This is where the heroine saves herself

Hello, welcome to my drama nook of the internet! By Episode 10 is where I write about my drama adventures as a fan of Asian tv entertainment and film. Whether it's binge session or a bit of a slog, I'll be sharing my thoughts on the drama tropes, character chemistry and plot twists.

I grew up watching a lot of contemporary and historical C-dramas with my family, it was apart of our evening routines just like eating our meals together; every night after dinner, we would have a plate of fruit ready to snack on before we pressed the play button to watch a long saga drama. It wasn't until around 2018 that I started watching Asian dramas again, specifically K-dramas. As a fan of fantasy novels, "A Korean Odyssey" and "Memories of the Alhambra" first piqued my interest on my Netflix feed; then shortly after, it seemed more and more new shows appeared thereafter.

It was while watching 'Pretty Noona buys me food/Something in the Rain' that I became truly hooked. A more "real life" drama about everyday struggles of a somewhat insecure woman who becomes stronger and more independent as the show progresses, the tone along with the music of the show felt distinctly different from other K-dramas I had watched. It offered everything I'd come to appreciate in future shows: a well written slice-of-life story, a journey of self-rediscovery, beautifully shot scenes, excellent soundtrack (I adore Rachel Yamagata and instantly recognised her voice), and a sweet, slow-burn romance with undeniable lead chemistry.

First and foremost, I love character driven stories, it doesn't matter to me if the plot isn't clever or thrilling, once I connect with a character I find it far more interesting to watch them grow. There's also a few more biases I have when it comes to drama watching:

• As you can tell from the title, I love strong women-centric storylines. I appreciate authentic empowering characters that have agency in their driving their own paths without the typical "damsel in distress" tropes.
• I'm a big fan of the slower paced slice-of-life stories, especially when they're enriched by a wider endearing supporting cast.
• I love characters with flaws/struggles, even unlikable from the start and enjoy the journey of warming up to them as more of their personality and story is revealed.
• Isekai or reincarnation tropes are always fun to watch.
• Foodie dramas where stories are built around the joy of cooking and eating together.

Although I definitely enjoy the common drama tropes that come along with K-dramas and C-dramas, it's always refreshing to see a different approach, unexpected twists, or themes that aren't typically explored in the standard drama formula. At the end of the day, I want to be taken on a journey in a well-crafted fictitious world and enjoy my time watching well-written characters with good chemistry and meaningful stories. I hope you'll enjoy my takes on the latest in drama-land entertainment!