Mahalo said:
I really don't know how recent T-dramas are now since I started watching them since 2005 and stopped right afterwards. Lol. I been going back to watch the early 2000 ones since the actors I like barely have any new dramas out. The most recent I've seen is probably Rainie's Drunken to Love You and I loved it! I have a bias towards Rainie Yang's dramas so I don't watch any other Taiwanese dramas besides hers. From her bundle of dramas, I can say that they're 10 times better than Thai lakorns because they leave me satisfied with comedy, romance, and character development plus happy endings! I love happy endings so the T-dramas I watch always have them. Lol. It's just the best feeling in the world when you sit there and watch a whole drama and when it ends, you're content. T-dramas give me that feeling while Thai lakorns do not.
It's rare for me to ever fully like a Thai drama because the lakorns now and days lack substance in comparison to the past. The beginning could start off well but fall apart towards the end or the middle or vice versa. Productions always seem so rushed or the casting isn't fitting or the script writing is terrible. I always come back watching them though because I grew up with them so they're a part of my culture.
Back in the 90's my family and I watched both Chinese and Thai lakorns. However, ancient Chinese series are so blah now and days. The wardrobe, actors, and plots are not as great compared to the older days. Plus, there are so many remakes! The use of computer effects are overwhelming and one of the mains always dies at the end. Lol. That's why I stopped watching them. The Taiwanese dramas I watch don't have sad endings. When I say they depict reality better I mean that their acting is very realistic! But the plots are somewhat like Thai lakorns as well. I love happy endings too Sarn. That's why I steer clear of K-dramas.
If you can sit through Pepper and Ann, you can sit through Vic and Barbie. Lol.
Haha yeap yeap, classics are usually always better.
For Taiwanese, I usually pick up one or twice a drama per year or mainly none at all, and I'd usually skim through the drama or drop it halfway. There are a few that I've watched over the years since the meteor garden era thus I can name them haha -
meteor garden (It was a hype within the sisters. I disliked the actors for main girl and main dude, but ended up watching it anyway),
devil beside you (Oh dear looooorde...the first taiwanese drama that got me hella addicted. I was so into the mike and rainie saga, but their other drama together was a BIG disappointment),
hana-kimi (I still don't know how I sat through this drama),
mars (although i hated looking at barbie, vic was a total hottie to look at),
it started with a kiss (Not really an ariel fan, but she was decent, i thought joe chen was so girly in this drama. i liked the drama, but i didn't love it as much to rewatch it),
tokyo juliet (WTH was that storyline again haha, it was so borrrrring),
bull fighting (last drama of mike he that I could ever stomach, his other series i just couldn't stand anymore),
summer's bubbles (so much angst - barbie had one look the whole entire time except towards the ending),
autumn's concerto (my all time favorite that I always rewatch),
king flower (so good yet so cheesy and dumb also, main girl's character was a disappointment),
rock n road (just stuck around for my love for the leads), also I've actually watched all of aaron yan's dramas (my very recent being
just you) except for his new one,
I love you so much, now this one was plain ridiculous.
Thai dramas can be so dramatic that I wouldn't recommend it to other people to watch and overwhelm themselves with all the craziness, but I have a soft spot for them, Idk how to explain it.
For chinese ancient series, I'm biased with Liu shi shi so I would follow up on which one she is starring in, but whether I'm watching it depends on her main lead guy. I'm pretty picky too so I usually just watch my favorites if the storyline is good. However, I'm like SO into their
online novels turned into dramas thus this still keeps me on a lookout for China dramas whether it be modern or traditional.