Watched/completed in 2026
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1. Fake Mommy
Japanese Drama - 2025, 10 episodes
A very interesting portrayal of mother-daughter relationships through the plot device of pretending to be a student's mother at a elite school. The drama also portrays some societal issues such as the cut throat nature of prestigious academic institutions and motherhood in Japan, and the unpaid labor of being a parent.
An enjoyable watch.
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2. Money Honey Brainy
Chinese Drama - 2025, 24 episodes
After the somberness of this winter, this was a breath of fresh air to me. Funny, tropey and fast paced. The female lead was funny and likeable. Reminds me of Business Proposal but with its own flair.
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3. Glory in Shadows
Chinese Drama - 2026, 24 episodes
A young women is arranged to marry a General and she doles out justice on the villains in her family and in his. Predictable but fun. Lots of problematic female characters.
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4. Love Me
Korean Drama - 2025, 12 episodes
Watched until Episode 4 and then dropped. Seems interesting and very slice of life but the topics of grief, loss and loneliness are hard for me to watch in this season.
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5. The Muse of Section E
Filipino Drama - 2025, 16 episodes
Tropey but kind of cute. The female lead Jay Jay is quite likable. Gives off reverse harem vibes as she meddles and makes friends with everyone in Section E. What makes the show different than other high school harem series is that it incorporates violence, trauma, and mental health in an interesting way. Also, the secondary male lead is so likeable - he's so easy to root for.
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6. Mr. Kurosaki's Pure Love Never Stops
Japanese Drama - 2026, 12 episodes
Cute but also a bit reluctant to praise this portrayal of an age-gap romance. I wish the writers wrote the female lead as a college student or older - it would still work. I wish there were more high school romances or even an age gap among high schoolers or college students (senpai kouhei within the high school or college context).
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7. The Muse of Section E: Book 2 (The Dark Side)
Filipino Drama - 2025, 9 episodes
The second season went dark.
What I liked: I loved the portrayal of the friendships that Jay Jay has with Ci-N, David, and the rest of the Section E boys, the humor, the portrayal that echoes real life of when a young lady gets along so well with groups of young men, the backstory to the characters, and the inner dialogue of Jay Jay.
What I did not like: I was turned off by both male leads this season, the engagement, why Jay Jay has to pick between the male leads when she pick herself or a more chill boy, why high schoolers are saying "I love you" to each other, why high schoolers are not portrayed as doing inner work or studying or thinking about their careers/future, lack of understanding who certain characters are, and why Jay Jay can't spend more time with supportive young women - her school and home life is filled with lots of males.
I am curious where the third season will go.
I personally find relationships between the students at the school fascinating. The friendships or former friendships should be explored more - we need more dramas depicting male friendships and how they can go sour and how they can reconcile. And why the male leads are always drawn to the same woman. Also, more of Jay Jay figuring out how to navigate the existing relationships as she is a newcomer would be interesting. The love lines and engagement plotline is dull.
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8. Until I Destroyed My Husband's Family
Japanese Drama - 2024, 12 episodes
An interesting portrayal of infidelity. Amazing acting by Matsumoto Marika as Minori - who oscillates between unhinged and sorrowful. The music was good too.
The drama lost me when it introduced the true intentions of the male lead's mother and the age-gap romance plot line which was unsettling to me.







