#also making this list made me realize that Kim min Jae really lives in my head rent free

[potterology]

fave dylb scenes bc I can't get over and I’m already rewatching and noticing little things heheee 

- first meeting outside the restaurant. ohh how I love how awkward yet endearing they both were when they finally introduced themselves to one another. rewatching it made me realize that JY was already smitten by SA since the start. (like literally since the start y'all!!! he didn't even know her yet and wanted to stop the car to get SA an umbrella and this was in the first ep!!)

- when JY switched coffee cups with SA bc she spilt her cup and he started drinking it so she can’t refuse even though he doesn’t like coffee. Like he just did it bc he was compelled to do so?? like dude what if she already drank from it??? This scene was so funny to me and I love it cuz I dont think SA is used to being the one taken care of like that so it was just v cute

- when the noona was trying to get them to talk banmal but SA was like oh noooo he’s a superstar. This was cute bc you can actually see that JY was disappointed. Also they keep sneaking peeks at each other lol cute fools 

- waiting for taxi scene- this was so freaking adorable. shows how considerate they both are for each other and it’s so freaking awkward when they both realized they were standing there waiting for each other to get a taxi- but like in the cutest way

- when they were both outside that restaurant and SA asked if JY enjoyed his performance at granny’s house and I think this was the first time someone asked our boy if he likes what he does for a living and you can just tell his heart went soft for her(same dude same)

- spontaneous non-date date. ohh I love the first time they ate together at that beer place. they really started to get to know each other there. the mood and how that scene was filmed was just chef’s kiss~~

- rehearsal room we should be friends scene. when homeboy transitioned from moonlight sonata to happy birthday, y'all knew it was over for SA- god damn I would have swoon over too

- by the river “I wanted to see you” scene- high key JY sucks at communicating but I love how he is just so taken by SA that he just flat out says he misses her and as soon as he says it he was almost shocked himself. so pure

- the midnight call. I MEAN. guys. guys. he wanted to just talk to her and ask her out but tried to be nonchalant about it. ahhh they literally portrayed the first stages of dating so well I'm goo for it !!!!!!

- first walk together in the walkway. this was just so adorable. the almost hand holding. the chemistry!! the shy smiles :’’’) 

- SA’s birthday when she thanked JY for just being there for her. I love how she quietly acknowledges him and it was such an intimate interaction between them. I replay that scene a lot in my head

- when he ran to SA to give her his signed CD. He was so worried about her he forgot about JK lmaooo. Also the fact the he validated her as a violinist when SA was at a very low point... I mean... boyfriend material ugh

- the scene when SA told JY every little thing he does concerns her and that she didn’t want to feel that way about him anymore. As soon as SA said that homeboy PANICKED!!! I don’t even think he knew how much he liked SA until she said that :’)

- the lunchroom scenes 1) when they were teasing each other and 2) when JY announced that they were dating lolol I love how stoic he normally is but for SA he becomes a softie hehe

-ice cream day date; lol when SA won’t let JY tie her shoelaces bc she didn’t want to fall for him lol ok girl

-night ice cream/ stairs date. y'all know already. shit was just adorable. SA going for the kiss. I melted with the ice cream

- when JY asked SA for her handkerchief!!! it’s such a small gesture but they both knew it had a special meaning and I love how it put SA over the moon. (Also let’s include all the other times we see JY actually use that handkerchief- especially after they broke up. like homeboy was holding on to it for his dear life bc it was the only thing he had of SA~~ my fragile heart!!) ps did we ever see SA get a handkerchief from him???? No??? Sbs give me that pls

- when MS was telling JY in the car that SA has only openly confessed liking two things in her life and one them was JY. He was so flustered and couldn’t hide his smile and dimples... bruhhhhh he was full on swoon. Also when JY heard SA say that she really likes JY like he was so proud of himself lmao he’s like “yeah my gf LIKES ME” lolol

- when the lovebirds fought who was gonna clean up the broken glass at JY apartment. I love loveee this one bc SA has been beaten down so much by everyone calling her talentless that she didn’t even consider how important her hands is to her as a musician. And JY being like honey ur a violist and a musician too- UR HANDS ARE PRECIOUS. This was just v touching. Again showing how JY has always considered SA as an equal despite all the shit people say about his gf. luv him :’)

-all the moments JY just stood by SA’s side and held her hand when she needed comfort. I love how he’s just there for her. His silent support was just enough. (One thing that would have been nice is if we saw SA do the same thing, I felt like the writers were almost there but just didn't go all the way which is a shame tbh)

- Their lil day trip to JY’s hometown. I like how JY was so open to SA here. When he proclaimed that he never felt “this way before”  I screamed!! It was at that moment you clearly knew as a viewer that JY never really loved JK. He might have he loved the idea of her, yes. But he never truly loved her the way he loves SA. And his realization of this in that particular episode just made me so so so happy

- Handholding in the bus scene. That shit was so freaking tender bc you can tell how content JY was. He was beyond smitten- homeboy was IN LOVE AT THIS POINT

- when JY dropped SA home. I mean everything about this scene really makes ur heart soft right?? How both of them were beaming? How SA feet probably hurt bc homegirl was wearing heels the whole day and walked another 30 min just so she can spend more time with JY? How she literally ran back to him and JY just had this impression watching her like “my gf is cute af”?? How SA said something along the lines of JY having somewhere to belong to now and you can tell this had a double meaning for him bc at this point he prob considered SA as his home..I was literally mush oh my god. 

-break up scene. I know, v painful- but this was a rare one in kdramaland where I actually thought it was necessary for them to split (still wish it was done earlier but alas I'll take it) It was a graceful and needed breakup. Also when JY pulled out that umbrella for her.... bish it was over for me

- SA’s recital. I MEAN HOW IN SYNC COULD THEY BE. I normally skip the musical performances whenever I watch dramas that are music related- but this show makes it so magical I simply could not. PEAAAKKK ROMANCE

- JY’s recital- when he played that last song I was a big mess cuz we all knew it was dedicated for SA :’’) (I listen to this piece all the time now and im so emo when I hear it bc like god WHEN)

- First I love you scene. JY just going for it and chasing his happiness without caring if SA might reject him. We love to see it

-Second I love you scene. YALL. YALLLLL the way JY just releases his breathe when SA said she can't be friends bc she loves him more than a friend will forever slay me. Kim min jae’s acting here was real good. I love how JY said I love you four times and just went for it. top kissing scene in a krdrama for me hehee 

- dubokki date. lmao at JY with the spicy level. just plain cute

-the quick side by side peek to JY new album in the last episode. the way it showed how their relationship evolved. how he signed it as “for my love song ah” BISH I WANNA DATE A MUSICIAN TOO NOW

- that lil scene where JY wrote SA’s name as the planner bc he knows she works just as hard as the musicians and deserves the recognition. get u a boy who will vandalize a program notice for u :)

- basically all the scenes at the end of ep 16. I wish all of them were longer. I wanted to see more of them dating and happy!!! But I just love how they are both so INTO each other and you can see how happy JY is bc he finally has that person back that understood him since the beginning and it makes you feel so warm knowing they’re each other’s support system ahhhh I love their love !!

- also just all the scenes that JY looks at SA lovingly ~~ which literally happened since ep 1 I mean they are literally heart eyes emoji for each other every time :’)) 

- oh oh OH special shout out to ep 11 when JY just can’t stop holding SA’s hands !! the way he does it is so freaking INTIMATE like if I can only describe how I feel whenever I see compilation gifs of that episode where JY just reaches out and holds SA’s hands so steadily and tightly...it’s literally the most heartwarming thing.. idek how to explain what I’m trying to convey but I just vibe with it so much?? it’s so intimate and romantic.. Kim min jae I will die 4 u my love

#do you like Brahms? #do you like brahms #there are more scenes and I will prob go back and add them #I'll shut up soon but I need to talk about it as a form of release lmao #anyways if y'all got dylb thoughts feel free to talk to meeeeee hehehe #also making this list made me realize that Kim min Jae really lives in my head rent free #HIS ABSOLUTE POWER OVER ME #and of course eun bin was just oh so good #I added more #sorry if u reblogged already but I keep remembering more scenes that I love #Audrey

[wrienne]

My Cheating, Amnesic Fiancé

Chapter 7: Reconnaissance

You stared at him. “You must be freaking kidding me.”

“I’m afraid not,” replied Sejin as he reluctantly sipped his cup of coffee. “I’ll help you in any way I can, but it’s mostly up to you.”

“I… I’m...”

“You’re doubtful?”

“That wouldn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling,” you admitted and nervously scratched your arm. “I… I’ll try my best, I really will. But...”

You stopped yourself right then and there. You had merely promised Jungkook you would help him through the amnesia. It wasn’t necessary for you to get him back on top of the music industry again. But you knew he had suffered and worked and spent too much of his life to lose it all just because he was stupid and impulsive enough to drunkenly run out on the street at the wrong time. Also, you couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty. Even though he was - or should you rather say had been - an absolute scumbag, if you would have never made him so upset, he might not be in the devastating situation he was in right now.

And he had changed. You felt it. Somehow, however little. Jeon Jungkook relied on you for the first time in your life.

You had a chance to help him. And although that was good enough morally speaking, what would be the point of all your efforts if he couldn’t perform again? The concert had clearly proven to you that Jungkook belonged up there, on stage, singing and dancing with his hyungs. Having a deadline of slightly more than three months would only mean you and Jungkook would have to work harder.

A lot harder.

“I’ll make it happen,” you said finally. “Jungkook will be able to perform in Japan by the end of May.”

You surprised yourself with how confident you sounded. Perhaps even Sejin, too, for he raised a surprised eyebrow before nodding in approval.

“I believe you can do this,” he told you. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just tell me.”

“Actually,” you began, “I need to get Jungkook some new clothes. Could you give me an address to where he lives and perhaps the numbers of his group members? Yours, too, if you don't mind.”

After exchanging numbers, you realized you could probably make a fortune selling the information to fanatic fans. Though, as Jungkook had stated yesterday, you didn’t really need any more money.

You parted ways with Sejin and found your parents’ private chauffeur, Kwon Jong-Yeol, waiting impatiently outside the entrance door to the hospital. While driving you home, he held a long lecture for you where he talked about the dangers of young women wandering around alone during the night. He didn’t even care about the emergency part, but then again, he had never been particularly fond of Jungkook.

You were done drying your hair after a much-needed shower when you decided to call your parents to tell them about your decision to break the engagement. As you stood in the hallway of your apartment, your heart pounding against your ribcage, you realized very quickly that nobody would reply. You weren’t particularly surprised, knowing your parents' habits of exercising early in the morning before work, and made a mental note to call them later in the day when they were free.

Frankly, you felt a bit relieved. You didn’t know how they would react upon hearing the news - nor did you want to know.

Before you zipped your phone into your jacket pocket, you spotted, to your great horror, that the seven numbers Sejin had given you were names you had never heard before, of course with the singular exception being him.

Jung Hoseok.

Kim Namjoon.

Kim Seokjin.

Kim Taehyung.

Min Yoongi.

Park Jimin.

Six names. You guessed Jin, the guy who had blown a kiss at Se-Eun and her friends, was Kim Seokjin, but you hadn’t even the slightest idea regarding the remaining five. You barely remembered what their stage names - since that’s what they must have introduced themselves as at the beginning of the concert - had been.

You didn’t have the chance to stress over it much, since you were getting late to school and you had forgotten to read a chapter for the day’s first presentation. You planned to read during the drive, but you were so tired you fell asleep during the usual, boring road to Korea University Business School. Yes, you were enrolled in one of the prestigious SKY universities. But as the granddaughter of one of the most prominent businessmen in the world and the alleged heiress of his company, this surprised nobody.

It hadn’t really been much of a choice for you, since you had known, ever since you were four years old, that you would one day become the owner and CEO of Phoenix Inc. Even if your parents were to have birthed a hundred children after you, none of them would have become a candidate for the post. Because your grandfather had chosen you in particular, stated your name explicitly in his will, to become his successor as soon as you had finished college. Your dad was merely a placeholder - your placeholder - until that day.

You didn’t know why, though.

Se-Eun was waiting outside the main auditorium together with the other students when she spotted you approaching. She darted toward you, greeted you happily with a hug and took you a bit off to the side, so no one could overhear.

“You have to tell me what happened,” she blurted, her brown eyes glinting with curiosity. “We only have three minutes ‘til class, so you’d best keep it snappy.”

Thinking back on the last twelve hours, it wasn’t difficult for you to deduce that you could say nothing. Not even to your best friend.

“I… I can’t really talk about it,” you said truthfully. “But I promise, it wasn’t anything sensational.”

“I thought you were going to snap someone’s neck when you returned,” she said skeptically. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that upset. Were you embarrassed because they kicked you out? You didn’t have to let us wait for half an hour just to make it seem you had gotten backstage.”

“I was neither upset nor embarrassed,” you protested. “And if I wouldn’t have gotten backstage, I would have been only half as angry as I was yesterday.”

“I knew it!” she exclaimed triumphantly. “You are the quickest, craftiest person I know, (Y/F/N) - now spill the details! What’s there to be so on the down-low for anyways?”

“You know your dialect always spills through when you’re overexcited?” You gave her a teasing smile, pleasantly surprised with her compliment.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” she said stubbornly as she folded her arms across her chest. “Why are you so secretive about it?”

You shook your head. “I really can’t talk about it, I’m sorry.”

Se-Eun sighed, but she gave in. “Well, what did you think about the concert? Wasn’t it-- every one of them amazing? Especially Jungkook?”

When you didn’t immediately give her an annoyed eye roll, sigh or a directly opposed comment as you had the last couple of years whenever she brought up the subject of Jungkook, she whistled in surprise. “You must have really been floored,” she noted.

“Yeah,” you admitted reluctantly. You recalled Jungkook’s presence on stage and almost shivered. His hair, darkened with sweat; his large eyes, filled with an intensity you had never before witnessed; his body language, purposeful and practiced, yet fluid and wild, like liquid mercury; and his voice, soft yet steady, controlled yet gentle.

Beautiful.

But then you remembered his face when he had spotted Kim Sejin. You remembered the creeping anguish in his voice when he had spoken to you and the desperate strength of his grip when he had held your hand. He had been a whole different person. Fearful and brittle. So near his dream yet suspicious, confused and alone.

Now he trusted only you. Of course, you couldn't forget his eyes on Park Yi-Jae, either.

Se-Eun had been discussing which solo performance had been her favorite while you reminisced, when she said something that caught your attention.

“‘Taehyung’?” you repeated. “Who is he?”

“Are you serious?” exclaimed Se-Eun. “I’ve been talking about BTS for years and you only now pay attention?”

“Sorry,” you said unapologetically as you checked the time on your phone. Class would begin anytime now. “You never listen to me when I talk about my interests.”

“Oh, I don’t? I’ll remember this, (Y/N).”

“Come on, I’ll buy you lunch. Now tell me.”

“You would have gotten in so much trouble without your family’s money,” she replied while giggling. “Whenever your tongue and stubbornness get you in trouble, you have an easy way out.”

“Please, Se-Eun,” you said impatiently as you spotted movement over your friend's shoulder. “Professor Kang has already begun letting people inside.”

“Make it free lunch for the whole week.”

You gave her a sharp look but knowing the time-crunch you were in, you also nodded. “Deal.”

Se-Eun began toward the door as she spoke, signaling for you to follow. “Kim Taehyung is V’s real name,” she told you. “Do you want to know the rest of their real names as well?”

You greeted Professor Kang while passing her, then nodded again.

“Rap Monster’s real name is in fact Kim Namjoon,” said Se-Eun as she followed you on your search for two available seats next to one another. She folded a finger for each member - and name in your contact list - as she continued. “Jin’s real name is Kim Seokjin. J-hope’s real name is surprisingly not J-hope but Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin is Jimin and Min Yoongi is Suga. You probably know Jungkook’s real name.”

Suga. Min Yoongi. He was the one who hadn’t spoken even once when you first had stumbled upon the group. With slim dark eyes and a solo performance that had left you feeling physically wounded.

There was something about him.

“Jimin is the shortest one, right? With the light voice?” you asked as you found two seats and sank down into one of them.

“He’s taller than you.”

“In comparison with the whole group,” you said as you rolled your eyes at her instant defense. “And it wasn’t an attack, merely an observation.”

Se-Eun sat down next to you. “I’m just saying. Now, what’s the reason you want to know about their names? Are you becoming a fan?”

“Not really,” you said nonchalantly. “I just thought it would be good to know the names of the seven guys my best friend plans to marry by the end of her twenties.”

“Well, that will be easy. I only intend to marry one of them. Can you guess who?”

You swallowed. Hard.

“I can’t believe you’re still shameless enough to fantasize about things like that,” you said in an attempt to change the subject, immediately regretting the path your joke had taken. “Aren’t you too old to be a fangirl?”

“You’re never too old to be a fangirl,” she said defiantly. “I have a whole scenario in the back of my mind for the time we first meet. Jungkook will have spotted me in the audience and fallen in love with me just like that. I just need to be seen by him, that’s all.”

“You’re absolutely mad,” you told her as you laughed in disbelief. “Love doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t work like that.”

“Right, I forgot you and him are childhood friends and have known each other for centuries.”

You regarded her closely. “You’re actually getting irritated, aren’t you?” you asked.

When she didn’t directly reply, you almost burst out in laughter again. Fortunately, you were mindful of your surroundings: people were quieting as they trickled in slower through the door where Professor Kang still waited, her one hand rubbing the face of her wristwatch.

“I would never let a guy get between our friendship,” she said instead of directly addressing the question.

“Not even Jeon Jungkook?”

She shook her head as Professor Kang shut the door and began toward the lectern. “Not even him,” she whispered.

Se-Eun could never get hold of the knowledge that you and Jungkook had once been engaged, you realized as soon as the professor began her lecture. It would mean the end of your relationship. Even though you were tempted to talk with her about you and Jungkook and the situation overall, you couldn’t.

During the rest of the school day, you surprised yourself by almost constantly thinking about Jungkook. Which ways you could help him, what type of reintroduction would most likely help him and so on and so forth. You looked back at your and Jungkook’s time as younger, when and how he would express himself regarding music. You even listened to Se-Eun’s obsessive rambling over the group, hoping you could snatch any type of idea or information that might be of use - which didn’t prove as fruitless as you initially had predicted. For example, you never knew Rap Monster, or rather, Kim Namjoon, was the reason Jungkook had chosen BigHit when he had numerous other options. By the end of last class, you had actually gotten somewhat of a battle plan against Jungkook’s amnesia. Though you seriously doubted anything less than a miracle would be absolutely crucial for you to succeed by May 30th, you were determined.

You were in good spirits by the time Jong-Yeol dropped you off outside what Kim Sejin had told you was BTS’ apartment. The sun had already sunken beneath the upraised, jagged horizon of other apartment buildings, and your breath was escaping in white wisps. Fortunately, you had had the foresight to dress properly - unlike when you darted out to see Jungkook at the hospital - so you weren’t feeling too uncomfortable. Still, even though most of the snow had melted, Seoul was a chilly city during the winter months.

The apartment Kim Sejin had given you the address to didn’t look any different from a typical, middle-class apartment building. But then, you were used to living very affluently and had no idea if this was considered a good buy or not. Jong-Yeol had been unwilling to let you walk around all on your own, forcing you to remind him you weren’t seven years old any longer. Perhaps he had meant that the neighborhood wasn’t the best.

You were too nervous to call any of the six new contacts in your phone, so you stalled a bit by trying to find out where seven guys could live by checking the mailboxes in the entrance hall. However, none of the names stuck out as particularly “largest K-pop group in Korea”-esque, and you understood to your dismay that you would have to call one of them.

You were just about to dial Kim Seokjin - since he was the only one you had managed to fully identify on your own, he felt the least awkward to talk to - when someone called you.

#MCAF #wrienne #ao3 #bts fanfiction #bts x reader

[randomobsessionsofa30something]

My top 10 korean dramas of 2020

Today is the last day of the year so I think it's time to share which dramas were my favorite in 2020. I wish you all the best for 2021!!

10.5. The King: Eternal Monarch. So here's the thing: this drama was not great. I absolutely hated the ending and the editing however I do appreciate what they tried to do. It had great potential and Lee Minho and Kim Go Eun were nice as a couple. The story is about two dimensions: one that is like the real world and another where Korea still has a king. The worlds start to mix and the King crosses, meets a detective, someone he has been looking for since he was a kid.

10. Find me in your memory. This drama was so much fun especially in the first half. I had a couple of issues with the last two episodes but nothing major. Moon Ga Yeon plays an actress that lost some of her memories and is trying to live in the moment. She meets a newscaster (Kim Dong Wook) and falls for him. However he has a disease that makes him unable to forget each and all details he has lived through. They both are unaware they share a bond that will link them but also puts them in danger.

9. Start up. This drama was silly at times but I really enjoyed it. Suzy stars in this drama as a sales employee that has gone through a lot because she chose to stay with her father after they parents got divorced who was an unsuccessful entrepreneur. She wants to show her sister and her mother she can be successful on her own so she applies to receive a grant (korean survival style). There she meets her childhood crush, a guy who she exchanged letters with or so she thinks. Nam Do San (Nam Joo Hyuk) is a guy that is trying to start up a company but has failed so far to get investors. When a famous CEO shows up at his door asking him to pretend to have written some letters he ends up getting dragged into a ruse to cheer up this girl except she shows up in what was his last chance to make it.

8. Kairos. I started watching this drama just because WINNER's Kang Seung Yoon had a role in it. At the beginning I thought I wasn't gonna love it because of the time travel aspect to it. The plot though changed my mind. This mistery drama starred by Lee Se Young and Shin Sung Rok really surprised me. The story is about a girl that is struggling to get by but things change when she loses her phone and when she calls back a man picks it up in the future. By the way when I made my OSTs list it totally slipped my mind just how good Kang Seungyoon's rock ballad Can you hear me? is.

7. Itaewon class. Park Seung Joon plays a man that did time in jail because of an injustice. He comes out with a plan to bring down the people responsible for his father's death. To do that, he assembles a team of misfits and opens up a restaurant in Itaewon. The injustices in korean society and his past will get in the way of his love life and his goal to achieve his dreams. I wasn't a huge fan of the last few episodes of the drama but I did liked it overall.

6. Strangers. Season 2. If you watched the first season you'll definitely like the second. A web of corruption and deceit is drawn from episode one so it really was satisfying when it all came together. If you haven't watched the first season, I'll just say this is well made crime drama and that now would be a good time to binge watch both seasons.

5. Sweet Home. I don't really watch horror movies because I think I'm too logical to be scared with monsters or ghosts so most times I just don't watch any. However I really enjoyed this apocalyptic horror 10 episode drama. Based on a webtooon, it tells the story of the inhabitants of a building after Seoul is run down by monsters.

4. Kingdom Season 2. I actually didn't watch Kingdom last year. I watched the teaser and I was like "Joseon and Zombies? I don't know about that". The pandemic has led me to stay home for so long that I think I watched all of Netflix korean dramas I hadn't checked out which finally led me to watch Kingdom. I liked the first season but it was the second season I enjoyed the most. If you haven't checked it out, I'll just say it's based on the Land of the Gods webtoon and it's the story of the Crown Prince who finds out that, because of greed, his stepmother has revived his father and a plague spreads through Joseon.

3. Hyena. This intense legal drama tells the story of a prideful attorney that lives for his job and meets his ideal woman in a laundromat. However she humiliates him when she shows up as the opposite counselor in a high profile divorce case. This was such a funny drama and the cases were interesting. It had a double digit ratings in Korea.

2. Do you like Brahms? This drama is slow. Like really slow paced. So it's not for everyone but I was just so obsessed with this drama while it was airing. It's a sweet romantic drama about a pianist (Kim Min Jae) who has no passion for what he does and a violinist (Park Eun Bin) who has all the passion but lacks talent. They are both kind and just really bad a communicating their feelings so when they end up getting to know each other they somehow connect. They have another thing in common: they both are in a similar position when it comes to love they're in love with the girlfriend/boyfriend of their best friends.

1. It's okay not to be okay. This was my favorite drama by a long shot. It's just another romantic comedy. However it is so well done. From the cinematography to the plot and even the animation everything was on point for me. Honestly it felt like this really was Kim Soo Hyun's grand comeback to dramas. Seo Yeo Ji's excelled in portraying a strong but lonely woman whose upbringing was different from anyone else's so she grew up to be a rude and unapologetic children story writer. She meets Moon Gang Tae and realizes it's not the first time she has met him. On another hand, Moon Gang Tae puts on a strong face whose sole goal in life is care for his autistic older brother. When he goes back to his hometown he ends up finding out the truth behind his mother's death. I also loved that the story is narrated at times as a fairy tale.

#korean drama #kdramas #lee min ho #kim go eun #kang seung yoon #yg winner #suzy #nam joo hyuk #lee se young #shin sung rok

[byul153]

[Countdown to 2021] Top 5 Kdrama of 2020

This past year of what was undoubtedly an absolutely horrendous year of 2020--for a variety of reasons--I can honestly say that one of the reasons why I stayed sane was because of Kdrama. Being at home all day, even for an extreme homebody for me, can get harrowing because the choice of going out or not was taken from me when my area went into lockdown.

And so....to Kdrama it is. I think that 2020 was one of the very few years that I’ve seen nearly all of the Kdrama that aired on MBC, SBS, KBS, TvN, and jTBC...which is....a lot, I’ve come to realize. That brought me to think--which would I consider my top 5?

Hmmm.....Well, here I go.

Please note that my top 5 are not in any particular order. Each one that made it to my top 5 is beloved for a completely different reason. I also don’t go down the critic route and pick apart the direction, the story, yada yada. I just made this list purely on how much I enjoyed them and how much they’ve made an impression on me.

(SPOILERS AHEAD.)

#5 -- The Tale of the Nine-Tailed

Starring Lee Dong Wook, Jo Bo Ah, Kim Beom, Hwang Hee

I like Lee Dong Wook as a Grim Reaper, and I like Lee Dong Wook as a gumiho/nine-tailed fox. What can I say?

That being said, The Tale of the Nine-Tailed was really about Kim Beom’s character Rang. He started as a villain (sort of), then became a reluctant ally (sort of), and then met his end with a smile. He redeemed himself throughout the entire drama, and I shed a lot of tears in the final episode, because he finally was afraid to die because he had something to live for, but his desire for his brother to come back was so strong that he’d gladly give up the remaining time he had, stolen as it was, to give his big brother a final gift. His sacrifice made an impact more with me than any other character because it was so out of character for him, and yet not. His choice wasn’t unexpected, and yet I felt like a train wreck when I finally saw it on the screen.

#4 -- Half of a Half/A Piece of Your Mind

Starring Jung Hae In, Chae Soo Bin, Lee Ha Na, Kim Sung Kyu

Or....known as the drama that is known for being tragically cut short. Let me tell you, I loved this drama. It’s not an epic romance drama by any means, but the tone of the drama was really calming and healing, which is basically the premise--two lonely souls grieving find solace in one another.

I do wish that they didn’t drag the mystery of “Who is the husband?” for so long, but I enjoyed the dynamics between Moon Ha Won and Ha Seo Woo so much that I really didn’t mind it. I really wished that they would’ve kept the original run of 16 episodes instead of slashing it to a mere 12, because it really limited the writer and directors to wrap up the story, but I also do think that if they went with the 16-episode route we would definitely have the noble idiocy trope inserted, some way or another, instead of the really lovely way that Seo Woo wanted distance from a devastated Ha Won, to get over her sadness and fear of happiness, in order to run to him.

#3 -- The Flower of Evil

Starring Lee Jun Ki, Moon Chae Won, Jang Hee Jin, Seo Hyun Woo

If Kairos was a suspense drama, The Flower of Evil was definitely a thriller teetering on the edges of horror. My God, this drama scared the living daylights out of me. Lee Jun Ki as a (alleged) sociopath I could see, considering that he acted a similar role in the drama-that-must-not-be-named, but in the flashbacks his serial killer father’s eyes was enough for me to shut my laptop and just breathe.

....And that was before the introduction of Kim Ji Hoon’s character.

Lee Jun Ki is the main lead, and the story focuses on him, but the one who shone in this drama was definitely Kim Ji Hoon. I’ve watched Kim Ji Hoon over the years, and I am somewhat convinced that his sudden appearance as a very psychopathic killer will jump out at my screen and strangle me in my chair. It’s very different from his usual roles and, my God, I am looking forward what he’ll choose for his next project.

#2 -- The King: Eternal Monarch

Starring Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Kim Kyung Nam, Woo Do Hwan

Ah, the epic modern-Korean monarchy...but with a twist of parallel universes, and more! (Let’s sprinkle in time travel while we’re at it!)

I think that this is the one drama in 2020 where I was simultaneous satisfied that it was finished, and yet still full of unanswered questions. Like, how does a cross-universe couple happen? Especially with doppelgängers?? And why can only certain people remember what happened??? What happens now????

Putting that aside, The King: Eternal Monarch had one major flaw: Lee Rim, played by veteran Lee Jung Jin. I felt that they completely his potential as a very potent villain in the interest of creating an epic love story. I did love the Lee Gon-Jung Tae Eul couple and chemistry (which they did, contrary to some people’s opinions), and it was the characters that really stayed with me--i.e. Jo Young/Jo Eun Sup. Woo Do Hwan really outdid him in both his characters. He nearly convinced me that it was two different actors play two characters!

And...now to #1.

#1 -- Do You Like Brahms?

Starring Park Eun Bin, Kim Min Jae, Kim Sung Chul, Park Ji Hyun

OK....I said that I loved each drama differently, right? Ahahaha....yeah, all lies. If I were to pick just ONE drama of the year, it’d be Do You Like Brahms? 

How many ways can I wax poetic about this one? I am still obsessed with this drama, and so very happy that Kim Min Jae and Park Eun Bin won the Best Couple Award for this drama at this year’s SBS Drama Awards. I have my gripes about the drama, but they don’t in any way outweigh the highs.

I just loved the respect and communication between Park Joon Young and Chae Song Ah, both before as acquaintances/friends/comrades in respective unrequited loves, and afterwards as the giddy, heart-fluttering moments as a couple. They understood each other, and accepted one another, as two people experiencing the same pain. They didn’t try to sugarcoat it or hide it behind a smile, which they did towards everyone else. Even with Joon Young’s missed opportunities to communicate, Song Ah tried her very best, when she clearly told him that she didn’t appreciate being in the dark, and that she wanted to lean on him. I also loved how in the drama, their words and actions mirrored one another, in the way that they confessed their feelings, and asked the other to wait--not a rejection, but for an opportunity to catch up.

Honorable Mention -- Forest

Starring Park Hae Jin, Jo Bo Ah, No Gwang Sik, Jung Yeon Joo

I really like Park Hae JIn, and I really like Jo Bo Ah, so put them together? Yep, we have Forest--a drama that mixes romance, mystery(?), and the proverbial forest. The drama did fall kind of flat, which was a disappointment, considering how much news I’ve heard about it, and the villains didn’t get as much development they needed to seem as “evil” they should be.

One of my favorite lines of the drama I think will stay as one of my favorites is a line made by Park Hae Jin’s Kang Sang Hyeok in the final episode (yes, I know): “The reason why I’m acting like this now...is solely because of my personal revenge--the sacred sense of duty that you think I have...I don’t.” He acknowledges his wrongdoing and is making amends, but he doesn’t apologize or try to coat his actions as anything but self-serving. He’s not someone who immediately changes due to the power of love, but takes it slowly.

#Kdrama #Countdown to 2021 #Top 5 #Top 5 kdrama #long post #sorry not sorry #the tale of the nine tailed #Half of a Half #Forest #The King: Eternal Monarch #Do You Like Brahms #The Flower of Evil #so many tags

[iyeolie]

kdrama recs!

although i already have a tag for my favorite asian dramas in general (check out here if you want) i wanted to make a post dedicated to the dramas i’ve watched that hit differently.... i’ll explain

these dramas aren’t necessarily my fave of all time or at the very top of my fave list, but i did enjoy all of them a lot. the dramas on this list are the ones i enjoyed from start to finish, every episode, practically every scene. the ones i did not want to end. they were easy to watch and the struggle to not click “next episode” was real. so if you’ve got nothing else to do maybe check one or two out!

          ‣  goblin

starring : gong yoo, kim go eun, lee dong wook, yoo in na, yook sungjae

plot : kim shin is turned into a goblin tasked with protecting certain people from the life of misery. the only way to end his immortal life is to find his bride that can set him free of his sword. kim shin accidentally becomes roommates with a grim reaper, wang yeo, and as natural enemies the two clash. ji eun tak is a high school student who is able to communicate with the dead. she gets involved with the goblin and grim reaper. could she be the goblin’s bride who holds the power to release him from his eternal misery and set his soul free?

thoughts : this is my number one (1) fave kdrama and drama over all! it has everything: unique plot, interesting characters, humor, drama, fantasy elements... this is the drama i’ll always recommend to anyone and everyone. there’s not a dull moment and there is always something that grabs your attention. the depth to each character is crazy and how they all connect is insane. you grow close to them all and end up routing for them with all your heart. couldn’t recommend it enough.

          ‣  high-end crush

starring : jung il woo, jin se yeon, yoon bora, lee si eon

plot : choi se hoon is the ceo of an entertainment company and knows his stuff well. he is very arrogant and doesn’t take no for an answer. yoo yi ryeong lives alone on a mountain and doesn’t have any desire for money and fame. the two cross paths and se hoon ends up offering yi ryeong a contract from his company, she rejects him. the determined businessman won’t give up on her and ends up developing feelings along the way. can two people from different worlds come together?

thoughts : the fact that i almost didn’t watch this drama will haunt me forever. i’m sO happY that i gave it a go. i expected nothing but ended up with so much. this mini drama made me laugh and cry, and took me on a hell of a ride. the story between the couple is hilariously sweet and melts my heart. jung il woo stole my heart with this drama, he did an excellent job as the lead and his character made the drama what it is. if you have 5 hours to spare i highly recommend this one, enjoyed every second.

          ‣  hospital ship

starring : ha ji won, kang min hyuk, lee seo won, kwon min ah

plot : song eun jae is a capable surgeon at a large hospital in seoul. due to circumstances she ends up quitting her job and boards a hospital ship that provides medical care for locals in rural villages. on board are army doctors who have unwillingly been assigned their posts, except for kwak hyun, who volunteered. although eun jae has a cold personality, she is perfectionist and very skilled. with her on board, the hospital ship is able to admit patients and help with the most critical medical problems, all while out at sea.

thoughts : honestly i didn’t have any expectations going into this one, but i was pleasantly surprised. all the different characters clashed together and made the story very interesting, everyone came together and became an unexpected family. all the cases they dealt with were just insaane and made the drama so entertaining to watch! they always had the odds against them but somehow made in through them. very addicting.

          ‣  extraordinary you

starring : kim hye yoon, rowoon, lee jae wook, lee naeun, kim young dae

plot : eun dan oh is a student at a prestigious academy. one day she discovers that the world she’s living in is a fantasy world of comics, and she isn’t even the main character! she is only an extra and the writer has set her up with a lame story line that she doesn’t want to follow. dan oh realizes she is one of the few characters that are aware and tries to change the story to free herself from the writer’s grip. she meets a nameless student, number 13, who dan oh thinks can be the key. they work together to try and change their fates, but this comes with a price to pay.

thoughts : this drama was almost impossible not to watch one episode right after another! suuch a cool plot and it was hard to try and predict what was going to happen next. the drama kept its secrets very well and dragged it out, making you as a viewer really miserable wanting to know more, but this is what made it so good. things uncovered slowly but surely and you changed your mind about things over and over. big brain energy on this one!

          ‣  cinderella and four knights

starring : jung il woo, park so dam, ahn jae hyun, lee jung shin, son naeun

plot : eun ha won feels alone in the world and has poor contact with her father and stepmother. she lives a hard life trying to find ways to pay for her education. she gets involved with the three famous and rich cousins : kang ji woon ; a rebel-minded loner, kang hyun min ; a playboy money machine and kang seo woo, a sweet singer-songwriter. because of ha won’s non-nonsense personality, the cousins grandfather thinks she’s the perfect person to discipline his spoiled grandsons to get along with each other. however in the process ha won finds herself in the middle of a quadrangle love story.

thoughts : man, honestly this drama is THE reason why i’m even making this list. i was hooked from the start and STAYED hooked the entire drama. park so dam being the queen she is played her character so fantastically, i love how powerful and confident her character is. how different the cousins personalities were made it hilariously interesting to watch. i myself fell in love with each guy and had the hardest time picking who to root for! second and third lead syndrome is real. this is the one drama that i can honestly say i did not want to end, i’d watch this forever if i could lmfao

          ‣  falling for innocence

starring : jung kyung ho, kim so yeon, yoon hyun min

plot : kang min ho is a cold-blooded corporate raider who treats his workers and people ruthlessly. he is self-defensive and a suspicious sociopath, but he suffers from heart problems and is expected to die in the near future. unless he gets a heart transplant from a suitable donor, he is done for. kim soon jung’s fiancé gets into a car “accident” which ends in fatality. luckily for min ho, the fiancé is a match and min ho gets another shot at life. after the heart transplant, min ho starts to notice changes in his behavior : a rare result of heart transplants. he ends up falling for soon jung and she teaches him the meaning of true happiness and what love is. are his feelings really his, or the memories from the previous owner of his heart?

thoughts : i thought this drama wasn’t gonna be anything out of the ordinary going into it, but i was wrong. the character development the main character went through is one of the best ones i’ve seen and very inspiring at that. how he went from night to day because of his transplant was really something to witness. jung kyung ho killed it obviously and made his character believable. seeing how the characters deal with the situation made me not being able to stop watching.

          ‣  one spring night

starring : jung hae in, han ji min, kim jun han, joo min kyung, lim sung eon

plot : lee jeong in decides to prioritize happiness in her life. she has a long time boyfriend who wants to marry her but she’s not so sure what she feels. to treat her hangover one spring night, she goes to the pharmacy. yoo ji ho is the pharmacist who ends up helping her. ji ho is a single dad and unsure whether a woman could want a man like him. he however immediately becomes interested in jeong in and does whatever he can to meet her in person. the two fall in love despite their situations. the two however now have to deal with the obstacles that family, friends and society sets for them.

thoughts : this drama is like a warm safety blanket for me. i started it on a whim, skimming through netflix just wanting to watch something before bed. i ended up clicking on this and booy am i happy i did. it’s a nicely slow-paced, sweet and romantic love story which touches your heart in the best way. the whole vibe of the drama is just... i don’t know how to describe it’s just... chill?? and nice?? and comfortable?? it was my night time drama before bed, so i have nice memories from watching it. loved their love story. also a+++ for the osts!!!

         ‣  madame antoine : the love therapist

starring : sung joon, han ye seul, jeong jinwoon, hwang seung un, lee joo hyung

plot : go hye rim is a famous fortune-teller known as “madame antoine” and insist she is spiritually connected to the late french queen marie antoinette. choi soo hyun is a highly awarded therapist specialising in women’s psychology. coincidentally, his psychological treatment center is also called “madame antoine”. soo hyun develops an experiment with the hypothesis that love does not exist. he tricks hye rim into participating in the experiment to study her behavior when approached by three different men. however, hye rim isn’t told what the experiment is about and doesn’t know that the men’s feelings for her are fake, or are they?

thoughts : a fortune teller and therapist love story?? sign me the f up!!! i loved seeing these two bicker every other second but overcoming their differences to be with each other. this couple is really what they mean by “you’re hot then you’re cold”, it was on, off, on, off all the time, but i also couldn’t be mad at it. the drama was easy to watch and i couldn’t not click the next episode. all characters were extremely likeable and made me wanna be friends with them too rip. after finishing this one i kinda wanna learn some psychology tricks..... they were both really cool ><

#recs #kdrama #korean drama #goblin #high-end crush #hospital ship #extraordinary you #cinderella and four knights #falling for innocence #one spring night #madame antoine

[hannahdearr]

Bias Tag 🥰

first off lemme just say HOW DARE YOU @tori-yaaaaaaa you know how indecisive I am about basically eVeRYtHinG and you spring this on me, you sadist ):< ♡ + do I even HAVE 10 biases lol wait don’t answer that

Rules: list 10 biases and then answer the following questions.

(I can’t differentiate between hardcore bias wrecking or double/multi-biasing anyways so here we GO)

Jeon JUNGKOOK (BTS)

MARK Tuan (GOT7)

Park JAEhyung (DAY6)

Lee MINHO (Stray Kids)

MoonBIN (ASTRO) or just...Moonbin? lol

Cha EUNWOO / Lee Dongmin (ASTRO)

Kim TAEHYUNG (BTS)

Park JINYOUNG (GOT7)

Min YOONGI (BTS)

Kim ............SEOKJIN (BTS) hahahha

...picking those were already hard, why do you enjoy my suffering dude but! disclaimer: aH I don’t think I have any official say for any of these “better than/best at” types of questions so just saying that these are just my opinions / personal preference if that...wasn’t obvious haha

Between 1 & 4, who would you rather kiss?

I can’t even imagine kissing anybody let alone anyone on this list bUt I just realized cheek kisses count too! so! Jungkook by a land slide, still 🤪

Between 2 & 7, who would be your best friend?

OoH that’s TOUGH, I feel like I’d get along so well with either (‘: sky gliding with Mark or museums with Taehyung aAHH and they’re buddies too—can’t we all just be friends 🙂🙂

Between 5 & 10, who has the better voice?

WOW, another tough one why am I always suffering (-: I’ll go with Jin! His voice is so soothing and tHEM BALLADS—he’s rly developed his skills sooo so much over the years & the songs he does (whether cover or self-made) always make me cry (‘:

Between 1 & 8, who is the funniest?

King of Crackheadery, lil Kookoo, The Memebun™, our one-of-a-kind Justin Seagull, the living AND walking meme himself, Jeon Jungkook (he doesn’t even have to try wtF man I’m: big lovin’ Jungkook 24/7)

Between 6 & 9, who would you date?

Amazing how this game has called me out on my love life experience so many times already—I’d date Yoongi! Haven’t really delved deeper into the Aroha world (meaning I know..but I don’t know) but I can, with full conviction, state that Min Yoongi is not only boyfriend material—he’s also Husband Material™

Between 9 & 10, who would you do a collab with?

NOOO how’d they end up against each other gdi /:< collab with SUGA in a lil vocal/rap wonder or like a whole ballad with Jin 🤯 Probably a collab with Jin tho bc I really love the ballad style he’s got goin on

Between 4 & 8, who is the best dancer?

Oo o my, they’re both really good & I haven’t been up to date with Stray Kids babies lately but I’ll pick Jinyoung 🍑

Between 3 & 5, who would you most likely marry?

Marrying Jae or Moonbin hMm—I know Jae a lot more / longer + homie always comes home to visit here often so I’ll say Jae 🐔

Between 1 & 7, who would you nurse when they’re sick?

How devastating, my original bias & bias wrecker duo HAHA but sorry Tae I’ll tend to you right after Jungkook 😔✊🏼👊🏼

Between 2 & 3, who has the better smile?

Both such beautiful & bright smiles 😍😍 and both coincidentally v local to where I live LOL—I pick Mark tho

Between 6 & 8, who would you rather vacation with?

Eunwoo or Jinyoung hhhhhngjgjsjk—I’m not saying I’m picking Jinyoung bc I’m currently watching his character go Thru It™ in Psychometric rn but that’s exactly what I’m saying so I’ll pick Jinyoung (‘:

10/10 that was d i f f i c u l t for me my dudes bc I’m overly indecisive hA but v fun LOL—you’d like to give this a shot & possibly suffer like me, I’m tagging: @bymoonchild @tori-yaaaaaaa @taesbeach @bbjel @hercosmoscomplex @spicysuga @moreenchiladasplease @arosequartz @mahwdichette @starryeyedgukk @aureumjeon @passingthelights

but you don’t gotta if you don’t wanna! (:

#thanks for tagging! #bias tag #hannahdearr #i went back and forth in composing this post during vacation in my downtime LMAO #it was still v difficult with how long i took whEW #i had fun tho hehe

[kim-lexie]

august favorites.

OH MY GOODNESS i am realizing at the end of september that i never did post this. well dang it’s better late than never.

 it is once again time for another rewind. i am starting my new job as an official registered nurse, so i packed in as many movies and dramas as i could into the start of the month. and i am still watching a few on-air dramas that i am loving. 

music. 

BTS answer comeback. these boys really came for my heart when they gave us the full versions of my fave vocalists songs. this whole album was incredible and i am so proud of them. i am hoping to make this its own post bc i cannot contain all my feelings in this rewind with regards to BTS answer. our boys were just so freaking extra in this mv, and i loved every second of it. 

power up by red velvet. of course we got the red side to red velvet. the first listen it was an ‘oh no no’ but now whenever i hear that ba-ba-na-na it just gets me up and dancing. gotta love everything and anything these girls do!

we go up by nct dream. these boys be sneaking into my nct bias list. i seriously fell in love with this song upon first listen. it is a bop and i am so freaking in love with this song it is on every and any playlist i have. that line distribution though 10 out of 10! they are all such little cuties and i love them with my whole heart. lil precious beans.

just look at mark in his last comeback with nct dream. *tear*

there were so many stellar stills in this mv, like everyone be looking like a model having the time of their lives. example a:

astro. like anything and everything. i have officially decided to stan these 6 precious boys. and i am so happy that i did. all of their songs are great, and i appreciate their fresh vibe. 

killing me by ikon. these boys like seriously never chill. they are always coming at us with those hardcore bad boy vibes. seriously such a bop and i love screaming these lyrics, and that breakdown has such a drop and it’s incredible.

bobby once again slayed my existence. just look at this man.

and can hanbin just chill, like ever. he is coming for me and my bias list. 

dramas & movies. *spoiler alert*

little forest. i loved this film. it was very relaxed and passive. it was a snapshot into hye won’s life. from the countryside to city, back to her own little forest. it was a lovely dynamic film, it was calming and the OST was on point. it was all about the little joys of life and finding her own harmony and place in this world. i really loved the relationship between her and jae-ha. since the ending was ambiguous which is exactly what i expected from this indie film, i hope that it was her long awaited mother’s return. and that she ended up with a happy ending being with jae-ha. i rate it a 9 out of 10. 

this film made me realize how much i missed ryu jun-yeol! the last thing i watched with him was reply 1988 and that was waaaaayyyy too long ago! i also love kim tae-ri as i am currently watching mr. sunshine and she is a fabulous actress. adding her to my favorites list!

a werewolf boy. this one was interesting. a new take on the beauty and the beast fairytale. i appreciated the acting from both my faves song joong-ki and park bo-young. it was great to see the origin of these talented people. i also loved seeing the bad side of one of my faves in the reply series, yoo yeon- seok. if only they could have been happy together. he was only protecting her. i enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. this was a great film, i loved the whole premise of the flashback from the grandmother, so titanic. the waterworks really hit in the end credits as he was making the snowman, which was the book he was to read to her once he learned to talk which he was able to do 6 decades later. i rate this a 9 out of 10 i loved it~ uwu

one of the many moments i bawled my eyes out.

architecture 101. this was a great film, and i can see why it is such a highly recommended kmovie. i enjoy a good flashback second chance romance. there was a lot happening in this one, and lines to follow. i love seung-min’s personality, he was so sweet and kind to her. jung-suk my man, i loved him in my annoying brother and he did not disappoint in this one. the ending was real ambiguous, and i don’t appreciate. it definitely was not one of those make you feel good romantic movies. so they both let go of their first love in the end, and he ran away to the states and she ran away to jeju. great communication in this film, no repressed feelings at all. (i hope everyone can sense the sarcasm in that statement) it was truly a recipe made in drama heaven. i rate this classic a 7 out of 10. 

come and hug me. i loved this drama, i had to wait a while for it to come to standard subscription viki but it was worth the wait. of course, there was childhood trauma and seriously scary scenes that i was not expecting from the cute and misleading instagram clips that i saw of the two main leads. but i kept with it and i would give this drama an 8.5 out of 10. the child actors that they got to play the younger versions were absolutely incredible and their skill, talents, and abilities surpass that of the typical child you see in dramas and i was continually blown away by them.

#favorites #rewind #kdrama #korean movie #korean drama #2018 #bts #answer comeback #power up #red velvet #we go up #NCT dream #astro #killing me #ikon #little forest #a werewolf boy #architecture 101 #come and hug me #kpop

[jos-corner-of-the-world]

Completed Kdramas.

Kdramas I’ve completed *In order of how I watched them!* and how I rate them..chat me up about ANY drama listed, or recommend more! :) **SOME CONTAIN SLIGHT SPOILERS!**

1. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon-- 10/10 **This was my introduction to the amazing world of kdrama, and oh boy did it hook me!! The chemistry between Bo Young and Hyung Sik will forever be etched into my brain!

2. The Heirs-- 8/10 **The most compelling thing in this show for me was Kim Woo Bin.  This was my first intro to second male lead syndrome.

3. Hwarang-- 7/10 **Not gonna lie, started this because of Kim Taehyung, and happily finished it because the drama brought more than I expected.  It was slow in places, but wrapped up well.

4. High Society-- 5/10 ** Not my cup of tea to be honest...I much preferred the second leads’ relationship over the first leads’.  Even Park Hyungsik wasn’t enough to keep me enthralled...this was a drama I completed just to get it over with.

5. Oh My Ghostess-- 10/10. PARK BO YOUNG IS DAEBAK! I seriously love this woman...she was able to portray two distinct personality types, sometimes nearly simultaneously. Also, Jo Jung-suk as Chef Kang made my heart race!

6. Healer-- 9/10 ** This would have gotten a ten had they wrapped up the loose ends a little better, alas, they did not...Also, this was my introduction to Ji Chang Wook.  His character is just amazing and JCW depicts him so well!

7. Emergency Couple-- 10/10 **This is still one of my favorites.  I liked the progression between Chang Min and Jin Hee, and how it wasn’t an immediate reconciliation when they met back up.  They both had themselves to find and were mature (most of the time) about giving eachother the space needed to make it work.

8. Weight-lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo-- 10/10. **I loved everything about this drama. The story line, the actors, the chemistry between the leads, and I really loved Ji Il-joo as Joo-hyuk’s best friend :)

9. She Was Pretty 7/10 ** CHOI SI-WON!!! Kim Shin Hyeok is my favorite character in all of dramaland...unfortunately he was second male lead, and my favorite part about the drama.  All of the actors portrayed their characters well, I just didn’t connect with many of them throughout the whole show.

10. Fated to Love You 8/10 ** There were times when Gun was literally too much to handle..Also, episode 12 made me take a break from kdramas for a while and reflect on my life choice to become addicted to something like kdramas.  Before this episode I realized that I really was spoiled in the shows I watched not having scenes that literally made my heart feel constricted the way this one did.

11. To the Beautiful You-- 7/10 ** I liked the show overall, but thought that Sulli would never pass as a male... to me she still screamed female while dressed and living as a male. Kang Ha-Neul was the shinning point for me :)

12. Angel Eyes-- 7/10 ** KANG HA-NEUL! :)  The show was predictable at times which made it kind of drag on in places, and the female lead was frustrating af, but I enjoyed it overall.  Although the teenage years were only in a few episodes (and then some flashbacks) I think the pairing was much more endearing than the adults.  I also really liked the chemistry between Kang Ha-nuel and Name Ji-Hyun

13. Doctors-- 6/10** Not my cup of tea....Park Shin Hye was great, but it was kind of boring to me..The guest starring of Ji Soo was nice though :)

14. Shopping King Louie-- 9/10. I LOVED this drama.  I thought the character of Louie was endearing in how he didn’t understand much of the outside world (being rich and all) and relied on Bok-Shil to basically survive. Again, loved Nam Ji-Hyun in this.

15. Pinocchio-- 8/10 **HELLO LEE JONG-SUK! :) My favorite thing, other than watching the evolution of the leads’ relationship was watching the relationship between Dal-po and his brother, Jae-Myung.  I think the character development of Jae-Myung felt the most real to me.  How circumstances turned him into a killer and how he handled the aftermath of that, letting Dal-po settle things legally.

16. W (Two Worlds)-- 8/10 **Back to back Lee Jong-Suk.  I liked the complexities of this drama. There were times when I really wasn’t sure what was coming next and the suspense kept me returning to my computer as soon as possible to finish it!

17. Marriage, Not Dating-- 8/10 **Not gonna lie, the more I watching this, the more I WANTED To hate it, but I didn’t.  I’m not sure why I wanted to...I think it became semi predictable and some of the characters were hard pills to swallow, but damnit I was rooting so hard for Gi-tae and Jang-mi until the very end.

18. Love From Another Star 10/10 ** Let me count the ways...This was so endearing, and funny, and melancholic, and in places, SO FUCKING SAD. I will happily admit I cried, and when I inevitably watch it again, I’ll cry again.

#Strong woman do bong soon #the heirs #hwarang #high society #oh my ghostess #healer #weightlifting fairy kim bok joo #kdrama #she was pretty #fated to love you #to the beautiful you #angel eyes #doctors #shopping king louie #pinocchio #W- Two worlds #marriage not dating #love from another star

[randomobsessionsofa30something]

My top 10 korean dramas of 2019

10. Extraordinary you. Based on a webtoon, I actually almost missed this one because it looked like the typical high school drama but I got curious and watched it. The story is about a girl that realizes she is actually a secondary role on a webtoon and that her life is being written by the author. Nevertheless she makes the decision to make her own story and falling for whoever she chooses. It definitely is a silly rom-com but with a spin. The chemistry between SF9′s RoWoon and Kim Hyeoyeon is what made binge watch the 32 episodes (around 35 minutes each) in just a couple of days. 

9. Her private life. Kim Jae Wook and Park Min Young star in this really fun rom-com based on a korean webtoon about a girl that lives a double life: being an art gallery curator and also a devoted super fan of a member of an idol group (played by One). However everything changes when the new gallery director, Ryan, arrives with an agenda that will make her worlds collide. I wasn’t a huge fan of how they portrayed super fans. I thought it was a missed opportunity of really getting into the mindset of a those kind of fans. 

8. Vagabond. The first episode of this drama really got me excited about it but somehow after a couple of episodes I started loosing interest. When I watched it after a while I somehow finished the whole thing. I think it had its ups and downs but all in all an interesting action romance drama. Lee Seung Gi plays a stunt man that somehow finds himself a father figure to the son of his deceased sister. Money troubles weights him down but he works hard to make a decent living for his nephew. However the kid passes away along with several others in a plane crash. He discovers it wasn’t an accident and he turns his life around to take justice at his own hands. Along the way she meets an agent of an intelligence agency (played by Suzy) and they both work to find the people behind the plane crash.

7. When the camellia blooms. The main characters of this one are not only endearing but really funny. Gong Hyo Jin has always been one of my favorite korean actresses and this is my favorite part Kang Ha Neul has done. This popular drama is about a single mother who owns a bar and a policeman who falls for her and will stop at nothing until he wins her heart but nothing will come easy for these two, they will have to face several challenges from a killer on the loose to a conservative mother.

6. Chief of Staff. This drama had two seasons last year something different from the usual modus operandi of korean dramas. Honestly I enjoyed the first season more but even if the story line was a bit messy sometimes, it really was an interesting political drama. Lee Jung Jae plays a character that definitely made me remember House of Cards and The West Wing but in a very korean setting. A former detective is now chief of staff to a congressman and has strong ambicions but he always seems to be stopping fires. It was a very well made drama. Shin Min Ah, Lee Eljah, Kim Dong Joon, Jung Woong In and Kim Kap Soo were all amazing on this one.

5. SKY CASTLE. This drama gave much to talk about in Korea because it revolves around the pressure parents put on their children to make it to the best universities in the country. The story is set in a rich neighbourhood in Seoul and it shows how some parents will stop at nothing to make their children excel and how it reflects on those children. That dynamic made for an intense 20 episodes. The cast did an amazing job.

4. Hotel Del Luna. This was a great fantasy drama and I was going to rank it higher but truth is in the second part I felt like they drag the conclussion a bit more than necessary. IU plays Jang Man-Wol the “owner” of Hotel del Luna a place where spirits stay before they pass on. Goo Chang-seong (Yeo Jin Goo) is an assitant manager of a hotel corporation who suddenly learns his father made a deal with a woman that he would have to work in her hotel except her hotel in unlike any other. He’s forced to work there but he refuses to do things like Manwol wants him to and tries to change her mind set. She lives with regrets which has made her have a bad attitude but her walls start to fall down with Chang Seong around. This drama was truely addictive.

3. One Spring Night. This drama by Ahn Pan Seok was beautifully shot and it deals with how single fathers are looked in a conservative society like Korea and how parents put pressure on their kids to marry well. The tone is definitely similar to Something in the Rain, his previous work also starred by Jung Hae In. Han Ji Min plays a girl in her 30s that has a boyfriend who she’s expected to settle down with but realizes she doesn’t want to marry him just because it’s about time. She meets a single father and she falls for him but society gets in the way and they both will need to decide whether they are strong enough to go against social standards to be together

2. Crash landing on you. I was waiting for a Hyun Bin drama and finally he did this one with Son Ye Jin and it really turned out great. It’s still airing so I might be making a mistake by ranking this one so high. I really love it though and it’s clearly popular since it’s making double digit ratings which for a cable drama is difficult. The story is about a girl that has an accident that lands her on North Korean soil and seeks help with a North Korean officer to help her return to South Korea. He agrees and they fall in love in the process. It makes for a sweet fun drama but the fact that they are from two countries in conflict will make it difficult to stay together.

1. WWW: Search. Sometimes you just connect with a drama and that’s what happened to me with this one. It might not have been the greatest love story on this list or the most innovative drama. However I was really drawn by the main character played by Im Soo Jung and also by the script .She really is a strong female character. I think the story really made some really good points regarding the power of social media in Korea as well as how corruption can disrupt the truth. Korea has a web portal in real life called Naver that basically works both as google and as twitter since it shows the top related searches constantly which makes all internet users aware of when something is popular whether is about politics or entertainment. In the drama there’s two portals that do just that: Unicon and Baro, Bae Ta-Mi is a director of Unicon but is betrayed and ends up switching companies to Baro and makes her goal to beat Unicon and make Baro the most used portal in Korea. At the same time, she meets a young CEO (Jang Ki Young)  of a small music company for games and he tries to date her after a one night stand. I also love the secondary couple played by Lee Dae Hae and Lee Jae Wook. The friendship between Lee Dae Hae’s character and Im Soo Jung is definitely one of the most fun parts of the drama.

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