My First(s)
My baby steps towards the world of Asian entertainment and those that were beside me.
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1. Mara Clara
Filipino Drama - 2010, 158 episodes
Ah the good ol' memories of getting a rental DVD of this drama and spending nights wide awake with my aunt, mom and I as we watched this novela's endless episodes. Still don't know how it ends to this day.
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2. Sealed with a Kiss
Chinese Drama - 2011, 28 episodes
This gentle viewers is my trauma.
I shouldn't have seen as a tween, it was very traumatizing to say the least. The absolute insanity that is this show's storyline (don't take this warning lightly, it includes r*pe) ...I barely processed what happenned last year (2023) when I rewatched it to confirm my memories were not a hoax.
Unlike the following dramas, I saw this one on cable TV, so it wasn't really a 100% my choice. I was curious and it was my first time seeing chinese dramas on tv :'(
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3. Boss & Me
Chinese Drama - 2014, 34 episodes
My proper intro into the world of romantic chinese dramas. It probably set the precedent for my preferences (I watch 100% contemporary c-dramas).
Though it isn't as good as my sweet innocent and naive heart remembers it, I still remember it fondly for the cute OST (rolling dice) and Xu Shan Shan who's name i've never forgotten somehow.
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4. A Millionaire's First Love
Korean Movie - 2006
tears, tears and just more TEARS
My very first k-movie; oh how lucky I was.
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5. You're Beautiful
Korean Drama - 2009, 16 episodes
I mean say what you will...this was peak Kdrama, y'all hallyu babies don't know the chokehold this drama had on Asia and me.
They walked so your faves could run and that's on periodt. It remains unranked because I will not rewatch it and ruin my nostalgic outlook on it.
(Also the sweet old days when I could sit throught 16-20 episodes ez :')
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6. To the Beautiful You
Korean Drama - 2012, 16 episodes
I see a common theme here.
RIP Sulli, you beautiful soul.
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7. My Love from the Star
Korean Drama - 2013, 21 episodes
We bow before the hallyu kings and queens.
Undisputed, I'm pretty sure it's etched into history.
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8. Refresh Man
Taiwanese Drama - 2016, 17 episodes
I don't remember much about this one, but yay intro to Taiwanese drama. Goofy and very camp lol.
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9. Personal Taste
Korean Drama - 2010, 16 episodes
"This better not awaken something in me" - past me
present me: it did, you're obsessed with the cohabitation trope now.
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10. Kakafukaka
Japanese Drama - 2019, 10 episodes
My introduction into weird Josei dramas, not good Josei, just weird
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11. The Heirs
Korean Drama - 2013, 20 episodes
Also hallyu kings and queens!!! If they were in TH, they are now rolling in the big bucks.
Story wise, meh.
But the show stands as piece of valuable history and it is to be respected in dramaland as a whole.
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12. Ugly Duckling Series: Don't
Thai Drama - 2015, 7 episodes
Oh hell nah
I really fell in love with that man's quiff. WHAT WERE YOU ON OLD ME?
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13. The Boy Next Door
Korean Drama - 2017, 15 episodes
Are you truly a k-drama fan if you've never seen this webdrama? Youtube hunted down my ass and recommended this to me 24/7, so yeah, first k-webdrama