Meteor Garden Season 1

Right now you can watch Meteor Garden Season 1 on streaming — and the writing holds up regardless of the format's reputation. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. A harder one to justify skipping than to start. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Meteor Garden Season 1 is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The look of Meteor Garden Season 1 gets people in the door, but the writing is what keeps them there. Dong Shancai is determined to excel at her dream university, where she encounters an elite clique of dashing, popular high-achievers — and finds love. Shen Yue and Dylan Wang lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2018. Meteor Garden Season 1 uses the freedom of animation to tell stories live-action could not attempt. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Meteor Garden Season 1 belongs on any best-of list regardless of format. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained run means every episode is doing real work. Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious in ways that hold up regardless of format. Worth watching in order from the beginning.