#valid love

userdramas event 01: favorite roles (so far) of my favorite actor

LEE SOO HYUK

part: 1 2 4 5 6 7 8

1a.) The fight scene in Fool's Love. Everyone has secret fighitng skills in dramas-- like across the board every male lead is secretly a badass who has studied jujitsu or some form of martial arts that they then use to kick ass and save the other lead. It's what I was expecting in Fool's Love and oooohhhh boy did they not deliver on that front. Still the funniest shit I have ever seen. Died laughing.

2b.) Speaking of hilarious fight scenes the one in Protect the Boss where the two main guys are in the bathroom kills me. They both do these flying punches at each other like the fight about to happen is going to be epic. But then someone walks in and they break apart and pretend like they are doing bathroom things. It's so funny to me. That and they were always just throwin down with each other. Loved it.

3c.) The main couple in Queen In Hyun's Man-- I just really loved them. They were so adorable together. I just really love the dramas that Yoo In Na does. She's adorable and a great actress.

4d.) Yeo Jin Goo. I love his face. He gets beat up very nicely. I love a good beat up face-- not to be weird or anything but he gets bloody and is still so pretty.

5e.) Lee Soo Hyuk as a construction worker in Valid Love. God damnnnnn. Especially that scene where she has a panic attack.

6f.) Welcome to Waikiki is one of the funniest fucking dramas out there. Literally belly laughing from minute one of the show and the laughs didn't stop. It was a great show throughout and is one I always watch when I'm feeling bad. Plus adorable baby content. 10/10 would reccommend.

7g.) Kim Woo Bin and his eyebrows. Just look at his face. Look at the rest of him.

8h.) The absolute drama that was Cha Seung Won in The Greatest Love. He was so dramatic and I loved every minute of it. Good show but I really loved the Lee Seung Gi cameo in it. I love them together. The Brotp feels are really for this duo.

9i.) Which makes me think of You're All Surrounded and how much I loved their relationship in this show. I love a good enemies turned to friends arc. Every bit of this show was fun-- even the secondary characters were fun. The whole reason for my url too. I think it's time for a rewatch.` Also I love Lee seung Gi's face.

10j.) Kang Ki Young-- there was a time when he was not in every single drama out there but I can't really remember those days anymore. I love him. He's hilarious and great in every role he plays.

To watch list:

#Alive

1 Litre of Tears Special

4-gatsu no Kimi, Spica

14-sai No Haha

20th Century Boy and Girl

100 Days My Prince

A Poem a Day

A Stray Goat

A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies

A Way Station

After School: Lucky or Not

Aftermath

Aftermath Season 2

Ai Ore! Love Me!

Ai Uta: My Promise To Nakuhito

Akai Ito

Akai Ito (TV Series)

Aku no Hado

Alice: Boy from Wonderland

Always

AM 11:00

And, Live

Ani ni Aisaresugite Komattemasu

Baby-faced Beauty

Back Hug

Back to 20

Be With You (2018)

Beats Per Mizu

Beautiful Vampire

Because This is My First Life

Bittersweet

Blade Man

Blood

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (2016)

Boku dake ga Inai Machi (2017)

Boku wa Doko kara

Bow Then Kiss

Boys! Please Kiss Him, Instead of Me

Bride of the Century

Bring It On, Ghost

Brother's Friend

Cart

Catch the Ghost

Cheat

Cheer Up!

Cheese in the Trap (2018)

Choco Bank

Circle

Coffee and Vanilla

Collectors

Colors of Wind

Come Back Ahjussi

Control Tower

Cry Me a Sad River

Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World

Cunning Single Lady

Cyrano Agency

Da Capo

Daytime Shooting Star

Dead Vacation

Death Note (2015)

Derailed

Destiny's Love

Doctor Stranger

Double Patty

Drama Stage: Anthology

Dream High

Dream High 2

Drowning Love

Dying Eye

Eien no Bokura Sea Side Blue

Entertainer

Entourage

Fantastic

Fights Break Sphere

Finding Mr. Destiny

Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency

Flowers for Algernon

Forget Me Not

Gangnam Scandal

Giver: Fukushu no Zoyosha

Glorious Temptation

Gomen, Aishiteru

Good Doctor (2013)

Good Morning Call - Our Campus Days

Goodbye Summer

Hajimete Koi wo Shita Hi ni Yomu Hanashi

Haken Uranaishi Ataru

Hana ni Keda Mono

Hana ni Keda Mono: Second Season

Hanamizuki -May your love bloom a hundred year-

Hapimari: Happy Marriage!?

Haruta & Chika

Haunters

Healer

Heartbreak Library

Her Senior

Heroine Disqualified

Hidarikiki no Eren

High Society

Himitsu The Top Secret

His

Hitsuji to Okami no Koi to Satsujin

Holding The Cat in Arms

Horimiya

Hot Gimmick

Hotaru no Hikari

Hotaru no Hikari 2

Hotaru no Hikari: It's Only A Little Light In My Life

I Have Three Boyfriends

I Remember You

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

If Cats Disappeared From the World

I'm Underage But I'm Not A Child

Imaginary Cat

Impossibility Defense

Inseparable Bros

Inuyashiki

Itazura na Kiss - Love In Tokyo 2

Itazura na Kiss 2 - Love in Okinawa

It's Difficult to Love an Otaku

Jimi ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko

Jinx!!!

Josee

Joshi-teki Seikatsu

Juror 8

Kakafukaka

Keys to the Heart

Kim Ji Young: Born 1982

Kimi to Boku

Kinkyori Renai

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight

Kizoku Tantei

Knowing Wife

Kurosaki-kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai (2015)

Kurosaki-kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai (2016)

Kuroshitsuji

Kurui Musashi

Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasuk

L♥DK: Two Loves Under One Roof

Last Cinderella

Laughing Under the Clouds

Laughter in Waikiki

Laughter in Waikiki 2

Light on Series: Sisyphus

Live On

Love At Least

Love Cells

Love in the Moonlight

Magic School

March Comes in Like a Lion

March Comes in Like a Lion 2

Marmalade Boy

Meiji Tokyo Renka

Meteor Garden (2018)

Middle School Girl A

Mirai Nikki

Mischievous Kiss The Movie: Campus

Mischievous Kiss The Movie: High School

Mischievous Kiss The Movie: The Proposal

Miss & Mrs. Cops

Missions of Love

Missions of Love (Series)

Monsterz

Moorim School

Mother (2010)

Mother (2018)

Mouse

Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP

My Amazing Boyfriend

My Amazing Boyfriend 2

My Annoying Brother

My First First Love

My First First Love 2

My Girl and I

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

My Holo Love

My Korean Teacher

My Love Eun Dong: The Beginning

My Lovely Girl

My Mister

My Neighbour Can't Sleep

My Robot Boyfriend

My Secret Hotel

My Teacher

Narratage

Negotiator

Neko Cafe

Never Let Me Go

Nisekoi

No Breathing

No Longer Human

Noble, My Love

Ochanomizu Rock

Oh My Ghost

Okane no Kireme ga Koi no Hajimari

One In A Hundred Thousand

One More Happy Ending

One Step

One Way Trip

One Week Friends

Operation Love

Orange Marmalade

Our 30 Minute Sessions

Our Meal For Tomorrow

Ouran High School Host Club

P to JK

Peach Girl

Personal Taste

Pieta in the Toilet

Pipeline

Playful Kiss

Playful Kiss Seung Jo's Diary

Playful Kiss YouTube Edition

Please Find Her

Positive Physique

Postman To Heaven

Prime Minister and I

Princess Princess D

Proposal Daisakusen

Proposal Daisakusen Special

Protect the Boss

Q10

Ranma ½

Real⇔Fake

Remember

Reply 1997

Reverse

River's Edge

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

Room 7

Ruler: Master of the Mask

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final

Rush to the Dead Summer

Sakura

Sakurada Reset: Part 1

Sakurada Reset: Part 2

School 2013

School 2017

Search Out

Second Love

Secret (2013)

Secret Queen Makers

Secret Zoo

Seducing Mr. Perfect

Sensei Kunshu

Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River

Sherlock

Sherlock Special

Signal: Choki Mikaiketsu Jiken Sosahan SP

Something About 1 Percent

Splash Splash LOVE

Strongest Deliveryman

Sweet Combat

Sweet Revenge

Sweet Revenge Season 2

Swing Kids

Switched

Tario Fukushu Daiko no Futari

Temperature of Love

Temptation of Wolves

The 100th Love With You

The Beauty Inside (2018)

The Day After We Broke Up

The Diary About Ayame's Easygoing and Aggressive Days

The Divine Fury

The Host

The Liar and His Lover

The Life of the White Fox

The Master Plan

The Most Ordinary Romance

The Musical

The Nokdu Flower

The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale

The Secret Life of My Secretary

Theatre: A Love Story

Time Raiders

Time to Hunt

To Be Continued

Tokyo DOGS

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul S

Tomorrow I Will Date With Yesterday’s You

Top Management

Totsuzen Desu ga, Ashita Kekkon Shimasu

Tune in for Love

Twenty

Twenty Hacker

Twenty Years Old

Two Weeks

Unforgettable

V.I.P. (2017)

Valid Love

Vampire Detective

Way Back Into Love

We Broke Up

What Happens to My Family?

Where Your Eyes Linger

Who Are You: School 2015

WISH YOU : Your Melody In My Heart

Wonderful Life

World of Delight

xxxHolic

Yell for the Blue Sky

You Drive Me Crazy

Your Eyes Tell

You're Beautiful

Original list is here!

[https://moon-soo-ah.tumblr.com/post/174640413880/kjc-dramas]

Since I’ve been all quiet on the drama front this year because of life reasons, I thought it would be fun to go back and pick out 20 of the most memorable dramas of the last decade. Maybe not necessarily the best dramas or even my favorites (although some are!), but two dramas each year that were somehow notable moments in my drama-watching timeline.

2009: Gateway Drugs

Boys over Flowers (KBS)

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a good drama. It is not one I think I can ever really rewatch (although I will happily revisit the 2005 Japanese version, and I had a hellava fun time watching the latest Chinese version). But! It was the first kdrama I remember watching, and the first step on the slippery slope of eventually becoming a Drama Addict. I mostly remember it being crazy popular on places like mysoju (RIP), and so I checked it out due to curiosity, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or, should I say, almost paaaaradise!

You’re Beautiful (SBS)

This one I also watched because it became crazy-popular online, and curiosity got the better of me. I really didn’t know much about k-pop prior to dramas, so I had no idea until after this drama that k-pop was more about pretty people in crazy fashion, dancing in syncopation in bizarrely lit rooms, rather than playing instruments. Because it was thanks to this drama that I got my crash-course on k-pop as a phenomenon -- both the fandom side, and the crazy things that artists have to go through to claw their way into the public’s view (nevar 4get the glorious ramen dance). Since Angel was a group that played instruments, and Hongki and Yonghwa were also from groups that played instruments, I assumed that all kpop were groups that played instruments. Oh, sweet summer child...

But it did get me started on my k-pop journey, first falling in love with FT Island and CNBLUE, before falling into the rabbit hole of the other prominent groups of the day. (SNSD! The Wonder Girls! Super Junior! DBSK! SS501! Kara! 2PM! 2AM! Shinee! BEG! Epik High! U-KISS! All the debut groups, like 2NE1, MBLAQ, B2ST, 4Minute, f(x), T-ara, After School... basically 2009 was a magical year in k-pop.)

If I had just watched Boys Over Flowers, I don’t know that I would have become a Drama Addict. But You’re Beautiful pushed me closer to the edge, with the zany humor of the Hong Sisters (and the desire for a pig-bunny of my own!). It would really be Coffee Prince that would push me over the edge, but that aired in 2007 so it doesn’t count for this list. But I had to mention it anyway, because, well, it’s Coffee Prince and where my love for Handsome Oppa began.

2010: More Than Candy

The Woman Who Wants To Marry (MBC)

A lot of the dramas I watched at first had that typical “Candy” character, the poor-but-scrappy girl who would somehow be saved by the guy and become the Cinderella she never knew she wanted to be. So it was a delight when I encountered women who were not only older than high-school-age or early twenties, but in their thirties, with rich full lives! Plus, this was one of my earliest introductions to the concept of the “noona romance” (a concept that I’ve since heartily embraced, of course). I started it primarily because Kim Bum was my favorite of the Flower Boys, but I stuck with it because I fell in love with the women (and I still have a girl-crush on Bu-ki).

Harvest Villa (tvn)

This show is insane. But in the good way, the way that the writer intended, and not in the “are a bunch of monkeys typing this script?” train-wreck way. There was basically no buzz about this show, and I feel like I somehow accidentally stumbled over it, but it was love at first sight. I’ve never forgotten the late hours binging it, being so sucked into the story that I absolutely had to finish it as soon as I could, disappointed that there wasn’t more of it to enjoy when I finally finished, bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, but satisfied.

I then later gobbled down this writer’s next drama, and her next drama, and the next, until everyone else finally realized thanks to Signal that Kim Eun-hee was as amazing a writer as I kept insisting to anyone who would listen (aka no one).

2011: To Binge or Not To Binge?

White Christmas (KBS)

I did not watch White Christmas in 2011. I actually watched it in 2013. I was always a steadfast binger, preferring to wait until the buzz about a show would sway me into spending my precious free-time watching something that would be worth my while (not that my drama choices were always good, but at least I tried to avoid the duds). I still prefer to binge, since waiting weeks for new episodes is vaguely frustrating when I want to know what happens next, right now! Plus, I’m very good at forgetting that I’m watching a show in the week-long wait for new episodes, and then just... never picking it back up again.

Despite watching White Christmas a couple years after it aired, it remains one of my favorites, and one I love to rewatch, even though I’ve already experienced  whodunnit cliff-hangers and psychological rollercoasters. It became a tradition of sorts here on tumblr for a bunch of us to rewatch it over the holiday season -- alas, I haven’t joined in that tradition for the past couple of years, but I hope that somewhere in this blue hell hole that there are a loyal few keeping the tradition alive.

At least we have this drama to thank for bringing us all the model-actors that were new and clueless in White Christmas, but would later go on to be leading men in their own right. Of course, some of them haven’t exactly made the best drama choices (*cough*SungJoon*cough*), but then there are others (*cough*SooHyuk*cough*) that I’m impatiently waiting for to pick up a new drama so I can see those post-army abs.

Tree With Deep Roots (SBS)

This is the first drama that I recall live-watching. I vaguely remember regretting it at the time, since it was agony waiting for new episodes, but it was also fun to have a week to speculate and ponder the show. And what a beautiful show to ponder! This was also one of the few sageuks I actually watched, being generally intimidated by anything longer than 16-20 episodes, and my historical knowledge was a little shaky (before embracing my inner nerd and diving into mundane historical stuff just so I could better understand whatever drama I was watching at the time).

I don’t think I intended to continue live-watching shows, preferring the ease of binging at my own pace and schedule. But that was when I was still a casual, innocent addict, and not someone who would eventually make dramas a huge part of her life.

2012: The Joy of Overthinking

Gaksital (KBS)

Having had a taste of live-watching, I started to live-watch enough dramas to the point where I began to make notes about the premiere weeks. It was only a couple at a time, and binging was still my preferred way to watch, but now I was delighting in being part of the fandom, sharing in speculation each week, posting my thoughts on dramas and analyzing them to my heart’s content -- even though I knew no one except me would read my ridiculous essays.

But I started to feel more comfortable sharing my opinion with the world, interacting with fandom and not merely content to be a consumer, but gradually becoming a producer as well.

Reply 1997 (tvN)

This is it. This is when I went full-on Drama Addict. This is the tipping point from casual fan who quietly kept to herself, to becoming someone who stood on the mountain top yelling about ALL THE DRAMAS ALL THE TIME. I began to interact with other fans! To swap theories and share squee-worthy moments! I even watched episodes RAW just because of how desperate I was to know what happened, and even though the Busan accent stumped me more than once, it made me realize that my casual study of Korean was something to take seriously since I understood more than I gave myself credit for.

It was also the first time any post I made got more than a handful of notes, since I’d mostly hovered in the “less than 10 notes per post” category at the time. I was so proud of myself back then!

(This drama also notably marks the start of my Hoya obsession, which continues to this day.)

2013: Tumblr Friends (and Foes)

Flower Boy Next Door (tvN)

Having made myself comfortable on tumblr as a Drama Addict, I then discovered some other dedicated fans -- many of which I still follow to this day and who are now just a permanent part of my dash, no matter what their current interests may be -- in the FBND squad.

But I also discovered Kim Seul-gi as the Webtoon Editor (who I still love and adore and continue to use as my avatar), and her adorable romance with Dong-hoon remains one of my forever OTPs. As much as I enjoyed the drama romances, I’d never fallen so deeply for one to be so obsessed by it as I was Webtoon Editor and Dong-hoon. And tbh I still am. They’re just so adorable and pragmatic and she buys him a bag. Ugh. I love her so much, you guys.

Heirs (SBS)

Ah, yes. This hot mess.

I don’t know what possessed me to live-blog each episode. But I did. With snarky commentary and terrible screencaps. And suddenly I went from maybe 200 followers to over a 1000. That was a total shock! I met a lot of people because of that (and made some friends, as well as a few enemies who didn’t appreciate my opinion of certain characters), and ensconced myself as part of the drama-blogging crew.

It was from this that someone suggested I apply to be a minion at Dramabeans. Back then, I had a lot more free time than I do now, and I was watching a lot of dramas that Dramabeans didn’t cover, and wished they did so I could read more opinions about those shows. So I thought, “Eh, why not? It can’t hurt to submit something because the worst that would happen is I’d waste their time making them read my take on episode 10 of Let’s Eat.”

I fully expected them to turn me down. No one was more surprised than I was when I found myself agreeing to dive into the world of recapping.

2014: It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

Trot Lovers (KBS)

Recapping. It seems so easy when you’re reading the recaps. But actually creating them is a bitch. Hours out of my life were spent on this disaster of a trope-laden show with no plot. This was the third show I worked on for Dramabeans, and I hated it to the point where I seriously considered handing in my notice. (Immediately following up this show with the mediocre My Secret Hotel certainly didn’t help matters!)

However, it turns out that what I actually hated was being forced to watch a terrible rom-com and pretend to come up with insightful-or-at-least-neutral thoughts about it (since we were still new and couldn’t go full-on snark yet).

Misaeng (tvN)

This is what saved me. Being given the chance to immerse myself in such a unique, ponderous, thoughtful show restored my faith in dramas and the drama community. I loved spending hours on this show, soaking up all the little details, and then sharing that love with the world.

Misaeng made dramas magical again.

2015: Fight Me

Valid Love (tvN)

Realizing that I only seemed to enjoy rom-coms at arm-length, I discovered that my tastes often ran counter to the general drama-viewing public. Not all the drama-viewing public -- I’m not a “not like other fans” kind of fan -- but enough that I began to realize the whether a drama was popular or had good buzz was not necessarily the primary reason to watch it.

I began to have more faith in my own taste, based on past experiences with various writers and directors. Even if the premise (or first couple of episodes) seemed kind of weird and out-there, I at least wanted to give these artists the benefit of the doubt that I would enjoy their work, like I had previously.

So many people seemed to hate Valid Love, but I adored it. Still do (and still desperately wish Kim Do-woo would come out with a new drama -- it has been too long, writer-nim!). There were a lot of opinions about this show, even among people who seemed to enjoy it, but I vividly recall having to repeatedly insist that it wasn’t about the romance and argue that  the knee-jerk infidelity-is-BAD opinions should make space for something more nuanced.

Ho-gu’s Love (tvN)

DramaFever was a pretty great site. It brought together so many drama fans and gave them a place where they could legally (and without fear of downloading random viruses) watch dramas to their heart’s content. Yes, there may have been some lingering resentment that they were the primary reason that so many amazing other sites were shut down (RIP mysoju and daebaeksubs), but dramas were more accessible than ever!

Eventually, DramaFever started to sub shows themselves and upload them weekly (instead of just using fansubs and uploading older dramas), and while they weren’t the best translations, they were at least better than machine translations from the Chinese subs. As I became more and more familiar with Korean, I found myself more likely to migrate to Viki since I liked the extra detailed translations. I could get the gist of a show without any help -- I wanted to instead delve into the nitty-gritty of the language.

But I never really hated DramaFever or felt they were particularly awful. Until they mistranslated something so terribly that it changed the entire meaning of a scene and ruined people’s perception of a drama, forcing me to continually defend the true translation.

That was the molehill I died on that day, and never again did I touch DramaFever. I feel bad that it eventually got unceremoniously shuttered. But I don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for the “condom” incident.

2016: Free Solo

Dear My Friends (tvN)

For two years I’d been happily working on one episode a week, sharing a show with someone else, until I was asked if I’d like to tackle a show by myself. I wasn’t sure how I could handle it, but I had the time in my schedule so I said, “Sure, why not?”

I was originally going to recap Another Oh Hae-young, but there was a last-minute switcheroo, and I’m so incredibly glad because this is perhaps my favorite recapping experience of all time, even more so than Misaeng. There was something so special about the luxury of having an entire show to myself, especially one with such a fantastic cast of characters and thoughtful themes. I didn’t have to try and figure out if I agreed with another person’s take -- it could all be my opinion.

Is that arrogant? Perhaps. But it was also therapeutic, as it reminded me once again how incredible and amazing dramas could be, and the privilege I had to share such an exquisite and thought-provoking drama with the rest of the world.

The Good Wife (tvN)

Surprisingly, this was what I had really wanted to recap that year, and the true reason I got Dear My Friends, since it aired just prior in the same time-slot as The Good Wife. I was desperate to have this show, willing to do anything to get it because I needed to see Jeon Do-yeon back on the small screen, to see Yoo Ji-tae smolder, to know how Korea would adapt such an ambitious show.

And I wasn’t disappointed! This is, perhaps, my favorite adaption of another work of art that I’ve seen in dramaland. It remained true to Korean sensibilities, but it also properly felt like The Good Wife. The cast was phenomenal. The costumes were exquisite. I wished I could spend more time in that world.

But I was also thankful, because without The Good Wife, I would have never have had Dear My Friends. 

2017: Serial-Killers Are Cool

Voice (OCN)

I can’t remember how I got assigned to this. Maybe it was a scheduling thing. I do know that I really, really wanted it, since it would be Handsome Oppa’s first drama appearance in three years.

But it started me down a road of recapping a lot of serious and serial-killer-centric shows. Except for the times when I’d beg for a break and tackle something lighter, I was generally assigned the darker mystery shows with meaty plots, since apparently I had a knack for condensing complicated shows into something that made sense. (Also literally darker, and I eventually learned to automatically brighten every screencap I posted. You’re welcome.)

Not only did I love working on something with Handsome Oppa, I also had fun recapping the start of what would eventually become OCN’s stock-in-trade -- creepy serial killers. At the time, Voice shattered OCN’s viewer ratings (which would then be shattered again and again as more people would tune in to OCN shows). But Voice really helped put OCN on the viewership map -- as well as catapult Handsome Oppa into the public eye and lead him to a path of getting to choose whatever script he wanted to work on.

(Okay, maybe I made that last bit up, but he did begin to garner a larger following and remind everyone that just because he was gone from dramaland for so long, he hadn’t lost his acting chops -- or charisma -- or cheekbones.)

Black (OCN)

Oh, this show. It was basically my whole life while it was airing (well, the non-day-job part of my life). Each episode was over an hour long and jam-packed full of details that were pertinent to the story, and I had to somehow condense that all into 3000 words or less (I was not always, ah, successful...). It felt like I was back in recapping bootcamp, but the dial had been turned up to 11.

I’m weirdly proud of what I produced (although you’ll never get me to reread my old work). It was one of the most challenging shows to work on, but in the good way, not the Trot Lovers way.

Until the ending, that is. Sigh. That ending will live in infamy. I still, to this day, will get a few comments on the finale from people who watched it on Netflix, went searching online for an explanation of the end, and then discovered that they were not alone in being confused by the utter wtf-ery of the last twenty minutes.

2018: Fighting For My Love

Misty (JTBC)

So, Dramabeans kind of disappeared for a few months. Well, the site was still live. There were a handful of recaps. But... it basically just... stopped. 

Those of us on the other side know about as you do as to why that happened. Minions are kept in the dark just as much as anybody, it seems. All we knew is that we weren’t being assigned anything and we seriously wondered if the site was going under, since adsense has become worthless these days.

But Mary and I kept talking about how much we adored Misty and were sad that we couldn’t talk about it with the world (and convince them to watch it with us), so we pleaded and begged and got the go-ahead to do a kind of chatty “open thread” which has apparently been a spring-board format for other shows. We didn’t get paid for this, and we were totally fine with that. We just wanted to provide some kind of content (while swooning over Kim Nam-joo’s pantsuits!).

Let’s Eat 3 (tvN)

This was my first real assignment after the dead period, and I once again got to do full recaps (with pay!). I started watching, thinking I’d merely tolerate the show (since I loved the first season vastly more than the second season), but it turned out to be my favorite of the three. Plus it felt fortuitous that the series I had submitted my application would be a series I’d work on four years later.

Sometimes it’s nice to spend time with a character you met years ago, to see them grow, to see how they became what they became. Drama trends (and love interests) will come and go, but Goo Dae-young’s love of food (and love of explaining the proper way to eat food) will never change. It was a really comforting drama for me to spend my summer on, and I’ll remember it fondly, even if I’m forever sad that it had to suddenly wrap-up two episodes early.

2019: Ten Years Later

Item (MBC)

This was the Trot Lovers of 2019. It was a nonsensical disaster.

I also had the added chaos of my real-life job -- one very different from the one I had when I was working on Trot Lovers -- as it began to increase exponentially in responsibilities and in stress. I reached a breaking point where I began to hate opening my computer where I’d have to spend hours attempting to explain a show that I wanted nothing to do with. I was miserable and depressed and couldn’t do it anymore. I never before asked to be taken off a show because I hated it so much, but there’s a first for everything.

Her Private Life (tvN)

I actually haven’t finished this show -- I’ve yet to watch the last two episodes. But I’m including it because, well, I didn’t finish any other show in 2019 except for Item.

As some of you may know, this has been a difficult year. It started with the unexpected stress of my job, when we suddenly lost one of our directors who passed away, and another director was let go (in a complicated situation that is ongoing, but the important thing is that it was during our busiest time when we really couldn’t afford to lose anyone), and another director left for a different job and I was basically the one to pick up all the pieces she left behind. It was exhausting and we were all past the breaking point but somehow miraculously holding it together.

I was looking forward to finally getting a much-needed vacation in September, and then, well, you all know how that went: the first night, on our layover in New Zealand before what was supposed to be three weeks in Australia, my father was taken to the hospital, and then, two days later, he passed away. Life has gotten even more chaotic and stressful and bizarre since then.

So no, I haven’t finished this drama, but it was one of the most wonderful moments of the year for me, watching this fizzy rom-com with my favorite actor, where he got to be charming and handsome and charismatic and finally kiss the girl he loves and have her love him back (and not die or be dumped, as he had been in so many dramas that had gone before). Lion Oppa was everything my heart could desire, and living in his world helped me endure the insanity that I wish I’d known would seem so much more tolerable than what would eventually befall.

Her Private Life reminded me of when I first fell in love with dramas ten years ago, when I would giggle and be delighted by the charming nonsense on screen -- of beautiful people falling in love and fighting against the obstacles between them (some more ridiculous than others, perhaps, but there are always obstacles), and ending up happily ever after. Pure escapism, of the frothiest kind.

A Drama-filled Decade

So, after ten years of dramas, what is the takeaway? What have I learned?

I suppose I’ve learned to trust my instincts and put more faith in writers and directors than actors. That analyzing dramas is fun, and it’s even more fun sharing it with others, and sometimes even more fun if you get paid to do it -- but everyone eventually reaches a breaking point. That I’m too earnest and optimistic to embrace a life of snark. That I want every drama to be good but most of them aren’t, except sometimes they are. That I’m not even sure which genres are my favorite; I just know what I don’t like.

That dramas are best as escapism, and not as work.

I don’t know how many dramas I’ll watch in 2020. I haven’t paid any attention to what’s airing, and I’m okay with that. Perhaps I’m entering a new phase in my life, or perhaps I just don’t have the capacity to escape right now.

But I am pleased to have had dramas in my life, and to have eventually made them my hobby. I’ve met a lot of amazing people and made some genuine friends through a shared love of dramas (or, at times, a shared hatred). I’m honored that all of you are still here and following me, even during this period of fandom silence.

this is for all you new soohyuk fans or those who have yet to see all his works, or simply you want to decide which ones to start watching! i’m going to give a run down of the dramas he’s been in (this list does not include films, sitcoms or cameos) and my own personal review and thoughts on the ones i’ve watched, and the few that i am currently watching or haven’t watched (no spoilers will be given dont worry). i know it might seem odd that i haven’t seen all his dramas but personally, some of them dont interest me enough to want to watch them in full immediately and usually i wait to see what kind of reviews it received to see if i should dedicate my time to it. these are in no particular order.

high school king of savvy (2014)

this one is my personal favorite of soohyuk’s and one of his favorites too. his character yoo jinwoo is the ‘tsundere’ type and soohyuk himself said this role was closest to how he is in real life and given the attractiveness of his character, that makes me very happy. soohyuk also admitted he loved working with seo in guk on this. this drama is great if you love the typical mean guy vs sweet guy drama love triangle trope. i really liked the female character jung sooyoung as she stays true to herself through her fashion, looks and actions, not changing her quirkiness and realistic awkwardness for the male characters, which is refreshing and new for kdramas i find.

- watched.

local hero (2016)

this role was a breakthrough kind of role for soohyuk as he admitted he liked the fact it was more natural/true-to-life than his previous roles. this is great if you’d like to see a more boyfriend style to soohyuk as this role is less serious than previous roles plus his character, changyu has a sort of dorky/boy nextdoor cuteness and charm.

- rewatching.

scholar who walks the night (2015)

from what i’ve seen, this is soohyuk’s most popular role among you guys, and i can see why. his character gwi showcases soohyuk’s darker side and despite being the bad guy, you can’t help but root for him. the only issues i have with this drama is that sometimes the flashbacks are annoyingly long and gwi’s backstory is never delved into, however its good if you’re trying to get into historical dramas as it helps you familiarise yourself with the conventions of the genre whilst remaining engaging and innovative through the supernatural of the vampires.

- watched.

deep rooted tree / tree with deep roots (2011)

this was one of soohyuk’s very first drama appearances so he is not in it very much so i dont recommend watch this if you’re only watching it for him (however, im only halfway through it myself as im currently watching it on netflix so he may have more appearances later) but it shows similarities to scholar who walks the night if you enjoy that. the historical element to this drama is far more complex than scholar who walks the night however, as it has a lot of texts and words prior to the invention of hangul. but this is due to the fact part of the plot includes elements around devising the hangul system so this isn’t great for first time historical drama watchers and some talking parts and flashbacks seem to drag on but that was the style of dramas back in 2011 and older so but if you’re a historical drama fan you’ll like it even if soohyuk isn’t in it much.

- watching.

valid / righteous love (2014)

for me personally, this is my least favorite drama of soohyuk’s. i watched approximately 3 or 4 episodes in full but i couldn’t force myself to watch it all. its an extremely slow burner kind of kdrama which is something im not a fan of, plus nothing really happens and for me and i found it boring. i didn’t like the way in which the original relationship between the lead and her husband begins with the female lead shown as a minor in school and her future husband begins as her teacher, which i found extremely uncomfortable. the plus is that this drama shows soohyuk as a very good looking carpenter with a shirtless scene to introduce his character, also the overall lighting and aesthetic of the drama is quite nice. but for me, i just dont like the adultery kind of plot and things like that, i just found the overall plot boring, predictable and a bit uncomfortable to watch.

- watched.

ones i plan to complete watching and review later:

- shark

- lucky romance