Good, sustainable writing isn’t always easy to find in dramas, especially long-form Chinese dramas. Since 2020, however, FIVE Wang Xiong Cheng dramas have made their way to the screen, proving that this writer–who has come out of nowhere–has what it takes to make a story worth watching from beginning to end. Come see what makes Wang Xiong Cheng’s dramas special, and decide for yourself if you want to watch his newest works – Hi Venus and Meet Yourself.
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Since he’s gotten back from the military and started acting again, Ji Chang Wook’s dramas have been misses for The Fangirls. His newest drama, If You Wish Upon Me, comes loaded with star power, including Sung Dong Il and Girls Generation’s Choi Soo Young. Will this be enough to get us to watch? Read on to find out more!
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You may have seen or heard (or both!) the love letters Drama Geek and I have written about My Liberation Notes, the phenomenally written and beautifully filmed Park Hae Young drama that aired earlier this year. The complexity of the characters and the influence of their environment on their attitudes couldn’t be dismissed, and we reveled in the cinematic experience.
That experience made me revisit another Park Hae Young classic, My Mister. This post could have had so many other subtitles: Never Break the 4-Episode Rule, Why I Went Back and Watched My Mister 4 Years Later, This Writer Knows What She’s Doing, and many more. I wrote My Mister off four years ago, because after 2 episodes, I concluded it was a drama about two sad people and all the bad people doing selfish things to those sad people. I was right, but I was also wrong. Come see why My Liberation Notes made me trust writer Park Hae Young, and whether revisiting My Mister was one of the better uses of my time this year.
I finally got my hands on a copy of 18 Again (happy birthday to meeeeeeeeee!), and to say I was delighted was an understatement. Lee Do Hyun was vulnerable and relatable and amazing, and Kim Ha Neul was a new-to-me discovery I thoroughly enjoyed. Come see if you’ll want to indulge in purchasing 18 Again for yourself!
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Once upon a time in Korea, a drama was so compelling that I watched it in spite of the zombies, the pandemic mentions, and the terrible people who were trying to stymie our OTP from beginning to end. It was a tale of power and corruption and doing the right thing even when everyone else is out to get you. For Valentine’s Day, with the help of my friends and avid Happiness fans Tina Woelke and WheresWallace, we’ve penned a love letter to this incredible drama.
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Sometimes I find myself in an absurd place, where I want to watch something that will make me laugh, but that isn’t light and fluffy. Dark comedy to the rescue! Come check out four shows that have filled my very specific humor needs.
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After wrapping up Taxi Driver this week, I had some thoughts that kept rolling around in my brain, circling mostly around this idea: is it possible to know TOO much about what goes on behind the scenes of a drama? Join me as I try to work it out, would you?
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In light of the violence against Asian Americans, we wanted to strongly state our continued support for the AAPI community. As you know, we have a deep appreciation for stories and music from all cultures. It’s fair to say that this interest we share has even changed our lives, and we’re grateful for the Asian and Asian American people that continue to share their time and their passions with us. The Fangirls are committed to supporting people from all walks of life — Black, AAPI, LGBTQ+, and many more.
In this excellent article from The Strategist — https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html — there are over 60 ways to donate to support AAPI causes. Each Fangirl has made a donation to a cause close to her heart, and we invite you to do the same.
#StopAAPIHate
The Fangirls
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
Once upon a time, in a faraway place called Twitter, this Maknae ran a poll to let the loyal Dramas with a Side of Kimchi readers decide her next binge watch. The race between Forever Love and When We Were Young was tight, but Forever Love triumphed in the end. Come find out if I enjoyed my binge watch enough to let strangers on the internet make decisions for me again!
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Hey there, drama fans! While I wait for the February dramas to start, I thought I’d binge a drama or two. However, there are so many good dramas that I’m having trouble deciding which one! Come see my options and help me choose my next watch.
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