My Drama Viewing List

I started watching k-dramas mid-2013. Since then, I've branched out into dramas from Taiwan and Japan, but Korean dramas are still my favorite. Here's the list of what I'm currently recapping (list created on 15 Aug 13; last updated 14 Nov 18):

Bad Guys (2014)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Bad Guys: Vile City (2017)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Bring It On, Ghost (aka Let's Fight Ghost) (2016)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

W-Two Worlds (2016)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

Here's the list of the k-dramas that I have finished recapping:

Gu Family Book (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |

Hundred Year Inheritance (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1-10 | 11-16 | 17-20 | 21-22 | 23-24 | 25-26 | 27-28 | 29-30 | 31-32 | 33-34 | 35-36 | 37-38 | 39-40 | 41-42 | 43-44 | 45-46 | 47-48 | 49-50 |

Marriage Not Dating (aka Marriage Not Love) (2014)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

Mask (2015)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

She's So Pretty (2015)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
I know I'm missing the last two episodes, but I just can't watch an end where Shin Hyuk doesn't get the girl.

The Suspicious Housekeeper (aka The Strange Housekeeper) (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

Sweet Stranger and Me (aka The Man Living in Our House) (2016)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15-16 |

Warm and Cozy (2015)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

You're All Surrounded (2014)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

Here's my list of series that I have partially recapped (and will hopefully eventually finish). Most of these I have finished watching but haven't finished recapping:

Divorce Lawyer in Love (2015)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

Empress Ki (2014)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |

Good Doctor (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20|

The Heirs (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

Hyde, Jekyll and I (2015)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

I Need Romance 3 (2014)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

Master's Sun (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |

Oh My Ghostess (2015)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

Who Are You? (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |

You Who Came From the Stars (aka My Love From Another Star) (2013)
Recap: Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

If you have any thoughts on my list or recommendations for future watching, please let me know!
Here's my list of the k-dramas I've watched so far, with my initial thoughts.

1. 49 Days (2011) - A girl in a coma has to find 3 people who will cry for her before 49 days are up and she hunts for them by possessing a girl who lives like she was dead. I really liked this drama, until the last episode. Then I really didn't like it.
2. Big (2012) - Unlike most people, I left this drama liking it. It may have something to do with the leads. Gong Yoo is awesome in anything and the way that he played a doctor and then the teenaged boy who ended up in his body was terrific. And yes, I agree that the ending was really lame. I mean, *really* lame. Really.
3. Boys Over Flowers (aka Boys Before Flowers) (2009) - This will always be one of my favorites. It's the first drama that I marathoned. It's also one of the dramas that I cried a lot and hard watching, just because I cared about the characters that much. Yes, it has a ton of k-drama cliches and craziness, but man, it's worth the watch. One of the things that I love most about this drama is the breakout performance of Lee Min Ho as Gu Jun Pyo. Even when he was being the biggest jerk that I wanted to punch because he was so arrogant, he still had that sweet, personable quality which made me like him. Other dramas have had Jun Pyo's kind of jerk but I never did really grow to like them. I attribute this directly to Lee Min Ho; if it had been a different actor, I don't think I would have liked Jun Pyo quite as much. Besides, who can beat Woo Bin's "Yo, yo, my bro!"?
4. Baker King, Kim Tak Goo (aka Bread, Love & Dreams) (2010) - I almost stopped watching it after the 3rd episode because the boy playing the hero as a child was so completely annoying, but Yoon Shi Yoon made the drama worth watching so I stuck it out until the end. I don't regret the 30 hours. Plus it stars Eugene and Joo Won who give very intense performances.
5. City Hunter (2011) - Loved this one. Great action series. Clever twists. Bad guys get theirs. Kim Sang Joong is hard core as a man determined to get his revenge at any cost for the betrayal and murder of his best friend and his platoon. Lee Min Ho is smooth as the man who will be doing the avenging. And there's a scene in a Rocker Room. (It's literally labeled that, with *lockers* and everything.)  
6. Coffee Prince (aka The First Shop of Coffee Prince) (2007) - This one took a few episodes for me to warm up to, partially because it's not your typical k-drama. I mean, it was more like real life (mostly). This is the series that made me fall in love with Gong Yoo as an actor. The man was great, especially after he realized he had feelings for his dongsaeng, who was a woman, but he thought was a man.Yoon Eun Hye was fabulous as the heroine; I love her for how she lives her characters and this series is no exception.
7. Creating Destiny (2009) - I enjoyed this, although the challenge for the lead couple in the last third of the series (she was adopted! and didn't know it) really annoyed me, because it was so hypocritical on the part of his family to have a problem with it. I mean, the hero's mother loved Eugene *before* it was revealed, but then pledged to *never* approve of the marriage because they didn't know where the heroine came from, even though they have known her family forever. On top of that, *her daughter* had a child out of wedlock. Eugene and Ki Tae Young were great (and married in real life). Even though I liked it, I don't think I'll watch it again, because the reason stated above as the resolution of the second-lead romantic triangle (a total cop out).
8. Faith (aka The Great Doctor) (2012) - another Lee Min Ho epic that I enjoyed, even if the heroine did get on my nerves from time to time. Choi Young travels through Heaven's Doorway to find Hwata to save a mortally wounded princess. Eun Soo is the plastic surgeon that he found in 2012 that he brings back to the Goryeo period. It's a nice dual love story, sageuk, magical powers, time-traveling, action series all rolled into one.
9. Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (2011) - I think I am one of the few people who did not like this one, probably because I found both the leads annoying. He was a high school boy. She was the daughter of a Ramyun Shop owner who he 'kissed' (aka assaulted) in a bathroom that turns out to be his teacher. I was really upset over her not picking the second lead in this one. Pillar was amazing and she went with the spoiled rich boy.
10. Full House (2004) - Remains one of my favorites. Some people seem to hate Young Jae as a character and thought he was too arrogant, but I got him (who he was) and loved him for being totally clueless to his own feelings. Bi/Rain is terrific and so is Song Hye Kyo. They have great chemistry and *are* their characters. When Young Jae finally realized what I knew for several episodes, that he really was in love with Ji Eun rather than the clothing 'designer' he was pining over (man, the clothing choices were something else), it was great watching him try to make a move and failing miserably. Plus, his marriage proposal -- something you don't normally see in a k-drama -- was super sweet and seeing them as a couple was super satisfying.
11. Good Doctor (2013) - Joo Won plays Park Shi Ohn, an autistic savant with the gift of being a surgeon. Moon Chae Won plays Cha Yoon Seo, the sunbae that he works with. I loved this drama, with how it presented the challenges that an adult autistic might face in life. It made me cry several times and it convinced me that Joo Won is a phenomenal actor.
12. Goong (aka Princess Hours / Palace / Imperial House) (2006) - I have to say that I liked it. Yoon Eun Hye was terrific, as usual, as a commoner chosen to be the bride for the Crown Prince of Korea. Loved Joo Ji Hoon as said Prince Shin. Parts of it really drove me nuts, though. Hated the second female lead. Hated. Did not sympathize with her at all and couldn't stand her moping because she regretting dumping Shin. The second male lead got more and more on my nerves and I kept asking myself *why* Chae Kyung kept listening to him after he declared his love for her. He's obviously *not* trying to help her relationship with Shin work out. But the OTP's relationship is what really made me like the show. 
13. The Great Queen Seondeok (2009) - 62 episode sageuk about the rise of the first female ruler of Shilla, played by Lee Yo Won. I've watched about half of it so far and I've liked it. There's a lot of palace intrigue, plus Deokman (Yo Won) masquerades as a boy for at least 25 episodes. She even goes to war and kills people.
14. The Greatest Love (2011) - I heard about this one when Master's Sun came out, because several people compared So Ji Sub's Joong Won to Cha Seung Won's Dokko Jin, and I liked the idea: she's a former k-pop sweetheart who's now hated, he's a movie star at the top of his career.  This one was a lot of fun to watch. Plus, it stars Gong Hyo Jin, who always makes a drama great. 
15. Gu Family Book (2013) - The first drama I recapped. Unlike a lot of dramas that take a few episodes to really click, this one sucks you in in the first 15 minutes. In two short episodes, Choi Jin Hyuk stole my heart (and many other people's) as the tragic gumiho, Gu Wol Ryung. It's not to say that I didn't seriously get irritated at characters like Monk So Jung, 2nd female lead Chung Jo, or Pyung Joon (one of the most frustrating fathers *ever*), but there were so many more than made up for them: Soo Ryun, the head gisaeng; Teacher Gong Dal; Song (the hero's buddy) and Admiral Lee Soon Shin, whose indignant growl made any episode for me. The villain was awesomely and unapologetically played by Lee Sung Jae; the man was seriously EEEVILL. Most especially, I loved the heroine and her three male suitors. Bae Suzy was the perfect combination of tenderness and steel as Dam Yeo Wool, a girl who threw off the conventions of her day to *literally* fight for what she believed in and who loved the hero enough to be the friend he needed even when her own heart was breaking. Lee Seung Gi was awesome as our hero, Choi Kang Chi. He made me laugh. He made me cry. Most of all, he made me love Kang Chi so much. Yoo Yun Suk acted the heck out of his scenes as Tae Seo. When he cried, it was gut wrenching because his pain was so visceral. Sung Joon rocked it as the untalkative Gon. The little looks that he would give said *so* much. Even if he was plagued with terrible, terrible hair.
16. The Heirs (2013) - This series was much hyped but I didn't finish it. It stars Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye, plus a cornucopia of other stars like Kim Woo Bin, Choi Jin Hyuk and Kim Mi Kyung. It's been called 'Boys Over Flowers 2' but I don't quite see it, because there are just too many story lines going on. There was enough plot-wise to pull me in but it didn't quite grab me like 'BOF' did. Lee Min Ho is terrific as always, but I've discovered that Park Shin Hye, for all her crying glory, really seems to get on my nerves when she plays put-upon, damsels-in-distress.
17. Hundred Year Inheritance (aka Hundred Years' Legacy) (2013) - this series (50 episodes) took a while to really get going for me, but I liked it enough to watch the whole thing and to recap it. It stars Eugene as the heroine, Chae Won, and Lee Jung Jin as the hero, Se Yoon. They had great chemistry. The EMIL was evil. She went as far as locking Chae Won up in a mental institution and then framing the hero as her lover. The plot thickens when it turns out her daughter has been in love with Se Yoon and wants him for herself. There's plenty of drama and family hijinks, much of which I fast-forwarded. I saw the twist coming, but it didn't detract from the fall out at all. Sometimes Chae Won got on my nerves because she was too much of a doormat, but Se Yoon yelled at her about it, so that made up for it.
18. I Can Hear Your Voice (2013) - starring Lee Jong Suk and and Lee Bo Young. I'd heard great things about this great noona romance and I did enjoy it. He plays a sad puppy very well, especially after Park Soo Ha loses his memory. Soo Ha's father is beaten to death by the villian, Jook Gook. The heroine, Jang Hye Sung, saves his life and is the reason why Joon Gook is convicted. Joon Gook swears revenge and Soo Ha (about 8 years her junior) swears he will protect her. That's the last Soo Ha saw of her until present day, despite years of searching. When Joon Gook is paroled, Soo Ha vows to keep his promise and protect Hye Sung no matter what the cost. Almost the typical k-drama, except Soo Ha has the ability to read minds. I enjoyed Hye Sung's relationship with friend/rival prosecutor, Do Yeon. I find the trope of psycho evil second lead really annoying and thankfully this show avoided it. The one thing that started to wear on me was Soo Ha's hysterical screaming towards the end of the show. Don't make me listen to him scream again. Please stop beating the sad puppy!
19. I Need Romance 3 (2014) - starring one of my favorites, Sung Joon. He plays the hero, Joo Wan and Kim So Yun as Shin Joo Yun. She's his childhood babysitter before he moved away and he's carried a torch for her in the 17 years they've been apart. They have terrific chemistry and I really enjoyed the show.
20. King2Hearts (2012) - One of my favorites: Korea if the monarchy still existed. Lee Seung Gi as a Korean prince and Ha Ji Won as his North Korean bride. I think it's got one of the best bromances I've seen in the relationship between the Prince and the straight-laced Eun Shi Kyung (Jo Jung Suk). The second leads had eyes for *each other* and Lee Sung Min is one of the best hyungs *ever.* This was the series where I realized that I pretty much love any series that Lee Seung Gi is in, because he just has this really great energy and vulnerability to his blustering which is just endearing. He's goofy, which makes you like him even when he's being an arrogant jerk, because his flaws belie the perfect persona he's trying to portray. It's also an interesting study in North-South Korean relations, since our heroine is part of North Korea's Special Forces unit, so we see the perception of what North Koreans are like through that k-drama lens.
21. Lie to Me (2011) - I enjoyed this one for its silliness and it's got Sung Joon, Kang Ji Kwan and Yoon Eun Hye in it. To not look bad in front of the woman who stole her Oppa, Ah Jung (Eun Hye) lies that Ki Joon (Ji Hwan), someone she has barely met, is her boyfriend. The lie gets bigger and bigger until they fall in love. Sung Joon is the 2nd lead who just happens to be Ki Joon's younger brother, Sang Hee, also in love with our heroine. Parts of it were annoying, yes, but it's one that I will re-watch because of all the ridiculous antics and the stars. There's a great first kiss in it, too. 
22. Marriage Not Dating (aka Marriage Without Love) (2014) - One of my top favorites. It has some of the best music and sound effects of any k-drama I can think of and I absolutely *loved* both leads. Unlike some dramas, where some of the characters might be stagnant, you see the characters grow and change.  The leads made these two unlikeable people – a stalker and a cad – completely accessible and likeable. From the beginning, Yun Woo Jin plays Ki Tae as a jerk who wasn’t really a jerk, someone who did the right thing and wanted to not be so cold. And Han Groo makes clingy, in-denial Jang Mi so lovable. She could have been annoying, but Han Groo makes Jang Mi’s compassion for others show up in little things. It was great to see how their rebukes of each other were taken to heart, even if they didn’t act like it at the time, and that by finding each other, they weren’t alone anymore and were able to help each other heal. Plus, the side characters were interesting. They made the villains – Ki Tae's mother and ex-girlfriend – sympathetic and decent people who we just saw at their worst.
23. Master's Sun (2013) - One of my favorites: a drama that has a heroine who sees ghosts and the hero is her only ghost-repellant. This means plenty of skinship, even if it started out not being anything romantic. (And skinship is always good.) Gong Hyo Jin is one of my favorite actresses and she's at her best as the put-upon Tae Gong Sil and So Ji Sub is terrific as Joo Joong Won, one of the most arrogant heroes on this entire list. The moment we meet him, he's challenging a ghost to strike him with lightning in the middle of a rain storm. Beyond the great story that is their romance, we have more than one mystery plus a great series of stories, as Gong Sil helps ghosts do that one last thing before they move on. It's one of the few times where someone getting amnesia didn't bug me for being a cheap k-drama cliche, because it was written so that it actually makes sense. I also liked that as the series progressed, because Gong Shil had a way to escape her ghosts, she became less terrorized by what she saw and actually started being friends with them. And who wouldn't love a series who gives you a cliff-hanger of life-and-death proportions?
24. Medical Top Team (2013) - This drama came out the same year as The Good Doctor and it wasn't nearly as good. In fact, it was a pretty average medical drama (this is from years of watching things like E.R., Chicago Hope, House, Grey's Anatomy, M.A.S.H., China Beach, Emergency!). In fact, it felt like the actors were trying really hard to convince me that the dramatic situations were dramatic and life threatening. Unlike most dramas, I never really cultivated any affection for the lead; I found him selfish, even though the drama acted like his actions were altruistic. What did make the drama for me was Joo Ji Hoon's performance as Han Seung Jae. It was nuanced and three-dimensional and there was a lot of stuff to Seung Jae's story. If the drama has just focused on him and his journey, it would have been fantastic. But, there were other characters, so the drama ended up just being good/great, and I would watch it again for the Seung Jae plot-line. To read my review of the series, go here.
25. Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (2016) - a saeguk taking place in the Joseon era starring Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung. He is a rebellious crown prince. Since childhood, she's masqueraded as a man. A case of mistaken identity leads her to cross paths with the prince and when she's forced to become a palace eunuch, he takes great pleasure in making her miserable. This soon evolves into friendship and later into love (but it's okay because he's figured out she's a woman). Life gets extra complicated later, when the king wants him to marry someone else and the chief minister has plans to replace him. This drama was a massive hit and it's easy to know why. The writing is top-notch and the acting all around is fantastic, especially by the two leads. Park Bo Gum plays Prince Yeong to perfection and Kim Yoo Jung's honest portrayal makes Ra On someone you root for. Plus there's only about 3 episodes of angst (in a sageuk), with the rest of the time spent making you feel good. 
26. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (aka My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox) (2010) - Another one of my favorite series with Lee Seung Gi. He plays Cha Dae Woong, a spoiled college student who dreams of being a stunt man. When he runs away from his grandfather, he stumbles on a remote Buddhist temple and a painting of the legendary gumiho. Situations conspire to lead Dae Woong to free the nine-tailed fox and ends up with what I think is my favorite of his leading ladies: Shin Min Ah as Gu Mi Ho. Her enthusiasm for life, the hero, and all things cow, pig and chicken made me love her almost immediately, plus even though she's dainty, she's no pushover. (That seems to be a common theme in the dramas I like: a female lead who isn't a pushover.) And, the way that Seung Gi's Dae Woong grows to be a man because of his love for her, that made me love him, too. This is a great love story. I cried a bunch in this one, too. Not a bad thing. This is the series that taught me that "numma, numma" is "very, very" and brought finger communication to a whole new level.
27. My Lovely Girl (aka She's So Lovable) (2014) - This drama stars Rain and Krystal. He used to date her sister, who was killed in a freak car accident that he survived. She doesn't know who he is, but he knows her. They meet because of his adorable dog and he helps her with her dream of becoming a successful song writer. (It doesn't hurt that he's the president of a major record label, or anything.) She has an idol who likes her and he has a best friend who loves him and calls him Oppa, but somehow, even though these people suit them better, they end up developing feelings for each other. I really liked the drama (even though not much ever happened) up until the end of episode 8. Up 'til then, Hyun Wook's affection seemed like an older brother but then the writer had them kiss. My groaning and disgust began and only got louder as the series progressed. By episode 11, I started seeing the back of my head, I rolled my eyes so much. I didn't care what happened to any of them. This is the first drama I've watched that I didn't finish and don't plan on it. If you want to read my review, go here.
28. My Name is Kim Sam Soon (aka My Lovely Sam Soon) (2005) - One of my favorites. Kim Sam Soon also may be one of my favorite heroines ever because she speaks her mind (even if she does sometimes sound like a fishmonger's wife), isn't a perfect beauty but is perfectly loveable, and doesn't have a problem chewing out the hero and calling him a jerk. She doesn't put up with the wrist grab, she doesn't just go when the hero ordered, and she kicks the hero to the curb when he isn't treating her right, even if it means that she's *never* getting married. The hero, played by Hyun Bin, is hilarious in how mischievous he is, especially where she is concerned, and in how much he can read people, especially his mother. Some of his antics are hysterical. There are true Bridget Jones moments, which make me love our heroine even more, and I love the fact that the heroine gets drunk and beats the hero with a stuffed pig, even as he's giving her a piggyback ride.
29. My Princess (2011) - I liked this drama, although sometimes the heroine was a bit annoying. Most of the time I loved her, though. She had great chemistry with the hero. Kim Tae Hee plays Lee Seol, a girl who discovers that she's the daughter of the deceased prince of Korea. Park Hae Young plays Song Seung Hoon, the grandson of the man trying to restoring the monarchy to Korea. The female second lead is EVIL. Stone cold. Who gets hers.What can be better?
30. Operation Proposal (2012) - I'll say I liked this drama (with a caveat - I didn't watch about 4 episodes). I really wanted the hero to end up with the girl and the idea of time travel to fix things is a great concept. Plus, I liked that the hero was only able to change little things with each leap, and those little things stuck. What made this drama was the ensemble cast. Different parts of this drama *really* made me cry. But I had to skip to the end because it really stressed me out, worrying if the hero was going to get the girl. Every episode things sort of got better for the hero but they also were worse in most other areas. I did like how it ended though, but I don't think I can go through that stress again, even to watch the episodes I missed.
31. Pasta (2010) - Another favorite. I loved the chemistry of the leads and one of them is Mr. Voice, Lee Sun Kyun. The other is Gong Hyo Jin. Hyo Jin plays Yoo Kyung, a woman working in a kitchen who dreams of being an amazing chef. Sun Kyun plays Hyun Wook, the new boss who has a rule against having any female chefs in his kitchen. I can't count how many ways I loved this pairing, plus, it's got Choi Jin Hyuk back when he was using his previous screen name (Kim Tae Ho).
32. Personal Preference (aka Personal Taste) (2010) - I really enjoyed this one and parts were absolutely laugh-out-loud funny. The chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Son Ye Jin was fantastic. It's 'The Odd Couple' meets 'Three's Company' meets 'Frasier,' where the lead is mistaken as being gay. I don't normally remember kissing scenes, but there are two in this one that were very memorable. 
33. Pinocchio (2014) - starring Lee Jung Suk and Park Shin Hye. A 'Pinocchio' is someone who cannot lie without some sort of physical symptom (like hiccups) giving the lie away. Because of a pinocchio and unethical journalism, the hero's family is destroyed. He vows revenge and becomes a journalist to do it. I really liked this one, for many reasons: (1) I've studied journalism. I liked its indictment of sensationalism in the media while showing that most journalists are actually trying to do things of substance. (2) There's a good backstory, so I didn't mind the first love cliche, because that first love was just a love that pined for 10+ years. (3) Park Shin Hye isn't annoying. I really like Park Shin Hye and her interpretation of her characters, but every drama I've seen her in, I've found her annoying. Beyond that, she has actual chemistry with the hero! (4) The secondary characters are fun/interesting. They don't feel like props for the story. Go Kim Young Kwang! (5) There isn't ever any question of who's going to get the girl. (6) The antagonists (villians) are 3-dimensional. They did despicable things, but have a reason other than just selfishness behind their actions. (7) The last episode doesn't feel like they're rushing to cram everything at the end. It feels like a natural conclusion giving you a glimpse of what their life is going to be like in the future.
34. Playful Kiss (aka Mischievous Kiss) (2010) - I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed the leads and got Kim Hyung Joon's take on the hero (who was so smart that he was bored most of the time), but the idea that the heroine's whole goal in life is to become his wife just really doesn't sit right with me. It's a very sweet love story. Jung Hye Young was great as the hero's mother. So great. I love her.
35. Protect the Boss (2011) - My first k-drama and will always be one of my all-time favorites. Ji Sung is awesome playing a multi-layered man-child chaebol's son and I loved Choi Kang Hee as the dogged put-upon heroine. The secret - that she was ultimately the cause of a major scandal for the hero's father - came out early, rather than being something hanging over their relationship and it didn't take the hero too long to fall in love with the heroine or start pursuing her. His relationship with the second male lead (played by JYJ's Kim Jae Joong) was awesome in its brotherly competitiveness and gave us a wrestling match in the middle of a restaurant. Additionally, the female second lead started out as a rival but becomes the heroine's roommate and friend. AND the second male lead ends up with a girl, the girl he really wanted in the first place. Who doesn't like that, when everyone ends up in love and happy?
36. Queen In Hyun's Man (2012) - One of my favorites. I really enjoyed this one, partially because the hero was different than the usual: while he was quite the swordsman, Kim Boong Do was first and foremost as scholar, a thinking man who was measured rather than larger than life. He might seem arrogant, but it's just because he's smarter than everyone else and doesn't see the point in fluffery. And unlike most heroes, from the beginning, he earnestly valued everyone, regardless of their status. He also, unlike most heroes, held his cards close to his vest and kept his reactions to things to himself. When the heroine made him smile, it was a slight, personal smile that you might miss if you weren't looking for it and those are the best kind. The heroine was sweet and actually kissed the hero first. Plus, the series has my favorite k-drama kiss, where the hero cradles the heroine's head and they dance even as they smooch. Passion, intimacy and sweetness all rolled into one.
37. Rooftop Prince (2012) - I quite enjoyed this one. Mickey Yoochun plays Crown Prince Yi Gak whose crown princess is found floating in a pond, dead. Han Ji Min plays the reincarnation of his sister-in-law. They meet when Yi Gak travels through time to solve the mystery of his princess's murder. Reincarnation plays a big part in things. Parts were really funny and the second leads were really evil. I didn't hate the ending (even though a lot of people didn't like it). The elevator scene is one you can't miss. Anyone who's seen the series knows which one I'm talking about. Definitely one to check out, even if you have to suffer through the guys' hideous hair. I'm not kidding. It's really bad.
38. Secret Garden (2010) - Liked this one, but it had to grow on me, especially believing that this hardcore stunt woman (Ha Ji Won) would fall in love with this almost prissy chaebol. Added into the mix is body-swapping between them, which leads to some really funny moments. Hyun Bin was terrific as usual and Ha Ji Won... well, I just love to see her fight. She kicks butt.
39. She Was Pretty (2015) - Warning: This series can cause a serious case of  Second Lead Syndrome. Choi Siwon stole the show as Shin Hyuk, the reporter who liked our heroine even when he was the only one who thought she was pretty. This drama relies on the 'first love' cliche as what bonds our OTP together. It also employs a case of mistaken identity to add drama. While I did like the hero, how he treated the heroine before he figured out who she was, I just didn't feel like he should have gotten the girl. Another series where the female lead and second lead are best friends and I loved their relationship.
40. Shining Inheritance (aka Beautiful Legacy / Brilliant Legacy) (2009) - Enjoyed this one, although the step-mother was *really* evil. Also, it stars my favorite halmeoni Ban Hyo Jung. She had a big part and I loved every minute of it. I don't know if I would watch it again, but it wasn't 28 wasted hours. Plus, it's got Lee Seung Gi as the hero and I've realized I pretty much like anything he stars in.
41. Splish Splash Love (2015) - a fantasy sageuk starring Kim Seul Gi and Yoon Doo Yoon. She's a girl who doesn't feel confident in her academic ability (especially in math). She freaks out before Korea's equivalent of the SAT/ACT exam and, after jumping in a puddle, travels back in time. Coincidentally, she appears as the king's advisors are doing a ceremony trying to get the spirits to bring some rain after a 3-year drought. She literally lies to save her life and becomes the king's advisor. Primarily on the subject of math. (Oh, the irony!) If you have an afternoon, it's an easy and enjoyable watch; the series is less than 3 hours. Good things come in small packages.
42. The Suspicious Housekeeper (aka The Strange Housekeeper) (2013) - I didn't expect to get as sucked into the story as I did and Choi Ji Woo did a phenomenal job as Park Bok Nyeo, the suspicious housekeeper with a tragic past that has led her to live and act like a robot and never, ever to smile. The show deals with the grief that a family feels when they lose loved ones. Lee Sung Jae is completely different than his character in 'Gu Family Book,' and Song Jong Ho is the most attractive psychopath I think I've ever seen. Definitely worth a watch. Great mystery.
43. Sweet Stranger and Me (aka The Man Living in Our House) (2016) - Currently airing, starring Soo Ae and Kim Young Kwang. I love this show. She is a stewardess whose Oma dies unexpectedly. Ten months later, she discovers that her boyfriend of 9 years is cheating on her with her hoobae at work. She throws him to the curb (almost literally), returns home and discovers a man living in her house. He says that he's her stepfather, but Oma never mentioned him. He also happens to be 3 years younger than her AND he owns Oma's house and land, which is in high demand due to a huge development project, which means his whole story could be one big con. The show is seriously funny and by the second episode I was in love with both lead characters. Na Ri is a confident career woman (in Korea, being a stewardess is a sought-after, elite career) who, while emotional, doesn't let those emotions overwhelm her logic. Nan Gil is kind, thoughtful, considerate, even-keeled and smart, and simply won't answer any question that would require a lie. When he acts like her Appa, it is so awesome. Plus, he has a dark past (re: gangster) and why he owns everything is not as simple as it seems.
44. W - Two Worlds (2016) - Lee Jung Suk's most recent drama. In the drama, W is an insanely popular web series/manga written by Oh Yun Joo's father. It's hero, Kang Cheol, has an epic origin story. After coming behind, he wins an Olympic gold in shooting. Shortly afterward, a mysterious stranger enters his home and uses his gun to shoot his parents and both of his dongsaengs in the head. The Prosecutor for the case is convinced that Kang Cheol did it and soon Kang Cheol's on trial for murder. 34 manga chapters later, Dad has decided to brutally kill Kang Cheol off. His plan is stopped when Yun Joo gets pulled into the manga and saves Cheol's life. Mysterously, these events become part of the webisodes, with Yun Joo becoming a character in Cheol's story. I really liked this one. The hero was cocky, not arrogant, and it didn't have the typical 'OTP hate each other when they first meet.'
45. Who Are You? (tvN) (2013) - the other 'I see ghosts' show from 2013. Shi On and her boyfriend, Hyung Joon, are staking out smugglers. He gets gunned down and she ends up in a 6-year coma. She suddenly wakes up, but her life is different, because now she can see ghosts. Unlike 'Master's Sun,' this one tried to play up the horror angle. I loved Taecyeon as Cha Gun Woo. His character really made the show for me, although I never really felt the chemistry between Gun Woo and Shi On (which I attribute more to So Yi Hyun). I liked this show, even though it took a little to grow on me. One thing that complicated things - and lead to Shi On's inconsistent character - was the power dynamic. Shi On is Gun Woo's boss, but she's also a woman. The writers didn't really seem to know how to handle her character, so even though she's a tough cop, she still ended up being a damsel in distress half the time.
46. You're All Surrounded (2014) - Loved this show! Lee Seung Gi, Go Ara and Cha Seung Won were amazing. Seung Gi plays Kim Ji Yong/Eun Dae Goo, a boy who watched his Oma being murdered before she can be the material witness at a murder trial. Seung Won plays, Pan Suk, the lead detective on Oma's case, and from the events in the first episode, looks to be dirty. Dae Goo grows up determined to bring Pan Suk down. Ara plays Soo Sun, Dae Goo's partner who doesn't recognize him as the boy that went missing after his mother was murderer. This series has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and plenty of moments that made me cry, especially when Seung Gi and Seung Won were involved.
47. You're Beautiful (2009) - Again, another one that every one seems to love and I just didn't. I just didn't really like the leads. He was too rude and too sour and prickly too much of the time and her shuffling and timid worrying just drove me nuts. And, again, I liked the second lead better than the guy the heroine chose. He's Jihoo-class shining armor second-lead. I'm considering rewatching it, at some point, *when* I have time.
48. You Who Came from the Stars (aka My Love from Another Star) (2013) - Loved this show. Kim Soo Hyun plays Do Min Joon, an ageless alien who was stranded in Korea in the Joseon period and is waiting to go home. Jun Ji Hyun is Chun Song Yi plays an actress that is the reincarnation of a girl Min Joon met when he first arrived to earth. Min Joon has spent the last 400-plus years alone, since he never ages and can't eat with people. At the onset, he discovers that a comet is coming that will finally allow him to go home. Things are complicated by Song Yi moving in next door and getting tangled up in his life. The leads have great chemistry and do a fantastic job of portraying the aching loneliness that both of their characters feel. The special effects are pretty terrific, too.