Healing Slice-of-Life Dramas
Most extraordinary journeys begin with the simplest things in life...
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1. Go Ahead
Chinese Drama - 2020, 46 episodes
3 children from 3 different families growing up under the wings of 2 hardworking single dads.
This is a very heart-warming story about how familial love can become even stronger than blood ties if given the right care and nurture. The settings make me feel really nostalgic of my own childhood. Seven Tan, Song Wei Long and Steven Zhang are such an adorable trio that you can't help but fall in love with. There's a hint of romance in the second half, but at its heart this drama is very much about family bonds and values.
"No blood relationship, no same family name, but we're still a family... I thought God was so good to me for giving me such kind boys. I feel very cherished. I raised them up from such little boys. I hold them in the palm of my hands. Never beating them, never scolding them. But someone had to remind me that I wasn't their father, I'm not a real father, not a family. But where are their real families?" Li Hai Chao
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2. Hospital Playlist
Korean Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
What's the chance of 5 classmates ending up working as surgeons in the same hospital?
This is just like watching 5 best friends having fun like the good old times. Each brings a different perspective on the struggles of their own medical specialty, and a different type of quirkiness. Meet the jokester, the priest-wannabe, the secret softie, the quiet realist and the workaholic glutton. I love their weekly band practices, funny banters, pettiness over little things and giddiness over each other's love life. It's hilarious how they all look down on Mi Do's tone deafness in the drama when in real life she's a well-known musical singer while they're just amateurs, well except for Jung Suk that is.
Personally, my favourite character is Jung Won. He's so tactless and naive sometimes but so cute with children, fitting for paediatrician. His mini-romance with Gyeo Wool is super endearing.
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3. Hospital Playlist Season 2
Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes
Some more quality healing time with our 5 dorks. I don't mind another season of this. This show literally kept me alive during COVID lockdowns!
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4. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
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5. Hidden Love
Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes
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6. Meet Yourself
Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes
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7. Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
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8. You Are My Glory
Chinese Drama - 2021, 32 episodes
Watching this again really hits differently. I love the slow and gentle pace, the mellow and mature romance. There's a perfect balance between comedic banters and heartwarming moments. The first half actually gets better as well. I still don't like the CGI gaming bits, but Yu Tu's career struggles at the beginning feel so realistic and the way Jing Jing comforts him just hits it home for me (8.5 → 9.5).
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9. Draw the Line
Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes
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10. Dr. Romantic
Korean Drama - 2016, 20 episodes
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11. Dr. Romantic Season 2
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
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12. Forever and Ever
Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes
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13. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
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14. Love Me, Love My Voice
Chinese Drama - 2023, 33 episodes
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15. Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
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16. One Spring Night
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
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17. Our Beloved Summer
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
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18. Rising With the Wind
Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes
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19. Something in the Rain
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
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20. Surgeons
Chinese Drama - 2017, 44 episodes
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21. The Oath of Love
Chinese Drama - 2022, 32 episodes
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22. The Rational Life
Chinese Drama - 2021, 35 episodes
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23. What Comes after Love
Korean Drama - 2024, 6 episodes
This is a raw, poetic and beautiful reflection piece for those who has loved and has been loved.
Lee Se Young and Sakaguchi Kentaro are incredibly versatile and expressive. I love the seamless transition between Japanese and Korean, allowing us to feel each lead's perspective much deeper. I also love the contrast between their young, naive selves in the flashbacks and older, poignant selves in the present. Through loss, realisation and regret, the leads were able to gain an appreciation of what love is. The choice of using mostly instrumental soundtrack makes it feel like we're watching a piece of poetry comeing to life.
"What do I believe comes after love? I believe we can gain an understanding of what love is... It's such a sad irony. Only after love do we realise what it truly means. That's why I believe we're always filled with regret. Maybe that's why the deeper our love is, the bigger our regret becomes." Jungo
"A single moment can last forever. And forever can end in a single moment." Jungo
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24. When the Weather Is Fine
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
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25. 18 Again
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
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26. 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii
Japanese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
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28. Doctor John
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
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29. Do You Like Brahms?
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
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30. Falling Into You
Chinese Drama - 2022, 26 episodes
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31. Find Yourself
Chinese Drama - 2020, 41 episodes
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32. Flight to You
Chinese Drama - 2022, 39 episodes
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33. Good Doctor
Korean Drama - 2013, 20 episodes
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34. Keys to the Heart
Korean Movie - 2018
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35. Love the Way You Are
Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes
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36. Miss Hammurabi
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
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37. One Week Friends
Japanese Movie - 2017
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38. Our Secret
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
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39. Romance Is a Bonus Book
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
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40. Shall We Dance?
Japanese Movie - 1996
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41. She and Her Perfect Husband
Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes
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42. The Best of You in My Mind
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
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43. Unrequited Love
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
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44. When I Fly Towards You
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
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45. When the Camellia Blooms
Korean Drama - 2019, 40 episodes
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46. When We Were Young
Chinese Drama - 2018, 24 episodes
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48. Because of Meeting You
Chinese Drama - 2017, 56 episodes
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49. Because This Is My First Life
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
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50. Blue Spring Ride
Japanese Movie - 2014
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51. Crush
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
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52. Flourish in Time
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
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53. From Me to You
Japanese Movie - 2010
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54. Hello, Love, Goodbye
Filipino Movie - 2019
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55. Hospital Ship
Korean Drama - 2017, 40 episodes
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56. I Don't Love You Yet
Japanese Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
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57. Just Between Lovers
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
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58. Le Coup de Foudre
Chinese Drama - 2019, 35 episodes
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59. Master of My Own
Chinese Drama - 2022, 32 episodes
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60. Moonlight Resonance
Hong Kong Drama - 2008, 40 episodes
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61. Orange
Japanese Movie - 2015
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62. Ordinary Greatness
Chinese Drama - 2022, 38 episodes
We often overlook the fact that most police spend their lifetimes dealing with social issues and resolving daily disputes, rather than catching serial killers or drug smugglers like in crime thrillers. Through the lens of 4 new police recruits, we get to witness that being a police is more than just a display of heroism, it also involves learning about humanity, humility and teamwork. Each recruit has a different background and different struggles that they must overcome to become a good cop. The friendship between the 4 of them is dorky and hilarious but also very supportive and reassuring.
While I appreciate the realistic portrayal of the daily lives of police, I still find some of the characters a bit frustrating to watch. From Xia Jie's overprotective mother to Yang Shu's ambitious master and his insufferable in-laws. And what's more, when you start to think they've changed for the better, they would immediately revert back to their bad habits. I guess you can say that human nature doesn't change sometimes.
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63. Run On
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
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64. The Hippocratic Crush
Hong Kong Drama - 2012, 25 episodes
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65. The Prince of Tennis
Chinese Drama - 2019, 42 episodes
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66. Your Lie in April
Japanese Movie - 2016
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67. Best Choice Ever
Chinese Drama - 2024, 37 episodes
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68. Maiden's Vow
Hong Kong Drama - 2006, 30 episodes
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69. Marriage Contract
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
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70. My Golden Life
Korean Drama - 2017, 52 episodes
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71. My Sunshine
Chinese Drama - 2015, 32 episodes
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72. Scent of a Woman
Korean Drama - 2011, 16 episodes
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73. Shining Inheritance
Korean Drama - 2009, 28 episodes
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74. Somewhere Only We Know
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
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75. The Dude in Me
Korean Movie - 2019
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76. The Light in Your Eyes
Korean Drama - 2019, 12 episodes
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77. Autumn's Concerto
Taiwanese Drama - 2009, 21 episodes
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78. Forest
Korean Drama - 2020, 32 episodes