I used to struggle with Labyrinth because I don't particularly love Sarah, or any of her companions, but I super love Jareth, the Goblin King, aka David Bowie. It was actually my love of David Bowie and Queen and glam rock that got me into K-pop, because is there much of a difference between this and this?
|
 |
|---|
But in all actuality, my first villain love was not the Goblin King. I actually started much younger with my very first celebrity love, Yul Brynner.
I had a period of my life where I watched The King and I every single day. It was partially because that was the only movie I actually liked at my grandma's house, but come on, how could you resist this?
But I was a true fan girl and I loved him as Rameses in the Ten Commandments just as much. I probably made my siblings watch it way more than they wanted to- because that movie is freaking long. Not that I actually have anything against Charlton Heston, but I always wondered why Nefretiri was in love with Moses when Rameses was around (you know besides the obvious one was a nice guy and the other was evil- but she was also a crazy murderer so...). But yes, that actually was the real reason I watched hours of DeMille epicness.
I naturally had to show the meme to my sisters and we started a discussion of villains I loved at an early age. I mean, I usually sided with the villains in most kids shows. I mean the Peculiar Purple Pie Man is way more fun than Strawberry Shortcake. Dr. Coldheart had better songs than the Carebears. Skeletor was the best part of He-Man, hands down (as was Mum-Ra to Thundercats). But what we really came up as our start was back when we were really young and for some reason my older sister decided that she was going to marry Darth Vader. She had a little action figure that she was fond of. She was probably 6 or 7 tops. As the younger sister, my default was to date the stormtrooper action figure, only it was one of those gray suited guys, so we said it was General Veers, who is the best of the commanders, as he gets to take the shields down on Hoth and is the most competent.
Random starts, but it is no surprise that I have a soft spot for the bad guys. I've written posts about it. So here are some of my early favorites:
It's the truth, I had a crush on Draco Malfoy when I was younger. Until he went from buttface to complete piece of crap and got bad hair. But I still love him.
Jareth of course.
The Phantom- there is something sexy and haunting about Michael Crawford's disembodied voice.
Anime helped this addiction, and I had a big thing for Sebastian in the Black Butler and Sesshomaru from Inuyasha.
Loki- hands down the best Marvel character ever. Even before he was played by Tom Hiddleston, my favorite Norse God was Loki. I even drew a picture of him, circa age 10 maybe (btw, that was way before the first Thor movie came out. I was in my 20s when I was hit with the Hiddleston). It was only natural that the Marvel version would also be my favorite.
|
 |
|---|
Cillian Murphy in anything he's ever been in. I remember struggling with Red Eye because he was so sexy, and also terrifying and yucky.
Then I started watching K-dramas, and it's no wonder that the first thing that had me hooked when I watched My Girlfriend is a Gumiho was not Seung Gi's Cheshire cat smile, but No Min Woo as the sexiest villain I had ever seen. Well, he's more of an antagonist, but you know what I mean.
 |
| Ugh! Why he wear dem tanks all the time! |
 |
| Why you never button your shirts? |
Gwi made me feel weird and awkward things because he was so bad but he was sooooooo sexy!
Shin Sung Rok in My Love From Another Star. Literally lost interest in the drama when he was caught. What was the point after that?
Choi Jin Hyuk as the evil gumiho in Gu Family Book. I mean, he was cute as the nice gumiho, but when he turned into a demon, I had to fan myself a bit... Ok, a lot.
I Remember You- when I actually loved Park Bo Gum. Also, Choi Won Young. I'd watch him do anything, but I love him as a villain. He literally saved multiple dramas for me as the villain, like Three Days. And D.O.! My Little Serial Killer! He is my EXO bias and yes, that is my nickname for him. I love him so much. I Remember You literally highjacked a post because of all these beautiful psychopaths.
There are all kinds of villains, and I don't love them all. I wrote a post about how sometimes I hate villains, because they are hateful, but some villains are just so classy that they put the heroes to shame. Those are the villains that I love the most.
Villains vs Badboys
Now there is a difference between bad guys and bad boys. Bad guys you probably shouldn't like, because they're bad, but bad boys just act different. They are unconventional, and are usually softies underneath. Most people who love villains will also love bad boys, but not all bad boy fans are villain lovers... yet (evil laughter).
Lizabreff has actually just taken her big leap over that line while watching Mr. Sunshine, because she totally likes Evil Chilbongi. That is another reason I had to write about this, because she might just join the villain loving club.
But there are several kinds of bad boys, and I probably love them all. But here some of the types of bad boys, and examples of them.
Tsundere
Classic hiding their softness behind their gruff exterior. It's such an iconic bad boy type that even my niece and nephew's Japanese cat cartoon has a tsundere boy kitten as the main kittens friend. His tsundereness didn't translate well for the English voice acting. You'd have to know about them, and obviously that actor did not. But we all know how attractive that behind-the-scenes caring is, even if it is also frustrating. (Just tell her Jung Hwan! You're not the bad boy, Taek is! He does drugs.)
Reply 1988 is still breaking my heart! Jung Hwan!!!!!!! You're the guy!!!!!
The Unconventional
They are probably my favorite, because they are only "bad" because they don't care about what people think, they are just going to do their own thing. They are usually thought "lazy" but are secret justice fighters, because they hate to see anyone not given their right to do their thing.
A good example of this is Atan from the webtoon Eggnoid. He will stick up for people, but he'll do it in an unconventional way, and he hates being stereotyped.
 |
 |
Jung Woo in Shut Up Flower Boy Band is another good example of this type as well.
Too Charismatic to Hate
Probably actually bad, and you know you shouldn't like them, but they just have so much charisma that they could get away with anything. It's bad. Why is their badness so charming? I guess scoundrels and con men fit in this category. Like Woo Do Hwan in Mad Dog. He's a butt, but you just can't hate him. Mmm, that charisma.
Hotheads
These are good boys who just like to fight too much, mostly because they have a temper that will get them into a fight in two seconds. They are the angry type who just need to be calmed down. The best example I could think of is Kyo from the Manga/Anime Fruits Baskets. I know there are K-Drama examples of this type too, I just really couldn't think of any at the time.
And then I just thought of one! Crazy Rooster from Flower Boy Ramen Shop! He is the classic hothead! He's a puppy until he gets angry, and then he fights like the Crazy Rooster that he is.
And then I just thought of one! Crazy Rooster from Flower Boy Ramen Shop! He is the classic hothead! He's a puppy until he gets angry, and then he fights like the Crazy Rooster that he is.
Mischievous Types
Thinking the Tom Sawyer type, but it's also the Son Oh Gong type. Seung Gi plays a lot of these. They start off as selfish butts but you end up loving them.
Thuggy Type
They've lived a rough life, but they are at heart a good boy. That hint of danger is so sexy, like Shin Se Gi, from Kill Me, Heal Me.
Usually they don't feel worthy of the angelic girl's they fall in love with. Like in Your Honor or What's Up? Or anything Joon Ho has ever been in (i.e. Just Between Lovers).
The Jaded Type
They've seen it all and they are about as unscrupulous as the trash around them. They are usually the ones out for revenge, and are as cold as ice to protect their poor, wounded interior. But though they are icy and stoic, they will usually break to protect the people they care about. Like Pil Joo!!! Ah! He killed me in Money Flower. Such restraint and hidden anger! Woo!
As I was listing all of these types, I realized there is a lot of crossover. Sometimes they will be Tsundere AND a thug (that is a common mix) or they will be a Hot Head and a Thug, or a Tsundere and Unconventional, the mix goes on. I think all bad boys have a little Tsundere in them, you know, to hide their gooey interiors.
And then there are the crossovers who are probably bad guys, but maybe just bad boys gone a little too bad, I don't know! They are better than the "good boys" sometimes, even when they aren't. They're good but evil. Antagonists?
Psychopaths
I'm talking about the psychopaths who might be murderers, but then they are better than that evil rich boy who is stomping over everyone. I'm talking about people like Seo In Guk in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. He's so obviously a psychopath, but then you can't help but root for him over that piece of trash rich boy. But is he a murderer? Do you want him to fall in love with Jung So Min? Yes! No! I don't know! Why is he so sexy!?!
The entire cast of Bad Guys is the same. They are bad guys, they all deserve to be in jail. But are they? They are a lot better than some of the actual 100% bad guys they are catching.
Really, Park Bo Gum in I Remember You falls into this category too. Is he 100% bad?
You're right, they are probably bad guys not bad boys, but this just shows you that it is a tricky line and a slippery slope when it comes to the bad boys. You never know if you'll end up just loving the villains if you stay too long with the bad boys.
Come to the Dark Side, they are sexier.
