Our 2020 Drama Recs
What a year 2020 has been - a time of tumultuous change, anxiety and reflection. During this time, dramas have certainly become a safe space for comfort and entertainment. Fortunately, weāve also seen more and more quality dramas released in 2020!
As we head into 2021, here are our top 2020 dramas picks:
1. Winter Begonia é¬č¾¹äøęÆęµ·ę£ ēŗ¢
recommended by Admin JY
The story of two seemingly polar opposite characters in 1930s China - a feisty traditionally-trained Beijing opera star and a wealthy Western-educated businessman in a setting where Western influence meets Chinese traditions. Yet when they finally cross paths, their parallels in fact draw them closer to each other. The main characters shine and sparkle both as independent characters with their own depth, flaws and quirks and with their ever-so-natural chemistry interacting with each other, in what could be the most healthy and balanced relationship dynamic I have ever seen between leads.
Winter Begonia presents brilliantly written three-dimensional, human yet relatable characters growing with each other through a time in history of change and uncertainty, in addition to great acting, beautiful costume design, production value and showcase of Beijing opera. If you are looking for a show with drama, history/culture, comedy, family, action (and tragedy), look no further than Winter Begonia for an entertaining yet reflective story of growth filled with all the *feels*.
2. A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower ę©å¤©å¤§ę„¼
recommended by Admin JL Ā
Whatās your idea of a feminist drama? An ensemble of badass, confident female cast kicking ass and bonding with each other? ForĀ Horizon Tower, it is to be concealed in a mystery. Two detectives take us through the life of an attractive cafe owner after her death, retracing it through the eyes of people new to her and old ones who had known her well. They all have various things to say about her - each have a different piece of the full picture. What part of the truth do we trust? How do we, or can we judge her?Ā While women are often expected to be theĀ āperfect victimā, Horizon Tower says, the simple truth is, a victim is a victim, and a crime is a crime, regardless the conduct of the victim.
Horizon Tower is a sophisticated, brilliantly written and directed story. ItāsĀ fast-paced, compellingĀ as it plays with multiple facets of the truth. There is no simple dichotomy - of black vs white, of women vs men.Ā Instead, it fundamentally embraces the complexity of human nature - which is what makes it feminist. For me, this drama will stay in my heart as one of the most powerful and brilliant feminist stories to exist. In a time of feminist movements, it feels extra important and meaningful for China to have produced such a drama this year. Thank you for being the voice we all needed, Horizon Tower!
Watch the official episodes, subbed, on Youtube.
3. Hyena
recommended by Admin JY
Not quite simply a law drama, nor a ābadassā law drama turned into a sweet romance drama - Hyena is great for its culmination of confident writing featuring strong and unique characters that break stereotypes, balanced with a refreshing focus on morally ambiguous law cases.
Just as much as the focus was placed on the well-paced and exciting stakes inĀ the legal cases featured, the drama always gave space for the charactersā legit explosive chemistry to shine through and be developed further. While KDramas have been attempting to write ābadassā female leads, Jang Geum Ja always stayed true to her anti-hero and morally grey character, with her gaudy, loud masculine style, unscrupulousness and shameless ambition to the end - a truly strong and admirable female lead who may not be fully likable. Yoon Hee Jae as the male lead also deserves praise as a more sensitive and softer portrayal of a privileged and powerful male lead, without ever overshadowing others or overstepping his boundaries.
Even as someone who struggles to watch purely-law/detective dramas, there was much to appreciate and enjoy from this drama, with its quality acting, writing and even memorable OST that can only be fully appreciated by watching.
4. The Bad Kids éē§ēč§č½
recommended by Admin JLĀ
This is Chinaās year of high quality, sophisticated suspense dramas! Alongside Horizon Tower, The Bad Kids is certainly the one which had first carved out that status. Before it was named one of theĀ Best International TV Series of 2020 by Variety,Ā it had already achieved a phenomenal status in China with plenty of good fun memes and incisive meta created.
The success ofĀ The Bad Kids,Ā in my opinion,Ā represents creativity and the heart for storytelling triumphing over rigid, spartan censorship. Itās a testament that witty and thoughtful writing is what you need to tell a good story - and even censorship canāt get in the way of this (sometimes). It told a compelling and introspective story threading into moral fallibility while opening up questions to audience about what we perceive and know. This is a rare accomplishment when so many other recent cdrama stories are increasingly sanitised. The auteur-level of directing was vital in shaping the experience as well, down to the quirky selection of music.
So, do you believe in fairytales or reality? :)
5.Ā Brutally Young åå
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recommended by Admin JY
How far would you go to hide the secrets from your past to protect your present? - that was the simple but solid foundation that this HK Drama delivered.
A group of high school friends are forced to reunite after 18 years to unravel the mystery of a recently discovered corpse, related to their shared pasts. Through this premise, mystery and suspense unfolds as the charactersā complex motivations and hidden pasts are revealed.
Despite the wide ranging cast, many characters are given good depth and personal arcs for development, and even decent romance feels. The pace of the story is also kept tight and remains consistent and realistic throughout.Ā Definitely an unexpected dark horse from TVBās 2020 lineup, worth checking out!
6. Ā Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns 鬼å¹ēÆä¹é¾å²čæ·ēŖ
recommended by Admin JL
Okay, after two heavy suspense dramas from me, is there anything more lighthearted to watch? Iām usually not an action/adventure fan, but Iāve been a fan of the remakes of Candle in the Tomb directed by Fei Zhenxiang along with his team, following after the prequel adaptation last year, The Wrath of Time.Ā
This time, we have Pan Yueming as Hu Bayi, forming the Iron Triangle with Pangzi and Shirley, embarking on a tomb-raiding treasure-hunting adventure. Director Fei makes action digestible and fun to watch, on top of the witty script, great character-writing and performance - true to canon (as far as possible). As far as old fans of the franchise and new ones of the drama know, this is the best remake so far. Iām looking forward to the next instalment, The Worm Valley, likely out early 2021!
Watch the official episodes, subbed, on Youtube.
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Let us know what your picks for 2020 are!
Written and gifs by Admin JY and Admin JL, unless stated otherwise.
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