Top 5 Kdrama Countdown : January Week 4

 This week's top five was actually hard to put together.  Due to the lunar holiday a bunch of episodes were preempted and if you add on my suddenly unexpected marathon of Prince Lan Ling (I seriously lost 10 straight hours of my life to that drama when I was just going to try one episode) it took some searching to decide on my countdown.  But luckily we also had some great scenes and things that I love and also a character that I love to hate so we are back on track and I am happy with this weeks top 5. 

#5 Yoon Hyun Min is Back on My TV

The cast of Inspiring Generations is HUGE....  and by huge I mean there are so many characters it took six episodes to introduce everyone properly.  And inside of that huge cast are an insane amount of pretty eye candy.......so much Korean male hotness that anyone could be forgiven if they strained their eyes.

But for me there is one stand out (after Kim Hyun Joong) of course and that is Aoki also known as evil grandpa's adopted son played by Yoon Hyun Min (Heartless City - He was also on my list of favorite breakout actors of 2013).  Yoon Hyun Min jumps off the screen with charisma and plays his character with all the charm and strength of his previous role in Heartless City.  And yes, I know I am totally biased since I loved that show, but he is just all kinds of awesome and I cant wait to see more of him and his cunning strategies in Inspiring Generation (and lets just admit that seeing him shirtless and fighting with swords doesn't hurt at all either).

 #4 How to Spot a Korean Serial Killer

For those of you who are new to Korean Dramas, I am going to give you tips on how to spot the bad guy.  This lesson is curtsy of Let's Eat episode 10 and our number four spot on the countdown.

Step 1 - There will always be ominous music......followed by the arrival of the "bad" guy.  If you are having problems visualizing this then think the music from jaws.

Step 2 - He will always be wearing a black hat and usually dark colored clothes, and if he is wearing a black mask (like those that you use for a cold) then just accept that you are going to die.

Step 3 - In the case of being on an elevator with before stated serial killer he will be going to the same floor as you and of course follow you in a slow pace in order to increase the fear.  Don't even think of using his slow pace as a way to quickly go into your apartment and lock the doors.  Oh no, use that time to frantically knock on your neighbors doors in the off chance they are not at work.

Step 4 - If Serial Killer Stalker takes off his mask and he is really attractive underneath then breath a sigh of relief.  It is a false alarm since of course a Serial Killer Stalkers could not possibly be cute.  Invite him into your house like nothing is wrong and of course be sure to flirt.

Scary Elevator Encounter ep 10 Lets Eat Clip

#3 Crying Wolf

My #3 favorite moment is yet again from the end of My Love From Another Star (it has become a permanent spot-holder in my countdown).  Cheon Song-Yi finally finds out the big secret, that Do Min-Joon is a 400 year old alien.  Not that she seems to care that much since she alternately flips back and forth between believing him and on top of that she really is more fixated on whether he likes her or not.  But by the urging of her comic book store owner bestie she decides to test him and his alien powers.  She hikes (in full movie star fashion...including huge heals) to the top of a mountain and starts screaming that she is in danger and to come save her.  LOL  Everyone just looks at her like she is crazy and the only response she receives is some cawing from a crow.   However at the end we see that Do Min-Joon did indeed come to her rescue he is just behind the bolder and is cranky that she called him up when she is not in danger he turns away grumbling to himself “She can’t just call me anytime! She scared me!” .
I'm in Trouble on the Mountain Clip

#2 Backstabbing BFF

Kim Sun Mi is one of those characters that I love to LOATH.... for those of you wondering, loath is above hate in my mind.  She not only realizes that her best friend is falling in love with the adorable and wonderful Director Oh, but she realizes that he is loving her back.  Now most people would totally be happy (even if they are a tad bit jealous) for their friend and back off.  But not Kim Sun Mi.  I am not sure if she is just delusional in her idea that if she tries long enough she can win/trick him into dating her.  Or if she just cant stand to see someone else get what she wants.  But regardless she sits her BFF Jung Wan down and informs her that not only do they like the same man but that she slept with him (I don't think they really slept with each other because he is was super drunk and she is a lying succubus) and he ditched her to run after Jung Wan.  And then went on to tell Jung Wan to please back away since she feels this is her last chance at a happy marriage (again how she went from him telling her to back off to marriage is beyond me).  The worse thing is that most of what she said was actually trueish but situated it in a way that made it impossible for Jung Wan to say she likes him since that would make her the bad guy.  Kudos on the writers of this show for making me hate one of their characters so much.  I personally hope that she ends up alone with her creepy dog since right now she does not deserve to be happy at the expense of so many of the people around her.

I Wish Someone Would Slap Her Clip

#1 Revenge is Better Then Love

 It is well known that I was not a huge fan of the whole lovey dovey Seung Nyang.  Especially when she was put into the position where she was letting the King and Emperor go around trying to make all the decisions for her.  So it was a HUGE relief when Nyang came back to the palace with a new kick butt attitude and plans to destroy pretty much everyone (minus the Emperor).   Instead of going back to the safety that the King represented she dove back into the lion's den and now is an official courtesan of the king.  She is also mounting a battle for control of the inner palace against the evil empress and her minions which makes me so happy.  I much prefer this version of her (even if she is not romantic with the emperor beyond using him to get power) then the mooning girl she was.  And we get the added benefit of seeing the bad guys get their comeuppance they so rightly deserve.  And that is why revenge driven Nyang deserves the top spot of the week since scene after scene she stole the show and moved the whole drama into a whole other direction.

Seung Nyang is Tough Even When Being Whipped Clip

Seung Nyang Taking Control of the Court Clip

This concludes the final week of January's top five kdrama moments.  Check back next Sunday to see if anything in the final episodes of Prime Minister and I catches my attention.  Also look forward to  some new dramas being added to my list in the upcoming weeks since Full Sun starts a week from Monday as well as the new OCN drama Ghost Detective.  See you next week!

Sincerely
Kmuse

Dramas that I am currently watching:

Potato Star 2013QR23
A Well Raised Daughter (subs are behind in relation to the filming schedule)
One Warm Word
Can We Love
King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang
Empress KI
Lets Eat
Prime Minister and I
My Love From Another Star
Golden Rainbow
Age of Feeling
I Need Romance - Be sure to check out my recaps!
Emergency Couple 
Angel's Revenge