427. My Unfamiliar Family (아는 건 별로 없지만) 가족입니다 (2020) Korean

Jung Jin Young, Won Mi Kyung, Choo Ja Hyun, Han Ye Ri, Shin Jae Ha, Kim Ji Suk

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

This drama felt like one of those 50 episode weekend family dramas that are full to the max with drama and follow multiple different story lines and couples. It had all that, except it was only 16 episodes long. Which was awesome, actually, since that meant that it stuck to only the important drama and left out the filler drama. It still focused on the whole family and their different problems, as well as their problems together. The whole premise is that even though they are family, they don't know everything about each other. In fact, they are the poster family for miscommunication and even no communication. The whole show is a lesson on how not communicating with your family and loved ones will lead to miscommunication, with is a poison that can ruin even the closest families. The beautiful thing is that it also shows the power of communication and how that builds relationships, and even creates families.

285. 20th Century Boy and Girl 20세기 소년소녀 (2017) Korean

Kim Ji Suk, Han Ye Seul, Lee Sang Woo, Ryoo Hyoun Kyoung, Lee Sang Hee, An Se Ha, Oh Sang Jin

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A+++

How is Kim Ji Suk so perfect?  I was like crying at the end of every episode because it wasn't fair that he was so cute and sweet and sexy and perfect, and I really just couldn't handle it and he needs to be a male lead from now on!  You probably know by now that Kim Ji Suk is one of my favorite actors of all time.  I've taken to calling him "My Husband."  But he was not the only reason that this show was so wonderful.  Basically it was because of everyone.  There were very few people we didn't like.  In fact, they were all bit parts like: the creepy taxi driver, the evil Deasi Patch reporter, that mean rival actress from the beginning, and Young Shim's dad.  Everyone else was awesome.  I would literally marry any other of the male characters, including Jin Jin's CEO.  He was a nice guy, and I loved it!

I loved all three of our couples!  I might have gotten the most excited about Ah Reum and Jung Woo Sung, because they were so cute and funny!  Also, they were so different and really good at working through those differences.  Like a perfect case of opposites attracting and working out just fine.  I loved the cute lawyer sunbae with cute/weird drinking habits!  So cute!  Cutest drunk ever!  And naturally I loved everything about Ji Won and Jin Jin, even if they took forever to get together when compared with the electrifying and enormous amounts of chemistry they had.  It's surprising no fires started with all those sparkly eyes they made at each other!  The whole time the love triangle was happening, I would be like: Anthony, you're great, but you're not the guy.  But I was hoping something good would happen to him still.  In fact, his story might have been one of my favorites, because of a good cameo!

206. Another Oh Hae Young 또! 오해영 (2016) Korean

Eric Mun, Seo Hyun Ji, Jeon Hye Bin, Ye Ji Won, Kim Ji Suk

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: B-

I didn't expect to enjoy this so completely.  I've always called Eric "Trunk Neck" and refused to give him a chance.  And then when it was going to be Trunk Neck vs Trunk Neck...  I only started this because Seo Hyun Ji and Kim Ji Suk.  Then Eric was so adorable that I ended up falling for him anyway.  His neck is only thick anyway.  But really, Seo Hyun Ji is amazing.  She was so human and relatable.  I loved her so much and all of her craziness.  Her whole family really, they were all so perfect, from the way they fought, to the way they helped each other and cried with each other.  I naturally loved Kim Ji Suk as Jun Sang and his awkwardly perfect relationship with both Do Kyung (Eric) and Noona (Ye Ji Won) who is literally my hero.  "Rooftop party!"  The ducklings = perfect.  I liked how the plot was all about fate and the choices people make.  Do Kyung sees flashes of the future, which leads him to becoming involved with Oh Hae Young in the first place.  I really liked how everything played out.  The pace of the show was consistent, and it never got yucky and mopey, which is saying something right there.  Yes there were times when I got mad at characters, but only in the natural way, and not ever overly stupidly.  Even when they threw that twist in at the end I wasn't worried, because this show had such a good track record.  It was definitely a show that made me look forward to the start of the week.

Drama of the Tropes: My Mii Reenactments of Kdrama Stereotypes

Recently, my friends got me addicted to Miitomo.  It's a hilarious social media type app where your Mii avatars can make friends with your real life friend's Mii avatars, ask each other questions, change clothes, play games to win more clothes, and then you can take pictures of your Mii.  Yeah, you can take pictures of your Mii doing all sorts of things.

Couples Outfits

It started with me making a Mii boyfriend, Kwang Soo, to be in my pictures with me, and then I started recreating famous drama stereotypes with my Mii.

194. I Need Romance 2012 로맨스가 필요해 2012 (2012) Korean

Jung Yu Mi, Lee Jin Wook, Kim Ji Suk, Kim Ji Woo, Kang Ye Sol

Drama Rating: 4/10     Neck Score: A

Also known as I Need Nasty 2, this one was every bit as bad as the first one, except I actually liked both male actors okay, because neither one was Yul (Yuuuuuuuuuuuuul! <hiss hiss>).  The problem was that it was just as frustratingly as predictable.  Basically it's a show full of idiots and sexy time.  The end.  At least in this one her dumbo boyfriend didn't ever cheat on her but instead just lied to everyone, including himself, for the entire show, unless it was too late and then he tried and failed, and then there was a magic year gap that somehow made everything better.  Yeah right.  The main girl once again comes full circle and ends up right where she started, we hope this time wiser maybe.  But we're not holding our breath for fear of passing out.

Here is the list of the couples in the order I cared about them:

1. Awkward Couple- Woo Ji Hee (Kang Ye Sol) and Kim Tae Woo (Heo Tae Hee).  I wish this couple had gotten more screen time.  They were awkward and adorable.  But they almost magically got together because that's how little time we actually saw them.  Sad.

2. Married Girl and Stupid Oppa- Sun Jae Kyung (Kim Ji Woo) and Han Jung Min (In Gyo Jin).  This couple was so fussy and sensitive.  But at least we saw them trying to work things out. They were more frustrating but at least I had hope for a reasonable reconciliation.  PS, the only reason he is known as Stupid Oppa is because of Birth of a Beauty.

3. Kim Ji Suk and the Ginkgo Tree- yes, this relationship counts for more than most.  As a kid, his character took care of a ginkgo tree because he was lonely.  He watered it everyday too.  Cute.  Then he gets a baby gingko tree that is supposed to represent his relationship with the main girl, but I cared more about him longingly looking at it every time they were broken up or had a fight than the fact that they were broken up or had a fight.

4. The Main Love Triangle Crap- Tsunami (Jung Yu Mi), Dumbo (Lee Jin Wook), and Mr. Perfect (Kim Ji Suk).  We've got a messy, messy love triangle that is full of lies and too much past.  Just too messy to actually care about.  Tsunami Yeol Mae (Jung Yu Mi) is smothering and selfish, but I loved how she was honest and tried. But Dumbo- aka Seok Hyun (Lee Jin Wook) on the other hand is cryptic, slithery-outy, and lies to everyone including himself.  There are obviously reasons he keeps lying to keep them from being together, but we honestly just don't care.  Then there is Shin Ji Hoon (Kim Ji Suk) who is like the perfect nice guy, if not a bit too aegyo.  Nice guys don't win in this shows (not yet) and so while we love how cute he is, we know he doesn't really have a chance.  Especially when the break up is based on frustrating lies and he is literally too nice for her.

So the show had lots of sexy time, even more frustrating lying and fighting, etc., and the longest, boringest drawn out ending ever.  Well... what did I expect?  It was I Need Nasty 2.  Blech... but also yes, cuz hot men and relatably flawed bitca women.  This one is a step up from the first, but not as good as the 3rd, from what I hear.

Aladdin and the Three Amigos: Chuno is Full of Nicknames

We are the three aAAAAAAAAmigos!  And amigos forever we'll be.... EEEEEEEEEEE!

That was literally the first thing that popped into all of our heads as we started the first episode of Chuno.  And with these three amigos being shirtless hotties, we were excited to watch... at first.  Oh Chuno, so good, yet so draggy.  Once I hit episode 11, it was awesome, but getting to that point was frustrating.  It was frustrating after that too.  But the thing that was consistently good, despite the near misses and frustrating no talk just fight and die mentality, was how good the characters were.  We had names for all of them, like usual.  And even the ones I hated most of the time made me cry by the end.  Nice development.

172. Sassy, Go Go 발칙하게 고고 (2015) Korean

Jung Eun Ji, Lee Won Keun, Cha Hak Yeon, Ji Soo, Cha Hak Yeon (N), Kim Ji Suk

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A++

I don't normally like high school dramas.  I think cheer leading is stupid.  I liked this drama.  Why?  Because it wasn't really about cheer leading and it wasn't the typical angsty high school drama.  It was about being friends, working together, and for realsies high school issues.  Yes, it was still ridiculous and over the top a lot, but it managed to stay cute and fun thr whole way through.  This was probably because the bulk of the cast was dynamite.  I mean, Sissy Cute Neck (Lee Won Keun) was adorable.  We've appreciated him since his Phantom days, and he was literally the only good thing about Hyde Jekyll Me, so it was good to see him finally rocking a lead.  Eun Ji was just great.  A lead girl we could actually get behind, even when she was being way too nice.  Ji Soo, oh my freak.  He can even make bad writing and cheese crap good.  That boy is amazing.  I loved the bromance between Ji Soo and Sissy Cute Neck.  Best bromance ever, which lead to the best resolution of a love triangle ever.  I also really loved the childhood besties that were Eun Ji and N.  Even though N is not amazing yet, he wasn't the worst idol newly turned actor ever, and it worked for his character.  I heart Kim Ji Suk.  Can I just marry him now?  The teachers in high school dramas really get shafted a lot, but he really made his role awesome, but then I am also highly biased.  The worst part of this show was the ridiculous ways they neatly wrapped everything up in the end.  I like that they tied up all the loose ends and hinted at all the ships that we had (like the teachers), but it was admittedly cheesy.  So it was a good drama, but not like amazing.  I think the Ji Soo shippers might have had a harder time with it than I did.  I consistently liked it (except when they were smacking on my Kim Ji Suk, then I was angry).

A Day in the Life of K-Drama Besties

Sometimes, it's the best thing in the world to have a best friend who is also a K-Drama addict.  K-Dramas are just part of our everyday life, and they work their way into our everyday conversation.  Such as when we are trying to figure out how to make our phones cooler (because of course we have couple phones).

Or when we are insulting each other in other languages, but using hangul to spell it out.  (시누 내구 or Shinu naegu = sinu nägu, which is "your face" in Estonian.  Which then lead to German and English "your faces," etc.)  Basically, we're just crazy and we love it.

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.

Angel Eyes and Heavenly Bodies

This show was designed to make us cry.  I didn't use to be a crier, but Bollywood and old age has changed that.  Now shows like Angel Eyes are sending me off every episode.  Seriously, stop messing with the moms.  They aren't allowed to die and stuff, man!  If there ever was a plot so highly based on the bad fate between a group of people, then this is it.  It was handled as well as a fateful plot can be, but the drama was very extreme.

However, at least this gave us other things as well.  Lots of mens with heavenly, heavenly bodies.

Kim Ji Suk.  Rawr.

143. Unkind Women 착하지 않은 여자들 (2015) Korean

Kim Hye Ja, Chae Shi Ra, Do Ji Won, Lee Ha Na, Lee Soon Jae, Song Jae Rim, Kim Ji Suk

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

What I liked about this show was that it was about the women, and they were real women who were not afraid to get out there and be mean, and hurt each other, and then make themselves better because they realized that blaming other people just makes things worse and you don't progress, etc.  There were some infuriating parts, and some unrealistic parts, but on the whole I really liked how there was character progression, for pretty much everyone.  I was surprised that one of my least favorite parts was Song Jae Rim's character.  I liked him at first, because he's sexy, but then I realized that his character was a bit annoying and immature and I really hated how they drew out that tension with his romance.  But it's probably more because as sexy as Song Jae Rim is, I am absolutely in love with Kim Ji Suk.  Someday he will get the girl.  Goodness knows his character deserves it 9 times out of 10.  But I really loved how it was about a bunch of women who sunk pretty low on the crappy life scale, for lots of different reasons, and then they all pulled themselves up through their own efforts, and not because some man saved them.  The men were all very secondary in this, and that was perfect.  They were also all pretty sweet (even when they were immature and annoying).  It was a show about women, and it was the women who did everything.  I loved that.  I do have to say though, that the older sister's romance was adorable, and ahjussi was the sweetest man ever and I want a man just like him.  But he didn't solve her problems for her.  He let her be strong, and they worked as a team.  It was great.  And the friendship between the grandma and her "rival" was the cutest thing ever.  It's a great drama, especially if you have a mean sense of humor (which I do) and you think that snarky smack talk is funny (which I do) and you like a lot of character development, which is the best.  Nothing is worse than a static character... especially when it's a lead (and it's typically the female lead- boo sexist writing!) so yay for good character arcs!

90. Angel Eyes 엔젤 아이즈 (2014) Korean

Ku Hye Sun, Lee Sang Yoon, Kim Ji Suk, Seungri

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

A drama designed just to make you cry.  The fate between this group of people in this town is crazy.  That aside, I think the drama itself was well written and that the people themselves at least acted like most people would... except Soo Wan (Ku Hye Sun).  She went a little annoying and cray cray.  I loved the mens in the show.  Lee Sang Yoon and Kim Ji Suk are both hot men.  I wished their bromance hadn't been tainted by the woman... and that fate thing.  They could have been better closer friends (as seen from that what could have been episode part).  Sad day.  The sound track gets an A+ as does the amount of brooding shower scenes.  Also, Seungri steals the show as soon as the drama gets intense... well, he steals the show from the start.  He is so adorable, in face and character.

33. Cheongdamdong Alice 청담동 앨리스 (2012-2013) Korean

Park Si Hoo, Moon Geun Young, So Yi Hyun, Kim Ji Suk

Drama Rating: 6/10      Neck Score: A

While this one has some really dumb drama in it, the main, very basic plot is super good.  I rewatched it and if it was always the main four peeps and the drama involving them, it would be ok, but then there is other peeps who are messed up into that, which make it more tricky and less nice.  Basically, we've got a poor girl from a poor family who works hard and is basically "Candy" (a manga character typifying the sweet hard working poor girl), until her boyfriend breaks up with her and suddenly has a ton of debt and a lawsuit.  She realizes that life sucks so matter how hard she works, and turns to her friend to teach her how to be a gold digger.  At the same time as this is happening a rich president of the fashion company shows up.  He is planning revenge on his father and the girl who left him when his father paid her off.  He also has some PTSD because of all the people in his life who left and betrayed him after he loved him (including his mom).  So there is a lot of crap in this drama, but a lot of hilarious parts.  You don't love the main girl, but you certainly sympathize with her as a more realistic character.  She isn't candy, she is a girl with a plan who wants to love, but also wants to be rich.  Then you have a way more likeable lead man, who has some serious mental issues that make it hard for him to accept reality over the dream he wants.  No one is perfect in the show and they all have to accept that life is crap.  But as a celebration of Park Si Hoo, how hot he his and how delightful his smile is, it's so worth it.  I have it constantly cued up on Netflix to the scene where he dances to Barbra Streisand.

4. Personal Taste 개인의 취향 (2010) Korean

Lee Min Ho, Son Ye Jin, Kim Ji Suk, Wang Ji Hye

Drama Rating: 5.5/10     Neck Score: B


Giving Lee Min Ho a chance without 25 episodes of drama, and I wasn't too disappointed, although this all seems laughable now.  I guess I went through that phase too.  This drama is decidedly better that BOF.  His hair was much hotter in this one.  What is also laughable is that I hated Kim Ji Suk and thought he was ugly at first.  I now am not impressed with Lee Min Ho (to the point of maybe disliking him a bit) and am absolutely love Kim Ji Suk.  He's one one the top Korean men that I would love to marry, along with Lee Kwang Soo.  I even went back and watched parts of this again and was baffled at my past self, because Kim Ji Suk is very hot in this one, even if he plays a d-bag.  Also, I love Son Ye Jin.  She should get the real props in this drama, as she plays awkward and with a not so good script really well.  I heart her.  So, as a drama based off of a misunderstanding that makes the dude have to pretend that he's gay, it's decent.  Lots of steamy scenes, and a bit more adult humor.  It had some interesting twists, and the other peeps seemed needlessly mean/evil at times.  Wang Ji Hye is amazing at being a bitca, especially in this one.  Also, love her hair.