[It’s hard for me to take Taiwanese dramas seriously because the majority of them are comical. I’m not a big fan of slapstick and I have to be in the mood to watch these dramas. Although, just as it is with JDramas, when I find a good drama, it’s a GOOD DRAMA. It also doesn’t help that they tend to have more episodes than dramas from other countries. It really is a kind of commitment. Although, I will say that TWDramas give us ample time to truly care about the characters and that helps us build a lifelong loyalty to the series and the actors. Enjoy!]

TWDramas (in order by year):

• Meteor Garden (2001) - An article I read a while back described this series as “the granddaddy of all Taiwanese dramas”. I thought this was quite appropriate. This remains my FAVORITE TWDRAMA. ALWAYS. Meteor Garden was highly influential in the drama world. It was not only the first live series Hana Yori Dango adaptation but it also showed the world how far a drama could go as far as popularity, marketing, and how important audience loyalty truly is. The word successful is an understatement when describing this drama. Pretty much every actor involved started their careers with this series.
  

• Mars (2004) - I liked Vic Zhou before this series. I was obsessed with him after this series. This is my second favorite TWDrama EVER. It’s dark and, I won’t lie, it’s slightly twisted but, mainly (and most importantly), it’s different. If you’re looking for a comedy, this wouldn’t be the one to watch and it deals with some dark issues. Although, the actors put in great performances (especially Vic) and the writing is wonderful.

• Devil Beside You (2005) - This one never needs an explanation. Mike He and Rainie Yang for the WIN.

• It Started With a Kiss (2005-2007) - Most you have seen this so I see no reason to explain. If you haven’t seen it, I warn you now, that you will fall in love with these characters/actors. If you haven’t seen the sequel yet, I wouldn’t worry about. It was fun to watch because it’s great to get a continuation of the character’s lives but I felt 20 episodes were too much.

• My Lucky Star (2007) - I was surprised at how much I loved this series. It starred Jimmy Lin, who we hadn’t seen in a drama for 3 years, and Yoo Ha-na, a Korean model-turned-actress that knew very little Chinese and had no credits to her name. Those facts don’t exactly instill the highest of confidences but the drama itself was quite entertaining. It also helped that Jimmy and Ha-na quite obviously got along really well and that made it fun to watch them interact. Ha-na has done minor roles on Korean dramas for the past few years and Jimmy Lin has been more concentrated on his family life and his longtime passion for car racing but they’ll always be Zhi Xing and Tian Qi to me.

• Why Why Love (2007) - It’s not my favorite Rainie Yang/Mike He pairing (Devil Beside You holds that prize) but it’s very entertainig. It gets dramatic toward the end and I found some aspects of it corny but I would suggest this one simply because I don’t think it should be missed.

• Fated to Love You (2008) - Another one that doesn’t need an explanation. Many people (including myself) were surprised to see how popular this series became. It was clever and romantic enough for me to like it even though it has it’s slapstick moments. It also helps that it had mature content. Plus, Joe Chen and Ethan Ruan were ADORABLE.

• My Queen (2009): I am all about stories that depict a strong, single woman that wants a relationship, but doesn’t NEED a relationship. If you’re a fan of Sex and the City or any other show that features strong, independent women, then you may want to check this one out. I look at Cheryl Yang as the Taiwanese Sarah Jessica Parker (Weird face, but a body that can pull off any look and a strong persona) and Ethan Ruan has turned into this hot man that can convincingly handle strong women. 

• Autumn’s Concerto (2009) - A MAJOR tearjerker but pretty good. It was nice to see Van Ness with a hit outside of the Meteor Garden/F4 hemisphere and I always appreciate dramas that offer more mature content. Most people I speak to liked this one but I’ve run into a few that felt like it was too much all at once. In my opinion, this was one of the better dramas that were aired last year and the pickings were slim. 

• Black & White (2009) - I LOVE Zai Zai and while I had low expectations for this (I believe, at one point, I disdainfully compared it to a “buddy flick”) I felt it was worth the watch. I hear a movie sequel is in the works so I’m pretty sure I’ll be checking that out.

• Summer’s Desire (2010) - This series has only just started and I’m already hooked. It’s overly dramatic in every way possible but, sometimes, an extreme melodrama is just what we all need.

• Drunken to Love You (2011) - This is a Fated to Love You spinoff but a little better because it featured better actors. It still has the same quirkiness and whimsicality that Fated had but the story is stronger. It also helps that the chemistry between Joseph and Rainie is off the charts. You can tell they actually enjoyed working together and that can make all the difference in the world. Luckily for the series (and us), it did.

• In Time With You (2011) - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. So realistic it hurts. We’ve all seen the friends that turn into lovers drama before, but it’s never been written so beautifully and acted so poignantly before. This stands as my favorite Ariel Lin role to date and it made me fall in love with Bolin Chen all over again. You’ll walk away from this series with more than a few memorable quotes and a want for your own Li Da Ren.