What I Watched in 2023 [Ranked Order]

2 short films & 4 feature length films.

Elsa Mae Mae mar 7, 2023
75 Titles Loves
0% Watched
Segnala
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  • Half of Us

    1. Half of Us

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    10
  • Dong Lan Xue

    2. Dong Lan Xue

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes

    10

    morally grey/villainous FL ~ simp ML ~ villain x villain romance ~ sensuality was hot AF ~ queer normative world ~ explicit gender reversal: "I can be the woman" ~ great character/relationship development ~ spoofs the ubiquitous time-traveling/alt. world female character of short length series ~ red ribbon sex scene speaks to trauma ~ former sex worker heroine 

    abrupt editing in the introductory episodes makes it a little hard to follow

  • Lost You Forever

    3. Lost You Forever

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 39 episodes

    10
  • Scarlet Heart

    4. Scarlet Heart

    Chinese Drama - 2011, 35 episodes

    10
  • Reset

    5. Reset

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 15 episodes

    10
  • West Out of the Yu Men

    6. West Out of the Yu Men

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 38 episodes

    10
  • Alchemy of Souls

    7. Alchemy of Souls

    Korean Drama - 2022, 20 episodes

    9.5

    phenomenal relationship development ~ morally grey/villainous FL ~ simp ML ~ role reversal master/shifu dynamic ~ plot moved swiftly w/ fun twists & turns ~ enlivening secondary cast with a mix of young and mature actors ~ the most fun I've had watching a drama this year!

    100% rip off of chinese fantasy dramas ~ world building was often an afterthought, contradicted itself

  • Xi Qian Hua

    8. Xi Qian Hua

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes

  • The Long Ballad

    9. The Long Ballad

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 49 episodes

    9.5

    Two princesses navigate wartime chaos

  • Bumped Into You

    10. Bumped Into You

    Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes

    9.5

    Cried like a daughter

  • The Blood of Youth

    11. The Blood of Youth

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes

    9.5
  • The Guest

    12. The Guest

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes

    9.5
  • The Only Girl You Haven't Seen Season 1

    13. The Only Girl You Haven't Seen Season 1

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 18 episodes

    9.5
  • The Devil

    14. The Devil

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    9.5
  • Who Rules the World

    15. Who Rules the World

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes

    9.0

    One of the best friends-to-lovers romances I've seen

  • An Ancient Love Song

    16. An Ancient Love Song

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 14 episodes

    9.0
  • Zhang Gong Zhu Zhai Shang

    17. Zhang Gong Zhu Zhai Shang

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 27 episodes

    9.0
  • Misty

    18. Misty

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes

    9.0

    Brilliant Shakespearean tragedy

  • We're Not Trash

    19. We're Not Trash

    Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    9.0
  • The Glory

    20. The Glory

    Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    9.0

    Revenge, served piping hot

  • Fu Sheng Yin

    21. Fu Sheng Yin

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes

    9.0
  • The Killer Is Also Romantic

    22. The Killer Is Also Romantic

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 18 episodes

    9.0
  • Faithful

    23. Faithful

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes

    9.0
  • Story of Kunning Palace

    24. Story of Kunning Palace

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 38 episodes

  • Yesterday

    25. Yesterday

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes

  • Hei Yue Guang Wen Na BE Ju Ben

    26. Hei Yue Guang Wen Na BE Ju Ben

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes

    8.5

    The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long

  • Mad for Each Other

    27. Mad for Each Other

    Korean Drama - 2021, 13 episodes

    8.5

    Love is a battlefield

  • She's the Last Weapon

    28. She's the Last Weapon

    Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    8.5

    We stan a killer girl in this house

  • romanceD

    29. romanceD

    Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes

    8.5

    University romance with impeccable summer vibes

  • Inside Criminal Minds

    30. Inside Criminal Minds

    Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.5

    8.5

  • The Captive

    31. The Captive

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes

    8.5
  • Ye Ye Xiang Jian Bu Shi Jun

    32. Ye Ye Xiang Jian Bu Shi Jun

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    8.5
  • Night of Love With You

    33. Night of Love With You

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes

    8.5
  • The Imperial Coroner

    34. The Imperial Coroner

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes

    8.5

    Cliché-free romantic mystery delight

  • Chen Xiang Ru Xie

    35. Chen Xiang Ru Xie

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 38 episodes

    8.5
  • In cerca di vendetta

    36. In cerca di vendetta

    Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.5
  • Wuliang

    37. Wuliang

    Chinese Movie - 2020

    8.0

    Vibes for days

  • The Evil Face

    38. The Evil Face

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 18 episodes

    8.0
  • When I Fly Towards You

    39. When I Fly Towards You

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

  • Cheng Xi's Song

    40. Cheng Xi's Song

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 33 episodes

    8.0
  • Eve's Scandal

    41. Eve's Scandal

    Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes

    8.0

    Poor man's version of The Glory

  • Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 2

    42. Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 2

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

    8.0

    Solid laundry drama & the superior Dr. Romantic

  • Lost Track of Time

    43. Lost Track of Time

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes

  • Side Story of Fox Volant

    44. Side Story of Fox Volant

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes

    7.5
  • Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim

    45. Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim

    Korean Drama - 2016, 20 episodes

    7.5

    Two of the best introductory episodes I've ever seen, then a lot of mushiness 

  • Alchemy of Souls: Part 2

    46. Alchemy of Souls: Part 2

    Korean Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    7.5

    Lots to work with, little to show for it

  • The Only Girl You Haven't Seen Season 2

    47. The Only Girl You Haven't Seen Season 2

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 18 episodes

    7.5
  • Wulin Heroes

    48. Wulin Heroes

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 22 episodes

    7.5

    Moments of radical subversion in an otherwise phoned-in production

  • The Moon Bright For You

    49. The Moon Bright For You

    Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes

    7.5

    Poorly directed drama with interesting ideas 

    like Wulin Heroes, this is a radically female-led wuxia romance with a FL who possesses more power, strength, and martial arts skill than any of the male leads, but, also like Wulin Heroes, the drama falls short of the mark, which felt like a directing snafu, as everyone's acting, including the typically enchanting Xing Fei's, was mediocre at the same level ~ not enough plot or narrative depth to fill the 36 episode runtime so lots of superfluous filler  

  • Zhang Gong Zhu Bu Ke Yi

    50. Zhang Gong Zhu Bu Ke Yi

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes

    7.5

    Cheap knock off of Zhang Gong Zhu Zai Shang

    dominant FL/submissive ML dynamic ~ incest undertones = something I've never seen before ~ villain x villain romance

    abrupt/pointless ending ~ lack of character growth for the FL ~ ML actor has had plastic surgery and it visibly limits his range of expression ~ FL actress is suitable for her mean girl moments but cannot summon a performance of warmth/romance/chemistry

  • Queenmaker

    51. Queenmaker

    Korean Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.5

    Exemplifies everything wrong with Netflix's approach to K-dramas

  • Princess Agents

    52. Princess Agents

    Chinese Drama - 2017, 67 episodes

    7.5

    Best watched with the mindset you'd bring to Pretty Little Liars or The Vampire Diaries

  • Heart Medicine

    53. Heart Medicine

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes

    7.5

    abrupt/pointless ending

  • Men Zhu

    54. Men Zhu

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 36 episodes

    7.5
  • Painted Skin

    55. Painted Skin

    Chinese Movie - 2020

    7.0

    Aesthetically gorgeous, emotionally vacant

    Christopher Nolan effect: thinks it is much deeper (emotionally impactful) than it really is! ~ my biggest problem with BL: female character exists as an object/non-entity ~ built on a long established series/OP which I'm unfamiliar with so a lot of spaces are left blank which must be filled in by the previous works? 

  • Suo Ai San Seng

    56. Suo Ai San Seng

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    7.0

    Non-consensual romance done right

  • Gone with the Rain

    57. Gone with the Rain

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 37 episodes

    7.0

    Women don't owe men anything

  • La Vendetta della Cameriera

    58. La Vendetta della Cameriera

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes

    7.0

    Want to re-write this from her POV

  • Wo De Jiao Ren Di Di

    59. Wo De Jiao Ren Di Di

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    7.0
  • Immortal Samsara: Part 2

    60. Immortal Samsara: Part 2

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 21 episodes

    7.0

    WHAT was that ending?! I really don't care if a story concludes optimistically, pessimistically, or ambiguously, but I hate it when a narrative conclusion UNDOES most of the story that came before it, which is what happened here ~ worse yet, the main event of the ending ONLY made sense if you followed a minor character's lengthy monologue, full of awkward exposition, on concepts and history we'd never heard of! ~ the rest of it was so slooooooooow and often felt as if it was circling the drain on the same relationship conflict

  • The Flame's Daughter

    61. The Flame's Daughter

    Chinese Drama - 2018, 52 episodes

    6.5

    Bizarrely watchable trash fire 

  • One and Only

    62. One and Only

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes

    6.5

    Epic love should never be this dull

  • Mr. Perfect and Miss Almost

    63. Mr. Perfect and Miss Almost

    Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes

    6.0

    Never a woman, always a girl

    I don't mind age gap romances or romantic relationships that develop within an educational setting (master/disciple, teacher/student), but I do grow uncomfortable when the younger or childlike FL in these love stories are treated like children. First, when a youthful actress performs with a infantile naïveté and high-pitched girlish voice, it's uncomfortable on a personal level because it feels pedophilic. Secondly, when the "mature" characters treat the childlike FL as a child, as in they're meeting her needs on her behalf and allowing her little autonomy or input, it is limiting the growth of that character. By curtailing the growth of the FL, the narrative arc of the drama itself is stymied. How can we be convinced that the FL has "grown up" or matured, if she's constantly coddled by the ML?

  • Kiss Six Sense

    64. Kiss Six Sense

    Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    6.0

    Kiss zero sense

  • Elegant Friends

    65. Elegant Friends

    Korean Drama - 2020, 17 episodes

    5.5

    Graceful like a belly flop

  • The Uncanny Counter

    66. The Uncanny Counter

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

    5.0

    100% over-hyped, most disappointing watch of the year 

    ML is the worst Gary Sue I've seen in awhile & the other characters exist to hold up his story ~ the evil spirits only inhabit ugly, fat, handicapped, or abused people??? cool cool cool  ~ oh, and even MORE ableism in the MC's arc ~ like a lot of superhero movies, this drama is clearly most interested in and excited by its action scenes but there isn't much else to it, I have no idea why it's been such a success for Netflix

  • Mang Shao Ye De Xiao Nv Pu

    67. Mang Shao Ye De Xiao Nv Pu

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 15 episodes

    4.5

    Formulaic and predictable

  • Past Lives

    68. Past Lives

    Korean Movie - 2023

  • The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity

    69. The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity

    Chinese Movie - 2020

  • The Yin Yang Master

    70. The Yin Yang Master

    Chinese Movie - 2021

  • Return to Seoul

    71. Return to Seoul

    Korean Movie - 2022

  • Lovers

    72. Lovers

    Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

  • Solo Hell

    73. Solo Hell

    Korean TV Show - 2021, 8 episodes

  • Single’s Inferno Season 2

    74. Single’s Inferno Season 2

    Korean TV Show - 2022, 10 episodes

  • Love Like a K-Drama

    75. Love Like a K-Drama

    Japanese TV Show - 2023, 12 episodes

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