I’m reposting this from my old tumblr site. That’s 10 on the list but since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime day today, I want to commemorate it by listing my 11 favorite dramas, order according to year.

Meteor Garden, 2001

The drama that started it all for me. I watched it first out of curiosity and was fully convinced that I won’t like it. But I ate my words big time and was so addicted I had to record it to make sure I won’t miss an episode whenever I was not home. My favorite character was of course Dao Ming Si, confirming my preference for the bad guy. I became such a fan of Jerry Yan and oh the things I did back then just to stalk him. Funny how nine years later, I would actually get to meet and interview the guy and I’m glad he was not some spoiled brat like DMS, neither was he the aloof and cold Jerry as portrayed in e-biz reports. He turned out to be a shy, very nice boy trapped in a grown-up man’s body.

Pride, 2004

This was my first Kimura Takuya drama, and still remains on top of all his dramas. It also became the standard of what a romance drama should be that for a time, I found it difficult watching other dramas because I would always compare it to Pride. There was a time I’d watch it every night and even now, I think I can still watch it without Haru coming out of my ears.

Full House, 2004

Again, I was rooting for the bad guy in this drama and I even became a Rain fan because of this. I even went to Seoul for a vacation afterwards though I never got to see the house on that island. A year later, I covered Rain during a presscon and watched his concert, then stopped being his fan. Go figure.

My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, 2005

Like many others, I was drawn to the relatively fresh premise of a not-so-typical drama heroine: she was not exactly young, quite on the healthy side and not as pretty. Everyone was raving about it at that time. It turned out to be such a fun watch. And of course, it was my introduction to Hyun Bin.

Devil Beside You, 2005

I was looking for a drama to watch next when a friend recommended this to me. A pirate on Soi Patphong also highly recommended this saying it was fun. I had doubts. I mean, I knew Rainie Yang but who was that guy with her? It took me some time and a few dramas later before I finally gave it a try. I should have known better. Ah Meng and Qi Yue are two of my favorite onscreen couples.

Nobuta wo Produce, 2005

I like the story about an unlikely friendship. It reminds me of high school and the need to be accepted. It doesn’t hurt that Yamapi and Kame are in it, and a relatively unknown Horikita Maki. Years later, it has become a modern classic especially for those who want to see how the three of them were like in their early works.

Goong, 2006

I loved this drama that for a time, I shipped Yoon Eun-hye and Joo Ji-hoon, although all that seasonal shipping soon became a thing of the past (see next drama why). This is one of three dramas that are in my iPad (the other two being DBY and WWL) and I would sometimes watch it before I go to sleep. Fairytale-like romances would have their natural appeal and it was a bonus that the OST was very nice.

Why Why Love, 2007

The story is nothing special but it was this drama that sailed me off onto the deep blue sea of true-blue OTP shipping. It wasn’t actually the drama that put me in that direction, it was the BTS showing the off-camera interaction of Rainie Yang and Mike He. It would have been perfect if Kingone Wang wasn’t in the cast because it wouldn’t have looked like a poor copy of Devil Beside You.

Miss No Good, 2008

There’s a trivia I found out when I interviewed Angie Cai over a year ago: she wrote the plot to this drama. What’s even more interesting, she wrote it while she was going through a rough patch in her life. It’s hard to tell with how funny the story actually is. OK, it may be a matter of taste because some people might not be able to stand the portrayal of Rainie as Xiao Hua with her high-pitched voice and childlike manners, but as Mike said, she’s the only one who can get away with this kind of acting without ending up annoying. Wilber is funny here too (though he’s more funny in real life) and who would have thought that three years later, Wilber will win as best actor at the Golden Bell?

My Princess, 2011

I have become wary of Korean dramas because they can be so overly dramatic but I was bored so gave this a try… and ended up loving it. This drama does not have any pretensions and is there just to entertain. This marks Song Seung-hun’s comeback to comedy and so much for trying to be a “serious drama actor”, he’s very good as a rom-com lead. It was my first time watching Kim Tae-hee and I liked her though some friends I know will always remember her as the villain in Stairway To Heaven and they are stuck in the mean KTH they can’t imagine her as a charming princess. But SSH and KTH actually make a lovely diplomat and princess couple.

Office Girls, 2011

Two words: Qiu Ze.

And yes, I’m already listing Office Girls even if it’s not done yet because the fact that it has managed to sustain my interest 80% from the finish line proves it’s not another Love You or City Hunter in my book.

And did I say Qiu Ze?

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