312. The Undateables 훈남정음 (2018) Korean

Namgoong Min, Hwang Jung Eum, Choi Tae Joon, Oh Yoon Ah, Jo Dal Hwan, Jung Moon Sung

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+++

And another one where I wasn't sure how I felt about it and it exceeded my expectations. But maybe in reverse? I was excited about it, but then I kept hearing other people not being into it, but my love for both Namgoong Min and Hwang Jung Eum made me start it anyway, and it was just what I needed. Curdy and I watched it together and loved pretty much every minute of it. There were a couple of spots where we were worried, but it was never bad and had lots of great moments, and lots of couples to love.

244. Chief Kim 김과장 (2017) Korean

Namgoong Min, Nam Sang Mi, Lee Joon Ho, Jung Hye Seong, Kim Won Hae

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

So funny!  This was a solid, hilarious drama!  One of the best comedies I have seen in a long time.  It didn't need a traditional love triangle/OTP thing, because it was perfect just as it was.  The bromances were the best.  The bromance was the OTP.  The hint of side romances were cute and a plus, but not necessary.  It was about two not so great guys, who are basically two sides of the same coin- as in brilliant but especially brilliant at annoying people, who are both disillusioned with society.  One becomes an accountant, because numbers don't lie like people, to con his way into enough money to go to Denmark.  The other is a prosecutor who decides to use his legal skills for evil in the corporate world.  Then they meet at the same company, and proceed to have a hate relationship, which is just hilarious to watch as it progresses (into a bromance, shhhhh).  All of the characters are great.  Well, some of the baddies are just annoying, but of the main characters, they are great.  Everyone on the accounting team, the prosecutor team, and so on is the best!  And there is so much character growth.  Obviously the too not so perfect, flawed leads had the most growth, all around and in their relationships, but even side characters like Mantis (my Mantis!) had lots of growth.  I ended up loving people I never thought I would have in the first few episodes.  I haven't belly laughed so hard in quite a while.  It was beautiful.  Namgoong Min was made for comedy, and this role was made for him.  Chief Kim was so over the top wonderful!  Junho did such a good job of being lovable and hateful.  I loved how he became "Glutton" because he was always eating.  He really was always eating, it was crazy.  Papa Johns is taking over!  Look out, Subway!  I loved how it was hilarious, but it also had depth in topic.  It had some meaningful issues, and handled them good, as well as funny.  I really just loved this one so much!  Don't let Namgoong Min's hair deter you, it works perfectly in the show, and fits his tacky kkangpae style.  This show is gold.  Watch it.

228. I Need Romance 3 로맨스가 필요해 3 (2014) Korean

Kim So Yeon, Sung Joon, Namgoong Min, Wang Ji Won, Park Hyo Joo, Yoon Seung Ah, Park Yu Hwan

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

This was by far the best of the I Need Romance franchise.  The characters were better developed, they were well acted, and the plot didn't suck.  It also had somewhat natural character arches.  The most far-fetched thing in the show was how perfect Derp Face's character was.  Sweet Potato Derp Face was so perfect and good that he basically couldn't exist.  Plus cute derp faces.  A man so patient and loving isn't realistic at all, but makes for good watching.  So many cuddles and warmness.  My favorite character was Se Ryung, the bitca.  Wang Ji Won did an amazing job with her.  I like how much depth her character had, she was a bitca, but she had her reasons too, and they weren't just because she was a bitca.  She had been hurt, she had her dreams and ambitions, and she was only interested in one man the entire time.  Even when she could have conceivably switched to another dude when the lead was interested in him, she stuck to the one man she wanted to get back.  I like how the plot was about Joo Yeon learning how to feel again.  She had become a robot and she had to be sweet potatoed into getting back in touch with herself.  The side couples were a bit annoying.  I liked the fling turned into pregnancy one ok, that couple was ok cute, but the young office romance was a little peachy.  The girl's voice just always sounded a bit whiny.  They also pulled every stereotype in the end, hitting all the issues, the modern woman stereotypes: take a year to travel to find myself (wait for me!), you don't have to make her quit because she's a pregnant single mom, we can be neighbor parents and raise the babies, etc.  It was a bit cheesy but you still got to appreciate and support it.  Also, it was remarkably (comparatively) low on the sexy time scenes the whole time, because the dynamic was different and the main couple didn't get together until the end, but that meant that the last couple of episodes were like constant bedroom scenes, to make up for the rest of the show.  I think everyone but the lead peeps had bedroom scenes until the last few episodes.  But it was a cute and satisfying show.

208. Beautiful Gong Shim 미녀 공심이 (2016) Korean

Namgoong Min, Bang Minah, Oh Joo Wan, Seo Hyo Rim

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A

You know, for a title character, Gong Shim wasn't in the show very much at the end.  It was such a delightful show, until they decided to make it a melodrama instead of a romcom.  Then it slowly decided to suck more and more.  It all happened when Ahn Dan Tae found out he was Joon Pyo.  A cursed name to ruin everything.  He suddenly had to become serious and hide things from from Gong Shim, and Ahn Dan Tae's ridiculousness and Gong Shim's awkward cuteness were the two things that made this show work. Really, this show was ruined because it was 20 episodes.  I think if it had been 16 it would have been a great show.  But the last two episodes were so ridiculous that I was clutching my head and moaning, especially since they threw in all the worst ending tropes.  Time jumps, magical american medicine, not keeping in contact because they would "miss them too much," all the worst shiz.  Really, the first 12 episodes were delightful.  Namgoong Min as Ahn Dan Tae was the cutest.  Those goofy faces of pure delight as he looked at food, and Gong Shim, were just beautiful.  Gong Shim thinking he was a beggar/pyeontae, even calling him the pervert lawyer.  I also loved the bromance between him and Joon Soo, which was adorable.  All of that was ruined when the drama decided to take itself serious.  It was never great writing, but when it was lighthearted and cute, that was acceptable, but once it became a drama, it was dumb.  I kept just whining "I miss the old, happy Dan Tae!"  I hated the grandma, I hated Gong Mi (she was a serious bitca for no reason.  I never could stand her).  I hated how ridiculous the villains of the show became.  I hated how draggy the drama got from 12-20, and I hated how at the end Gong Shim was barely ever in it.  But I did love Gong Shim, and how with the wig she looked just like G-Dragon.  I loved Dan Tae when he wasn't being mopey and serious.  I loved the bromance.  I loved the romance, and if those things hadn't been in the show even at the end, I would have dropped it.  So the end was horrible, but the beginning was very fun, so it's all the more sad that the ending just sucked.  It got so ridiculous with it's exaggerated plots to get confessions, time jumps, and forced reconciliations for everyone that it was on the level of cheesy lameness of an old or bad Taiwanese drama.  The type that gets cheesy and preachy. Just head shake.

@lizabr3ff: this ending wrap up is at the level of a bad Taiwanese drama. Way too drawn out and stupid. #BeautifulGongShim

— MarlubsGD (@MarlubsGD) July 19, 2016

Nooooo! Run away, Joon Soo! Run away from Gong Mi! She's eeeeeeevil! #BeautifulGongShim

— MarlubsGD (@MarlubsGD) July 19, 2016