My first film was Red Carpet (which I enjoyed), but I didn't get into Asian dramas until 2019 when I watched Hwayugi (a favorite!). I will usually pick a drama over a film though, and I am a total bookworm. I definitely don't know how to not binge-watch anything :)
My Rating System
10 - Pretty much perfect in my eyes. There were probably some flaws, but I was enjoying it too much to notice. I’ll probably think about it a lot, and it’ll be a priority re-watch.
9 - It was amazing, but there was one thing that brought it down (usually the ending or a character). I felt satisfied after watching it and will most likely rewatch it or recommend it to most people.
8 - It was a good drama. I don’t regret watching it, but there were small parts I didn’t enjoy or found myself skipping. I might rewatch it if I don’t have anything else, and I would recommend it to most people.
7 - A solid drama. There were some glaring problems that I wish could have been changed or fixed. Despite the issues, I still enjoyed it overall when I finished. Not super likely I will rewatch it, though.
6 - Just above average, or there were more positives than negatives (but the negatives were irritating). I most likely found myself skipping more than I would have liked; it got boring or had a trope/element I don’t enjoy.
5 - Meh. Pretty balanced between bad and good. It didn’t leave me with much of an impression.
4 - It was terrible, but there was one thing I enjoyed that made me finish it.
3 or under/no rating - It was straight-up bad. I skipped a lot, dropped it, or barely made it to the end. This could also happen because there was one thing I could not tolerate. If it doesn’t have a rating, I just haven’t decided what to give it.
*I give a .5 if it had something redeeming, or it doesn't fit in the category enough, so it deserves a little boost.
Genres/Tropes I Prefer: I'm a huge sucker for romance! Rom-Coms are definitely a favorite, and I will usually pick shows with romance over others. I also like shows with a supernatural, fantasy, or mythical aspect to them. I tend to lean towards more light-hearted shows, and if I watch something heavy, it is methodically spaced out (they can be draining on me). I also find college dramas enjoyable. My favorite tropes are the hate to love (bickering and not abusive), anti-heroes/con artists ( also not abusive), and contract relationships/cohabitation, to name a few. I love when dramas have good character growth, plot twists, strong leads with a strong connection, and bromance/sismance.
Genres/Tropes I Don't Like: I have never enjoyed a medical or military drama. Also, I'm not too fond of dramas heavy with tragedy, corruption, or any politics. I have a hard time enjoying historical dramas because court politics is extremely boring/annoying (I end up skipping a lot). I don't usually watch anything with horror unless it's a horror-comedy, and I will drop anything where rape/non-con is a major plot point. One of the biggest turn-offs for me is clingy, possessive characters because it can easily turn into abuse. While I like college dramas, I don't like high school dramas as much because there is usually way too much immaturity.