A Kdrama Break - What Else is New in Asian Dramas?

Dont worry, I am not announcing a sudden break from my love for Kdramas (that would be unthinkable).  However, I do occasionally need to take a breather and just find something that is a different pace.  Previously I would watch variety programs such as Running Man, 1N2D, and Infinity Challenge, but recently a lot of them have been coming across as stale and boring so I needed to branch out.  To help me through these times of blah, I have broken into other countries since every country has their own style of dramas.  Some of them good, some of them boring, but at least they are different and give me that break that I need before jumping back into my 1st love, Kdramas.  So I thought it would be fun to share some of the shows that I am enjoying that might be entertaining to you as well. 

Shan Shan Comes to Eat (aka Boss & Me)

I don't know about you, but I have recently been missing the romance within the current airing romantic dramas.  It seems like everyone is too busy trying to cash in on the latest fad (mental illness, time travel, vampires) to really focus in on the importance of romance. Which is why it was a breath of fresh drama air to discover the Chinese show Boss and Me.  There are no huge gimmicks trying to attract viewers, just plain old fashioned falling in love.  

Synopsis:
Based off Gu Man's very popular internet novel, the story tells of a kind hearted young girl named Xue Shan Shan who works at a big conglomerate. However one of her weaknesses is eating, she loves to eat, and so upon discovering this her boss, Feng Teng decides to intentionally fatten her up; she just so happens to share the same blood type as his sister, and thus has the motive of making her the blood donor. Hence comedy ensues as she melts his heart with her exceptional appetite and her cute charm.

Why You Should Watch:
The chemistry between Shan Shan and Feng Teng is electric and it takes you back to the days when a look, small smile, holding a hand, took your breath away.  A must watch for anyone who loves Romantic Comedies.

Go, Single Lady (aka My Pig Lady)

Finally a Taiwanese drama where the leading lady is not a boring stick who can't act her way out of a paper bag.  It seems like forever that I have truly enjoyed a Tdrama leading lady, but luckily I stumbled across My Pig Lady.  And why I started it for Mike He, I stayed because An Ady is charming, likable, and can actually act.

Synopsis:
Wang Man Ling is a crass young lady that is the daughter of a wealthy pig farmer who live and dresses modestly. When her boyfriend dumps her at her friends wedding, she swears that she will find a guy more handsome, better and wealthier than him to marry her. Her best friend is a matchmaker and introduces her to guys on blind dates. Fan Jiang Yu is a second generation heir who lives off of his father's wealth. He lives extravagantly and doesn't have a care on how he spends his money. Due to his father's sudden death their company stocks drops overnight leaving him almost broke. The two meet by accident when Man Ling thinks Jiang Yu is the absolute last blind date Tou Wen will set her up on, while Jiang Yu thinks Man Ling is an artiste that he has to piss off to cut ties with his parents charity. Once their confusion is cleared that he isn't really her blind date and she isn't the artiste mooching from his charity, the two make a deal where he will teach her how to act and dress like the rich in exchange for her paying him.

Why You Should Watch:
Both characters are very likable and entertaining.  Sometimes it is just nice to see good people do well, not to mention the pet pig is beyond adorable.

Nobunaga Concerto

I have come to the point where I will watch literally anything Shun Oguri does, and this drama is no exception.  Even a drama about a high school student traveling to the past and taking the place of his famous doppelganger to unite the warring factions within Japan.  The time travel aspects are just lightly touched on and for once it does not delve too deeply into the hows or whys of this phenomenon, instead we just get a lot of character development and entertainment.

Synopsis:
Saburo (Shun Oguri) is a high school student good in sports, but not very good with his studies. One day, Saburo travels back in time and arrives in the Sengoku period of 1549.
There, Saburo meets Nobunaga Oda who looks and sounds just like Saburo. Nobunaga Oda is the son of a warlord and magistrate of the lower Owari Province. Nobunaga Oda though is physically weak and he asks Saburo to take his place. Then, Saburo as Nobunaga Oda attempts to unify the country of Japan.   

Why You Should Watch It:
Because it is Shun Oguri of course.  If that is not enough reason then watch because while ever episode starts off on the simple side, by the end you will be going WOW at the awesome character development and insights into what it means to be a leader. 

Jane the Virgin

OK, so this one might not be an asian drama, and usually I would not add a US show into the mix, but this truly is an entertaining show worth watching.  One of the most clever concepts to come out of the US in years, it also has all the aspects that we love in our dramas, birth secrets, fated love, murder mystery, and enough laughs to cover any negatives you might find.

Synopsis:
A young, devout woman discovers that she was accidentally artificially inseminated.

Why You Should Watch It:
It is hard to explain how funny this drama is without having you just watch it.  It's tongue in cheek humor and all the meta Tela Novella moments make this show a must watch.  I really urge you just to try it out for yourselves since it might be exactly what you are looking for to break up your kdrama moments.

Jane the Virgin Trailer

I hope these suggestions can help you find more good tv out there.  It is always important to remember that sometimes different is not a bad thing, if we had not taken a chance on kdramas then you would not be reading this post right now.  I look forward to watching these as well as more great kdramas in the future and be sure to check back later this week as Dongsaeng and I begin our recap of the drama "Pinocchio"!

Til then
Kmuse

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