I am pretty sure I burned out. Every time I try to work, I fall asleep. I am not too sure on these edits I am making either. I am half convinced that they make zero sense.
Partially I am fried from the novel finishing. And partially I can’t get any sleep.
Delilah the Doberman, who is skin, bones, and inoperable tumor now, clicks her teeth at night. It’s very loud. Sometimes she whimpers, and we can’t tell if it’s anxiety or pain. It shouldn’t be pain, since she is on pain meds. We are also paranoid, because we have encountered many lakes of pee, and if she moves, we wake up to let her out.
I want sleep. I’ve had 4 hours last night. And then went to the gym, because that’s how I roll apparently.
I also want a good Chinese drama. Wuxia, xianxia, or palace drama. Preferably not with a super tragic ending.
Things I have watched recently and liked:
Ever Night – They changed the leading actor for Ever Night 2. Why? Why! I don’t like the new dude. Not going to watch it.
Joy of Life – Outstanding show. My super favorite, but the sequel isn’t coming out for like 2 years. Whut?
Fights Break Sphere – it was a high B.
Queen: Love and War – K drama, good.
Cinderella and Four Knights – Korean drama, romantic , YA, cute.
Things I watched and DNF’ed
Sword Dynasty – started out so good, and then we went off to war, and it just meandered into nonsense.
The Untamed – can someone explain the high ratings for this show to me? Is that just because it’s kind of M/M and there are not really that many M/M shows from China?
Dreaming Back to Qing Dynasty – it comes of so amateur to me.
Ming Dynasty – depressing and meh.
Novoland – even more depressing and teenagers are kind of dumb in it…
The Love Knot – boring, heroine is unlikeable. Not enough killing.
Beauty Inside – good idea but too much talkie. Talkie, talkie, talkie. Not enough conflict.
Things I have watched before
The Story of Ming Lan, The Legend of Fuyao, Nirvana in Fire, the Flame’s Daughter, Princess Agents, Coffee Prince, etc.
If you could get away, what would be your dream vacation?
(Trying to send you vibes of peace and rest over the internet )
I hope you feel better and back to yourself soon. I’ve been off sick with a nasty bug since Tuesday and am only just feeling part of the world again. Today is the first day I’ve felt well enough to watch TV so I may check out some of your recommendations; thanks.
Sending Delilah lots of hugs!
I’m sorry that Delilah is leaving you.
Not enough killing and not enough conflict.
Nicely put, Ilona. 🙈
Makes sense. Our escapes need to be so different from our regular, ordinary lives.
May you live in interesting times…..
Hmmm… someone should totally make a show with that name.
Good move on the evernight season 2 drama…soooo depressing, and no where near as good as season 1 !!!!! 3 amazing Korean dramas: City Hunter, Secret Garden, & Healer. If you like period dramas Sungkyunkwan Scandal is my favorite. Netflix also has a great series called ” I’m not OK with this ” it has a similar feel to Stranger Things & I LOVE It!!! I hope your day gets better!!!!
I second the recommendation for sungkyunkwan scandal.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_Girl_Bong-soon
We just started watching Handsome Siblings, but tbh, the first episode is whiplash inducing. High emotion, high drama, but lots of wire fighting. We haven’t started the second episode yet because we just couldn’t. But if you want a cute contemporary romantic happy thing, Boys over Flowers is a cute high school k drama with a happy ending.
I have never watched Chinese drama . Where do you find it?
viki.com
I’m hooked on this now 🙂
what is BL?
BL stands for Boy Love, which isn’t the best way to put it, but that’s how the genre is usually marked in anime/manga. Basically, a drama that features a romantic relationship between men or boys typically written for women by women. This relationship can be emotional or sexual, or both, depending on the content. Also known as Yaoi. Actually, I might edit that to m/m, because I will get questions. 🙂
So, like K/S?
(completely dated myself with that one …)
Someone recommended Chicago Typewriter on your comment blog once. What an awesome recommendation (thank you who ever did that). Its Korean not Chinese, but wow, just wow. (Don’t read the description given when you pull up the show on viki, it isn’t accurate at all).
PS. It has a happy ending.
I’m so sorry, but it might be time to say goodbye to your Delilah. I held on too long to my 20 year old Siamese when his kidneys were failing, and I still live with the guilt. It’s such a very hard decision to have to make.
I have had to make this same decision for many animals. When I took my gorgeous cat Fuffbear to my vet, I told her that Fuffbear needed to go home and couldn’t find her way. She looked the cat over carefully and sent that cat to heaven. If you have ever held an animal in pain as it bit down on nothing to try to make the pain go away, then watched as that animal just let go, you would know that they go somewhere. They will lunge out, ears erect, eager to go, then it’s over. It’s very difficult to watch them suffer until they do that when you know the only way the suffering will stop is when life ends. I’ve had to do this many times when my vet was not open and I could not go to her for relief.
An animal grinding its teeth is in agony. Forget the meds – the dog is in pain. Animals don’t want to live in pain, as humans do. They know that they will eventually go elsewhere, and when life is nothing but agony, they really don’t want to hang out. Talk to your vet. Ask why she grinds her teeth that way. It hurts like all hell to take your beloved dog or cat or any animal you have to a vet for that final farewell, but when it’s over, you will know that you did what was best for the animal and did not force your pet to suffer just to breathe another day’s air. You know it’s coming. You hate to force it. And yet, if you do take her in to be euthanized, you will also know that you cared enough to let her go.
You will feel guilt, no doubt, for sending her on to her next life, but eventually, you will know that she is not in pain, not suffering, and was loved so much until she left you that she is grateful to be free of pain and will be remembered for years and years by all who loved her. You will sleep, you will heal, and she will be free. You just have to love her enough to let her go. You have to suffer yourself instead of making her suffer just so you can have her for a while longer. Say some prayers to whatever deity you worship. I will do so, too, that you will find peace in whatever decision you make. If she were mine, I’d have let her go already, because I cannot stand to see an animal suffer. In the end, it’s your choice.
No words of wisdom. Just heartfelt sympathy. I’m in a similar situation (swap with mother and daughter’s health) and cope by reading fluffy nothings of books and my old comfort reads (A Girl of the Limberlost, anyone?).
I’m so glad to see that someone else does that! Sometimes I may go even further back. To Frances Hodgson Burnett or Shirley Ann Grau. Mary Stewart. Elizabeth Cadell? No surprises when I re-read a favorite book. Somehow, I have lost my taste for surprises.
Fist bump! Although I prefer Freckles, myself.
I really enjoyed Ashes of Love on Netflix.
Yes, and HEA.
YES! But I watched it on Viki. I also grew up with legend of condor héros and the rest of that séries. (1980 ‘s version with Andy Lau)
I’m sorry about your sweet pup. I wish I could say it gets easier, but we all know it doesn’t.
It seems we got more or less the same taste. So i recommend arsenal military academy even though its not wuxia. But it gave me the same vibes as joy of life. It got everything: capers, bromance, fantastic female roles, comedy, gender bender, colourful history, outstanding actors, smart writing. I am very much in love with this show as much so as with joy of life. And i second your sentiment: give us the sequel for joy of life NOW! The only thing i had a problem with in arsenal military academy was the overt patriotism, but well, it features people wanting to be soldiers, so it is par for the course.
I hope you can enjoy it as much as I did, wind down and snuggle with delilah as much as she needs. I wish you all the best from germany.
The same actors star in legends, also with great performances, but the story fizzles out… sadly.
So sorry you are burned out; I’ve been there and it’s not a nice feeling. Maybe a day out with Gordon and some yarn therapy? Or just giving yourself permission to nap when you feel like it?
Also saddened by Delilah’s troubles; I wish I could reach through the Internet and make it better for you all.
Virtual Hugs to Delilah and your family.
Sorry – no recommendations from me but I will look to check out the ones mentioned. Thanks everyone.
My husband and I went to see Parasite – the South Korean movie that won the Oscar. It was excellent. It was our first time “out to the movies” in probably 2 years.
Rise of the Phoenixes is a political historical period drama with gorgeous costumes and riveting story, available on Netflix. The first episode is a bit confusing, but once you get into it, you won’t be able to stop!
The Story of Yanxi Palace was a hugely popular historical drama set in the palace. It’s available on Viki, but also had a six-episode spin-off about the next generation that is on Netflix.
You might also enjoy Love and Destiny, which is more xianxia, which you can watch on Viki.
Second rise of phoenixes!!! The costuming enough is worth the time investment. Its heavy on political intrigue, but the relationships between the ensemble (and the leads, DUH) are funny, horribly painful, glorious. It’s a drama that stays with you for a long time, and the cast is very talented. Don’t know if this passes your final criteria, but I still think the drama is worth it.
Don’t know where you stopped on untamed, but recommend it for the world if anything. Young cast, both age wise and experience wise (generally), but I think they pull it off. Maybe worth revisiting later! And not a super tragic ending!!!!
End of life care of loved ones is so stressful, draining & heart wrenching. Sleep is vital. Can you take turns sleeping away from the dog to get a full night’s rest at least every other night?
I wish I could trade off with DH for our little girls but they are mama’s girls in the middle of the night so it is futile.
I have no shows to recommend as your books & Jeaniene Frost’s books are my escape.
Sending positive energy your way.
The Secret Garden. Kdrama. She’s a stuntman, he’s a spoiled brat. His Mom is a head case. His.cousin is a player and a singer who is getting old. Lots of crying but the funny scenes are really good. My first kdrama.
Oh! I have watched Queen: Love & War and Cinderella & 4 knights. Didn’t expect to find them in the list of kdrama you have watched.
For suspense romance, have you watched ‘Crash Landing on You’? It aired at the same time as Queen: Love & War and I enjoyed both so much! I also watched Stove League. Each week I waited the updates for those three dramas lol.
My next recommendation would be a kdrama titled ‘Signal’. I was a bit skeptic about it first, but I finally gave in and tried one episode several days ago then ended up binge-watching it. It’s so, so gut-wretching in a way that it made me so riled up about a cold case. A bit OOT, but for me personally, I think the drama changed some of my perspectives about storytelling. I prefer happy ending and loathe open-ending. [SPOILER ALERT] But somehow this drama delivers an open ending that made me feel satisfied. Good news, the script for season 2 is finished. I’m looking forward to it. But at the same time, even if there’s no season 2, the ending in season 1 is enough to pacify me I think.
I have no words for ‘Crash Landing on You’, I was simply hooked from the beginning till the end. It was cute, touching, funny, lovely, then suddenly feel thrilling, then back to funny again and sweet moments. The angts were bearable with no less suspense. The last episodes broke Goblin drama’s rating record. Hope you give this drama a chance! (And the other two too)😀
As for c-drama, I didn’t explore and watch a lot of c-drama lately. But I recently binge-watched a c-drama titled Fairyland Lovers. Very funny and the animation is pretty good hehe.
Also, there is this mini series drama in Netflix titled ‘My Holo Love’. Enjoyed the Artificial Intelligence technology shown in this drama. And although the title mentioned ‘Love’, but it is more of a friendship-love to me because the female lead suffered face-blindness and it made socializing very hard for her. Her story is really well-shown for me. And Holo is really an adorable AI I also want to have for myself lol (please excuse my fangirling talking). It has 12 episodes and recently released. If reception is good (the rating shows it is), there will likely be a continuation like the ‘Love Alarm’ mini series which was also previously aired in Netflix. I enjoy My Holo Love more though imo.
I was scrolling through to see if anyone else had already recommended the K-drama “Crash Landing on You”! 👍🏻❤️👏🏻 It’s so entertaining! I totally recommend it too.
Sorry to hear about Delilah, about you burning out, and the sleepless nights. Take care of yourself! Please. We love you!
As for c-drama, I didn’t explore and watch a lot of c-drama lately. But I recently binge-watched a c-drama titled Fairyland Lovers. Very funny and the animation is pretty good hehe.
Also, there is this mini series drama in Netflix titled ‘My Holo Love’. Enjoyed the Artificial Intelligence technology shown in this drama. And although the title mentioned ‘Love’, but it is more of a friendship-love to me because the female lead suffered face-blindness and it made socializing very hard for her. Her story is really well-shown for me. And Holo is really an adorable AI I also want to have for myself lol (please excuse my fangirling talking). It has 12 episodes and recently released. If reception is good (the rating shows it is), there will likely be a continuation like the ‘Love Alarm’ mini series which was also previously aired in Netflix. I enjoy My Holo Love more though imo.
Aw sorry, this post is a double because I thought that one of my two previous comment didn’t immediately appear >< feel free to delete it.
I love, love, LOVE Joy of Life. 40-ish episodes (or more) dramas tend to drag or full of unnecessary fillers, but not this one. It’s a great adaptation from source material that the other productions should study from and strive to achieve.
I’m in the minority here, but I actually prefer Dylan Wang’s acting over Arther Chen’s — I feel that he’s more natural in front of the camera. Too bad the script for this sequel was so bad I had to look it up to see whether they also changed the scriptwriter (they didn’t — wha??). This sequel ended up being music video most of the time :-/ I mean, seriously, do I need to see 3 montages (or more) that do nothing to explain or advance the story in one episode? I guess it’s a good thing there won’t be more sequel even though the story didn’t end where the series end in the book.
As for The Untamed, I like it, but not to the feverish degree many do. I don’t know to which episode you stop watching, but I heard many people said you had to slog through until after episode 11 or something before the show started to grab you.
Don’t know if you’d feel like watching series from the works that are considered the ‘classic’, but if so, try series from Jin Yong’s works. I hear the latest adaptation of Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017) is pretty good. Many of my friends also enjoyed Heavenly Sword, Dragon Slaying Sabre (2019).
Guys… again?
As far as I remember, that’s your second burn out in five years that you have told us about. Take care of yourselves! Sleep is so important! Too little sleep can even cause depression. Maybe you also need more yarn?
It’s not Chinese, but Hwarang is a (wuxia-esque)period drama about poet-warriors. Very light-hearted but fun. Lots of action, drama, bromance, and a HEA. Great to relax to. I’d also recommend Sweet Tai Chi, it’s a recent modern xianxia where tai chi is an inherited (and powerful) martial art. There’s quite a bit of traditional poetry, painting, music, and medicine portrayed, along with a sweet (very innocent) romance, and just enough drama to carry the story along. Hope you feel better!
Hi, I loved Ghost Bride on Netflix. Very fun but not giving any spoilers! I think it falls into a similar type as those listed.
Maybe you can try Young Blood (available on iQiyi, not sure if those in the US can view it). It’s an original script from the same screenwriter of Joy of Life. A low budget drama, but the story is quite good.
Or if you prefer a palace drama, my favourites are Empresses in The Palace (also known as Legend of Zhen Huan) & War and Beauty (this is an older Hong Kong drama).
Hi,
A South Korean drama Crash Landing on you is really, really good.
Hope you might give it a try.x
CLOY was so addictive…I binged watched
Itewon class is suppose to be good to.
If you liked Cinderella and the four knights you might like fight my way
Another good one is Goblin.
Hope this helps
If you’re up for expanding your K-dramas, here are ones on Netflix that I would recommend:
Crash Landing On You
Memories of the Alhambra
Vagabond
Second Twenties
Itaewon Class – currently airing.
If you want the all-time bests that you’ll have to search for elsewhere:
Goblin
Secret Garden
Seen “Oh My Ghost” on Netflix yet?
https://www.netflix.com/title/80178404?s=a&trkid=13747225&t=dsms
Really good story and great character development.
I really liked The Untamed because I loved Wei Wuxian. He’s a mischievous devil with no real malice in him. But you probably do have to hang in a lot longer than you might like for it to pick up.
I enjoyed Rookie Historian Goo-Haeryung (k-drama on Netflix or Viki) a lot. Feminist, historical/period, romance, with politics and comedy.
Strong Girl Bong Soon is soooo cute and funny. It is a K-drama on Netflix. 🙂
I recommend Eternal love of dream (Three lives, three worlds: the pillow book). It is a semi sequel to Eternal love (Three lives, three worlds: ten miles of peach blossoms) and it is still airing.
Loved the Untamed. 🙂 There was intrigue but also love (that word is not right – kærleikur / kærlighed.. the kind of love you give to family but not a romantic love). It was refreshing!
I used to love Princess hours (Goong). I was 16 at the time, and it has been a few years, so no guarantee that it held up well over the years, but I have very fond memories of it.
Hope you’ll feel better soon and especially you’ll be able to sleep !!
(sorry I can’t recommend any C-Drama to you, I’m in a middle of a huge binge-watching of Murder she Wrote and it’s like nothing exists except for JB Fletcher, Cabot Cove and all the people she met who get murdered xD)
Well except for Eternal Love of Dream because my sister pratically lives the story with the characters ><
I’m sorry things have been…not best right now, and I’m sorry to hear Delilah isn’t doing well! Thinking of you.
My roommate just finished a palace drama called The Story of Yanxi Palace, and really liked it! So hopefully there can be some good Epic Show Drama distraction.
Badlands is amazing if you want to check it out it’s on Netflix
Have you watched Faith, AKA The Great Doctor? It’s a palace like K-Drama featuring Lee Min Ho! A modern day plastic surgeon travels back in time about 700 years. Lots of intrigue and romance!
The Ghost Bride on Netflix was pretty fun- it’s based on one of my favourite books, but they took some liberties with the series.
I’m sorry for Del and hope you manage to get some sleep- it’s one of those put the oxygen mask on yourself first situations
I really loved Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace). Fascinating look into cooking and medicine in Korea’s royal palace around 1500, and wonderful love story with super hot swordsman 😉
I am sorry about Delilah. I lost my boy in January due to a cancer that happened so quickly we lost him only two weeks from first seeing symptoms. I don’t even know what kind it was. Give your girl a big kiss and treasure the time you have with her.
I liked Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Love story & main actor are excellent.
But not a happy ending…
Beautiful show, but disappointing ending
Then maybe Queen In Hyun’s Man, it’s great and as a very happy ending😀
I’m so bummed you didn’t like the untamed. Well the novel is better. I read the translated one online. They omitted a lot of things in the tv drama to where some of it doesn’t make sense to me, reading it made more sense. I just finished reading heaven officials blessing written by the same author and it’s better than the untamed. Supposed to get a tv drama soon. Can’t wait!!
After the untamed I’m now hooked on BL novels lol.
Anyways, have you tried Ashes of Love? It’s on Netflix.
May I suggest something a little old school? Justice Bao from the 1990’s was amazing. I would describe it as a detective story, in ancient China, with martial arts.
I’ve also always been a big fan of The Legend of the Condor Heroes as well. There have been multiple remakes, but the 2008 version is my favorite.
Have you tried Strong Woman Do Bong Soon? It’s on my to watch list 😂 it looks really good😊
It’s great…if you like strong woman bong soon then weightlifting fairy is another one I would recommend.
Hugs.
“Not enough killing” BAHAHAHA!!!
Ashes of Love (Heavy Sweetness, Ash-like Frost )! On Amazon, and Netflix but Amazons subs are better. It is funny, serious, and tragic in turns, but has a great HEA ending…
Enjoy.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Frühling, Sommer, Herbst, Winter und … Frühling
(Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom)
Kung fu Panda
Kubo
Take
1 pinch poetry in the treetops and magical in the
Wind dancing robes
1 pinch silence
1 Pinch of humor
1 fantasy
I watched and liked the same drama as you did. So I would like to recommend you Arsenal Military Academy. From last year, with 48 episodes, it’s different from the typical historical drama, since it’s during the First World War. If you like the legend of Mulan, or strong and independent female lead, you will like this.
Hoping it will help relived some of your stress 🙂
Kisses and well wishes from France!
P.S.: I tried to check if I made any mistakes, but sorry for my poor English. 😉
My sorrow and condolences about Delilah.
(Tongue in cheek) You may disregard or delete this comment, but!
I have been reading the Sweep series for the umpteenth time. The World Killer is fresh on my mind. I heard yesterday that one of my relatives has been compromised with the Corona Virus. He has no symptoms, but if he has any, he must go immediately into self-quarantine and report it. He worked at the epicenter nursing home in Seattle several months ago, before the Virus became well known. Some of the patients had flu like symptoms. Later it was suspected they were exposed even then to the Virus by visitors. Could your problems be related to reading/watching Chinese drama?
My favorite Chinese drama is Love O2O (online to offline) I prefer the television series simply because that formats able to devote more time to secondary characters and plotlines. They also made a more recent movie based on the same manga the I liked as well I felt they there was some better casting in the movie.
Korean drama I’d either go old school with Boys over flowers because who doesn’t love F4 or more recently popular Goblin has some amazing actors and actresses.
If you give anime a watch at all I love me a reverse harem and Ouran High School Host Club was my gateway drug into all things anime and Asian entertainment. Absolutely laugh out loud hilarious show!
I forgot about Love O2O! Great modern romance.
The Goblin was amazing! Definitely second the recommendion.
Yes! Ouran High School Host Club was also my gateway drug to humorous anime.
Angsty but beautiful would be Your Lie in April and, my favorite, Violet Evergarden.
If you can find it SONG OF THE DESERT and SECRET OF THREE KINGDOMS are both good. Both from mainland China and maybe 2018? OH MY GENERAL was absolutely ridiculous but fun.
CRASH LANDING ON YOU is a modern drama in Korea, I loved it.
If you’re willing to jump over to Korea my recommended historical are: SungKyunkwan Scandal, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, The Crowned Clown has some excellent acting, and Hwarang is a period idol drama with eye candy and a couple of good fights and requires absolutely no mental energy.
I hope you find a way to relax and recover. <3
Ashes of Love and Love and Destiny are good, mind-numbing Chinese fantasy dramas, both on Viki.
Ashes of Love is a hoot and will leave you wondering how many sides there can be in a love triangle. I think my brother and I counted 10, but honestly, you lose track after number 6.
Oh, oh, oh….
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin) on viki.
My all time favorite video/series… sweet, hilarious, serious, romantic and HEA.
And a fun romp through weird vampire trope… Scholar Who Walks The Night – hilarious, funny, and not too serious, sweet, and HEA.
I think The Untamed got such a high ranking because of the fans of the novel it was based on and the donghua (which is the Chinese version of anime) shows. The Untamed drama is good if you’ve read the novel, because the drama is seriously not clear if you watched it without knowing the story. I recommend the donghua if you just want to watch without reading, but the story (novel, drama, and donghua) is quite heartbreaking.
Best Kdramas out there:
Black
Perfume(peopyoom)
Healer
I hear your voice
Oh my venus
Scarlet heart-Ryeo
She was pretty
Find yourself
The K2
Her private life
What’s wrong with secretary Kim
Hyena
Once upon a time in Lingijan mountain
Extraordinary you
While you were sleeping
Romance is a bonus book
Remember
Signal
Beautiful gong shim
Because this is my first life
W-Two world’s
Goblin
The Prince of tennis
Leverage
Kono Otoko was Jinsei Saifai no ayamachidesu
Golden eyes
The game: towards zero
Tell me what you saw
Touch
Boss and me
Catch the ghost
Big
Kill it
Bring it on, ghost
Romantic doctor
Stove league
Angel’s last mission
Fluttering warning
@YOlandie
OOOH is that TOUCH based on the Mitsuru Adachi baseball manga?
@Ilona – have you ever seen Meteor Garden? I’m talking about the original, I haven’t seen the new version yet.
My friend got me started on Goblin, I’m liking it, but worried it may go tragic…
Korean Odyssey ( on Netflix) was amazing.
I’m digging Ashes of Love right now, but I haven’t gotten to the end yet and all the opening scene credits involve a lot of crying so I’m unsure about it not having a super tragic ending.
I second this!! Definitely watch Korean Odyssey!
I’m sorry Delilah is so ill. Maybe it’s time to give her peace as she has no quality of life and no hope of recovery. One of the significant downsides of aging is the loss of family members, human or fur, that we love.
Since October I’m down 10 friends and acquaintances and it sucks. I’d like some good news for a while and am anxiously awaiting Smoke Bitten which, judging by the first chapter, will be excellent!
Just came back from vet. We had to put my nephews kitty down. She had cancer and no quality of life. It’s so sad but I think it’s the last loving thing we can do for our pets. I go with all my family members for support.
I have no recs for you as I don’t watch a lot of new shows, I mostly rewatch old favourites.
I just want to wish you good rest and that your remaining time with Del is peaceful and not constant worry, indecision and sadness.
Do what you have to to take care of yourselves too.
When it comes to our beloved pets, we have to find the way to the final decision, and it’s different each and every time, for us and for them. I put my golden retriever Buddy down because my friend (a real dog and horse, etc., whisperer,) said he was suffering due to arthritis in his shoulder, despite pain meds. But he wasn’t ready to go, in spite of his limping and tried to get me to leave the vet office. I cried so hard after he was euthanized. My other dogs all seemed content with being at the vet when it was their time. With our 16 year old Bella, (who I thought was done at 15, but rebounded) I said I would wait for her to refuse to eat or not be able to get up anymore. She was in pain but still got up 3 times a day to take my brother for his walk. I wanted to respect her will to live because she seemed to feel needed, I guess. When she couldn’t get up off the floor or walk, it was time. So my condolences to you ahead of time. It sounds like that final decision time is looming very close now. Trust your own instincts on this. And when it’s over, may you finally get the sleep you deserve.
I am so sorry for the burn out and the sick puppy and all the bad things. Since I lack the magic wand to fix it I’ll do the next best thing and pray since that’s roughly the extent of my power in this situation. I sincerely hope things get better soon. It is so, so hard to know when it’s time with puppies. My first dog had the giant inoperable tumor and that was zero fun. I’m so sorry.
I really enjoyed the Descendents of the Sun Korean drama and Faith which I believe is also a Korean drama. Coincidentally they are both about doctors and soldiers. The Descendents of the Sun is set in the modern day and Faith is a time travel drama.
Good luck with the sleep deprivation, hope things look up soon. I haven’t tried Chinese Drama before, maybe I will look up one of these. Thanks for the recs.
It sure hurts when you lose a member of your family. Hugs and prayers sent your way.
Take walks (if the weather will allow) and enjoy your programs.
Hi! So here are 2 shows you might like that arent listed yet. I loved loved loved the K2 on netflix. Warning, its modern political drama with kick butt king fu. Some romance. I rewatch it when I need to see me some awesome fight scenes. I also loved a Korean Odyssey. Also modern, but fantasy. Based off the classic Journey to the West. Again some romance, but the special effects dont suck, and I actually liked the characters. It probably doesn’t hurt that I think the male leads from both series are eye candy :). And I also enjoyed The Girl Who Sees Smells. It’s a little different but was enjoyable.
I’m sorry to hear about your fur baby. That has to be one of the hardest parts. We love them so much and feel so helpless…
Please take care of yourselves! Get some rest, vetetate, do what makes you recharge. We will be waiting for you!
My all time favorite is Legend of the Condor Heroes. I’ve watched the 1985 (my favorite actors), right now watching the 2017 version. There is also Return of the Condor Heroes which involves the next generation.
So I’m watching three kdramas on Netflix right now. They’re all romances with low angst. Rom coms more than anything tbh.
The Abyss – supernatural cop/lawyer drama. The mains (childhood friends) die but the abyss (alien ball) brings them back.
Twist: they look like their souls. So the unattractive H is now HOT and the gorgeous h is now “plain”.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81087762?s=i&trkid=13747225
Crash Landing on You – poor little rich girl crashes her parachute in North Korean side of demilitary zone. Hilarity ensues. The H is OMGIMONFIREHOT.
Full disclosure : I only started watching this week but so far it’s v good.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81159258?s=i&trkid=13747225
Rookie Historian – I love this one so much.
The hero is a prince. But since he’s the spare, he’s pretty much ignored so he pursues his love of writing romance novels. Anonymously. He becomes the ancient version of Nora Roberts.
The heroine is a brilliant scientist but has to hide her talents. Because patriarchy. So she moonlights as a book narrator for wealthy women. She gets annoyed at the plots so she reads something else instead. Hilarity ensues. Eventually, she enters the palace to become the first female historian. Love it so far.
I’m sorry you’re having a rough time. And poor pup too. Hope these dramas can cheer you up ♥️
I’ve heard good things about Ashes of Love, which is available on Netflix.
I’m so Sorry about Delilah. I still think about my baby (cat) who’s been gone two years.
Whenever I see Ashes of Love, I think of Ashes of Time, which is not the same thing.
(And is gorgeous, and non-linear, and one of my all time favs, but not light and… dubious on the HEA?)
I think the high ratings for The Untamed probably come from the fact that there are many die hard fans of the novel series the show was adapted from who were just excited to see the characters on screen. The series is meant to be an adaptation of the Chinese novel Mo Dao Zu Shi which can be translated as The Grandmaster of Diabolism/ The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (I’ve seen it referred to both ways) and the novel is really a wonderful story well worth the high reviews. However the same can’t be said for the adaptations of it. This is in large part because much of the content of the novel is put in out of order or downright completely changed in the adaptations. Part of the reason for the changes is probably because there are strict laws about the content that can and cannot be shown on television in China and content related to same sex relationships is greatly restricted. As a result parts of the story are changed to comply with the rules and the changes don’t always make sense. Another reason for the changes may be that there is a huge back story involved and the novel contains many flashbacks and the producers may have felt that it would be easier for the viewers to keep track of events if they changed the order of the story to show more of the flashbacks together rather than interwoven with the main plot. This did not work out and makes the story kind of boring and cumbersome in some cases. You also lose track of the importance of events. I watched the anime and not the tv series adaptation myself but I believe they both suffer from the same problems. I actually saw the anime before reading the novel and the differences are so huge that I was very surprised when reading the novel. I didn’t even realize the story was supposed to feature a same sex couple until then. Still the anime was interesting enough to make me find the novel so I suppose it succeeded in that regard. If you have some time I highly recommend the novel. The characters are interesting and well developed and the plot is very engaging.
Please take care of yourself. When it all comes down to it, that is most important.
Netflix- Yanxi Palace Princess Adventure has a happy ending. I finished it about a week ago
Sorry you’re burned out. Happens to us all. A chinese film I liked was “Iron Monkey”. It’s a Kung fu flick that actually doesn’t have a sad ending. It does have subtitles. Kinda a chinese Robin Hood or Zorro :).
Regarding the dog, I’ve got my geriatric toy fox terrier wearing a washable dog diaper that’s actually for females so it covers his butt as well. Because he has a short tail (like a doberman) I attache it via a large diaper pin and a clip to a harness so it cant slide off his rear. Plus when I leave the house he is locked in his crate. He used to pee inside every day and has started pooping inside recently too. The combination of using the diapers with crate has greatly reduced the peeing problems. And the diapers catch the poop as well. I got the dog diapers from amazon (Pet Parents Washable Dog Diapers). Its hard when you have an older dog. I hope you can find a liveable solution.
Check out the series Warrior. It’s awesome.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5743796/
Hugs for you guys. I have to admit I’m looking forward to the live action version of Mulan. I’m not sure why, as I haven’t enjoyed any of the other live action versions, but I like the k dramas and Chinese shows, and Milan is my very favorite Disney movie, so maybe I’m just optimistic.
Hugs.
Korean not Chinese—Rookie Historian!
I hope you feel better soon. I have been falling asleep early and waking up at 1 or 2am then cant go back to sleep. My mom thinks Im perimenopausal. I am only 37 and sincerely hoping I am not, but I feel crazy and tired so I made a doctor appointment anyway.
Good luck on finding a good Drama to help relax you.
Arsenal Military Academy is fabulous. I also second Love 020 (drama over movie).;
If you like quirky rich guy/poor girl romances, Netflix has Chinese movie called “This is Not What I Expected”. 1hr and 46 min long.
I am so sorry about the lack of sleep. As the mom of a 3 times a night wake up preschooler, I sympathize. When the hubs and I get to the point of sleep deprivation insanity, we take turns sleeping. I get one night alone in our room with no interruptions while he sleeps in the preschooler’s room, and then we swap the next night. It really helps! Just ONE night of sleep makes me a happy lady! Praying for you!
I recommend the K-Dramas
1) Healer (Viki platform)
2) What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
3) I have heard rave reviews of Strong Woman Do Bong Soon from my sister
Deciding when to say goodbye to a beloved pet is so hard. Wishing you peace and comfort as you find your way. One thing that helped us was finding a vet that would come to our house. (Our regular vet practice no longer offers that service.) It was still heartbreaking but we felt supported.
We love you guys.
You might look into veterinary acupuncture, it might make her more comfortable and help you sleep. It is possible its pain but meds can become ineffective with tumors. Just a thought, good luck.
No recs. But here is a pic of my teen-cat, Keanu, when he was small and not happy about being at the vet.
I send you peace and breath.
So, this may or may not be a good suggestion.
Kingdom from Netflix is a korean zombie drama. I can’t compare it to other korean dramas because this is the only korean show i’ve seen, and tbh, i find it a bit weird, but that is possibly because of cultural differences etc. But zombies! The show has been well reviewed as well if that helps
I love c and k dramas! I find the subtitles on Viki to be way better than Netflix btw. They explain more of the nuances, like why ithe line is supposed to be funny.
Did you watch Princess Weiyoung? Kind of a sad ending… but really good!!! I’m sad you don’t like Dylan Wang in Ever Night 2. But I first fell in love with the c and I dramas after stumbling upon Meteor Garden. I refuse to watch Boys over Flowers and that stupid curly hair Lee Min Ho. (I loved him in The Heirs and I will fight anyone over Boys Over Flowers vs Meteor Garden! 🤣🤣🤣)
Goblin and My ID is Gangnam Beauty are both great, but I know you are looking for historical… W is reallly good and very different so I never knew what would happen next – or how they would make the inevitables happen. Not historical though. Hwarang is supposed to be great but I can’t get it through Viki. In the end, I’m not much help.
You should watch Eternal Love Of Dream! It finished on Thursday though eng subs probably won’t be out until the 19th…
It’s so much fun and the leads have great chemistry! I’m enjoying it so much!
Re: The Untamed — It is very loosely based (most of the same characters with added and subtracted subplots and plot twists) off the novel Mo Dao Zhu Shi which combines mystery, action and romance. The P.O.V. character of Mo Dao Zhu Shi has a patchy memory and has been dead for a least a decade before his resurrection( in someone else’s body) so he has to figure out who resurrected him and why, as well as what has happened while he was dead and gain new insight into some things that happened while he was alive. So the Novel bounces back and forth between the past and present during which the characters fight a lot of Zombies, monsters, political enemies and each other. As for the romance, that is a little more complicated. But anyway, it got a comic book series , 2 animated series and an Audio Drama and The Untamed builds off of that popularity.
The Untamed is really good when you get past the extended flashback … which takes a really long time.
Most initial viewers read the book, which flips between flashback and real time so mixes sad with really really funny.
There is a fun fan-made series from New Zealand on the interwebs called AfK (afkwebseries.com), with fantasy players waking up in their character’s bodies. First series obviously amateur in places, but they got better funding to make the second series, so worth persevering.
Sorry to hear about Delilah. 🙁
I would recommend A Little Thing Called First Love, which is a nice, fluffy story. Leads are super cute.
Master’s Sun is a good KDrama, as well as Her Private Life.
I am so sorry about your dog. I have two babies and live in fear of them getting sick.
I’m so sorry to gear about the sick dog. I’m sure you’ve gotten lots of advice and opinions. I can only say that the sleep deprivation reminds me if what happens with new burns. My husband and I had success with taking 6 hour shifts. One person would stay with baby and wake with them. The other would be in a room far away. 6 hours seemed to be the minimum requirement for function. It did mean one if us was going to bed at 8 PM. But it only last a few months. Maybe something like this would work for you. Good luck!
+1. Same. So sorry about your dog, she wants to be your good girl.
I agree that Host Club is a fun anime. I also liked Master’s Sun which is a ghost story driven kinda rom com…if you still need suggestions 🙂
My dearest author, a year ago I read your blog where you recommended the “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?” I went to VIKI and I fell down the Kdrama rabbit hole.
100’s and 100’s of viewing hours later (I know because I made a spreadsheet). I’m taking this post to thank you for bringing all this color and energy into my life and to recommend, in return to you, some excellent Kdramas, with satisfying endings.
On Netflix and VIKI(in no particular order):
— When the Camellias Bloom (2019) It has everything. Modern believable romance, solid mystery, RL situations, a child actor that is incredible with a secondary cast that is hysterical.
— Crash Landing on You (2020) Great acting, comedy, tension. Romance Kdrama style. Kick ass male lead that is hunky and can still pull off Korean pure in spades.
— A Korean Odyssey (2018) The Gods play hard and we all win. Beautiful sets and clothes. Classic Korean drama HFN ending, that fits the story and is oddly satisfying.
— Mr. Sunshine (2018) Hang in with this one till the end. The cast and storyline is amazing.
— Strong Girl Bong Soon (2018) I can’t say enuf about this drama. Yes its storyline is farfetched, but its sooooooo good. The comedy is great and the 2 leads are perfect.
— Moon Embracing the Sun (2012) Joseon Dynasty-era Korea romance at its best, evil-evil villainous female shaman acted to perfection. I fell in love with the male lead actor (see my last recommendation, he’s in that too). You’ll need LOTS of Kleenex. Its very cathartic 😉
— My Love From the Star (2014) The female lead is just hysterical. I can’t say enuf about her comedic timing. The set designer must have had $$$$ Another classic HFN ending, which fits the story.
Maybe for a few hours you’ll be able to refocus, recharge, and get some much needed Zzzzz’s.
My fav kdramas of last year.
1. Extraordinary You – the main character discovers she’s in a manga.. but as an extra, not the main character
2. Hotel del Luna – very gorgeous costumes
3. The secret Life of my secretary – funny and the second female lead is Awesome
+1 to Hotel Del Luna too! Love Jang Man Weol’s character😍😍
Putting my 2 cents in.
I use to watch a lot of korean and chinese dramas. I’m more selective now because they take so much time and I hate wasting my time watching a drama that ends up badly. I also prefer historical to modern dramas.
My favorite historical Korean dramas are:
Hwayugi (mix of historical/fantasy/modern) – based on Journey to the West if you know about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Korean_Odyssey
Moonlight Drawn by Clouds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_in_the_Moonlight
Empress Ki (This has a sad ending but the entire series as whole was good. Lots of twists and turns.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Ki_(TV_series)
These are older but I liked it and still consider them favorites.:
The Princess’ Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess%27_Man
Dong Yi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_Yi_(TV_series)
Faith
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_(South_Korean_TV_series)
Rooftop Prince
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooftop_Prince
Reply 1988 – This isn’t really historical (but its 1988!!) but I still recommend it. The whole reply series is good but I would start with Reply 1988. I hope you’ll check this out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reply_1988
For historical Chinese dramas here my are recs:
Ashes of Love – I see other people have recommended this and it is very cute.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashes_of_Love_(TV_series)
Lost Love in Times
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Love_in_Times
The King’s Woman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King%27s_Woman
Lan Ling Wang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Lan_Ling_(TV_series)
Startling by Each Step aka Scarlet Heart – I only watched the 1st one. The sequel is set in modern day and I didn’t find any motivation to continue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Heart
I’d recommend a dark room and a couple of hours of hypnotic meditation listening to Michael Sealey on youtube. Anxiety, negativity, self healing, he has guides for all that. He has helped me cope so much.
New Horizon children’s meditations for sleep help me sleep sometimes… I am so sorry about your dog. I don’t have any recommendations you are looking for, but I read 2 awesome books recently:
Gideon the 9th
And
The Last Hour of Gann.
For chinese drama, I totally recommend Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (also known as Eternal Love)!!!! It’s my all time favorite! I’m so in love with the main male character.
I’m not so great with synopsis so here’s a copy from google: “When the deities Bai Qian and Ye Hua fall in love, it is a romance of epic proportions that stands the test of three lifetimes.”
It’s based on a web-novel that got so popular that it got made into a TV series and a movie. TV series is sooooo amazing but the movie is horrible.
I wish you lots of lots of lots of deep, refreshing sleep. I struggle with sleeping well so I know how lack of it can suck the life out of you.
Just finished “Reply 1988” on Netflix. So good! Definitely recommend. It’s not wuxia but very warm and sweet. Also finished “Find Yourself”, it’s good once you get past the first 2 episodes or so. They get a bit overkill with the constant lecture on delayed marriage.
I feel for you. A beloved pet on a downwards spiral along with burnout is a terrible situation and I wish I had some amazing advice to give but … I hope things will get better soon and that you will start getting good sleep and lots of it.
Accidentally In Love on Netflix is a modern setting, but honestly, I’ve loved everything about it. The characters are awesome, the situations are hysterical, and it’s pure happy endorphin feelings without trope-overload.
Did someone recommend Dream of Eternal Love and the sequel Three lives, three worlds: the pillow book
I’m really sorry about Delilah, our cat is on palliative steroids at the moment so her quality of life is good but we know that eventually we’ll have to make the really hard call.
Re the untamed, I stuck with it through some really ropey episodes mostly due to Xiao Zhan’s charm, I’m finding that the latter episodes are a lot easier to watch.
I know you’ve probably already watched all of them but Jet Li’s earlier films(Tai Chi master, Fong Sai-Yuk) were enjoyable .
Also, if you end up trying to watch ‘Crash Landing On You’, don’t skip the mini epilogue after the end of each episode. It’s not directly related to the current main plot but emotionally connected to some scenes in the episode (although it won’t affect the main plot, but still, it’s always a delight to watch)^^
Ilona, watch The Handsome Siblings, it’s a new Netflix original, and absolutely lovely. Chinese historical but very light and fun, bonkers crazy. I guarantee you’d enjoy it 🙂 As to modern Chinese, Go, Squid is absolutely adorable. It does go on, but it’s light and there is a lot of chemistry. One of my faves Korean romntic dramas this year was My Contracted Husband M.Oh. only 16 episodes and soooo lovely!
Watch meteor garden, well intended love and love o2o. all very good and recommended to me after i watched cinderella and the four knights
Ilona, I understand about your fur baby, so hard to let them go.. I had to let my best fur friend and super protector Chow-Lab mix go after he was dx with throat cancer. It was so hard, even our vet cried, she had taken care of him when he was a puppy. I will say a prayer for you and your family, that you are find the courage to do the best thing for everyone.
Bless you. Shari
I realize I dont know how to initiate a comment. Oh well. Try
A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop. I like all of this directors films This one is Very camp but amazing odd and beautiful setting 🙂
saxon
I was beading, making bracelets and necklaces, crocheting making shawls, and an afgan, and now I’m so burned out I can’t sleep to save my life. My husband and I watched “Kung Fu Hustle” last night, to try to get me to unwind, and it’s 3:o8 am. I wish I could shut off this brain inside my head. Then I see this article about not sleeping “could” kill me. Thanks MF, just what I needed. WTF , on top of everything else, everything, except cooking, seems to annoy me, and now I would love a magic wand to correct my lousy attitude. CRAP. I guess I’ve got to “Ride The Storm Out.” Just lovely. I know how you feel. Here’s hoping for better times for us sleep deprived souls.
Try some melatonin 10mg, OTC. Nothing harmful but it works! CVS carries the generic and it is not expensive. Husband is on CPAP MACHINE and it is hard for him to get to sleep but the Melatonin works. Good luck.
If you don’t find something great, maybe you’d like to try LitRPG? You like playing RPGs so why not read stories set in games of the future. As another hook, a group of russian authors ‘created’ the genre, so you have russian motivations/culture as background not just US standard. Vasily Mahanenko is one of the founders of the genre; start there. My personal favourite is Nikita Thorn’s ‘bushido online’ which starts with a tear jerker that makes me cry every time..
It’s 5 in the morning here. I’m sipping tea and nibbling on sugar-free, gluten-free cookies.
Many hugs to you, from another of your not-sleeping-well compatriots.
Thank you for my new ‘to-watch’ list. I’ve been meaning to ask for some recommendations myself 😁
I’m currently watching Three Lives, Three Worlds: The Pillow Book, it’s cute and interesting, Goblin is best ever series I watched recently, Princess agents – fairly good but little tiresome to watch, The story of Ming Lan – inspiring, lead lady is strong, patient and smart beyond her times.
First let me say that I’m so sorry about your pup, It’s so very sad when they’re failing which is emotionally draining – not to mention the lack of sleep. I wish I could give you a television show recommendation but I rarely watch TV these days. I’m on a reading binge right now which the Kate Daniels books play a prominent role. Keeping us ravenous fans must be exhausting, and I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. A very huge THANK YOU, from one of your ravenous fans!
Hi Ilona, Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms is a go-to for me when the doldrums hit. It’s got everything – love stories, strong female lead, memorable characters, mythology, awesome sword fights, dread creatures, yummy males leads, soundtrack that you’ll find yourself humming to, even if you don’t know the lyrics. Best of all: a solid good ending. I cannot count how many xianxias I’ve watched where I had to look up what the ending meant. TMOPB has a spinoff currently running, Pillow Book, aka Eternal Love of Dream (same female lead as Flame’s Daughter). Not as epic as TMOPB but the cuteness factor is tops! Enjoy!
Hi Ilona, Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms is a go-to for me when the doldrums hit. It’s got everything – love stories, strong female lead, memorable characters, mythology, awesome sword fights, dread creatures, yummy males leads, soundtrack that you’ll find yourself humming to, even if you don’t know the lyrics. Best of all: a solid good ending. I cannot count how many xianxias I’ve watched where I had to look up what the ending meant. TMOPB has a spinoff currently running, Pillow Book, aka Eternal Love of Dream (same female lead as Flame’s Daughter). Not as epic as TMOPB but the cuteness factor is tops! Enjoy!
Of all the dramas you listed most of which I watched, it was interesting that Under The Power was not there, I thought it was the best of all.
Joy of Life was very good too. But my favourite was Under The Power. The lead couple were so good, and the costumes stunning.
You might want to also check out Ashes of Love.
So sorry about your dog. You obviously love her very much. Praying for sleep for you.
Have you watched City Hunter or Healer? They’re Korean dramas and very entertaining.
On HULU: “Oh My Venus” a somewhat realistic Rom-com.
“What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” a Rom-com with a childhood mystery.
On Netflix: “Crash Landing on You” – Smart business woman character, North /South Korea storyline-Excellent!
“Man to Man” – comedic spy w/ some romance.
Viki: “Tales of Nokdu” historical that has great actors, chemistry, & storyline.
I am sorry your pup Delilah is having a very bad time. We have been there 4 times over our married life of 45 years and it never gets any easier. We love them and never want them to be in any kind of pain. When they are, it is our pain too. We understand what you are going through and it is a horrible time. There is no easy way through this and that makes sleep just impossible. Take your comfort where you can, try a nap now and then and love all you can.
Forgot to add “Love O2O” series, not the same named movie, Chinese live action adaptation of a novel. Takes place predominantly in a Wuxia video game, has a female lead who is smart & non whiny. For maybe a younger audience, but I really enjoyed it & the video game sequences were decently done.
On Netflix.
“King’s Avatar” is a non ronance Wuxia video game series that I enjoyed, but some fans of the origin story & manhua had mixed feelings. The female lead wasn’t the best, but you might enjoy the well done in game visuals.
Not big on Chinese dramas, but some of my favorite Korean dramas are guardian: the lonely and great god, while you were sleeping, love in the moonlight, sungkyunkwan scandal, master’s sun, and fight my way.
So sorry about your sick dog. Been there but with old cats, is tough. You need a break it seems because of you are tired with reason.
And, about tv: A Korean Odyssey is on my top shows for laugh and tears about the old theme of the old chinese tale. Recently, just watch Hotel del Luna (korean ghost story).
I’m sorry you’re not sleeping! I bought my husband a pillow spray and that seems to help us. I’m 39w1d pregnant and awaiting our first daughter, so I’ve just given up on sound sleep completely, and she’s not even here yet. When I finally get to sleep, nothing like a massive, gnarly dog fart at 3 AM waking you out of your first sound sleep in a few days to make you consider a doggy fur coat.
Ten Miles of Peach Blossom (aka Eternal Love on Netflix) is awesome if you haven’t seen it and there’s a new parallel series airing now called Three Lives, Three Worlds: The Pillow Book. Ten Miles of Peach Blossom has the same leading actress as Legend of Fuyao. Three Lives, Three Worlds: The Pillow Book has the same leading actress as the Flames Daughter.
I totally second Ten Miles of Peach Blossom!! The plot is intricate, chemistry is sizzling and the acting is outstanding. beautiful drama! For Kdrama, Goblin is one of the best, “Kill Me, Heal Me” has interesting premise. If you like Cinderella, you might like “the Heirs”—can’t go wrong with Lee Min Ho! 🥰. Same with “Legend of the Blue Sea”—it’s got a mermaid!
I agree. Eternal Love is my favorite out of most of these series.
Eternal love of dream: You can watch it on Youtube with english subs. So far the best chinese drama.
I know burnout. I am an only child and my mom was dying with Cancer and Alzheimer’s. She bark ate and I fed her yogurt and mashed bananas. Had to put her in nursing home,she wouldn’t accept anyone else coming into the house. Plus we live in4 story walk up. For a while she was able to climb the stairs with metastatic cancer, lung and spine.She was 85, very Irish and very strong. It was when coming home from church and she couldn’t climb the stairs that I made the decision.First hospital, evaluation and then nursing home. Hardest decision of my life, I also decided to stop chemo.
I visited her every day, watched over her and tried to keep her eating. She recognized me every time, hugged and kissed me and told me to be safe coming home.
I was alone, no family and few friends. I had a great oncology nurse who I called weekly to help with decisions. My best friend lives in Portland Oregon with small child. I called her a lot.
I lived on yogurt, small bags of potato chips and tea.I was in survival mode.
At night, Figaro, my cat, would climb into bed with me and sleep on my chest purring. He saved me. . I survived, my mom survived as long as she could. She made it to 87.
One of my lifelines was the innkeeper. I had read some of Ilona Andrews, and the innkeeper was just starting online. Each Friday, I said,” my mom made another week and new chapter with Dina.
So, you do what you need to get through the day.
I nursed my Orange tabby Reggie through 2 different cancers. Fed him with baby spoons.Was caregiver to my mom when both she and I-had cancer at the same time. Took over completely when her Alzheimer’s took its toll. Her doctor said, “ Both diseases feed off each other. And control the outcome.”
You have my support and prayers.
End of life , be it a pet or human is just the hardest thing to live though.
I
You did your best in a very difficult situation. You have a beautiful soul, I wish you the best.
Oldie but the one my hubby (and therefore I) return to when we need to zone into something beautiful and epic is John Woo’s Red Cliffs. I particularly love Zhao Wei as Sun Shangxiang the warrior princess. It is a Chinese medieval drama with lots of war, but also a bit of romance and a good-guys-win ending. Beautiful actors. Beautiful costumes. Beautiful sets. Epic battle scenes.
You and Gordon have been pumping out stuff like Nora Roberts —so insanely fast, and so insanely good.
You are tired. You just need to refill the well. I just finished a tough book, and I’m pretty blasted too. Be kind to yourself.
Another insomniac here. Nothing really seems to help. Have had 4 weeks of upper respiratory crud with wheezing and coughin g that I think might be here forever!! Couple of older Korean dramas that i loved besides Coffee Prince were Hotelier and a crackpot comedy called My Girl, and another older comedy called Full House. Any chance you and Gordon could get away, even for a day or two? Sometimes even a small break helps
My fave xianxia so far is Ten miles of peach blossoms! For modern, try le coup de foudre!
I love your books. Your books recommendations give me something to read while waiting for your next book.
For K-drama, check out Stove League and Itaewon Class (this is currently showing in Netflix).
C-drama, yeah Story of Ming lan and Nirvana on Fire are super good. Disregarding the change of the male lead, Ever Night is better then Ever Night 2.
For K drama, would recommend Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Her Private Life, Love in the moonlight, and Healer all on Viki. Netflix, I liked Romance is a bonus book. Suggest passing on Love Alarm and Strong Woman Do Bon Su (1/3 of the show is delightful, but treatment of gay character was offensive and and doesn’t come up until like halfway in.)
I am so sorry about your dobie. When you have a sick/dying member of your family it’s virtually impossible to function normally. That light which you want to kick in the ass to make them come back knowing it will not happen is devastating. Knowing your peace will not return until the light is gone I can only assure you there is, at least, one who take your pain from you if only they could.
Netflix: A Korean Odyssey, Because this is My First Life, Love Alarm.
I mostly watch Kdramas but Well Intended Love is a Chinese drama that is a train wreck I couldn’t stop watching. Its very soapy and you can’t quite believe the female lead could be so dumb falling for the male lead. I am surprised I didn’t give myself a black eye with all the times I slapped my face in exasperation.
My Secret Romance~ used to be on Hulu. If you can find it I really enjoyed it. The main couple had good chemistry and the male lead wasn’t a cold douche the female lead moved mountains trying to please. I particularly like the part in the beginning that set the story up for the rest of the series. I don’t want to give too much away! Let’s just say that I was moved when he wordlessly asked her permission before perusing further. You don’t see that in any romance, tv, movie, or books and I thought that it was a great way to illustrate consent that wasn’t preachy or took away from the scene.
It’s a Korean series but have you tried Kingdom on Amazon?https://youtu.be/HlmkL65a6QI
Blessed be.
I’m currently 14 episodes into Dr. Cutie. Almost didn’t try because of the name but a decent Chinese historical drama, reminding me of Moonlight Drawn by Clouds. Also enjoyed the Korean drama Hotel del Luna.
I guess it depends on what you are in the mood for.
On Netflix:
Rise of Phoenixes – Palace intrigue galore FANTASTIC For first 50 odd episodes or so then somewhere out of the blue sharp character turns turn it into a Good show but the last 5 minutes are total crap. Apparently based on a book where they took huge liberties with female MC (in book she’s totally amazing- in drama she’s good but still needs saving quite a bit) I loved the show until the last 5 minutes and then had to go find closure therapy. Ninja-reflection blog is doing a weekly translation of the book since it’s not printed in English that is awesome. She also does show reviews on C/K/T//J shows that are very helpful. Even with the ending the main actors have crazy chemistry and even the supporting characters really shine.
Because This Is My First Life- kdrama. Convenience marriage show that’s one of the best I’ve seen done. Great girl support. Realistic
Vagabond- spy thriller with light ( very light but oh so awesome on the feels) romance. Loved loved loved it. High quality production. Cliffhanger ending and waiting on season 2
Korean Odyssey- love this one. Fantasy/contemporary with deities in modern world. Bittersweet ending but not totally without hope.
Romance is a bonus book- kdrama. Makes you want to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and just melt into the show. It’s soft and warm and comfortable. Contemporary/ starting over/ romance. Divorcee is starting over and moves in with younger best friend (guy) and gets a job at a publishing company. Watching her blossom back into herself Was great and who doesn’t love Lee Jong Suk.
Crash Landing on You: N/S Korea rom/com. LOVED this one. Hyun Bin. (From secret garden) is N Korean officer who hides South Korean ceo who literally crashed into the DMZ. Amazing chemistry and supporting character.
Eternal love: Chinese Xianxia mark chao and yang mi are awesome. Happy ending. Takes a while for female MC to grow into herself but when she does she’s awesome.
The spin off Three Lives, Three Worlds, the Pillow Book is a spin off that’s airing right now with the same actors who played their characters in eternal love. However the story line and character origins are very very altered so it’s possible to watch it without watching Eternal Love. You miss some cameos but that’s about the extent of the cross over between shows.
On Tubi- ( Free app)
Empress Ki- kdrama. Palace intrigue 👍🏻 Heart wrenching love triangle 👍🏻 Amazing acting👍🏻 Hae Ji Won (secret garden) and Ji Chang Wook.
On Viki:
Goblin- hands down one of the best kdramas EVER. Also fantasy/contemporary/romance. The romance is great but the bromance between the 2 male leads is what really sets this one apart. Total awesomeness (Gong Yoo- coffee prince ) (Kim Go Eun- Parasite)
Healer: mystery/action/romance. My favorite of Ji Chang Wook’s works so far. Really awesome.
Search: WWW- k drama contemporary woman workplace. Strong female storylines that don’t center on getting married as the ultimate life goal. ( there is romance but it’s not the center of the woman’s lives)
W- k drama. Lee Jong Suk. Parallel worlds (reality vs comic book) with characters jumping back and forth between both.
Romance/mystery/comic. I really enjoyed it. It meanders around for a bit about 2/3 in but eventually finds its way back for an HEA.
K- Palace intrigue:
Jewel in the Crown.
The Crowned Clown.
Haven’t made it to these yet personally but they have high ratings and all the reviews I have read on them have been positive.
2 blogs that have been really really helpful to me in finding shows
http://www.Ninja-reflection.com
synopsis and basic reviews for quick verdict. Also does Chinese to english translating for some Chinese shows that are based on books where the book is better than the show.
http://www.Thefangirlverdict.com
VERY in depth reviews but with separated spoilers so you don’t ruin it for yourself if you don’t want to. VERY helpful
These are some of my top favorites. Happy bingeing!
Hi Iona,
I enjoyed Cinderella and the Four Knights and here are a few Korean recommendations. Some of them are lighter and fluffier than others.
Lighter with HEA.
1. Weightlifting Fairy Kim
2. What’s wrong with secretary kim
3. Go go Starry night
HEA with some drama
4. 1% of Something
5. Because this is my first life
4. Strong Girl Bong Soon * there is a murder mystery plot in this one that’s dark. But you can totally fast forward to those parts and just watch the romance portion .
Goblin is fabulous and technically has a HEA but not as happy as I wanted.
If you haven’t already, I recommend going to MyDramaList.com, looking up your favorites and checking the recommendations. I find that the recommendations on this site are pretty good .
Also, if you can’t find the recommendations above on Netflix or Viki, try dramacool.
Hope you feel better!!
I’m quite recently introduced to K-drama and am limited to Netflix UK. But I recommend Strong Girl Bong Soon Do – it was hilarious and fun. Weighlifting Fairy is YA and had more serious underlying messages but was enjoyable . I also enjoyed The Girl Who Sees Scents which has a mystery in it and the weirdness of the smell-o-vision. Suspicious Partner has a nice romance with a mystery/murder to solve and they work in law. Beautiful Gong Shim reminded me of some overwrought Dynasty/Dallas type thing but it was still great with the inter-family politicking stuff. I will own that I liked but admit it’s basically mush Oh My Venus. I’m halfway through Lion Pride which is seeming pretty good with a maths genius crime solving hero.
First let me start by saying I am so sorry about your dog. It sucks when members of your family are in pain 😢. I also have a C-Drama recommendation for you. I think you would love (no pun intended) Love and Destiny! It’s so underrated and it’s very good. The first few episodes are a bit rocky, but if you can put up with it, be prepared for greatness. You can find it on Viki.
Hi Ilona
Anxiety and burnout sucks. Add to that worry over a beloved pet and, well…. poop. Been there before and it is not a fun place to be.
Wondering if you’ve ever tried any grounding techniques/mindfulness as it can help with both anxiety and burnout.
Hope you’re able to get some sleep soon xo
I’m so sorry about your dog. It’s so hard watching them slowly go downhill. It sounds like everything is coming at once for you both.
Er, don’t know if this is exactly what you’re looking for, but Netflix has a Kdrama called Kingdom that I really enjoyed (and season 2 hits Friday)- it’s a palace drama (noble prince, badass lady healer, fighter with mysterious past), but with zombies! Adapted from a webcomic. And I know ‘zombies’ sounds weird, but it totally works.
So sorry about Delilah.
My latest Chinese drama binge on viki has been General and I. Hero is a general and heroine is a military strategist—and it is a happy ending.
I am so sorry about your dog. It sounds as if you have given him a good life, with a family who will love him until the end and do what is best for him. I wish every dog could have his kind of family. He is blessed.
I don’t know how you approach end of life, but for me, there was always the question of when to euthanize. I never wanted to do it when they were happy and painfree (temporarily) and also didn’t want to wait too long. My vet’s office is closed at nights and weekends. 🙁
I hope you can get some good rest soon.
A little left-field but Netflix has some good Bollywood movies on there:
Queen is especially good – about a woman from small town India who gets left at the altar. She goes solo on her honeymoon and it’s about her adventures.
Dangal about a father who trains both his daughters to be wrestlers
Lagaan – a Hindi film classic set in Victorian western India in a small town. The local Indians play cricket against the English rulers to be let off paying a crippling tax – amazing soundtrack thanks to AR Rahman and fabulous acting and dancing.
Have to 2nd Lagaan, although it is quite long. I thought I would be bored to death but no, I could wait to get back to it for the full ride.
Maybe you should sleep for a day or two. Maybe you overdid for too long. Also, fatique is a symptom of depression.
And just what is Del’s quality of life right now?
I started watching Asian dramas in 2011 and I know all the classics/must watch.
C drama: Nirvana 2, 10 Miles of Peach Blossom, the Journey of the Flower, Empress Fuyao.
Kdrama:Healer (my all time favorite), Goblin, Vagabond, You Who Came from the Stars, Weightlifting fairy, Strong Woman Dong Book Soo, Kill Me Heal Me, Secret Garden, Reply 1988, Empress Ki, à Tree with Deep Roots and 6 Flying Dragons, Dong Yi.
Trust me these are C.L.A.S.S.I.C.S
I highly recommend Eternal Love of Dream on YouTube (Tencent channel). As much as I love the first season, this second season features a leading male who asks for consent!
On the same Tencent channel, I’m also watching My Girlfriend is an Alien. It’s a complete series and super funny!
I just finished Empress Ki and loved the acting and kick ass lead.
Watch Sassy Girl on Netflix. My husband, (who is a Man’s Man) binge watched this show.
I don’t know if this will help your burn out, but I just discovered Twine and I’m having great fun playing with it ( https://twinery.org/ ) I’m not an author or a coder, but I’m planning to introduce it to our library patrons in a class this summer because it’s so much fun. You can craft a “create your own adventure” story/game, and it’s totally free! Best wishes for Delilah, I’ll send some positive energy her way.
It’s not Chinese but on Netflix there is the Ghost Bride. It is an adaption of Yangsze Choo book of the same title. It is from 19th century Malaysia, bit of a mystery and fantasy.
The only Chinese thing I have been watching is My Mr Mermaid. And I can’t get through it. I agree about Love Knot. Currently I am watching KDrama Cunning Single Lady. Hilarious, in the funny Korean way.
The Untamed is popular because fans of the book/manhua/donghua were excited for a live action drama. The main actors are also pop stars with fans of their own, and it didn’t hurt that they did a good job acting as well as sang the theme and other songs. Yes, the boy love is a big draw. Taboos always are. China is super censor happy, though, so many watched to set how the love story and violence were handled. For China, it was well done, and if you already knew the story, it was fun to watch. I’m not sure I would have cared as much if I hadn’t known the plot and understood th he subtext of subtle glances, locations, etc., but when you do, the reasons gor its popularity make ablittle more sense. The story has a cultish following in all media forms now, but it began with the book. I hope to one day binge shows/movies of your stories as well. Long live the dreams of these obsessed. 🙂
yoga nidra for sleep really helps me. There is an insight app that has free meditations. Also you’ve been putting out high volumes of material. Burn out will happen. I hope you can get some rest soon.
I loved Joy of Life! I got my whole family to watch it. Love that you enjoyed it too. (When I saw your post, I was like “I know those guys!”) I’ve been in a drama slump since the show ended. Another great drama that got me in a similar slump was Nirvana in Fire. Superb script and acting. Not really focused on romance. More about the genius of a political tactician. Just started watching Longest Day in Chang’an. The acting and script is also great, but dont know about the ending yet. It’s a suspense thriller but with a pretty sad undertone.
Lastly, sorry to hear about your pup. I understand being on edge for any noise they make. -___- Its hard when your loved one isnt feeling well.
If someone has already mentioned this I apologize for bringing it up again – would she be happy using a make shift in home potty? Plastic kiddie pool or shower pan (block drain off well), rocks, than turf or sod (my dog is to big of a snob for turf) on top? Than she could have access to a potty when she needs? Also, I vote on a long vacation, a month? Two? Wherever and whatever you need to recharge!
Also my all time favorite Korean historical series The Great Jang Geum or Jewel in the Palace (2003)
About 500 years ago during the time of Chosun Dynasty, Korea boasted a rigidly hierarchical and male dominated social structure. Set in this period, “Jewel in the Palace” is based on a true story about a legendary girl named Jang-Geum who became the first woman to be the supreme royal physician of her times.
Despite her poor condition as a low class girl in the male dominated society, Jang-Geum overcame a series of social discrimination and landed herself as a royal cook, later becoming the royal physician, then ultimately the physician in charge of the king.
Have you read Nightfall by Mao Ni. That is the novel Ever Night is based on. It is really great. Ning Que is a real bad ass character. It really doesn’t come off in the drama but Ning Que is completely cold blooded and ruthless while at the same tine being garrulous and outgoing.
The narrative, world building, and character development are so much richer in the novel. I was drawn to Ning Que and Sang Sang in the Ever Night drama. The story was also good but there were so many characters I was always forgetting who was who. The brothers and sisters in the academy were bland and underdeveloped so his whole relationship to the academy wasn’t that interesting.
Then I read the novel and everything I didn’t like about the drama I loved in the novel. Ning Que also gained about 100 IQ points. You really see just how long he was plotting his revenge, how thorough he was and how much information he had about his enemy.
It is just a highly superior novel. The twist about Sang Sang’s identity is really brutal though and it all made me think differently about that old tale the ugly duckling
Really could ‘t stomach the new guy in Ever Night 2 and all the flaws of season 1 seem amplified.
Not a series but have you watched The Bride with White Hair? If not, I think you would enjoy it.
Not a Chinese drama, but Korean and available on Netflix- Crash Landing on Yu- lots of fun
Omg is second this!! I really loved Crash landing on you ( the soldiers were hilarious).
Third this. Amazing show
Yes this is hilarious..
Same writer as my love from the stars.
That’s not historical but is totally enchanting to watch.
I highly recommend Someday or One Day, a Taiwanese drama. You can check out the link below. The first 2 episodes might be quite drawn out, but stick with it and the later ones deserve all the hype surrounding this drama. Hope you enjoy it!
https://drama.fandom.com/wiki/Someday_or_One_Day
I recommend Eternal Love and it’s sequel Eternal love of dreams. Also Ashes of love. My friend has been enjoying/yelling at the Life of the white fox but I don’t know how it ends yet.
OH man, I was so hooked on Eternal Love. Didn’t know there was a sequel.
They made a movie too, it’s on Hulu. Its called Once Upon A Time, got to watch it’s visually beautifully made.
Beautifully made but really different ending. Can’t beat Mark Chao as the leading man of Eternal love though.
Ashes of Love was great. I read the C-novel and it was even better. Three Lives Three Worlds The Pillow Book (Eternal Love of Dream novel version) was also a great read. The drama is being pretty faithful to the book which makes me happy but the production values are pretty laughable.
Have you seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?
I found it to be both beautiful and engrossing.
It’s good, but the ending is sort of a downer, which is what she says she wants to avoid.
I absolutely love the ‘Lone Wolf and Cub’ series of movies. They are Black and White Japanese samurai movies … seriously good photography/cinematography.
The plot lines of a lone samurai, cut adrift by the murder of his lord, and the related death of his wife leaving him as lone carer for his infant son, are timeless, and the way the father and son travel together and interact act with those they meet is endlessly fascinating. And their travel luggage includes a cart/pram that doubles as a baby tank with machine gun options. Just Excellent. I bought myself the entire DVD collection, it is such a great series of samurai movies.
Hey, not sleeping sucks, maybe try napping when u can during the day to offset it if possible. As to the dramas well I enjoyed The story of Yanxi Palace
Much drama, some.fighting, tears and laughter, quite gritty and it spans a decade or so.
Also enjoyed Eternal love of Dream covers quite a few genres in one and lots of fighting. Quite fun.
DR. Cutie was light hearted and fun nothing serious enjoyable fluff.
Current favorite is General and I
Not to be confused with Oh My General which I believe you have already seen. Lots of fighting intense emotional science and a really decent plot. The chemistry between the lead actors is amazing.
At the very least if u don’t like em they could help put u to sleep lol.
Hopefully things will calm.down for u soon. Take care.
Try The Story of Ming Lan It has a feel-good ending and is well made.
OOPS. My Bad! I didn’t notice it in your previously watched list the first time around.
Sorry. Didn’t see Ming Lan the first time I read through the list.
Sorry, didn’t see your mention of Ming Lan the first time I read the post.
Maybe you might like Our Shining Days?
A 2017 film about an Asian music school that teaches both traditional Asian and classical western music. It is a great YA film, that includes eccentric characters and seriously excellent music, duels and all. Another film that seem to have on repeat.
Sorry you’re not getting sleep. One of my dogs has decided there’s such a thing as middle-of-the-night playtime. I got up with her twice the other night and hubby also got up with her twice the same night. No distress, just wagging her tail and smiling at us. Exhausting.
If you are burned out, leave it. You have an editor. Let them do the work, or come back later, as in a week or more, if you have the deadline play. Remember you have your life to live, too. So so sorry about your baby [of whatever age] dog. That makes it a hard, hard time. No sleep on top of it. No wonder you’re spent. Take care
I recommend the Korean drama The Master’s Sun! One of my favorite k-dramas.
I up this recommendation. There are a few jump scares, but the overall is sweet and comical.
Ohh I loved that one. I’m watching Sm:)e now. I’m only on the 7th episode but it is super funny (and was recommended as a “happy ending” romance). I just finished Mask and it was very engaging as well.
Master’s Sun is unique and very well done, it’s pretty funny too and has good pacing. I third this recommendation. You should know, however, that it is extremely addictive :). Each episode has it’s own complete story arc, but there’s also an overall mystery story arc. The leading male actor isn’t super good looking but he’s a truly fabulous actor.
I’m not sure if you’re only asking for K-dramas etc, but you might consider a few old episodes of I Love Lucy (Fred and Ethel make this show) or Hogan’s Heroes if you just want a short laugh. I do this sometimes to decompress so that I can sleep.
I enjoyed the Untamed because a lot of the relationship (not just romance) is pretty subtle but the plot is straightforward. That said, I basically skipped over the middle section, then read the book (in Chinese because the English translation isn’t as good IMO), and am now going back to rewatch it.
Also, pretty boys who can do magic stuff.
I’m not much for the kind of shows and movies you referenced. I do have experience with a fur baby in decline. We moved our bed to the floor of our family room in order to provide our old boy with warmth, closeness he needed and to help him outside when he wanted to go. We made a sling so we could help walk as a stroke had taken about half his leg control and we didn’t want him falling. The pain meds contributed to his incontinence and we eventually realized what we had to do. We hadn’t wanted to put our 16 year old boy Doberman down, but eventually realized we were being selfish. He was a good dog and we still miss him after all this time (18 years). I hope your love will give you the strength for the next step. It is the hardest one for us.
Goodness gracious lack of sleep is terrible. Have you tried Natures Calm? I like to take a couple teaspoons of nature’s calm at night before bed. It’s a magnesium powder supplement and it helps me sleep. I love the lemon raspberry flavor but they have unflavored too if you prefer. Good luck and so sorry to here about your dog!
Sorry the name is actually”Natural Vitality Natural Calm” it’s an anti stress powder that you mix with water
This may be a duplicate post- sorry the name of the drink is wrong. It’s “Natural Vitality Natural Calm -the anti stress powder drink mix”
Have you tried Empresses In The Palace? I know it’s one of the big ones but I’ve watched it 3 times because the storyline is super good so I can highly recommend. A few tragic parts but then name me a chinese drama where no one dies.
Wikipedia is also recommending Ruyi’s Royal love in the Palace that I haven’t seen but now I want to. Guess I found something too.
Sorry you can’t sleep 🙁 I hope the dramas help.
Just started Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace. She avoided a concubine marriage selection by eating lots of peas and farting. 10/10 good start.
Have you watch Ashes of Love on Netflix. I wasn’t a big Asian Drama watcher, but this show was pretty impressive. I love how Yang Zi portray the leading roll as a carefree innocent fairy and all the things she miss interprets. You would love it.
I am so sorry to hear about your fur baby. It’s so hard seeing them struggle. I believe they know when we love them and we are doing the best we can for them. I had a cat with kidney failure I gave subcutaneous fluid to for 2 years until it no longer worked. He just sat on my lap and purred while I did it. The hardest thing i had to do was put him to sleep. I couldn’t see him suffering any more.y youngest cat died unexpectedly last week, he was only 4. I had adopted him 2 weeks after my husband died. Wierd thing they both died of organ failure.
Try to do something for yourself that you really love. Step away from the manuscript for several days. I can wait an extra few days for your book. (If I have to)
Please take care.
Kdramas: (pure fun, happing endings) My Love from Another Star; Her Private Life; Touch My Heart; Sungkyungkwan Scandal, Crash Landing on You (huge on Netflix right now).
Chinese dramas: Ashes of Love was based on a Chinese novel I enjoyed. Same with the General and I. Many recommend Someday, One Day but I haven’t managed to get past the first two episodes yet.
*happy endings, I mean.
I love wuxia/xuanhuan (martial arts/fantasy) dramas, but it’s hard to find newer ones with a happy ending after 50-60 episodes, especially since there are a limited number made each year (chinese government capped the number that could be aired on tv by each channel). I noticed that almost all chinese historical dramas are now based on novels, so I switched to reading the online english translations of chinese wuxia/xuanhuan to satisfy my craving. Also, the novels tend to have longer, happier endings with multiple happy epilogues. Some novels are great, some bad. Check novel updates.com for reviews and listings. I started with Poison Genius Consort, Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage, and A Mistaken Marriage Match: Record of Washed Grievances. As usual, your mileage will vary.
Re:Someday, One Day
I’ve heard many people say the first 2 episodes are the slowest; I’ve now watched 3 and still haven’t really become irresistibly drawn into the storyline, but I think I’ll push through and keep watching because I’ve always loved the TT/transmigration conceit, and this is supposed to be the perfect transmigration romance, wherein the H doesn’t like the original girl, then falls for the h when her soul inhabits the original girl’s body, and later when the h’s soul keeps going back to her own body (?) and then coming back to the other girl’s body, the H always knows, somehow, when it’s her, and never becomes confused in his feelings for the original body vs the heroine’s soul.
Aww if your burned out then maybe you should take a few days or weeks off. Don’t want you burned out! I’m pretty patient and care about authors and if they aren’t feeling it then its time for a break! Take care of you! Snuggles to your doberman!
I was not expecting the Joy of Life finale to be Like That and now I’m dying waiting for the next season. Guardian is amazing but the end broke my heart. I hear good things about The Pillow Book and Once Upon a Time on Lingjian Mountain, they’re on my to watch list.
The Untamed was my first cdrama and I’m still in absolute love with it tbh. The Netflix subs aren’t very good though. The youtube ones are ok, and I’ve yet to try watching on Viki. There’s a lot of depth in the relationships and themes, though it can be a little confusing at first because of the time jumps, which settle down after a while.
Wuxin the Monster Killer ( season 1) is also a great drama. Wu Xin is a wandering immortal who roams the living world pretending to be a monk fighting evil spirits to make a living
He has no recollection of how long he has lived or how he came to be, but he has powers that allow him to sense and eliminate evil spirits that still roam the living world.
In the course of his travels, he meets a girl named Yue Ya who offers him the last bits of her food when he was penniless and hungry. As the two progress on their journey, friendship and then romance form between the two.
Haha! I didn’t even see your post before I put mine up. This show is awesome
Chinese drama:
WuXin the Monster Killer (available on viki). Loved it. About an immortal being who goes about fighting monsters.
Love and Destiny: because NiNi is amazing.
Korean Drama:
Six Flying Dragons
Yes, you burned out.
Try to sleep a little during the day maybe…
My scottish terrier Bobby had stomach cancer, and the last weeks of his life, he was under morphine… it induced shaking and confusion. He had trouble to sleep, and remained sitting for hours (because of the stomach pain)… I didn’t sleep for 10 days until I burned out… at this time, I stayed awake hours and hours at night, and went to work during the day (while my dad who was retired, went to my house)… One day, I litterally fell apart at work. So I used all of my vacation days (15 days) to stay at home… It didn’t become easy, and the exhaustion was still here because of the lack of sleep, but I could not have fonction at work… I said goodbye to him 10 days later when he suffered too much even with the morphine… Some people told me that It was therapeutic obstinacy and I should have make the decision sooner. Maybe they’re right, I don’t know.. What I know, is that I could not have at the time. I was completely devastated to be losing my little angel, and I just tried to do the best. It’s been 10 years, and I miss him every day. He was very special, we were like soulmates, so nobody could understand what it was for me to say goodbye to him. Like nobody should tell you what you should do for your Delilah. We just do our best…
It’s tough to say goodbye to our heart’s dog. I kept my girl alive for four months with chemotherapy. Who is to say whether it was better for her or me? I just know if I didn’t try to save her I would have felt like I didn’t try. I’m so sorry.
I haven’t watched Asian dramas in a while (except for Extra-ordinary You, which actually has a really cool concept–about manga characters becoming self-aware and fighting to gain some agency in a world where the writer is god and the people are just puppets meant to enact the plot–but the concept actualization could have been better, and I ended up liking this drama less than W – Two Worlds overall, though that series has its flaws too), so my recs are all older dramas.
**C-dramas
Eternal Love — fabulous fantasy drama, and interesting as it has a h who is really firm in refusing to forgive when she (thinks she) has been betrayed, and a H who is super devoted and selfless
Sound of the Desert — cool h with fighting skills, and 2 men (one a scholar, one a general) vying for her heart; I actually really loved that the man the h loved first rejected the h “for her own good” despite being crazy in love with her–and he really ended up losing her (I hate the noble idiocy trope, so I thought it served him right)
Love O2O — youth romance, pure fluff; h/H meet (and start to fall for each other) in a multi-player game; there are lots of fun in-game scenes, especially in the first half
My Sunshine — about college lovers meeting again after 7 years spent apart, still in love with each other
Boss & Me — fun characters and story, but the second half was a bit disappointing with some unnecessary OW drama (this part strayed from the source novel plotline)
Watchlist: Ashes of Love, Love and Destiny, Under the Power, The Legends;
Go Go Squid!, Le Coup de Foudre, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, My Youth.
**K-dramas
pure fluff (don’t expect much in the way of plot): 1% of Anything, I’m Not a Robot, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
still fluffy, but with a bit more depth: Brilliant Legacy, Dream High, Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Action: City Hunter, The King 2 Hearts (warning: these 2 dramas each has a fan-favorite secondary character dying in the final episodes), Healer <–dramas I wish I could erase my memories about, so I can watch them again for the first time
Fantasy: Legend of the Blue Sea, Master's Sun, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Secret Garden
Time travel: Faith, Queen In-hyun's Man
Romance sageuk similar to Queen – Love and War: The Moon Embracing The Sun
Revenge sageuk (really great story and "villains"): The Princess' Man
Happy watching and recharging.
I forgot about “My Love from Another Star” <–Fantasy romance (K-drama), which has lots of comic gold.
My 14 year old corgi, Kiki, had lymphoma and the last four months were so stressful. We were listening to hear if she was still breathing at night or in distress. When she finally passed away I felt guilty because the stress was gone. It was very sad.
A year and a day to the day she died we rescued a puppy that had been abused and returned to the breeder. She is a lovely dog but she has issues with other dogs and things she’s frightened of. It will get better for her but the best thing is I’m not lonely anymore.
I’m so sorry you are having a hard time. All my best wishes.
The photo is our new rescue baby, Koko.
My Palace Drama Recommendations
Chinese Palace: Princess Weiyoung (bittersweet ending).
Although much more fantasy, still has royalty in it :
(1) Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms
(2) and Ashes of Love (Same vein)
Korean Royalty Drama:
(3) Queen for Seven Days – One of the best historical dramas, based on a real king and queen. Extremely bittersweet but SO GOOD.
(4) “The Princess’ Man” has a happier ending but also good.
Fictional/fantasy elements (not full blown fantast) + happy ending
(5) Moon Embracing the Sun
YA Korean Palace Drama
Love in the Moonlight
Traditional Korean Palace Drama
Jewel in the Crown aka Dong Yi
The Crowned Clown (drama is better than movie)
Drama that I have watched and really liked.
Korean drama:
The Tale of Nokdu
The Master’s Sun
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
Goblin
Hotel del Luna
Chines drama:
Go Go Squid!
Put Your Head on My Shoulder
Aw, this really hits home. My family and I just had to say goodbye to our 17-year-old dog Bailey three weeks ago. We got him from animal care when he was just a few weeks old, and he was really like a little person to me at this point. We had conversations. 🙂 He had inoperable cancer too and just kept getting increasingly frail. His health went up and down, and the bad spells kept getting worse (the good too). I totally sympathize with the exhaustion that comes from constantly interrupted sleep and how caring for a sick pet swallows up your life in their last few months. We have a good vet who let us know when we were in the end stages and would be justified in making that last decision (you lose all perspective at some point). A month later, we were able to give Bailey a special last few days (he was in a good-ish spell, thankfully) and he went out painlessly, surrounded by his family. I’ve gained a lot of comfort from the similar experiences others have shared here in this and other posts, and just wanted to thank everyone who’s shared for that. As others have said, it isn’t easy, but we do our best by them.
On a lighter note, I agree with the recommendations for Healer (one of my favorites, well-plotted, well-acted, great characters, good action scenes) and for Master’s Sun (the Hong sisters at their best!) as well as for the Eternal Love (fun heroine and great chemistry between the leads). Arang and the Magistrate is an older one (2012) that I quite liked. It’s a fusion sageuk with supernatural elements. Hotel del Luna is also well worth the watch. It’s an odd mix between drama and comedy (it’s also a Hong sisters drama) that conveys something sweet but true about how we handle death for ourselves and our loved ones (which makes it sound heavier than it is, but if you watch it, you’ll see what I mean). The lush sets, costuming, and cinematography as well as the really great characters and great acting (watch one woman play five different characters convincingly!) make it worthwhile too.
Oh yes! I agree about Tale of Nokdu! That was such an unexpected gem to me. The initial premise descriptions just didn’t do the last 3/4 of that drama justice at all. And now I may go back and rewatch that one. 🙂
My all-time favorite K-drama is called Faith.
One of the sub-plot threads is very cute, but also very real (based on the true story romance of King Kongmin and Queen Noguk).
The main story echoes some themes you often write into your stories: family, loyalty, integrity, courage, outsmarting assholes.
If I owned the whole thing (which I may buy for my next birthday), I would set the whole thing on a 24-hour loop and just run it on one screen all the time at my house. For reasons. 😉
oldie but goodie – Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams
One of my all time favorite wuxia dramas is Legend of the Condor Heroes. I have fond memories watching the 1983 version with my family. But if you don’t want that super old style quality, the newest 2017 remake is just as good! I’m biased towards the 1983 version but I think the updated graphics really aids the 2017 version. The female lead is so cool in both versions!
Caution about Condor Heroes — it’s been remade so many times and which version you watch matters! I grew up watching the 1983 version and didn’t like some of the other remakes. Excited to try 2017 now if I can find it haha. Love this thread for getting ideas for Viki and Netflix!
Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (aka Eternal Love). In my opinion the best Xian Xia drama out there.
Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (aka Eternal Love) In my opinion the best Xian Xia drama out there
I highly recommend Hwarang … It’s a Korean drama… Historical with the right mix of romance, comedy, action, political intrigue and drama for me. A lovely hea which actually had me guessing till the end.
I have no recommendations for things to watch… and have nothing but sympathy for dog issues at night.
We’ve taken in a foster-dog. Her person has just left an abusive relationship and is trying to get his stuff together. emotionally and financially. He found a cheap, temporary apartment but she’s not used to being alone during the day and blah blah… anyway, she’s staying with us for a while.
I yelled at one of the kids yesterday. I spent the rest of the day with an 80lb traumatized, terrorized dog on my lap. Then she got on the bed last night and shivered and whimpered a good chunk of the night.
Sigh…
Not that I’m going to stop yelling at the kids when they need it, but I think I’ll put her outside before I do.
If you loved Joy of Life and are curious about his drunken poetry slam, there’s a channel on youtube AvenueX that has details on why it was so stunning to all those present, what those poems where etc.
Hey, sweet thing, have you considered a small art house film called The Ladies Man. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ladies_Man_(2000_film) It was not well received or reviewed but there is a lot of that internal conflict and relationship stuff you like. We can watch it on Amazon or the dvd I got from K Mart.
My God, you are the funniest man alive. It is my great fortune to be married to such a hilarious husband. 😛
Your guess is as good as mine on The Untamed. All my Asian drama peeps have absolutely loved it but I’m struggling to get passed episode 8. It’s on hold right now as I finish other things and maybe one day I’ll get back to it and figure out the love.
For pure cute fluff with a heavy dose of a too perfect hero you might try the new jdrama that just hit Viki this weekend ‘Hey Sensai, Don’t You Know?’. Super cute and fast watch at only 6 episodes around 30 min each and already fully subbed.
I’m not much help with Chinese or Historical recommendations but for other recommendations:
– When the Camellia Blooms (Netflix/Kdrama) – watching friends gush over this one drew me in a few weeks before it finished airing. Ended up loving it after avoiding it b/c of the serial killer sub plot.
– Hotel Del Luna (Viki/Kdrama) – you might like this one – fantasy w/ ghosts and flashbacks to historical. Costumes and jewelry for IU are AMAZING and I would like to go broke buying all her earrings.
– The King’s Avatar (Netflix)/Go Go Squid (Viki)/Love 020 (Netflix) – all Chinese dramas dealing with the world eports. King’s Avatar has no romance line which was unexpected and is more a traditional esports team with a World of Warcraft style game that I kind of wish was real to play. Love 020 – same hero has King’s Avatar, less wowy CGI, cute college/new adult relationship. GGS is more on the hacking side of esports. Cute and Fluffy with a tsundere hero I liked more than I expected. I tend to struggle with the Chinese dramas so these are the 3 I’ve actually managed to finish.
-Search WWW (kdrama/Viki) – I could take or leave the romantic relationships in this one but loved the friendships/adversary relationships between the lead females. The men were the token characters in this show, it was all about the ladies!
-1% of Something (kdrama/Viki) – contract relationship that was a completely unexpected binge over a weekend once I started it. Real kissing! And communication!
I second Hotel del Luna. Gorgeous and lots of action. 1% of Something was one of my first kdramas so it holds a special place in my heart. Definitely more talk than action though. 🙂
Seconding many of the recs above:
Sungkyungkwan Scandal (historical Kdrama about a girl who dresses as a man and becomes a scholar in training).
Arsenal Military Academy (C drama also with a girl who disguises as a boy to enter a military academy, during a time when Japan and China are in conflict)
Strong Woman Da Bong Soon (K drama romantic comedy – embrace your sense of the ridiculous, but the chemistry between the two leads is very cute/sweet)
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (K Drama romantic comedy involving a very narcissistic CEO and his secretary — it was funnier than I expected
Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossom (historical fantasy C drama; mostly liked it, though the CG is cringe-worthy at times and there is a “lifetime” with the main hero that made me hate him and not want the HEA (wanted her to end up with someone else)
King’s Avatar (Chinese esports drama with little to no romance but was still entertaining)
Novoland: Eagle Flag
Condolences about Del the Dobie. Peace to you and your family.
Two Tylenol PM seem to put me down for 8 hours. They are not advertised as sleeping pills, but they sure work.
I’ve been watching Cinderella and the four knights too. Very cute.
Ashes of Love, Eternal Love (abd its sequel). For more lighthearted – Oh! My Emperor, Sungkyunkwan Scandal and Oh my General
I hope you are holding up okay with your recent developments regarding Delilah. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and that you manage to have a few more nice moments with her.
If you want any other k-drama distraction other than the already miles-long recommendation list, here is my fav: I just discovered yesterday that Netflix finally has my favourite k-drama of all time, My Love from the Star. Part historical, part sci fi, and a whole lotta romance.
Also, Personal Taste is another k-drama favourite of mine, with probably one of the best k-dama kisses. WOO.
Zen hugs.
For historical drama, I’d recommend the recently-finished The Tale of Nokdu. It’s so funny xD
I’m so sorry about Delilah. Hugs!
I liked Ragonrock on Netflix
I’m so sorry about your pup and the burn out! I’m sending good vibes your way. ~ good vibes ~
To offer some distraction, has anyone mentioned Chicago Typewriter yet? That’s the latest K-drama I finished. It may not be what you are looking for, but it does have some historical setting as well as modern.
And I’d also second the recommendations for Love and Destiny, which I’ve only seen mentioned once so far.
I loved that one!
Heartfelt condolences for the pup. My dog passed away a few years ago, she had a heart disease and it was so painful to watch her wither away. But when she passed we knew she was going to a better place where she wasn’t suffering anymore.
Sorry about dear Delilah. Never easy to lose a faithful friend….
I won’t say she’s going to a better place nor that she will be out of pain now. That never comforted me. I will say she loved you and you loved her and that must count for something.
I’m so sorry about Delilah! And just the whole situation sounds like alot to handle. Hang in there!
I’m so sorry about Delilah. My heart goes out to you and yours. If you are looking for something light and fluffy with a HEA, you might enjoy Love O2O (I like the 2016 version with Yang Yang and Zheng Shueng best). Two college students meet in an online game and eventually the romance goes offline. Cue ensuing hijinks and fun side characters. Half the series takes place in-game, and the world building isn’t bad. It is pretty cheese-tastic, but still fun. It is based off a novel by Gu Man, “Just One Smile is Alluring.”
Strong Girl Bong Soon is also one of my favorite Kdramas. Premise is a woman born with superhuman strength is hired by the CEO of a gaming company to be his bodyguard after he witnesses a feat of strength. Sweet, silly, and totally entertaining. HEA to boot:).
My dear Jack Russell companion died today. She has been my constant companion for nearly ten years and I sit at the typewriter right now still listening for her paws on the floor in the hall. I did not know it would be this hard to lose her-especially this suddenly. She had an aneurism and was gone fairly quickly, which was a blessing in that she did not suffer unduly. I still can’t believe it. My family are all grieving for the loss of a beloved friend and companion. I know what you are feeling. I know how hard it is to lose Delilah. My prayers are with you all.
I’m not surprised you’re burned out. You and Gordon have released 2-4 books a year, every year, for the past five years. That is an incredible pace, especially given the quality your books.
I can’t speak for the rest of the book devouring horde but I would be VERY okay with y’all taking 3, 6, even 12 months off. Off from everything. Writing, website, cons, emails. Throw the computer in the lake if you want. You can disappear into the ether.
We’ll still be here when you come back.
I’m sorry about the fuzzies. =(
Untamed as a live action drama wasn’t that good. I enjoyed it but I think it’s because I already knew what was going on. It’s a good supplement if you read the book and I think the majority of the popularity is from that. (And you kind of have to ignore how cheap it looked in some places. LOL)
So very sorry to hear about Delilah. We have them for too short a time.
A show that is ending this week is the Japanese romcom Love Lasts Forever. It’s pretty funny. The male lead is hot. The support cast is good.
Sakura fell in love with Dr Tendo when she was a teenager and helped save a lady on the street. This inspired her to become a nurse. 5 year’s later she is a nurse trainee and reunited with Dr Tendo on her work placement. She confesses her feelings to him on the first day and got rejected. The rest of the show is how they become closer.
I am so sorry to hear about Delilah. My thoughts are with you and your family.
I can at least give you some good recommendations! Asian dramas are my guilty pleasure. I highly HIGHLY recommend Eternal Love aka Three Lives Three Worlds Aka Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (I also do not know why it has so many names). It’s the best wuxia drama I have ever watched, had immense popularity in China and it is on YouTube/Netflix with no tragic ending 🙂 also recommend Ashes of Love! If non-historical/wuxia I would go for Strong girl Bong soon and Love O2O as recommended by others above! I hope these offer some form of comfort in this tough time.
I recently finished moving to another country. My dad died just before I was scheduled to look at new houses. Then my beloved border collie who had been in diapers, on antibiotics and painkillers for the last two years couldn’t stand anymore. Then my 7 year old Chihuahua who had pancreatis, then diabetes, got mouth cancer. Then I went to buy my new house. Then all the stress of moving (we did it all, including the 5 day driving trip to move our goods – twice). Once I was relatively unpacked I collapsed for about a month. I hadn’t had time to grieve or process anything. I am slowly starting to feel like a human again. Sometimes you just have to realize you need time. You can press through, but give yourself at least a week when your edits are done to just be, and get your hugs in while you still can! This is an old posting, so I hope all is well!
If you like the woman dressing up as a man to join the military trope, you should check out Arsenal Military Academy. It consumed me this week!
Burn out’s happen. Take care of you and yours, we will wait. Some of us are still waiting for Martin and Rothfuss. We can wait for you. (But please come back!)
Please try “Empress of China”. I had a Netflix hangover when I discovered this mini series.
Burn out’s happen. Come back when you want. Some of us are still waiting for Rothfuss and Martin, so you take as long as you need. We’ll be fine.
Please try “Empress of China”. I had a Netflix hangover when I discovered this mini series. It’s full of intrigue, cultural and historical references, and drama!
Hope you find peace soon.
I can only recommend Eternal Love of Dream (the sequel to Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms). I love the chemistry between the main leads and I think the story is far more superior to TMOPB. There is heartbreak, laughter, romance, action and best of all: A Happy End 😀
“The Love Knot – boring, heroine is unlikeable. Not enough killing.”
LMAO!
I am so sorry you lost Delilah. A pet is a member of the family. It is all right to feel relieved that she’s no longer suffering and at the same time very sad that she’s gone.
I lost my cat, Merlin, a month ago and it’s been very hard.
Thank you so much for your books. They help. I only discovered them a few months ago and I got gladly bewitched by the Magic, the Hidden Legacy and Innkeeper series.
I’d love to be a Beta reader for foreign languages (French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian) and for any research connected to Europe. I am a Belgian freelance interpreter.
Take all the time you need. Your readers will wait.
Please take
I will recommend Hotel Del Luna, a kdrama. It was a bit sad at the ending but also happy. The colors and cinematography were amazing.
I have to admit I loved the Untamed, but I was a big fan of the novel before I watched the show. The novel is M/M but the show is not, due to content regulations in China. They do a really great job of skating right to the edge and giving the novel fans all their favorite scenes and easter eggs without actually crossing the friendship line. The actors did a great job portraying the characters true to the novel, though the drama portrays them as slightly better versions of themselves. The costumes and wire work were good. The CG and lighting was total crap though. I couldn’t interest my SO in it because the effects were just so bad and he didn’t have the novel fandom love I had to allow him to see past it.
Love and Destiny, Chang Chen and Ni Ni. It is on Viki, Chinese Drama. Same producers as Ten Miles of Peach Blossom(aka Eternal Love), same fantasy world. However, just prefer the story and acting of love and destiny so much more.
Try the k drama “Healer”
I second (third? tenth?) Hotel Del Luna. Also, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (also called Goblin). There’s historical flashbacks while set mostly in the present day. A goblin, a grim reaper, and a young woman who sees ghosts walks into a bar…well, not quite but close enough.
For pure comedy with fantasy elements, yes, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. For a comedy without fantasy, Oh My Venus.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
K-drama: Crash Landing On You
About a South Korean Heiress who accidentally crash lands into North Korea where she meets and falls in love with a North Korean army officer.
Here’s a link to the trailer:
https://youtu.be/K58Z1RORRaI