Dramas To Watch This Summer

Here to share some of my favorite top-rated dramas for you all to add to your watchlists and enjoy this summer!

These are some of my favorite dramas that I have watched recently. This post will include a (mostly) spoiler-free description of each drama, along with the platform you can watch it on, amount of episodes, link to the shows and even my personal rating of the show.

1. One of Us is Lying

• Summary: When five students enter detention, and one dies, an investigation ensues as the student was about to reveal critical secrets about his classmates in his gossip blog.
• Genre: Teen Drama, Mystery
• Platform: Peacock
• Episodes: 2 seasons (16 episodes total) 
• Link: One Of Us Is Lying
• Rating: 9.5/10

I started One Of Us Is Lying when I was dogsitting over spring break and I immediately loved it! I only rate it half a point off a perfect score because it was canceled! (and ended on a cliffhanger which, to me, is 100x worse!) It was like the Netflix show The Society all over again. One of Us is Lying got a top rating from me because it was unpredictable & the characters each had their own developments. All the characters were some straight up liars about everything in their lives but at least they grew over the course of the seasons! I’m definitely gonna read the book series soon since the show was loosely based on the series and not an exact copy.

2. Manifest

• Summary: A commercial airliner suddenly reappears after being missing for five years. As those aboard reintegrate into society, they experience voices and visions of events yet to occur as an even deeper mystery unfolds. 
• Genre: Supernatural, Drama
• Platform: Netflix
• Episodes: 52 (4 seasons) 
• Link: Manifest
• Rating: 10/10

I can talk all about Manifest all day, but then this review post would be five pages long. As someone who was an early adopter of Manifest summer 2019, I can confidently confirm it is worth the watch! I love all the characters, especially chaotic Ben Stone & his family. I won’t spoil anything since the storyline can get quite complex, but just know that the story will keep you on the edge of your seat & continuously hitting ‘play next episode’ on your tv screen or laptop. When the first half of the final season dropped at the end of 2022, my mom & I watched it about two days & couldn’t get enough. The very final episodes of Manifest drop June 2nd and I am so excited!

I’m super thankful so many people tuned into the series when it was “cancelled” & that it got the Netflix resurrection so the story could continue. I would’ve been very sad if it ended poorly. With a complex story like this, once it ends I’ll definitely rewatch it from the very beginning.

Korean Dramas

1. The Glory

• Summary: A young woman, bullied endlessly by her peers, plans the best way to get revenge on her perpetrators.
• Genre: Revenge, Psychological Thriller 
• Platform: Netflix
• Episodes: 16
• Link: The Glory
• Rating: 10/10

I absolutely LOVED The Glory. Song Hye Kyo did amazing in her role as the main character, Moon Dongeun. Part 1 of The Glory aired at the end of December, so I did have to wait for Part 2 to air in March. For anyone watching it now, there’s no waiting game since all the episodes are available. All the actors put on stunning performances, and the bullies were definitely scary & very evil. I was scared through my screen over what they subjected Dongeun to. Everything Dongeun had to do to perfect her revenge over the years, insert herself back into her bullies lives & stay there without breaking down was so interesting to watch. By the end, she does enact her revenge and it’s wonderful. If revenge dramas or movies are your thing, definitely give it a watch!

Thai Dramas

1. Mama Gogo

• Summary: Former 90s singer inherits a hostess bar, rebrands it as a host bar called Mama Gogo & hires a lineup of handsome, talented, and charming male hosts, while preventing the host bar from closing. 
• Genre: Comedy, Drama 
• Platform: GMMTV Official YouTube Channel 
• Episodes: 12
• Link: Mama Gogo
• Rating: 10/10

Another 10/10 show on my rating system! Like Manifest, I can go on all day about Mama Gogo. I absolutely loved the themes & friendships between all the characters. I loved Annie’s fight to have a comfortable space for women to have a good time without stress, since she constantly had to fight against others that Mama Gogo was not a strip club. The show was hilarious as she had to train each of the hosts & since they all had different personalities, day jobs, dance skills & charms, it started off rocky for the host club. There was always a character trying to ruin Mama Gogo’s success & I loved seeing how they all worked together to keep the host club afloat. With only 12 episodes, I wished it was even longer since it was such a fun watch. 

2. P.S I Hate You

• Summary: Five friends bonded by love & secrets investigate who leaked their friend’s secret & uncover the dark truths, jealousy, and viciousness in the clique’s relationship.
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• Platform: GMMTV Official YouTube Channel Episodes: 16
• Link: P.S I Hate You
• Rating:  8/10

Most of the Thai dramas I’ve seen are either through GMMTV or through Netflix. P.S. I Hate You was through GMMTV & at the end of the year, the company always has a press conference with all their new drama trailers. As soon as this trailer dropped at the end of 2021, I knew I had to watch it. The show gave me Pretty Little Liars vibes which I liked & all the girls were so secretive. The individual relationships & secrets the girl squad had with one another was so interesting to watch because there was always one person left out of a secret. I rated this one 8/10 because some of the issues would’ve been resolved if they just communicated! But other than that, it was very entertaining, unpredictable the actresses of GMMTV really know how to put on a performance.

Which dramas are you adding to your list? Leave a comment!