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.

More Men Who Make Me Watch Drama Against My Will: Hot Bods Edition

Smiles aren't the only thing that make me watch dramas.  Sometimes I'm a lot more superficial and I watch a show just because I know that there will probably be a shirtless or brooding shower scene, and that actor has a hot body.  This just might be the most shallow post I ever will write, but you all know you've got your own list of hot bods.  Also, who wouldn't appreciate this list, because... yes.

Sometimes those shows are awesome, and it's not a problem at all that I started it out just for that one actor and how well he takes care of his body.  But sometimes, pleasure is mixed with regret as I wonder if that one shower scene was worth the 16+ episodes of crap.  That's a slippery slope, we won't go there, we'll just remember the minutes of shirtlessness, flexed arm muscles, and chocolate abs.

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.

95. Triangle 트라이앵글 (2014) Korean

Lee Beom Soo, Kim Jaejoong, Im Siwan

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

This drama was WAY better than I expected... but then I had pretty low expectations and literally watched it because of Kitty.  He was probably the most impressive thing about this.  His hotness (already off the charts) increased ten fold at least in this drama.  His acting was always pretty decent, but he's gotten so good.  His performance as Young Dal was amazing.  The drama is a bit on the long side (with 26 episodes) and so gets a bit draggy in the middle when you just want the pudding faced bad dude to get his comeuppances, and they keep throwing even more bad dudes into the mix.  More thugs that are good with knives, more ambitious directors finally making moves.   I also really loved Lee Beom Soo as the bad-a, anger management needing, police detective (some times called patch beard by me).  He really brought his character together.  I think one of the most redeeming qualities of this show is the character development.  Kitty starts out as a street thug that, while he is sympathetic and loveable, is still a jerk and pathetic piece of trash and by the end he is successful and happy and everything is good.  I really wanted them to give me a reason to like the turd faced little bro (Im Siwan).  That dude has some acting chops because I hated his character so thoroughly that I literally just called him Turd Face the whole time.  I wanted him to start to hate his pudding faced adopted dad and do something that would make me like him more, but his character was consistent too.  That's good character development.  Even when the characters grow and change they are still obviously the same character and that is good.  Well played if not well written.  So yeah, it did get a bit cray cray, but since it was a psychological action revenge thriller and people were constantly almost dying, it's an easy step to take.  At times I was right there with Kitty, wanting to beat the crap out of the bad guys too, but sadly I was held back too, not by my buddies but by the fact that it was just a show I was watching.  But while it went a little too long in drawing out the bad guys managing to stay on top so as to wrap everything up in the last to episodes, I still think that they managed to keep the drama pretty solid. Also all the girls in it were pretty solid, awesome girls who could pull their own weight.  Yes!

6. Protect the Boss 보스를 지켜라 (2011) Korean

Ji Sung, Choi Gang Hee, Kim Jaejoong

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

I actually tried to watch this one before You're Beautiful, however the first 5 minutes reminded me too much of Boys Over Flowers (the whole delinquent girl beating up all the boys and a guy with weird hair) that I couldn't bring myself to watch it.  Then I gave it another go after a while and it proved to be awesome.  The best part of this show is that it doesn't take itself seriously, and even makes fun of it's genre- business/chaebol drama.  Even the evil parents find themselves unable to be evil in the face of the all powerful grandma.  Also it's got two delightful men in it.  Ji Sung is a great actor and quite handsome, and Kitty (Kim Jaejoong) suddenly replaced everyone in my heart.  It didn't hurt that while I was watching this I also happened to stumble on JYJ/DBSK.  The bromance between this two cousins (Ji Sung and Jaejoong) is way better than any of the romance, which is way good.  Love the "girl" fights they have when they finally get down to it.