Asian Dramas for Everyone Part V
I'm back, with more Asian drama recommendations!
As I said in my earlier installments of this series: I highly recommend that you dive into the world of Asian dramas (with subtitles, if required). So far I've tried Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Pinoy, Malay, Singaporean, Hindi, Indonesian, and Thai shows. My personal tastes tend to lean towards rom-coms with the occasional mystery or science fiction series, but there are a plethora of options for any and every taste: time travel, historical fiction, horror, courtroom dramas, etc.
I usually watch dramas on either Netflix, Viki, YouTube, or Dramacool, although occasionally you can find them elsewhere. There are a million sites now, and I expect to enjoy certain titles we'll have to branch out in the future. Pinoy dramas are admittedly quite hard to find if you're based in the U.S, though.
IF YOU LIKE: LGBTQ love stories, coming of age stories, Pinoy rom-coms
TRY: Gameboys
Gameboys is a Pinoy drama with a 13.5-episode first season (available on Netflix) and an 8-episode season 2 (we watch on Youtube but I think that's been taken down?). The story follows two young guys, Cairo and Gavreel, as they meet and fall in love during the Covid-19 pandemic. The first season takes place during lockdown with them apart in different cities, and the second takes place with them quarantined in the same house.
So firstly, I have to give Gameboys props for its creativity--the usage of video chat, screen-recording, and social media to tell the story was absolutely brilliant, especially because that was pretty much all they could do for most of season 1. They did a great job incorporating those elements into the second season despite the boys now being physically together. The reality of the pandemic and its accompanying fears, concerns, and tragedies was always present, whether through curfew, the wearing of masks, discussions of loneliness, or sick relatives. Despite its goofy, warmhearted romance, there are some emotionally heavy moments in this--obviously pandemic-related issues like isolation and illness/death, but also homophobia, as the Philippines is still a largely Catholic country and there is a lot of stigma around LGBTQ relationships. Those moments were handled carefully and acted well, allowing the fluctuations of energy to feel reflective of real life. The cast is all-around lovely--Cai's mom has only a few scenes but packs an emotional punch, the couple's best friend Pearl is a lightning rod of joy and humor, and Terrence and Wes are a complex pair that you can't help but root for...even when you're screaming at them for their dumb decisions.
I will warn you that season 2, because the boys are physically together, there are a LOT of kissing scenes, eventually culminating in a love scene. As someone who isn't a fan of those types of scenes, I actually found this one surprisingly tasteful and sweet, but if that bothers you, maybe stick to season 1.
Content warnings: homophobia, Covid-related illness/death, isolation/depression, sexual innuendo/references to sexuality, a love scene, alcohol use, brief mentions of biphobia, vomit (season 2 only I think)
IF YOU LIKE: musicals, J-Pop, boy-bands, the found family trope
TRY: I Will Be Your Bloom
I Will Be Your Bloom is a ten-episode Japanese drama (available on Netflix). The plot centers around Asuka Nakamachi, a former high-school teacher who accepts a job as a house mother in a dormitory for the members of an unpopular J-pop guy group, 8loom. One of the band members is a former student of hers, Dan Sagami. Even though the boy band hasn't found any success, Dan is devoted to the group and his role as the group's leader. As she supports the group on their journey to success and forms a close bond with the members, Asuka works through the incident that caused her to leave teaching and regains her confidence.
THIS. DRAMA. I really love shows that have a strong ensemble, and this one fit the bill perfectly. Each of the members of 8loom had a distinct personality and talent that made them bias-worthy. The chemistry between the cast was immaculate and made even the more trope-heavy plotlines feel special. The vibe was overall very wholesome and balanced lighthearted comedy with the realities of adulthood (especially self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and stress).
One of the best surprises about I Will Be Your Bloom was how wonderful the music was--there was an entire album's worth of catchy songs written expressly for the show (available on Spotify!) and the cast were all incredible singers, dancers, and performers. The performance scenes felt like watching a music video or a concert broadcast on Youtube--I'm definitely a 8loomy now, lol.
IF YOU LIKE: Vincenzo, mysteries, thrillers with a comedic twist
TRY: Café Minamdang
Café Minamdang is an 18-episode Korean drama (available on Netflix). The story follows Nam Han-Jun, a former criminal profiler who now uses his profiling skills to scam the elite by pretending to be a shaman. Although he is primarily scamming his customers for money, he does genuinely solve clients' problems through these scams, often for the greater good. His business is bolstered by his partners: Su-Cheol, a former cop and "the muscle" of the operation; Nam Hye-Jun, younger sister and master hacker; and Na Dan, who acts as a personal assistant, delivery boy, gadget inventor, and the busboy at the coffee shop that acts as a cover for their fake fortunetelling shop. Han Jae-Hui has worked as a detective for 3 years, haunted by the murder of her prosecutor brother years ago. When corruption, murder, and Nam Han-Jun cross her path, she decides to investigate in hopes of finding the truth.
Okay, cards on the table: the romances of this drama is its worst point. The couples have zero chemistry, and the development of both relationships is nonsensical (especially in regards to timeline). Additionally, the mysterious killer was pretty easy to discover if you've watched shows like this before and the validation for why they kill was boring and ableist.
HOWEVER, I still recommend this drama. Ignoring the romances, the individual characters are for the most part interesting and well-acted. The scamming scenes are hilarious, the two found family groups (Team Minamdang and Team Detectives) are endearing, and the various villains along the way to meeting the Big Bad are fun and interesting opponents for our main lead. The visuals are also gorgeous: near the 75% mark, there is a "shaman-off" between Nam Jun and another (potentially fake) shaman that is absolutely stunning to watch.
Content warnings: murder, violence, drug abuse, kidnapping, hospital scenes, blood, fire, car accidents, police/copganda, sexual abuse
IF YOU LIKE: mysteries with a comedic twist, Brooklyn Nine Nine
TRY: MIU 404
MIU 404 is an 11-episode Japanese drama (available on Netflix). The storyline follows a disgraced detective in the Mobile Investigative Unit (known as "MIU") of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department as he works with an inexperienced rookie to solve cases within 24 hours.
Is this copganda? Absolutely, and that's something to be wary of. But what I found admirable about this drama is that about 95% of the perpetrators of the crimes are treated sympathetically--the exploration of how one bad choice or difficult situation could lead someone down the "wrong path" was very well done. The episode about domestic workers was surprisingly meaningful while lacking in exploitation, and the admission of corruption within the police/law system was appreciated. The way the plots of individual episodes wove together to make up the overarching message of the show was masterfully done. I also LOVED the core group of characters. They were fun, relatable, and had interesting conflicts and bonds with each other, as well as being well-portrayed by the talented cast.
Content warnings: police/copganda, murder, violence, drug abuse, kidnapping, hospital scenes, blood, fire, car accidents, brief references to sexual abuse
IF YOU LIKE: ghost stories, mysteries, found-family dynamics
TRY: Missing: The Other Side
Missing: The Other Side is a Korean drama with a 12-episode first season (available on Netflix.) There is also a second season that consists of 14 episodes, but we haven't gotten to it yet, so this will just reference the first season!
The story follows Kim Wook, a scam artists who witnesses a kidnapping. While evading the kidnappers as well as another gang who want him dead, he accidentally encounters Duon Village...but it's no ordinary village. It's a place where the dead live; people whose bodies were never found. This village is invisible to the outside world, but some people can see these villagers: one of them is Kim Wook, and another is Jang Pan-seok, the town's "secret-keeper" with some secrets of his own. Kim Wook finds himself drawn to these people, and ends up helping them solve the mystery of their deaths. Meanwhile, Detective Shin Joon-ho is trying to locate his fiancée who went missing after their argument...and he wants to find Kim Wook and see what he knows.
This drama was a gem! While the story does get very sad at a lot of points (an entire town of dead people, you get it), there are funny and heartwarming moments too. The ghosts in the town have built a found family to stave off loneliness, and although bittersweet, their journeys come to a satisfying end. The father-son energy between Kim Wook and Jang Pan-seok lightens the mood at just the right moments, and the complex but easily-understandable web of plot threads and mysteries help maintain the pacing as the story progresses. The cast was massive but everyone did a great job fulfilling their roles and even the smallest character had a purpose--of all the ghosts, Thomas was my favorite.
Content warnings: ghosts, murder, violence, kidnapping, blood, sexual abuse, some minor police/copganda
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