232. Laurel Tree Tailors 월계수 양복점 신사들 (2016) Korean

Lee Dong Gun, Jo Yoon Hee, Cha In Pyo, Oh Hyun Kyung, Ra Mi Ran, Choi Won Young, Shin Goo, Kim Young Ae, Hyun Woo

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

50 episode family dramas are not everyone's cup of tea, but they are starting to be mine.  You have to pick a good one of course.  One that has something that grips you enough to make you want to stick around for 50 episodes.  This one might just have been 4 hot men in suits.  No, it wasn't just because all of these 4 male leads in this were super attractive and people I love, it was for the characters themselves.  Every single couple was cute for the most part, which meant that I was shipping everyone.  Even the villains were not that villainous.  Yes, that means the show was cheesy and moralistic and everyone got redeemed to a point at the end, but it also means that this is a show where people learn and grow, and I loved the journey.  It was downright weird to see flashbacks to the start when everyone was a young idiot or disliked each other, or had misunderstandings, etc., because by the end they had all matured and it was wonderful.  Now I had to talk myself into watching this, because it was 50 episodes.  I love Lee Dong Gun and I love Ra Mi Ran.  Then Choi Won Young tipped the scales for me.  He is my ahjussi actor, one of the ones that I love the most, so I just had too.  Then I was not disappointed.  He was a rock star (literally) who then became a trot star so his honey voice was responsible for most of the OST, which I cannot complain about.  We also saw him start off as a selfish has been full of pride to becoming the most humble family man.  We saw push overs becoming pillars of strength, and we saw people becoming family and having a family.  It was basically adorable.  I think I cried during every wedding scene (literally did during my ahjussi's wedding.  The sunshine couple- so cute!  The cheesy couple (the OTP, Dong Jin and Yeon Sil)- too adorable!  I loved how all the families felt real.  My favorite family might have been the antagonist's family, Dong Jin's ex-wife and her step family.  I know that mom was my favorite.  I loved Hyo Won and Hyo Sang's brother/sister teasing.  I loved Hyo Sang even though he was a little poo butt with an inferiority complex.  I did tend to hate the ex-wife and ex-girls friends who were the bitcas of the show, as well as the fake husband, who was a crazy liar gangster, but even they had their redeeming qualities.  Yes, the show was long.  Yes, it had it's fair share of makjang (you guys know that I actually like that stuff), but it was cute, and it game me the feels.  Now, I'm going to go listen to Susanna's Handkerchief for the umpteenth time.

213. Dear My Friends 디어 마이 프렌즈 (2016) Korean

Go Hyun Jung, Kim Hye Ja, Na Moon Hee, Go Doo Shim, Park Won Sook, Youn Yuh Jung, Joo Hyun, Kim Young Ok, Shin Goo

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: C/A

I knew I would love this one, because you can't go wrong with this many veteran actors.  They are just too good at acting.  Also, the minor roles were played by peeps like Lee Kwang Soo and Jo In Sung.  Like.  I also don't think I've cried this much in a drama in a very long time.  There really wasn't a single person that I didn't like.  I thought I wasn't going to like several of the characters at first, such as Wan (who was miss bad attitude), Young Won (who seemed annoying at first), Suk Kyoon (who is an idiot) and Sung Jae (who came of as a creeper for 2 seconds), but all of their characters were so fully developed that there wasn't anyone who was not sympathetic and loved.  The relationships were all so very complicated and beautiful and crazy that I couldn't help but be sucked in.  My favorite was Choong Nam because she was smart and bad-a and I already have a halmoni crush on Youn Yuh Jung.  I loved how no nonsense and stick up for herself she was, while still having things she was sensitive and sentimental about.  It was so beautiful to see where everyone had come from, growing up through such hard times, to become the people that they were.  How their faults became so poignant and understandable when they are placed in the context of the life they had, etc.  All those deeply sad and emotional parts, that would normally be awkward or boring to me, were just heart-wrenching and beautiful and I cried and loved it all.  If this show had a fault, it would be that it was so complicated that I couldn't help but be frustrated, but that was because it was so real.  Wan complained that all the old folk's stories seemed so makjang, but they all protested that they were real and that's why we watch makjang.  Life is not beautiful, life sucks, but we still live it and make the best of it.  Despite how emotional it all was, the ending still managed to make me grin with delight because it was so beautiful.  I thoroughly enjoyed this show and wish that it had been given a little more love.  I definitely heard less about it than all those idol dramas.  I mean, it still had two sexy men in it (Kwang Soo being one of the sexiest in my opinion) but it was definitely not about that and didn't really even need it.  It was about those elders and they were all wonderful.  Heart.

170. Thank You 고맙습니다 (2007) Korean

Jang Hyuk, Gong Hyo Jin, Seo Shin Ae, Shin Sung Rok, Shin Goo

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

How did this show make me like it so much?  It's about cancer, AIDS, dementia, single parenthood, and death.  Basically it's a feely sob story.  And I really liked it.  It was pretty well written and it had amazing actors.  I knew when I found out that it had not only Jang Hyuk but Gong Hyo Jin, Seo Sin Ae, and Shin Sung Rok in it that I would have to watch it.  They are all amazing.  I love Seo Shin Ae.  She's one of those child actresses who can actually act.  She was just perfect.  It was a heartwarming drama that was actually good (I don't tend to like those kinds) and heartwarming.  It left you feeling fuzzy and warm instead of like eye rolling and barfing.  That's a pretty good sign, I would say.  And it never made me feel burdened by its agenda, even when it clearly had one.  Anyway, it was pretty good.  It kept me watching even when Mr. Lee (Shin Goo) was making me cry.  He was awesome.  Mr. Lee!