Youthful Glory (China)

Prince Jiang Xu returns from guarding the border after eight years to investigate embezzlement of military pay meant for the Dingbei army. But there are masterminds at work and getting justice won’t be easy. To aid him in his investigation, he marries the daughter of a general, Ming Tan, who is hoping to avoid a marriage to a lecherous young man and his clout-chasing family.

I like a good arranged marriage story, but I like it more when both of the characters are willing – so this was perfect! It’s not super light but neither is it very dark, so it’s perfect if you like a sweet drama without a huge amount of misunderstanding.

The Apothecary Diaries (Japan)

Maomao, trained from an early age by her apothecary father in the use of poisons and medicine, finds herself sold as a servant to the emperor’s palace, where she uses her knowledge to solve mysteries and crimes.

Season 2 came out this year (although I watched 1 and 2 both) and third is coming out next year. I rarely watch anime, but this one I enjoyed so much that I bought myself the light novel to give a shot!

A hotel manager with insomnia and a Chinese medicine doctor slowly fall in love, whilst dealing with the pressures of work, family, and the scars left behind by their previous relationships.

Modern romance C-Dramas are rarely my preferred genre, but for a generally fluffy romance, the characters and plot of this show are mature and logical and the relationships complex but healthy. It is rare for a C-Drama to get better as it goes on, but I think this one did.

A doctor is criticised for his lack of people skills and is sent to an elementary school to work as the school doctor. Though gruff and strict, he secretly cares a lot and his keen observational skills allow him to detect issues early and help the students and teachers of the school.

I rarely watch Japanese TV shows because I’ve not had particular positive experiences with them, but I’m starting to think I might be okay so long as I stay away from the romances! This was really heartwarming, the cast was great and although I often find a-case-per-episode style shows boring, this one absolutely wasn’t!

Identical twin sisters with opposite personalities and lives switch identities in order to get a reprieve from their respective difficulties. Living each other’s life they slowly begin to find hope for a more authentic life, happiness and love.

I love Park Boyoung as an actress, and I also really like Park Jinyoung (who plays one of the male leads), so I was always going to watch this show, but it’s also such an important show about mental health. Park Boyoung seems to have a couple of shows in that vein recently and they’re all excellent.

A residency drop-out is forced to go back and complete her residency when her shopping habits land her in serious debt. This show follows four residents in the OB-GYN department of a major hospital.

All the characters here are likeable (or sympathetic enough that you root for them despite them being unlikeable) (except the bad guys, of course) and I really enjoyed the whole show. I really need to go and watch Hospital Playlist (which is a ‘prequel’ but you don’t have to watch it to watch this one, they’re more of ‘companion’ shows than a series).

Wei Shao watched his father and brothers die as the city was invaded by another state and reinforcements from their allies (the Qiao family) never arrived. Now an adult, Wei Shao, Lord of Wei, has led his army to take back his territory and avenge his family, and the state of Qiao is next on his list for revenge. In the hope of peace, the Qiao family sends Qiao Man to form a marriage alliance with Wei Shao.

By quite a long way, this was my favourite new drama of 2025. Both of the characters are intelligent and their behaviour logical. The romance is romantic and believable, the plot is engaging and although it’s probably best in the first 2/3, it never flops entirely and I enjoyed it from start to end. The set, costume and cinematography are also stunning. I highly recommend reading Tasha @The Literary Huntress’ review for a more detailed overview of why this show is so excellent.