My 10s
I have a weird rating system. I rarely give out ratings and if I do I only give 10s to the dramas that I believe deserves them and should receive attention. This way I can maintain a balance of not having to actively update my lists while also maintaining some presence here on MDL. Just to be clear, the ratings are purely subjective.
Although all of these dramas received a 10 from me, they are still ranked in order with most appreciated/liked/loved as #1.
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1. The Untamed
Chinese Drama - 2019, 50 episodes
I will forever love this drama and story because of the amount of emotions it made me feel. I strongly believe that The Untamed will proudly stand as #1 on any of my lists for a long time. If there is any drama that I recommend any person to watch, it would be this one because you can look at it from many different perspectives, and it will still capture your heart. Like I said many times, this is the first drama that I've watched where I actually believed I learned something from it.
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2. Joy of Life
Chinese Drama - 2019, 46 episodes
Joy of Life for me was very refreshing. I tend not to like non-fantasy, non-romantic dramas that are highly political, but this one was an exception. Our cunning protagonist really blew my mind away. He really carried the entire show whether its his character or the actor himself.
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3. Eternal Love
Chinese Drama - 2017, 58 episodes
Ten Miles is my typical genre (fantasy, romance, etc) and it did not disappoint me. When I finished watching it it did occupy the #1 spot on my list. I mainly appreciated the CGI, acting of the main leads, and the emotional factors.
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4. Hi Venus
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
This is the first drama on this list to have reached a 10 rating when I haven't even finished watching it yet...
How do I even describe it? It's such a fresh drama for me, since I don't normally watch romantic comedies. So far there has not been a single dull moment, and what's more, all of the moments to me were executed so perfectly. Of course I'm not blind to the many tropes that are present, but I find that all of them were done in very mature and realistic ways, that they were not cringy at all.
I think what makes this story so compelling to me is the slow-burn-friends-turn-lovers type of storyline is acted out very organically by the leads. Very well done! I can tell the production team really paid attention to small details, gestures, expressions, etc, which really all adds up to create a very enjoyable experience. Many of the issues that couples naturally encounter in a relationship -- jealousy, ex's, work-life balance -- do appear, but I thought they were all handled in a very mature way. Mad respect.
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5. Go Ahead
Chinese Drama - 2020, 46 episodes
Phenomenal acting! Knee-slapping comedic scenes! Overall a very realistic portrayal of mental health, family struggles, youth, character development, etc
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6. Kai Duan
Chinese Drama - 2022, 15 episodes
A very complex story due to one single reason. I had a great time mystery solving along with the leads and this drama successfully had me gasping for air due to the intensity at certain times.
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7. Hidden Love
Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes
This would be the go-to drama for sugar. A fairytale romance
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8. Love Me If You Dare
Chinese Drama - 2015, 24 episodes
This one can also be considered an outlier because it is my first crime-type of drama. I loved following along with the psychological analyses of each crime and I especially loved the plot twists near the end.
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9. Qing Chuan Daily Life
Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes
I like to describe this one as a modern day drama thrown into a historical china setting. Super lighthearted and fun with some A+ comedy.
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10. The Lotus Casebook
Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes
Another drama that made it to my list without me finishing it yet.
An epic tale of buried secrets and truths to be discovered. This is probably the only true Jianghu drama that I've watched.
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11. The Journey of Flower
Chinese Drama - 2015, 58 episodes
I think I can consider this drama to be the catalyst of my love for fantasy dramas. The story itself brought me on an emotional rollercoaster and I loved the ending. I really am a sucker for dramas that involve so much angst-ness.
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12. Light on Series: The Long Night
Chinese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
The most heartbreaking thing I've ever watched
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13. Legend of Fu Yao
Chinese Drama - 2018, 66 episodes
Another typical fantasy-romance that I enjoyed. I thought the chemistry between the two leads was very good. This was the type of drama that had many hidden secrets that were waiting for our female lead to unravel so that really made the story interesting.
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14. A Journey to Love
Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes
This drama took me a very long time before I finally decided to ultimately give it a 10. I feel very conflicted because on one hand I really really enjoyed it, but on the other hand the setbacks cannot be ignored and they could've easily been fixed but weren't. What probably made me give it a 10 in the end is the character development and the depth of the supporting characters.
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15. Nirvana in Fire
Chinese Drama - 2015, 54 episodes
Mind-blowing plot, yet the plot itself is very linear and straight forward. It knows exactly where it is going to go, but manages to amaze the audience with twists and turns along the way.
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16. The Ordinary Glory
Chinese Drama - 2020, 41 episodes
Another outlier on my list. This is an office drama featuring the daily lives of regular people. I love it for its authenticity and extremely relatable depiction of daily struggles that people go through.
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17. Ashes of Love
Chinese Drama - 2018, 63 episodes
Aha another typical fantasy-romance. The romance is nothing special, but I have to admit I love it.
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18. Lost You Forever
Chinese Drama - 2023, 39 episodes
This drama really doesn't belong here but there is really only one reason it's on here, and those that have watched it probably know what it issssssss.
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19. Douluo Continent
Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes
Xiao Zhan described this drama as very 热血, literal translation "hot-blood", which I completely agree with. I enjoyed the plot which built on itself and was very easy to follow. Also, CGI was super good.
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20. MARS
Taiwanese Drama - 2004, 13 episodes
Mars would be considered an outlier on my list because it is just so different. The story is very simple and sweet on the surface but very dark and solemn deeper down. I should probably saythis drama is very psychological and focuses on topics such as rape, PTSD, and other mental health issues. Very intriguing story and it felt very real.