My Top Ten K-Dramas

Everyone has those dramas that they absolutely love. Here's my list of my top ten favorite k-dramas, at least as of 10 Dec 13. Making this list was not easy, and I'm sure that it will change as time goes on. (These are listed in alphabetical order, because picking my *favorite* k-drama is just too hard.)

Boys Over Flowers (2009) - I admit it, this is the first k-drama that I marathoned. I'd watched a few other dramas, but this is the one where I *had* to see what happened next and hated that I had to interrupt my watching with that pesky thing called sleep. And although other dramas have made cry since, this one sticks out as one that I cried the hardest watching, because I *cared* what happened to the characters. It seems like the last third of the show I cried. I cared that Ji Hoo was estranged from his ailing grandfather, that Jun Pyo was being forced to marry someone he didn't love because of his evil mother, that Ga Eul pined for a man who was a perpetual playboy. And because I was relatively new to k-dramas, the twists and turns and some of the cliche moments... I wasn't expecting them. I think this is about the time where I started calling k-dramas addictive, because I did get addicted. 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, he still had that sweet, personable quality. Even as I wanted to punch him because he was so arrogant, I found myself liking him. I attribute this directly to Lee Min Ho. Other dramas, the hero has been Jun Pyo's kind of jerk, but I never did really grow to like them. And I think if it had been a different actor, I don't think I would have liked Jun Pyo quite as much. And who can beat Woo Bin's "Yo, yo, my bro!"?

City Hunter (2011) - Another Lee Min Ho drama that I loved. It had intrigue, drama, plenty of action, and some good angsty romance. It constantly kept you guessing as to what might happen next. Plus, the heroine wasn't a pushover. Played by Park Min Young, Kim Na Na could take care of herself and spoke her mind, but was still someone you'd want to be best friends with. And she taught judo so she could kick the hero's butt if she wanted to. Lee Min Ho wore pink pants and rocked them and his Lee Yoon Sung was just smooth and clever. And tortured. I mean, who wouldn't be tortured when your honorable father was betrayed and murdered by greedy politicians and your mother abandoned you? Except that he wasn't really abandoned by his mother, but stolen by his foster-father, so she was doubly pathetic when they're finally reunited. Plus, she's got cancer. Plus, Kim Sang Joong was amazing as Yoon Sung's twisted foster father, Jin Pyo. The man was cold-hearted. Even to the end. And I loved every minute of it. Plus, there was a fight scene that took place in a "Rocker Room," with lockers and everything. Who wouldn't love that?

Full House (2004) - Before I watched this drama, I'd read about it. Many of the comments talked about how they really didn't like Young Jae. They thought he was obnoxious, especially in how he treated the heroine. From the beginning, I liked him. Yes, he was rude, but Bi/Rain was playing a movie star who being pestered by some random girl that he ended up sitting by on an airplane and who threw up on him. But from the beginning, I saw him for who he was: an emotionally immature man who had no idea how to deal with his emotions. Yes, the way that he acted drove me nuts at times, but the heroine, she gave as good as she got. And the heroine, Ji Eun, was just so nice. I would have thrown her 'friends' in jail after they stranded me in China and sold the lone piece of inheritance from my dead parents, the house my father designed. But she didn't... And she stayed friends with them! 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.

Gu Family Book (2013) - This is the first drama that I recapped on this site. There's so much that I love about it. Unlike a lot of dramas, that take a few episodes to really click, this one sucks you in, in the first 15 minutes. Plus, Choi Jin Hyuk stole my heart (and many other people's) in two short episodes as the tragic gumiho, Gu Wol Ryung. It's not to say that I didn't seriously get irritated at characters, like the monk So Jung, who never had anything useful to say and was constantly wrong, but everyone treated his utterances as gold, or like Chung Jo, who I might have liked except she rejected the hero and then got jealous and catty towards the woman who always saw the hero's worth, or Pyung Joon, who had to be one of the most frustrating fathers *ever* and who constantly made stupid decisions. But even with these people, there were so many more than won my heart: Soo Ryun, the head gisaeng, played by Jung Hye Young, whose nuanced performance communicated more than any scripted dialogue; Teacher Gong Dal, Song (the hero's buddy), and Admiral Lee Soon Shin, whose indignant growl made any episode for me. And most especially, the heroine and her male suitors (which included our hero). Dam Yeo Wool was a girl who threw off the conventions of her day to *literally* fight for what she believed in, plus she knew her mind and loved the hero enough to be friend he needed even when her own heart was breaking. Bae Suzy did a great job of making me fall in love with this girl, because she played her with the perfect combination of tenderness and steel. 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 him so much. And I fell in love with the other two boys. Yoo Yun Suk acted the heck out of his scenes as Tae Seo. When he cried, it was gut wrenching because he was so *there.* And Sung Joon rocked it as the untalkative Gon. Like Jung Hye Young, the little looks that he would give said *so* much. Even if he was plagued with terrible, terrible hair.

King2Hearts (2012) - The second series on my list with Lee Seung Gi as the hero. He plays a prince, the younger, more irresponsible brother of the king of Korea (if South Korea had a monarchy). It has one of my favorite bromances ever, between Prince Jae Ha and his straight-laced royal guard, Eun Shi Kyung. It also has the best hyung ever: King Jae Kang. Again, our heroine was strong and confident and didn't have a problem speaking her mind. She also didn't put up with the hero being a jerk but instead helps him to be better every moment along the way. 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.

Master's Sun (2013) - This drama has a heroine who sees ghosts and the hero is her ghost-repellant, the one thing that she's found that can chase these ghosts away. 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 and asking her 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 the ghosts do that one last thing before they move on. And it's the one time where someone getting amnesia didn't bug me for being a cheap k-drama cliche, but 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 (through the hero, Joong Won), 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?

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010) - Another 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 end 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 grew to be a man because of his love for her, that made me love him, too. Plus, it rained whenever the heroine cried, which always moved the hero's (and my) heart. This is the series that taught me that "numma, numma" is "very, very" and brought finger communication to a whole new level.

My Name is Kim Sam Soon (2005) - Kim Sam Soon may be one of my favorite heroines ever because she spoke her mind (even if she did sometimes sound like a fishmonger's wife), wasn't a perfect beauty but was perfectly loveable, and didn't have a problem chewing out the hero and calling him a jerk. She didn't put up with the wrist grab, she didn't just go when the hero ordered, and she kicked the hero to the curb when he wasn't treating her right, even if it meant that she was *never* getting married. The hero, played by Hyun Bin, was hilarious in how mischievous he was, especially where she was concerned, and how much he read people, especially his mother. There were true Bridget Jones moments, which made me love our heroine even more, and I love the fact that the heroine got drunk and beat the hero with a stuffed pig, even as he was giving her a piggyback ride.

Protect the Boss (2011) - My first k-drama, it persuaded me on how awesome these shows are. Part of that I attribute to the leads. Ji Sung was the perfect man-child, Cha Ji Heon, and Choi Kang Hee was the perfect put-upon secretary, No Eun Seol. Plus, 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 roommmate 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?

Queen In Hyun's Man (2012) - I think this drama made my list because the hero is a different sort of man. While he was quite the swordsman, he was first and foremost as scholar, a thinking man who was measured rather than larger than life. He might seem arrogant, but it was just because he was smarter than everyone else so he knew what he was talking about and didn't see the point in fluffery. And unlike most heroes, he didn't look down on people or think he was better than them. He earnestly valued anyone, 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.