325. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes 하늘에서 내리는 1억 개의 별 (2018) Korean

Seo In Guk, Jung So Min, Park Sung Woong, Go Min Si, Yoo Jae Myung

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A+

I kind of loved the level of psychological thriller this had. With a mysterious man who is a sociopath or whatever, manipulating and not understanding emotions. Completely jaded to the good in the world because he can see human hypocrisy all too well. Seo In Guk did a great job being the "monster" in this one. You hated him and loved him all at once. He made you shiver all while being attracted to him. But then the developing relationship between him and Jung So Min was also really great. I loved her as well. Her innate ability to see through him, but still empathize. To see both the good and the bad and to call him out on his crap. It made the relationship worth watching, even though you had the sick feeling that everything was going to go wrong when we finally found out about the past that the oppa kept not telling everyone about, even when we were all sure that telling would save some mistakes from being made. Oh well.

226. Shopping King Louis 쇼핑왕 루이 (2016) Korean

Seo In Guk, Nam Ji Hyun, Yoon Sang Hyun, Im Se Mi

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

Cute!  Cute, cute, cute, cute!!!!  I've never seen a cuter couple!  They were the best OTP!  Here is why: they were super honest about their feelings 95% of the time.  They weren't afraid to just say how they feel, treat each other kindly, be touched by their thoughtfulness, and actively admit they miss each other or are jealous.  None of this playing dumb for forever, they were like extra cute real people!  I loved innocent little "hot house" Louis being super naive about money and work, but being super teachable!  He learned how to be frugal and work hard and it was amazing.  Then there was Go Bok Sil, the mountain girl, who was super naive about the modern consumer world and how to use smartphones, etc. and she was also really teachable!  It was amazing to see them support each other and learn from each other.  But they weren't the only adorable ones.  Everyone in this show was likable and learned things.  Even the crazy other girl and the reluctant villain uncle.  I loved the bromance between Louis and Jo In Seong.  That was adorable.  Especially since they were both in Squad 38 together, and not necessarily as friends.  I loved the ahjumma club and how it kept growing and thriving.  Oska did an amazing job being the "straight man" who was also comedic.  His little grunt groan was a favorite, and the scene with "The Winner Takes It All" was just pure gold.  the pacing was kind of weird, because they didn't take forever dragging things out only to rush it later.  They actually resolved things really quickly and in a way that they normally would be.  The 5% time where they tried to be noble idiots for various reasons was so brief, and they didn't believe the lies, but they understood why it was happening and respected that (even though it's a stupid trope, it was the best uses of that stupid trope).  Then they managed to give proper closure for every character- I mean EVERY character.  We loved all the characters, so that was good, but it wasn't typical.  It made the ending a little slow because all the big resolutions were taken care of, and that just left all the little resolutions.  It was very sweet and teary and adorable.  I loved it.

Just a Moment of Cuteness with Louie-ya

So maybe I just needed to make this post so I could post these gifs that I made to be more shareable for Lizabreff's birthday, but since Louie is going to be mopey soon, or at least more dramatic, I wanted to relive some of the cuteness for a bit, because Louie.

This show is so delightful, so I just wanted to show some love before it might make me change my mind.  Hopefully not.

214. Squad 38 38사기동대 (2016) Korean

Ma Dong Seok, Seo In Guk, Sooyoung, Song Ok Suk, Heo Jae Ho, Ko Kyu Pil, Lee Sun Bin

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

As a heisty type drama, this was pretty good.  I think that might have been like 75% because of Seo In Guk and Ma Dong Seok, who are both amazing.  It had some slow parts and the habit of you being super angry at the villains because they were the scum of the earth, but I guess that made it super satisfying at the end when they were gotten.  I was really busy when I finished this, so it's actually been too long since I've watched it for me to actually remember my impressions of it.  But it was so good that Curdy had to watch it with us.  That is saying a lot.  But she was hooked from the start and made more excited noises while watching than I did.  I loved all of the main characters.  Literally I only hated the villains, and each villain was worst than the last.  Then there were the lukewarm villains, the lackeys who did all the dirty work.  I loved how you hated them, but it was also complicated.  You could be sympathetic to them occasionally.  That's good writing.  I liked most of the twists they had, and the "surprise, you've been hustled" moments for the most part made sense, which is important.  I do need to write a post about the nicknames for this show, because everyone had one.  That's how endearing the characters were.  Loved it.

162. I Remember You 너를 기억해 (2015) Korean

Seo In Guk, Jang Na Ra, Lee Chun Hee, Choi Won Young, Park Bo Gum

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A+

What a consistently good drama.  Sad it didn't have super ratings in Korea, but it was competing with popular ones.  Maybe it's just because I like psychological thrillers, murder dramas, and all the actors in this show, but I just loved it.  Park Bo Gum!  Why do you have to steal my heart every time!?!  I loved how organic the relationship was.  All the relationships.  Even the bromancey type deal between the detective and "Dave."  But I loved how the romance took it's time and progressed at a natural pace for someone so unemotional as Lee Hyun.  Also big slow clap for Jang Na Ra, she impresses me every role, and this time she did good with the action, bad-a detective.  Basically everyone did a great job, especially Choi Won Young and Park Bo Gum- and super epic slow clap for Do Kyung Soo for once again rocking his acting skills for a creepier role.  He played a good psychopath.  Woo woot.

Bromances Continued: 6 More Recent Drama Enhancing Men Relationships

If you're anything like me, you can't get enough of bromances, so here is a list of more bromances that have warmed my little heart and caused me delight recently.  Some of these are just recent for me (as I am currently watching them) but some are current dramas that just keep getting better as the bros keep loving (whether they want to or not) each other.

The Power of the Baseball Tee

I don't know about you, but one of the sexiest, most flattering shirt for a man to wear is the raglan sleeved baseball tee.  It just flatters all around, and most especially the neck.  If the guy is skinny, it makes their neck and shoulders look bigger, if the guy is muscular it makes those arms, chest, back and shoulders (and neck) look so good.  It just makes a man look so sexy.

New Neck Crush: King of High School (2014)

You probably know how much I love Seo In Guk, from my reviews on Love Rain, Answer Me 1997, and Master's Sun, but his new drama King of High School proves that he is just getting better with age... which is funny to say since he is still playing a high school student, which he still pulls off, but boy is he getting hotter.


You know who else is getting hotter?  Lee Soo Hyuk.

Man.  Rawr.

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.

105. High School King of Savvy 고교처세왕 (2014) Korean

Seo In Guk,  Lee Ha Na, Lee Soo Hyuk, Lee Yul Eum

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A++

What... the... heck... I don't think this show actually had a plot.  It was just a situation.  No wonder it was super hard for me to get into it.  I designated it my "work out" show because there was no motivation to watch it, because nothing actually happened.  It was just funny and cute with no real action.  Just a situation.  A high school kid has to pretend to be his older brother and work as a director for this big company.  It pretended to have a plot for like two episodes... episodes 14 and 15 to be exact, but then it was resolved so quickly so there was no point really.  Then after that it got extremely boring... and completely ridiculous.  Seriously ridiculous.  The last episode was outright stupid.  Whatever.  I think the only thing that made this show work at all was the actors.  Seo In Guk can pull off everything from the high schooler to his cool older brother.  I loved the two high schooler best friends and the little sister.  Loved, loved, loved the grandpa.  Also, as I said in an post earlier, Lee Soo Hyuk is super super hot.  That man... that part when he was crying in the rain and his hair was all wet.  Actually his character had the most plot out of all of them.  He had a situation and drove the action along when anything ever happened.  Also he and Seo In Guk had a fun bromance.  Lee Ha Na was amazing at being so naturally awkward.  Props to her.  I have a hard time not believing that that's the way she is in real life.  It was very outlandish and not typical, and that is something on the positive side.  It was constantly funny and cute, but lacked the driving force that an actual plot would give you.  It didn't need to be that long and it needed to have more action, although it was plenty funny.  At least the characters were all lovable, and the cameos were great.  Loved it and hated it at the same time, but mostly just because it was long, draggy, and ridiculous.  The last episode just kept going, and going, and going...

55. Master's Sun 주군의 태양 (2013) Korean

So Ji Sub, Kong Hyo Jin, Seo In Guk, Kim Yoo Ri

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

This is my favorite Hong Sisters drama (well tied for first with Greatest Love) but you have to be okay with horror to like it, because this is a Horror Romantic Comedy.  The first episode is probably the scariest too.  The first 15  min has some of the scariest ghost faces that will deter any peeps who are less enthusiastic about horror things.  I mistakenly recommended it to my younger sister, because I loved it so much, and she reported back that it was way too scary for her, which is something I haven't considered.  Even while my roommate finally watched it she needed me there for some episodes because they were on the scary side.  It didn't bother me, but it can, apparently, be a bit on the scary side (especially that stitch mouth granny in the first 15 min).  I watched it because it was the Hong Sisters, Horror Comedy, and Seo In Guk, but I came out completely in love with So Ji Sub.  Man that man is sexy.  He played vulnerable so well too.  Also, Kong Hyo Jin is awesome in this, but her hair and style is as tacky as always.  But her acting makes up for it.  I love the way the Hong Sisters always throw in lots of side romances, those are always cute.  This one has some hooky plot arcs, which is actually pretty typical for Hong Sisters.  They are good a comedy and pop culture references, but not so good at wrapping up loose ends and solid finishes (couch couch Big cough cough).  But this one, overall, was great.  Less love triangley and more ghosts and funny.  Also we got to see So Ji Sub and Seo In Guk sing the Three Bears song.  Win!

9. Love Rain 사랑비 (2012) Korean

Jang Geun Suk, Yoona, Seo In Guk, Kim Young Kwang

Drama Rating: 2.5/10     Neck Score: A

Watched this for Jang Geun Suk, fell in love with Seo In Guk.  Also, Yoona must have not liked Jang Geun Suk cause zero chemistry from her side, while plenty from his.  I used to think she just couldn't act, but later shows have proved me wrong.  She had way more chemistry with Lee Beom Soo (eyebrow raise?)  Two love stories: Parents and Kids.  Draggy, draggy, draggy.  The first few episodes were the parents, in the late 70s/early 80s.  Sweet, but tragic.  Chemistry between Jang Geun Suk and Yoona was fine.  Modern kids love story- hate each other at first, fine.  After they fall in love, suddenly no chemistry on her side.  Weird.  Then there are like 8 episodes of the same thing- repeated noble idiocy on both the parents' and childrens' sides, lots of moping- "I love you but we're going to be siblings!" "We can't be together cause our kids love each other!" etc.  Seo In Guk is awesome in both the past and present.