Drama Watchlist of 2025

Start Date: January 1

Completed Date: January 23

Favorite Ep(s): 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 30, 32

Pros: 

• FML is strong, resilient and levelheaded. In her first scene, even with act of betrayal in the midst from her current husband, she’s able to see clear from the pain.
• Plot is refreshing, something i haven't seen before.
• Slow and intriguing build-up to Song Mo and Dou meeting
• Its interesting watching how the female lead uses the book of truths and strategize a peaceful ending
• Song Mo/Dou's relationship. They understand and trust each other.
• Chemistry >>>
• Ending

Cons: 

• Dou’s communication issues and lack of asking for help
• Pacing can become extremely slow sometimes. 

Review: Blossom was the drama to end my month long drama slump. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing of this drama from the characters, Dou Zhao (Meng Zi Yi) to the relationship dynamics. There was a moment in the middle of the drama where I felt like the pacing was becoming slow but even this wasn't enough to shake the immense love that I had for how the story was told. There are so many elements that Blossom did right that I rarely see in other dramas but what really sold me on the show was the trust and understanding that Dou Zhao and Song Mo shared. I also felt in awe of the strength Dou Zhao possessed as his strategist and she's truly become one of my favorite strong female leads. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an entertaining love story and tale of redemption. 

Start Date: February 3

Completed Date: February 20th

Favorite Ep(s): 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 23

Pros: 

• The idea of women as the leaders was a solid change of pace compared to other period dramas.
• Zhao Lu Si and Ding have excellent chemistry with both actors doing good at conveying their emotions.
• Han Shou. Once he falls for Chen QianQian, he is way more tolerable and when looking through the lens of romance, I love that he doesn’t give up on her despite how insufferable she can be.

Cons: 

• Portions of the comedy were cringeworthy. 
• I felt nothing for the first sister’s character. I don’t think she nor her love interest, Su Mu were needed for this story.
• There are too many misunderstandings that could've turned the situation around if Chen Qian Qian worked together with Han Shou instead of consulting other authors. Too much screentime was spent on her trying to fix her story instead of living in it. 
• Too many second chances for the bad characters. Let them burn. 
• THAT scene in episode 19? Was there no other way to test her martial arts? Really writers?

Review: The Romance of Tiger & Rose is truly a romantic comedy if I've ever seen one. I've felt a mixed bag of emotions while watching this drama as there are moments where I've downright cringed, moments where I've found myself laughing and moments that I thought were adorable. I think that the shining point of this drama is the chemistry between Ding Yu Xi and Lu Si. These two were the main reason I watched this drama and although it took me longer than normal to finish, I don't regret the watch because I can also appreciate the growth that both our leads have underwent since this drama aired. 

Start Date: March 3

Completed Date: March 10

Favorite Ep(s): 4, ending of 6, 7, 9, ending of 12

Pros: 

• I loved the bonds the FML made as she slowly warmed up to the new town. Reminiscent of Hometown cha cha cha.
• Yeo reum’s relationship with Bom felt the most precious to me because in a way they both needed each other.
• Dae-bum is so adorable. He’s like a golden retriever and the greenest of all flags.
• Unexpected mystery/thriller element that keeps you on your toes
• Each character has layers to them that when put together make an interesting story. 

Cons: 

• I wish there were a bit more romance than it let on.
• The premise of the show is for Yeo Reum to find herself after all the cards she’s been dealt with and while the thriller aspect of the show was interesting, I feel like it takes away from that process of growth and finding out what’s next for Yeo Reum.
• Dae-ho was an unnecessary plot device for Bom’s story. I believe there was already enough going on in her story and I don’t think another potential “love interest” was needed to show her what she truly wants.

Review: Summer strike is idyllic. This drama initiially gives me similar feelings to Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha when Yeo-Reum, our female lead, takes charge of her life and leaves behind all of the toxicity that she's been experiencing. For the most part, I enjoyed this drama. Every episode is interesting and I looked forward to how our FL would form friendships with the new people surrounding her and how she would forge a new path for herself. There are some obvious pitfalls that do not make Summer Strike a perfect 10 for me but, it's a solid drama overall. Would definitely recommend to those who want a drama where characters are finding themselves at a pace that makes sense for them. 

Start Date: March ? 

Completed Date: June 1 

Favorite Ep(s): 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 26, 30, 31

Pros: 

• Watching Fangfei’s determination towards avenging  herself and Jiang Li was touching. I appreciated how the show would tie in Jiang Li’s struggle into certain scenes so that we wouldn’t forget her like her family had.
• OST >>>>
• Costuming
• The love, trust and chemistry between Fangfei and Duke Su. 

Cons: 

• Pacing: With such a great start to the show, I hoped that the story could deliver with the amount of episodes promised. Unfortunately, when we get to about the middle of the drama, I started losing interest with the repetitive antics of Shu Ran and later Wanning. Then towards the end of the drama, it's almost as if the writers remembered the show was about to end,  so sub plots that should've been ongoing throughout the show were magically solved at lightning speed. (Think about Xiao Heng's investigation into his father).
• Lack of scenes between Fang Fei and Duke Su
• Ending: Certain character endings felt unnecessary and others.. too open. Thankfully there was a special but why couldn't the 5min special just be in the last episode? Or.. better yet the show could've ended at the wedding scene.
  
  

Start Date: June 2
Completed Date: June 22
Favorite Episodes: 1, 10, 11-13, 18, 21, (stopped counting after a while)

Pros:

• Cinematography is colorful, vibrant and fun. The artwork brings the story to life and captures the essence of the world building in xianxia.
• Very strong start of a series that hooked me in by episode one. I thoroughly enjoyed Bai Shou’s character. She is bubbly, inquisitive, tenacious and a quick thinker. I also liked that a few of the female characters were written smart.
• Special mention to Fan Yue’s voice actor.
• Intriguing sister sub plot. I was interested in the type of person Bai Shuo’s sister ended up as and how they would react when seeing each other again.
• Dai Lu Wa captivated me as one of the main antagonists of the show. I can appreciate a great villain and with her spot on acting, I anticipated all of her on screen moments. She became my favorite character of the series.

Cons: 

• Many trauma inducing revelations the very start of the series that make the show feel stagnant later on.
• Predictable to a T. Almost every arc i could guess what would happen before it did.
• While the show was entertaining, it felt like almost every grand reveal was tragic without any happy medium. The drama relies a lot on tragedy to deliver entertainment. After a while I just stopped feeling anything for the characters because we knew that the writers would just get rid of them sooner or later. 
• Too long.
• Constant theme of characters progressing backwards in terms of power and intelligence. Instead of continuing to become stronger, major characters are presented as weak (repetitively) and not thinking at pivotal moments. 

Start: June 22
Completed Date: July 25
Favorite Episodes: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14

Pros:

• Esther Yu is in her element as she portrays a character that is goal oriented and adorable.
• Esther’s paring with Lin Yu couldn’t be more perfect and he usually excels at playing these types of cold characters that later become warm when finding love.
• The art (drawings + animation at the end of each episode) and cinematography added to the mood of the drama and made it unique.
• Most of Wei Zhi’s outfits were extremely cute.

Cons:

• I would’ve loved to see Esther try a different type of character. She tends to stick with roles that involves an overly cute, sometimes child-like archetype.
• Jiang Nan Feng and Yan. I didn’t root for her or this couple at any point of the series due to how she treated Yan and would’ve preferred the SML with someone else.
• To add onto Esther Yu’s acting, It’s not a problem that she plays these types of roles but I could do without the baby noises and exaggerated cute expressions because it feels cringe. Esther is already cute and doesn’t need to try so hard when playing these characters.
• Their feelings blossom a bit too quickly leaving the already shortened drama feeling too long.
• I wasn’t entirely convinced that Shan Shan truly wanted the prosthetics or if everyone around her was influencing her decision.

Start Date: June 29

Completed Date: August 10

Favorite Episodes: 4, 7, 13, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31x 32

Pros:

• Man Man is inquisitive and intelligent. Her constant strategizing and thinking ahead make her an excellent female lead. She is also the type of FML that doesn’t let her gender or social status get in the way of wanting to help the people.
• The bickering between Wei Shao and Man Man was hilarious. I loved seeing Man Man fight back against Wei Shao’s prideful nature. It was also fun to see the mighty Wei Shao get taken down a few notches with Man Man’s intelligence.
• Character progression between both of our leads was worthwhile.
• Enemies to lovers >>
• Chemistry felt natural. I love that Wei Shao is ignorant to romance and through his relationship with Man Man, he’s able to slowly understand what that looks like and what it means to love.
• Brotherhood between Wei Shao and his guards.

Cons:

• Mega Slow burner.
• Wei Shao is a huge red flag at the beginning to Man Man (I could understand his hatred towards her family but she is not directly involved).
• Plot moves pretty slow at times with a focus on politics.

Start Date: August 15

Completed Date: September 5

Favorite Episodes: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9,10, 11**, 12, 13*, 14**, 19, 21, 23**, 30*

Pros:

•  Enemies to lovers >>
• Attractive leads
• There are many cute moments between the main couple. Jiang Xu becomes a much gentler version of himself as he falls for A’tan (reminds me almost of the ML’s character progression in PoB).
• Bao Shang’en portrays femininity and cuteness without overdoing it.
• Range of emotion from Song Weilong.
• I loved the bickering between the second lead couple. Their unserious relationship that gradually turns into something more was enjoyable.
• I appreciated how quick-witted, strong and experienced, A’tan’s father was. He was more than the sterotypical father. The actor of this character as well was great in portraying this part.

Cons: 

• Third couple felt unnecessary. And while I don’t believe that every man needs to be a martial artist, it would’ve been great if he at least knew how to protect himself. He becomes a burden several times throughout the show and I can’t understand why they put him at the forefront with zero skills.
• And on the topic of third couple, what happened with the fourth friend’s (the guard) romance? If we’re giving everyone happily ever after’s lol
• A’tan is too focused on how she can be perceived and the opinion of others.
• I wish the writing made A’tan rely on her strengths and trust in her husband in areas of conflict. In the second half of the show, she’s finally starting to help Jiang Qixu by running the investigation on smuggled goods however, there are still many moments where she is rushing into danger and escalating the situation.
• Too long!
• In the second half of the show, A’tan is meant to investigate the smuggling case but she’s in plain sight without a disguise. I find it hard to believe the Su family spies wouldn’t be able to detect her presence in Lingzhou.

Start Date: September 5

Completed Date: September 17

Favorite Episodes: 4, 12*, 14, 15, 16, 17*, 19*, 21, 25*, 28, 29*, 32

Pros:

• There were many scenes where Zhou Ye sold me on the role as a general. The practice that she put into the role clearly shows. I enjoyed the moments where she proved her enemies wrong, used her intelligence and took her battles seriously. 
• He Yan’s friendship with the other guards in Yezhou Garrison. This was actually one of my favorite parts of the entire drama.
• Ryan Cheng is a great actor. I think Ryan Cheng does a great job in showing admiration from the eyes. I was rooting for the main couple as well as the secondary couple. 
•  I found comfort in this drama’s extensive use of swordsmanship. The leads nailed the action choreography. 
• Very comedic and the OST is great. 

Cons:

• Marketed as something deeper in storytelling (similar to My Journey To You) when instead it feels like a romantic comedy with some drama.
• I wish there was proper closure on Mr. Liu’s story because his past was interesting.
• There were many moments where the scriptwriting didn’t make sense, felt predictable or felt impossible.
• Other characters can seem to figure out He Yan’s real identity (even when she was acting as He Rui Fe) but the ML cannot despite growing up with her.
• He Yan is undoubtedly strong in martial arts but sometimes her intelligence takes a backset to showcase comedy or the ML’s ability.
• Couldn’t take Bai Shu as a villain seriously AT all lol (maybe it’s the facial expressions?)
• The drama could’ve ended at 32 or 33. I don’t agree with Mr. Chu’s ending. I didn’t mind his morally grey character throughout but I don’t agree with how the writers decided to ruin him with obsession. Additionally because of the extra episodes we have a third act breakup and an unnecessary death of another character.

Start: September 19

End: September 30

Favorite Episodes: 2, 3*, 4, 6, 9, 10*, 11, 15*, 16, 17, 18, 23, 25, 30, 31, 32

Pros:

• The main characters. Ting Yan’s unbothered and simple attitude is so funny and relatable. Nianjiu is lovable with how friendly and trusting his character was. Sima Jao is initially rough on the outside but later softens that exterior due to Tingyan.
• Comedic. There are many moments where I laughed out loud with the characters such as when they blend modern language into the transmigration plot.
• OST >>>>>
• Themes of friendship and sisterly bonds.
• Chemistry feels natural between the leads (great acting). Characters are also unique in the way they experience moments of skinship or in-direct romantic scenes (sleeping in the same bed, eating from the same spoon) comfortably without an emphasis on bashful or shyness.
• Plenty of passion, playful & romantic scenes and worthy for a recommendation if you’re into romance. The romance is done extremely well for our leads in every lifetime. 
• Sima Jao.  “Whoever harms her, I’ll kill them” vibes.
  
  

Cons:

• The second half of the show was a hard watch as it began to introduce some of the most cliche writing and repetitive tropes. Without spoiling, just keep in mind that the two undergo a ton of will they/won't they moments and those moments made me rant alot.
• The show feels too long (I attribute that to the cliche writing). 
• Villains feel flat and forced. There doesn’t feel like there is an interesting reason for them to be there other than to oppose the male lead.
•  Second lead couple didn't work for me. Their relationship felt more like a chase and although we knew that Nianjiu had feelings for Ruling, they didn't have a chance to fully materialize before the plot got in the way. 
• Second FML (Ru Ling)’s character didn’t have great character progression and I chalk that up to her character being subjected to cliche tropes. We simply didn’t have enough time to care.
• Plot holes.

Start Date: October 1

Completed Date: October 4

Favorite Episodes: 2, 3, 4, 7, 12

Pros:

• Gil Geum & Ji Yeong’s friendship. I lived for these two with Ji Yeong’s expert cooking skills and Gil Geum’s powerful nose.
• Ji Yeong’s ability to watch and learn the people and environment around her to choose the best dish is so entertaining.
• Cinematography and food shots are done well. This is an area that korean dramas usually succeed in.
• Very comedic. My favorite scenes are when everyone tries to pronounce the modern dishes and the dramatized reactions to Ji Yong’s dishes.

Cons:

• This may be an Viki issue but subtitles are inconsistent during the Ming Dynasty arc with the chinese chefs. There are moments when the subtitles will come constantly as the chefs speak and other times when there were only subtitles when the translator spoke. The mandarin also felt hard to listen to. 
• OST was nothing to write home about.
• Villains look overly suspicious that it is comical.
• The romance could’ve been better. I think there needed to be more time showcasing the gradual appearance of Ji Yong’s feelings. Compared to the writing of Yi Heon’s feelings, Ji Yong’s felt like a product of forced circumstance.
• Pacing. This might also explain my problem with the romance but the story/ Yi Heon’s main motivation is also affected by this. Because of the poorly paced beginning and middle, the last 2-3 episodes finally move the story along. 

Start Date: October 5

End Date: October 12

Favorite Episodes: 2, 7, 9, 11, 12, 18*, 20, 27, 28

Pros:

• The drama’s cinematography is gorgeous. I love the natural landscapes and scenery.
• Simple romance akin to Love Me, Love My Voice with plenty of chemistry between leads.
• The styling of Xu Ruo Han is gorgeous. I loved all of her outfits and her infectious smile.
• Beautiful ending.

Cons:

• The show moves extremely slow as our leads get to know each other.
• There does not feel like there is enough story for the amount of episodes. After the main couple got together, it was cute yes but not interesting enough for 8-10 more episodes.
• The communication amongst the ladies in the show is awful in the first half. There are moments where Xifan and her best friend could’ve cleared their individual insecurities if they would’ve asked simple questions.

Start Date: October 21

End Date: November 2

Favorite Episodes: 1, 5, end of 6, end of 8, 12 14, 15, end of 16, 17*, 18, 25, 26*, 27, 32, 38

Pros:

• Enemies to Lovers trope is done extremely well. It is believable that the leads truly are on opposing sides and that makes the romance that comes later that much more fulfilling.
• Strong female lead that is confident, has achieved general status and can fight for herself.
• Despite how strong willed Yi Xiao and Sui Ge are, I love that we are able to see their compassion for others early in the series. Sui Ge towards his sister and Yi Xiao to her adopted family.
• The acting was well done, particularly for Chen Zhe Yuan and Li Qin. Chen Zhe Yuan can tell a story with his eyes alone and Li Qin is very good at selling an emotional scene.
• Comedic moments amongst the main cast and side characters. 
• Fight sequences are entertaining.
• The noble women of Susha and Jinxiu's wardrobes were stunning. 

Cons

• The villains felt lackluster. Xia Jingshi is one of the main antagonists and it takes him basically the entire show to enact such a lackluster plan. 
• The story begins to drag in the second half.
• Nice ending but I wish we were able visualize more of the other characters endings (i.e. Princess or Ning Fei and Xue Ying's relationship)