More Drama Favorites: Rookies, OSTs, Fashion, and More

*Post contain some spoilers*

Favorite Rookies

Seo Kang Jun - Seo Kang Jun is very quickly making a name for himself in the acting world. He is able to bring second male lead syndrome to many with his roles and I am looking forward to the possibility of him playing a lead one day. He'd be great in a high school drama, he's young enough and he has a sweet and fun personality in real life (as seen in Roommate), which makes him all the more desirable.

Lee Tae Hwan - Seo Kang Jun's fellow 5urprise member has also managed to carve out a niche for himself in the acting world. It's hard to believe that this mountain of a guy is only 20, but because of his stature and impressive acting chops he has managed to go from goofy high schooler in King of High School to serious detective in Pride and Prejudice without skipping a beat. I hope that the future holds more great roles for him.

Ahn Jae Hyun - My favorite show stealer! Even though Ahn Jae Hyun was only supposed to be Jeon Ji Hyun's little brother in My Love from Another Star he quickly turned his character into the one to watch by not only being good looking but also being able to show a range of emotions in the little bit of screen time he had. His performance in the show quickly made him popular and also helped him garner roles alongside other swoon-worthy vets like Joo Won in the movie Fashion King, and Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won in You Are All Surrounded.

Favorite OSTs
It's Okay That's Love - The entire OST was amazing. It was a great mix of popular pop songs and original songs in different languages. OSTs have a way of getting dull and predictable but this one never did. It had some really amazing songs but two of my favorites were Sleepless Night by Crush ft Punch, and It's Okay, That's Love by Davichi.

My Lovely Girl - Even though I didn't really like the drama, I did enjoy listening to all the familiar voices sing the songs of the show. My absolute favorite was I Want to Love You by Alex Chu. Alex's voice is so smooth, and the romantic yet bubbly song came in at all the right moments.

Fall in Love with Me - This OST had a great mix of pop rock ballads and sugary sweet pop songs. My favorites were This Is Not Me by Aaron Yan, The Unwanted Love by Aaron Yan, The Only Rose by Aaron Yan, Melted by Popu Lady, and The Warmth in the Pocket by Hebe.

Fated to Love You - I didn't pay that much attention to the entire soundtrack but I knew that every time Goodbye My Love by Ailee was on I was probably supposed to be crying. Such a heartbreaking song and Ailee's powerful vocals just made the song that much more emotional.

Pinocchio - I really like this OST. It's not overly sad or sappy sounding. It has just the right amount of slow songs to get your emotions in check. My favorite songs are Kiss Me by Zion.T and Non-Fiction by Every Single Day.

A Witch's Romance - My favorite song from this drama is You'e In My Heart by Park Seo Joon. Park Seo Joon isn't the most amazing singer but he held his own and displayed some pretty nice vocal talent. For some reason I just found myself waiting for this song to come on every episode.

Angel Eyes - An OST in English isn't uncommon but they very rarely make you want to sing at the top of your lungs over the dialogue. Run to You by Lasse Lindh was definitely that song for me.

In a Good Way - Good Morning Hard City by Adrian. This song was a nice mix of rock and pop and it popped up at all the fun moments of the show making it that much more enjoyable.

Partners by Blood - Do You Ever Shine by Mayday is one of the most exhilarating OSTs ever! It not only jump started the show but also gave every action scene the right dose of excitement. Though they used the English version in the show I think the Japanese version (linked) strikes the right notes too.

Healer - What the Eyes Say by Tei was my favorite song of this show. Tei's smooth vocals were perfect and bringing out the emotions of the show.

Favorite Drama Outfits
My Lovely Girl - Rain's Blazers
   Rain's multitude of snazzy blazers definitely striked the right balance between cool music producer and stern CEO. Although his wardrobe was pretty monochromatic it never looked boring.

Empress Ki - Nyang's Consort/Empress Wear
  I always love the costumes in historical dramas. Ha Ji Won looked pretty great as a boy but when she wore her most feminine outfits her beauty really shined.

Hotel King - Ah Mo Ne's Chairwoman Ensembles
   She may have dressed a little crazy at first but when she started wearing normal clothes she always wore something pretty that showed off her fit frame.

Miss Korea - The Pageant Gowns
   You can't really go wrong with the pageant gowns featured in this show. I think they were a bit more modern then the ones actually used in the early 90s but they were pretty and made even the poorest of girls look like a million bucks.

Favorite Second Male Leads
King of High School - Yoo Jin-woo
   Although I didn't like his character at all and never had any hopes for him getting the girl I still felt bad for him. He had such a horrible relationship with his father, and his poor mother...his poor mother. Anyway, I may not have wanted him to win the girl but I did hope that the rest of his life would pull together, plus it's Lee Soo Hyuk. Who wouldn't root for one of his characters?

Fated to Love You - Daniel
  As usual the nice guy does not get the girl. Daniel was your stereotypical second male lead. Super nice to the girl and wanting her even though he could see that her heart was somewhere else. The thing I liked most about Daniel though is that he never became too pathetic over Kim Mi Young. The "too nice" second male leads always become so desperate by the end, but he played it cool the whole time while making his feelings known at just the right moments.

Pride & Prejudice - Kang Soo
   Lee Tae Hwan is shaping up to be one of my favorite young actors so it's no surprise that his character in Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorites in the show. The thing I like about this character as the second male lead is that his affection is innocent. While Dong Chi is proving that he's not a murderer with kissing (because that makes sense), Kang Soo is patiently and quietly waiting for Yeol Moo to overcome her trauma. He's not trying to force anything. Of course, this makes him lose out but let's face it after all of this he was never going to get the girl anyway.

Fall in Love with Me - Leo
  Leo may not have won Tao Si over but in the end he got the right girl for him. I think that Leo was a great second male lead. When he saw that Tao Si was falling in love with someone else he prepared himself to let her go especially since Xiao Lu seemed like such a great guy. However, he stepped up when he saw that her heart was in danger and told Lu Tian Xing to back off if he wasn't going to treat her right like any long-time friend should do.

Trot Lovers - Sajangnim aka Jo Geun-Woo
  The reason why I liked sajangnim is because he was everybody's second male lead. He became a good friend and source of advice to both female leads. And though he only had romantic interest in one he handled the love square very maturely.

Pinocchio - Bum Jo
   So, I was never rooting for Bum Jo to get the girl. For me it was Choi Dal Po and Choi In Ha for life. But he still made a great friend and protector. I felt bad for him seeing the girl he liked go through so much guilt for the guy she liked. He did a great job at setting Dal Po (Ha Myung) straight too.

My Love from Another Star - Lee Whi-Kyung
   Why doesn't the nice guy ever get the girl?! Aside from following her around like a lost puppy for years, he also did whatever and I mean whatever he could to get her affection. How could she ignore such grand gestures coming at her for years? Even when he knew she liked someone else he still risked his life to save her. Why? Why? Whyyyyyy?

Tomorrow's Cantabile - Park Yoon Hoo
   I loved everything about his character mainly because the actor was so pretty. That cheeky smile did a number on me so I have no idea why Soel Nae Il wasn't affected at all. Anyway, Yoon Hoo was the epitome of sweet not just to Nae Il but to pretty much everyone. Even though you could tell Yoo Jin had pretty much given into the other characters from the beginning, the fact that he chose to remain so cold on the outside made the character really typical and for most part unlikable. Yoon Hoo was like a little burst of sunshine.

Favorite Second Female Lead
Doctor Stranger - Oh Soo-Hyun
   Very rarely do we get likable second female leads. usually they're manipulative and desperate but not so with Oh Soo Hyun. The things that made me root for her happiness more than her being with one guy was the fact that her father, step mother, and brother treated her very coldly and the fact that Han Jae Joon was using her. She had the attention of two great looking gentleman and even though you could tell she was falling for Park Hoon she never overdid it with her affection, at least not in Park Hoon's eyes. Of course, Han Jae Joon could see it pretty clearly, but in the end everyone ended up with who they were supposed to be with.

In a Good Way - Bai Xue
   At first I wasn't so sure if I would like Bai Xue. Although she was always nice she seemed to have a kind of witchy side to her that had yet to be revealed. I thought for sure that side would come out when Liu Chuan started falling for Jia En, but I'm glad that my prediction was wrong. Even though I didn't necessarily root for Bai Xue to be with to be with Liu Chuan I felt bad when she got rejected by him for the new girl. Thankfully she handled it like a champ and ended being the best friend to everyone.

Favorite Parents
Fall in Love with Me - Papa and Mama Tao
   Tao Le Si's parents were awesome. They knew when to stand up for their daughter and when to let her live her own life. They were a very realistic set of parents. They protected Tao Si when she needed them to, comforted her at the right moments, they were even willing to send her away to be with the man she loved despite the drama. They treated her like an adult while still reminding everyone that she was indeed their daughter and they had a right to have a reasonable amount of interest in her life.

Favorite Noona Killer
A Witch's Romance - Yoon Dong-Ha
   There was quite a number of noona romances put out this year. For the most part none of them disappointed in the romance department but what made A Witch's Romance great is that both of the lead characters were at great ages despite being 14/15 years apart. Dong-Ha was young but had also suffered his own ultimate heartbreak that made him more mature and wiser than most guys his age. I also liked that he never really hid his feelings. He was pretty confident in his feelings for her and confident that she also had feelings for him. They were on a good path before "polar bear" showed back up. Despite polar bear, Dong Ha's sincerity and persistence won out in the end. Yay!

My Favorite Dramas of 2014

This year was my first full year as a K-Drama addict. I thought it was a great year to be a fan of Korean entertainment and entertainment from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, China, and Japan.

I managed to watch an astonishing number of dramas from start to finish this year, and out of that astonishing number I completed 43 dramas that I consider to be 2014 dramas. Below is the full list of 2014 dramas that I've watched, some if which started in late 2013 and ended in January 2015.

Here's the list in alphabetical order:

A Witch's Romance	Emergency Couple	Joseon Gunman	Plus Nine Boys
After School Lucky or Not 2	Empress Ki	King of High School Life Conduct	Pretty Man
Aftermath	Fall in Love with Me	Love Cells	Pride & Prejudice
Angel Eyes	Fated to Love You (Korean)	Marriage, Not Dating	Prime Minister & I
Another Parting	Golden Cross	Misaeng	Sly & Single Again
Be Arrogant	Grandpa Over Flowers Investigation Team	Miss Korea	Surplus Princess (The Mermaid)
Big Man	Healer	Modern Farmer	The Night Watchmen's Journal
Birth of a Beauty	High School - Love On	My Love from Another Star	The Perfect Insider
Boarding House 24	Hotel King	My Lovely Girl	Tomorrow's Cantabile (Naeil's Cantabile)
Bride of the Century	In a Good Way	Mysterious Summer	Trot Lovers
Deja Vu	Inspiring Generation (Age of Feeling)	Partners by Blood	You Are All Surrounded
Discovery of Romance	It's Okay, That's Love	Pinocchio
Doctor Stranger

MY FAVORITES - In Alphabetical Order

Bride of the Century - This series was surprisingly enjoyable. I think my favorite part of the series was seeing a different side to Lee Hong Ki. The only thing I had seen him in before this series was You're Beautiful, so I thought he might only be cast in cute, funny roles. I thought his stern and cold side was a nice change of pace and showed his acting range. The show itself was actually an interesting one to watch. The mix of romance and horror is one that seemed to become really popular after shows like The Master's Sun. This one may not have been as ground-breaking but it had many good elements and also introduced us to a new leading lady in Yang Jin Sung who successfully carried two roles at the same time. I also thought that the writers handled the death of the first wife issue well, revealing sad family truths for both Kang Joo and Doo Rim.

Empress Ki - I have only seen like 3 productions with Ha Ji Won in it and I have yet to be disappointed. The best thing about this show was Ha Ji Won being her usual boss chick self. Though the cross-dressing element is a little overdone these days it was entertaining because unlike some of the other cross-dressing heroines she actually had masculine traits like being able to fight. However, as awesome as she was as Ki Nyang, I think we can't talk about how great this show was without talking about our two leading men. Joo Jin Mo and Ji Chang Wook literally fought to the death, not just for Nyang but for Goryeo. The political battles were just as heart-wrenching and dramatic as the romantic battle.

Grandpa Over Flowers Investigation Team - This was a really fun show with an impressive cast and an interesting plot. I enjoyed it, plus it was only 12 episodes so it was totally worth watching. One of the most entertaining things was watching Heechul being in an unrequited love. Not sure if that's ever happened to him in real life but it was fun to see his goofy self work through it. Also, watching the senior actors play young men who also had to act like old men was hilarious. The show also had a good bit of action because the characters were cops.

Healer - Ji Chang Wook went from whiny emperor to tough night courier. It was a really awesome transformation. Aside from that, this show was just all kinds of good. First off the OTP had my feels all over the place, I rooted with all my heart for little Park Bong Soo and Chae Yong Shin. The entire cast was amazing and did a good job at either making me laugh or sending chills down my spine. My favorite thing about the show was the smooth mix of Action, Romance, and Comedy. There were a lot of funny moments that grounded the show and made the show that much more enjoyable.

In a Good Way - I really enjoyed this Taiwanese drama. I liked the characters a lot. They were all so distinct even though were in the same place, and the same time, and experiencing similar things. One of the most noteworthy things about the show was the chemistry between the two leads Lego Li as Liu Shan Feng and Kristen Ren as Lin Jia En. They really had me shipping the two actors. The chemistry of the whole cast was one that was really enjoyable to watch, it made me want to hang out with my friends and have cool adventures. Though the show's characters had some fantastical experiences they were believable and enjoyable to watch.

It's Okay That's Love - Definitely my favorite show for the year. So far, following Gong Hyo Jin has not led me astray. I think we all have to admit that the chemistry between the lead characters had us all screaming with envy at our screens, but aside from that I think the show very successfully explored the lives of patients and doctors of psychiatric medicine. There were so many enjoyable and admirable elements to the show: both of the leads had mental illnesses, the bromance between Jo Dong-Min and Park Soo-Gwang, the romances, the dysfunctional relationships all the characters had with each other, and the soundtrack. This show really boasted one of the most enjoyable soundtracks I've ever heard. I also have to give big props to Lee Kwnag Soo for realistically portraying Tourette syndrome while still being his usual comedic self. Just know that I highly recommend the show.

Marriage, Not Dating - This show didn't turn out how I expected it to. From the title I expected a mix of Lie to Me and Fated to Love You, but it was different. It had all the familiar elements but there was a refreshing spin put on it. I can't pinpoint what it was but something about this show made it much more enjoyable to watch than I expected. I actually watched the show all in one go because I was that excited about it once I started. I think one of the things that I really liked was the tangled love hexagon that was put before us. I liked that nobody really hid their feelings for others from each other despite the fact that two of the people were supposed to be "engaged." I also found the friendship of Joo Jang-Mi, Kong Ki-Tae, and Han Yeo-Reum really funny considering that it was a love triangle. It was just a really fun show to watch and wasn't bogged down by too much drama.

Misaeng (Incomplete Life) - A really great show. After watching it I understood why it got such a positive response from audiences. It was amazingly clever and real. I liked that the show didn't try to romanticize the life of an office worker, and any fantastical elements they did add was presented in a such a way that you knew that the writers weren't taking themselves too seriously. The characters were also very special. For me, I could see a little piece of myself in every character and I liked that. I highly recommend it.

Modern Farmer - I think this show was really underrated. It was one of the most hilarious shows I've seen in a while. Just purely funny, not too much drama, not too much romance, but not lacking in those departments either. It was really enjoyable to watch and all the cast members did a great job being funny and endearing.

Partners by Blood (Bitter Blood) - Loved it! Definitely my favorite Japanese drama by far. It was hilarious and full of action. I really looked forward to every episode while watching because I knew that I was going to enjoy the experience of watching it. There were a lot of unexpected but really great elements in the show. For instance, the son, Natsuki Sahara played by Takeru Sato was more sensitive than the other detectives or his father. That difference alone made the contrast between the characters very entertaining.

Pinocchio - This one really gave It's Okay, That's Love a run for it's money. The main couple was just all kinds of sweet even though they had their ups and downs they just couldn't quit each other. The mix of the revenge plot and the life of reporters was an interesting mix that I think came out well. I have to say that my absolute favorite part of the show was the fact that Yoon Gyun Sang and Lee Jong Suk actually looked like brothers. I mean how often do siblings look alike on TV shows or in movies, like never unless they're siblings in real life. For two unrelated people to look so similar, I really never got over how perfect that casting decision was. Also, Kim Young Gwang killed his role as the perfect second male lead. All the characters were really special and had their own place in the show rather than just being background actors for Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye. Example: Who can forget Jang Hyun-Gyu aka Nosy Jang with the headband? I loved it.

What Happens to My Family - A really enjoyable weekend drama. I started this show really late, but finished it just in time. It was enjoyable from beginning to end. Funny, endearing, and had one of my favorite casts of the year. There were popular veterans and impressive rookies who really made the show great with their talent. The writers also did a really good job at mixing in the realism of family with the slightly unrealistic drama that must exist in K-dramas. Although there was a lot of drama it came in digestible streams and didn't make me raise my hands in exasperation during every episode.

I am happy that I got through this many new dramas in my first full year, but this is only a portion of the dramas I wanted to see in 2014. I am hoping that I'll get to watch some of the ones I really wanted to see like Gap Dong and The Hours of My Life soon.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable and blessed 2015. 

A Valentine's Day Playlist: R&B and Hip Hop Edition

Romance is in the air and that means that there is going to be a lot of lovey dovey songs playing on the radio, on TV, in restaurants, in homes *wink wink*. I am honestly a sucker for a love song and to me no genre of music does baby making music better than R&B. Also, some of the most romantic songs in Korea are of the hip hop genre, those dudes really know how to make a girl swoon. So if you want to celebrate Valentine's Day with some swag try throwing on one of the following tracks.

Two Melodies - Zion.T ft Crush

Nobody, and I mean nobody, can sing a love song quite like these two. Their unique and powerful vocals give off a romantic feeling even in softer songs like this one.

Good Love - Dynamic Duo

I can't even began to explain how awesome this song is. It's soft but still has that bouncy hip hop feel, plus Kim Bum Soo's voice on the chorus is like buttah.

Ace - Taemin

I don't know if people know this or not, but this is definitely not a pop song. It's a smooth R&B song that you can't help but do the wave to.

The Promise - Jay Park

I like this song because it's different from his usual songs just about sex. This one is actually romantic.

Love - Primary ft Bumkey & Paloalto

This song has a great old school R&B vibe and reminds of the weddings I frequented as a child. What's more romantic than a wedding?

You - G.Soul

Those 15 years of training were not in vain. G.Soul's first single is finally here and it's a powerful track about only needing the person you love to stay by your side.

Your Love - Elo

This track is unique in so many ways, but the message of needing "your love" is delivered amazingly with Elo's sharp vocals. 

If I - Loco ft Gray

Loco and Gray never cease to impress me with their musicality, flow, and even signing skills. They show their sexy sides with this song.

Hug Me - Crush

This is the song if you really want to turn up. It's a sweet song but it's fast pace makes it dance-able.

Zotto Mola - Gary

The slow tempo and dark tone to the song actually set it up to be a sweet song about telling someone how much you like them even though they may not know it.

Click the titles to listen to each song. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!