205. History of a Salaryman 샐러리맨 초한지 (2012) Korean

Lee Beom Soo, Jung Gyu Woon, Jung Ryeo Won, Hong Soo Hyun

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: B

I loved this show.  It was so well done.  Lizabreff hates corporate dramas, but she loved this one too.  It was gripping the whole time.  Probably because it was one part sageuk, one part corporate drama, and one part witty comedy (I mean, those hilarious bits at the end of each episode were pure gold).  Also it has three very strong women who kick butt in whatever way they have chosen.  I liked and admired every single one of them, even the evil lady who made me disgusted and full of hate.  She was still super strong and kicked butt (literally) as she rose to power and eventually went crazy with power.  If I have to say anything negative about this show it's that it was extended, which led to the last two episodes being ridiculous.  I mean, they went all sensational court room, which is literally my least favorite type of drama ever.  I pisses me off when people pull ridiculous shiz in a court of law and get away with it.  Maybe I should have been a lawyer.  I also feel like there could have been lots more Yoo Bang.  I can never get enough of Lee Beom Soo and while he was technically the lead in this, this show is pretty equally about all four of our leads, which is a good thing.  I just love Lee Beom Soo.  I think that was another reason the extended ending brought less to the table.  It was more of Wiener Thinker being and idiot (which is really wasn't that much of in the first half) and less of Yoo Bang dominating, since he had to wait two more episodes to do it.  But what character development.  When characters go from bums, country boys, spoiled rich girls, etc. to cool corporate generals, you know you have something good.  I loved Yeo Chi's (Jung Ryeo Won) development the most.  She was amazing.  She was unlikable at the beginning (to the lovable point) with her clueless, cussing, ridiculousness, and then she became a wonderful, strong, cussing wonder woman.  Woo Hee (Hong Soo Hyun) was literally one of the smartest people in the entire drama, and I loved how she used every tool she had, even if it was her sexuality to make that idiot know how big of an idiot he was.  I especially loved the two couples.  We had to extremes of cuteness.  The couple who hilariously fights and eats ice cream together, and the couple who are pushing and pulling too much, but are so adorably in love with each other that we can't wait for them to finally stop being idiots and just make out.  Then Kim Sung Oh had a cameo in the last 3 episodes and when I saw him in the preview I was so excited I screamed into a pillow.  His cameo was one of the most amazing cameos ever.  Because I absolutely love him?  No, it was also hilarious.  He did so good.  So I would like to have had the ending a little more tidy in the writing, but this show was good enough to make up for that.  It was amazing.  I needed something actually good right now, and it was perfect.  Best one I've chosen to watch in a while... well, one of them at least.

50. The Princess's Man 공주의 남자 (2011) Korean

Park Shi Hoo, Moon Chae Won, Song Jong Ho, Hong Soo Hyun

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

Best cinematography, best soundtrack, this is the best sageuk I have ever seen!  It's pretty much Romeo and Juliet meets Richard III because it's got the two lovers caught up in the political rivalry of the parents, but the rivalry includes evil uncles killing their nephews and brothers to take the crown.  It is based off the fact that the usurper king Sejo had a mysterious daughter mentioned in only one of the records but none of the others.  Using this they wrote a complex story of love, betrayal and revenge into the classic history of a struggle over the crown.  So much blood.  Literally half the episodes all of the characters are covered in blood.  Also Park Shi Hoo is hot.  He is one of the few that really works the Joseon get up.  As in seriously working it.  He looks sexy in those pastels and net hats.  Then when he goes all revengy bad-a on us, he has the warrior outfits with the long hair and head bands.  Rawr!  Moon Chae Won is my favorite actress ever... probably.  I admit that I didn't like her character in Shining Inheritance, but that's the beauty of her talent.  I swear she is a different character in every show and she rocks all of them.  I really loved her in this one, and then by the time Innocent Man and Good Doctor came around, that was just the confirming proof that this girl is awesome.  This is a very emotional roller coaster type show.  So much death that it's very heavy and you need to keep the watching pace slow, but at the same time it's so exciting you want to keep watching.  But it is so good.  Very fitting for my 50th drama.  It's just well made and classy.  I did have problems with the other dude.  He's dumb.  Also, it made me project his dumbness on his character in Answer me 1997, which I happened to be watching at the same time.  Oops.