Women Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Ahjumma Edition

So, it was recently international women's day, and I was busy all day. Oh well. But I thought that I could at least celebrate it late with the next installment of Women Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will, and no better edition than the one dedicated to the ahjumma.

Whether they play the moms (evil or good), the aunties, the neighborhood ahjumma, or the bad-a mentors, these ahjumma are like the backbone of the drama world. A show is always going to be better with a well placed ahjumma. I realized going into this that it is an infinite list, because there are so many wonderful ahjumma in the world. So I had to try really hard to narrow it down and put my personal top favorites. The cream of the crop in my opinion.

292. Money Flower 돈꽃 (2017) Korean

Jang Hyuk, Park Se Young, Jang Seung Jo, Lee Mi Sook, Lee Soon Jae

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A+

I don't know if I've ever seen a more perfect revenge drama, or a more perfect makjang drama. This was thoroughly enjoyable all around. But then when you have someone like Jang Hyuk to pull off the subtle expression acting as he portrayed the icon of restraint and cold calculation, Kang Pil Joo, even the most ridiculous of makjang becomes wonderful. It really brings new life to that revenge being served cold business. He was the freaking puppet master king! No one suspected him, no one could stop him, he was just smarter and better than everyone, and it was so fun to watch. So many secret plots, so much manipulation, and so many secret DNA tests! Haha!

222. Jealousy Incarnate 질투의 화신 (2016) Korean

Gong Hyo Jin, Jo Jung Suk, Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Mi Sook, Park Ji Young, Lee Sung Jae, Seo Ji Hye

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A+

What beautifully flawed people.  What horrible imperfections.  What lovable love triangles.  What perfectly wonderful acting.  I loved this show so much.  Never have I loved so many characters!  Everyone was just real and harsh and lovable.  Of course Jo Jung Suk was just perfect.  He nailed it.  He made us feel so many conflicting emotions and to be on his side no matter what, even when he was being a complete idiot, which he was often, that was the beauty of the show.  So many complex feelings and emotions, so perfectly portrayed.  It was beautiful.  My other favorites were the ahjumma frenemies love triangle, because it wasn't even a love triangle as much as a womance.  Going to be honest, we probably liked them the most because we saw ourselves in them.  I love Reporter Kye, because I related to her, I want to be her when I grow up.  Lizabreff connected to Chief Bang.  We just like to relate to the womances, apparently.  Also, Na Pyo Ri's little brother = yes.  Gong Hyo Jin was great as always.  I loved how much her character grew.  She started off being that same awkward character she always is, and then ended up being a strong woman.  I super loved their relationship and how they ended up as equals after starting off as a pushover girl and full of himself guy.  Also, the bromance.  Go Kyung Pyo and Jo Jung Suk's bromance was perfect, even in their merciless fighting over her.  The mudflat scene.  Need I say more?  It's pretty hilarious because I had to talk my sister through this show because there was so many raw feels and people being selfish jerks, which she hated but I loved, while she had to talk me through Scarlet Heart Ryeo because I thought it was stupid.  I guess to each their own.  This show was one of the best I've seen in a while.  It was 24 episodes and I didn't care.  It could have been longer and I would have been fine, so long as they kept the writing just as tight and consistent.  It was just delightful.

44. You're the Best! Lee Soon Shin 최고다 이순신왓츠 업 (2013) Korean

IU, Jo Jung Suk, Ko Do Shim, Lee Mi Sook

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A

I started this because of Jo Jung Suk, and then I realized that it was 50 episodes long.  50!!!!!  At the time I didn't know those existed.  I had never watched the dreaded weekend family drama.  But once I started it, I had to finish it.  I did, somehow.  It was so long... and less about IU and Jo Jung Suk  and way more about the moms.  There were at least four of them and they were all annoying.  ALL OF THEM!  It was mom drama and birth secrets.  The grandma was even worse than the moms.  She kept pounding herself and asking why she was still living.  So annoying.  To give you an idea about how long it was, the premise I read said her dad died in it and there was hard times for the family.  The dad didn't die for like 10 episodes.  What?  There were some redeeming qualities.  Jo Jung Suk is adorable in it.  Awkward, sweet, trying to act cool all the time.  It was great.  Weird to see him in the jerk role at first (you know the typical rich leading man role) but once you found out that he was awkward trying to act cool, you just loved him.  IU did a great job.  She's really cute.  She handled all the crying and yelling well.  Then, I have to love this because it introduced me to the glory of Jung Woo.  Ahhhhhhh!  I fell in love with Jung Woo.  He is tall, hot, manly, and just made me love him.  Out of all the romances of the three sisters in Lee Soon Shin's family, the oldest sister and Jung Woo's baker ex-convict man was the best (or should we call it the oldest sister's daughter and the Jung Woo man, since their friendship had much more time to it than the romance).  Then maybe it was Soon Shin and Mr. Shin (IU and Jo Jung Suk) and then the middle sister and her husband.  They were mostly just annoying.  So, even with the mom drama it was tolerable.  There was a lot of time for character development, and that's good.  But don't make the mistake of thinking it's about the kids.  It's not.  It's totes about the moms.  Mom drama.

30. Can We Get Married? 우리가 결혼할 수 있을까 (2013) Korean

Sung Joon, Jung So Min, Lee Mi Sook, Kim Young Kwang, Han Groo

Drama Rating: 5/10      Neck Score: A-

I watched this for Sung Joon, the little bro from Lie to Me, and came out thoroughly impressed by Lee Mi Sook, who was the mom in Love Rain.  Such completely different characters and both played so well (she does this every time as I saw when I watched Lee Soon Shin).  This had enough plot and characters/couples to justify it being a 50 episode family drama, but thankfully it was not.  It's about a single mom with two daughters and a single younger sister who is trying to keep them all happy.  She's tacky, assertive, loud and fast talking, and I love her.  Especially when she talks to the stuffed animals that her daughter's ex-boyfriend gives her vs the one her perspective son-in-law gives her- beating up one and loving the other.  There is a lot of mom drama, which is a bit annoying, but also a lot of different love stories.  The aunt falling in love with motorcycles (and maybe a biker), the older sister leaving her douchey husband, the younger sister working out the kinks so she can get married, the best friend having constant fights with her boyfriend and maybe getting a crush on her friend's fiance.  Yeah, lots of drama.  I still didn't like Jung So Min.  Didn't like her in playful kiss, still not my favorite in this.  But with Sung Joon and Kim Young Kwang there are plenty of necks to love.