141. Hero 히어로 (2012) Korean

Yang Dong Geun, Han Chae Ah, Son Byung Ho, Choi Chul Ho, Park Won Sang

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: B

Total dude show.  Post-apocalyptic, futuristic, and just fun.  I would have enjoyed it more if I had been consistent in watching it, but even though it was only 9 episodes long, I took like three months to watch it.  The best part about it is that our hero is so apathetic, immature, and disrespectful of everything.  Basically he is hilarious and just in it for the fun of it.  I loved how he chases the pretty cop around, getting into her business and stuff.  But it also has good character progression, because although he starts out just doing it for fun, or to help his cop crush, he starts seeing the injustice and doing it for the right reasons.  It's very Batman-esque though, complete with the black costume, mask vigilante thing, and his butler friend, who we called Alfred.  The fight scenes were either super fast, or slow-mo, so you know they are good stuff.  It was always funny and intriguing, and moves at a good pace.  In fact, they could have easily made it a full 16 episodes.  9 was just too few... even though scheduling made me watch it so spread out.  But that was because of time and my friend's schedule, and not because it was draggy or I didn't like it.  It was good.

106. Bridal Mask 각시탈 (2012) Korean

Joo Won, Jin Se Yeon, Park Ki Woong, Han Chae Ah, Shin Hyun Joon

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

Holy cow.  That... okay.  I am actually glad that I didn't watch this when it was current (although part of me is also very sad about that for the same reason) because I would not have made it through it all so graciously without all the spoilers I had, such as who died and so on.  Because so many people died (except the people we wanted to die, like Goiso).  Wow, those last few episodes were just a blood bath.  Wow.  But this was so, so, so good!  It took me so long because I was watching it with a friend, and the holiday scheduling was hard, but that just made it better, as we bounced our comments and nicknames off, making it that much more fun.  We're all glad we watched it together (but maybe need a lighter one for the next one).  I have several friends who have read recaps of the ending, or watched the last episode and decided not to watch it, that is a mistake, because this show is so good that it doesn't matter that it is bloody, tragic, and very full of propaganda.  It's worth it.  The propaganda is probably the part that bothered me the most.  I know it's a Korean drama, and therefore completely Koreancentric, but still, some of it was so over-the-top that I couldn't swallow it.  Such as the plot to make Korea the center of the Japanese empire.  Right.  But just roll your eyes and go with it, it was aired during a time of Japan and Korea fighting over that island thing, so they would make it a political statement more than normal.  But the acting.  Slow clap for Joo Won and Park Ki Woong!  I already loved those boys, but boy do I love them now.  Woo hoo!  Overall it was just a really well done drama, enough so that the little annoying bits and propaganday type deals were forgiven.  It was just that epic.

63. Marry Him If You Dare 미래의 선택 (2013) Korean

Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Dong Gun, Jung Yong Hwa, Han Chae Ah, Choi Myoung Gil

Drama Rating: 2/10     Neck Score: A

Yong Hwa further ruined for me.  I really hated this one, which is sad because I really loved it at first.  It was a really interesting premise of a lady who goes back in time to change her life because of all the crap that happened.  She wanted to stop herself from marrying the man she married.  The interesting part was she was still so obviously in love with that man, even as an old woman, that you wondered why she wanted to change that fact.  Also, Lee Dong Gun, you are a handsome man.  I had tried to watch him in a drama before, but it was so old and stupid that I never got far.  I tried again because of this show and still didn't get far.  I hated the lead girl.  Anyways, Lee Dong Gun is the husband that she wants to keep herself from marrying, but both her present and future selfs are still falling in love with him despite everything.  I also love that he's a news anchor but has a super foul mouth.  Also, fell in love with him that time he put on the Darth Vader costume.  Yep.  Loved him.  Anyways, I really hated Yong Hwa's character in this one too, but if he just stayed the other guy that would have been fine, but all the sudden the writers went completely crazy and changed the plot completely making it into not a romance but a self-discovery of the main girl, leaving the ending completely open, weird and stupid.  I don't know if the Yong Hwa fans protested or something, but whatever it was shouldn't have happened.  A potentially interesting show was completely ruined by suddenly completely horrible writing.  I don't normally outright hate a show by the ending, not even Boys Over Flowers, but I seriously hated this one.  Boo!!!!!!!  Learn to write peeps!

22. Ohlala Couple 울랄라 부부 (2012) Korean

Kim Jung Eun, Shin Hyun Joon, Han Jae Suk, Han Chae Ah

Drama Rating: 4/10     Neck Score: C

I don't even remember why I started watching this one.  It's another body switching one, but this one is a married couple who are on the brink of divorce.  The god of matches and the goddess of love are messing around with the couple in an effort to save them, or something.  Those peeps were probably the best part.  They did a decent job switching and acting like each other, especially the wife.  I really hated the Bictoria chick though.  Husband stealing clueless chick.  Also the other dude was a bit annoying, but then so was everyone.  It was a bit funny, but the main cast was a little older, so it was not for eye candy if that's what you're looking for.  I guess the compelling part is that you just end up wanting those two to be happy, after they walked in each others shoes for a while and realized that they were both being unfair.