(Sssh, nobody tell the censors.)
The amazing thing is, these are just some of the tropes I could have included. (And just one example, because Fang Duobing does these things a lot.)
There are many, many more.
Feeding loved one? Check. Constantly asking how they are? Check. Giving loved one medicine? Check. Being forced to watch as loved one is abducted? Check. Panicking because they think loved one might be dead? Check. Frantically searching loved one for injuries? Check. Getting jealous (because of attention from possible romantic interests)? Check. Family teasing the main characters about their relationship? Check. Shielding loved one from (possible) harm? Check.
There are so many!
(In fact, if anyone wants to suggest scenes from other shows (preferably with the episode number) for the above scenarios so I can make a part 2, please do!)
Dramas involved:
Mysterious Lotus Casebook (every even gif)
Love Between Fairy and Devil (1)
Stand by Me (3)
My Journey To You (5) (13)
Destined (7)
Love Like The Galaxy (9) (17) (25)
Love You Seven Times (11) (21)
Who Rules The World (15)
The Legends (19)
Till The End of the Moon (19) (23)
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (27)
Match 4 is between Rozemyne from Ascendance of a Bookworm / Honzuki no Gekokujou (shizun/mentor: Ferdinand) and Fang Haishi from Novoland Pearl Eclipse (shifu: Lord Qinghai / Fang Jianming)
Propaganda under the cut! (Warning: Propaganda may include spoilers about the characters and their media)
Rozemyne:
Rozemyne was in love with Ferdinand for ages, with both of them completely oblivious to this fact despite things like each being the only person the other will actually listen to, they know each other better than anyone else, Rozemyne describing Ferdinand when she was describing her invented (so she thought, lol) crush, etc. Literally everyone else knew she was in love with him before she did. Including her then-fiance.
Actual things Rozemyne has done for/said to Ferdinand:
- threatened and blackmailed royals to their faces to ensure his safety
- literally started a war to rescue him (and personally lead the rescue mission)
- "There's no point in saving Yurgenschmidt if you're not in it. Isn't that super obvious?"
- "The greater duchies, the Sovereignty, the royal family, and even the gods themselves - I would make an enemy of the entire world to save you."
Anyway they eventually get their shit together and get engaged.
Oh you know I will take any chance to thirst over dramaland hotties. Actually ranking them is so hard though. This is one situation where I would want to give participation prizes for everyone. Everyone is a winner because they're so hot hahaha. But if I really HAD to rank them...
Zhou Yiwei as Xiao Qi in The Rebel Princess
Omg the thirst WAS REAL early 2021 when I first laid eyes on Zhou Yiwei in The Rebel Princess. Wheeeew, there was no shame at all. It's not just the way he looks but also the character himself that makes him my number 1 hottie. Ugh, the way he wielded all his big weapons and his long locks flowing in the wind as he rode in on his horse to save the day. How calm he was in handling everything except whenever it came to Awu or his men. OMG and his chemistry with Awu was just outrageous. It felt voyeuristic watching those two fall in love. I can go on and on and on.
2. Jang Hyuk as Dae Gil in Chuno
Omg Dae Gil, Dae Gil, Dae Gil. Naïve noble young lord who fell in love with a slave turned jaded fucked up slave hunter with amazing pecs and abs obsessively looking for the girl he fell in love with when he was 16. I mean, what's not to love?! That intensity that Jang Hyuk brings to all his characters is especially delicious here. Ahh and all the angst and pain and sacrifice ILOVEHIMILOVEHIMILOVEHIM.
3. Darren Wang as Wolf Boy/Prince Bo in The Wolf
SEX ON LEGS. THE END. I may have been even more shameless in thirsting over Wolf Boy than I was with Xiao Qi. Why isn't he number 1 then? Well, whereas Xiao Qi is wonderful husband material while still being a competent as hell general/murder machine, Wolf Boy is the hot bastard you meet at a sketchy dive bar who you take home for an ill-advised night of great fun. I don't know if being husband material makes you hotter but I guess for this list it does. I don't know!
Cut to save you from all the gifs. More thirst awaits behind the cut!
4. Chen Kun as Ning Yi in The Rise of the Phoenixes
THIS MAN IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND SMOLDERS ONSCREEN LIKE HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. So brilliant, so ruthless, so tragic. And when he lets his hair down?! Ugh, I can’t. The only reason why he isn’t higher is because he’s TOO BEAUTIFUL in a very untouchable way.
5. Kimura Takuya as Haru in Pride
Teenage me took one look at Kimura Takuya as Haru and went YES. He’s probably only this high because of nostalgia but WHATEVER. It doesn’t matter that Kimura Takuya is maybe 130 pounds max at any given moment. The jdrama told me he was an ace hockey player and I went “Yes he is!” This was peak jdrama romance for me. I mean a playboy who doesn’t believe in love falling in love with a traditional woman while fake dating according to the rules of his own game? Yes please!
6. Kim Moo Yeol as Hot Banker in My Beautiful Bride
I’m sure he has an actual name but I don’t know it because he’s always been Hot Banker to me. I’ve been to many banks, seen many bankers, and never in my life have I ever seen one as hot as Hot Banker. Talk about setting unrealistic expectations. Ooooof I love his one track mindedness in his love for his bride and never stopping until he gets her back...IT FEEDS MY SOUL. He also works out a lot and the drama makers were kind enough to show us his work out routine onscreen and bless them for that.
7. Ji Sung as Kang Yohan in The Devil Judge
Gay daddy Rochester does modern vengeance kdrama all while looking fucking hot and brooding in suits and loose blouses. Ji Sung is so daddy in this role, the state is looking for him to pay child support.
8. William Chan as hot masochist shifu in novoland pearl eclipse
Hot masochist shifu with a toxic homoerotic relationship with a psycho emperor whom you want to fuck. He’s THE hot shifu you want to fuck to top all hot shifus (or maybe in his case, bottom?). His character was as hot as the drama was messy/bad. OOF.
9. Jin Han as Feng Xi in Twisted Fate of Love
Hot bastard you want to fuck who only melts for his otp. My attraction to Jin Han is irrational and 100% hormone driven. I have watched so many crap/questionable dramas for this man. SO MANY.
10. Kim Nam Gil as Bi Dam in Queen Seondeok
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Kim Nam Gil on any given day is worth thirsting over but especially with that long hair as Bi Dam. I mean come on, abandoned son of the antagonist queen who falls for the new queen/rightful ruler? The dangerous and cutthroat man with questionable morals who throws it all away for his otp and literally fights through an entire army just to see her again?! His character was totally made to turn me on! I couldn’t find any gifs to do him justice so please enjoy this clip of his last scene where he cuts through an army to reach his lover and falls just short of touching her before he dies.
10. Yoon Sang Hyun as Oska in Secret Garden
OG kdrama himbo with a heart of gold who turns out to be the best bro ever. He was such a hot dummy, even Lee Jong Suk’s snooty hipster songwriter couldn’t help but fall for him. Yoon Sang Hyun is such an underrated hottie, it’s a crime.
10. Cha Seung Won as Jo Kook in City Hall
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Hot bastard you want to fuck who reforms himself for his otp and tries to be a better man for her. Cha Seung Won is already naturally so hot to me but add onto that his crazy hot chemistry with Kim Sun Ah? 🥵 They were so adult and it was so great. Special shout out to his role in Athena: Goddess of War for being the hottest evil bastard in that mess of a drama.
10. Jung Kyung Ho as Dr’s Son in Cruel City
Look, Jung Kyung Ho is as skinny as a bean pole but he was just so sexy and dangerous in this drama! Wheeeew and that love scene with Nam Gyuri.
Special Category: hottie not from an Asian drama - Uraz Kaygilaroglu as Kartal in Uc Kurus
Pictures don’t do him justice, his entire vibe as this character is so hot to me. You know you’re hot when you can make this monstrous bleach blond look sexy. I think Uc Kurus was my first foray into Turkish shows (it’s either this or Destan) and it was all because of Kartal. What’s not to like about a Romani mafioso who is perhaps on the wrong side of the law but is also someone who does everything he can to protect his loved ones and his community and is a bit damaged? He makes a very good case for slumming it!
Some special mentions that didn’t quite make the top 10:
Joo Won’s insane abs in Alice
Lee Dong Wook in anything and everything
Lee Soo Hyuk’s frequent flyer abs in The Scholar Who Walks the Night
Nam Goong Min’s everything in the first episode of The Veil
Because of the Bai Shi thing the male lead suffers from whatever the king suffers from ,, the king is drinking poison and he doesn't feel a thing but his Bai Shi ,, his best friend felt the symptoms in his wedding night so he knocked his wife out and hurried to the emperor to save his own life but of course he collapsed from the poison effect
I genuinely think I’m in love with this shot. It’s like something out of a painting. The way they’re both sitting and looking at each other, their reflections in the water, the cozy lighting, the way his robe nearly touches the water, even the fact that they’re reciting poetry... utterly romantic.
So the secretary is on the bad side too? Oh no, they're gonna try to kill Zhe Liu I can see it coming now. Because she accidentally touched the secret message letters. Okay, so they aren't going to kill her just keep her there until the 1st of the month is over. Since they're planning to kill the Emperor and Jian Ming then.
I really love how quick-witted Haishi is, and also how perceptive she is. Literally, she catches on to everything. (well except that Jian Ming loves her)
I hope Zhe Liu can warn them. WAIT WHAT!! She's taking a suicide potion! To keep Zhou Ying from being held back omg! Girl....you could just like break up with him damn. You ain't gotta kill yourself for him! Jesus, Cdrama's are so dramatic. [I'm skipping through the recap moments lol]
Ah, they weren't expecting the 2nd guy. I thought for sure that Zhe Liu would have warned them first.
[Ep 33]
Well, this episode opened up extremely stressfully. Who's dying today lol surely they all can't make it out of this encounter alive.
I refuse to believe that Zhou Ying actually intended to kill the Emperor. I think that was all a rouse to make it look real. Obviously, word will spread, and if his tribe hears that he tried to kill the Emperor then they will trust him more. I don't think he's a bad guy.
I don't understand his plan, to be honest. I mean he's sending Haishi off to get Zhou Ying or to kill him. Even Haishi doesn't understand. I agree with her, it seems like everyone is just a pawn used for the bigger scheme of just protecting the Emperor.
So literally Zhou Ying had to take a bet that Haishi would rather disobey Jian Ming than to kill him. But, she shot the arrow and it definitely looks like she killed him.
I honestly can not tell if General Fu is bad or good. Like he killed the doctor so the news doesn't leak out that Haishi is a girl. However, I feel like he's planning to use this information somehow.
It's cute that the Emperor is starting to fall in love with Tilan. You can tell because he's starting to smile at her like he did Zizan and also he's getting excited to be around her and talk about doing fun things together.
OH NO! General Fu works for Prince Chang! OH MY GOD! Now he's gonna tell him that Haishi is a girl! AHHH I need to know what's gonna happen next but I have to go to bed. I have work in the morning...cries!