My TOP 30 Dramas/Movies

I never thought a drama like this would end up being top of my list but this drama had a profound effect on me and not as a bl drama but as a full-fledged drama in it‘s own right. The portrayal of filial relationships (both good and bad), sacrifice, greed, choices, selfless love and the bond between two people; I’ve not seen anything like it in Asian cinema. Nothing this well executed AND potently resonant has conveyed this level of emotion and the human experience. Everything grips you. It grips you and never lets go. The characters enchant you. And the story….it just breaks your heart and fills it, all at the same time. It calls out to the feelings deep inside you. It’s the elusive bittersweet spot that sets the stakes high enough that it‘s gut wrenching without sacrificing any of it‘s heart. And at the core of it is a portrayal of family and unshaken love unlike anything I’ve ever experienced through the screen before.

This is as close to a perfect series as I’ve seen. It’s got the emotional depth while remaining relatable, the acting performances are stellar (especially from the adults), it’s got great comedic timing, superheroes, action, romance and a story grounded in family. It’s got a mix of everything and it’s a mix done really, really well. Recommended for all. 

Squid games is one of those series that has so much heart and so much emotional resonance without falling into the ‘black hole of despair’. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will make you root for character and curse others. The things you do not see coming are gut wrenching but it says a lot that you really feel for these characters and their stories. Interestingly, it has a very Hollywood big budget blockbuster feel to it, while still being rooted in a simple story of survival. A real, man vs the system type of setup. You can feel the desperation from all the characters, even the ones with exaggerated characteristics. 

Train to Busan is one that I put off watching for the longest time because it seemed so emotionally heavy. I’m a firm believer that there is a timing for everything and will try to watch something when I feel I am receptive to it. It  was a really good decision I made to watch this movie when I did. I think I was able to get the maximum out of my viewing by doing it this way. Yes, it’s really heavy and sad but it’s also a beautiful story of sacrifice, anchored in a father‘s love for his child and the tenacity for survival. I think all the best zombie/apocalyptic movies have the love of family at it’s heart. It’s a relatable, universal experience that makes the backdrop of a zombie outbreak seem real and imminent. You WILL cry during this movie. Your heart WILL break. You might even get stuck in the emotional black hole. One thing is for sure, this bittersweet movie will stay with you for a long time.

It is difficult to find meaningful representation in dramas/movies, especially of marginalised or hidden groups. While Extraordinary Attorney Woo is not perfect in this aspect, what it does really well is give a heartfelt representation of this whilst making the character’s story feel universal. The performances are top notch. The FL’s eyes are so expressive and her acting; sensitive. The supporting cast are not just there for decoration. They add so much to the story and anchor the FL’s character in the best possible ways, while feeling like individuals with their own stories. 

The Glory is an emotionally brutal, dark series with a subject matter that is sometimes difficult to watch but unlike a lot of ‘torture-porn’ movies and series, The Glory manages to keep you from looking away. It gets you invested even as every instinct in your body is telling you to turn away from watching the realities of this type of topic. You will feel so much anger, unfairness and often despair watching this series. You’ll even get onboard with the revenge plan. It will feel somewhat cathartic as you put yourself in the shoes of the main character or even remember a similar experience you faced. As revenge stories go, this one is well executed imo. It’s not over the top and it’s always grounded in honest emotions and reality. You’re always aware of how this type of situation is all too real for some people.

A huge part of what makes this series great are the performances and characterisations of the two female leads. Both the protagonist and the antagonist (villain) are compelling to watch. The villain of the piece is one you’ll love to hate. She might even make it on to your list of favourite psychotic characters. These characters are anything but two dimensional.

(For the sake of this list, I’m grouping parts 1 and 2 together).

Death’s Game is everything you imagine it would be and more. The premise is engaging and is a unique spin on the reincarnation theme. The two main leads do well in their respective roles. For the limited amount of time the supporting actors are on screen, they sure do make a huge impact performance-wise. For example, the supporting actor in the second story. 

The anthology style of the episodes helps to keep the story from being monotonous and one note. Episode 2 is by far my favourite episode and apart from the propaganda surrounding the topic of suicide; I thought this series was well executed. 

(For the sake of this list, I’m grouping parts 1 and 2 together).

This is one of those series that is not perfect throughout but it has enough of things being done well that it can be looked on highly. Episode 1, right out the gate, sets the tone and the emotional connection to the main characters right from the start. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the first few episodes (especially ep.1) were the best episodes. They were done so well that they pretty much solidified the series at a high level for me. The characterisation of the main characters and the performances of the leads, especially their younger versions, are worthy of praise.

I really enjoyed watching this from episode to episode and coming up with theories about what the mystery was and what the reveal would be. I felt like the story was well crafted with the writers and director paying attention to a lot of storytelling tools that they put to good use. Narrative-wise, there were hardly any throw-away scenes/dialogue. Most things were seeds being planted as the creators led the viewers on a journey to the climax of the story. I loved the call back to earlier things, the paralleling of scenes and the foreshadowing to a lot of the events that happened.

I was also taken with the music in the series. Usually I don’t feel strongly one way or another about the music in Asian dramas but with this one, I still listen to the songs on a playlist. Each song is a perfect tonal, emotional and narrative reflection of what’s going on in the story at a particular point. Park Eun Bin’s voice is magical. I was pleasantly surprised that she could sing and sing well. The songs will make you cry and lift your spirits as much as the acting performances do. They’re exactly what you wish for from the songs of a musical. ‘Dream Us’, ‘Some Day‘ and ‘I’m Still Waiting For You’ are the most resonating songs in the series. They each come at very poignant times and are very emotionally charged.

This series has a lot more emotional levity than you would expect from a zombie teen series. Above all else, it’s a series grounded in human stories. Their experiences, actions and outcomes makes you connect to them individually and as a whole. You care about what happens to them. It challenges your initial perceptions and you find yourself changing your mind about some characters, while other characters surprise you.

It might be telling that a lot of my top picks involve school bullying but I think it’s because they reach a depth of expression that perhaps I don’t find easily in other kdramas. The actors allow themselves to be unrestricted in the depths of emotions and anguish they portray. This series is no exception. The acting from the lead is powerful. As for the scene that stays with me; it’s right before the end and you can just feel the character turn into an empty shell.

Although this series is quite emotionally heavy and has a lot of triggering scenes, I’d advise everyone to watch it if they can because it’s a story that needs to be told and received. People need to understand what bullying does to a person and they need to see why bullied people often lose it and/or end up becoming the ones that terrorise others. 

This is a VERY emotionally heavy movie. It deals with a pretty brutal topic and apparently it’s taken from a true story, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. It’s got powerful performances from both the lead and the child actors. I wouldn't be able to watch it again just because it was so brutal but I'm glad I had the privilege of seeing it once. 

It’s  just so heartbreaking.

If I could sum up this series in two words it would be heartfelt and emotional. The blend of the emotive aspects with the comedic and dramatic aspects create a very balanced mix, ensuring that neither one overstays it’s welcome. The technical aspects of this series is one of the best I’ve seen in a k-drama. The juxtaposition of the dark fairytale illustrations with the cinematography works really well. The lighting, the colour tones, and the way scenes were shot are also notable.

The series has powerful performances from its main leads and it’s another series that tackles the story of neurodivergent and marginalised groups. Mental health is a very difficult topic to get right as it’s full of nuances and sensitive topics, but this series gives a decent representation of this. The best thing you can do when portraying these types of characters is to show them as people who deal with the world differently, rather than as people who are different/alien. I liked that they didn’t gloss over the difficulties living as a neurodivergent person and also living with a neurodivergent person. I appreciated that they included the effects of therapy and showed how some characters were able to gain the tools needed to help them return to their lives.

Every drama/movie on my favourites list has a standout scene or episode that is so emotionally resonant that it completely sells the story and the characters to me in an instant. This series is no exception. When you get to the end of episode 9, you will see what I mean. If you were to ask me; I prefer happier tones over sad ones but for whatever reason, the gut-wrenching scenes touch me the deepest. They seem to be the scenes I understand on an emotional level more so than any other and are so visceral and palpable to me (although I don’t know why that is).

This is one of the better action flick k-dramas. It’s very man vs a system type of drama but with the twist of a FL and a narrative structure that’s a little bit different. It’s a drama about a person/family trying to evade an organisation hell bent on killing them. In a lot of aspects, the lead is a reluctant-hero. 

The standout for me was how they presented the coming-of-age aspect of the story through the use of flashbacks. Flashbacks can be overused and stop the flow of a drama abruptly but the creators utilised this narrative tool very, VERY effectively. It was kind of a stroke of genius as it managed to serve two purposes of taking us on a journey with the main character through the use of memories and it also serves as a way to slowly reveal important plot-points that affect the way we view the present. I'd love to see more action k-dramas like this with great acting like this one. 

This is a real feel-good, good triumphing over evil, people’s hero type series but it’s not cheesy or bland. The main actor gives a solid performance and the story keeps you engaged.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a viscerally pleasant experience watching this one. It’s one of those anxiety-filled, uneasy watches, but it is a really solid series. There are a lot of interesting details and as chaotic as the visual narrative and flow of the series is, this is all purposeful and is actually woven skilfully. Something that you perhaps don’t appreciate until the end. 

I really enjoyed this one and the fact that you second guess all the characters and their motivations, right to the end. It’s a really good psychological thriller with a strong narrative and is executed competently. This is another series that has a villain whose characterisation I really like. The actress who plays the villain has such an eerie, off-kilter vibe to her. Her micro-expressions I think add so much to the character. I like it when you can see hints of the chaotic nature behind a very controlled character. Something about it is so unnerving and their ‘calm’ or repressed emotions makes it all the more unsettling.

I liked the tenacity of the main lead. That she didn’t lose herself. That she and the other prominent character did not corrupt themselves. I also liked that the girls got closer as the story progressed. It’s got a really good message too about oppressive regimes and hierarchies and about being able to overcome odds stacked against you when you band together and take back the power. 

I went into this one with no expectations and although I like historical dramas as a theme usually, I find it really difficult to get into most Asian historical dramas. This is why I was all the more surprised by how much I really liked this series. I’ve read a few biographical style Asian novels against a historical backdrop and this gives me the same kind of feel.

Parasite is a story about people from two different worlds experiencing a different way of life in the same setting. It is the epitome of the rich vs poor tale as old as time, but at the heart of it, is a story about family, extreme sacrifice and how inequality and unfairness pushes those to the brink. Greed is also a huge part of it but I think it’s really unfair to judge people who have very little for wanting. Of course money does not solve everything and it doesn’t single-handed ly make you happy but it goes a long way towards enabling someone to live comfortably and to prevent them from living the kind of desperate life that the family living in poverty are living. 

I’m a huge fan of the fantasy/supernatural/sci-fi genre. It’s probably my favourite genre. And what I really like about Asian filmmaking is that they have very imaginative concepts and unique takes on established themes and genres. This series highlights how good they are at these concepts. They also are very adept at anchoring these fantasy stories in human experiences and emotional depth. You come for the cool supernatural elements but you stay for the soulful story it weaves.

I personally think this is the most well executed k-drama of the rom-com genre. It’s arguably Park Min Young’s most fitting role. The production is really high quality and elevates it from your bog standard korean romance drama. It’s a solid performance from the leads and a story that holds it’s own alongside the romance. 

There are a handful of k-drama rom-coms that I think fulfilled their brief. This is one of them. These dramas have a high rewatch value because everything flows how it’s supposed to. It’s entertaining. The production, script and performances are solid. They make you laugh. You fall for the romance. It’s everything a really good k-drama rom-com ought to be. 

There is something about this series that is so appealing and draws you in. I think it might be the way that it mixes pain and loss with the feelings of hope that is grounded in love and family. As bad as the characters’ circumstances get, it never feels too bleak. You come to really (and I mean really) care for the main characters and actually feel so much compassion for the members of the FL’s family. The ML’s family also serve as an anchor of support and pillar of strength for them in their time of need.

I’ve never watched a series where nearly all of the characters tugged at my heartstrings before. Even with the ‘bad’ characters; I really liked their characterisations. I think there were only two characters I didn’t particularly care for in any aspect and these were the SML and the FL’s grandfather. 

The best way to describe this series is that it's like a rookie baseball player with raw talent and a heart of gold. You can’t help rooting for him, even though his technique is not quite polished but he’s the one hitting the home runs in his own unconventional way and has got the crowd loving baseball again. There's a recognisable spark and everyone can feel it that there's something special about this one.

I put off watching this when it was airing but I think it was for the best as I eventually watched it at the right time that I was able to fully appreciate it.

I'm a sucker for reincarnation themes, yet this series really surprised me. I was not prepared for how the reincarnation would play out and how good this would actually turn out to be. 

The only thing that let's it down is that this series suffers from can'tstickthelandingitus, like so many others. If it concluded more solidly, this drama would be higher up on my list. Still, I enjoyed watching it. It was a pleasant surprise for me. 

Another hidden gem that is full of heartfelt storytelling and characters that draw you in. I pray for a season 2. I NEED the conclusion to this story.