This weeks countdown is being dedicated to something that makes kdramas so engaging, addicting, and worth watching. Of course I am talking about the massive amount of hot guys that are cast as the leading men. There is nothing better then being able to fawn over a good actor and his amazing looks at the same time. Now I know that I am watching a huge amount of dramas, and there are an insane amount of khotties within all those dramas. That said, I tried to pick the one's that have actually engaged me with their performances and not just the fact that they are attractive. If your favorite is not on my list, feel free to let us know who he is in the comment section. I only have time to pick out five today, but I know there is an infinite amount of khotties to choose from.
Song of The Week
CNBLUE - Truth
We have a whole band full of Khotties in our musician of the week since when you think of hot musicians CNBLUE should be at the top of the list. They came out with their 2nd song off their current album and I personally like this one a lot better then their first one. I like CNBLUE the best when they have that peppy fast beat and an MV with lots of close ups and it just so happens that this MV delivered the hot closeups in spades. It is even enough to distract me from their Engrish in the chorus.
#5Yoo Joon Soo (Lee Won Geum - Moon Embracing the Sun, Passionate Love)
This kids smile is infectious and I can honestly say that I have never seen a khottie who's smile literally lights up his face. His character in Wild Chives and Soy Bean Soup is the perfect package, handsome, smart, kind, and all around happy with (at least so far) no huge emotional issues. He also shows signs of being adept in more serious scenes so I am kind of excited to see him deal with the romantic fallout that we know is coming. If you like family dramas then I would highly suggest starting this one since it is well paced and has a superb cast.
#4 Red Headed Hottie from Empress Ki, also known as Tal Tal (Jin Lee Han)
I am embarrassed to admit that I seriously did not know the characters name until I was forced to look it up for this blog post. To me and my friends whom I discuss this drama with, he has always been the redhead hottie who wears black. He is also a balm to my poor soul, as politics and just the crazy behavior of royalty, make the two leading men more and more "eh" for me. You know he is a good character when you kind of wish the leading lady would ditch both of the other men and hook up with the supporting character. (I know his hair looks brown, but when he is not in a dark set it has really red tints hence the nickname.)
#3 Kang Dong Hee (TaecYeon - Who Are You, Dream High)
I am just going to come out and say it, TaecYeon is not really a great actor. The poor boy has his limits. That said I will clarify that although he can't emote, he still is a very entertaining actor and sometimes that is what a drama needs. His character Kang Dong Hee (Wonderful Days) is the family black sheep/thug who always is getting into trouble with his quick temper and inferiority issues. But I can't help but love him despite his serious character flaws. This week we see him get angry (AGAIN) and he stomps off like a five year old, running away from home..... All the way to the end of the street where he sets up a tent to live in protest. I love how his first night "away from home" he keeps staring at his phone and wondering why no one is calling. "Don't they realize I am gone?" he says to the silent phone. HAHAHA And as an added bonus of his being cast, we get wonderful scenes like this one in the sauna. Thank goodness for Khotties and their need to have the perfect abs.
#2 The Men of Inspiring Generation
So I am dedicating my #2 spot to the whole male cast of Inspiring Generation, because lets just all admit that they are the sexiest thing to come to historical kdramas in a long long time. Seriously there are so many khotties in this show that it is almost impossible to choose a favorite (although Mo Il Hwa pulls slightly ahead on my bias list). So I am weepy eyed and saying a sad farewell to this drama and its insanely hot cast. You will be missed and most likely rewatched many times in the future.
Mo Il-Hwa & Jung Jae Hwa bromance fight clip. (I about died when
Jung Jae Hwa winked in the middle of his fight.)
#1 Ki Dong Chan (Jo Seung Woo - Horse Doctor)
When I decided to do a Khottie theme for this weeks countdown, there really was no question as to who my #1 pick was going to be. Jo Seung Woo is AMAZING. His acting is effortless and he drags you into his character Dong Chan (Gods Gift - 14 Days) so quickly, that before you know it you are actively praying for the leading ladies marriage to dissolve so he can step in. He has a lot of baggage but he plays this complex character (ex-cop, brother of a serial killer, disappointing son, and white knight) to the 9th degree. He outdid himself this week as he serenaded (YES HE CAN SING TOO!) the little girl at the lakeside. It was a beautiful scene and probably one of the prettiest cinematic moments to be released recently. And then in a complete switch we also had an amazing fight scene on a rickety roof top in the rain. If you are not already watching Gods Gift 14 Days then start ASAP since he is definitely worth watching.
Lakeside Serenade Clip
Rooftop Fight Scene (starts about 2 min in)
And this concludes my tribute to the Khottie. I hope they are bringing as much enjoyment to you as they are for me. Also be sure to check in next week as we have a lot of new dramas airing (Hotel King, Fall In Love With Me) and hopefully making it onto my countdown. I will also be adding new recaps (Witch's Romance & Gap Dong) this week if the dramas end up being as good as they look. Have a great week and as usual if you have any questions about any of the dramas I watch (where you can find subs, times, etc.) be sure to ask in the comments. I always love hearing feedback from my readers.
Sincerely, Kmuse
Dramas that I am currently watching: Potato Star 2013QR23 Ruby's Ring (counting it as a currently airing drama since it had never been subbed til now) A Well Raised Daughter Bride of the Century Sly and Cunning Lady Hotel King Angel Eyes (maybe going to watch) Fall In Love With Me (Tdrama) Witch's Romance Gap Dong A Secret Love Affair Empress Ki Inspiring Generation (last episodes) Emergency Couple (last episodes) Beyond the Clouds/Full Sun Ghost Seeing Detective CheoYong Wonderful Days Three Days (have put on hold, just not grabbing me) Cubic - Thailand Drama God's Gift: 14 Days Wild Chives and Soy Bean Soup: 12 Years Reunion Sweet Sweet Bodyguard (Tdrama)
So this is officially my last blog post of 2013..... And since this is not getting up till today when I add all the awesome photos, it is also my first blog post of 2014. WOOHOO for blogging. I enjoy it even more then I thought I was. So I just want to thank Shannen and Jess for giving me this opportunity. It totally rocks.
When I was thinking of who I wanted to put in my top men of 2013 i decided I wanted to branch out a bit. As you know I liked certain shows and a lot of my favorite actors and actresses were in so said shows. So instead of doing all actors (and repeating the same info over and over) I will be adding some singers/groups mixed in here or there and maybe some movie actors as well. We are just going to play it by ear and of course have a whole lot of photographic evidence of their awesomeness.
The Workaholic
So this groups title is pretty self explanatory. These are the men who don't sleep ever. And I seriously think they might have cloned themselves since I don't see any other explanation for how they got so much accomplished in one year.
Joo Won
What can you say about Joo Won other then he is amazing. An actor among actors he takes everything he does very very seriously. When he gets into a role it is 100% and he said in an interview that he always has troubles falling for his costars since he becomes so close to the character he is playing onscreen. This has been a huge year for the actor. He recently won an award for best actor in his portrayal as a genius doctor suffering from autism. He also was in Level Seven Civil Servant (the best thing about the drama was his character), the movie Catch Me, Broadway Musical Ghost, sang a song in every dramas OST, and is even going back to school because after he retires someday he wants to teach. Also add in his variety show (retired recently from it) One Night Two Days where he stole our hearts with his adorable serious side. He truly is the king of workaholics, but that is OK since I love everything he does. Be sure to look forward to his next movie Fashion King in 2014.
Kim Woo Bin
Considering he did not even have a leading character (a co-lead in 2013) he sure took 2013 by storm. Starring in the hit dramas School 2013, Heirs, the hit Movie Friend 2, and Modeling, modeling and more modeling, he still found time to come out to the public about his two year romance with fellow model Yoo Ji Ahn. Many, including the members of this blog, felt that he outshines the other actors (and that is a hard thing to do when you are up against a smorgasbord of khotties) including Lee Min Ho in Heirs. And we are all waiting for him to make that jump to leading man so we can see him finally "get the girl".
Lee Jong Suk
Another huge workaholic is Lee Jong Suk of I Hear Your Voice fame. He started the year off with his first large role in School 2013 where he played a troubled youth attempting to make it through school and maybe find redemption from his ex BFF. He then jumped straight into I Hear Your Voice a noona comedy mystery fantasy romance where he played a young student who could read peoples minds. Add in two movies Hot Blooded Youth and No Breathing and lets not forget that he is probably the most photographed Korean of the year (I swear you had new CV and magazine photos of him daily for a while) and you have one bonafide Korean superstar. And this all happened in one year. Cant wait to see what he brings us in 2014.
Building up My Resume
So I have noticed that there are actors out there that go for the role's that give them experience regardless on whether it is the B Lead or not. These are actors that have a tendency to avoid typecasting and are in it for the craft. You have to give them props for their efforts even though I wish sometimes they would stick with being the A lead because I swear if Kim Bum does not get the girl in one more drama I might scream.
Jung Kyung Ho
Just off his Military Service Kyung Ho jumped back into dramas by accepting the part of Doc's Son in Heartless City. I personally had known him from his work in Smile You where he played a sweet guy next door type character. So I was very happy to see him take this darker character and run with it. He even finished the last weeks of his drama with a herniated disk but still kept up the action and intensity to the end.
Kim Bum
Kim Bum has had a year of really well acted B lead roles. He was the scrappy BFF in Winter Wind Blows and then went straight into the tragic fighter who pines for the unattainable girl in Goddess of Fire. He also was the tragic Gothic mind reader in the movie Psychometry. I appreciate that he is looking to expand his skills by taking character roles rather then just the handsome A list romantic drama roles but I really really want to see him get the girl soon. He has been B lead (I am pretty sure on purpose not because he does not have the chance at A lead roles since he was the lead in Women Who Still Want to Marry) in his last three dramas and I personally really really really really want to see him as the romantic lead. I don't care if it is a Sageuk, Comedy, or Melodrama.... Just please come back to be the star we all know you are.
Yoon Shi Yoon
Beginning 2013 with his role as, Enrique a multi national computer gaming genius, Yoon Shi Yoon spread his acting wings to play the layered character to the fullest (to bad he had the romantic downer Park Shi Hyun as his leading lady......... she really ruined a lot of dramas for me this year). He also put his all into the newest and short lived (thank goodness because there are only so many episodes you can watch on diving and cooking before you go crazy) variety show barefoot friends. And finished out the year as accepting the 2nd lead in Prime Minister and I (which is AWESOME if you are looking for a good romantic comedy). He truly is a Renaissance man............not only is he an amazing actor but he also speaks, Japanese, Spanish, some Mandarin, and Korean..........and it shows in his acting.
Taemin
This next star is the maknae of the musical group Shinee. Taemin has often been considered the young sweet cute member of shinee. But I am happy to announce that he has finally matured and is branching out. He guest starred in drama Dating Agency: Cyrano as well as helped several friends by being in their MV's. Add to that all that he accomplished with Shinee and it equals into one great year for the young singer. Enjoy the MV's below and notice his amazing presence and dance style.
Henry-Trapped featuring Taemin MV
Boa & Taemin MV & live performance (the live performance was pre2013 but still good)
I'm a Bonafide Movie Star
Kim Soo Hyun
After having the break out hit of 2012 with Moon Embracing the Sun, everyone was interested to see what Kim Soo Hyun would do next. He decided to try his hand at the big screen and scored two of the largest movies of the year. In Secretly Greatly he played an undercover Korean spy who had to fake being simple minded as a cover. Although the movie on a whole had some issues, he was amazing and I could not have been happier. He also was a member of the ensemble cast The Thieves and I personally think that his character stole ever scene he was in and resulted in one of my all time favorite kisses. He ended out the year by taking on the lead role in the drama My Love from Another Star where he plays an Alien who has lived in Seoul for 400 years and falls for a top actress. All in all it has been a huge year for this amazing actor.
Lee Byung Hun
Lee Byung Hun actually did most of his work here in the US. Starring in the two Hollywood blockbusters Red 2 and GI Joe Retaliation he became the new Asian face in US action movies. He also found time in his busy schedule to marry Lee Min Jung. Look forward to more Lee Byung Hun in 2014 in the movie Memories of The Sword.
Singers Make Women Swoon
CNBlue
The CNBlue boys have been very busy this year. Between all of them doing various dramas (Heirs, Marry Him if you Dare, Sword and Flower, My Daughter Seo Young) as well as world tours and putting out new songs they have been working non stop. But all of this work seems to have payed off as they are more popular then ever. It also helps that they seem to have matured from their guy next door look to something much more sharp and dashing.
I'm Sorry Live
G Dragon
GD is not really a bias of mine. However no one can disagree that he has had a huge impact on the music scene this year. As a solo artist and entertainer he has continued to put out quality MV's and do entertaining variety show guest spots all year long. My personally favorite was his work on the variety show Infinity Challenge.
GD and Hyung Dong - Going to Try (infinity challenge)
Crooked MV
Who You MV
Coup D'Etat MV
Junsu
Junsu is one talented singer. He spent the year performing in the
musical Elizabeth and also found time to put out a solo album and do his
job as one of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Ambassador
2014 Incheon Asian Games Ambassador
2014 Incheon Asian Games Ambassador
along
with the other two members of JYJ. I also count him as one of my
favorite Korean idol dancers because he has some insane energy going
on. I am adding a behind the scenes dance rehearsal so you can focus on
how amazing he is without being distracted by the MV. Enjoy
Incredible MV
BTS Dance Rehearsal
Junsu - Musical Elizabeth
Ballad 11a.m. MV
Seo In Guk
So those of you who know me know that Seo In Guk is my #1 Bias. It was so hard to pick where to put him in the line up. He is a workaholic, also played a 2nd lead character in the hit Master's Sun, starred in the movie No Breathing, and had multiple hit songs as well as a hit Japanese Album not to mention a ton of photo shoots for various magazines. But I decided to stick him with the singers this year since he had so many amazing songs released as well as a current (or at least a week ago current) #1 duet with Zia. So enjoy some of his MV's from this last year.
With Laughter or With Tears MV
No Matter What - Masters Sun OST
Loved You (featuring Zia) - There is no official MV yet but the song is still amazing.
We Can Dance Tonight MV (japanese CD)
I'm Lee Min Ho, I defy the list system
I think that as women we are just predisposed to fall for Lee Min Ho. I don't know why but it is just a part of life, like the rising of the sun. Every year we wait for whatever drama Lee Min Ho decides to put out. Sometimes the are great, sometimes they are so so, but it does not matter since it is Lee Min Ho. This years drama The Heirs was a mix of great moments and shallow writing (feel free to read the Crazy Ahjumma's reviews of the drama) that left me happy if not necessarily fulfilled. But it again proves that it does not matter how many ugly sweaters you put him in, we will still watch.
Welcoming in 2014 and the khotties I want to see more of!
Choi Jin hyuk - Emergency couple airs this Saturday and I am excited to see our very own Papa Gumiho as the lead.
Kim Woo Bin - Come on already he deserves to get the girl and not just steal our hearts away from the OTP.
Hyun Bin- I know that he has a movie (The Kings Wrath) coming out this year but is it to much to ask that he come back to dramas. It has been three years and a military service ago since Secret Garden.
Kim Nam Gil - I loved him in Shark (mostly because he is Kim Nam Gil regardless of how lazy the writers got) and I cant wait to see him in Pirate. He is always at his best scruffy and kind of crazy.
And that officially completes my review of the great year that was 2013. Lets cross our fingers that this next year will be equally as entertaining for us Kdrama junkies.
We here at The Crazy Ahjummas would like to take a moment and wish two very wonderful guys a very happy, albeit belated, birthday. Both Lee Min Ho and Jung Yong Hwa (CNBLUE) celebrated birthdays on the 22nd of this month. Lee Min Ho.
If you've been with us for awhile, you'll know how ardently I adore this man. Boys Over Flowers, City Hunter, Personal Taste, Faith - all watched and loved because of him. His eyes and the emotions, feelings, and thoughts that can be conveyed with a simple look. One glance from him can speak volumes. I just think that he is so awesome!
Lee Min Ho-sshi, here is your birthday tribute collage of some of my favorite recent looks. It was so hard to choose just 25 (I actually chose 26 since that's how old you are now, but the largest collage I could find was only 25 spaces so I had to restrain myself). Obviously, being the true fan girl that I am, I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to him. So yeah, basically I just chose the first 26 pics that came up because I just love them all. ;)
Now, Jung Yong Hwa.
He's two years younger than his sunbaenim that shares the same birthdate. Yong Hwa is the leader, lead vocalist and guitarist of CNBLUE as well as an actor in his own right, playing the 2nd male lead in You're Beautiful and the main lead in Heartstrings. Rumor had him pegged to appear in The Heirs along with birthday-mate Lee Min Ho and two-time love interest Park Shin Hye, but he eventually declined the offer and personally I'm grateful for it. I'd love to see him on screen again in a drama, but paired with someone other than Park Shin Hye. I mean, once poor Shin Woo got the girl, I was good. Who would want to see him play 2nd again with the same love interest? Not me. Get him another drama with another girl and I'll be happy. Yonghwa is a personal favorite of Unnie. He was her gateway into KPopafter all. She even has a Pinterest board dedicated to him.
Jung Yong Hwa-sshi, here is your personalized collage that showcases just how handsome you are as well.
To both of our special birthday boys, we hope that you enjoyed your day on Saturday. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to your fans as well as your work. You both demonstrate great talent in various areas - on screen, on stage, and more. We can't wait to see what comes next for both of you!
So, technically it is still the 21st where we are, but back in Korea, it's the 22nd of June and the birthday of two of our favorite guys - Lee Min Ho and Jung Yong Hwa. While normally we here on TCA wait until the day has arrived here in our neck of the woods to wish our favorites a happy birthday, tomorrow is a big review day for us and we don't want these two lovely young men to be overshadowed or lost in the fray. They deserve a post and a day all their own, so here we go, celebrating it while they celebrate it!
We loved Lee Min Ho in Boys Over Flowers as the spoiled rich brat turned debonair heartthrob, Gu Jun Pyo.
He was swoon-worthy in Personal Taste as architect Jeon Jin Ho (and who can EVER erase the memory of the "Game Over" kiss from our minds?!?! One of the best drama kisses in history!).
Then there was City Hunter. Oh City Hunter. The drama that forever sealed him as Lee Min HoTTie! At least for this ahjumma noona.
Jung Yong Hwa captured our hearts and ears as poor, poor Shin Woo in You're Beautiful. Sweet Shin Woo who can't get the girl despite what has to be the cutest stalker date ever. The ultimate example of "nice guys finish second". Shin Woo will always be synonymous with the 2nd male lead character who should have gotten the girl (sorry Jang Geun Suk - but it's true. I still love you though. No hard feelings?). I felt so bad for Shin Woo that I watched Heartstrings just to see Jung Yong Hwa's character finally get the girl and mend my broken, sympathetic heart.
While watching Heartstrings, I, just like Unnie, fell in love with Yong Hwa's beautiful, crooning voice. As the leader, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of real-life band, CNBLUE, Jung Yong Hwa has shown that he is multi-talented and can do whatever he sets his sights on, whether it be capturing our hearts as a drama star or performing his own unique music as a musician.
So, to two of our favorite guys, we wish a very happy 23rd and 25th birthday! Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our entertainment! We look forward to many more years spent oglingdrooling over enjoying your entertaining offerings.
Saeng-il chuka hamnida! Lee Min Ho and Jung Yong Hwa fighting! 생일 축하합니다!
Love,
Dongsaeng and Unnie
{P.S. In case you missed it the first time around, Unnie did a little write up of both of these guys in her "Oppa Krazy" post. She also featured CNBlue and Jung Yong Hwa in her very first TCA post here. You can see that she is obviously a devoted fan! Even I, Dongsaeng, have jumped on the fandom train in the past as witnessed here in a post originally done on my personal private blog where I talk about City Hunter to a bunch of people that I love but who couldn't care less about Lee Min Ho or his amazing talents. Boy! Are they ever missing out!}
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