Nirvana in Fire is a masterpiece. A perfect example of a context-heavy political drama. For those who love the genre, this is a great pic. It's an exploration of the Art of War, a classic text, and even in the strategic way of revealing plot points, it reflects elements of the text.
Reply 1988 is another masterpiece. Not everyone likes the humor, which is very abrasive, but it is still skillfully written with a clear mastery of tropes within the romance genre.
The Untamed is not a masterpiece, but it is very good. Definitely believe it deserves a high rating. It does an excellent job of exploring the nature of good and evil, and in criticizing unquestioning loyalty. Lots of great foils to create a dynamic exploration of its major theme.
Reset, although predictable, somehow managed to keep my interest. It also was able to make a groundhog day story work in a multi-episode format. To me, that requires a lot of skill, so I def think it deserves to be on this list.
The Story of Ming Lan is another political drama. What I loved about it was how unconventional our FL is. She is not a fire cracker who is strong but a damsel, or some other major trope. She's quiet, patient, and unrelenting in her ruthlessness, all with a gentle smile. I also really appreciated the extremely detailed set and costume design, and insight into the time period.
Eternal Love gets it because it's the one that got me to try xianxia. The soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the way they developed the magic system to have rules instead of just being "magic!" Has a ton of flaws, but I think it deserves a high rating.
It's Okay, That's Love I cannot explain since it's been too long since I watched it and my memory is poor but it is very good.
1 Litre of Tears is a classic that has maintained top status on MDL since 2004 for a reason. A powerful story told with a lot of heart.
I feel like I need to explain myself so here goes:
Double - use of framing, foreshadowing, misdirection, I mean there is just so much that is done well when it comes to the craft of creating a visual story. It's also about the film industry so it's fun in that way too
Koi Desu - I chose this one because I think they do some really interesting things visually when it comes to hitting some comedic notes with dramatic flare. Plus it's just charming.
Ikebukuro West Gate Park - Narratively a well developed story with themes introduced early in a way that feels chaotic, but come together nicely to emphasize major plot points. Also liked that this was a bit daring in a lot of ways. Enjoyed the messy camera work
Honorable Mention: Ase to Sekkan - Purely for its creativity. It's otherwise not that interesting
woow wth im really loving this so far. didn't really know what I was getting into but this was right up my alley.
if u like stories about feuds, weird shit, wholesome moments, friendship, and fighting, this might be your thing. even when i could predict some of the plot twists, this was still fun and smart. it has a lot of heart to it as well. also absolutely loved the soundtrack.
Issei I love you. Watching him in guest roles is even exciting. Didn't realize he was in Ikebukuru Park but immediately smiled once I saw him there ^_^
There's something I'm not quite sure I understand: does Kaede loves Moe? In the final episode it's not clear because…
I was wondering that too, I get the vibe that she is likely his favorite customer, but I don't know if it's love. It's very sweet of him to prepare a gift for her on his own birthday though. She was his first customer right? Or one of the first? She probably will always have a special place in his heart, especially for helping make the start of his career feel so comfortable.
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Reply 1988 is another masterpiece. Not everyone likes the humor, which is very abrasive, but it is still skillfully written with a clear mastery of tropes within the romance genre.
The Untamed is not a masterpiece, but it is very good. Definitely believe it deserves a high rating. It does an excellent job of exploring the nature of good and evil, and in criticizing unquestioning loyalty. Lots of great foils to create a dynamic exploration of its major theme.
Reset, although predictable, somehow managed to keep my interest. It also was able to make a groundhog day story work in a multi-episode format. To me, that requires a lot of skill, so I def think it deserves to be on this list.
The Story of Ming Lan is another political drama. What I loved about it was how unconventional our FL is. She is not a fire cracker who is strong but a damsel, or some other major trope. She's quiet, patient, and unrelenting in her ruthlessness, all with a gentle smile. I also really appreciated the extremely detailed set and costume design, and insight into the time period.
Eternal Love gets it because it's the one that got me to try xianxia. The soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the way they developed the magic system to have rules instead of just being "magic!" Has a ton of flaws, but I think it deserves a high rating.
It's Okay, That's Love I cannot explain since it's been too long since I watched it and my memory is poor but it is very good.
1 Litre of Tears is a classic that has maintained top status on MDL since 2004 for a reason. A powerful story told with a lot of heart.
Double - use of framing, foreshadowing, misdirection, I mean there is just so much that is done well when it comes to the craft of creating a visual story. It's also about the film industry so it's fun in that way too
Koi Desu - I chose this one because I think they do some really interesting things visually when it comes to hitting some comedic notes with dramatic flare. Plus it's just charming.
Ikebukuro West Gate Park - Narratively a well developed story with themes introduced early in a way that feels chaotic, but come together nicely to emphasize major plot points. Also liked that this was a bit daring in a lot of ways. Enjoyed the messy camera work
Honorable Mention: Ase to Sekkan - Purely for its creativity. It's otherwise not that interesting
if u like stories about feuds, weird shit, wholesome moments, friendship, and fighting, this might be your thing. even when i could predict some of the plot twists, this was still fun and smart. it has a lot of heart to it as well. also absolutely loved the soundtrack.