OSTs That Impacted How I Watch Dramas

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Has this ever happened to you: you're watching a good drama and it just becomes better once you hear the original soundtrack (OST)? Or you stopped watching a drama for whatever reason, but you still listen to the OST every chance you get? Better yet, you heard a drama OST and it gripped you so tightly that you just HAD to watch the drama it came from?

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Well, all of that has happened and is happening to me right now.

Whenever someone would ask for drama recommendations, I would give suggestions based on the acting, the script, the chemistry between the cast, and sometimes whether or not I like the actors. Never have I ever suggested a drama based only on the OST…

(Collage from this episode)	Drama: The Song of Glory (锦绣长歌) No. of episodes: 53 OST: Shadow (影) by Zhou Shen (周深)
I listened to this song 6 months before starting this drama. I’ve been a fan of Zhou Shen since I first heard him in And the Winner is Love and Love & Redemption. Although I also love his other OSTs in dramas such as Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace and Royal Nirvana, it was "Shadow" that stood out the most. I had never heard such a magnificent and melodious voice in my entire life. Many, many episodes into the drama, we finally hear Zhou Shen belt out this heart wrenching melody when our female lead Shen Li Ge (Li Qin) spots the lanterns Liu Yi Kang (Qin Hao) had released and starts wondering if it really is him trying to send her a message. And as Liu Yi Kang listens to the song, she is playing on the guqin and recognizes it, they start frantically searching for one another and narrowly miss each other. This song couldn’t have chosen a better debut.
Drama: 100 Days My Prince (백일의 낭군님) No. of episodes: 16 OST: Cherry Blossom Love Song (벚꽃연가) by CHEN (첸)	(Promotional poster from here)
After I had listened to Chen's other OST from Touch Your Heart, I became obsessed with his vocals. Although I have yet to begin watching this drama, I will definitely do so after I’ve completed the 52nd episode of The Song of Glory. His voice has been calling my name for over a year and I can’t hold back any longer. Since this is the 3rd OST in the drama, I have been wondering when and where it’ll be heard, but I certainly know it'll be somewhere memorable.

(Promotional poster from here)	Drama: This Man Is That Man (그놈이 그놈이다) No. of episodes: 32 OST: Not Clumsy Anymore (더는 서툴지 않게) by Standing Egg (스탠딩 에그)
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This song carried this drama. As much as I love Hwang Jung Eum’s works, even she couldn’t save this. If it weren’t for Standing Egg’s vocals playing whenever an emotional scene was on-screen, I would’ve dropped this a long time ago. I heard this OST twice in the earlier episodes of the drama when I was still fully invested. In episode 6, as Seo Hyun Joo (Hwang Jung Eum) is cuddling up to Park Do Gyeom (Seo Ji Hoon) to keep warm, Hwang Ji Woo (Yoon Hyun Min) (in the present and past life) is desperately searching for them. As well as episode 12, when Kim Seon Hee (Choi Myung Gil) realizes that Seo Hyun Joo looks exactly like her love rival Song Min Joo. The OST eventually played during an extremely heartbreaking scene that, I believed, saved this drama. (It is also the first Korean OST I have learned to sing without musical accompaniment).

Drama: Listening Snow Tower (听雪楼电视剧原声大碟) No. of episodes: 56 OSTs: Bloody Rose (血薇) by Ye Xuan Qing (叶炫清) Jin Se (錦瑟) by Qin Jun Jie ( 秦俊杰) & Yuan Bing Yan (袁冰妍)	(Collage and GIFs from this episode)
As I’ve written in my spoiler-filled final review, the main couple was not my reason for dropping the drama. So, it’s no surprise that the two songs that I listen to over-and-over again were written for their characters. This was my first costume drama that didn’t star Yang Mi as the female lead, so my expectations were high. In the first 3 episodes, I had seen beautiful fight scenes, an intriguing storyline, a love story that promised sweet heartache and even sweeter sorrow and most importantly, OSTs that would reward me for not watching the drama at 2x the speed. LST had it all… Not a single word is spoken in this scene. It is just our female lead, Shu Jing Rong (Yuan Bing Yan), finding comfort in Xiao Yi Qing’s (Qin Jun Jie) warm embrace and the sound of Ye Xuan Qing’s melodious voice. If only she could be featured in a well-rounded drama. In the later episodes, I heard another OST (Jin Se) that spoke to my heart and later found out it was sung by none other than our main characters. Absolutely beautiful.

Collage from this opening scene

Drama: The Love Lasts Two Minds (两世欢) No. of episodes: 36 OSTs: Finally (终于) - opening theme song by Shuang Sheng (双笙) Knowing Night (知晚) by Ye Xuan Qing (叶炫清)

I don’t remember a single thing about this drama, except for this OST. I would close my eyes whenever this opening theme song would play (to avoid spoilers) and just enjoy how Shuang Sheng’s voice would tickle my ears. Too many episodes into the drama I decided I didn’t want to continue, but I still listened to the opening theme. And Ye Xuan Qing proves herself, yet again, that her voice deserves to be featured in a wonderful drama.

Drama: Love & Redemption (琉璃) No. of episodes: 59 OSTs: The entire Love & Redemption OST, especially If Just Like This (若就这样了 ) by He Sheng Ming (何晟铭 ), Love Like Colored Glass (爱若琉璃) - theme song by Zhou Shen (周深) and Speak Out of the Same Heart (同心而语) by Yuan Bing Yan (袁冰妍)	(GIFs from this episode)
Every song from this drama is AMAZING. Every. Single. Song. In the first episode, Yu Si Feng (Cheng Yi) is brewing his tea while Chu Xuan Ji (Yuan Bing Yan) is napping in the tree, we can hear the instrumental version of "Love Like Colored Glass". When I re-watched the drama for the first time, I heard it and screamed because I'd been listening to it not two seconds before. Zhou Shen has the most perfect voice for costume dramas. I just know that as long as he is in the line-up, I can make it through anything. Then I later heard He Sheng Ming and Yuan Bing Yan's OSTs, and the drama got a 1000x better. I’m gonna need them to sing in every drama they star in from now on.
(Collage and GIFs from this episode)	Drama: Ni Chang (小女霓裳) No. of episodes: 40 OST: The entire Ni Chang OST, especially The Moon Will Remember (月亮会记得) - opening theme by Claire (郭静) and Even If The Fireworks End Up Apart (哪怕烟花终离散) - closing theme by Wang Rui (汪睿).
Although this drama only has three OSTs, they are more than enough to pack a punch. The opening and closing theme songs are incredible. Ni Chang (Li Jia Qi) and Ou Yang Ziyu (Bi Wen Jun) have such amazing chemistry and swoon worthy scenes together, that I was glad that I only ever heard "The Moon Will Remember" during those moments. The translated lyrics speak for themselves. Then there's the closing theme song. I'll just say that if Wang Rui and Zhou Shen should ever sing together, I don't think I'd ever listen to any other OST ever again.
Drama: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (三生三世十里桃花 电视原声大碟) No. of episodes: 58 OST: The entire Eternal Love OST, especially Three Lives Three Worlds (三生三世) by Jason Zhang (张杰).	(GIFs from this opening scene)
I saved the best for last. My first costume drama introduced me to a whole new world of music. For the longest time I couldn’t listen to this song without every bittersweet, tragic and joyful moment replaying in my mind. Jason Zhang really brought his all when he sang one of the most recognizable and definitely memorable opening theme songs. This OST and drama will forever be my number one.

What are the OSTs that impacted how you watch dramas?

^{Edited by: Tine (1st editor), devitto (2nd editor)}