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.

288. Hwayugi 화유기 (2018) Korean

Lee Seung Gi, Cha Seung Won, Oh Yeon Seo, Lee Hong Ki

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A+

Why does it have to be a thing when the Hong Sisters have a really great, funny drama that you're all invested in and then when it comes to the climax it's underwhelming and then takes a nosedive to mediocre in the last few episodes? Why does that have to be a consistent thing?! It's like they paint themselves into a corner they can't get out of without a bunch of crap happening. I hated the last few episodes of Master's Sun and Big. I think I may have even mentioned this in the review for The Greatest Love (which is one of the few that doesn't fall into that trap). Hwayugi is no exception. By the last episode we were not having it, it was boring and unnecessary, and we only made it through it through cracking jokes about how boring and lame it was. No one wants a series worth of mopiness shoved into the last episode. What makes it worse is that it was so good up until the last bit, where it fell flat on its face. So good that I probably would have given it an 8, but the ending knocked it down a whole point, and I had to think hard on the rest of the show to give it a 7. It almost went as low as a 6, that is how lame the ending was.

K-Drama Cameos FTW!

I recently started watching Squad 38, and to my delight, Kim Sung Oh made a cameo appearance in episode 2.  This got me thinking of how much I love cameos.  This stems all the way back to when I was a kid and watching the Muppet Movie and the Great Muppet Caper, etc, which are full of wonderful cameos.  This probably makes me appreciate all the lovely cameos in K-dramas as well.

So I made a list of all the cameos that I especially loved, and some that even made me watch the drama just so I could see the cameo, which is pretty much the most ridiculous thing ever.

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.

97. You're All Surrounded 너희들은 포위됐다 (2014) Korean

Lee Seung Gi, Cha Seung Won, Go Ara

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

I loved this drama.  It was a bit hard to get into at first, maybe because it was slated as a comedy and it totally is not.  No comedy starts off with it's first two episodes being that sad and traumatic for the lead.  That is the realm of melodrama.  This is a cop drama no matter what anyone says.  It is funny in parts, but it is a cop action drama.  Well, expecting comedy might have made it a bit harder to get into at first, but after the 4th episode that no longer mattered.  It picked up after that and made this the drama I was watch that I looked forward to the most at the time.  The part I loved the most about it was the ensemble.  It wasn't just Cha Seung Won and Lee Seung Gi that you loved, it was everyone on their violent crimes police team.  Love, love, love.  So many good relationships, and not just the two main couples.  The bromance between Gook and Tae Il was maybe my favorite relationship of all.  Or maybe the non-admitted bromance between Cha Seung Won and Lee Seung Gi.  The mystery did a good job of building, but we often knew what was going on before the characters, which can be a bit annoying sometimes.  Also the bad peeps were over the top bad.  They need to be kicked in the face.  The last episode got a little bit over the top, but I just laughed and went with it and it was fine.  Seriously good show.  Love it.

67. Gu Family Book 구가의 서 (2013) Korean

Lee Seung Gi, Suzy, Choi Jin Hyuk, Yoo Yeon Seok, Sung Joon

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

Not the best drama Seung Gi's ever done, but I liked it more than most people I talked to.  I know a lot of people were bothered by the ending, but I was fine with it.  Also it's pretty cheesy in spots, but oh well.  I also liked Seung Gi's high little pony tail, while others I spoke to did not... it's ok.  There is still Choi Jin Hyuk.  He is so hot in this.  This is probably my favorite role he has ever played.  When he was being the good little gumiho, he was adorable.  When he was being the bad 1000 year demon, he was so very sexy.  All he had to do was stand there and he was so sexy.  Rawr.  Also Sung Joon made the best derpy faces.  He was hilarious.  The bad guy was so very nasty that you hated him so much, but you are supposed to.  He's nasty.  Suzy was really good in it.  She made me completely forget how annoying she was in Big and think she is awesome, which she is.  Basically this is a silly but still great fusion/fantasy sageuk.  As fantasy sageuks go, Arang and the Magistrate is way better, but this one is still very enjoyable to watch, and has plenty of eye candy as well.  After all, Choi Jin Hyuk just stands there looking very sexy a lot.  Totally stole the show, really.

42. Shining Inheritance 찬란한 유산 (2009) Korean

Lee Seung Gi, Han Hyo Joo, Bae Soo Bin, Moon Chae Won

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: B

Note:  Please watch City Hunter first so you can like his mom.  She is cray cray evil in this one and it will sour you for a while.  Also, this show has crying in it like every episode, as my friend pointed out while I was watching it.  "Is she crying again?"  Well, yeah.  Wouldn't you when your step-mom is like the devil, your autistic little brother is lost and you have to work with a hot butt head?  I guess it's justifiable crying, but it's still a lot of crying.  But boy does Seung Gi manage to steal the show.  He does the butt head to sweetheart character development so good.  I actually thought the nice other dude was annoying and really just liked watching Seung Gi's character develop.  I thought granny was a little weird.  Ok, you can just do weird things with your inheritance to teach your family a lesson... I guess... you should have thought of teaching them better earlier, when they were still being raised and all.  Also, Moon Chae Won is annoying with her "Oppa.... whine whine whine" business all the time.  I love her as an actress, but her character sucked in this one.  She had a cray cray mom though, so I guess her being her own kind of cray cray makes sense.  Watch it for Seung Gi, if you can take a bit of crying and cray cray... and have already seen City Hunter.

12. King 2 Hearts 더킹 투하츠 (2012) Korean

Lee Seung Gi, Ha Ji Won, Jo Jung Suk, Yoon Je Moon

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A (B+)

The necks are good... but too many stiff collars so... yeah.  Well made, perfect blend of political drama, action, humor, plot twists, and creepiness.  Yoon Je Moon is so, so good at being creepy.  I almost couldn't watch some scenes.  Also, one of the best kisses ever.  We've got a North Korean soldier girl and a South Korean prince (if there were still princes in South Korea) who have to work together, first as team mates, then dating, then actually falling in love, then saving their two nations.  A lot happens, but this was so well done that even when you don't want to watch parts, and put off finishing because you know the inevitable will happen, it's still so good that you have to watch it.  Also, super nice OST.  Best acting job Seung Gi has done.  Ha Ji Won is good as always.  Fell in love with Jo Jung Suk.

1. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho 내 여자친구는 구미호 (2010) Korean

Lee Seung Gi, Shin Min Ah, No Min Woo

Drama rating: 8/10     Neck score: A+

My first drama, so of course it has a special place in my heart, but it's also a really good drama.  It's hilarious, as is typical for the Hong Sisters, I soon learned, and a good balance of drama and the other necessary evils.  Plus both the leads are super attractive, necks included.  It was a great place to start for me. I especially loved their relationship.  It started out as a butt headed boy conning/helping a mythological creature (a Gumiho- 9 Tailed Fox that eats men's livers to become human) in what seems to be a mutually helpful agreement, even though he's constantly scared she'll eat him and grows in the cutest way.  I love how obsessed with meat she is.  Shin Min Ah is amazing, just saying.  She plays the Gumiho so delightfully sincere.  Loved it.