CATEGORIES AND RATINGS
Ratings
Glancing at the abundance of 7s and 8s in my review sheets, you might think I'm too generous with my 1 to 10 scale, but let’s think for a moment. A 7 is considered passing. Average. To me, that's what most dramas are, and that's not a compliment. Seven is passing and 10 is perfection, but there’s a world of difference between passing and perfection. That means a lot more weight hangs between 7 and 10 than, say, 1 and 6. If it sucks, it sucks, and any number between 1 and 6 can sum that up. But scores of 7, 8, 9, and 10 each have very different qualifications.
Dialogue
Romance, comedy, melodrama, whatever it is you're selling, sell it with your words. I like natural flow to conversations and well thought out lines that actually matter to the plot. Some dialogue elements I especially like are clever retorts, philosophical inserts, and bald-faced questions. Just say it, already.
Pacing
Quick enough to be be entertaining, developed enough to be believable. I'm more forgiving if the plot moves too fast, but if the plot moves too slow, I am relentless.
Characters
No matter the personality (angel, asshole, bitch, spineless pushover), everyone just needs to have depth. They need to have dimension, conviction, and reason for their actions, not just serve as cardboard stock characters.
Themes
I used to rate this using the 1-10 scale, but eventually decided it didn't make any sense. Every time an illness drama popped up, I felt obligated to give a 7ish rating to just because it dealt with sensitive subject matter. Now, I simply give a + if the themes in the drama were particularly poignant or effective, regardless of how light or dark they were. Sometimes the light stuff hits deeper than you'd ever expect, and sometimes the deep, dark stuff doesn't even come close to moving you.
Sincerity is key. Make it meaningful, whatever it may be.
Jump the Shark (JTS)
"The point in a TV show where the plot veers off into ridiculous story lines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations, undergoing too many changes to retain the original appeal of the series."
Ending
Believable resolution, please. Happy endings are good if they aren't cop outs, and sad endings are good if they've been developed that way, not if they're just attempting to be deep. Again, make it meaningful.
Direction
It's rare that anyone reviews the technical aspects of dramas, but I find it very important to my overall enjoyment of a series. Even before I became a film/media student in college, I always liked seeing interesting camera angles, lighting, cinematography, set design, etc. It's all about eye candy.
OST
Most people think songs; I think score. I think of the pianos, strings, and instrumentals in the background that really bring scenes to life. Songs can be very effective (T-dramas are especially great at it), but J-dramas don't tend to milk them as much as they do the score.
Chemistry
And 95% of the time, I'm only talking about romantic chemistry. If the leads have it, I'm the happiest cow in the pasture.