193. High End Crush 고품격 짝사랑 (2015) Korean

Jung Il Woo, Jin Se Yeon, Lee Si Eon, Yoon Bora, Moon Se Yoon

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

This might be one of the best web dramas I have seen.  I mean, it's twenty 15-min episodes of Jung Il Woo going crazy because he has a crush on Jin Se Yeon.  Hilarious.  So we have a super successful, top of the food chain CEO of an entertainment center who doesn't believe in one-sided loves, he thinks they are only for pathetic people and that he can get anything he wants.  Famous last words.  He immediately falls for this girl that they randomly pulled off the street (well, after she beats Lee Si Eon over the head trying to "save" Bora) for a photo shoot.  She lives in the mountains and is practically from the Joseon period with how much she understands the complexities of Seoul.  She's tech savvy and smart (I mean, she had zero learning curve when it came to texting on her brand new smartphone), but really clueless when it comes to relationships, etc.  Aka, an organic person.  It is just a bunch of misunderstandings because they think completely differently.  It does get a bit draggy, if that is possible, because of how long those misunderstandings can go on, but it was highly enjoyable.  I also really loved the Soon Jung cameos with Jung Kyung Ho and Kim So Yeon being MCs or news anchors who are conveniently talking about just what the Organic Girl needs to help her understand the situation or her feelings.  I did love how simple it was.  There was no love triangle needed, because there was plenty of drama developed with just those two not understanding each other, especially since they didn't understand how they felt themselves for the longest time.  I like how it had time to show their relationship developing, etc.  I fully enjoyed it.

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.

94. Dr. Stranger 닥터 이방인 (2014) Korean

Lee Jong Suk, Jin Se Yeon, Park Hae Jin, Kang Sora 

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

This was one of those dramas that I loved while I was watching it, but during the week I would forget how much I liked it and would have to force myself to watch it again when the next episodes came out.  Then I would remember that I liked it and all would be okay.  I think that this drama suffered the  most from trying to be too many things at once.  It was a doctor drama (not my favorite ever), a North vs South political drama (more liked by me), a revenge drama (I'm totes ok with those), a romance love triangle type deal, a evil puppet master pulling strings drama, and a finding my lost mom drama.  Yep, too many things at once, so I feel like some of the aspects weren't as developed as they could have been.  Such as revenge boy actually enacting his revenge.  I loved that side plot, but it really was like an after thought when it finally happened.  I wanted it to happen sooner so North Korean Boy and Revenge Boy could continue their bromance.  That part was my favorite part.  I did really like how most of the characters were well developed so that we could relate to them.  At least with the four main peeps.  The bad guy was as two dimensional as they come.  Seriously well played, but just a bad dude who pulls strings and kicks puppies or threatens to kill moms, etc.  The last few episodes were probably the weirdest in being both rushed and then draggy.  They kept throwing in things when it could have wrapped up nicely, but they did need to get rid of ALL the bad guys (since there were like 3 or 4) and then have it come full circle to show the depth of true love.  Also you always gotta throw in a "One Year Later" time just so that everyone can be happy, show how they've grown, and get as many people together as possible.  Still, even with all that silliness, I still liked it.  Especially the four main characters.  Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin rocked their bromance and respective characters.  I think Lee Jong Suk was what really got me through it.  But I was also really impressed with both girls, especially Kang Sora, who made her other girl character likeable and very sympathetic.  She was awesome.  So even if it's too much and too intense, I still enjoyed watching it, just taking the overdramaticness with a grain of salt... maybe multitasking during every operation scene.  Too many of those (darn doctor dramas).