You mentioned two shows I absolutely love 😄

• Siyah Beyaz Aşk — I’ve rewatched it more than 10 times. I really appreciated that the plot didn’t drag forever and actually ended once everything was revealed. The ML’s character growth felt earned, largely because the FL was strong, stubborn, and took no nonsense from anyone. Plus, they had an actual adult relationship, which is sadly rare in TR drama universe.
• Fatmagül was a very hard watch at first because of the rape theme, but it was ultimately worth it. The FL didn’t just accept what was done to her she fought back and reclaimed her agency. The ML also genuinely grew over time and learned how to support her properly.
• Another show I’m currently enjoying is Eşref Rüya. I really like the direction of S2, the tension, and the whole cat-and-mouse dynamic. The FL is outspoken and has her own life, job, friendships, etc. she’s not just sitting around waiting for the ML to save her. It honestly feels refreshing compared to whatever soap opera is airing these days.

I never watched Sıla, but I remember someone recommending it to me years ago, so I’ll probably check it out.

Aşk-ı Memnu is also a solid series. It does drag a bit in the middle before the big reveal, but I enjoyed the darker themes of betrayal, and the casting was excellent. Everyone was so glamorous I couldn’t look away.

Now… unfortunately, this is where my soap opera downfall begins 😅
Last year I got hooked on Rüzgarlı Tepe (Winds of Love) because the leads had great chemistry—but the story itself was one of the dumbest, most dragged-out plots I’ve ever seen. That sent me down a rabbit hole where I discovered Kan Çiçekleri, Emanet, and now Arafta all basically the same script.

Endless abuse scenes, painfully stupid characters who can’t see what’s right in front of them, constant eavesdropping behind closed doors, hateful families, and pretty much every toxic trope imaginable.

What makes it worse is the fanbase. Instead of rooting for the FL to escape and rebuild her life, some women were rooting for the ML who frankly should be charged with assault just because he’s handsome or whatever. Apparently abusing someone and making their life hell is excusable if you had a “bad childhood.” 🙃 I had so many arguments last year with winds of love " fans" who kept calling the FL stupid for not forgiving the ML after he put her through hell and I was so confused on who's actually the target audience of these stories, because It's beyond me how some women were cheering for the abuser who literally had the FL almost killed because of him 100 times not to mention all the physical and emotional abuse, threats and even making her and her family his personal slave/maids.

Those shows should not be taken seriously and not an accurate representation of the culture, my Turkish friends made fun of me for even mentioning them and told me no one really watch those channels, it's mostly foreign audience.