Aside from football, many Malaysian’s favourite past time involves screaming at dumb characters on their TV screen.
We did that for K-dramas, Bollywood movies and of course, now more than ever, our very own in-house Malaysian dramas. Nothing says good old family bonding time than hurling insults at main character decisions and getting hyped up for new episodes. Yelling curses in Malay just hits different.
One thing I’ve learned about Malaysian dramas is that you can tell how frustrating the drama would be from how progressively cursive the font of the title has become. So, if you find that you have to squint to read the name of the drama, you’re in for a great time (/s).
A lot of these series, you’re going to have headaches afterwards. But not all of them are bad (mostly).
Some of them would make you view people differently because there is no way anyone can be that accepting and soft like some of these main characters. Others can cause you to sob so much that you can’t even speak. So buckle up and let’s dive in, folks.
Disclaimer: If you haven’t watched some of these dramas, be warned that there are spoilers ahead.
1. Melur Untuk Firdaus
A Little Summary
Melur Untuk Firdaus is about a couple (Melur and Firdaus, duh) who got together via an arranged marriage. The problem is, Firdaus already has a girlfriend but his girlfriend isn’t ready for marriage yet. So, Firdaus’ parents took it upon themselves and arranged for him to be married to a girl who’s actually ready. As it turns out, Melur has seen Firdaus before and fell in love with him instantly. So the whole show is her trying to get her new husband to fall in love with her too.
Thoughts
I don’t know. Tropes like these bug me a little. You know, the forced marriage thing. Parents have no say in who their kids marry. Forcing your child to marry someone is haram, ladies and gents. Read some books.
Melur Untuk Firdaus is a new drama that just came out in May 2022. It has then taken the entirety of Malaysia (and other SEA countries) by storm. It’s been talked about and became a trending topic every time the show comes on.
The storyline is kind of cliche, you know, with the forced arranged marriage whatnot, but it’s undeniably cute. Because Melur seems to not be a typical Malay female lead. She’s more selamba and straightforward. Anything her husband says, she has an answer to.
And her relentlessness in winning her husband’s heart is something to be admired. It’s also starting to get a lot more serious as the episodes go on. The actors are new but they’re pretty good, in my opinion. And I kind of like the story line. But what is a Malaysian drama without interfering parents and revenge-bent ex-partners, huh?
The drama’s still on going but so far I give it an 8/10 because the actors are hard to hate and the storyline, although frustrating, is also addicting. We should get a holiday after the characters finally get together for real because this is exhausting.
2. 7 Hari Mencintaiku
A Little Summary
The whole series is about a man named Khuzairi who married his first crush, Mia. It’s not as romantic as that though. Mia didn’t like him back until the very end of season one. Even then, I’m not 100% sure she loves him, but whatever. On top of that, there’s endless interference from Khuzairi’s mum who despises the girl for getting together with Khuzairi. There’s three parts to this and it follows the whole family and their building (and crumbling) relationships.
Thoughts
As mentioned, there’s like three seasons of this drama. The first season was great, the main heroine showed strong characteristics of a woman who knows what she wants in life and is not afraid to get it. She isn’t the normal head down, holier than thou main female leads that we’re so used to seeing in Malay dramas. So it was refreshing.
But then she became demure in the following seasons with her ridiculous “Oh, I just don’t know what to do, he’s still my husband, I have to do what makes him happy” dialogues and it kind of makes me want to flip a table. And don’t get me started on her husband. That spineless loser needs to be put in his place.
I hated the way they ended season three and if there’s a fourth, I’m going to put my couch on fire. The whole thing of “I forgive you for all that you’ve done to me” needs to stop. I need to see some of these characters in pain for far longer. It’s not fair that they get a redemption arc at the very end of the episode. That’s too easy.
I give this drama (the whole three seasons) a 6/10. Honestly, the five is for the first season and half points to season two and three.
3. Nur
A Little Summary
Nur is a story of a girl, Nur, who was forced into being a sex worker because she grew up in the scene. Her mother’s a sex worker and that’s what her mum asked her to be too. She frequently sneaks off to the mosque to hear sermons from an Ustaz, Adam, but is never brave enough to come inside because she fears that she’s “too dirty” for the mosque. One day, the Ustaz managed to convince her to enter the mosque and she finally gets to live the life she’s always wanted. But… it’s not what she expected.
Thoughts
The first season was fine. The drama of a girl finding her faith amidst a dark environment is what pulled me into this drama in the first place. It was different, it was interesting and it’s not like the typical “my parents made me get married to you and now I hate you” story, you know. So, I was hooked on it after the first few episodes.
This was the kind of drama that made me anxious and excited to get home to. The kind that I would patiently wait a week for. The way it was shot was beautiful and the lessons that you learn after every episode kind of sticks with you for quite some time. And the interference from the sister in-law and her husband had me reeling and screaming at the TV every time they came on.
So when it ended, I was understandably bummed out because I wanted more of them! But I soon ate my words when season two came around. They introduced a new second female lead that was supposed to break the couple apart. And also included a little bit of black magic, which was interesting, yeah and something I can get behind but adding the storyline of a second wife into play was not it. Why would you need a second wife, Adam? Ugh.
I give this drama an 8/10. I loved season one. It’s so intense and it made me cry. Like a lot. But season two was riding on season one’s coat tails. It’s like season one’s evil step sister or something and I’m glad to see it go.
4. Sihir
A Little Summary
This drama is about two brothers, Nuh and Hud, who grew up in an orphanage together. When they reached a mature age, they finally decide to leave and live their own lives. However, they learn that they possess a third eye and can see things that normal people can’t. So they use their powers to help people who have been cursed by black magic.
Thoughts
I’m a fan of the actors, that’s why I decided to watch the show. I hadn’t really read the summary or watched the trailer before I dove into the series but I was pleasantly surprised. I actually like this whole trope of brothers fighting evil but then finding out that the evil within is stronger.
It high key reminds me of Supernatural. Nuh and Hud are like Dean and Sam. Maybe that’s where the writers of and director of Sihir got their inspiration from? Because Nuh has some sort of evil power that he can’t seem to control and it’s taking over his life.
One thing I would like to complain about though is that the special effects could be better. What I can’t get behind is when they suddenly have powers that are very Ultraman-like. You know with the glowing eyes and shooting beams out their bodies. I don’t know, man. It was comical for a bit and made me forget that I was watching something that’s supposed to be scary.
Although the storyline was extremely interesting, towards the end it became somewhat confusing and ridiculous. After the episode where they found their supposed grandmother, it kind of went downhill.
I give this drama an 8/10. Hated the ending of it but Kamal Adli and Hun Haqeem were amazing so I’m not that mad.
5. Suri Hati Mr Pilot
A Little Summary
A drama about a girl, Warda, who ran away on her wedding day because her parents had forced her to marry a man she didn’t love. When she came back, she met a pilot named Ejaz at the airport. They somehow became friends and for some reason kept bumping into each other. I’m not getting into this. It’s cliche because obviously, the man she ran away from eventually becomes the person she ran to. How romantic.
Thoughts
When I first watched this drama, I ate it up with a spoon — kept shoving the disgustingly adorable scenarios in my mouth like a starved love-less teenager. But now that I’ve rewatched it again, I have come to hate it with my entire being.
It’s so cringy and it makes me grip the sides of my chair when there’s a scene of them together. And that’s all the time, duh because they’re the main characters. The process of them running away from each other but eventually finding their way back to each other is cute, I’m not going to lie, but the conflicts that come with it are extremely frustrating.
The interference of Warda’s ex-boyfriend in this show makes things worse because there’s constant misunderstandings that he makes and the problems are never solved properly. There’s just a lot of running and crying.
Ugh. I’d rate this drama a 6/10. Mainly because the cringe factor is high and that the plot line itself is kind of meh and overused. I just remembered really liking it back when I was a teenager. I thought rewatching it would invoke the same memories but low and behold, I am proven wrong. I guess there’s something to be said about growing up and changing opinions, huh? Maybe when I watch this drama again when I’m 80, I’ll have a different outlook of it. Who knows?
Although Sakit Hati, We Still Watch
Alright, well. That was certainly a rollercoaster of emotions, huh?
Some of these dramas make you want to pull your hair out by the roots. Others may be your favourite for some unknown reason (are you a masochist?). But we all have our own opinions, I guess. Nevertheless, love it or hate it, we all can’t seem to stop watching it once we start. It’s like we kena bomoh by the drama or something.
If you’re someone who has no patience to wait every week for a new episode or simply don’t want to watch a long series, may I suggest giving love to some of Malaysia’s films then? They’re a little bit shorter, but sakit hati tu masih confirm. Here, let’s start you off with a classic:
[REVIEW] Badang: The Merdeka Movie No One Asked For
