☆ MusicalVeggies' Favourite Shows ☆

Category: Historical Political Fiction

The only perfect '10' in my entire MDL list. 

Surprisingly so considering that it lacks the 'romance' element (I'm a total romance-junkie, you see). But I can't help it this show is just too flawlessly outstanding on all fronts, it blew me away entirely. 

Picture-perfect cinematography, sweeping-scale epic sets, lush and rich costumes, powerhouse acting, strong and assured directing, precise editing, subtle but period-perfect music score, incredibly tight and masterfully clever plot with powerful redemptive-style themes, fully-developed and immersive characters, compelling storyboard, mesmerising artistry and the magnetic relationships... this show is a magnificent work of art. 

Unrivalled, unparalleled and unmatched on every front. 

No words can really express the supreme masterpiece this show has been for me. Wow. 

 MDL Review

 Commentary on NIF's main theme

Category: Historical Kung-fu Comedy

Sentimental favourite but despite its dated production values (grainy video, some low quality props, etc) this has stood the test of time for me. 

I love the historical period setting, the traditional values and cultural mores within this show, the hilariously comedic setups and relationship dynamics, the amazing amazing amazing kung fu choreography, the underlying theme and plotlines, and the Josephine Siao & Jet Li mother-son tandem! 

This is one movie I've yet to grow tired of over the decades and this is one movie in which the scenes, the plot, the comedic beats and the breathtaking action is still ingrained in my mind as clearly as when I first watched it many years ago. 

The unbeatable comic kung-fu movie of the ages for me. 

 MDL Review

Category: Modern Adult Romantic Comedy

My gateway drama into K-dramaland. This is a sentimental favourite but I personally think it is one of the oldest K-dramas that can truly stand the test of time. Unlike its makjang predecessors or its air-brushed successors this show is refreshingly realistic, down-to-earth, cutely comical and yet sweetly romantic. 

Even today, it still stands head-and-shoulders above its K-drama compatriots and I think it has everything to do with its heroine - the titular Sam Soon - who has none of your immaculate, model-thin beauty or superior personality traits that make her stand out from the crowd and attract our male lead. She is so ordinary that she doesn't even have a second male lead who's attracted to her! 

Sam Soon's struggles with her weight, image, age, employment, relationships and familial troubles are eminently identifiable of everyday life; but her never-say-die determined personality and her cute efforts to be true to herself is just winsome and inspiring. 

It may not be the perfect romantic-comedy drama (it does have its faults) but it sure comes damn close in my book.

Category: Historical Time-Travel Romance

One of the first Chinese historical dramas which made such an emotional impact on me that I could not forget it for days afterwards. Guess you can call it a sentimental favourite but I think this show can stand entirely on its own merits too.

A cleverly woven plot-line which brilliantly incorporates a smart time-travelling heroine participating in the actual historical intrigues the Kangxi era was famous for. The story spans years but the relationship-building and the encircling plotline with its intrigues is wonderfully paced and well-measured. 

RuoXi's challenge to navigate the Kangxi era when it is at its most turbulent time, and her struggle to try and stay uninvolved in events but not always succeeding, makes for one of the most exciting and gripping shows I've ever watched. 

Enthralling, captivating and entirely absorbing with a heart-wrenching and bittersweet finish. An unforgettable show which strikes emotional marks across the heart, even upon re-watches.

Category: Modern Adult Romantic Comedy

A cleverly done romantic-comedy that presses all the right buttons for me. 

Gong Hyo Jin's unique looks and her natural, unpretentious acting is a perfect foil to Cha Seong Won's rugged and buff image and his technically precise, over-the-top performance. I love the drama tropes exhibited here: 'downtrodden B-list girl meets top-star A-list boy', a cute boy-child wingman, interesting depiction of behind-the-scenes K-entertainment industry, male lead unrequited love hijinks and the hilarious tongue-in-cheek scenarios and metaphors spilling out of this show has got me entirely hooked on this drama from start to finish.

This is one of my regular go-to romantic-comedy shows for laughs and feels. 

Category: Historical Action Manga Adaptation

Having been brought up on manga before being inducted into drama-world, live-action adaptations of my favourite manga will always draw my attention. I never thought I would live to see a decent manga adaptation of 'Rurouni Kenshin' because not only is it one of the greatest manga classics out there but I thought that it would be near impossible to re-create the colourful manga characters and the incredibly outrageous action scenes to any degree of faithfulness that wouldn't let any RuroKen fan down.

Well, I am so glad to stand corrected in this instance because the RuroKen J-movie trilogy - specifically this first movie - completely awed me with how true to the manga spirit it was. Two key ingredients - the actions scenes and the main character (Kenshin) - were simply outstanding. That alone is applause-inducing enough. The fact that the supporting characters and the relative faithfulness to the underlying themes and messages of the manga were essentially preserved in this show was a lovely bonus. 

One of the best live-action adaptations of a favourite classic manga, how can I not love it?

Category: Boys Love (BL)

Utsukushii Kare franchise ratings:
- Utsukushii Kare Season 1 = 9.5/10
- Utsukushii Kare Season 2 = 9.5/10
- My Beautiful Man: Eternal movie = 8.5/10
Overall series rating = 9/10

As someone who loves character-centric, character-driven and relationship-driven shows, this series features 2 very different but complex characters and how they navigate themselves into a relationship and work through their relationship issues despite their various insecurities & struggles. It's just so fascinating, captivating and engrossing to watch as the shows tease out each character's development. What makes it even more absorbing is that the issues both characters face are entirely relatable and real. I resonated a lot with the struggles & issues the characters faced, and I was absolutely emotionally invested in their entire journey as a couple. 

I also liked how each season had its own overarching themes, and how the production team masterfully weaved them all together so that there was continuity & coherency but also uniqueness and growth built into them all. I loved their journey, and am thankful that we got a chance to experience it all the way. Look at how far they've grown and how far they've come! Definitely one of my favourite BLs of all time.

Category: Modern Youth Romance

It's not often I find modern youth romances worth their pounds and pennies but this one... this one was IT. 

What a journey it was with this couple and with their story. It had everything for me : Realistic, flawed characters whom I could understand and relate to; a relationship development that was organic, beautiful and generally positive; conflict, trouble, angst, separation; and a second chance romance with added maturity and growth. They really had to walk through fire & water but their love totally came out golden - I just loved it all. Their journey was beautiful and heartwrenching but it was hard-earned and worth it at the end, and they were definitely stronger and better for it. 

Add a fantastic OST, likeable side characters, organically developed villains, realistic settings, and how can this not be a winner?

Category: Modern Adult Romance

Very late to the party on this one due to difficulties in accessing decent quality videos for this show but the wait was worth it.

A beautiful down-to-earth show about two lost individuals finding each other through their lostness. This show is realistically grounded and eminently relatable, with unpretentious and natural acting which wonderfully breathes life and believability into our characters. I loved the themes explored in this show and the heart-warming interactions of all our characters, especially our main leads. When you thread it with eclectic music resonating as a moving touch point, key moments in the show hit with added emotional impact. 

For me, this was one lovely and relatable romance show which hit very deep and personal spots and which resonated like a long drawn-out high note after it ended. 

Category: Modern Adult Romantic Comedy Lakorn

Thai lakorns are a different beast of dramas. They tend to be loud, in-your-face, flavourful, and they take the 'soap opera' element in dramas to new heights. I find this can be a refreshing alternative to your more classy K, Tw, J and C-dramas. 

Helmed by the superstar on-screen couple of Thai entertainment in their day, this is a classic lakorn rom-com but, in my opinion, one of the best there is out there. Our main leads have very colourful, clashing and opposing characters which leads to fireworks galore and I surprisingly really enjoyed the ride. They have quite lengthy screen-time (a rarity in lakorns) which made for a fun and engaging watch for me but the icing on the cake really was the whole pregnancy progression plotline. It was cutely informative and detailed, and the male lead's determination to be involved in every aspect of it was simply adorable and touching. 

This fiery but cute romantic-comedy featuring one of the most loveably flawed but adorable male leads was a much needed injection of life into my jaded drama-watching days.

 MDL Review

Category: Modern Adult Revenge Slap/Kiss Lakorn

The 'black sheep' drama among my list of favourites, this Thai lakorn is not for those with a squeamish, feminist, male violence-sensitive bent. 

A proper slap/kiss lakorn, this would normally be avoided like the plague by myself but the potent temptation of a powerhouse on-screen couple and a storyline featuring psychologically & emotionally complex characters with deep-seated issues but with a strong redemptive theme sucked me in. The 'no-holds-barred' scenarios, behaviours and conversations in this lakorn will sucker-punch you in the emotional gut and the intense but stellar acting from our leads will really draw you into the show. 

In addition, the storyboard for this show doesn't simply incite drama for the sake of creating drama, unlike most lakorns. This Thai lakorn is actually well-scripted and there is proper progression and development which climaxes into one of the best redemptive arcs ever. 

This is one emotional roller-coaster of a show but it has been one of the most exhilarating rides I've ever had the privilege to be on. 

 MDL Review

Category: High-School Romance

This J-movie has just the right combination of drama-tropes that hit all my soft spots. I have a soft-spot for high-school settings because high-school shows with its young, youthful enthusiasm, fairly untouched idyllic outlook and its simple joys & pleasures are a form of escapism I can enjoy and relate to so high-school romances are a big draw for me.

This rather simple premise of high-school first-love and of drama tropes of 'overlooked-unpopular-girl meets the bright-and-popular-boy', and of 'boy-quietly-trying-to-chase-after-girl' and 'girl-being-clueless', and of 'youthful-angst-and-insecurities' are sweet drama manna to me. Throw in some friendship-building tropes, nostalgic sepia-coloured lighting and down-to-earth, realistic high-school settings and I'm sold. 

This sweet, cute little high-school show is like warm soothing comfort food. The fact that it's a movie also makes this very easily digestible. 

My go-to high-school romance escapism show. 

Category: Historical, War, Family & Romance

I normally avoid war dramas like the plague but after finding out that there was a war-time romance embedded in this where both leads survive to a happy end did I eventually give this a go. Well-worth the risk.

This show is more than just a war show that likes to bombard us with gratuitous war footage. Nope, this show marvellously weaves so many other aspects into itself, whether it be the youngsters' rite-of-passage; or the conflicting values of sacrifice & honour vs filial piety; or the morality of territorial defence vs retreat; or of courage & brotherhood that transcends either class or character; or of the trials of love and loss during war-times. 

This show has too many layers in itself, too many facets to rightly put it into a box. All I know is... I came for the war-time romance (and was satisfied on that account), but stayed for its meaningful story and characters.

A masterfully-crafted and emotionally-gripping show that poignantly reminds me that life is not really about how long you live, but how well you live it that matters. 

Category: Modern Adult Time-Travel Romance

This drama really stood out for me because it features the stark reality of the human experience & relationships in all its ugliness and weakness. In a drama industry rife with happily-ever-afters, this is such a refreshing take on how marriages can break down despite its initial strong foundation, and how if you think the grass is greener on the other side well think again, and how resets in life can either be for the better or for the worse depending on one's learning and growing and maturing through the good and bad experiences. 

This is just such a microcosm of human reality with a twist, and I loved how much character growth and relationship development this show was able to depict. The drama uses the time-travelling premise to drive home a very important but meaningful message about how life is really what you make out of it & what you're willing to put into it, not about what it can deliver for you.

Category: Historical Time-Travel Romantic Comedy Lakorn

This lakorn did so well in so many areas, it's hard not to list it as a favourite. 

Like 'Scarlet Heart', this lakorn very cleverly incorporates the time-travel theme to brilliantly tell actual Thai history to its viewers. It is more romance-centric (which is even better for romance-junkies like me) and it also has many little comical beats peppered throughout the show which I really enjoyed. When you add this with memorable supporting/ side characters (I know almost everyone by name) and pair it with a beautiful traditional music score, you can't help but have a hit drama on your hands. 

There is no other word for it - this is one classy romance lakorn. And classy lakorns are as hard to find as a needle in a haystack.

MDL Review

Director's Uncut Review 

Category: Historical Xianxia Romance

My favourite xianxia romance show to date.  

As a rom-com lover, this show's sweet, cute and funny first-half was already a huge hook. The dramatic turn of events in the second-half also tickled my penchant for well-crafted romantic melodramas. Also, what I liked about it was precisely its messy and imperfect characters - almost every key character in here had some dimensions to them that were well fleshed out.

Also, this particular xianxia has a main theme running through it : obsessive love & its destructive habits, which is basically depicted by almost every key character from one generation to the next. In this way, the title of this show is very apt.

There is also another thing about this drama which I like above the other xianxias out there to date : there's a lot of Chinese folklore & mythology embedded into this drama, and there is a central Buddist philosophy that underpins all the messy complicated stories & character arcs which includes karmic consequences for one's actions, rebirth & redemption themes. 

And because I also enjoyed the romance in here too, this drama really sat very well with me as it had so many things about it that made it more than just an 'exciting fantasy love story'.

 MDL Review

Category: Music Survival Reality Show

I love music and dance. 

The songs and dance performances in this show were such a great mix of genres and styles, it was so much fun to watch, listen and enjoy. Many of the songs on this show have now ended up on my playlist.

However, what really stole the show for me were really the trainee boys featured here. There was so much heart-warming friendship, brotherhood and camaraderie, it really warmed the cockles of my heart to see how they had their ups and downs but persevered through with the help of those around them. 

Suffice to say: I love these boys, I loved their music and their performances, I loved how hard they worked and how earnest and passionate they were about their music, and I loved the relationships and the bonds they made and developed through their time together under pressure.

Category: Historical Character-Driven Wuxia

Despite not being a pure wuxia enthusiast, this has to be one of my favourite wuxia shows to date. Why? Unlike your classic wuxia shows which tend to focus on a set of wuxia heroes and their intrepid adventures, this one had a much tighter focus on the life story and journey of a single main character. 

I love shows which explores a character's growth and development and shows which have captivating relationships and connections therefore this show totally hits all the right buttons for me because the main character is one very fascinating individual and the best part was really the 'past' section where his character gets established, then develops, grows and evolves. His journey and his relationships and how they affect his decisions and actions made for one compelling character arc. In addition, a lot of what he went through was also very reminiscent of the ugly reality in the world and I liked how the show used this as a mirror to reflect some of the flawed and faulty sides of humanity to us.

For having an interesting main character with an exciting and complicated life journey, and for surrounding him with some heartwarming and heartbreaking relationships, all while also giving us some philosophical and psychological things to mull over, this drama's a winner for me.

Category: Historical Wuxia Melodrama Romance

A true Romeo & Juliet-esque romantic melodrama, this show took me on one incredible roller-coaster ride. It's a story about star-crossed lovers, a cursed fate and a doomed love. It was not an easy watch as the story spans across years. The characters are complex, have difficult and contrasting histories, and conflicting choices to make which tested their characters, their personal values, and their love. They fought desperately for their love but their past history, their background, and their own personal circumstances constantly worked against them and it was heartwrenching to watch them struggle so hard to be together.

Supporting characters were fleshed out and had surprising depth to them, and the hauntingly evocative OST also brought another poignant and heartwrenching aspect to the drama. Suffice to say, it was one of the rare dramas that made my heart bleed all the way until the end.

Category: Boys Love (BL)

To me, this is the most balanced and complete BL out there. I really liked it for its adorable beginning and subsequent realistic depth of struggle. It provided an introduction to the main characters from an early part of their life, and it tracked the growth of their relationship throughout the years that followed. 

The show also efficiently depicted their ups and downs, whether it be internal insecurities, societal and familial pressure to conform, and the hurt and pain of bad decisions and mistakes. There are also not many BL shows where one can truly visualise or see the couple really outlasting the distance but here, it's all that and more. 

When you also add a catchy and meaningful soundtrack into the mix, we're finally gifted with one warm, down-to-earth and realistic love story with a great music score and an amazing ending which leaves you with tears in your eyes but a smile on your face.

Category: Historical Political Romance

(Taking into account both Part 1 & Part 2 because they come as a set)

This whole drama has become a favourite for its interesting romance, an engaging cast of characters, the use of subtly clever comedic beats, and for its sparkling and varied relationships. It had all the ingredients I love about dramas, and it did them so well.

The romance was toe-curlingly good to me with its initial unrequited love angst, the growing & adjusting our main leads had to learn to make when they entered into a committed relationship with each other, and how they gradually learned to accomodate one another. I also loved how the relationship wasn't only based on feelings but on how true each character wanted to be and how equal a balance they strove to achieve with each other.

The other relationships and the side characters here were varied, complex and interesting which added so much more depth and dimension to the show. Unfortunately, the last arc of the show came across rather rushed and a bit sloppy in execution, but overall this was a very memorable and engaging ride.