Dangermousie's Top 10 From Anywhere Drama List of the Moment...
You know that I did "Top" lists for My Top 10 dramas: Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese. But what's the fun in separating them, the fun is how they compare, right? So I bring you my Top 10 overall dramas, which consists of 3 kdramas, 2 twdramas and a whopping 5 jdramas. And yes, it's a threeway tie for the first place.
Also, if you know me, it's unsurprising that there are only two dramas on the list which may be classified as "light" and one of them is Capital Scandal, which involves assassinations, freedom fighters and torture, and the other is Utahime, which starts out light and funny only to STOMP ON YOUR HEART. I really should do a Top 10 Best Pick-You Up Dramas, too.
Anyway, without much ado, here is my list:
1. LEGEND (Korea)
A period fantasy epic, this 24-ep series is basically in a class of its own. Bae Yong Joon plays the Crown Prince of a beleaguered nation who might or might not be the prophesied savior, but that is less important than whether he will survive the posionous internal and external intrigues first. Why is it my favorite? Amazing battle scenes, a clever and complicated plot, a hero to die for (when's the last time you saw a man discuss free trade AND fight ninjas?), strong women galore, secondary characters that draw you in, an OTP which owns me (an overintellectual and highstrung warrior prince and a hard-drinking swindler-archer who feels free to dispense sex advice to hardened mercenary in the middle of battle? And she just has the potential to destroy the world?) and a budget to make your eyes pop. I bet if they showed it on Western TV, people would be blown away. Oh, and did I mention that the first time I marathonned it, I had high fever and I still loved it?
1. MAWANG/THE DEVIL (Korea)
This 20-episode drama is truly sui generis. I haven't seen anything like that before or since. Part a revenge story, part a psychological study, part a police/mystery thriller, there is not a single thing I would change about Mawang, from the incredible cinematography, to subtle, nuanced acting, to clever, grown-up screenplay, to its portrayal of consequences of past mistakes, revenge, and justice. The three protagonists are an icy, competent lawyer (Joo Ji Hoon), a hot-headed, rough-and-tumble cop (Uhm Tae Woong), and a warm yet collected librarian with odd abilities (Shin Min Ah). They are all thrown together not just by a series of murders which begin to occur and escalate, but by events in their past which none of them can escape.
1. MARS (Taiwan)
My first drama, and still one of my all-time favorites, this is both a character study of its really messed-up protagonists, and one of the most romantic, joyous love stories out there. Vic Zhou and Barbie Hsu play lovers who should not be able to function together by any definition and yet can only function together, not apart. She is an almost mute, traumatized victim of child abuse/rape, who finds comfort in drawing and prays every day nobody speak to her. He is a seemingly outgoing motorcycle racer who is struggling with emotional and mental trauma, and is haunted by his highly dysfunctional family history and a bout in a mental institution. Together, they somehow are able to heal, and she becomes strong and he allows himself to become weak and it just...is gorgeous.
4. THE OUTSIDERS (Taiwan)
The only reason this wasn't the fourth drama to tie for the first place is because the ending eviscerated me. Set in the world of the Triads, The Outsiders is both a love story and a mob story, and in a way, a reverse mirror to Mars: where love dooms both the protagonists inevitably and utterly. He is a tough street guy who falls in love with a sheltered upperclass pianist, and who is, incredibly, loved back. He joins the Triads to protect her, but in doing so, dooms both her happiness and their future as a couple. The Outsiders can be incredibly dark (when's the last time you had a hero who was a mob killer?), but it is filled with incredible characters: the flawed, passionate, impossible Ah Hao (Dylan Kuo), the seemingly fragile but in reality strong and unbreakable Yu Yen (Ady An), their friends and enemies, and it has a lot to say about differences, friendship, betrayal, romance, and the scars that would never ever heal.
5. PRIDE (Japan)
Some dramas came close to dislodging Pride from its top spot among my Japanese dramas, but none succeeded. This is all the more ironic because much as I think Kimura Takuya (who plays the lead here) is a very good actor, his dramas are hit and miss for me. But this? Definitely a hit. The story of the proud, closed-off hockey team captain Satonaka Halu, and his interactions with his friends and teammates and (most importantly) his complicated relationship with Aki (Takeuchi Yuko), the woman he might actually let his barriers down for, is deceptively understated: in reality it drags you and won't let you go. I am not sure why? Halu and Aki, both grown-ups, both difficult, both irresistable, with chemistry to burn? Secondary characters, all fleshed out? Gradual character revelations? No idea. All I know is, this drama never gets old.
6. CAPITAL SCANDAL (Korea)
(Secondary OTP deserved their own cap)
By turns hilarious and heart-breaking (and sometimes both at once), this pitch-perfect drama starring Kang Ji Hwan, Han Ji Min, Ryu Jin, and Han Go Eun, is set in the occupied Korea and manages to combine a screwball romance of the best kind with some hefty things to say about sacrifice, patriotism and loss, all without missing a beat. It has made me bawl and it has made me laugh, sometimes within a space of minutes. Incredibly strong women characters, men who are just as fascinating and strong as the women, friendships lost and regained, love, loss, my favorite secondary OTP ever (and one of my favorite primary ones), guns, swing dancing, torture, hats, prostitution, tabloids, everything everything everything. It shouldn't work but it does. Watch it, now.
7. UTAHIME (Japan)
Utahime has two awesome things about it: it introduced me to Nagase Tomoya who, shockingly, is a Japanese drama actor who looks like a man! Oh, and it's one of the best, most nuanced, subtle, tender dramas I have ever seen. If I had the power to do so, I'd make everyone watch it. Set in a remote fishing village in the 1950s, the story has a whole range of wonderful characters, from the wimpiest mobster known to man, to a young student hell-bent on imitating James Dean, to a terrifying lady inn-owner. But the two protagonists of the story are Taro (Nagase Tomoya) and Suzu (Aibu Saki): the man with no memory who washed ashore in a Kamikazi uniform near the end of the war and was taken in by a projectionist's family, and a spunky, joyous daughter of that projectionist. Utahime works mainly because of the almost unstated but yet irresstable love story between the two, and the crazy, ridiculously intense chemistry. It is a funny, delicious drama that can turn serious on a dime and completely break your heart (I think I bawled straight through the last episode), that never hits a false note or puts even a word out of place. I don't really know how to describe it, but if you haven't seen it, watch it. You won't regret it.
8. AISHITEIRU TO ITTE KURE (Japan)
This is one of those dramas where the relationships and interactions feel so real, you almost wonder if the screenwriter just secretly recorded some friends of theirs. Never maudlin, never silly, never false, it is nontheless completely romantic, moving, and pitch-perfect. And, it has some REAL kissing! :P She (Tokiwa Takako) is a bubbly, forthright (a bit too much so, maybe) young wannabe actress. He (Toyokawa Etsushi) is a somewhat older, withdrawn, deaf/mute artist. She would do anything to break down the walls between them and is unabashed in extressing her interest and her liking, but despite it all, their differences in temperament, age, maturity levels, as well as her insecurities, his insecurities, just might be too much for a happily-ever-after. Some of the scenes in the second half actually viscerally hurt but they are so real: in her (and his) flaws, in his reaction to her, in everything. I dare you to watch this and not fall in love!
9. FORBIDDEN LOVE/MAJO NO JOUKEN (Japan)
Everything about this drama should be wrong: I mean, it's a teacher/student love story! And yet, and yet, and yet...it is really about two lost, and almost broken, souls connecting and trying to stay together despite everything because that just might be their only path to happiness and salvation. The 26-year old Michi (Matsushima Nanako), pathetically lost in a grown-up world, sleepwalking through life, controlled by her father, actually grows up, becomes strong, and discoveres a passion for life. The 17-year old Hikaru (Takizawa Hideaki), trapped by his monstrous mother, isolated from friendships or feelings, escpaes his loneliness and discovers happiness and a goal. It is an impossible, impossible story, but somehow it works.
10. TATTA HITOTSU NO KOI (Japan)
In some ways, it's a stereotypical "pure love" story, so beloved of Asian dramas: poor guy and rich girl, parental opposition, dysfunctional families, illness and angst. And yet and yet and yet. What distinguishes it from the rest (not that I am not fond of 'pure love' stories) is the deft touch, the understated screenplay, the hundred little real moments, and the acting of Kamenashi Kazuya (who plays the poor boy Hiroto) and Ayase Haruka (who plays the rich girl Nao). Nao is rich but also incredibly sheltered from the world yet open to it, because she has only recently recovered from leukemia which kept her confined in her own world. She is fragile and sheltered but also joyful, spontanous and incredibly warm. Hiroto is someone who is afraid to believe in joyful things, and who represses any personal needs and desires, stuck as he is with an invalid brother, an alcoholic and emotionally abusive mother, and a heavy weight of the debt left by the father who committed suicide. But both Hiroto and Nao are incredibly pure souls, very selfless people, and somehow they click and begin to work towards happiness. Oh, how I love them - the ending always makes me grin so much!
Also, if you know me, it's unsurprising that there are only two dramas on the list which may be classified as "light" and one of them is Capital Scandal, which involves assassinations, freedom fighters and torture, and the other is Utahime, which starts out light and funny only to STOMP ON YOUR HEART. I really should do a Top 10 Best Pick-You Up Dramas, too.
Anyway, without much ado, here is my list:
1. LEGEND (Korea)
A period fantasy epic, this 24-ep series is basically in a class of its own. Bae Yong Joon plays the Crown Prince of a beleaguered nation who might or might not be the prophesied savior, but that is less important than whether he will survive the posionous internal and external intrigues first. Why is it my favorite? Amazing battle scenes, a clever and complicated plot, a hero to die for (when's the last time you saw a man discuss free trade AND fight ninjas?), strong women galore, secondary characters that draw you in, an OTP which owns me (an overintellectual and highstrung warrior prince and a hard-drinking swindler-archer who feels free to dispense sex advice to hardened mercenary in the middle of battle? And she just has the potential to destroy the world?) and a budget to make your eyes pop. I bet if they showed it on Western TV, people would be blown away. Oh, and did I mention that the first time I marathonned it, I had high fever and I still loved it?
1. MAWANG/THE DEVIL (Korea)
This 20-episode drama is truly sui generis. I haven't seen anything like that before or since. Part a revenge story, part a psychological study, part a police/mystery thriller, there is not a single thing I would change about Mawang, from the incredible cinematography, to subtle, nuanced acting, to clever, grown-up screenplay, to its portrayal of consequences of past mistakes, revenge, and justice. The three protagonists are an icy, competent lawyer (Joo Ji Hoon), a hot-headed, rough-and-tumble cop (Uhm Tae Woong), and a warm yet collected librarian with odd abilities (Shin Min Ah). They are all thrown together not just by a series of murders which begin to occur and escalate, but by events in their past which none of them can escape.
1. MARS (Taiwan)
My first drama, and still one of my all-time favorites, this is both a character study of its really messed-up protagonists, and one of the most romantic, joyous love stories out there. Vic Zhou and Barbie Hsu play lovers who should not be able to function together by any definition and yet can only function together, not apart. She is an almost mute, traumatized victim of child abuse/rape, who finds comfort in drawing and prays every day nobody speak to her. He is a seemingly outgoing motorcycle racer who is struggling with emotional and mental trauma, and is haunted by his highly dysfunctional family history and a bout in a mental institution. Together, they somehow are able to heal, and she becomes strong and he allows himself to become weak and it just...is gorgeous.
4. THE OUTSIDERS (Taiwan)
The only reason this wasn't the fourth drama to tie for the first place is because the ending eviscerated me. Set in the world of the Triads, The Outsiders is both a love story and a mob story, and in a way, a reverse mirror to Mars: where love dooms both the protagonists inevitably and utterly. He is a tough street guy who falls in love with a sheltered upperclass pianist, and who is, incredibly, loved back. He joins the Triads to protect her, but in doing so, dooms both her happiness and their future as a couple. The Outsiders can be incredibly dark (when's the last time you had a hero who was a mob killer?), but it is filled with incredible characters: the flawed, passionate, impossible Ah Hao (Dylan Kuo), the seemingly fragile but in reality strong and unbreakable Yu Yen (Ady An), their friends and enemies, and it has a lot to say about differences, friendship, betrayal, romance, and the scars that would never ever heal.
5. PRIDE (Japan)
Some dramas came close to dislodging Pride from its top spot among my Japanese dramas, but none succeeded. This is all the more ironic because much as I think Kimura Takuya (who plays the lead here) is a very good actor, his dramas are hit and miss for me. But this? Definitely a hit. The story of the proud, closed-off hockey team captain Satonaka Halu, and his interactions with his friends and teammates and (most importantly) his complicated relationship with Aki (Takeuchi Yuko), the woman he might actually let his barriers down for, is deceptively understated: in reality it drags you and won't let you go. I am not sure why? Halu and Aki, both grown-ups, both difficult, both irresistable, with chemistry to burn? Secondary characters, all fleshed out? Gradual character revelations? No idea. All I know is, this drama never gets old.
6. CAPITAL SCANDAL (Korea)
(Secondary OTP deserved their own cap)
By turns hilarious and heart-breaking (and sometimes both at once), this pitch-perfect drama starring Kang Ji Hwan, Han Ji Min, Ryu Jin, and Han Go Eun, is set in the occupied Korea and manages to combine a screwball romance of the best kind with some hefty things to say about sacrifice, patriotism and loss, all without missing a beat. It has made me bawl and it has made me laugh, sometimes within a space of minutes. Incredibly strong women characters, men who are just as fascinating and strong as the women, friendships lost and regained, love, loss, my favorite secondary OTP ever (and one of my favorite primary ones), guns, swing dancing, torture, hats, prostitution, tabloids, everything everything everything. It shouldn't work but it does. Watch it, now.
7. UTAHIME (Japan)
Utahime has two awesome things about it: it introduced me to Nagase Tomoya who, shockingly, is a Japanese drama actor who looks like a man! Oh, and it's one of the best, most nuanced, subtle, tender dramas I have ever seen. If I had the power to do so, I'd make everyone watch it. Set in a remote fishing village in the 1950s, the story has a whole range of wonderful characters, from the wimpiest mobster known to man, to a young student hell-bent on imitating James Dean, to a terrifying lady inn-owner. But the two protagonists of the story are Taro (Nagase Tomoya) and Suzu (Aibu Saki): the man with no memory who washed ashore in a Kamikazi uniform near the end of the war and was taken in by a projectionist's family, and a spunky, joyous daughter of that projectionist. Utahime works mainly because of the almost unstated but yet irresstable love story between the two, and the crazy, ridiculously intense chemistry. It is a funny, delicious drama that can turn serious on a dime and completely break your heart (I think I bawled straight through the last episode), that never hits a false note or puts even a word out of place. I don't really know how to describe it, but if you haven't seen it, watch it. You won't regret it.
8. AISHITEIRU TO ITTE KURE (Japan)
This is one of those dramas where the relationships and interactions feel so real, you almost wonder if the screenwriter just secretly recorded some friends of theirs. Never maudlin, never silly, never false, it is nontheless completely romantic, moving, and pitch-perfect. And, it has some REAL kissing! :P She (Tokiwa Takako) is a bubbly, forthright (a bit too much so, maybe) young wannabe actress. He (Toyokawa Etsushi) is a somewhat older, withdrawn, deaf/mute artist. She would do anything to break down the walls between them and is unabashed in extressing her interest and her liking, but despite it all, their differences in temperament, age, maturity levels, as well as her insecurities, his insecurities, just might be too much for a happily-ever-after. Some of the scenes in the second half actually viscerally hurt but they are so real: in her (and his) flaws, in his reaction to her, in everything. I dare you to watch this and not fall in love!
9. FORBIDDEN LOVE/MAJO NO JOUKEN (Japan)
Everything about this drama should be wrong: I mean, it's a teacher/student love story! And yet, and yet, and yet...it is really about two lost, and almost broken, souls connecting and trying to stay together despite everything because that just might be their only path to happiness and salvation. The 26-year old Michi (Matsushima Nanako), pathetically lost in a grown-up world, sleepwalking through life, controlled by her father, actually grows up, becomes strong, and discoveres a passion for life. The 17-year old Hikaru (Takizawa Hideaki), trapped by his monstrous mother, isolated from friendships or feelings, escpaes his loneliness and discovers happiness and a goal. It is an impossible, impossible story, but somehow it works.
10. TATTA HITOTSU NO KOI (Japan)
In some ways, it's a stereotypical "pure love" story, so beloved of Asian dramas: poor guy and rich girl, parental opposition, dysfunctional families, illness and angst. And yet and yet and yet. What distinguishes it from the rest (not that I am not fond of 'pure love' stories) is the deft touch, the understated screenplay, the hundred little real moments, and the acting of Kamenashi Kazuya (who plays the poor boy Hiroto) and Ayase Haruka (who plays the rich girl Nao). Nao is rich but also incredibly sheltered from the world yet open to it, because she has only recently recovered from leukemia which kept her confined in her own world. She is fragile and sheltered but also joyful, spontanous and incredibly warm. Hiroto is someone who is afraid to believe in joyful things, and who represses any personal needs and desires, stuck as he is with an invalid brother, an alcoholic and emotionally abusive mother, and a heavy weight of the debt left by the father who committed suicide. But both Hiroto and Nao are incredibly pure souls, very selfless people, and somehow they click and begin to work towards happiness. Oh, how I love them - the ending always makes me grin so much!