Men Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Ahjussi Edition

It's been a while and I've realized that I need revisit this topic of actors who I love so much I watch pretty much anything for them.  I realized that I need to pay homage to the Ahjussi in my life, because as I grow older, the oppas I like are pretty much all really ahjussi.  Am I really that close in age to 40?  Eek!

Yeah, that's the definition I'm going to use for Ahjussi- 40 and up.  Omo, do I love the ahjussi these days.  I find myself way more attracted to them, and able to connect to them, then say, those puppies in the high school dramas.  Yeah, when I do watch the high school dramas I am checking out the teacher actors, like in School 2013 or Sassy Go Go, who have some of the oppas (or donggaps) that I love.  So here is a list of "Ahjussi" actors (some of who are just barely 40) who I would watch anything for, or have watched complete nonsense for, or would just love to see in everything.  Can't they just be in everything so the quality of everything goes up?

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.

207. Mirror of the Witch 마녀보감 (2016) Korean

Yoon Si Yoon, Kim Sae Ron, Lee Sung Jae, Yum Jung Ah, Kwak Si Yang

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

Most of the time this show made me say: "What the heck?!" because it was seriously crazy.  The plot was so complex and it seemed like there were no rules.  People kept dying, but not really dying.  Dying multiple times.  I guess with black magic anything goes.  So it was super unpredictable, which was good and bad I guess.  But it was also super annoying how even when she didn't have her black magic powers, the villain was always one step in ahead of everyone.  She was so "clever" and evil that people would fall into her traps every time.  Even when it meant that they would be making the exact same mistake multiple times in a row.  The weakened the other character believablity and really just the quality of the show.  It got to the point that I didn't care who else died as long as that evil bitca died.  So, really it was just the actors who held it for me, because the plot was too predictable and ridiculously unpredictable and crazy at the same time for me to actually care about it fully.  But I did care about Yoon Si Yoon, especially since he looks very good in Joseon.  Also, I could watch that man cry all day.  He is the most beautifullest crier in the world.  He goes for it.  It's like he's ugly crying, but it somehow ends up beautiful instead.  Unfair!  I'm glad that the age difference didn't turn out creepy.  I was excited about Cordon (Kwak Si Yang) being in it... at first.  Then his character turned into a poobutt with an annoying facial expression that made me want to punch him in the face.  However, the only part of the ending that made me ball like a baby (I guess I love Lee Sung Jae more than I thought) was when the dad and the bitca finally died.  That smirk when he turned and looked at Cordon.  Yep, that's what done it.  I guess I cried at the rest too, but I predicted it.  My favorite was Jjang Jjang Monk (Lee Yi Kyung) and Min Do Hee.  Second couple ftw!!!

153. Warm and Cozy (aka Jeju Island Gatsby) 맨도롱 또똣 (2015) Korean

Yoo Yeon Seok, Kang So Ra, Lee Sung Jae, Kim Sung Oh

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A

I was super disappointed in this drama.  I have raved about the Hong Sisters' dramas in the past, but really they aren't perfect and this might have been one of their worst written dramas.  They are good at the campy humor (such as the imaginations, etc.), the bathroom humor, and side couples, but plots are not their strong point and this show's plot was all over the place and sucky.  The male lead was all over the place and sucky too.  He couldn't be nice, consistent, honest or make up his mind for more than two seconds.  We wanted to like him, but all he did was frustrate us.  Like always, however, the side couples and characters were so much better.  I loved the black pearl couple.  I also loved the mayor.  He might be the best second male lead ever.  Kim Sung Oh is just an amazing actor and brought so much cute sincerity to the role.  Kang So Ra completely rocked the lead as well.  She is just great and I loved her, even when she was dumb and frustrating.  Yoo Yeon Seok actually did a great job with the stupid character he was given.  I think it would have been worse if it had been someone else who couldn't have brought that childishness to the role that made it slightly more forgivable.  As for the ending, this tweet just says it all:

MarlubsGD ‏@MarlubsGD  Jul 2
And then it ended in a gag fest. What the he-ack, cheesiness. Gaaaaag. #WarmAndCozy

126. The King's Face 왕의 얼굴 (2014) Korean

Seo In Guk, Shin Sung Rok, Jo Yoon Hee, Lee Sung Jae, Kim Gyu Ri

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

This drama was half boring and half so infuriating that I was screaming at the screen.  It was only those two options, there was really nothing in between.  But it did have basically the entire cast of Gaksital in it.  Just switch out Joo Won and Park Ki Woong for Seo In Guk and Shin Sung Rok and it's pretty much the same cast.  This was basically a dramatized history, which is super fascinating and stuff, but long and boring.  There were too many year jumps that slowed things up too much every time things did get exciting.  That's the problem with dramatizing history, you have to stick to the facts (which of course you should, because it's wrong and bad if you don't) and that draws things out and makes things generally less exciting.  Then there are the evil peeps.  I hated Kim Do Chi, which is so weird to say because I love Shin Sung Rok, but he was so good at playing that turd faced evil fanatic dude that I would scream at him whenever he was on screen.  And seriously that ending scene was just ridiculous.  I don't know.  Anyways, Seo In Guk was amazing, but to sum this show up: Gwanghae is awesome, but went through so much crap that all we could do was scream in frustration multiple times every episode.  Also, comparing this to Jung Yi, which is also about Gwanghae, that prince sure has a lot of first loves who dress like boys.  Weird.