5 Buzz-Worthy Dramas to Catch Up on Over Spring Break

Spring break is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to forget about school and catch up on the recent buzz-worthy dramas you may have missed out on while studying. Because seriously, who needs friends and sleep when you can have your drama boyfriend (or girlfriend) 24/7 for one whole week? Here are five recent hot topic dramas that you need to know about and binge watch over spring break.

Park Shi Hoo is is finally back in action looking as dapper as ever in his comeback project, “Neighborhood Hero,” which I’m happy to say does not disappoint. Seriously, does the dude never age?! Some say it is too soon of a comeback after his controversial lawsuit, but I missed watching him onscreen and keep hoping to see him top his performance in “The Princess’ Man.” He plays Baek Shi Yoon, a former CIA agent who takes over a bar frequented by other former agents, and helps others while trying to find out why his mission in Macau went terribly wrong. This is a slick action drama and Park Shi Hoo is undeniably charming in it, but I have also developed a growing affection for Lee Soo Hyuk as the endearing and bumbling aspiring cop Choi Chan Gyu. Who said there could only be one hero?

It really sucks when a drama does not live up to all the hype, but “Nirvana in Fire“ is, thankfully, not one of those dramas. Based on a novel, it received high praise from book fans and drama critics alike for its perfect execution and on point casting. Genius political strategist Mei Chang Su moves to the capital under a hidden identity and helps the unpopular Prince Jing to the throne to expose the truth behind the betrayal of the Chi Yan army. Usually I find political dramas to be boring, but “Nirvana in Fire” keeps the scheming entertaining with dashes of humor, epic battle scenes, and so many bromance pairings that I can’t decide which I love the most. Anyone else ship villain couple Prince Yu and Prince Xian?

This low budget web drama initially gained a lot of Internet buzz and my attention for all the wrong reasons: the glaringly obvious lack of props and people in scenes, hilariously ridiculous costumes of imperial doctors wearing Chanel logos, and women dressed in modern chiffon dresses. But viewers love the drama’s off-the-wall humor and became addicted to finding out more about main character Zhang Peng, a playboy who time travels to a historical dynasty. The drama takes the familiar time-travel setup and turns it upside down—he wakes up as Crown Princess Zhang Peng Peng. Begrudgingly resigned to living as a woman, “she” slowly develops a bond with her husband, the stoic Crown Prince Qi Sheng. In another unconventional twist, “Go Princess Go“ actually has two official endings. Did either ending satisfy you? Which did you like better?

Did you get the signal yet? No? Then “Signal,” currently the hottest cable drama with double digit ratings and the latest thriller crime drama from the writer of “Ghost” and “Sign” is what you need to watch next. Netizens cannot stop raving about the brilliant writing and painfully good cliffhangers. Park Hae Young, a criminal profiler in the new unsolved crimes unit, finds a mysterious walkie talkie that links the past to the present and uses it to help him prevent and solve cold cases. Watching each episode is like peeling back a layer of an onion. Each new piece of information reveals a new layer of complexity of the crime and keeps you on the edge and guessing. Your brain will hurt watching this, but in a good way, I promise!

The opening title song for “Taste of Love” was released before the drama aired and gained one million hits on YouTube in one day. Vivian Sung is a relatively new actress with only movie credits, so  everyone was curious how she would do in a drama. I think it’s safe to say that Vivian Sung steals the show in her first drama role as foodie Yeh Xiao He. She is a tour guide for the prickly Wen Feng, who comes to Taiwan in search of a secret recipe to save his family’s restaurant. You probably can already guess how the story goes, but the drama is like good comfort food, making you feel good no matter how many times you have had it. The sizzling chemistry between Xiao He and Wen Feng will leave you satisfied with the taste of love.

Have a game plan yet for which dramas you want to catch up on over spring break? Please share in the comments below!