178. Six Flying Dragons 육룡이 나르샤 (2015) Korean

Yoo Ah In, Kim Myung Min, Shin Se Kyung, Byun Yo Han, Yoo Kyun Sang, Chun Ho Jin

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

Slow clap.  I loved it.  Seriously long, but never boring.  I actually had some trepidation about starting it because it was so long.  I saw who was in it and what it was about, and I got super excited.  Then I saw how long it was and I was like... ew.  Then I kept hearing such good things about it, that I decided to just watch it anyway.  It was amazing.  I started it with Curdy at first, which slowed me down considerably.  We were already way behind, but we ended up not being able to watch more than one episode at a time because it was too heavy for her.  Soon it was harder and harder to get her to make time for it.  When I saw how into Madame Antoine she was (much more of her type of show), and how she'd drop everything for that one, I knew I needed to press on alone.  Honestly there were times when I could only watch one episode as well, because it is pretty heavy, but it's totally worth it.  I was super sad when Gil Tae Mi (Park Hyuk Kwon) died.  He was my favorite, Gil Seon Mi (also Park Hyuk Kwon) just wasn't as cool.  But at least Gil Tae Mil had one heck of a death scene.  Another sign that this was amazing was that it made me do more research about this period than other sageuks have.  I had to look up everything that happened to see what was the fake and what was the real.  Everyone did amazingly.  Seriously.  I've seen most of these actors before, and have been impressed with them generally, but never so impressed with them as I have been in this one.  Round of applause for every one of these cast members.  I was especially proud of Shin Se Kyung because she was probably the one that's been hit or miss the most for me, but she did awesome.  I love her strong character.  Booyah.  Another thing I love about this is all the character developments.  No one was the same person at the end as they were at the beginning.  Some people changed more than others, but there was absolutely no stagnant characters.  Moo Hyeol (Yoo Kyun Sang) was one of the most startling of the changes, since it was so abrupt, but obviously Bang Won (Yoo Ah In) was the biggest.  But because everyone was constantly changing, I never could love or hate any person 100%.  They were all super dynamic, well-rounded characters.  I couldn't be on any side completely.  That went for the villains too.  I couldn't decide who was worse, because they all took turns being the worst and sympathetic.  Our heroes all took turns doing dumb things and being less sympathetic too.  When it came down to it, only the completely fiction people had less bad decisions, but that makes sense too.  They let everyone be real and conflicted, and messed up, and it was marvelous.  So worth the 50 episodes.  I couldn't give it any less, even if the very last episode was a bit draggy.  I mean, they had to resolve what they could so we didn't think too ill of anyone... only they could have, but it was still ok.  They tried to end on a hopeful note, I guess.  But still, slow clap for awesome.

Still More Men Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Sultry Voice Edition

Do I watch dramas just for the sultry voice of one of the male leads?  Why yes, yes I do.  Some men just have buttery, husky, velvety, and/or soothing voices that just make me what to listen to them while I watch whatever bad drama they are in.  Seriously, they need to stop seducing us (and by that I mean mostly me) with their sexy voices.  Dude.

Sometimes it's only their voice I find attractive *cough cough Lee Sun Gyun cough cough* but really isn't that enough.  I mean... that sexy voice.

112. King of Dramas 드라마의 제왕 (2012-2013) Korean

Kim Myung Min, Jung Ryeo Won, Choi Siwon, Oh Ji Eun

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

This show was so great up until the last two episodes, and then it was just eh.  Not as bad as some, but I just didn't really pay attention to the last two because I had been informed that they were pretty lame.  It's a drama about people making a drama, so it's very behind the scenes and very, very meta.  Seriously makes fun of the industry at all levels.  I am so glad that I waited to watch this until after I was well seasoned, because I am sure that it was much funnier to me because of that.  Best part- Siwon!!!!  Seriously.  Siwon is a bias crusher.  He played his part so well.  He's like the younger version Doko Jin (Cha Seung Won's character in Greatest Love) and I loved every moment that he was on screen.  So funny, so perfect, and when he got his hair cut, so drastically handsome too.  I also loved PD Joo.  We probably shouted "PD Joo!" every time that guy came on screen.  Loved him, he was so cute.  Didn't love the turtlenecks that he kept on wearing though.  I think pretty much all the good people were awesome and amazing.  Lee Go Eun was awesome.  She was one of the best female leads ever.  Especially once she could read Anthony Kim.  Perfect.  I will admit that this drama gave me some serious anxiety, because it was chiefly about a writer, and every time they pulled crap on her and messed with her writing I would get so angry.  Grr.  The villains of the piece were super hateful most of the time.  So glad we got past them.  So basically, it was an awesome show and then the last two episodes were like eh, way sloppier than the rest of the show.  Mostly the very last episode.  I don't think it needed to be extended at all, but whatever.  It was pretty cleverly written before that, and having watched the kind of crap that drama writers have to go through, I might be a little more merciful... for a while.