Absolute Favorite Dramas

One of the rare 10/10s for me and the drama I have rewatched the most. Something about that enemies to lovers vibe is just SO delicious. But I'm also a fan of being queerbaited, a fan of police shows, a fan of small village settings, and a HUGE fan of slow psychological thrillers. So this is like the perfect show for me and won't appeal to some others.

Deliciousness: Those men always be standing REAL close when it's not necessary. Also not a single female love interest to interrupt my delicious queerbaiting. And, just in general, the writing is insanely good. This show is like comfort food to me--comfortable discomfort, of course, because it is dark. But the meal scenes, the moments of brief comedy, and the shifting dynamic between Han Juwon and Lee Dongsik are cozy enough to keep me coming back over and over.

I am a Li Chengyin apologist and I don't even care. He's the smartest ML in Cdramaland and I love him for it. You know what? This man must be a Pisces, because only a Pisces can gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss the way LCY does it. His little 'oh I'm so innocent' act is SO GOOD. His eyes are so terrifying when he's being scary... He's just my perfect favorite most bestest boy. And, yes, he's a black flag. Yes, he's a bad guy. But the whole place was bad!!! He had a LOT to deal with and he did his best and I love him despite everything. Maybe that means I have terrible taste, but LCY fights with Tantai Jin every day for top role in my heart. He's just SO GOOD.

Deliciousness: Obsession, Black Flag ML, so much pain oh god the pain...

This may not be the BEST cdrama, but it means so much to me. I probably consider it my favorite cdrama. I have read (and reread) the book that this drama is based on and I actually like the book more, even though the drama was my introduction to the story and it's very different from the book. But oh my god Tantai Jin is the male character that I weigh all others against. I am OBSESSED with the enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to--(endless chanting). They're so toxic, but so meant for each other. Also, I am a Li Susu apologist and cant stand people talking bad about my girl. To anyone who says TTJ is too good for her and she is cruel: read the book, please. But even if you don't read the book, remember that he does so many awful things and she only does one or two bad things--so why do we hold her to such a higher standard than him???

Deliciousness: TTJ is a yandere. There's obsession, devotion. hatred, pettiness, misunderstanding, SO MUCH BLOOD AND PAIN... and yet, it's still a generally fun and even funny drama. I consider this show to be junk food, but the really cravable kind that you keep getting for dinner even though it's probably not good for you. This is... Taco Bell or something.

Oh god... the moon that shown even in the daylight... ow... This show is so good, but also genuinely gives me psychic damage whenever I watch it. It's SO MUCH WHIPLASH. It is a show about two lives, two timelines being unveiled simultaneously. There's the current day timeline, where a young firefighter woman is haunted by a cruel ghost that has possessed a pop star. It's weird and funny and quirky. The ghost tries to kill her, stalks her, falls in love with her??? It's a whole thing because he's been holding a grudge against her soul. Which leads us to the next timeline... the past life. The past life timeline is the single greatest enemies to lovers story I have ever seen. It's so beautifully subtle, has almost a gothic feel at times, and it's so... grounded. And beautiful. Like, you can really understand how, even after he kills her family, the girl would somehow fall for this monster. He's terrible, but so pitiful. And he's less a monster in his own right as he is a blade to be wielded by others. If you liked the ML from Scarlet Heart Ryeo, check out Moon in the Day because the ML in this show is similar but about 1000x better written.

Deliciousness: Love in horribly unlikely circumstances. Morally grey ML and FL (past life FL is o freaking good). Fate, consequences, past lives. Forbidden love taken to the extreme. (Also a bit of stalking and scary ML if you're into that like I am haha.)

This drama taught me to believe in love again. It's one that I find myself thinking of all the time, even if it's not perfect. First of all, Dylan Wang as a c*nty little eunuch is THE BEST THING EVER. He's got so much aura in this show. Also, this may seem like a bizarre combo, but this show switches between devastating.. and totally camp. It's GREAT. It's so funny how FL thinks ML is a 'sister' because he's a eunuch. It's beautiful to see them fall in love despite everything keeping them apart. Also, this show takes an incredible look at love v. obsession/possession. The ML loves the FL as her own person--the 2ML 'loves' her as an idea he's created of her. The ML knows her, but the 2ML, when given the chance to see her true personality, feels digusted. 2ML is set up in a similar position to a typical alphahole ML--he's emperor, he's been 'obsessed' with her for years, he says he's willing to do anything for her... but the ML is the underdog. A eunuch, a servant, a man known for being cold and unlikeable and schemey. And the emperor can't understand or accept that the FL would love Dylan Wang instead of him, despite him being a 'bad choice' as far as society is concerned.

Deliciousness: It's so satisfying to see the ML and FL totally cuck the emperor.

Maybe it's surprising that a short drama would end up on the list, but I am a glutton for pain, obsession, and forced kisses. Also... NTR lmao.

All that said, I am just OBSESSED witht the relationship between these two. I love a cold woman who pushes away an unhinged, yearning man. I love the fact that they LOVE each other so much, even though they both keep making the worst decisions. I love that he keeps testing her and trying to get her to prove that she actually loves him, and that she keeps purposefully failing all the tests. Even though she cries about it and they both just SUFFER. But like, he just won't give her up. Also, the way he just sinks into her and you can see that relief and relaxation in his whole body when he gets even the tiniest breadcrumb of love from her. GIVE ME MORE crying, pleading, desperate men!!!!

Deliciousness: The hottest 'scandalous' kiss scene I have ever seen: in the freaking memorial tablet room!!!!! Also, a handful of other hot kiss scenes too. Finally, this ML is the only one on this list that I actually want for myself. Li Chengyin, Tantai Jin, even Dylan Wang as a eunuch... none of them hold a candle to this man when it comes to my actual taste in men.

As we probably know by now, I like an unhinged man. And this one is one of the best. The blueprint. He's so cute and so absolutely f*cked. The FL is one of my favorites. This show overall is just so subtle and strange and psychological and even scary! It reminds me a little of Beyond Evil in that everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted. However, it's less cozy than Beyond Evil. This is just dark.

Deliciousness: If you like dark shows, give it a go! It deals with themes of loneliness, isolation, lies, obsession, family, and even death. FL is really well written imo and ML is... surprising. (Also this show has my favorite stalking element I've seen in a show before so my stalker fascination is REJOICING)

This ML sure does cry a lot for a 'sociopath'. But, ya know, he is so beautiful that I don't care. I really love the thriller elements and the ML's backstory, though this show isn't as strong as Beyond Evil or House of Lies to me. Even so, the romance between the leads make this show worth it. I never thought I'd be into an established relationship romance, but GOSH GOLLY I just love it.

Deliciousness: Unhinged ML, pain, good writing, SUPER chemistry. 

I mentioned I love to be queerbaited--this one feels more just queer, though. This has the best 'break up' arc I've seen in a semi-BL! It's so painful! And the villain is so frustrating but I grew to love him! The vibes are so dark and gothic, then sometimes incredibly cozy. The shots of food juxtaposed with gory corpse scenes and such is just wild. 

Deliciousness: So cozy, delicious food, two men who totally love each other, and an incredibly creepy serial killer plotline? Perfect. 

We already know I like psychological thriller mysteries, this should be no surprise for this list.

I ship the two cops and I ship the main woman and her brother. Incest didn't stop anyone else in the show.

Deliciousness: something something gay cops, something something feral little man bites off jerk's face

A depressed hitman falls in love with a dying girl. I cried in EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. Like, openly sobbed! I never cry at shows but something about this one got me. From the cover, I thought this was going to be dark romance vibes. What I got instead was an introspective look at two broken and hopeless people finding hope in each other in a hospice. This show wrecks me just to think about.

Deliciousness: I replay the "I was a worm crawling in a circle" speech of the ML's all the time in my head. HE WAS A WORM BUT SHE MADE HIM FEEL LIKE A PERSON!!!!!! Also, it's so good to see leads who are properly poor. FL's hoarder grandma breaks my heart. And the dingy bathhouse. And just... oh god, the FL is so good. The whole thing is so good.

This drama is not good. It's infuriating, and convoluted. And even ridiculous at times. That being said, it affects me SO MUCH. You know I have a history of loving very flawed shows (Till the End of the Moon? Hello??), and this is the best example of that. I LOVE the ML so much. He's so pitiful... I love, in the past life, the comparisons between him and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. I love all the little things he does that he doesn't ever take credit for. I love his history of abuse and pain because I love a broken ML. I love his scar and how he guards it. I love how much he hates himself. AND ALSO HE IS JUST TRYING HIS BEST TO SAVE FL. Ugh. He's so pitiful. "He's creepy! He's a stalker! He's a murderer!" WHATEVER, that is MY MAN. I want to save him from his terrible situation. And yet, I can't fault FL for her choices--in her position, I would have done the same. She was so kind to ML, even when he was incredibly sus. It's just so painful. Also, I just NEED to mention the scene in the current life when the ML looks at himself and his unscarred face in the mirror. So painful. OR WHEN HE STEPS ON THE BROKEN GLASS. Oh my god, this show is beautiful.

Deliciousness: Stalking, poetry, literature, rebirth, investigation, GORGEOUS imagery.