I realised something recently - why I avoid shows such The Glory and palace harem dramas.
Bullying. There's so much bullying in them.
And because I suffered from a lot of bullying in different periods of my life, I do not like being reminded of it nor do I enjoy watching people suffer from it. It's stressful!
Revenge dramas however, are a favourite. I wonder why. Bwhaha.
I really enjoy Avenue X's reviews and I also enjoy watching #CDrama fandom's reaction to her reviews. As most of the fandom seems to love the shows that she dislikes, most of them don't really like her. I have to confess that my Avenue X's tastes in #CDramas tho i am less picky & fussy, and more forgiving.
I also enjoy absorbing viewpoints different than mine.
Anyway I agree with her review of these dramas. Jan is a dry month in Cdramaland. Haiya 😩
Would I recommend Three-Body just to anyone? Probably not. However, if you're patient enough to sit through a few slow patches, you will be highly rewarded.
And watch this before the #Netflix one.
Jokes aside, #DeathsGame is incredibly well-written and structured. It's been a long time since a #Kdrama has kept me surprised.
It's an interesting blend of fantasy, supernatural horror, murder/mystery and romance. Usually a drama would self-combust if it tries to juggle so many genres at the same time, but the writer manages it all like an expert.
It is also surprisingly deep and moving. Highly recommended.
MyDramaList is a really useful app - helps me organize my drama watchlist & helps me be more strategic with the way I watch dramas. I have a "plan to watch list" and pick just one or two from the list to watch at a time. It has proven to be super effective - I'm able to focus and absorb a drama better rather than jump from drama to drama.
Here are the #CDramas#Kdramas I plan to catch up with this year:
I have actors in a personal blacklist whose dramas I will never watch because they are so bad at acting. I don't like Till the End of the Moon, couldn't tolerate Love Between Fairy and Devil and thought Hidden Love was boring. The Untamed's popularity is perplexing to me.
But why get upset over this? The world is vast & our tastes are diverse. Me not liking your fav show does not discredit or devalue your love for it.
Fandom parasocial behavior is weird. #Cdramas#KDramas#KDrama#CDrama
I love #KDrama#CDrama folks in the Fediverse.
In other fan places people insist you must not "spread negativity" by saying negative things about a show or actor. I have even been warned not to post "things like this" or "you get what you deserve".
If I don't like a show I will very well say it. And if I think an actor's performance needs work, I will state it without prejudice.
I rarely do this, but I find fandom gatekeeping annoying & am so glad it doesn't happen here. #KDramas#Cdramas
I wish people would stop
casually spouting anti-China things at me when I talk about China. (And I talk about it a lot cos I love #CDramas). Although I am not a CCP fan, I am STILL CHINESE and it sometimes feels freaking Sinophobic and hurts, OK?
You complain so much about Nazis but are OK with painting Chinese people in a bad light (namely they are brainwashed, have no agency etc).
Like, stop already.
I am tired of this.
Watching #BlossomsShanghai in the original Shanghainese is SO INTERESTING.
I understand ZERO and yet I understand something hahaha.
I wish I could read the Chinese subs so much. Frustrated lol. It's also great to listen to Hu Ge speaking Shanghainese. (He speaks Mandarin & Shanghainese in the show.) Shanghainese sounds like a blend of Hokkien, Hakka and Mandarin or really off-tone Mandarin.
PS: It's a very gorgeous show. As expected from Wong Kar Wai.
A hilariously accurate representation of my taste. Mostly 😆 However, this graph is not 100% accurate as I went on a documenting spree in May last year when I joined Mydramalist and had been watching #KDramas for some time. In 2023, I watched mostly #CDramas and they were definitely not romance dramas.
I prefer #KDrama romances over #CDrama ones, so I tend to skew there. Also while I tend to pick a show for its fantasy angle rather the romance, but these shows are often are romance focused too.
From MyDramaList's 2023 year summary. This is actually a good reflection of my taste in dramas. (Note the lack of romance dramas lol and lots of wuxias & thrillers hehe.) And apparently 90% of my dramas are rated 7 or 8, and about 8% or so are 9.
Don't know why I am suddenly in the mood for romance. Mature, adult, slow burn, arranged marriage romance, that is. Maybe after the intense, hard scifi of #ThreeBody I want some fluff 😘 Watched ep 1. Love the gorgeous costumes and our male lead actor Wallace Huo is such a charismatic presence. I think I will like this!
This is a PSA that you need to watch the Chinese TV adaptation of #ThreeBody before you the #Netflix version. I have little confidence that Netflix or the folks who butchered Game Of Thrones will do it justice.
At least absorb the unique POV this #Cdrama offers before the Netflix defines your vision of Liu Cixin's books.
You can watch it on the WeTV, Viki apps. The first 2 eps are available on Youtube.
When you watch and realise what that infamous "ship scene" in #ThreeBody REALLY means.
PS: I REALLY liked how subtly they implied the FULL horror of it all in this episode. I don't know how Netflix will replicate the growing dread, and horror of that scene.
What I love about #ThreeBody is that it shows countries around the world working together with China to defeat this threat. They are all equals in this conflict. There was a conversation between our main lead with one of the leaders of a European nation which I found moving. It showed that they were both humans with loved ones to protect.
I have real worries that Netflix adaptation would forgo this cooperative element and paint some countries as baddies.
So a Discord group I am part of asked - what 12 dramas will I recommend people?
So this is a list of my favourite #CDramas and #KDramas. Have you seen any of them?