keeps stalking him because of it (she followed him into the men's bathroom, LOL).

They are super-awesome together.

We have this:



And this:



But then this:





But they also get this:





Oh, and the main OTP has this:



And this:



And also this:





And this:

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember them!

Ok, please spoil me for the ending. :D I have a feeling it is an open-ending drama?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I hate open endings so it wouldn't be ranked so highly if it was. It's actually a super-happy ending.

1. Main OTP gets back together and his eyesight is fixed so he can work (even if with some restrictions). They live together and plan to get married (they negotiated about having a baby too - because she doesn't want to take time off but he really wants a kid so there is all this planning about who would watch it etc. It's adorable). And they are working on their dream drama together and it's a huge hit.

2. Secondary OTP - they get back together despite his evil horrid father (who sadly isn't eaten by alligators) and they get married and he cast her in his newest production and it's big celebrity news because by now she's a huge huge star.

3. The older station director and that multiple-divorces older actress whom he's always worshipped are a couple, have somewhat independent, somewhat together lives.

The two elderly actresses continue to boss and mother Yang Unni who gets hardworking etc.

It's adorable.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Ok, I am convinced . I feel i might re-start it after Chuno - I will be all sad and Chuno-less and I will need something good to watch.

[jeonggam.livejournal.com]

I'm a stranger hailing from both princess_dexter and ambergold's LJs, but I just wanted to say:

THIS MINI-SPAM TOTALLY WORKED ON ME. I WANT THIS RIGHT. NOW.

*WANTS*

I need little encouragement :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yesss!

Let me know if you need dl links.



And



And



Also this:

And

[mishane.livejournal.com]

It's so strange but I never thought that Love Shuffle would be a favorite for you. It's not really very angsty at all and can get OTT sometimes (which is why I loved it).

How happy am I that A Love To Kill is on your list?!? I feel like almost everyone that has seen it has intensely disliked it.

I really need to start watching those older j-dramas. Everyone seems to have seen all these awesome older ones and the only one I've seen is Pride.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Love Shuffle is like Worlds Within - feels 'real' and with characters I could imagine passing by on the street. Not that many dramas give me that feeling.

I adore ALTK entirely too much.

[prettierdanpink.livejournal.com]

love all your twdrama faves except for the outsiders and autumn concerto 'coz i haven't watched them yet! :O

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

They are both angsty but good!

[shinystory.livejournal.com]

I haven't had much experience with the Japanese and Taiwanese/Chinese ones: I really am more a fan of the Korean stuff.

I think my tastes lean towards the happier ones than the angsty ones, but I like most of them that I've watched on your list. Fell in particular for "The Devil" and "Capital Scandal."

I haven't gotten into sageuks, but I'm not beyond trying them out one day. :)

Thanks for the list! So many dramas to watch, so little time!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

You are welcome :)

I like to mingle fluff and angst.