My Selective Plot VS. Pretty Journey With East Asian Dramas

Previously, I wrote about Plot vs. Pretty. There are no questions asked that I tend to watch a show "just for the girl," such as The Female General and currently Everyone Loves Me (ongoing). I can't deny that I watched Blossoming Love because Sun Zhenni (who I first saw as a secondary character in Till the End of the Moon as a gumiho) was just super pretty. I thought about watching legal dramas, whether they're from China, Taiwan, Japan, or South Korea. South Korean legal dramas tend to be one of my favorite things to watch, even if eye candy is NON-EXISTENT FOR ME. Sure, I can get drawn by the eye candy, but a good plot automatically covers every appearance.

Recalling the early phase in my college days

I remember the premiere of Chinovelas (mostly from Taiwan), and it started with Meteor Garden. I didn't find the late Barbie Xu all that pretty (but I used to like a girl who resembled her) compared to Mao Inoue. However, I found Meteor Garden (2001) better than the live Hana Yori Dango production. I watched Meteor Garden out of curiosity. However, it became crazy when I watched several Chinese language dramas, whether they came from China or Hong Kong, drawn by the girl. 

At one point, I had that irrational fanboying on Kim Tae Hee. Yes, she was five years older than I am. It wasn't a blatant crush back then. I wanted to "polish more on Mandarin" back then, but WTF. I thought of Love Story in Harvard, or even the time she was that super mean girl in Stairway to Heaven. It was strange but true. My irrational crush on Tae Hee? Well, it was probably because of a serving of Korean barbecue and the like. I thought that if Tae Hee was a dream too far, especially since I never spoke Korean. I felt the desire to marry Tae Hee, though I wasn't vocal about it. I knew someone who had an irrational crush on Jeon Ji Hyun of My Sassy Girl, though it wasn't all too bad. In fact, I even thought Tae Hee was the prettiest East Asian girl back in the day! I even imagined myself as Anakin Skywalker if she were Padmé Amidala in Star Wars.

Speaking of which, I remember having crushes on two Lius, namely Esther Liu (who got married) and Crystal Liu (who somehow had flak because of how bad Mulan was). Watching West Side Story was like going beyond F4. Return of Condor Heroes (2006) was because I enjoyed crazy martial arts series. Westside Story was kind of a guilty pleasure and Manga-inspired. I enjoyed both plots but seriously had a crush on the two girls back in the day. It didn't help that I actually ran into a girl who looks like Crystal in college while I was trying to process my crush on a girl who looks like Barbie, or some eccentric nerdy girl that I deemed the kindest of the kind!

The conflicting feelings were real. It was in college that I thought about how several local stars were undeniably good-looking. Some of them even looked better than the East Asian girls. However, the long-winded formula, such as how Darna starring Angel Locsin was basically all eye-candy, no substance. I could enjoy watching some Tagalog movies (if well-written), but their Tagalog teleseryes were a different issue.

This also made me think of the 2000s. I thought about how I actually wanted to watch Super Sentai (which is most likely retired by now) again in college. Power Rangers was never my cup of tea and I should've admitted my dislike for it. This was a pattern that persisted. In fact, I thought about how I thought that Jasmine in Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger was a lot hotter than Z in Power Rangers SPD or how Sakura in Gougou Sentai Boukenger was hotter than Rose in Power Rangers Operation Overdrive. However, I still found Kimberly in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers prettier than Mei in Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. However, I ended up saying I'd rewatch Zyuranger over Mighty Morphin' since the former had a conclusion, despite it not being too satisfying IMHO. 

Basically, I didn't realize that my multiple preferences also affected my watching East Asian dramas. Also, please take note that I'm also selective, like I avoid what I call the SJW-friendly ones (like BL dramas), as they're simply NOT. MY. TYPE.

How things went post-college 

I usually watched stuff for many reasons. It can be to relax, enjoy a good plot, or, well, can be as lame as just for the CHICKS. I was still watching Super Sentai subs, and I may never miss those atrocious dubs ever again. I can remember watching Samurai Sentai Shinkenger in 2009, having that irrational crush on Rin Takanashi's character Mako Shiraishi. I even felt Tensou Sentai Goseiger was bland until I saw Power Ranger Megaforce in 2013 -- pretty chicks who CAN ACT but stuck in a HORRIBLE SCRIPT. In fact, I was thinking about, "Am I enjoying stuff for the girls or for the plot?" In some cases, it can be BOTH!

2013 was a time when I started to "burn out" with Super Sentai. Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger was like an exit cue. I was also afraid to admit that I was a fan of Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. I felt Super Sentai was already past its prime, but amazed it was able to wrap things up in early 2026. No bargain sale whatsoever! I was thinking about "moving on" with other stuff. I felt that Ressha Sentai ToQGer was Yasuko Kobayashi's lowest point. Shuriken Sentai Ninninger was just downright awful that it took Power Rangers Ninja Steel to actually make it better, IMHO. Doubotsu Sentai Zyuohger was also so-so compared to the anniversary Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. I simply felt like moving to focus on Chinese-language drama and Korean-language drama as a new shift. But yeah, I can always admit that I tend to look at them for the CHICKS.

I thought about how I had other Korean drama crushes. One of them was Suzy Bae -- a girl who looked like Maaya Uchida who acted as Hiroyo Hakase from Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger. So yeah, I must admit that I once shipped Maaya with Andrew Gray (for laughs) and her marriage to someone else torpedoed it. I watched While You Were Sleeping -- a K-Drama that mixed the supernatural with legal drama. I watched Gu Family Book and had some Suzy mania. But I also had to admit there were several hotter teleserye stars like Rhian Ramos Howell and Shaina Garcia Magdayao. My mind was at a constant "tug-of-war," especially when I was enjoying Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger, and I don't find Hammy (acted by Sakurako Okubo) all that pretty. I also didn't find Tsukasa Myoujin (acted by Kazusa Okuyama) from Kaito Sentai Lupiranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger.

What may have been funnier was Dream High years after 2011. I remember comparing it to Victorious on Nickelodeon. Yeah, I've quit watching Nickelodeon due to how mishandled the network is these days. I thought about how Dream High gave everyone character development vs. how Victorious was getting irritating especially KAT. Sure, Victoria Justice may look better than Suzy but whatever. I felt that I could use a good show with eye candy to relax -- like I did with Samurai Senta Shinkenger. In fact, I felt Victorious was brain-numbing even before Megaforce came on-screen. 

However, that kinda changed my mind in the late 2010s too. I watched Kill It and Justice finding Jin A Nana pretty. Her appearance reminded me of Shaina A LOT. Yes, I'd dare say that she also resembles Rin Takanashi and the model Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen (named after the singer) in some way. Yeah, talk about quadruplets. I find Shaina prettier than Nana. However, I thought about watching Nana play as a detective or a lawyer -- she was certainly NOT to be messed with. I thought about finding Shaina pretty but skipping every last show. I enjoyed watching Memorials as Nana became Addie Singer from Unfabulous with Taekwondo training. In some areas, she was practically a Korean Catwoman, though Shaina looked the closest to a younger Julie Newmar, aka 1966 Catwoman! 

There were also other pretty girls. I thought about My Name and I must admit, I find Han So Hee actually prettier than her Filipino doppelganger, Kylie Padilla. However, I'm condemning Taskforce Firewall on GMA-7 due to its REALLY. BAD. PACING. Jeon Yeo Bin kinda looks like Angel and I saw her first on Vincenzo. I couldn't get over how Vincenzo gave me an Angel doppelganger without the Richard-Angel vibes. 

It made me think that there were other shows I watched WITHOUT the eye candy. Take, for example, every show with Shin Hye Sun as the leading lady. I simply don't find her pretty, but she delivers her part with much flavor. If I were to look back, then there were some Taiwanese or Mainland Chinese that I admired despite NOT being pretty. Let's face it, I watch Super Sentai even without a pretty chick to "back it up". The same principle was that "It's not about the girls but the content of the show." Hye Sun lacked the conventional Korean beauty. However, every time Hye Sun delivers what's needed, whether it's the intense ones (such as how I hated Strangers for deciding to murder her character near the finale) or the eccentric ones (like Mr. Queen and Still 17). However, Hye Sun seems to be the one that "refuses to give me a break" type of vibe as she has vibes that makes her like Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, in Greek Mythology. 

I thought about how I could approach relaxation in many ways. It creates multiple menus where:

• I can watch a show that has eye candy AND the plot I want if I want to "start with relaxation" such as me currently watching Everyone Loves Me on Netflix.
• However, eye candy isn't necessary in any form of comedy. I'd watch a comedy where the looks don't matter and an unattractive person's personality, not her looks, is the main focus. 
• I would watch something intellectually stimulating in boredome like crime drama regardless of appearances. 

Just another RANDOM rant!