Things I like in a drama:
- views of everyday life (families eating breakfast, public school, setting the table, getting a haircut)
-views of different regions, travel abroad, country life
-tropes/practices not present in American shows (coworkers deciding where to eat, calling in-laws by family names, grandma getting fortunes read)
-all the ways to flirt (bringing partner to work, making bento boxes, indirect kisses)
-the hidden lives of introvert characters
-spotting easter eggs, product placements, familiar settings, and PSAs (is it just me or has the Taiwanese Department of Public Health done a bang up job with seatbelts and designated drivers?)
-turning tropes on their heads (Bromance, Strong Girl Bong Soon)
-that moment when the male lead exhales while breaking into a smile
-great chemistry, smitten characters, banter, and affection
-men with healthy emotional ranges (Bromance, Perfect Match)
- Happy endings and personal growth for everyone
- Rehearsing confessions in the mirror
- Multiple couples getting together by the end
- Spending lots of time with couple after they get together (Love, Now)
- The good guys winning
- Steamy kisses
- Healthy relationships for everyone, loving friends and family
-...and why on earth am I such a sucker for couples comforting each other through phobias and flashbacks?
Things I don't like in a drama:
-fat shaming
- dumb female characters
- physical humor, crude humor
- Sad endings
- Jerks
- Unhealthy relationship dynamics portrayed as romantic
- Forced kisses
- super slow-motion kisses
- unexplained/vague illnesses (Bromance)
- plot holes
- Too much suspense
- Too many setbacks for the leads
- Breaking up towards the end of the show to get back together at the last second
- Dark subplots or violence