Wrap-Up ======== Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. The 2021 top 5 dramas for this poll are all highly rated with a rating of 8.5 and above.
2. Some of these dramas could have more than just 1 favourite character. For example "Vincenzo" is among the top placed in "Any Second Lead Syndrome This Year?" and "Favourite Antagonist Of 2021".
3. Are your favourite characters in these dramas the protagonist only or another character in the dramas?
4. Korean dramas dominate not just top 5 but top 10 spots. The only non-Korean drama among the top 10 is Chinese BL drama Word Of Honor (2021) with 5 votes.
Wrap-Up ======== Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. There is a mix of 2021 dramas in the Top 5 with ratings ranging from 6.7 to 8.8 (it's 9.1 if counting in "Hospital Playlist 1" that aired entirely in 2020). 2. Do you agree with this list? Which drama in the list would you recommend to give a second chance and re-pick up from the dropped list?
Wrap-Up ======== Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. The top 5 2021 dramas are among the top rated and popular dramas. Does this mean OSTs play an important part in the popularity and rating of dramas?
2. Topping the list is Thai BL drama "Bad Buddy" with a whopping 21% of all votes, while 2nd placed Kdrama "Nevertheless" only garnered 10% votes.
3. "Bad Buddy" is also the only Thai drama that made the top 10 spots.
4. The only Chinese drama that made the top 10 spots is "The Long Ballad".
Wrap-Up ======== Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. This Actor poll received more than double the votes (590 vs 204) and almost double the nominations (67 vs 38) compared to the earlier Actress poll.
2. All of the actors in top 5 spots helm roles in some of the top rated and popular dramas in 2021.
3. Of note, while the top 5 spots in the Actress poll are dominated by South Korean actresses, there are 2 Chinese actor in this Actor poll, with Xu Kai placed 1st and Xiao Zhan placed 4th together with South Korean Im Si Wan.
Wrap-Up ======== Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. Many of these actresses helm roles in some of the top rated and popular dramas in 2021.
2. Of note, 3rd placed Moon Chae Won does not have a drama that aired in 2021, but only a film that aired in 2021.
3. Chinese actresses Bai Lu and Zhao Lu Si (9 votes each) are placed 7th, after South Korean actress Jung Ho Yeon (11 votes) who sparkled and raised eyebrows for her outstanding performance in her first drama role in "Squid Game".
4. Bai Lu has 4 dramas aired in 2021: "Song Of Youth", "One And Only", "Forever And Ever", and "Ace Troops"; while Zhao Lu Si has 3 dramas: "The Long Ballad", "Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling", and "A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College".
Wrap-Up ======== Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. Dramas that started airing in late 2020 and ended airing in Dec 2020 - 2021 take up the first 4 top spots with Kdrama "Run On" topping with 23 votes (16% of all votes for this poll). Kdrama "True Beauty" that was aired around the same time as "Run On" is placed 2nd with 14 votes (10%).
2. Older dramas among the Top 5 spots are "Reply 1997 (2012)" and "The Untamed (2019)".
3. 8 dramas released in 2021 received 1 vote each, namely: "Duolou Continent" (5-21 Feb 2021), "Joseon Exorcist" (22-23 Mar 2021), "The Sword And The Brocade" (26 Feb - 29 Mar 2021), "Hello, Me!" (17 Feb - 8 Apr 2021), "The Long Ballad" (31 Mar - 3 May 2021), "Mouse" (3 Mar - 19 May 2021), "Squid Game" (17 Sep 2021) and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (28 Aug - 17 Oct 2021).
4. Of note, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Squid Game" released in Aug/Sep 2021 are also among the first dramas completed in 2021 for MDL users.
5. "Secret Garden (2010)" (1 vote) is the oldest drama nominated, followed by "Reply 1997 (2012)" (6 votes) and Moon Embracing The Sun (2012) (1 vote).
@MinaVIP Thanks. Doesn't sound quite the type of series that i will enjoy, but will try to check out a few episodes sometime this year. Do check out JOL if you have not watched :)
Thanks for responding. Is the pace for NIF2 faster than NIF1? Heard from friends and also read comments/reviews that NIF1 is on country, but NIF2 is on family. I'm watching Joy of Life now and enjoying it better than NIF1 - it is unexpectedly funny with a humorous, affable ML and a boisterous sidekick, alongside the NIF1 type of political scheming.
Rewatched Apr 14, 2021 marisa’s review published on Letterboxd:
trying to explain the untamed is impossible. episode one is borderline unwatchable. it's unbelievably bad. by episode five you're ready to lay down your life for wei wuxian. the cgi is worse than something from the '90s. it's both an emotional romantic drama about war and morality... and an episode of buzzfeed unsolved but with a gaggle of adopted teens. it's childhood trauma. it's love. it's manipulation tactics. it's a spectacular collection of thirty-inch lace fronts. it's a masterwork in character writing. good luck thinking about anything else ever again
Twogether (2020) - Reality Travel Netflix Original. The hilarious antics and interactions of Lee Seung Gi and Jasper Liu as they travel around exotic Asia destinations (Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal) recommended by their fans, provide instant comedic relief to the pent-up desire to travel, adventure and hang out with friends. While mainly in Korean language with some spoken Mandarin (Jasper is a Taiwanese), this is subbed in English and easily accessible on Netflix.
Our Song (2019) - Chinese Singing Variety. Immense pleasure watching and listening to modern twists to classic songs belted out by, and the sizzling chemistry of, the young-veteran duo teams (Zhou Shen-Hacken Lee, Xiao Zhan-Na Ying). While Emil Chau never failed to amuse viewers, never knew veteran Fei Yu Qing is such a delight on the show as well. This is also Fei Yu Qing's last variety appearance before his retirement. Available on Youtube.
“At best, you’re the untamed hero; at worst, you offend people wherever you go.” - by the novel MDZS writer
Just chanced upon this editorial on "Atypical Male Leads in Costume C-Dramas". "Wei Wuxian is arguably the most energetic, mischievous, and carefree character out of the ones mentioned in this article. I love his “ray of sunshine” personality, which doesn’t prevent him from turning serious when the situation calls for it. His strong moral backbone is to be admired, even though it is part of the reason why he eventually ends up in despair, persecuted by the entire cultivation world." https://kisskh.at/article/atypical-male-leads-in-costume-c-dramas
And yes, ironically, i was rooting for Homecha's Ji Sung Hyun, instead of the ML. Happily satisfied when he finally realised his true love had been at his side all along
Have no doubt it is the same drama and have no doubt also the same drama won't appeal to all, as with any other…
I actually do plan to post a comparison of TU and NIF when i have time for a deeper analysis, or after i watch Joy of Life. Briefly, TU and NIF are not apple-to-apple comparison as the genres, production values and target viewers are different. (A comparison of NIF and JOL will be more apt). The range of emotions for the NIF ML is also more limited comparatively, and there is no explosive moment that touches me as immensely as TU ML. Even the short Yi City arc focusing on the support characters touches me deeply..
So I want to contribute to this comment section by sharing a review I wholeheartedly agree with. One of the few…
Have no doubt it is the same drama and have no doubt also the same drama won't appeal to all, as with any other dramas.
Adaptation from a hugely popular novel with a huge fanbase is a double-edged sword: on one hand, it brings in this fanbase to watch the drama, with some die-hard novel fans not liking the adaptation. On the other hand, it also brings in non-novel fans to know of such a novel and read the novel, and the writer's other novels.
The main plot stays, though the details have toned down, not just because of censorship but the difficulty of portraying some of those gore details in live action, compared to in the novel or anime. BL censorship transcends it to a critical series to focus on the intriguing plot on society norms, good vs evil, weak vs strong, and the protagonist’s ordeals going against society, practising unorthodox cultivation to fight evil and help the weak. As for BL aspect, it shows the deep relationship between the two MLs without explicit scenes, and this makes it even more touching.
The casting and acting can't be better, with each bringing to life the complex 3D character each portrays, bringing many viewers to resonate with the characters and on such an emotional ride.
The CGI is bad, i admit, but the actual location filming such as at the Cloud Recesses and Yunmeng Lake make up for those awful CGIs.
========
Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. The 2021 top 5 dramas for this poll are all highly rated with a rating of 8.5 and above.
2. Some of these dramas could have more than just 1 favourite character. For example "Vincenzo" is among the top placed in "Any Second Lead Syndrome This Year?" and "Favourite Antagonist Of 2021".
3. Are your favourite characters in these dramas the protagonist only or another character in the dramas?
4. Korean dramas dominate not just top 5 but top 10 spots. The only non-Korean drama among the top 10 is Chinese BL drama Word Of Honor (2021) with 5 votes.
The above points are also posted here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/general-discussion/67811-end-of-the-year-drama-challenge-2021-edition?pid=2126551&page=3#p2126551
========
Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. There is a mix of 2021 dramas in the Top 5 with ratings ranging from 6.7 to 8.8 (it's 9.1 if counting in "Hospital Playlist 1" that aired entirely in 2020).
2. Do you agree with this list? Which drama in the list would you recommend to give a second chance and re-pick up from the dropped list?
The above points are also posted here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/general-discussion/67811-end-of-the-year-drama-challenge-2021-edition?pid=2126201&page=3#p2126201
========
Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. The top 5 2021 dramas are among the top rated and popular dramas. Does this mean OSTs play an important part in the popularity and rating of dramas?
2. Topping the list is Thai BL drama "Bad Buddy" with a whopping 21% of all votes, while 2nd placed Kdrama "Nevertheless" only garnered 10% votes.
3. "Bad Buddy" is also the only Thai drama that made the top 10 spots.
4. The only Chinese drama that made the top 10 spots is "The Long Ballad".
5. Read more in this editorial "OSTs That Impacted How I Watch Dramas" by TIP, 17 Dec 2021.
https://kisskh.at/article/osts-that-impacted-how-i-watch-dramas
The above points are also posted here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/general-discussion/67811-end-of-the-year-drama-challenge-2021-edition?pid=2126193&page=3#p2126193
========
Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. This Actor poll received more than double the votes (590 vs 204) and almost double the nominations (67 vs 38) compared to the earlier Actress poll.
2. All of the actors in top 5 spots helm roles in some of the top rated and popular dramas in 2021.
3. Of note, while the top 5 spots in the Actress poll are dominated by South Korean actresses, there are 2 Chinese actor in this Actor poll, with Xu Kai placed 1st and Xiao Zhan placed 4th together with South Korean Im Si Wan.
The above points are also posted here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/general-discussion/67811-end-of-the-year-drama-challenge-2021-edition?pid=2126187&page=3#p2126187
========
Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. Many of these actresses helm roles in some of the top rated and popular dramas in 2021.
2. Of note, 3rd placed Moon Chae Won does not have a drama that aired in 2021, but only a film that aired in 2021.
3. Chinese actresses Bai Lu and Zhao Lu Si (9 votes each) are placed 7th, after South Korean actress Jung Ho Yeon (11 votes) who sparkled and raised eyebrows for her outstanding performance in her first drama role in "Squid Game".
4. Bai Lu has 4 dramas aired in 2021: "Song Of Youth", "One And Only", "Forever And Ever", and "Ace Troops"; while Zhao Lu Si has 3 dramas: "The Long Ballad", "Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling", and "A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College".
The above points are also posted here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/general-discussion/67811-end-of-the-year-drama-challenge-2021-edition?pid=2126179&page=3#p2126179
========
Thank you to all who have participated in this poll. Some observations and thoughts:
1. Dramas that started airing in late 2020 and ended airing in Dec 2020 - 2021 take up the first 4 top spots with Kdrama "Run On" topping with 23 votes (16% of all votes for this poll). Kdrama "True Beauty" that was aired around the same time as "Run On" is placed 2nd with 14 votes (10%).
2. Older dramas among the Top 5 spots are "Reply 1997 (2012)" and "The Untamed (2019)".
3. 8 dramas released in 2021 received 1 vote each, namely: "Duolou Continent" (5-21 Feb 2021), "Joseon Exorcist" (22-23 Mar 2021), "The Sword And The Brocade" (26 Feb - 29 Mar 2021), "Hello, Me!" (17 Feb - 8 Apr 2021), "The Long Ballad" (31 Mar - 3 May 2021), "Mouse" (3 Mar - 19 May 2021), "Squid Game" (17 Sep 2021) and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (28 Aug - 17 Oct 2021).
4. Of note, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Squid Game" released in Aug/Sep 2021 are also among the first dramas completed in 2021 for MDL users.
5. "Secret Garden (2010)" (1 vote) is the oldest drama nominated, followed by "Reply 1997 (2012)" (6 votes) and Moon Embracing The Sun (2012) (1 vote).
The above points are also posted here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/general-discussion/67811-end-of-the-year-drama-challenge-2021-edition?pid=2126135&page=3#p2126135
If voted wrongly due to misunderstanding, one can always rectify by deleting previous "wrong" name and include the "correct" name
Review by marisa
The Untamed 2019
Rewatched Apr 14, 2021
marisa’s review published on Letterboxd:
trying to explain the untamed is impossible. episode one is borderline unwatchable. it's unbelievably bad. by episode five you're ready to lay down your life for wei wuxian. the cgi is worse than something from the '90s. it's both an emotional romantic drama about war and morality... and an episode of buzzfeed unsolved but with a gaggle of adopted teens. it's childhood trauma. it's love. it's manipulation tactics. it's a spectacular collection of thirty-inch lace fronts. it's a masterwork in character writing. good luck thinking about anything else ever again
Our Song (2019) - Chinese Singing Variety. Immense pleasure watching and listening to modern twists to classic songs belted out by, and the sizzling chemistry of, the young-veteran duo teams (Zhou Shen-Hacken Lee, Xiao Zhan-Na Ying). While Emil Chau never failed to amuse viewers, never knew veteran Fei Yu Qing is such a delight on the show as well. This is also Fei Yu Qing's last variety appearance before his retirement. Available on Youtube.
- by the novel MDZS writer
Just chanced upon this editorial on "Atypical Male Leads in Costume C-Dramas". "Wei Wuxian is arguably the most energetic, mischievous, and carefree character out of the ones mentioned in this article. I love his “ray of sunshine” personality, which doesn’t prevent him from turning serious when the situation calls for it. His strong moral backbone is to be admired, even though it is part of the reason why he eventually ends up in despair, persecuted by the entire cultivation world."
https://kisskh.at/article/atypical-male-leads-in-costume-c-dramas
Be both annoyed and charmed by the protagonist
Adaptation from a hugely popular novel with a huge fanbase is a double-edged sword: on one hand, it brings in this fanbase to watch the drama, with some die-hard novel fans not liking the adaptation. On the other hand, it also brings in non-novel fans to know of such a novel and read the novel, and the writer's other novels.
The main plot stays, though the details have toned down, not just because of censorship but the difficulty of portraying some of those gore details in live action, compared to in the novel or anime. BL censorship transcends it to a critical series to focus on the intriguing plot on society norms, good vs evil, weak vs strong, and the protagonist’s ordeals going against society, practising unorthodox cultivation to fight evil and help the weak. As for BL aspect, it shows the deep relationship between the two MLs without explicit scenes, and this makes it even more touching.
The casting and acting can't be better, with each bringing to life the complex 3D character each portrays, bringing many viewers to resonate with the characters and on such an emotional ride.
The CGI is bad, i admit, but the actual location filming such as at the Cloud Recesses and Yunmeng Lake make up for those awful CGIs.