Currently Watching: Bad and Crazy
Dear Drama Fans, :)
Welcome to the 5th part of my Why you should try article series!
Today’s topic is: HONG KONG DRAMAS.
We’ll be introducing all MDL countries in case you missed the one or the other.^^ So you are given a chance to fall in love with them as we did. ;)
For today’s article, I especially searched and watched an HK drama, so I can also share my opinion with you guys. By now I even watched 3 HK dramas already. :) I actually thought HK is the least-watched MDL country but turns out the watchers were just better at hiding, so I had to search a little.^^
(P.S.: Better view in light-mode)
► These are the guys who’ll help me convince you today:
Ness: My name is Vanessa, and I’ve been watching dramas for 20 years now. I grew up watching a lot of HK dramas (TVB to be exact), then I discovered K-dramas and C-dramas and Lakorns, etc. I tend to watch a lot of HK-dramas and C-dramas. For HK-dramas, I lean more towards modern dramas while for C-dramas, I lean more towards wuxia/xianxia dramas.
Karin: Dramas/Movies from Hong Kong used to be very popular a long time ago. It was a family routine every night after dinner that we watch a drama episode. Back then, we watched most of the dramas from Hong Kong, followed by Taiwan and Japan.
ivansuen: Hello, I am just an ordinary student that watches Hong Kong dramas as entertainment when I have free time. I also closely follow Hong Kong’s entertainment industry and am always looking into hot newcomers with potential, and try to share them with people around me.
Me: Hey, It’s Tine - the host of this article series.^^ As you can see we have lots of experienced watchers here. Only I’m the HK newbie. ;) But this might give you a really good overview. ~
Ness: Since I grew up watching HK dramas, it’s kind of like a nostalgia thing, lol. I know the main actors/actresses as well as the supporting cast very well since I’ve seen countless works by them. I think the best thing about HK dramas is the life lessons it has. There are a lot of talking scenes where they explain right and wrong and how they do what they do. Also, the dramas are quite short both in episode length and amount of episode released, which is amazing, especially when you’re busy.
Karin: All dramas from HK used to be very long. Nowadays, HK dramas are shorter. Back then, I loved HK dramas because of the catchy storyline and very popular actors and actresses. I noticed that HK dramas now are focusing on police/detective genre, which they are really good at. The angles of the car/vehicle crash shots, explosion shots and the fighting stunts are still very good and believable. Total episodes are shorter than from China, and stories are less draggy. However, sometimes, I feel that their “point form “method did not give enough minutes for their emotion scenes to run and sink into the viewers.
ivansuen: Honestly, Hong Kong dramas cannot be compared to Netflix productions quality-wise. However, this is understandable, as Hong Kong is a small city with limited resources. Nevertheless, Hong Kong dramas are still my passion. This passion stems from my exposure to local Hong Kong dramas from a very young age, always turning on the TV at 8:00 and watching the sitcom with my family. Currently, watching a TV drama would always remind me of how TV has brought me up at hard times, also offering a time where I can enjoy something with my family, after a long day.
Me: As for me, I just started watching HK dramas, and I totally loved the ones I watched. xD I can’t say much since I watched only a few until now, but I can agree with the others. I also noticed that they are good at explaining stuff so that everyone can understand. And I think the characters are more mature in some ways, which I love. Their chemistry/relationships seem more natural, as are the kisses. Also, I really fell in love with the language, and I also like the humor. I’m already missing the dramas I watched, but it’s hard to find other good ones for me, since - like the others already said- they mostly focus on law, police or other genres.
 | Ness: |
| No Regrets It is set in the mid-1900s when Japan is trynna conquer China, and it’s about how corrupt the police is - as well as the crime syndicates happening in HK at that time. The drama is full of suspense and angst, and it really keeps you on edge. I love this drama because not only is it raw and angst, but it’s also pure as it focuses on true friendship and how they help each other in that time. It’s also quite emotional, too, lol. | |
 | Moonlight Resonance It’s about a family with divorced parents and six kids. They run a traditional cake shop and face business problems - as well as personal problems. The drama focuses on the parents’ relationship as well as each of the kids. It’s basically a family drama. Although it sounds boring, the angst and the dramatic situations in the drama make it very interesting and sad. I love this drama because it talks a lot about life lessons, and it’s just an emotional drama that makes you cry and makes you happy. |
 | Karin: |
Line Walker | |
 | Over Run Over [It’s an action-thriller drama about a police officer who travels back in time to prevent her father’s death and as a result experiences severe repercussions of the butterfly effect.] The thoughts/plans put into the butterfly effect are the creative part of the drama. That was the main reason I got sucked in. I watched the entire drama twice. |
 | ivansuen: |
| Big White Duel A group of doctors deciding if a hospital should be a business or solely for the patients need and care. I liked: realistic operation scenes, relatable Hong Kong society, it captures the calm personas of doctors extremely well, done with meticulous writing and exceptional performances by Roger Kwok, Kenneth Ma, Natalie Tong and Ali Lee. | |
 | Barrack O’Karma A series of weird and ghostly stories that takes place in a mysterious building, wrapped around the love story of the past and present life of two individuals. |
 | Tine: |
| Love In Time It’s a love story about a girl and a vampire. Since it was my first HK drama, I was amazed by the overall. xD But I liked the characters and the humor, hehe. :) I’m also a big fan of the fantasy genre, here: vampire-themed. ^-^ And I loved the interaction between the main leads. It was kinda natural, and there was also a pretty funny supporting character. >< | |
 | Threesome This is one of my favourite dramas at all! It’s about Kai who wants to use his childhood-connection to FL to train under her as a lawyer. But she doesn’t remember him - and he also finds out she has DID. So they make a trade: He keeps it a secret and is always available to help her in sticky DID-situations, and she lets him work under her guidance. I love everything about this drama! It was funny, emotional, cute, relatable and well-explained! And what I loved the most was the character-portrayal. Amazing characters without mean ML or naive FL. Loved it! :) |
Ness: ... something lighthearted but also interesting.
Karin: ... Action pack.
ivansuen: ... remembering about my past and childhood, give me comfort, and thrust in the coming day.
Me: ... more mature minds, natural relationships, interesting plots and romances mixed with other genres.
Last Words:
Ness: Q3 was hard, lol, because there are dramas that I like which a lot of other people didn’t really like. And I do agree it’s kind of bad, but because it has my fav actors/actresses I don’t mind, so I tried to be as just as possible. I hope this helps and isn’t confusing. :)
Karin: I no longer look for HK drama as much as before. My preference has moved to dramas from HK to China because of its great selection varieties. Even the number of dramas from Taiwan has dropped compared to China. [which is pretty sad...]
ivansuen: HK dramas will always be a second home for my feelings, and a resting place for memories that have shaped me into the person I am.
⋯
Me: As someone who has just started watching HK dramas, I think they are a fresh change from other dramas, and I’m totally amazed by them. I’m just sad they don’t have many dramas of the genres I love... ;/
But either way, I hope you guys will give some of them a try so you can decide for yourselves if it’s your cup of tea or not. :) Thanks for reading! The next article will be about Filipino Dramas so don’t forget to take a look. See ya! :)
Big Thanks to my helping hands:
 Ness |  Karin |  ivansuen2005 |
The previous parts:
I don’t own any pictures: They are taken from the MDL sites, Google and YT. Some might be resized for better fitting. Credits to the respective owners. The headers are done by me.
