My Favourite Dramas From 2021

What could be more blissful than liking someone and knowing that they like you back? What could bring you more happiness than waiting for someone, knowing that they are also waiting for you too? 

This is the love story between Wen Shao Qing - a brilliant, young Neurosurgeon - and his beloved "Swordswoman/Heroine", Cong Rong - a brave and righteous apprentice lawyer whom he has secretly loved and has been waiting for since they were kids. Who says waiting is always in vain?  

This was a wonderful drama with a beautiful and sweet love story! I didn't expect to fall in love with this drama because I'm not typically a huge fan of pure fluff, but, I am a sucker for the childhood friend trope and this one has just the cutest, most touching history. The story was well pieced together and their childhood memories integrated nicely to add to the endearment of their love story. Both leads are strong characters that not only love each other, they also support and respect each other. I think every girl could only dream of finding such a love for themselves. 

Another thing that's so great about this drama is that all the characters are lovable and have great friendships and family relationships. The chemistry between the entire cast is amazing, especially between Fair and Daddi whom were truly wonderful together. The acting was great and the casting was perfect... If you are a fan of fluff and tons of kissing scenes, you will fall hard for this drama and love it's equally incredible OST.

This is the story of a tragic businessman in a script who is given a chance at a re-birth when his character is re-written in ancient times into the body of Ning LiHeng/Ning Yi, a useless son-in-law of a commerce family. As a matrilocal husband to a wife who aspires to run the family business herself, his new life appears even more challenging than his previous one. But with an opportunity to reinvent himself, Ning Yi sets out to change "the ending" to his story by bringing his business savvy insights and modern day beliefs to a time period and society that holds firm to traditions.

Although this starts off as a commerce story, it takes a political turn by the second half of the drama. But, regardless of how the story changes, the underlying message being conveyed remains the same: empowering the individual. No matter if you're in historical times or present day, female or male, rich or poor, regardless of social class or rank, one should never be resigned to the fate they are given as it's in their hands to control and it's what they make of it.

This is an amazing drama with a great story and a very fresh, novel idea to the time-traveling genre. I, personally, am not a fan of time-traveling dramas but I really loved this story and felt it was executed well. The way they incorporated modern ideas and jargon into a historical time period was not done in a way of a parody, nor was the humor forced. And more of a reason to love this drama is that the characters are awesome and that is a credit to the actors for adding a charm to this story. The main protagonist is incredibly smart and a brilliant businessman who is firm in his beliefs and attitude, and always calm in the face of adversity, while his wife is ambitious and very talented in cloth dying and weaving. Adding further to the likeable nature of the leads is the fact that the couple respect and support each other which makes them a pleasure to watch together.

Set in the Ming dynasty, in a historical time period where legal wives of noble families are given complete autonomy over the family while the concubines are deemed insignificant. And their children? Nothing more than pawns used to strengthen a family's prominence. This story follows Luo Shiyi, the Luo family's youngest concubine daughter who knows first hand how hard it is for women in harems. Her only solace was found in embroidery and she would dream of shaking free from the shackles of her fate to live her life with her mother on her terms. However, destiny can be cruel and Shiyi is reminded of this when she loses the person dearest to her during her failed attempt to escape her engagement. With a clue that her mother's murderer is connected to the Xu family, Shiyi decides to accept her engagement to the Marquis, Xu Ling Yi, as previously arranged by Madam Luo and her legitimate daughter, Luo Yunniang (the ailing, but current wife of Xu Ling Yi). Becoming the Matron of a prominent family is much more than she signed up for when Ling Yi's concubines try to undermine her position at every turn. Adding to her pressure is Madam Luo's constant reminder for Shiyi to keep her promise to Yunniang in protecting her young son's position in the Xu family.

This was a highly engaging drama from the opening episode. It is filled with intrigue! This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you do enjoy this kind of story, you'll love this. In terms of romance, it is a slow burn which I don't normally have problems with, I just wasn't very keen on the romance between the leads. Admittedly, it was the initial setup which affected my interest in the couple; the slow burn and the writing of the ML & FL's attitude in their marriage didn't help at all. I mean, once they eventually become a real couple, they are great together, but by then, I had already lost all interest in the romance between them. I did, however, enjoy everything else about the drama.

This is a Sci-Fi, Fantasy drama that is centered around the female protagonist, Si Teng, a rattan plant that was forcefully mutated into the form of a human (known as Yi species). Decades after her death, a terrible car accident sends a man, by the name of Qin Fang, to the site of her burial where he magically resurrects her with his blood. This chance encounter bonds him to her in such a way that he is forced into an unequal partnership with her. Rising from the dead, a resentful Si Teng sets out to unravel the mystery in the years following her death while seeking out her fellow Yis, with the help of her new "servant", Qin Fang by her side. Unbeknownst to them, Qin Fang's appearance in her life was no coincidence at all.

For someone who isn't typically into this type of genre, I had become completely captivated by both the story and Si Teng and Qin Fang's love story which is a very deep, powerful and emotional one. The selflessness of their love for each other is incredibly beautiful and touching to the point where I get misty eyed from just recalling it. This is entirely a credit to Zhang Binbin and Jing Tian's heart-fluttering chemistry. They are magic together. All the characters are unique which is part of what made this drama so enjoyable and refreshing; as much as I loved the characters, I loved how the cast portrayed them even more! The cast was incredible, and I mean truly phenomenal. Jing Tian, Zhang Binbin and Zhang Yichi, in particular, were outstanding. They deserve a round of applause for their heartfelt performances, as do the entire crew. The directing was great and the cinematography and overall aesthetics was gorgeous; the filming locations were stunning, the costumes were beautiful and it has the perfect OST too.

If you like fantasy and mystery in a modern setting, centered around a fierce female protagonist with a devoted male protagonist by her side, you'll love this!

I rate this drama an 8.6/10!

This story follows Princess Li Chang Ge on her trying journey following the death of her royal parents. With a warrant for her capture, Chang Ge manages to escape the capital and seek refuge in a neighboring city where she ends up becoming the military advisor for a righteous official thanks to her intelligence and strategic knowledge she gained through the years of tutelage under her royal Uncle (the new Emperor). When a war is launched on the city by the grasslands, she finds herself on opposite sides with Ashile Sun, a man who had come to her aid on countless occasions without ever knowing his true identity. To put an end to the war for the sake of their people, the selfless sacrifice made by the official forced her into destitute again and she is taken to the grasslands as a slave by Ashile Sun. To seek survival so that she can avenge one day, she strikes a deal with Ashile Sun to be his military advisor.    

Initially, I wasn't sure if I'd get through to the end of this drama because I feared the heavy focus on politics and war would eventually bore me. Fortunately, that was not the case at all! I found the story to be engaging and the characters well constructed. I thought the entire cast did a good job in their roles but I was especially pleased with Leo's performance. He was very convincing in the role and he had great chemistry with Dilraba. I also felt this was a breakthrough performance for Zhao Lusi whom really nailed the damsel character who grew through her trying experiences. It was interesting to watch the parallels in the storylines of the two Princesses whom are so different in character and temperament, and yet both go through experiences of hardships at similar times that force them to grow and mature.

If you enjoy watching a strong heroine overcome adversity with a strong male protagonist to assist her, you will love this!

I rate this drama an 8.3/10!

Set to the backdrop of 'Sunshine Senior Home', this is a story on the lives of its senior residents as they face issues of life and pursue their remaining dreams, all the while attempting to acclimate to modern society and deal with common social issues that plague their age group.

The story begins with Ye Xiao Mei taking over the Dean position at Sunshine Senior Home after her Grandmother's passing. As a young adult trying to find her own way, she suddenly finds herself running a senior home to fulfill her Grandmother's last wish. As she struggles to find joy in managing the different personalities of the elderly residents, Xiao Mei would find help where she least expected it: in a quirky, thick-skinned, shameless lad, by the name of Guo San Shuang, who had gone astray due to early life circumstances. With his assistance, Xiao Mei would discover the satisfaction that came with helping their Sunshine Senior Home residents find happiness at their age, and at the same time, come to learn the value of seniors to today's society and the importance of their care.

This is a slice-of-life drama that is moving and filled with heart! I love meaningful stories that are touching and I really appreciated how the individual stories of the seniors highlighted many real life issues that the elderly face in today's society.

I did have issues with the editing and the flow of the story - It felt disjoint at times. But despite those flaws, this was still a very enjoyable and heartwarming drama with excellent, realistic acting performances from the entire cast.

I rate this drama an 8.3/10!

I've been asking for a serious historical investigation drama since last summer and finally, 'The Imperial Coroner' delivers. I enjoyed it a lot. I really liked the cast of characters and I particularly loved how the ML and FL shared a healthy relationship filled with respect. The overall story was very interesting too. The only issue I had with this drama was I felt it was actually too long. There was a stretch of episodes in the middle where there were lulls in each episode. They could have done the story in 30-32 episodes. With that being said, they still rushed the last episode and the ending felt a little too abrupt. Nevertheless, it was still a good drama! 

If you like investigation dramas, you'll definitely enjoy this one!

This is the fated love story between Lei Yu Zheng and Du Xiao Su that begins after a drunken encounter one rainy night. Never would they expect that a chance encounter would eventually lead them on a journey filled with prejudices, loss, grief, and ultimately a love that was destined to blossom between them.

This was my most anticipated melodrama and I was curious to see how faithful the adaptation would be after seeing how well they did with the casting for the characters. The first half of the drama does a pretty decent job of following the story, characters and relationships depicted in the novel, while making positive changes (necessary, even) to soften the intensity of the ML and create a healthier and "easier" path for the ML and FL to fall in love. I honestly loved the first half of the drama. I really enjoyed the development of the couple and I was just so impressed by the realistic and heartfelt performances from Li Qin and Shawn Dou - talk about nailing their characters! They have electric, heart-fluttering chemistry together which is especially important for a story like this.

Now, that's not to say this drama is without its flaws because there are many. There were lots of holes in the story caused by all the edited out scenes due to censorship, and just the poor editing overall caused disjointedness in the flow of the story. This drama was filmed back in late 2016 to early 2017 so I did give it some leeway, which is reflected in the score, but I still had some serious gripes with the script in the second half of the drama, particularly with the writing of the characters of Lei Yu Zheng and Du Xiao Su and their relationship. 

In spite of my frustrations while watching at times, I can honestly say I really enjoyed this drama; Li Qin and Shawn's performances alone are worth the watch! Be warned, it's tragic and angsty... so expect an emotional roller-coaster ride.

Based on real people and real life events, this mini story arc tells the story of a young, bright Doctor by the name of Liu ShiLan who decides to return to her home village to take care of her ailing mother, Doctor Yang HuiNi, a village Doctor who has been diagnosed with the Alzheimer's disease. Her mother's unwillingness to retire forces Shi Lan's hand as she decides to take over her mother's duties, becoming the second-generation village Doctor of their village.

What an incredibly meaningful and moving story. This mother-daughter relationship touched my heart, deeply. I don't think there is a more heartbreaking disease in this world than the Alzheimer's disease. To have to watch your loved one slowly deteriorate before your eyes is the most gut-wrenching sight... it literally makes me eyes well up with tears at the mere thought of it.

Bravo to the cast, but particularly to Janice and Sa Ri Na for their heartfelt performances. They were phenomenal in their portrayals and they truly moved me to tears with every episode. I really appreciated this story arc.

Set in the Ming dynasty, the story begins with Lin Shao Chun, a young opera singer from the Multitudinous Theatrical Troupe who has suffered through years of hardships for one purpose: to redress her father's injustice that led to her family's demise. Never would she imagine that one fateful meeting with the fourth young master from the esteemed Sun family would lead to a courtship and love story she never anticipated for.

This is the story of how Lin Shao Chun overcomes all adversity to win her way into the good graces of the Sun family to find love and happiness with their youngest son, Sun Yu Lou. Through her dedication in helping to mend broken relationships in the family and her efforts in protecting the family from those with ulterior motives, she quickly gains the admiration and respect of his entire family.

This is easily my favourite drama of the year. I loved every single thing about this light, ancient family drama. In terms of the high quality production, story and script-writing, directing, cinematography and editing, sets and costumes, casting, acting and music... it was all done beautifully and exceptionally well! The producers created a story with a focus on family, but with characters and relationships that are contrary to traditional conventions. The uniqueness of these atypical characters with their role-reversed relationships added a charm to the story that really endeared you. I thought the director and writers did a phenomenal job in executing the story while the entire cast did a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. I adore the FL and ML in particular, and was so taken by their love story. Shao Chun and Yu Lou have one of the most pure and loving relationships ever. Not only were they devoted to each other, they also worked together to protect the people they care about. They are a true power couple that stole my heart... just like this drama did.

I rate this drama an 8.4/10!

This is the story of Lin Qiang, a police cadet from the police academy who gets assigned to a covert mission as an undercover agent to acquire information from drug dealers in a drug ring. Shortly after infiltrating, she becomes acquainted with a mysterious man named Zhang Xian He after an accidental dust-up. With both having their own hidden agendas, they decide to utilize each other to obtain information. Only later would Lin Qiang discover he is actually the adoptive son of the head of the drug cartel.  

I seldom watch police dramas but I found this one particularly enjoyable. The story isn't perfect and there are plot holes but it was entertaining and engaging nonetheless. I really liked Lin Peng's performance here. I thought she nailed the character. Zheng Ye Cheng also did a really good job in the role, especially towards the second half of the drama where his character becomes more involved. I love seeing actors challenge themselves and I feel this is one of his better roles I've seen him in. He and Lin Peng had really good sizzling chemistry too, so that was a nice bonus for a drama that isn't heavy in romance.

For those who don't usually watch this kind of genre and want to give it a try, definitely go for it because It's highly addictive (no pun intended!) with good pace! The ending OST is really good as well.

This story follows three friends, each exploring their own love journey and discovering that when love arrives, it does so in different ways.

This was a nicely paced Rom-Com with a more mature tone in the development of the three relationships. I appreciated the fact that they did not overload the drama with cheesy tropes and the amount of cliches was kept to an acceptable level. I thought the entire cast had good chemistry and portrayed their characters well. 

If you are a fan of fluff and Rom-Com then you'll really enjoy this!

I rate this an 8.4/10!

Set in the late Qing Dynasty, in a time period where revolutionary change was approaching, the story follows two families of tailors, the Su and the Bai families who have spent their entire lives serving as the tailors for the imperial family.  

As the younger disciple of an imperial tailor, Lu Yuan Zhi is constantly bound by rules and regulations, yet his creative ambitions and rebellious nature is what lands his family in hot water when his master's rival, Bai He Nian, frames him for a crime he did not commit. Little did he know, this would lead to a rift in the Su family and begin a new generation rivalry between he and his senior brother that parallels their master's rivalry with his senior brother.

Never to have been one to conform, Lu Yuan Zhi leads the charge for change in the cloth industry as his ambition to reinvent the classic Chinese robes into more feminine and tailored cheongsams coincides with the changing mindset and attitudes of its people. This is the story of how the revolutionary change of a country and the views of its people gave birth to the cheongsams.

This is an underrated drama, in my opinion! The production is one of higher quality with beautiful cinematography, wonderful sets, beautiful outfits and some real great acting as well. I also really liked the OST. I usually enjoy a good drama centered around fashion and I found this story very fresh with it being set in the late Qing to early Republican era. I thought they did a great job of introducing the cheongsams and explaining the evolution of women's fashion with the changing times. With that being said, the story itself isn't perfect and I did have some issues with the writing of the plot, but overall, it's a very, very engaging drama that has you emotionally invested!

I rate this drama an 8.8/10!

This story follows Princess Chu Jiu Ling on her journey as she seeks for justice to avenge her royal father, the late Emperor of Tianyou, whom was murdered by the current Emperor, Chu Rang. With a new identity as a descendant of a medical family, she returns to the capital city as Dr. Jun Jiu Ling, the miracle doctor.

After learning the truth behind her father's death, Jiu Ling's failed assassination attempt has her sentenced to death. Through an act of noble sacrifice made by her Shifu, Dr. Jun JingWen and his daughter, Jun ZhenZhen, she escapes with her life intact while Jun ZhenZhen dies in a fire in her place. From that moment onward, Chu Jiu Ling would be no more; thanks to her shifu, she would walk the earth with a new face and identity as Jun ZhenZhen. Along her journey, she meets and gets reacquainted with her childhood sweetheart, Zhu Zan, the son of Duke Cheng, where she learns he has been seeking her as he has doubts of Princess Jiu Ling's death. With an already difficult path ahead and her unwillingness to implicate others, she's left with no choice but to deceive Zhu Zan. However, her resolve gets tested repeatedly by his unwavering love for her. To complicate matters, she becomes entangled with 3 other men: a commander, a young businessman and a scholar.

I honestly loved this drama. Although the editing, cinematography and makeup could have been better, and I would have also liked to see them do more with certain male characters' stories, I still enjoyed what they did with the plot, nonetheless. I thought the acting was amazing, particularly by Peng Xiao Ran and Jin Han. They did a brilliant job portraying their characters; I especially enjoyed their incredible chemistry together. Their natural body language and skinship together made you feel the deep love between Jiu Ling and Zhu Zan. They are among my favourite heroines and power couples ever!

I rate this drama an 8.4/10!

This story follows two technical support staff from the Criminal Procuratorate as they assist the Prosecutors and Police in delivering justice through uncovering the truth from evidence.

Following Lin Yun Hao's demotion as a Prosecutor, he joins the trace team of the Forensic Centre, a subdivision of the Criminal Procuratorate where he meets his new teammate, Lin Lan, and would soon discover she is also his new fellow tenant. Despite the working and living arrangements, their partnership starts off on rocky footing as they realize their personality and investigation methods differ. Prioritizing professionalism, they put aside their differences when they are thrust into the first murder case. What they did not expect was it to lead to an unsolved national antiquity smuggling case from decades ago when new evidence suddenly materializes. With a personal stake in this old case, Lin Lan's inability to detach emotionally threatens her objectivity and professional judgement and she starts to question whether her dream of becoming a Prosecutor is suitable. The further into the investigations they get, Lin Lan and Lin Yun Hao discover people they trust and care about might be involved and they must choose to separate their personal feelings from their moral and professional obligations in uncovering the truth.

I truly enjoyed this drama from start to finish! It was highly engaging with an interesting story that is filled with multi-layered characters. I loved watching the interactions between all the characters and seeing such emotional performances from the cast - The acting was phenomenal and incredibly realistic by the entire cast; the cinematography was great too!

I rate this drama an 8.6/10!

This is the story of He Dun, a Psychological Counselor who decides to start her own counseling practice after leaving the Suicide Crisis Intervention in hopes of helping more people in need. During a joint rescue effort, He Dun gets reunited with her high school classmate, Qian Kaiyi, a warm and passionate radio-host with whom she shares complicated memories with, unbeknownst to him. She would soon find his continual appearance in her life is because he seeks a collaboration with her for his latest radio program: 'Night Talk to the Heart' which focuses on the psychological health problems of the public. At a similar time, another man by the name of Ye Jiahui appears in her life in the most dramatic fashion. He begins to integrate himself into her life in spite of her suspicions of him. What she doesn't realize is her early skepticism was warranted as Jiahui's ultimate goals slowly become clear. 

 I really enjoyed this drama and its focus on mental illness and depression. I found the psychological cases and the personal battles of each character interesting, emotional and believable. There was suspense and mystery in the main story which kept you engaged, while the comic relief helped to lighten the intensity when necessary... I thought it was well done overall. The cast, from the leads to the guest roles, were excellent with their character portrayals. I thought they all did a wonderful job of bringing to life their characters so that you could truly connect to their individual stories. I particularly loved Jing Boran and Yang Zi's performance in this drama. They were phenomenal on their own and together, they have one of the best most realistic chemistry. I adore this couple!! I can't wait to see them continue the magic in the special of He Dun's recovery that is to come.

As the apparent heir to the Northern Liang army, this story follows Xu Feng Nian's journey as he goes from resisting his fate to accepting it. Unwilling to forsake his conscience for the greater good of the world, he decides to carve out a new path from the one his father, Xu Xiao, has taken before him. He resolves to rule North Liang with a sense of humanity... an unprecedented feat others thought impossible. 

To avenge his mother and fulfill his promise to her in keeping their family together, Feng Nian embarks on a journey to bring his siblings back to North Liang. But with the strength and prowess of the Xu family, their perceived threat to the stability of the royal court puts a target on Feng Nian's back. To keep him safe, Xu Xiao assembles an entourage of martial masters to escort him on his journey. Xu Xiao's meticulously crafted plan to ensure his son's ascension to the North Liang throne is met with resistance from Feng Nian at every stop as his experiences along the way only help to strengthen his resolve in straying from the path his father has paved for him.

This is the first Wuxia drama I've watched in a long time that completely captivated me! Even when it was slow to start, I never got bored. This had everything I love in my dramas: An intelligent and capable lead who is also kind, strong familial relationships and loyal friendships; the plot is filled with intricate schemes and interesting characters, and the humor is perfectly executed in both script and delivery. Then you add the beautiful cinematography and cgi, awesome choreographed fight scenes, great cast performance, and what we have is an incredible quality production! Just brilliant!!

I enjoyed the lakorn and its beautiful ost! There were some irritating characters and weaknesses in the writing but overall, a really enjoyable watch. I would say this drama has one of the mildest love-hate relationships for a main couple I've seen in a lakorn, and for that reason I really enjoyed watching their love story unfold throughout the course of the drama. I wasn't expecting the ML to turn into one of the nicer and better heroes. Based on lakorn standards, he really is one of the good MLs which was refreshing to see!

I rate this an 8.4/10!

This is the Thailand adaptation of the famous Japanese manga: Boys Over Flowers. 

Of all the adaptations made, this was the first one to attempt a more realistic/dramatic approach to the story as opposed to the other versions that follow the manga more closely. As such, a lot of subplots were not written into the script (that may have to do with budget limitations, though), However, I did feel like we see a lot more character development with the characters in this version than in any of the other versions; that's one area I think they've improved on with this adaptation. Specifically, their attempt to add more depth to the character of Thyme allows you to understand his past behavior better; with the apparent growth and his desire to be a better person, It makes his relationship with Gorya more meaningful because she made him want to change for the better.

I thought the acting was good, overall (although at times, certain actors could have been much better), Tu was the standout performer. I really enjoyed her realistic and very natural portrayal of the FL. She was excellent!