DRAMA RECS PART 8
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII
In these horrific times, watching Asian dramas with my sister is one fun, educational, entertaining activity that keeps me from falling into despair. As I have mentioned in earlier installments of this series (linked above), I highly recommend diving into Asian media, especially TV shows. To date I've tried Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Pinoy, Malay, Singaporean, Hindi, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai shows. My personal tastes tend to lean towards rom-coms, 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 through Netflix, Viki, and YouTube, although occasionally you can find them on other sites. Pinoy dramas are admittedly quite difficult to access if you're based in the U.S, though. I've saved the best for last, so be sure to either read the whole post or scroll down to the very bottom.
1. Beauty Inside (2018)
Beauty Inside is a Korean drama with 16 episodes. The plot is as follows: Han Se Gye, a top actress with a controversial reputation, has a strange condition that causes her to change into a different body and new identity for one week every month (kind of like a weird menstrual cycle). While attempting to hide this condition from the public, she encounters Seo Do Jae, a brilliant executive at an airline company. He suffers from prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. Like Han Se Gye, he also hides his condition from the world, using other skills to "recognize" people.
THIS SHOW. One of the wildest setups I've ever experienced in a K-drama, and yet every element feeds so beautifully into the overall message about image and identity. Han Se Gye is a refreshingly self-assured female lead experiencing a fascinating conflict--immensely kindhearted but recklessly troublesome, independent yet reliant due to her condition, brave yet terrified. Seo Do Jae's quiet, stoic nature hides a stubborn determination that balances her chaotic energy so well, and it is so fun to watch them realize how alike they really are despite their "opposite" outer personalities. The rest of the cast is also magnificent--Han Se Gye's support system is perfectly drawn, and it is especially impressive to witness how the actors portraying her "other selves" during her change weeks consistently captured her character.
Content warnings: body image, car accidents, minor violence, drinking, medical/hospital scenes, Catholicism (side-plot), allusions to homosexuality, death, allusions to suicide, ableism
2. GO Into Your Heart (2021)
GO Into Your Heart is a contemporary Chinese drama with 41 episodes. The story centers on the budding relationship between a reporter and a Go prodigy.
Something I really enjoyed about this drama is how wholesome the characters are (and how that allows them to have a healthy, sweet relationship). Despite all the drama in their professional and personal lives, they handle situations sensibly and empathetically, which makes them so lovable. The secondary characters also endure their own struggles (mainly professionally), contributing to an interesting plot that makes excellent use of the 41 episode run. The Go-playing sequences--although not really educational as to the rules or gameplay--are portrayed onscreen like wuxia fight scenes, which was very entertaining and engaging.
Content warnings: car accidents, sexism, minor physical violence, mental health struggles, death
3. Public Affairs Office in the Sky (2013)
Public Affairs Office in the Sky is a Japanese drama with 11 episodes. The story follows Inaba Rika, who was previously an investigative reporter before being demoted to director of an informative TV program. A work assignment causes her to meet Sorai Daisuke. Sorai almost achieved his dream of being a pilot for the flying squadron, "Blue Impulse", but missed out on the opportunity due to an injury. Intrigued, she begins working on a story about his job at the public relations office for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). As she and the JASDF staff grow closer, Rika gains a more nuanced understanding of their job as well as her own.
This was such an unexpected gem! I loved how it approached serious topics with such genuineness and poignancy, and balanced the tone by injecting moments of light-hearted humor, romance, and friendship. You'd think learning about each member of the JASDF would be boring but it was fun to get to know them as the episodes progressed. The end result was heartfelt and charming. The actors all did an incredible job humanizing their characters--Go Ayano in particular really shows off his range. I could have watched 14 more seasons of this.
Content warnings: sexism, military and war propaganda, references to car accident, last two episodes center a real-life hurricane/flooding disaster that claimed many lives and caused significant damage
4. Ready, Set, Love (2024)
Ready, Set, Love is a Thai drama with 6 episodes. The show takes place in a parallel universe where female newborns vastly outnumber their male counterparts due to a pandemic. To protect the few males born, the government houses them in a special restricted suburb that is off-limits to the general (female) public. Only the upper echelon--the rich, the powerful, and government officials--have access to these boys...until an opportunity arises. When five of these males reach marrying age, the government sponsors a televised competition in which women fight to win the chance to marry one of them--and earn access to the special suburb and all of its advantages for themselves. Whereas in the past only members of the upper echelon were allowed to enter, this year, women from the working class are allowed to apply. A young worker named Day is unintentionally accepted into the competition, but decides she must win in order to obtain medical care for her sick sister. What she doesn't know is, her participation is the first step to unraveling the darker conspiracies operating beneath the surface.
I did not expect how FUNNY this show was going to be! Day's goofy personality makes it easy to buy that she is just a normal girl trapped in a bizarre situation, and the ridiculous showboating of the contestants, the boys, and the gameshow as a whole creates a fascinating contrast to the darker side of the world in which they live. Day has an immense amount of chemistry with her main love interest Son, as well as her biggest rival in the games, Chantal (who experiences one of the more interesting character arcs herself). The plot does well to give their supporting cast their own inner conflicts--my favorites were Chantal's minion (Bovy) and the oldest of the bachelors (Almond). Despite such a short timeframe, the show successfully explains what we need to know about the dystopia while also leaving clues to shore up a second season, should it get renewed (I hope it does!!!).
Content warnings: institutionalization, forced capture, class warfare
5. Blossom (2024)
Blossom is a Chinese drama with 34 episodes. After experiencing tragedy, noblewoman Dou Zhao time-travels back to her childhood, before the events that caused harm are set into motion. Armed with the memories and regrets of her previous life, she aims to change both her own fate and the fate of her country. A vital aspect of her plan is to rescue General Song Mo from his tragic fate. In the previous timeline, Song Mo was betrayed and manipulated of the emperor's enemies, earning a dark reputation that did not reflect his kind, generous heart. Song Mo was also sent into the past, but unlike Dou Zhou, he does not retain his memories. As the trust--and affection--between them in this new timeline grows, they navigate court intrigue, hidden conspiracies, and family secrets.
This is my favorite drama of all time!!! Dou Zhou and Song Mo are so loveable, generous, and passionate, individually and as soulmates. Song Mo in particular really raises the bar for what a loving, devoted, honorable, good leading man is. He was the perfect partner for Dou Zhou, a brilliant, independent, and strategic woman whose biggest strength was her kindness. Just seeing them LOOK at each other made me smile. The pacing is practically perfect--I enjoyed the rhythms of the multiple storylines as they intersected and then branched off on their own before colliding together again. Also, the stylistic elements were GORGEOUS--every single shot was so pretty to look at. I was so happy to see feminist themes taken further than I've witnessed in dramas prior--from the dangers of blind filial piety, to marital abuse, to abortion rights to rape culture. And of course, my favorite things was that we had a happy ending!
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