330. The Last Empress 황후의 품격 (2018) Korean

Jang Na Ra, Choi Jin Hyuk, Shin Sung Rok, Shin Eun Kyung, Lee Elijah

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

Some of you might already know this, but I love makjang (aka overly melodramatic). But not just any makjang, I like the classy, but crazy kind that twists through through all the emotions and all the drama without making you want to chew your leg off to escape it. The kind that is so fantastic that you just eat it up and want more. The Last Empress was exactly what I like. Not only that, but all the craziness was fortified by a stellar cast that made everything worth it, even at the crazier times. I have always loved Jang Na Ra, so seeing her take down the rotten royal family was the best. Also, and you might have heard this a time or two but, I love Shin Sung Rok. As a super fangirl, this show just might have been a dream come true. He was really in his element with the complex character that was the emperor. One part villain, one part hero, at least two parts lover, and a whole lot of crazy. The chemistry between him and Jang Na Ra was nothing short of amazing and that really complicated things because even when he was being a supreme douche bag and you knew he was lying, you still wanted to believe his fake cuteness because the chemistry was there. Now that's messed up and perfect makjang right there.

So, yeah, I might have a problem to begin with.

Note: Reading on might contain mild spoilers, so be warned.

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!

2015: The Year of Sexy Necks

Every year I make a calendar for myself, so I get exactly what I want and that sense of accomplishment.  I usually have a different theme each year (such as smiles or flower boys), and this year I decided to use my list of the Top 10 Sexy Necks as the general theme of 2015's calendar.

There was so much I could have put in here, and so many ways to do this, but I finally decided to count down to the number 1 on this list, and use the two remaining months for the other honorable mentions and general hot guys that I like and wanted to use.

Shin Sung Rok Needs to be Added to the Top 10 Sexy Necks

I have already admitted openly that I am obsessed with this man.  I mean, he has it all.  Sexy neck, sexy voice, sexy smile, sexy face... the list just goes on.  So I have to write this post dedicated to him, and seriously consider who he could possibly bump off of the Top 10 list, or should I just make it Top 12?

If you've seen my recent lists, you'd already know that I am obsessed with him.  He made the list for men with smiles, men with sultry voices, other men, villains I love and hate (multiple times), and he could probably make more lists that I haven't made yet.  Basically he's like my ideal type or something (if I could have one of those, because I like so many different things).

Still More Men Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Sultry Voice Edition

Do I watch dramas just for the sultry voice of one of the male leads?  Why yes, yes I do.  Some men just have buttery, husky, velvety, and/or soothing voices that just make me what to listen to them while I watch whatever bad drama they are in.  Seriously, they need to stop seducing us (and by that I mean mostly me) with their sexy voices.  Dude.

Sometimes it's only their voice I find attractive *cough cough Lee Sun Gyun cough cough* but really isn't that enough.  I mean... that sexy voice.

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.

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.

123. Liar Game 라이어 게임 (2014) Korean

Kim So Eun, Lee Sang Yoon, Shin Sung Rok

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

I rarely am so intensely into a show, but this one was consistently intense.  A little formulaic, but in a good way, as in every week had one story arc of intenseness.  Every week's episodes = one round of the game, so each week had a nice build and climax, while still giving us more clues.  Best part though is Shin Sung Rok being absolutely crazy.  I loved him so much, especially as he made me hate and love his character at the same time.  How could he be sympathetic and batshiz crazy and evil and sexy all the same time?  Also Lee Sang Yoon was sexier than I've ever seen him in this one.  He pulled off the bad boy thing well, which I was skeptical of at first.  I was delightfully engaged in this show the whole time, so I could count that as a success.

104. Trot Lovers 트로트의 연인 (2014) Korean

Ji Hyun Woo, Jung Eun Ji, Shin Sung Rok, Lee Se Young

Drama Rating: 5/10      Neck Score: A

This one started out so good.  Musicals are not my thing, but this one was the right style, as in the plot wasn't focused around a musical or production, it was just about people in the music industry.  Also I didn't know about trot, which now I like.  Mostly I decided to watch this because of the peeps in it.  I like Ji Hyun Woo, I love Eun Ji, and then when I found out that Shin Sung Rok was going to be in it, I was sold.  The first half was super good too.  Funny, full of good music, and great characters.  I loved Sung Rok's weird other guy role.  He literally saved the plot when the bad tropes came pouring in.  Yep, this perfectly great story with the cutest couple ever got every lame plot device ever tossed in.  Amnesia, parental drama, and then the "I have to leave for a year, wait for me" crap.  Because there was so much drama right until the last episode, it made it feel like it was rushed and dragged out at the same time.  While the awesomeness of the characters helped these horrible tropes feel not so bad, I am still sad that this was the path this drama chose to take.  There could have been a better plot than that.  Seriously.  Anyways, the peeps I already loved, I loved more.  Also there are tons of side characters that developed nicely too, with some side peeps romance, that also helped during the dark times of amnesia, etc.  Still liked this show, but it could have been so much better.  I actually think that Shin Sung Rok's character literally saved this show, and I loved Ji Hyun Woo in this.  But Shin Sung Rok was like a ray of sunshine with crazy, happy, funness.  He never got annoying as an other man and there was a little bit of bromance that I loved.  Plus his neck... whew!