I actually prefer binge-ing drama when they are over,sometimes the waiting each week for new episodes makes me lose interest slowly.I Would say waiting 4-6 (South Korean) or 10-12 (Chinese) episodes to come out and see the rating the drama has is a good indication what will succeed (unless the writer f**ks it up later) although its usually inflated early on by hype.
Also good indications are Cast-Story+Writer if he has had high rated dramas in the past the chances are this one will be too.
For example Welcome to Samdal-ri Writer (Kwon Hye Joo) has had high rated previous drama so not really a suprise this one is also rated highly.
I check everything. First thing that attracts me is the poster, if I like it I'll check synopsis, actors, genre, rating, and if I like how it looks and if the rating is above 7.9 I'll start watching. I rarely watch ongoing dramas tho, I wait until they finish airing and then check comments to see whether the ending is good or not. That also affects my choice.
Somehow, I have a lot of free time on my hands, so I've been doing this system for the last three or four years: Watch at least the first episode of any really popular drama and any drama that has a unique poster.
If you don't like it, drop it! Don't waste your time on anything that's uninteresting for you, especially if it doesn't hook you in the first episode.
If you're not sure how you feel about it, continue watching a few more episodes to see if you really want to stick with it. While watching many shows, I've noticed that if I'm not excited to wait another week for it's release, I'm not going to finish it in the long run.
If you love it, continue watching! However, there's no pressure to finish a drama if you don't have the time, energy, or interest to keep watching. You can always read spoilers to see how the show progresses or watch edits of your favorite characters.
For the past 6 years, I've been watching shows while they're airing, and I have to say, it's a big commitment. I've watched maybe 5, 6, or even 7 ongoing shows in a week before, and while I had a bunch of time to spare, 10-14 hours of shows every week is a lot! Don't let your FOMO waste your time on something that doesn't make you happy.
I hope this helps!
Alice:have regrets later of not watching a Top Drama when it was airing
It is always better to wait for a drama to be completed because any drama can fail or become boring down the road. Try to be patient and make sure to start watching the ones you believe you will enjoy (and not only based on popularity).
There is no real value in watching while it is airing, and most of the time it is based on FOMO which is never a good reason. You will not miss anything if you wait for a drama to be done airing, it's actually the opposite because you will have more reviews and feedbacks from the entire show instead of the early birds that loved the first episodes.
Now how do I pick the content I end up watching
I check the news and see projects from directors, writers, actors/actresses I enjoy and then I add them to my "plan to watch list". Only if the project is appealing to me, so the theme and genre is super important. I will rarely force myself to watch content that I don't have any interest in just because of the cast or crew behind it.
Whenever they are done airing I check the ratings/reviews on different platforms. If the drama failed for any reason, or if there is any element in the story that I know will dislike then I will most likely put it aside and focus on something different.
The thing is that we don't have that much free time (especially if you study or work), so we all need to be more careful with what we pick. You just really want to avoid regretting the time spent on such thing because you could have done something else instead. This is entertainement and this is done on your free time, so better choose what you will most likely enjoy compared to what is actually trending or airing.
Alice:Guys I want to know how you choose dramas to watch from upcoming or airing dramas so that you won't have regrets later of not watching a Top Drama when it was airing? And it doesn't happen later that instead of watching a really good one you watched another one which wasn't really worth your time.
I gave up watching airing Dramas YEARS ago, always wait until they've finished. Far too many WTAF?! endings (Castaway Diva e.g.), bingeing them means I haven't invested too much if the writer suddenly has their brain removed in the final 3-4 eps