MyDramaList MDLv6.6

MDL Articles Revisited: 10th Anniversary

by Cho Na, April 6, 2021
138

ALL BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK TO MDL!!!

image source: via.com

WE HAVE COME THIS FAR

Our beloved MyDramaList was launched on April 6, 2011. Although I joined in August 2019, from reading the MDL news, I found out that there have been a lot of improvements since its inception. Now ten years later, we have come this far. As a writer, I gifted my birthday present to MDL in the form of a compilation of articles from 2012 to February 2021, with tips on how to make our drama journey fun generally and how to journey together with MDL specifically.

As usual, the hallmark of my MDL Articles Revisited series are informative, reflective, and entertaining. Some articles are informative, full of how-to tips, some are reflectively poured from the hearts and thoughts of the writers, and some are plain hilarious and entertaining to make the readers day. The articles are categorized based on the two main topics and subtopics. I understand that although we are journeying together, we may have different preferences. I tried to be as general as possible, so everyone can enjoy this article. Therefore, the articles chosen are not specifically recommending any drama/movie, although some may contain examples. The titles and the author names are linkable.

Disclaimers:

  • I am not responsible for the content of each article, as I trust the editing/screening process by the MDL team before each article was published. 
  • I contacted every writer whose articles are included here for consent and missing pictures/links. However, some writers are inactive or semi-active; therefore do not replace missing pictures/links.
  • I apologize if I unintentionally missed your article(s) due to having to read so many during the selection process.

 LOOKS BETTER IN DARK MODE



Dramaland

Since you are reading this article, you most likely have watched at least one Asian drama/movie, right? You have stumbled upon this site on a quest to quench your thirst for more Asian shows. You are in the right place, my friend! A blissful and ethereal world called Dramaland! Let my fellow writer introduce you properly in her a la-Wikipedia article to our beloved realm:


Being a Drama Addict

by amrita828 
So now you are more familiar with our fantastic world, and you have resided among us. Are you wondering what a Dramaland resident is called? As every individual is unique, we came up with different names based on our mother tongues. But generally, we are called Drama Addicts! Here are writers who proudly and openly wrote about being one and their addiction:

by shaz22 

by shaz22 

by AnanyaS 

by Shaza 


Being a Fan

As residents of Dramaland, what are we? Hero(ine)s? Long-lost princes or illegitimate princesses? Immortals or vengeful spirits? Overbearing CEOs or clumsy secretaries? Handsome stalkers or charismatic psychos? Holograms or time travelers? Tsundere or yandere? Pra'ek or nang'ek? Hidden identities or multiple personalities? Nah, neither are we. We are just commoners, my friend! Bystanders. I even heard that in Hengdian World Studios, you have to pay a lot just to be bystanders in a crowd while filming a Chinese historical drama!
But we can claim proudly that we are drama fans! Even MDL graciously promotes us as Ultra Fans if we write an Ultra Fan's Guide article! Let's read what it takes to be drama fans from these writers:


Time for a Quiz

So you said you are not a drama addict, nor a(n) (ultra) fan of an actor/actress? Do you still think you are the hero(ine)? Or are you in denial? Well, time to quiz yourself then, to get to know who you are in Dramaland.
Here are two quizzes written by our 'experts':
by Regine


Which Drama to Choose

by Ceki
Now that you have known and accepted yourself (either graciously or reluctantly), you are ready to venture into Dramaland. But I have to warn you first! Our place is treacherous. It's a battle arena. In every corner, recommendations are awaiting to ensnare you, whether you are here at MDL or out there (Youtube, Netflix, Viki, etc.). And since you're reading this article, meaning you're on our lovely site, it doesn't mean you're safe either. Wherever you go: articles, reviews, trailers, trending shows, starting or ending shows, feeds, forum, MDLers are ready to unabashedly recommend their favorite dramas/movies.
Here are some articles written to give you some encouragement to strengthen your heart and mind so you can decide what to watch:


Which Country

Although you have an idea what kind of dramas/movies to choose based on the tips above, still there may be a question that lingers: which country? The country where dramas/movies are produced is like a subculture by itself in Dramaland. You name it: K-dramaland, doramaland, lakornland, jianghu world, etc. There are many stand-alone articles in MDL recommending a specific country, and you can do an Advanced Search to look up the articles. For my article's purpose, since I realized how much more patience, dedication, and research needs to be done in writing series, I introduce you to two writers with their series on drama/movie producing countries represented in MDL:

Tine  and friends with Why You Should Try series: (click on each picture to read the article)

Benevolentia with Starter Kit series: (click on each picture to read the article)


The Ancient Glory

While you're walking in Dramaland, you realized that your path becomes narrower, the ground is murkier, and the air is misty with a mysterious aura. You hear the sound of trumpets and battle cry, galloping horses, and soon you're caught within a scene of clashing swords, shooting arrows, and flying people. Suddenly you see among the flying dudes your dashing favorite actor, who is usually in his classy suit, but now he is in leather armor plate, floating robe, and long hair. UGH... he is in a historical drama???
You're not alone, friend; we have been there too. It's still a struggle watching historicals. Remembering the massive and long names of people, places, sects, weapons, poisons, you name it. They conspire against you. You need to arm yourself with the drama info, recaps, cast list (with pictures), episode guides, etc. Read the articles from these 'scholars' who shared their experiences and wisdom with you:
by Minarii 


The Forever Battle: Subtitles

There is a trade in Dramaland that the audience hates and loves at the same time: subtitling. The elites who provide subs are called the mysterious Subber Clan. They are so secretive that sometimes we have to hunt them down, which usually starts with asking around on the drama page. They are hidden; some even block their fort's entrance with passwords and money. They also come and go, as they may stop subbing due to real-life duty calls or teasingly subbed Episode 1 and then lure you by your addiction to pay for more. Hereby some writers gave you a glimpse of this holy mission through their articles:


How to Watch a Drama

There are two philosophies on how to watch dramas in Dramaland: binge-watching/ marathoning or watching currently airing/subbing drama. There is no right or wrong with these two, and the devotees of each belief have their own arguments as explained by writers from both sides:

by Minarii 
by SeRose


Dropping a Drama

Remember when I warned you that everywhere in Dramaland, recommendations are lurking and are ready to lure you into watching more dramas? They make us keep adding titles to our PTW lists. The long lists put us on a guilty trip, taunt us that have we failed our mission impossible to watch every drama in our list. The few elite ones who survived without dropping any dramas are like they who wrote the article on the right. For the rest of us, the commoners, there are plenty of articles that assure us that dropping dramas is ok!
Side note: The 'elite ones' and 'commoner' titles are just joking! Don't take it personally. Since it's just not easy to never drop dramas, so the majority of us do.

by Kate
by Anushka and  


by AnanyaS 


Drama Withdrawal

As there is drama addiction, so is drama withdrawal. A drama that is so captivating when it ends, you cannot even sleep thinking about it. But as long as new dramas keep being released, you need to move on, my dear. Read the advices from the survivors:

by Akage Girl 

by MissCub 
by Regine 


Transforming the Aliens 

(aka How to Convert Your Friends and Families to Watch Asian Dramas)

There are aliens among us! They who don't watch Asian dramas, obviously. These aliens, even though virtually they don't live here, but in reality, they are so close to you, maybe even is sitting next to you at this moment. And you're dying to make them want to watch dramas with you. So you want to be an Alien Transformer? Here are the guides:
by Ankita
by SeRose


Being in a Drama Slump

If drama withdrawal is an acute disorder in Dramaland, drama slump is chronic. You used to be so enthusiastic about dramas. You set up a watch party, binged 10+ episodes a day, left hundreds of comments on the drama page, posted tons of screenshots of the drama you were watching in the Feeds section, much to the annoyance of people there, and so on. However, there will be a time when suddenly you feel empty. Although MDLers who became semi-active or inactive most likely have to pledge their allegiance to the neighboring Kingdom of IRL (In Real Life), I suspect many of them underwent drama slump, hence are gone from Dramaland and never come back. Therefore, let's read what the drama slump survivors wrote before your drama slump becomes incurable and untreatable!

by sky241 


Drama Journeys

Yeah yeah, you say. The same as you read a product info that tells you how great it is, still you want to know from them who actually use it. Here are what some of us who have journeyed in Dramaland wrote:
by Tine 
by joonie 


by Cho Na 
by Shaza 
by betun 
by kkdrama 
and joonie 
by Tae



You are Still a Mortal on Earth

I mentioned it to you about the Kingdom of IRL (In Real Life), right? Yes, its influence is very powerful against your desire to stay forever in Dramaland. It's the fact that you're still mortal with individual physical and physiological characteristics and live in social structures of the earth. Your drama journey experience also reflects how powerful those external influences (family, friends, public opinions) can be, as written by these writers:
by Dubu
by kez

by kkdrama 
 

 


Organizing Your Watching List

Once signing up with MDL and exploring the site, you are faced with 6 drama lists features. Since there is no instruction on what to put there, while some lists are clear cut (for example: Completed list), some of them (On Hold, Not Interested lists) can be confusing. It all depends on your own interpretation of what you want to include in each list. Even organizing them can take some time! Here is one guide on how to organize them:


Rating a Drama/Movie

Rating a drama/movie is a mini journey by itself. It depends on how long you have been in Dramaland or how many you have watched. Rating a drama/movie is an adventure since you will face internal turmoil as well as an external challenge while rating it. The writers here share their experiences and tips on how to rate one:
by Jeana 
 by real_Mokona 


Reviewing a Drama/Movie

After lurking for some time, many MDLers signed up just to review a drama/movie; that was in my case, at least. Two articles on the right interviewed some MDL reviewers. There are also articles on why and how you write a review.


by amrita828 


Writing an Article

Do you have an upcoming/currently or recently watched drama/movie you're too excited about that even writing a review/comment is not enough? Or a favorite actor/actress you want to shout his/her name over the entire Dramaland to let others hear? Or just something that bugs you while residing in our sacred realm? Why don't you write something about it in an article to let us know!

by kkdrama 

And if you have a desire to write but don't know what to write, below are my series brainstorming unique ideas from past articles:

Cho Na  with Learning from Writer Sunbaes: MDL Articles Revisited series: (click on each picture to read the article)


ALL BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!

MOVING FORWARD

Now that this article comes to an end, your journey continues. Even if you have watched dramas/movies since you were born or have been with MDL from the start, as long as the Asian countries represented on this site are still making dramas/movies, your journey still has a long way to go. Whether you are trailing the narrow paths in historical dramas or rushing into the hustle and bustle of the streets in modern dramas, I hope that my compilation of information of these past articles is enough to accompany you safely throughout your drama adventure!


Have a wonderful journey in Dramaland!

Acknowledgements: Thank you to all writers whose articles included here for your consent and support. Thank you to the editors who edited this article. 
Credits: I do not own any of the images used. Credits go to the respective owners. To honor the writers' effort to search, choose, and reformat pictures, I used their original article's cover images. 

Edited by: Yuanwei (1st editor)

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