168. Yong Pal 용팔이 (2015) Korean

Joo Won, Kim Tae Hee, Jo Hyun Jae, Chae Jung Ah, Jung Woong In, Stephanie Lee

Drama Rating: 3/10     Neck Score: A-

Hmm, what can I say about this drama.  It's nonsense.  There was a time in the middle where I was at least enjoying the crazy mess of revenge.  People were being killed right and left, and the main girl was bat shiz crazy.  That was kind of fun to watch.  But the rest was a little boring.  Then it was extended.  Two whole episodes of nothing.  Absolutely boring and lame, and the whole time I was just hoping that she would die, only I knew she wouldn't, because I had heard it had a "happy" ending.  Well, it did have Stephanie Lee coming back, playing the deus ex machina to force a "happy" ending down our throats.  There are some very interesting dynamics that kept this show from just being a series of painfully obvious tropes strung together with a whole lot of crazy.  Joo Won's character really doesn't do anything but cry the whole second half of the show.  Basically he is a male "Candy" while Kim Tae Hee is the evil chaebol.  He does about as much as Candy and has zero power the entire time.  He rarely gets to act and have it be meaningful, he's just acted on and being pushed around (but he was one of the only actors who could act, there is at least that).  The role reversal was a bit interesting.  The amount of moral ambiguity and justification is ridiculous.  Literally everyone gets away with murder.  Is anyone actually punished in this show?  Not that we see.  Revenge is taken, people are killed, that's about all the justice that is served and there is no justice there.  I loved that the girl went bad guy and killed everyone (except the evil brother's death was lame).  It was so ridiculous how literally everyone died halfway through the show.  But then redeeming her?  No.  Forgiving her?  No.  Him going back to her?  No, no, no, no.  What lame sauce crap was that?  All I wanted was for her to die and him to move on and get together with Stephanie Lee like a year later.  Instead we got two episodes of boring and a lame-a ending.  What utter nonsense.  Boo!

Kpop for the Frustrated

Frustration happens to us all off and on.  Right now I am frustrated with life, meaning work and other businessy obligations that make me fall into a busy rut where I feel like a robot with no control.

When times like these come, I have to listen to a certain kind of music to get those pent up emotions out.  And yes, that means another Kpop playlist.

2015: The Year of Sexy Necks

Every year I make a calendar for myself, so I get exactly what I want and that sense of accomplishment.  I usually have a different theme each year (such as smiles or flower boys), and this year I decided to use my list of the Top 10 Sexy Necks as the general theme of 2015's calendar.

There was so much I could have put in here, and so many ways to do this, but I finally decided to count down to the number 1 on this list, and use the two remaining months for the other honorable mentions and general hot guys that I like and wanted to use.

Another List of Men Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Flower Boy Edition

This might be the last of this series... I can't think of any more editions, but the Flower Boy edition probably has the strongest motivation of all.  I used to have a huge weakness for flower boys... I still do, but not as much as I used to, and that lead me to watching some horrible, horrible shows, because sometimes even the flower boys can't make up for the silliness... (cough, Nail Shop Paris, cough cough).  Oh these Flower Boys...

I think that there might be more ridiculous shows with flower boys in them than any other handsome type man shows.  There is like a trend for dumb flower boys dramas that have super hot flower boys but no actual plot, or if there is a plot then it's ridiculously overly dramatic and over-the-top.  I mean, Boys Over Flowers is the king of flower boy dramas, so that should tell you something... but then again, all of the actual "flower boy" series are pretty good.  Such as Flower Boy Ramen Shop and Flower Boy Next Door...

118. Tomorrow's Cantabile 내일도 칸타빌레 (2014) Korean

Joo Won, Shim Eun Kyung, Go Kyung Po, Park Bo Gum, Bae Min Jung

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: B

This was actually a very well done drama, but I always got so angry at it that I'd have to force myself to watch it every week, until I realized that I was relating too much to Joo Won's character Cha Yoo Jin.  It was like seeing myself (in a highly dramatized and exaggerated form) back in high school or early college years.  I would just get so pissed at everyone who messed with him that it was hard to watch.  I found myself getting so freaking annoyed at that adorable other guy that I couldn't stand him.  I wanted to like him as a person, but he kept just making me angry.  Sigh.  That's what I get for going through a grumpy cat type phase just like Yoo Jin, with the whole not expressing feelings, not liking skinship, thinking everyone is an idiot, not wanting to get close to people... I never had a traumatic past or a bad relationship with my father though (my dad is pretty cool).  Anyways, once I figured out that I was able to appreciate it to the fullest.  There are so many good characters, and everyone acted all the parts so well.  With Nae Il's character being so quirky and childlike, there was a big danger of her being annoying, but Shim Eun Kyung did a great job of keeping her cute, funny, and realistic.  Also I might be in love with Go Kyung Po even more now.  That guy is adorable and has a great neck.  Worst part about this show was actually all those flippin' turtlenecks that Joo Won kept wearing.  WHY!!!!!!  Other than that there were a lot of cute clothings.  And huge props to their classical music soundtrack.  They very cleverly used a lot of really good pieces that enhanced the show.  That might have been the very best part of the show.  So much good music.  If you know and love classical music this show will be a lot better and more meaningful.  If you don't, then it will just be average I guess.

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.

54. Good Doctor 굿 닥터 (2013) Korean

Moon Chae Won, Joo Won, Joo Sang Wook, Kim Min Seo, Cheon Ho Jin

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A

I know a lot of people had a hard time finishing this one.  Some because it was too intense because it was about an autistic pediatric surgeon who is being used for hospital politics crap, some because having an autistic man, who acts more like an eight year old sometimes, as the romantic lead was too much for them.  I know that for me watching kids who were sick, dying, or needing surgery was hard.  But it got much better once you get passed episode 6.  Medical dramas are not my favorite, but this one wasn't too bad.  I thought Joo Won did an amazing job of acting autistic, and personally I liked the Joo Won/Moon Chae Won couple.  They were both so awkward in different ways.  Once again, Moon Chae Won is great.  She was so crude and awkward in this one, such a different character from The Princess's Man.  Yep, one of my faves.  I did like how there were really no love triangles, they toyed with the idea, but nothing annoying or anything.

41. Level 7 Civil Servant 7급 공무원 (2013) Korean

Joo Won, Choi Gang Hee, Chansung, Ahn Nae Sang, Kim Min Seo

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A

Super cheesy, but hey, it had Joo Won in it.  Also it has an interesting spy premise.  It is actually based off of a 2009 movie with Kang Ji Hwan and Kim Ha Neul in it, which is way better.  It's hilarious, in fact.  But this show was ok.  Not the best, but not too bad.  The most annoying part was the trust issues that came with a spy couple.  Also the other guy, Chansung, was super annoying until he stopped being the other guy.  He's super hot, and now he's my 2pm bias.  Actually, I might have liked the older actors in this one better, because the characters of the young-uns are a bit annoying.  Also Choi Gang Hee looks old enough to be Joo Won's mom sometimes.  Aunt at least.  Not really, but she definitely looks older than him.  But he's got a young face.

39. King of Baking, Kim Tak Gu 제빵왕 김탁구 (2010) Korean

Yoon Si Yoon, Joo Won, Eugene, Lee Young Ah

Drama Rating: 4/10     Neck Score: B-

This is one of those dreaded family dramas that are usually 50 episodes long.  This one is only 30, but I am still not ashamed to say that I watched most of it on fast speed.  As in, I only watched the parts that had the young peeps in it, and none of the parent crap.  Clearly, I watched this because of my new found love for Yoon Si Yoon, but he doesn't even appear in it until episode 6 because it starts out as kids.  This is a birth secrets drama.  No!!!!!  But it's ok as long as you fast forward the family drama part and keep to the kids drama.  I speed watched the first few episodes to get the jist of it and then skipped all the parent parts during the show.  It was tolerable then.  Super makjang though (cliched overly dramatic) also... does the other guy get the main girl?  Cause that's what it looks like.  It's ok.  Everyone loved Yoonie and Young Ah together anyways.  They're the REAL OTP (one true pairing).  Yoon Si Yoon is a pretty crier though.  Also, despite his bad attitude, I ended up really loving Joo Won, who is an amazing actor too.  Also, upon rewatching some of it, I realized that Yoonie had the worst fat face/neck in this.  It was horrible when paired with his nasty mullet-like hair.  I had to bump this don't to a B- since Joo Won's neck is still good.  If you want to see Yoon Si Yoon's hot neck, this is not the drama for that.