The last three weeks was a one of a kind journey for me. Unexpectedly, I got hooked on Netflix and Bilibili where I came to meet Zhen Shuang, Zhao Luis, Mao Xiaotong, Qin You, Janice Wu and Im Yoon-ah.

Yes they are Korean and Chinese movie and television stars who topbilled ‘Here We Meet Again,’ ‘Hidden Love,’ ‘Love 020,’ ‘Boss’ and ‘Me and King the Land.’ Except for ‘King the Land’ which is a bit recent and I have to wait for the episodes on Netflix, I really could not believe that I spent several hours either on the phone or the wide TV screen at home watching all the episodes intently and I must admit I did shout several times while being carried away by the intense exchanges along the story. 

The plot is actually very common especially in Chinese drama series. It revolves around characters who are either extremely rich or poor, falls in love in a technology work place setting and face the normal and sometimes exaggerated conflicts before it concludes to a happy ending. What I can’t understand though is the effect that it has created inside my mind. Each episode keeps on seducing me to stay and watch the next episode until I would realize that I have not actually worked on anything else or have actually missed several sleeping hours.

Interestingly, if you intently observe the progression of the story, subtly the writers are infusing propaganda about their culture, beliefs, government and even ideologies. The latest Chinese series I watched, ‘Boss and Me,’ was even bold enough to portray that Americans contest the originality of Chinese technology just to blackmail them and earn from them.

Be that as it may, they got me hooked and I feel refreshed even after watching for hours as if it has suddenly become my refuge from reality. Though one can only imagine the struggle that I need to endure while watching as I have to make sure that I can at the same time read the English translation on the screen.

On the side, it made me think. Why can’t Filipino writers and producers work on such kind of projects instead of romanticizing Cardo Dalisay and spending an entire 20-minute episode to a bullet fired from his gun. We have talented writers. The disconnect begins usually with the asshole producers who would usually count the chickens before the eggs are hatched.

I have started downloading ‘Fireworks in the Sky’ and ‘Accidentally in Love.’ I just hope this won’t turn to addiction and unfinished works due to my busy dates with Chinese and Korean actresses. I know myself. Just call them a fling.