₍ᐢ..ᐢ₎ Favourite Dramas/Movies ഒ

Favourite Character: Princess Qing Ping

Favourite Ost: Perfect Harmony

Short Review: The first movie I've seen that felt like reading a well-written novel and to make it all even better, the cinematography made every scene seem like a beautiful Ink wash painting/水墨画. Watching this on a rainy day was one of a kind experience. 

Favourite Character: Po Xiao & Feng Reng

Favourite Ost: None, the bk music was cool but it's just a short movie so the main ost wasn't really memorable (at least to me) 

Short Review: So much story in such a short movie. Felt like I just got done reading 82 chapters of a novel.

Favourite Character: Fang Xian, Lin Wan'er, Li Chengze [2nd Prince], Fan Sizhe & The smartass Emperor

Favourite Ost: One Life, One Thought + Bonus: my favourite fmv

Short Review: There's nothing new I can say about this drama because everything has already been said. The only thing is that I'm glad they removed a few things and shorted out Fang Xian's harem to just Lin Wan'er, dude had girls falling for him left and right in the original novel and being the generous protagonist he is, he took them all... Can't even say some of the women were sane, I'm an avid hater of the Emperor of Northern Qi, Si Li Li and Haitang Duoduo. The novel readers might know why, but for the the drama viewers — it's because they drugged him and then committed SA. I probably don't even need to explain more. Nothing against these characters in the drama though, they're fine here.

Favourite Character: Shangguan Qian, I loved others too but she was THE BEST

Favourite Ost: Cloud and Mud + Bonus (contains a few spoilers)

Short Review: This was the most immersive drama I've watched so far, the visual storyline and world-building was the most brilliant aspect imo. It shed light on many unique details that I've often seen being overlooked in similar works: why Wufeng chose to train women, what was the difference between assassins from older generations vs newer ones, what they used to keep so many people 'loyal' to them, how they could threaten other sects and weren't wiped out at once, how hierarchy worked in Wufeng, & how they were taught to not only fight but also to manipulate — it was mentioned in a passing (merely taking up one dialogue during the main couple's casual conversation) that they were given harsh trainings to lie, even under influence so they can keep their stories straight, it's a small detail but it adds A LOT of depth to this fictional world. It makes sense why all the assassins were so quick to think of ways to defend themselves whenever they were on the verge of being exposed; they were so capable that they'd remember a single casual remark from some character and create the perfect alibi for themselves based on it, within just a few moments. I've read plenty of novels with assassin organisations but this simple detail was never mentioned in any of them, so it stood out here.

Along with this, I loved the complex dynamics between characters and how focus was on more than just romantic relationships. I also think the distribution of screen time was perfect for telling the story, I really enjoyed that we got to see the development and the backstories of other characters. I hope we get another season.

Favourite Character: Not insane enough to like anyone here, yet.

Favourite Ost: Bone-deep injury | Feels goofy because it's another drama's ost but it was also used here so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Short Review: 

Did it change my life? *Looks around, checks my bank account, opens all the cabinets to see the stuff inside*
Hmm... no
But was it entertaining?
Hell yeah

Favourite Character: Almost all of the main cast! Zhang Ping's often called boring since he's way too simple, stubborn and foolishly honest at times, not really as calculative as the rest, but I honestly liked him too. He reminds me of main characters in old wuxia novels, such as Linghu Chong from 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'

Favourite Ost: Zhao Liangqi — 洪罗/Hong Luo (it's so catchy at 1.5x speed)

Short Review: Aside from the fact that LONM had a wide range of characters, each with different perspectives and personalities (plus they were fleshed-out), what I also loved about this drama was its meaningful, unique in a psychedelic-way visuals. I've always been fond of dramas with heavy visual storytelling, where cinematography has more to do than just be pleasing to the eyes, and this drama did it right; each shot was of a thousand meanings, sometimes foreshadowing what's about to occur, other times expressing the state of mind of the characters (if you're watching it, I would really recommend you to focus on the inner world/trees of the people Zhang Ping used his ability on).

And to make it even better, that supernatural-heavy atmosphere in some scenes, despite this drama not actually having supernatural elements, was masterfully done. Even the soundtracks were like a drop of ink in a cup of water, they blended so well with the scenes.

Favourite Character: Xiao Wei

Favourite Ost: None

Short Review: I wasn't expecting much from this short movie so little did I know that it would turn out to be even better than most of high-budget 60+ episodes long dramas I've seen. I've watched the original movie it was adapted from and I'm surprised to find that despite being an adaption, I found this movie more intriguing than the original. The ending also leaves you begging for more and I believe it's something that Xiao Wei, who's a clever and greedy by nature fox spirit, would rather do than sacrifice himself like in the original Painted Skin.  

Also, I prefer this over Wuliang but that movie is higher on this list just because I liked its poster. The funny thing is, I was the one who submitted the poster for this movie lol. 

Favourite Character: Mugino Minato & Hoshikawa Yori

Favourite Ost: None, but the background music was on-point

Short Review: Watched it on a whim. Didn't read the reviews. Didn't read the comments (that are unfortunately filled with unmarked spoilers). Didn't even bother with the synopsis. And all I can say is —  the risk of going blind into this was totally worth it. Monster is a movie that needs to be experienced yourself, without letting spoilers or anyone else's views get in the way. That's the reason why I'm being vague here, I know I wouldn't have wondered about so many things during the first half of the movie if someone had already told me the latter half. Curiosity is a good thing... yet something we don't get to feel enough times after our childhood, because it seems like every information is just one google search away. So, I'd say allow yourself to feel curious once in a while if you can.

In a non-spoilerish way (you wouldn't see the resemblance unless you've watched the movie), this movie reminded me of 銀河鉄道の夜/Night on the Galactic Railroad and I think it might be inspired by it, which is great since it's one of my favourite piece of literature. 'Night on the Galactic Railroad' to me, was probably what 'The Little Prince' is to those who had grown up reading it. As I remember someone saying before, I guess the books we read during our childhood do sometimes shape our tastes later on.

Favourite Character: All of the main cast, these kids are talented as hell

Favourite Ost: Human Hell

Short Review: I love how the writers managed to keep the drama interesting till the very last episode without making it unrealistic in any way, It didn't even feel like a fictional story to me tbh. The symbolism-heavy visuals were also mind-blowing, it made up for the everything they had to remove due to the censorship and completely changed my perspective on the main characters. My brain still shuts down whenever I think about the ending to this day. 

Favourite Character: Li Bi

Favourite Ost: Let it burn (mood) & Long Lovesickness

Short Review: This drama was a wild-but-unforgettable ride. I went from rooting for the protagonists to save Chang'an to rooting for the 'antagonists' to let the hell break loose upon the incompetent Emperor and his greedy officials. It's simply my most favourite historical of all time, although the path they took towards the last couple episodes was typical, anticlimactic yet expected due to the guidelines they had to follow.

Favourite Character: Lu—Apostle of Cats, Conqueror of Asthma, Chosen One of the Light—Di, Li Shiqing, Xiao Heyun, Zhang Cheng & Du Ju

Favourite Ost: Rebound

Short Review: Some people might say that this drama isn't perfect, I agree. It's not perfect. It's beyond perfection. I've used the phrase "it kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end" to describe many dramas, but for the first time ever, I actually experienced that.

There was no emotion I didn't feel while watching this; anger, sadness, happiness, frustration, relief - this drama managed to make me feel all of them with such EASE. I also admire the way both writers kept it grounded into reality, they actually showed how grief changes a person, how just because someone grew up in cage doesn't mean they can't feel the cage anymore, how going through the same incident over and over again affected the main characters' mental health, etc.

Favourite Character: Chang'an

Favourite Ost: A Lifetime Waiting For You

Short Review: "If she needs me, I'll protect her. If she wants to fly, I'll lend her a hand. I've never once wanted to restrain her. She doesn't belong to me or you, she only belongs to herself." - ml to the second ml. 

I believe this quote alone is enough of an explanation. I understand that liking a drama just because it has a sane ml—who's aware that the fl is her own person instead of an object to compete with other men over—might look like I'm setting the bar 'too low' but we can't deny that they're as rare as laws of gravity in cdrama fighting scenes. It isn't the only reason though, I've tried reading the original novel, which is basically and literally an erotica but couldn't comprehend how the writers even managed to squeeze out the main story out of it... I swear there was like 90% smut and only 10% plot in the novel. Not complaining or belittling the original author because BR wouldn't even exist without him/her, I'm just genuinely impressed by the drama writers. 

Favourite Character: Huang Yuxuan & Li Ziwei/Wang Quansheng

Favourite Ost: Come Away

Short Review: I didn't knew it was possible for a drama to have no plot-holes at all. Like not even a SINGLE ONE. Everything makes sense despite it being a fantasy and purely fictional story. The title is also quite smart because the original Taiwanese title translates to 'Want to see you' so if we combine it with the English title it goes like 'Want to see you someday or one day'. 

Favourite Character: It's like someone's asking me to pick a favourite out of a bunch of kittens, it's hard to choose just one. (ㅠㅡㅠ)

Favourite Ost: Our Adventure

Short Review: It was equal parts emotional and funny, inspiring but not didactic, uplifting but not fanciful. I loved how real and relatable all the characters were. They all failed, at least once in their lives, but their mistakes didn't make them strive for perfection, it only motivated them to be the best version of themselves. Almost everyone was older than me yet I felt like such a proud parent to see their growth lol. 

Favourite Character: How am I supposed to choose when all the girls were such a mood?

Favourite Ost: None

Short Review: 

"This town is a highway to nowhere."

"I don’t know what the other three are thinking. I’ll never know. We share the same fear. That’s what friendship is." 

After watching so many dramas and movies about people trying their hardest to live a peaceful and ordinary life, it was refreshing to watch something completely opposite in which the main characters find a peaceful life boring and consider themselves no different than a 'living zombie'.

Favourite Character: That cute little butterfly I guess?

Favourite Ost: None

Short Review: Literal definition of the term 'plot-twist' and also the reason why you shouldn't judge a whole movie by the first few minutes. It's like a roller-coaster ride, a bit slow in the beginning but that's what makes it so exciting when everything goes down in the end. 

Favourite Character: Ning Que, Sang Sang, the Emperor along with the Empress of Tang

Favourite Ost: Darkness

Short Review: You might've been wondering why I still gave it a 8.5 despite including in it my list of favourites, well there's indeed a few things that gave me mixed feelings about this drama and also affected my ratings:

➛The horses in this drama were malnourished and treated really terribly during stunts. 

➛The sfl's feelings were basically used by the ml to give him a character development and make him 'realise' that he actually loves the fl. The sfl wasn't the spoiled or unreasonable type either, she was super nice, smart, and likable. I also loved Sang Sang and preferred her with Ning Que but it annoys me to no end to see a side character get reduced to a stepping stone just for the mc's progress. 

➛THIS. 

Favourite Character: Higuma

Favourite Ost: Higuma's voice was the best soundtrack

Short Review: Higuma is the best. Higuma is the cutest. Higuma is my friend. My love for him would never end. Higuma teaches me a lot of things, like you don't need to worry about everything. I walked on the foot, I drove by the car, I sailed on the seas yet one thing I could never see — someone better than Higuma, someone cuter than Higuma. Because, I repeat once again, Higuma is the best. Higuma is the cutest. Higuma is my friend. My love for him would never end.

(Did I just write a cringey singy-songy short review on him? Yes, am I cringing? Yes, do I regret it? No)

Favourite Character: Oyumino Sayoko

Favourite Ost: None

Short Review: If you're looking for something silly, cute, lighthearted & funny to de-stress then you might enjoy it. But If you're expecting a serious story then not. I love it because I could relate to the fl on a spiritual level since I'm also a bath addict (yep that also plays a part in why it's my favourite :ᴾ), it's weirdly relaxing to watch as if I'm watching someone's personal vlogs or talking to a friend with whom I share the same hobby. 

Favourite Character: Kang Mi Rae

Favourite Ost: Something

Short Review: I'll never shut up about how good of a job this drama did with the portrayal of body dysmorphia disorder (along with ed) and that the creators were mindful enough to never show the young actress' face who played the fl's teenage version, they knew better than to label someone's actual face as 'ugly' and then broadcast it everywhere. Some might stay stuck at the fact that the fl had plastic surgery and think this alone makes this drama a terrible example of self-love, but in reality it's the complete opposite. After being bullied based on your looks throughout your life, you just don't wake up one day and think that you should love yourself. It's a journey. There are steps to healing. How can you preach self-love when you're turning a blind eye to the self-hatred that came before it? For there to be growth, you need to accept both your lows and highs. I'm tired of dramas promising to be some kind of life-changing 'remedy' to eliminate your insecurity, and then just showing you rainbows and sunshines shit. Like sorry, but taking off your glasses won't magically transform your face or give you a dozen friends. 

I also loved the way they exposed the hypocrisy. "I don't care about looks" say the characters who obviously do care about looks if someone isn't conventionally attractive or had plastic surgery. If you don't care about looks, why do you care if someone was born with these looks or not? Aren't you a personality person? Go ahead and interact with these people to get an idea about their personality instead of basing it around 'they had plastic surgery, therefore they're shallow, complete fakers who don't have any interests or hobbies, they're just plastic dolls, more plastic on their face than in the ocean amiright bois?'

Favourite Character: Origuchi Yaichi | Ryouji, Mike Flanagan, Hirata Natsuki, Origuchi Kana and her friends

Favourite Ost: None

Short Review: Natural character development at its finest, and the way this drama tackled at 'subtle' homophobia while maintaining overall lightheartness was amazing. Way too many people in this world believe that homophobia is only physically assaulting a gay person, and that having biased views, disgust, or hatred toward the community, or gay individuals that they personally know, isn't 'harming' anyone; the main character also used to think the same, but the few months he spent with an actual gay person, once he truly get to know and understand him, that changed him for the better and made him realise that he doesn't need to relate to one particular aspect of the other to understand — since he, as a straight person, can't relate to having same-sex attraction towards anyone but he can always offer his understanding and respect to those who do.

Favourite Character: Nobody lmao 

Favourite Ost: None

Short Review: This movie felt like a fucked-up barbie life in a dreamhouse episode because, throughout the entire movie, I couldn't brush away the thought that it looked like the main character was a doll living in a dollhouse; the sets gave a very toy-like feeling and even the luxurious interior decoration she had couldn't make her house look any less claustrophobic, the makeup and styling was purposely mimicking a doll, the shots make you feel like an observer staring from above at everything going on as if you have just grabbed a bunch of dolls and decided to play-pretend with them. Watching this gave a weird feeling, I liked it. I've never drunk alcohol before but if I ever tried it in the future, the first thing I'll do after getting drunk is rewatch this movie.

Favourite Character: Minase Jin & Hirukawa Haruki

Favourite Ost: Unreleased soundtrack that they really need to drop already

Short Review:

"The more I'm with you, the weaker I become"

"But when I'm with you, I'm stronger"

I'm going to have a hard time expressing my love for this drama and describing exactly how it made me feel, it was like watching a journey of the main characters and also a trip down the memory lane at the same time. 

I went in with no expectations, merely looking for a quick-watch, but I ended up with the feeling of nostalgia. The first love, the awkwardness, the confusion, the fear, the acceptance, it all felt so real as someone who also grew up being attracted to the same-gender. While I obviously didn't have any drama-worthy moments, nor did I found my one true love like the lucky couple here, it was genuinely surprising to me how grounded in reality this drama was in many aspects.

I loved the poetic dialogues and the sea metaphors, I loved the acting, I loved the soothing cinematography accompanied by the most perfect music it could have, I loved the soft intimacy where both sides were visibly comfortable in each other's presence, I loved the way it broke the common trope of "I don't like men, I just like you. I'm straight, you're just an exception because how can I be like those weird gays?" and actually had the main characters discover and acknowledge that they're a homosexual couple, it even had the ml struggling with his identity and fearing that the mc won't hang out with him anymore if he found out that the ml loves him romantically, the mc was also shown to already have a crush on an actor (which caused the ml to be jealous lmao)

Personally, I wasn't a fan of the latter half as much as the first though, I felt like the constant conflicts didn't match the flow, but the special episodes made up for it.

Favourite Character: Imma just say the serpent

Favourite Ost: Tomb of Infatuation

Short Review: One of those movies that 5yo me would've loved, 15yo me would've loved, 50yo me would've loved, 500yo me would've loved. Regardless of my age, this is always going to remain totally fitting to my tastes.