TOP SHOWS WATCHED IN 2021

truth: i watched this because of nanon

fact: i stayed because each one of these actors i grew to love and plan on watching everything they are in thanks GMMTV

i binged this show in one night and really liked the style of focusing on each character before gathering them all up for the last arc

kinda sad they didnt do one for the twins AJ and JJ :(

i personally do not think the second season/sequel was that great

but of course i watched it for the actors because i love them

and i loved tay being in this so that was fun

i am a sucker for japanese high school romance plus the added bonus of it being LGBT

japanese shows just hit different and this was super wholesome

and i just need more at this point

i had this weird hyperfixation of japanese reality tv shows on netflix and binged everything

the first season of falling in love with a really long title was my personal fave but i loved all the seasons and wished i could watch the 4th, 5th, and 6th

honestly most kdramas flopped this year imo

dali and the cocky prince i watched in the background while playing minecraft tbh

but they captivated me

sure its a simple story as evident by the fact i could play minecraft while watching it, but the romance between the two just made me so happy

time travel dramas are amazing

and i think japan does them the best for some reason 

i think it has something to do with the fact the combine in with other genres

i mean this one was obviously a time traveling comedy and it hit all the right marks (?) idk

im surprised i didnt rate this higher because this drama made my weekends while it was airing

maybe it was just a little bit too cozy? its not the most unique show either

but the cast and side characters really do make this show

i loved this couple from be yourself which is also on this list

i think this drama really suited them and was definitely not something i expected from china at all this year or ever maybe

it handles such a dark theme but in a comedic way ie dark humor

damn ok taiwan

another unexpected show this year and i loved every bit of it

perhaps this year could be marked with subverted expectations with surprising content

this is china's 2021 typical campus romance story that felt very relatable

probably because i had recently graduated from college and was missing the campus life lol

i love steven cheng lol

also love stories involving celebrities and like secret? relationships but the couple in this show could not give two sh*ts about it

ouch my heart hurted after watching this one and like thinking about how this would have been if not for censorship laws the sequel to this show would be on this list too

its such a beautifully shot and written story and i might one day read the source material

idk why people hate on idol actors like give them a change and also not everyone can be like suzy or chanee

this is one of the few web dramas i watched this year that really impressed me

i also just love a "who done it" story so :)

wow this couple love each other so much

it was tooth rotting and i loved every single part of it

it was such a mature and simple love story between two adults with actual jobs woohoo

for a show based off of a mobile dating sim omg

sometimes these kinds of shows do more like a open ending or poly route but this show said "nope we aint gonna do that, how about a love triangle that kills you"

i was team shinwoo since day 1 not trying to flex

but i knew the actor from before so i was already a simp for him lol

romance between a totally not repressed debtor and the broke college student with mommy issues trying to pay back his debt

amazing, brilliant, groundbreaking, breathtaking show with an amazing ost that i listen to today

what a show that actually deals with trauma while still being funny and not down playing that drama holy cow

tsundere x puppy love story?? also childhood rivals to one sided love to friends? to lovers

or something like that i have no idea lol

also love how the subtitle for this season was how shi de wanted to be no 1 for shu yi

oooooh now they are working adults lets go and why are they not together :o

exes to lovers lets go haha

and also i still want more for the secondary couples

boss x employee romance

kinda messy but still beautiful

i cry each time i watch the coming out scene

another boss x employee relationship that focuses on making desserts for a convenience store

huh

anyway this show really impressed me and im not sure why

generic and messy thai bl set at a uni

but!

thats just the way i like it haha

*also wild that the source material is a got7 fanfic which i refuse to wrap my head around*

ICONIC

i actually avoided watching this because of the whole like cheating plot line

but its actually understandable? like i have no idea how to explain it just watch it

this show was amazing and it is 100% because of the two main actors

like i could watch these two together for centuries

they had really great chemistry and really made me appreciate this cute love story

LEE JU HOON my beloved

and this show wrecked my emotions each story was so well written and im happy with each story they chose

how to move on after losing someone

a somewhat bizarre japanese drama

i loved the mother-daughter relationship in this

and i was shocked that alexandros was in this???

subvert and parody bl tropes

commentary on the harmful bl industry

while also giving an amazingly cute love story

thank you

GONG JUN out here collecting men and i am so proud of him

WoH was 2021's The Untamed and it was amazing

it even had my favorite trope: found family

and my favorite look: GONG JUN in red eyeliner woof

someone i follow labels this a pulp thai show which i barely understand what that means but it feels right

this show was messy and cheap and was made really only to make a profit really and truly feels like those trailers that production companies make to get investors

but i feel like this show also deserves a second chance (see what i did there) because if you are really passionate about this show it becomes so beautiful

and the ost is amazing and i still listen to the songs (especially the opening song)

i loved all the pottery and sculpting in this show

funnily enough my dorm roommate was taking pottery classes and she mentioned stuff they were talking about

it made me regret not choosing those classes but alas i had a booked schedule if i wanted to graduate on time

hey another quarantine love story but this felt more believable

mainly for the fact that i did online schooling due to covid around this time and it was just spot on

and who doesnt love a jock and nerd romance (that honestly hits the peak in the movie sequel)

have i mentioned that i love romance haha

this was the supernatural love story for 2021 at least for me it was

and this show was simply enjoyable

what was up with the d*ck face masks?

who am i kidding this show was so campy and out there and i loved every second

the perfect show about quarantine romance (but someone answer me if you like actually participated in voluntary zoominars and stuff like that, im too much of an introvert and too lazy for that)

another show watched with my fiance (then boyfriend)

we watched this together because he had actually read the webtoon and i though haha time to indoctrinate him into the world of asian dramas

which still hasnt happened even though we have been together for 5 years and we have watched about that amount of dramas together :(

once again a simple love story between a wannabe singer-songwriter and his fan

but my god does this short movie just hit different

subvert and parody those bl tropes all the time please

and damn i really thought that line about there being a second season in this show was just a big joke

but no its actually happening :o

oh hey p'aof can i have my heart back, i dont think tian needs every viewer's heart since he just had one transplanted, thanks

honestly this show solidified my thought that p'aof is the best director gmmtv has right now

and my god p'mix acted his heart out

another silly little show with a lot of thai comedy that some international audiences would be turned off by

i love talay such a funky little dude

this show was just so funny and tropey and messy and great

wholesome. just so wholesome.

thank you japan

every once in a while china will just release the most amazing thing in existence like its nothing

i really should be on the look out for more chinese media but i typically ignore it since the censorship laws really degrade a lot of the storytelling

but this movie shocked me by saying "so what about the censorship laws heres something that will knock your socks off and you're welcome"

an advertisement for a grocery store that did not have to go off this hard

im probably going to rewatch this in the next couple weeks for a nice pick me up

wow this movie/show is amazing i've watched it several times now and it still amazes me

probably because i am a simple creature who loves romance

they deserve the world and i cannot wait for the continuation

maxtul comeback

i am amazed at this story and i remember reading so many analyses and theories when this show was airing

fun fact i wrote about this for an essay in german class and my professor actually asked me about it and i died a little bit instead cuz i only focused on the crime and police aspects of the show and i did not have the heart to tell him any bit of the truth

watched this one with my fiance because i know he loves this kind of show

and i know i love kento and my fiance now knows that too since i would shut up about it

2nd season when?

i loved every single character in this

another idol-turned-actor that i love in each time i see them on screen

and im still a sucker for romance

classic i love you oguri shun (i struggled so hard to type his name)

but i remember being obsessed with the anime version of this and its OP

but this was an amazing adaptation that left me feeling stunned

nothing like a good ol' heimat film (thank you my german professor for teaching me to love these kinds of films)

essentially love is stored in rural towns (think hallmark christmas movies where the girl goes back home or to a town in the middle of nowhere and falls in love with a rugged boy who will teach her the true meaning of christmas)

sorry to rant but i had to present a paper on heimat films and boy

dm me if interesting in learning more about heimat films (they are german but imo not really lol)

atm i cant recall if these was any difference between this cut and the other version but

i feel like this movie really does so the reality of some people in the LGBT+ community

that sometimes expectations of society makes a person conform to something that isnt them

and that each person truly deserves to be themselves and is allowed that happiness from doing such

time traveling mystery with some romance woohoo

i remember binging this show during winter break from college and thinking this is simple but i love it

and also i loved the family in this

silly and simple webdrama premise with one of my fave actors BAE IN HYUK thank you

honestly short webdramas are my secret indulgences

that and any kind of romance lol