Korean Movie Night: The Princess and the Matchmaker 궁합 (2018) Korean

Shim Eun Kyung, Lee Seung Gi, Kim Sang Kyung, Yeon Woo Jin, Kang Min Hyuk, Choi Woo Shik, Jo Bok Rae

Movie rating: 8/10     Neck score: A+

Lizabreff loves Seung Gi. Well, so do I. I also love Shim Eun Kyung and Choi Woo Shik. Really, the entire cast. So we were waiting for this one to become available so we could watch it. Then we waited to long to get it for free and had to rent it anyway, but whatever. It was worth it. Thanks, Google Play.

Anyway, this was a lot different then the previews led us to believe, and that is not a bad thing. It was just different. Maybe it is because we're so used to mischievous butt headed Seung Gi that we all love (think Son Oh Gong from Hwayugi, or his roles in Gumiho or King 2 Hearts). We were all assuming that he would be a mischievous matchmaker con-artist who was using the princess's marriage to make money or advance. We weren't expecting a straight-arrowed good boy Seung Gi who had a blind little Poo Butt to protect at home. It was interesting and nice.

Drama Picking Bias Syndrome

I've been called out on this before, and I probably won't stop doing it ever.  As much as I love Kpop, and I do at that, I have problems finding new bands or getting into their music, until I have a bias for that band.  I don't pick a bias until I have a reason to like them, and that reason usually comes from seeing them in a drama first.  I think it's possibly because I tend to just appreciate them as a collective until I know one of them enough to love him individually.

A prime example of this is my history of liking Super Junior.

Men That Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Smile Edition

Some actors just have that amazing power of making me watch a drama in spite of my better judgement.  I know the show will be crap/lame/bad/cray cray/super dramatic and so on, but I still watch them because of that one actor.

Sometimes it's to the extent that I've watched every show they've been in, and some of them were so bad (I'm talking to you, Yoon Si Yoon!)

Sometimes it's because of their smiles.  Those smiles that can make me watch even the dumbest of dramas.  Stop killing me with those smiles, you... super attractive and beautifully smiling men.

Sometimes watching that show ends up to be not that bad of a deal, but sometimes you finish and say to yourself "why the heck did I just watch that?" and then you see that man's smile again and you know why and feel no shame.  In fact, you hop online to look up another show he's been in, because you just can't get enough of that smile (or that neck and the rest of the face/body too).

Those are the some of the ones that I'm talking about here.  Bad or good, these dramas were watch purely for that man and his amazing smile.

60. The Heirs 왕관을 쓰려는 자, 그 무게를 견뎌라 – 상속자들 (2013) Korean

Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bim, Choi Jin Hyuk, Kang Min Hyuk, Kim Ji Won, Krystal Jung

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A

The most over hyped drama of all time.  Supposed to be the next Boys Over Flowers.  Well... I guess it was similar.  Only I thought it was a bit more tolerable, but maybe that was because of Kim Woo Bin.  Even when he was being a complete bully bad boy, with no seeming redeeming qualities, man I was so attracted to him.  Yes, this show has lots of eye candy, but it's also ridiculous and stupid, and overly dramatic.  Hated the main characters.  Loved the side characters.  Seriously, Lee Min Ho was a creeper stalker overbearing type.  Park Shin Hye was the same character she always plays.  Kim Woo Bin... hot, sexy, funny bad boy that I shouldn't like but did.  Choi Jin Hyuk, sexy but not in it enough to justify anything.  Kang Min Hyuk... the one who tipped the scale and made me actually give in and watch it... was adorable.  Like always he was the best.  He and Krystal are like the best high school couple ever.  They made the show (along with Woo Bin's sexiness).  So... Lee Min Ho... not passable as a high schooler and wore the worst sweaters ever.  Those turtlenecks made me want to scream and the pink fluffy thing.... no.  Also, his character was dumb.  No sympathy for him at all.  But I did also love the momance between the two moms.  Lee Min Ho's mistress mom and Park Shin Hye's dumb (as in can't speak) housekeeper mom.  They had such a great love/hate relationship.  It could have been worse, but it dragged on and was boring and I already knew that she wouldn't end up with Kim Woo Bin like I really didn't want her to because I wanted him for myself.  It's tolerable, and having watched it has made it possible to make fun of it and get all the references to it in later dramas (like the one in Love From Another Star that had me waking my roomies up because of my laughter).  Don't regret it, but didn't love it.

57. Heartstrings 넌 내게 반했어 (2011) Korean

Park Shin Hye, Jung Yong Hwa, Song Chang Eui, So Yi Hyun, Kang Min Hyuk, Woori

Drama Rating: 3.5/10     Neck Score: A

This one actually ruined Jung Yong Hwa for me.  I liked him in You Are Beautiful, but this one was so lame.  Boo.  What happened to that chemistry?  How come now that you are actually opposite to Park Shin Hye there is suddenly no chemistry?  It was written very badly.  He obsessed for the teacher for so long and then all the sudden he was over it and chasing the girl.  Nope, that doesn't happen.  Also her character was so awkward and his was so buttheaded that there was no chance for any chemistry to be shown.  The plot was dumb, like most plots centered around a musical are, and really not compelling.  But there were some good points.  CNBLUE basically doing the OST for it (also an OST by Lee Hong Ki- yes!) and Kang Min Hyuk.  He was soooooo adorable in this.  Playing the drummer in Yong Hwa's band (when he is the actual drummer in CNBLUE).  He was the only thing that kept me going in this because Park Shin Hye's acting is awkward in this... too awkward- was it the director? writing? and is a weak singer at best, and Yong Hwa's character was written so badly.  Basically this one was dumb, but Min Hyuk was cute.  Then, because he wormed his way into my heart, I had to go and watch The Heirs later.... Kang Min Hyuk!!!!!!! What did you do to me!?!?!?!?!