Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is all about celebrating everything that makes us special – and what brings us together as a community. From heartfelt dramas to thrilling adventures, explore even more must-watch Asian shows and movies that highlight the richness of our cultures and experiences. Whether you're watching by yourself or with family and friends, keep the celebration going with a great watch.

JTBC

Despite not being biologically related, Kim Sanha (Hwang In Youp), Yoon Juwon (Jung Chaeyeon), and Kang Haejun (Bae Hyeonseong) share a close bond with each other. The trio spent their adolescence raised by Juwon's father Jeongjae (Choi Won Young) and Sanha's father Daeuk (Choi Moo Sung), who did their best to give them a happy childhood as they healed from past trauma. Upon reaching adulthood, however, Sanha and Haejun sought out their biological families, leaving Juwon behind. Ten years later, the five members of their found family reunite, but things aren't the same as they used to be – Juwon holds some resentment after feeling abandoned by Sanha and Haejun, while the two boys are struggling with new romantic feelings for Juwon and their own familial issues. Can these chosen siblings work out their feelings with each other, and will romance form between them? This drama was adapted from the 2020 Chinese drama "Go Ahead."

Family by Choice

Heartfelt Family Team

Recent police academy graduate Xu Qi An (Dylan Wang) is looking forward to starting his new career... until he finds himself spirited away to the Dafeng Dynasty, a realm populated by magical clerics, demons, and wizards! He wakes up in jail, but his quick thinking and knowledge from his "normal" life leads an organization of so-called “guardians” to recruit him to their cause, turning him into Dafeng's top investigator. Eventually, his path crosses with Princess Lin An (Tian Xi Wei), the ill-fated daughter of Emperor Jing of the Yuan Dynasty. Can Qi An and his new friends lead the guardians into a decisive battle between the powers of good and the forces of evil? This drama was based on a web novel by Mai Bao Xiao Lang Jun.

Guardians of the Dafeng

⚔️Champions of Justice

In this poignant exploration of love and missed connections, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), childhood friends from South Korea, are reunited in New York after 24 years apart. Their unexpected encounter brings to light the complex emotions of what could have been, as Nora, now married to Arthur (John Magaro), navigates the delicate balance between her past and present. As they spend a week together, they delve into their shared history, cultural identity, and the profound impact of their interrupted relationship. Their reunion becomes a tender meditation on fate, immigration, and the paths not taken. This is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song, exploring the nuanced landscape of love across time and continents.

Past Lives

TVING

Despite Youn Ga Min's (Hwang Min Hyun) natural gift in martial arts, he dreams of academic success. However, the school he attends is notoriously attended by troubled students, making it difficult to succeed, and carries dark secrets – including a past teacher's murder. Determined to boost his grades, Ga Min forms a study group with Kim Se Hyun (Lee Jong Hyun) and other like-minded students, but the group soon finds itself targeted by bullies, led by Pi Han Ul (Cha Woo Min). Ga Min refuses to let his study group get beaten down, unleashing his fighting skills to defend them. Idealistic teacher Han Kyeong​ (Han Ji Eun), Ga Min's former tutor, also wants the school to do better, but she harbors some secrets of her own. Can Ga Min and Han Kyeong help this disastrous school?

Study Group

📝  The Diligent  📚  team

WeTV

Prapai (Kaimuk Nilawan Iamchuasawad) is a positive-minded accounting student who hopes to build a career in the advertising world. Fate pairs her with a new roommate, Pupaa (New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun), a gifted physics student. Their contrasting personalities initially clash, but they gradually develop feelings for each another. However, their journey to love is far from easy. Love rivals and other complications arise, including a sophisticated senior, a beautiful former friend, and a stunning idol actor. Will Prapai and Pupaa find their way to love? Or will life get in their way? This 2021 Thai drama series was based on a novel by Zhao Qianqian and was directed by Oat Vatanyu Ingkavivat.

Put Your Head On My Shoulder

⚗️Socializing a Scientist

For many, marriage is the end goal – but sometimes, it's difficult to get there. This quest brings young people together under the same roof in search of love, with a catch: they must select their prospective partner solely on their responses to a questionnaire meant to assess their compatibility. Hosts Yoon Jong Shin, Lee Chung Ah, Choi Si Won, Park Ji Sun, and Mimi share their thoughts as the contestants meet each other in person for the first time in Italy, hoping to find their future spouse.

Heart Pairing

In Search of Love Team

Although Zhuang Han Yan (Chen Du Ling) was abandoned in the countryside as a child, she eventually made her way back to the capital city, making a dramatic unannounced arrival at the gates of the Zhuang family estate. Her sudden reappearance throws the household, especially the family patriarch, into turmoil. The situation catches the attention of Fu Yun Xi (Xin Yun Lai), the Deputy Minister of the Court of Justice. While Yun Xi suffers from a rare illness, he seeks a woman to marry, finding himself attracted to Han Yan’s courage and kindness. As Yun Xi and Han Yan get to know each other – and each other's families – will they manage to fall in love?

The Glory

˖⁺☽ Moonlit Courtship 

As the daughter of the powerful Sanjo Empire, Meika Sanjo (Nako Yabuki) has no choice but to live up to certain expectations, including agreeing to an arranged marriage. Desperate to defy her father, Meika convinces her devoted bodyguard, Kou Fujimiya (Ryusei Fujii) to agree to a sham wedding. What she doesn't know, however, is that Kou secretly has genuine feelings for her. As their new relationship begins to develop, will Meika be able to grasp the true meaning of love? Adapted from the manga “18-sai, Niizuma, Furin Shimasu” by Shiho Watanabe, this 2023 Japanese romantic comedy series was directed by Hiroaki Yuasa.&nbsp;

The Princess Bodyguard’s Love

The Guard My Heart 💕 Team

Kang Ji Yun (Han Ji Min) is the confident and accomplished CEO of a leading headhunting firm. Despite working in a fiercely competitive industry, Ji Yun thrives and dedicates herself fully to her work. However, she's completely lost with even the simplest daily task outside of work. This is where her secretary Yu Eun Ho (Lee Jun Hyuk) shines: he's an extremely capable worker, and raising his six-year-old child alone helped him further develop life skills that transfer seamlessly to organizing Ji Yun's life. But as the line between their professional and personal relationship begins to blur, something else seems to spark between them!

Love Scout

🎯Heart Headhunters💘

After being involved in an accident, Yuri Motomiya (Fumi Nikaido) is shocked to discover that she can now hear other people’s thoughts, anytime she makes eye contact. To spare herself, she stays isolated from others until she happens to meet Yoon Tae Oh (Chae Jong Hyeop), a Korean student whose thoughts are a mystery to her. Could Tae Oh be Yuri's chance at true love that she believed to be unattainable?&nbsp;

An endearing love story with a fantasy twist, this is a 2024 Japanese romantic comedy drama directed by Fukuda Ryosuke, Okamoto Shingo, and Kato Akiko.

Eye Love You

"Love lost in translation" 

Former special forces member turned liquor salesperson Chae Yong Ju (Kim Se Jeong) is her company's top seller, known for her energetic personality and incredible strength, although she tends to put her own feelings aside to help others. However, when her company branch is at risk of closing down, Yong Ju is willing to do whatever it takes to keep it open. She decides to recruit Yun Min Ju (Lee Jong Won), an up-and-coming brewmaster who makes incredible beer, but the task is harder than it looks: Min Ju lives a quiet, rural life, keeping to himself to avoid becoming overstimulated by others' emotions. Can these two opposites find a way to work together – and will learning how to let each other in lead them to love? This 2024 Korean drama was directed by Park Seon Ho.

Brewing Love

🍺 Craft Love 🍻 Team

Five years after her time studying abroad in Japan, Choi Hong (Lee Se Young) works at her father's publishing company in Korea. Unexpectedly, she ends up running into her ex, Jungo Aoki (Kentaro Sakaguchi), who's now a successful author visiting Korea to promote his new book... that happens to be about their previous relationship and all the things Jungo wished he told Hong. Taken aback, Hong remains cold and distant with Jungo, not wanting to let their reunion stir up painful memories. Jungo, however, sees their encounter as an opportunity to try again and vows to do things differently this time around. Can these two heal the wounds of their past and write a new happy ending for themselves, or has the book closed for good on their relationship? This 2024 Korean drama was directed by Moon Hyun Sung and adapted from the novel of the same name by Gong Ji Young and Hitonari Tsuji.

Shows

Comments