#seol kang wook

[skyminsworld]

And now my Kdrama men which I so love like damn pls im on my knees

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama September 2023 🧡

8/9: a time called you with Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, Kang Hoon. 12 episodes; fantasy, mystery, romance. Trailer

9/9: arthdal chronicles: the sword of Aramoon with Jang Dong Geun, Lee Joon Gi, Shin Se Kyung. 12 episodes; historical, fantasy, romance. Trailer

13/9: the day of the kidnapping with Yoon Kye Sang, Park Sung Hoon. 12 episodes; thriller, mystery, comedy. Trailer

15/9: the escape of the 7 with Uhm Ki Joon, Hwang Jung Eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yoo Bi. 17 episodes; mystery, thriller. Trailer

22/9: song of bandits with Kim Nam Gil, Seo Hyun, Lee Hyun Wook. 9 episodes; historical, romance, action. Trailer

25/9: twinkling watermelon with Choi Hyun Wook, Ryeoun, Seol In Ah. 16 episodes; fantasy, romance, youth. Trailer

27/9: the worst of evil with Ji Chang Wook, Wi Ha Joon, Im Se Mi. 12 episodes; action, thriller, crime. Trailer

Summer is over 🥲

At least we have new shows to watch!

[ulkaralakbarova]

After a deadly earthquake turns Seoul into a lawless badland, a fearless huntsman springs into action to rescue a teenager abducted by a mad doctor. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Nam-san: Ma Dong-seok Yang Gi-su: Lee Hee-jun Choi Ji-wan: Lee Jun-young Han Su-na: Roh Jeong-eui Lee Eun-ho: Ahn Ji-hye Kwon Sang-sa: Park Ji-hoon Teacher: Jang Young-nam Tiger: Park Hyo-joon Yeon-su: Seong Byeong-suk Madame: Jung Young-ju Ju-ye: Lee Han-joo Director Choi: Park Sang-hoon Director Oh: Ahn Seong-bong Ju-ye’s Father: Jeong Gi-seop Ju-ye’s Mother: Kim Young-sun Western Grandfather: Sin Sin-beom Western’s Mother: Hong Yi-joo Film Crew: Production Design: Jo Hwa-seong Sound Supervisor: Kim Suk-won Editor: Nam Na-young Special Effects Supervisor: Jung Do-ahn Adaptation: Ma Dong-seok Lighting Director: Song Hyun-suk Director of Photography: Byun Bong-sun Production Sound Mixer: Jung Gun Producer: Choi Won-ki Makeup & Hair: Nam Ji-soo Special Effects Makeup Artist: Pi Dae-seong Digital Intermediate: Lee Hye-min Production Design: Park Gyu-bin Original Music Composer: Kim Dong-wook Editor: Ha Mi-ra Martial Arts Choreographer: Heo Myeong-haeng Writer: Kim Bo-tong Executive Producer: Byun Seung-min Martial Arts Choreographer: Yoon Seong-min Original Story: Kim Dong-gyun Adaptation: Kim Chang-hoon Writer: Kwak Jae-min Executive Producer: Choi Byeong-hwan Special Effects Makeup Artist: Seol Ha-un Props: Kang Shin-hong Key Grip: Lee Hyun-gyu Special Effects Supervisor: Im Jong-hyeok Line Producer: Choi Su-im Visual Effects: Yuk Gwan-woo Movie Reviews: Chris Sawin: The film features some hard-hitting and explosive action sequences that will rightfully cater to fans of the genre. The battle in the basement of the apartment building, where we see Nam-san use a shotgun to blast his way through some of the doctor’s ‘enhanced’ individuals, is a total exhilarating blast. Ma Dong-seok has been a powerhouse for most of his career post Train to Busan, but he sends people flying whenever he throws his fist or pulls the trigger. _Badland Hunters_ also has to break a record for most decapitations in a film. **Full review:** https://bit.ly/bdlndhntr MovieGuys: Badland Hunters does something things well, others just passably. Action is wall to wall and well choreographed.Special effects are excellent. Characterisations are solid if predictable and the acting is not to be sniffed at. However, the story is unremarkable, with a climax that feels, well, anti climatic. In summary, an okay but hardly exceptional watch, that would have benefited from more creativity on the storytelling front. Ritesh Mohapatra: “Badland Hunters: A Visually Striking Action Spectacle with Narrative Shortcomings” In this post-apocalyptic action thriller, Badland Hunters, while suffering from a repetitive and clichéd plot and uninteresting characters, excels in stunning hand-to-hand choreography and scintillating action set pieces. The film benefits greatly from the expertise of its veteran stunt coordinator turned director, known for his work on Train to Busan. Commendable world-building, visionary concepts, and excellent VFX are hindered by conventional writing. The short, crisply edited runtime avoids unnecessary elements. Don Lee’s exceptional portrayal of Nam-san, with exhilarating action sequences, overshadows the film’s narrative weaknesses, making it a guiltily satisfying popcorn-worthy entertainer, particularly for adrenaline enthusiasts. Instagram & X @streamgenx.

[thenoonachronicles]

My favorite second lead couples 😍

[fantasynfiction]

tvN presents Geumgavengers!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Credit: tvN Drama Official Instagram

[ohmycenchaheart]

A whole week without Twenty Five, Twenty One and Business Proposal. 

Sigh. I miss them.

[binging-asian-dramas]

Special Labor Inspector Mr Jo. 8

Story: 9

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10

This is quite a hilarious drama that resembles a lot like the drama series versions of ‘Leverage’. It took me around four episodes to be like yes I’m totally committed to this one. The entire cast works so well with one another, specifically Kim Dong Wook and Kim Kyung Nam, they were like a comedy duo I didn’t know I needed. One thing though is not to take this drama that seriously , it’s one of those type of silly over the top comedy crime/detective dramas.

[impolenginlovee]

All the kdramas I watched this 2018:

Cheese In The Trap

Healer

Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim

My Secret Romance [New kdrama of 2018]

Radio Romance

Welcome To Waikiki 

That Man Oh Soo

The Good Seducer

My Mister

A Poem A Day

[k-star-holic]

The relationship between the characters and the immersion that was solid from the first time is the best

[dear-indies]

Best Korean face claims to use? any age and gender.

I'm going to preface this with a very important message to please be mindful of playing Korean characters because the roleplay community tends to fetishize and use racist stereotypes - a Google search will explain things to be careful of and writingwithcolor is also a great resource. 

Here are some Korean faceclaims (mostly actors) with resources at the time of posting.

Non-binary:

Nicky Endres (1982) Korean - she/they - non-binary transfeminine, genderqueer, and genderfluid.

Women:

Youn Yuh Jung (1947) Korean.

Go Doo Shim (1951) Korean.

Sandra Oh (1971) Korean.

Kim Seo Hyung (1973) Korean.

Merle Dandridge (1975) African-American / Korean.

Moon Bloodgood (1975) Korean / Dutch, English, Welsh, Irish.

Kim Joo Ryoung (1976) Korean.

Bae Doo Na (1979) Korean.

Ha Jae Sook (1979) Korean.

Gong Hyo Jin (1980) Korean.

Cho Yeo Jung (1981) Korean.

Kim Min Hee (1982) Korean.

Lee Si Young (1982) Korean.

Son Ye Jin (1982) Korean.

Lee Ha Na (1982) Korean.

Jo Yoon Hee (1982) Korean.

Lee Ha Nee (1983) Korean.

Shin Min Ah (1984) Korean.

Mia Sable (1984) Korean, Choctaw and German.

Claudia Kim (1985) Korean.

Genevieve Kang (1986) Korean, Scottish Irish, Lebanese, Apache, Spanish.

Soo Joo Park (1986) Korean.

Jung Eun Chae (1986) Korean.

Park So Jin (1986) Korean.

Oh Yeon Seo (1987) Korean.

Shin Bo Ra (1987) Korean.

Hwang Seung Eon (1988) Korean.

Go Bo Gyeol (1988) Korean.

Shin Hye Sun (1989) Korean.

Lee Joo Bin (1989) Korean.

Andrea Bang (1989) Korean.

Jeon Yeo Been (1989) Korean.

Alice Lee (1989) Korean.

Kang Han Na (1989) Korean.

Song Ji Eun (1990) Korean.

Lee Sung Kyung (1990) Korean.

Kim Tae Ri (1990) Korean.

Park Shin Hye (1990) Korean.

Kwon Na Ra (1991) Korean.

Kim Go Eun (1991) Korean.

Kim Yong Ji (1991) Korean.

Im Jin Ah / Nana (1991) Korean.

Ashley Park (1991) Korean.

Lee Se Young (1992) Korean.

Kim Ji Won (1992) Korean.

Ha Yoon Kyung (1992) Korean.

Yoon So Hee (1993) Korean.

Park Gyu Young (1993) Korean.

Bae Suzy (1994) Korean.

Park Ji Hyun (1994) Korean.

Lee Yoo Mi (1994) Korean.

Kim Min Kyu (1994) Korean.

Lee Hye Ri (1994) Korean.

Seo Eun Soo (1994) Korean.

Chae Soo Bin (1994) Korean.

Jin Se Yeon (1994) Korean.

Jeon Jong Seo (1994) Korean.

Han So Hee (1994) Korean.

Jung Da Eun (1994) Korean.

Yeri (1994) Korean.

Adeline Rudolph (1995) Korean / German.

Go Min Si (1995) Korean.

Shin Do Hyun (1995) Korean.

Nam Ji Hyun (1995) Korean.

Park Soo Young / Joy (1996) Korean.

Oh Ha-young / Hayoung (1996) Korean.

Moon Ga Young (1996) Korean.

Lee Yeol Eum (1996) Korean.

Yang Hye Ji (1996) Korean.

Han Ji Hyun (1996) Korean.

Seol In Ah (1996) Korean.

Go Yoon Jung (1996) Korean.

Tati Gabrielle (1996) Korean / African-American.

Sydney Park (1997) Korean / African-American.

Choi Yu Ju (1997) Korean.

Lee Ho Jung (1997) Korean.

Shin Ye Eun (1998) Korean.

Lee Su Ji (1998) Korean.

Kang Mina (1999) Korean.

Jo Soo Min (1999) Korean.

Kim Do Yeon (1999) Korean.

Jo Yi Hyun (1999) Korean.

Yoon Seo Ah (2000) Korean.

Taylor T (?) Korean.

Jennifer Cheon Garcia (?) Korean / Mexican.

Men:

Song Kang Ho (1967) Korean.

Lee Byung Hun (1970) Korean.

Kenneth Choi (1971) Korean. 

Rick Yune (1971) Korean.

Will Yun Lee (1971) Korean.

David Lee McInnis (1973) Korean / German and Irish. 

Lee Jung Jae (1972) Korean.

Randall Park (1974) Korean.

Johnny Yong Bosch (1976) Korean / Irish German.

Heo Sung Tae (1977) Korean.

Ji Sung (1977) Korean.

Gong Yoo (1979) Korean.

Daniel Henney (1979) Korean / Irish, English.

Miyavi (1981) Korean / Japanese.

Lee Dong Wook (1981) Korean.

Park Hae Soo (1981) Korean.

Hyun Bin (1982) Korean.

Joo Ji Hoon (1982) Korean.

Sung Hoon (1983) Korean.

Uhm Tae Goo (1983) Korean.

Steven Yeun (1983) Korean.

Lee Je Hoon (1984) Korean. 

Song Joong Ki (1985) Korean.

Lee Da Hee (1985) Korean.

Yoo Ah In (1986) Korean.

Choi Daniel (1986) Korean.

Noh Min Woo (1986) Korean. 

Seo In Guk (1987) Korean.

Kim Ki Bum (1987) Korean.

Christopher Larkin (1987) Korean.

Jay Hayden (1987) Korean / Irish.

Yoon Park (1987) Korean.

Ahn Bo Hyun (1988) Korean.

Park Seo Joon (1988) Korean.

Jung Hae In (1988) Korean.

Kim Soo Hyun (1988) Korean.

Lee Hyun Jae (1988) Korean / Unspecified American.

Lee Soo Hyuk (1988) Korean.

Ok Taec Yeon (1988) Korean.

Im Shi Wan (1988) Korean.

Kim Woo Bin (1989) Korean.

Kim Kyung Nam (1989) Korean.

Lee Jong Suk (1989) Korean.

Kang Ha Neul (1990) Korean.

Justin H. Min (1990) Korean.

Lee Min Hyuk (1990) Korean.

Wi Ha Jun (1991) Korean.

Hwang In Yeop (1991) Korean.

Lee Seung Hyub (1992) Korean.

Jake Choi (1992) Korean - sexually fluid.

Woo Do Hwan (1992) Korean.

Jang Ki Yong (1992) Korean.

Chae Jong Hyeop (1993) Korean.

Yoo Seung Ho (1993) Korean.

Seo Kang Joon (1993) Korean.

Do Kyung Soo (1993) Korean.

Lee Hyun Woo (1993) Korean.

Kim Sung Joo (1994) Korean.

Nam Joo Hyuk (1994) Korean.

Kang Tae Oh (1994) Korean.

One / Jung Jae Won (1994) Korean.

Song Kang (1994) Korean.

Park Jin Young (1994) Korean.

Lee Do Hyun (1995) Korean.

Go Tae Seob / Holland (1996) Korean - gay.

Cha Eun Woo (1997) Korean.

Kwak Dong Yeon (1997) Korean.

Han Gi Chan (1998) Korean.

Kim Moo Joon (1998) Korean.

Hur Hyun Jun (2000) Korean.

Hyun Min Han (2001) Korean / Nigerian.

Peter Thurnwald (?) Korean.

Here ya go!

[solplparty]

TXT (투모로우바이투게더) 'Good Boy Gone Bad' Official MV (Choreography ver.) https://youtu.be/9G9CQdLFwa4 TXT (투모로우바이투게더) 'Good Boy Gone Bad' Official MV (Choreography ver.) Credits: DIRECTOR - KWON YONG SOO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - YOU WON SIK EDITOR - GWON HEE GYEONG PA - KWON JUNG MIN, WON DONG WOOK, WON DONG SEOK, JOO JAE MIN, JUNG GYU HONG DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - LIM CHI HOON (FLAMINGO) FOCUS PULLER - PARK HYUN JUN, HONG MIN HYUK 2ND AC - KIM GWANG MO 3ND AC - KIM MIN SEO, PARK GA EUL, SHIN HYUN JIN DIT - HO JUNG PIL GAFFER - KWON HOON HO (VIT LIGHTING) LIGHTCREW - KIM DAE JIN, KANG BYUNG GOO, KIM MIN SEO NO HYUNG WOO, HAN JAE YOUNG, LIM HEE JUN, PAIK SEUNG HO YANG JOON MIN, YOO JAE JOON, CHOI BEOM SEOK JIMMY JIB - LEE DONG JIN JIMMY JIB ASSISTANT - LEE JI YONG, JUNG SUNG UM ART DIRECTOR - JUNG BO RAM (RAMI) ART TEAM - KIM HONG YI, KIM SEO A, KIM DAE YOUNG SPECIAL EFFECTS - PARK CHUL YOUNG (DRAGON) SPECIAL EFFECTS TEAM - OH WON JUN, PARK JAE SUNG, SEOL CHOONG YONG PARK YOUNG MIN, JO YONG BEOM LOCATION MANAGER - KIM JUNG YOON(GO LOCATION) CLEAN&2D - DOUBLUE, MEDIA DOT DI- LUCID COLOUR COLORIST - HAEWON KWAK DI CREW - SEONYOUNG LEE,SUJEONG PARK,DASEUL KIM, JIWON SEO DI PRODUCER - ONEW KIM BIGHIT MUSIC. Rights are reserved selectively in the video. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by BIGHIT MUSIC, Seoul, Korea. Connect with TOMORROW X TOGETHER: https://ibighit.com/txt https://twitter.com/TXT_bighit https://twitter.com/TXT_members https://www.facebook.com/TXT.bighit https://www.instagram.com/txt_bighit https://channels.vlive.tv/BA18A3 https://www.tiktok.com/@txt.bighitent https://weverse.io/txt https://www.weibo.com/TXTbighit http://i.youku.com/txtbighit #minisode2 #Thursdays_Child #GOOD_BOY_GONE_BAD #투모로우바이투게더 #TOMORROW_X_TOGETHER #TXT HYBE LABELS

[theanonymousb]

My 20 Best Korean Drama

1.    Hi Bye Mama

Genre: Fantasy, Drama

Plot:

Cha Yu-Ri (Kim Tae Hee) has been a ghost since she died 5 years ago. She left behind her husband Jo Kang-Hwa and their child. To become a human again, Cha Yu-Ri carries out a reincarnation project for 49 days.

Meanwhile, Jo Kang-Hwa (Lee Kyu-Hyung) works as a chest surgeon. He was loving, but, after his wife died, his personality changed. After 5 years, his wife Cha Yu-Ri reappears in front of him.

2.    It’s Okay to Not be Okay

Genre: Romance, Drama

Plot:

A story about a man employed in a psychiatric ward and a woman, with an antisocial personality disorder, who is a popular writer of children’s books.

Moon Kang-Tae (Kim Soo-Hyun) works in a psychiatric ward. His job is to write down the patients’ conditions and deal with unexpected situations, like if patients fight or they run away. He only earns about 1.8 million won ($1,600 USD) a month. The woman (Seo Yea-Ji) is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant and rude.

3.    Angel’s last Mission

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Plot:

Kim Dan (Kim Myung-Soo) is an angel. He is also a troublemaker and also optimist. Lee Yeon-Seo (Shin Hye-Sun) is a ballerina who does not believe in lve.

Dan then receives a mission. If he succeeds, he can return to Heaven. His mission is to find true love for Yeon-Seo, but soon falls in love with her.

4.    Prison Playbook

Genre: Black Comedy

Plot:

Je-Hyeok (Park Hae-Soo) is the best relief pitcher in Korea. He will to the U.S and sign a contract with a major league. One night, he hears his sister screaming and sees a man running out of her apartment. Je-hyeok and the man get into a physical struggle with Je-Hyeok striking the man with a rock. Later, Je-Hyeok receives a 1 year prison sentence for using excessive force. Devastated, Je-Hyeok must adapt to life in prison.

Meanwhile, Joon-Ho (Jung Kyoung-Ho) is a friend of Je-Hyeok and works in the prisonas an officer. He waits for Je-Hyeok’s arrival.

5.    Chicago Typewriter

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Friendship

Plot:

This drama follows the lives of two men and a woman through two eras; one during the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea and the other in the 21st century. Han Se-Joo (Yoo Ah-In) who was a writer in his past life and a bestselling author in the present. But Se-Joo is depressed with writer’s block so he can’t write his next book.

Yu Jin-Oh (Go Kyung-Pyo) owned a bar in his previous life. In 2017 he is a talented ghostwriter who can bail Se-Joo out of his predicament, but the mysterious man has a condition for his services. Se-Joo may not be able to meet it.

Jun Seol (Im Soo Jung) was a sniper. Now she has extremely variety expertise. She is a former Olympian hopeful, a veterinarian and a book lover who runs her own delivery service. She oscillates between extreme fandom and an anti-fan of Se Joo.

The intricately woven story of these three characters unfolds to reveal strange mirroring connections between the time periods as well as possibilities for past lives to be redeemed or improves in the modern world.

6.    Uncontrollably Fond

Genre: Romance, Melodrama

Plot:

Sin Joon-Young (Kim Woo-Bin) and No Eul (Bae Suzy) were in love in ther younger days. But uncontrollable circumstances separated them and they went their separate ways. Joon-Young is now a superstar actor and singer, while No Eul became a producer-director of documentaries. When their path cross again years later. Joon-Young discovers that No Eul is now very different person than he remembered – materialisticand willing to do anything to get ahead.

7.    Penthouse: War In Life

Genre: Suspense, Life, Drama, Family, Mature

Plot:

The residents of Hera Palace, a luxury penthouse apartment with 100 floors, have many secrets and hidden ambitions. Sim Su-Ryeon (Lee Ji-Ah), who was born into wealth, is the queen of the penthouse apartment. Cheon Seo-Jin (Kim So-Yeon), the prima donna of the residence, does all she can to give everything to her daughter. Oh Yoon-Hee (Eugene) comes from a poor family background, but she strives to enter high society by becoming the queen of the penthouse, the pinnacle success in her eyes. A battle for wealth, power, and prestige at Seoul’s most coveted penthouse begins.

8.    Crash Landing On You

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Military, Political

Plot:

Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Ji) is an heiress to a conglomerate in South Korea. One day, while paragliding, an accident caused by strong winds leads Yoon Se-Ri to make an emergency landing in North Korea.  There, she meets Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun-Bin), who is a North Korean army officer. He tries to protect her and hide her. Soon, Ri Jeong-Hyeok falls in love with Yoon Se-RI.

9.    Itaewon Class

Genre: Romance, Business, Friendship, Life

Plot:

On the first day of attending his new high school, Park Sae-Ro-Yi (Park Seo-Joon) punches his classmate Jang Geun-Won, who was bullying another classmate. The bully is the son of CEO Jang Dae-Hee (Yoo Jae-Myung). The bully's father runs restaurant business Jagga where Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s own father works. CEO Jang Dae-Hee demands to Park Sae-Ro-Yi that he apologizes to his son, but Park Sae-Ro-Yi refuses. Because of his refusal, Park Sae-Ro-Yi gets expelled from school and his father gets fired from his job. Soon, an accident takes place. Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s father dies in a motorcycle accident caused by his ex-classmate Jang Geun-Won. Burning with anger, Park Sae-Ro-Yi viciously beats Jang Geun-Won. He is soon arrested and receives prison time for the violent assault. Park Sae-Ro-Yi decides to destroy the Jagga company and take revenge upon CEO Jang Dae-Hee and his son Jang Geun-Won. Once Park Sae-Ro-Yi is released from prison, he opens a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. Jo Yi-Seo (Kim Da-Mi), who is popular on social media, joins Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s restaurant and works there as a manger. She has feelings for Park Sae-Ro-Yi.

10. Hotel De Luna

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Horror, Fantasy

Plot:

Jang Man-Wol (IU) is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. The hotel is situated in downtown in Seoul and has a very old appearance. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. She is beautiful, but she is fickle, suspicious and greedy.

Koo Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) worked as the youngest assistant manager ever at a multinational hotel corporation. He is a sincere perfectionist. He looks level-headed, but he actually has a soft disposition. Due to an unexpected case, he begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.

11. Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Plot:

Goo Ra-Ra (Go Ara) is a pianist. She has bright personality. Something happened that caused her to become bankrupt. She doesn't have anything now and she is frustrated with her situation.

Sunwoo Joon (Lee Jae-Wook) doesn't care what other people think about him, but he has a warm heart. He is free spirited and doesn't have a specific dream or goal for his life. He makes ends meet by working part-time jobs.

Goo Ra-Ra and Sunwoo Joon meet at the small private piano academy LaLa Land in a country village.

12. 18 Again

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Youth, Drama, Fantasy

Plot:

Tells the story of a husband named Hong Dae Young (Lee Do-Hyun) who is on the verge of divorce but finds himself back in his body when he was at the prime of his life 18 years ago. He ends up changing his name to Go Woo Young when he becomes 18- years-old again. Meanwhile, his wife Jung Da Jung(Kim Ha-Neul) joins the workforce as an anchorwoman later on in life after raising their 18-year-old twins.

13. Goblin: The Lonely and Great God

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Plot:

In ancient times, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is an unbeatable general in wars, but the young King (Kim Min-Jae) is jealous of Kim Shin and kills him. Kim Shin becomes Dokkaebi (Goblin), possessing an immortal life. At first he thinks that he is blessed, but he realizes that he is cursed.

Closer to the present day, Kim Shin has waited 900 years for a human bride to end his immortal life. One night, he saves a dying pregnant woman (Park Hee-Von) who is destined to die. Meanwhile, the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-Wook) is unable to find the dead pregnant woman. The woman gives birth to a baby girl named Ji Eun-Tak (later played by Kim Go-Eun). 9 years later, Ji Eun-Tak lives with her mother and is able to see ghosts. One night, her mother suddenly dies. On that night, she meets the Grim Reaper.

In the present day, Ji Eun-Tak is a high school student. She still sees ghosts and hears their whisper of “Dokkaebi’s bride.” She now lives with her aunt’s family, but she is mistreated by them. On her birthday, Ji Eun-Tak sits by the sea with a lighted birthday cake. At that time, Kim Shin suddenly appears in front of her. Kim Shin does not know why, but he can hear her voice and appears in front of her against his will. Coincidentally, Kim Shin lives with the Grim Reaper at the same house.

Now, Kim Shin appears in front of her against his will, whenever she turns off the lights. One day, Ji Eun-Tak tells him that he is Dokkaebi and she is his bride.

14. It’s Okay That’s Love

Genre: Friendship, Psychological, Comedy, Romance, Drama

Plot:

Jang Jae-Yeol (Jo In-Sung) is a mystery writer and radio DJ. He suffers from a obsession. Ji Hae-Soo (Gong Hyo-Jin) is going through her first year fellowship in psychiatry at a University Hospital. She chose psychiatry because she doesn't want to perform surgeries. After she meets Jang Jae-Yeol, her life goes through big changes.

15. Let’s Fight Ghost

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Horror

Plot:

Hyun-Ji (Kim So-Hyun) studied for most her life before she died at the age of 19. She is now a ghost and has wandered around the world for several years. Hyun-Ji then meets exorcist Park Bong-Pal (TaecYeon). Hyun-Ji and Bong-Pal listens to various stories from ghosts and sends them to the otherworld.

16. Hospital Playlist

Genre: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, Life, Medical

Plot:

A drama depicting the stories of people going through their days that are seemingly ordinary but actually special, at the hospital, a place known as the microcosm of life - where someone is being born and someone's life meets their ending. The five doctors are longtime friends of 20 years who started their undergrad in 1999 in the same medical school, and now they are colleagues in the same hospital. The drama will also deal with a story of a band formed by the group of doctors.

17. Fated to Loved You

Genre: Business, Comedy, Romance,

Plot:

This drama is the story of an ordinary girl, Mi Yeong, (Jang Na-Ra)who has neither outstanding looks, a prestigious college degree, nor any other charming qualities, facing her whole life abruptly changing when love comes knocking at her door. While on vacation, she accidentally happens to spend one night with Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) and even gets pregnant from that night. Because of this incident, her life will never be the same, and this fateful encounter brings love that transforms this not-so-special girl to an attractive, charming lady.

18. Go Back Couple

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Life, Fantasy

Plot:

Choi Ban-Do (Son Ho-Jun) and Ma Jin-Joo (Jang Na-Ra) are both 38-years-old and a married couple. Choi Ban-Do has been burdened with being the breadwinner and Ma Jin-Joo is a housewife with low self-esteem. Even though they loved each other when they married, they now hate each other. They both regret marrying at such a young age. The couple travel through time and find themselves as 20-year-old university students, when they met for the first time.

19. To The Beautiful You

Genre: School, Teen, Romantic, Comedy, Sports

Plot:

Kang Tae-Joon (Minho) is a gold medalist in the high jump, but he has been mired in a slump due to an injury. In order to help her idol, a girl named Koo Jae-Hee (Sulli) disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the same all male high school.When Tae-Joon (Minho) is competiting at the World Junior Competition, Jae-Hee (Sulli) watches him on TV in America and becomes very touched.

Despite her friends telling her otherwise, Jae-Hee cuts her long hair by herself. She then flies to South Korea, with a plan to stay with Tae-Joon who is now injured. Jae-Hee disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the all boys Genie Physical Education High School. On her first day at school, Jae-Hee goes up the stairs with her suitcase, but her suitcase bursts open and all her clothes fall out. A boy comes by and helps her pick up her stuff. Jae-Hee realizes that the boy helping her is none other than her idol Tae-Joon. In her excitement, Jae-Hee sits on her suitcase, which proceeds to slide down the stairs.

20. When the Camellia Blooms

Genre: Triller, Comedy, Romance, Family

Plot:

Dong-Baek (Kong Hyo-Jin) is a single mother living in the small town of Ongsan. She runs the bar-restaurant Camellia, while also taking care of her son Pil-Gu (Kim Kang-Hoon). The people of Ongsan frequently gossip about Dong-Baek. She grew up as an orphan, is a single mother and runs a bar where many of the men in Ongsan frequent. Regardless of what the locals may whisper about Dong-Baek, local police officer Hwang Yong-Sik (Kang Ha-Neul) is deeply in love with her. Meanwhile, Dong-Baek's ex-boyfriend Kang Jong-Ryeol (Kim Ji-Suk) suddenly reappears in her life. He is a famous baseball player, that hid their relationship when they dated. While Dong-Baek tries to find happiness, something truly sinister lurks in the background. A serial killer roams Ongsan and Dong-Baek may be a target.

[goalhofer]

2020 Olympics South Korea Roster

Archery

Je-Deok Kim (Gyeongbuk)

Woojin Kim (Iwon)

Jin-Hyek Oh (Incheon)

San Ahn (Pyeongchang)

Min-Hee Jang (Seoul)

Chae-Young Kang (Gwangju)

Athletics

Wilson Erupe (Lodwar, Kenya)

Jong-Seop Sim (Seoul)

Byeong-Gwang Choi (Hwaseong)

Sang-Hyeok Woo (Seoul)

Min-Sub Jin (Busan)

Seulgi An (Seoul)

Kyung-Sun Choi (Seoul)

Badminton

Kwang-Hee Heo (Seoul)

Sol-Gyu Choi (Seoul)

Seung-Jae Seo (Buan)

Se-Young An (Gwangju)

Ga-Eun Kim (Gyeonggi-Do)

So-Yeong Kim (Incheon)

Hee-Yong Kong (Jincheon)

So-Hee Lee (Ulsan)

Seung-Chan Shin (Gochang-Gun)

Yoo-Jung Chae (Suwon)

Baseball

Won-Joon Choi (Seoul)

Woo-Suk Ko (Ganghwa-Gun)

Min-Woo Kim (Seoul)

Eui-Lee Lee (Gwangju)

Tae-In Won (Daegu)

Woo-Chan Cha (Gunsan)

Sang-Woo Cho (Uijeongbu)

Seung-Hwan Oh (Jeongeup)

Young-Pyo Ko (Gwangju)

Se-Woong Park (Daegu)

Jin-Uk Kim (Suwon)

Min-Ho Kang (Pohang)

Eui-Ji Yang (Gwangju)

Joo-Hwan Choi (Gwangju)

Kyoung-Min Hur (Gwangju)

Jae-Gyun Hwang (Seoul)

Baek-Ho Kang (Incheon)

Hye-Seong Kim (Seoul)

Jae-Il Oh (Guri)

Ji-Hwan Oh (Gunsan)

Hyun-Soo Kim (Seoul)

Jung-Hoo Lee (Gwangju)

Hae-Min Park (Seoul)

Kun-Woo Park (Seoul)

Basketball

Ji-Hyeon Sin (Seoul)

Lee-Seul Kang (Sacheon)

Ye-Bin Yoon (Boryeong)

Hye-Ji Ahn (Busan)

Hye-Jin Park (Busan)

Ji-Hyun Park (Seongnam)

Dan-Bi Kim (Bupyeong-Gu)

Hye-Yoon Bae (Seoul)

Jung-Eun Kim (Cheonan)

Min-Jeong Kim (Seoul)

Ji-Su Park (Seongnam)

Han-Byul Kim (Sacheon)

Boxing

Aeji Im (Hwasun-Gun)

Yeon-Ji Oh (Incheon)

Cycling

Ah-Reum Na (Naju)

Hye-Jin Lee (Geonggi)

Diving

Yeong-Nam Kim (Seoul)

Yeong-Taek Kim (Seoul)

Ha-Ram Woo (Busan)

Halim Kwon (Seoul)

Su-Ji Kim (Seoul)

Equestrian

Dong-Seon Kim (Seoul)

Fencing

Young-Jim Kweon (Iksan)

Segeon Ma (Seoul)

Sang-Young Park (Jinju)

Kwanghyun Lee (Seoul)

Bon-Gil Gu (Daegu)

Jung-Hwan Kim (Seoul)

Sang-Uk Oh (Daejeon)

Se-Ra Song (Seoul)

In-Jeong Choi (Geumsan)

Young-Mi Ko (Gwangju)

Hee-Sook Jeon (Seoul)

Soo-Yeon Choi (Ansan)

Ji-Yeon Kim (Busan)

Ji-Su Yoon (Busan)

Soccer

Bum-Keun Song (Seongnam)

You-Hyeon Lee (Gwangyang)

Jae-Woo Kim (Seoul)

Ji-Soo Park (Myungyeong)

Tae-Wook Jeong (Jeju)

Seung-Won Jeong (Jeonju)

Chang-Hoon Kwan (Seoul)

Kang-In Lee (Incheon)

Min-Kyu Song (Chungju)

Dong-Gyeong Lee (Seoul)

Dong-Jun Lee (Busan)

Young-Woo Seol (Ulsan)

Jin-Ya Kim (Daegun)

Dong-Hyun Kim (Seoul)

Du-Jae Won (Seoul)

Ui-Jo Hwang (Seongnam)

Won-Sang Um (Gwangju)

Joon-Soo Ahn (Uijeongbu)

Yoon-Sung Kang (Daegu)

Sang-Min Lee (Busan)

Changi An (Seoul)

Jin-Kyu Kim (Pohang)

Golf

Sung-Jae Im (Jeju Seom)

Si-Woo Kim (Seoul)

Jin-Young Ko (Seoul)

Park Inbee (Seoul)

Sei-Young Kim (Seoul)

Hyo-Joo Kim (Seoul)

Gymnastics

Jun-Ho Lee (Seoul)

Han-Sol Kim (Seoul)

Sung-Hyun Ryu (Seoul)

Hak-Seon Yang (Gwangju)

Jae-Hwan Shin (Jecheon)

Yun-Seo Lee (Seoul)

Seo-Jeong Yeo (Yongin-Si)

Handball

Yu-Ra Yung (Seoul)

Jun-Hui Jeong (Tongyeong)

Yun-Ji Kim (Seoul)

Kyun-Ming Kang (Seoul)

Hui Ju (Seoul)

Seon-Pil Won (Jeongseon)

Eun-Hee Ryu (Incheon)

Su-Min Choi (Seoul)

Hae-In Sim (Seoul)

Eun-Hye Kang (Seoul)

Ha-Rang Jo (Gwangju)

Mi-Gyeong Lee (Seoul)

Jin-Yi Kim (Taebaek)

Ji-In Jung (Busan)

Karate

Heejun Park (Busan)

Judo

Won-Jin Kim (Seoul)

Baul An (Anyang)

Shōrin An (Seoul)

Dong-Han Gwak (Pohang)

Gu-Ham Jo (Gangwon)

Min-Jong Kim (Seoul)

Yu-Jeong Kang (Yeosu)

Da-Sol Park (Seoul)

Ji-Su Kim (Seoul)

Hee-Ju Han (Seoul)

Seong-Yeon Kim (Gwangju)

Hyun-Ji Yoon (Seoul)

Mi-Jin Han (Seoul)

Pentathlon

Ung-Tae Jeon (Seoul)

Jin-Hwa Jun (Ulsan)

Se-Hee Kim (Seoul)

Sun-Woo Kim (Gyeonggi)

Rowing

Hye-Jung Jung (Seoul)

Rugby

Chang Yong (Seoul)

Jeong-Min Jang (Seoul)

Yon-Sik Jeong (Incheon)

Hyun Kim (Seoul)

Kun-Kyu Han (Seoul)

Nam Kim (Seoul)

Seong Lee (Seoul)

Won Park (Seoul)

Jin Lee (Seoul)

Andre Coquillard (Seoul)

Seong-Min Jang (Seoul)

Seong Choi (Seoul)

Gwong-Min Kim (Seoul)

Shooting

Dae-Yoon Han (Seoul)

Mo-Se Kim (Seoul)

Sang-Do Kim (Seoul)

Jong-Jun Lee (Seoul)

Jong-Oh Jin (Chuncheon)

Tae-Yun Nam (Seoul)

Jong-Ho Song (Seoul)

Eun-Young Cho (Seoul)

Ga-Eun Choo (Seoul)

Eun-Ji Kwon (Seoul)

Hee-Moon Park (Seoul)

Bo-Mi Kim (Seoul)

Min-Ji Kim (Ansan)

Min-Jung Kim (Seoul)

Climbing

Jongwon Chon (Seoul)

Chae-Hyun Seo (Seoul)

Swimming

Sungjae Cho (Seoul)

Seungwoo Moon (Seoul)

Yoo-Yeon Lee (Seoul)

Woo-Min Kim (Seoul)

Sun-Woo Hwang (Suwon)

Ju-Ho Lee (Asan)

Ho-Joon Lee (Gwangju)

Eunji Lee (Seoul)

Hyun-Young Jung (Seoul)

Da-Kyung Han (Gwangju)

Seo-Yeong Kim (Gyeonggi-Do)

Se-Hyeon An (Seoul)

Table Tennis

Woo-Jin Jang (Daejeon)

Young-Sik Jeoung (Seoul)

Sangsu Lee (Busan)

Ji-Hui Jeon (Seoul)

Yubin Shin (Seoul)

Hyo-Ju Choi (Busan)

Taekwondo

Jun Jang (Seoul)

Dae-Hoon Lee (Seoul)

Kyo-Don In (Incheon)

Jae-Young Sim (Seoul)

Ah-Reum Lee (Seoul)

Da-Bin Lee (Incheon)

Tennis

Soon-Woo Kwon (Sangju)

Volleyball

Eun-Jin Park (Seoul)

So-Young Lee (Asan)

Hye-Seon Yeom (Mokpo)

Hui-Jin Kim (Busan)

Hye-Jin An (Seoul)

Ji-Young Oh (Daegu)

Yeon-Gyeong Kim (Ansan)

Su-Ji Kim (Ansan)

Jeong-Ah Park (Seoul)

Hyo-Jin Yang (Busan)

Ji-Yun Jeong (Seoul)

Seung-Ju Pyo (Ulsan)

Weightlifting

Meong-Mok Han (Changwon)

Dong-Ju Yu (Jinan-Gun)

Yun-Seong Jin (Goyang)

Eunji Ham (Wonju)

Seon-Mi Lee (Gyeongsan)

Su-Hyeon Kim (Seoul)

Yeoun-Hee Kang (Seoul)

Wrestling

Han-Su Ryu (Busan)

Min-Seok Kim (Busan)

[wazafam]

K-dramas have a theme for about anything a viewer is looking for. There are suspense, dramas, thrillers, and highly popular love stories. Some may not want to admit it, but love stories involving falling in love with the boss is a guilty pleasure.

RELATED: 10 Best Time Travel K-Dramas, Ranked (According To IMDb)

Maybe it involves the shy new girl who catches the eye of the handsome and rich CEO. In some cases, the power play is reversed. Regardless, K-dramas have a way of hooking in audiences with their dynamic storylines. If looking for some new K-dramas to add to your roster of must-watch, look no further. Here's a list to get you started.

Updated on April 22nd, 2021, by Gabriela Silva: There's a storyline for every K-drama fan to enjoy from thrillers and the supernatural to unique romances. To add a level of intrigue to a love story what better way than to center it around the blossoming love of a worker and their boss. K-dramas are no stranger to the storyline theme and are quite popular. It's a fairytale story that fans wish happened in real life. 

15 Oh My Ghost (2015)

Oh My Ghost is one of the most recognized supernatural dramas. It focuses on three main characters and the main love story is between a young woman and her boss who's a famous chef. There's a catch. Na Bong-Sun (Park Bo-Young) is shy and timid and has a huge crush on her boss. She can also see spirits.

One day, she's possessed by a young lustful female spirit who believes the only way to go to the afterlife is by losing her virginity. Being the puppet of the ghost, Bong-Sun now becomes a firecracker and confident woman who catches her boss's eye.

14 Radiant Office (2017)

The 2017 drama, Radiant Office has multiple elements that make it a fun boss-employee storyline. Eun Ho-Won (Go Ah-Sung) is down on her luck looking for work and attempts suicide. At the hospital, she learns she terminally ill but succeeds at landing a job.

With a new purpose in life, Ho-Won takes on her new job with full force. Her superior and boss, Seo Woo-Jin (Ha Seok-Jin) thinks she's a huge pain in the neck and often bickers. Their odd relationship might just turn into something more.

13 Protect The Boss (2011)

This K-drama doesn't have the typical boss characteristics seen in other shows. Protect the Boss centers around Cha Ji-Heon (Ji Sung), a childish director at DN Group. He soon meets his match in his new secretary, Noh Eun-Seol (Choi Kang-Hee).

Eun-Seol is determined to not lose her first professional job and gives it her all. Her kind and spunky demeanor start to attract Ji-Heon. That's not all, the drama has a love triangle between Ji-Heon and his rival and cousin, Cha MuWwon (Kim Jae-Joong).

12 Master's Sun (2013)

Master's Sun is another K-drama with a supernatural base. Tae Kong-Shil (Gong Hyo-Jin) gains the ability to see ghosts after a bizarre accident. Her abilities leave her unable to keep a solid job. Kong-Shil works as a cleaning lady at Kingdom's, a conglomerate company, shopping mall.

She soon meets the company's cold and distant CEO, Joo Joong-Won (So Ji-Sub). In a turn of events, whenever Long-Shil touches Joong-Won, the ghosts disappear. After some begging, Joong-Won stays by her side in return for her help in recovering something stolen from him.

11 Jugglers (2017)

2017 was a good year to binge-watch multiple boss-employee relationship K-dramas. Jugglers followed the trend and revolved around a secretary and her cold as ice boss. Jwa Yoon-Yi (Baek Jin-Hee) is a devoted and diligent secretary whose put on hold when her boss's wife accuses her of having an affair with her husband.

On the other end, Nam Chi-Won (Daniel Choi) is assigned to be the managing director at Yoon-Yi's company. Yoon-Yi becomes his secretary. Chi-Won suffers from childhood trauma and is indifferent to socializing. After Yoon-Yi gets drunk at a dinner party, Chi-Won takes her home and realizes she lives in the place where his trauma originated. Seeing the 'tenant wanted' sign on her door, he becomes her neighbor to overcome his past.

10 My Secret Romance (2017)

What happens when you meet your one-night stand three years later? To make matters worse he happens to be your new boss. Lee Yoo-Mi (Song Ji-Eun) is insecure about herself but has to attend her mother's weddings. She meets Cha Jin-Wook (Sung Hoon). They're less than cordial with one another but soon start to feel an attraction and spend the night.

Yoo-mi is unaware of who he really is and flees the following morning. Years later she is hired to be his nutritionist. Jin-Wook changed his ways after that night and takes over his father's company and never forgot Yoo-mi. He tries to romance her and get to admit her feelings for him. Interwoven is a storyline involving Yoo-mi's baby brother that is blown out of proportion on who the father is.

9 Rich Man (2018)

Rich Man might also be known for its original Japanese television drama version, Rich Man, Poor Woman. The K-drama was a 2018 remake that did well on television. The show takes an interesting route with the main male character. The CEO of a popular IT company has a facial recognition disability.

This has caused him the inability to recognize his first love. At an employee recruitment meeting, he picks on a particular girl with photogenic memory. She stands up to the mean CEO and says something that catches his interest. She ends up working for the company and helping the CEO.

8 Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017)

Strong Girl Bong-Soon is a highly popular K-drama and has a lot of the same characteristics of an employee falling in love with their boss. A young girl is born with unexplainable superhuman strength. It's more of a family trait. This leads to an intriguing storyline.

After beating up some bullies, she is hired by a rich CEO of a gaming company. While having a crush on her friend, she starts to realize who she really has feelings for. All while protecting her CEO from a possible threat and kidnapper.

7 My Shy Boss (2017)

Sometimes opposites attract in the most bizarre way possible. My Shy Boss or Introverted Boss follows the tumultuous relationship between a CEO and his new employee. The CEO of a public relations firm is the exact opposite of what one expects.

RELATED: 10 Best K-Drama “Second Lead” Couples That Every Fan Rooted For

He's highly introverted, shy, sensitive, and can come off as cold. On the other hand, the company hires a new employee who is extroverted, loud, and not afraid to speak her mind. She takes an interest in the CEO and wants to uncover who he really is under his hood.

6 Lucky Romance (2016)

Audiences will surely have a good laugh with this K-drama with its peculiar antics. In Lucky Romance, a 26-year-old attractive woman is highly superstitious believing she was born unlucky. She follows every precaution possible and consults a shaman about her sister. The only way to save her? She has to sleep with a man born in the year of the tiger.

She soon meets a CEO and genius game developer. Who happens to fit her criteria. Their personalities clash, but Shim Bo-Nui (Hwang Jung-Eum) is determined to see save her sister even if it means wooing her boss.

5 Level Up (2019)

Level Up follows a lot of the typical boss-employee storyline details; mixed in with some drama. This CEO specializes in helping reconstruct failing companies. He takes on a company called Joybuster despite his previous childhood trauma with gaming.

As the new CEO of the company, he soon meets its head designer. A passionate and sweet young woman clashes heads with a cold and meticulous boss. Will they put their differences aside and complete their new game and maybe fall in love?

4  Hotel Del Luna (2019)

Hotel Del Luna is a fan favorite amongst K-dramas. It mixes the supernatural with some dramatic romance. Jang Man-Wol (Lee Ji-Eun) is moody and bad-tempered for having to run Hotel Del Luna for the past thousands of years. She must atone for her indiscretions and change her attitude.

The hotel is only visible to souls, ghosts, and humans at special times of the year. Things heat up when the hotel gets a new general manager due to a contract signed by his father. Gu Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) is a stoic MBA graduate who has to confront his fear of ghosts. He soon changes his demeanor and helps melt Man-Wol's heart and keep her safe.

3 She Was Pretty (2015)

She Was Pretty is a fun roller coaster ride for anyone who watches. Fans of Parasite will recall the lead actor in this drama.  Two childhood friends grow up on the opposite ends of the spectrum for both success and looks. Kim Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-Eum) ended up having her father's red cheeks and frizzy hair, while Ji Sung-Joon (Park Seo-Joon) becomes a strikingly handsome man.

RELATED: 10 K-Dramas With A Vampire Storyline, Ranked (According To IMDb)

They decide to reconnect but Hye-jin backs out seeing how much they've changed. Instead, he mistakes her best friend for her creating a fake love story. Sung-Joon then becomes her boss at her magazine company unaware of who she really is. Will Sung-Joon recognize his first love and fall head over heels? Or will her co-worker woo her away?

2 What's Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)

What's Wrong With Secretary Kim is at the top of the list and regarded as one of the best romance K-dramas when it comes to the employee-boss dynamic. Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) has been Lee Young-Joon's (Park Seo-Joon) right-hand woman for years as his secretary. Her announcement of resignation doesn't sit well with her cold and professional boss.

He then starts to see her in a different light beyond the professional. There's jealousy, romantic gestures, and changing of heart in his drama. Not to mention there are some steamy kissing scenes. Young-Joon will do whatever he can to keep Mi-so in his life.

1 My Private Life (2019)

Park Min-Young is back as Sun Deok-Mi in My Private Life. The show is based on a popular Korean webtoon. Deok-Mi is a talented and highly regarded art curator who harbors a secret. She's an obsessed fangirl. Her secret can ruin her career at the museum. An acclaimed but retired artist, Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-Wook) becomes the museum's new boss.

After some rumors spread, Gold and Doek-Mi must pretend to date to stop scrutiny towards her favorite idol and new museum client. Fake dating soon starts to blossom into real love. Deok-Mi must try and let go of her secret fan page and obsession.

NEXT: The 10 Best K-Dramas With More Than One Season, Ranked (According To IMDb)

10 K-Dramas About Falling In Love With The Boss | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/32fsvjl

[malaysiankpopfans]

9 Times We Had a Serious Case of Second Lead Syndrome

When your heart aches for the second lead 😭

K-dramas usually have us rooting for the main leads, but every once in a while there’ll be a swoon-worthy second lead who’ll make our hearts ache. These second leads appear to be the better match in our eyes, but the main lead gets selected instead, much to our frustration. Check out some impressive second leads who swayed our hearts and had us cheering for them here.

Han Ji-pyeong | Start-Up

Start-Up is the latest drama to be buzzing with second lead syndrome. From the first episode, Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho)’s heart-wrenching story makes you wish for his happiness. As an orphan, he had nowhere to go until kind grandmother Choi Won-deok (Kim Hae-sook) helped him out. He’s the real author behind the letters that Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) found much comfort and love in. While he has a tough exterior, Ji-pyeong goes out of his way to help Dal-mi and her grandmother. He’s got such a soft heart hidden beneath his cold words.

Kim Jung-hwan | Reply 1988

Reply 1988 had us guessing the identity of Sung Deok-sun (Lee Hye-ri)’s husband until the end of the series. The older version of her husband seemed pretty grumpy, so most assumed the husband would be Kim Jung-hwan (Ryu Jun-yeol). After all, Deok-sun and Jung-hwan clearly had feelings for one another. Jung-hwan was so cute to watch as he secretly doted on Deok-sun. Unfortunately, Jung-hwan couldn’t confess in time. While his character didn’t end up with the girl, actors Lee Hye-ri and Ryu Jun-yeol became a real life couple!

Goo Dong-mae | Mr. Sunshine

In Mr. Sunshine, there are actually three men who care about leading lady Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri). However, Goo Dong-mae (Yoo Yeon-seok) is the one who incites second lead syndrome. They share a special history due to Ae-shin helping save Dong-mae’s life when they were children. Dong-mae has very intense feelings for Ae-shin which he struggles to admit. Ultimately, he does whatever he can to ensure her safety and wellbeing.

Baek In-ho | Cheese in the Trap

The main lead of Cheese in the Trap, You Jeong (Park Hae-jin), is a bit hard to root for. He hides his true nature from people, but Hong Seol (Kim Go-eun) sees through his facade. Jeong’s twisted and manipulative personality begins to affect Seol, but he suddenly becomes nice and asks her out. While she’s still trying to figure him out, second lead Baek In-ho (Seo Kang-jun) enters the picture. He’s much more normal and caring, which makes us want Seol to pick him instead.

Han U-Tak | While You Were Sleeping

While You Were Sleeping has a strong likeable male lead in Jeong Jae-chan (Lee Jong-suk), but swoon-worthy Han U-tak (Jung Hae-in) definitely gives us second lead syndrome. U-tak develops feelings for Nam Hong-ju (Bae Suzy) as the three of them work to prevent tragedies. U-tak is a true gentleman and never makes Hong-ju feel uncomfortable due to his feelings. He’s always there for her, looks hot in uniform, and has such an adorable smile.

Go Cheong-myeong | Hotel Del Luna

Hotel Del Luna shows Go Cheong-myeong (Lee Do-hyun) and Koo Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) as Jang Man-wol (IU)’s love interests. What made Cheong-myeong such a strong second lead was their sad love story that began over a thousand years ago. Man-wol was unaware of how everything Cheong-myeong did was to help spare her life. While she wondered if Chan-sung was the reincarnation of her first love Cheong-myeong, Cheong-myeong had actually been by her side all those years.

Baek Gyeong | Extraordinary You

Extraordinary You’s second lead, Baek Gyeong (Lee Jae-wook), seems like a bad boy jerk at first. While he is the destined romantic partner for Eun Dan-o (Kim Hye-yoon) in their comic book world, Dan-o fights against her fate to find her own true love. However, even after Gyeong realizes the truth about their world, he finds himself still caring for Dan-o. Eventually, he wants Dan-o to feel free to be herself, so he let’s her go. While we’re happy for Dan-o, we can’t help but wish for a happier ending for Gyeong.

Kim Shin-hyuk | She Was Pretty

She Was Pretty stars the always lovable Park Seo-jun, but the character Shin-hyuk (Choi Si-won) gives us major second lead syndrome. Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-eum) goes unrecognized by her childhood friend Sung-joon (Park Seo-jun), but Shin-hyuk sees past her appearance and likes her for who she is from the beginning. Plus, he’s super charming and goofy, never failing to make Hye-jin smile. Shin-hyuk loves Hye-jin just as she is and loves her freckles and frizzy hair to boot.

In Guk-doo | Strong Girl Bong-soon

Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) crushes on In Guk-doo (Ji Soo) in Strong Girl Bong-soon for the longest time. Guk-doo is always concerned for Bong-soon and makes her safety a priority. Unfortunately, Guk-doo doesn’t express that he also has feelings for Bong-soon in time which leads Bong-soon to fall in love with Ahn Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik). Guk-doo is heartbroken at his missed timing, but he ends up having a cute bromance with Min-hyuk.

Which characters gave you the biggest case of second lead syndrome? Check out all of these shows, and more, on Netflix!

[smylealong]

Year in review - 2020

2020 has been a mixed bag of an year. Where on one hand it has been a raging dumpster fire with a global pandemic, lockdowns, social distancing, online schools, politics, forest fires, Karens and the general sense of ennui that the year brought. On the other hand, the year gave us all time. Time to reflect on ourselves. Time to teach ourselves new things. Time to binge watch. And boy did the streaming platforms make full use of it. Listed below are the best things I saw in 2020. (Across languages and in no specific order.) IT IS A LONG POST. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

HINDI Thappad: Dir: Anubhav Sinha. Starring: Tapasee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Diya Mirza, Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah. On surface level, the premise seems frivolous. After all, it was just a slap. Just. One. Slap. Yet, with that one slap, the protagonist’s neatly organized world comes apart at the seams. From there begins Amruta’s (Tapsee Pannu) journey into exploring the micro-aggressions and tiny slights that she has turned a blind eye to, for the sake of keeping peace. The film never veers into a glorification of violence nor does it get overly preachy. It is a mirror to the patriarchal society and raises pertinent questions about the things that the society as normalized. Things that shouldn’t be normalized.

Bulbbul: Dir: Anvita Dutt. Starring: Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwari, Rahul Bose, Parambrata Chatterjee and Paoli Dam.

Horror does not always lie in the things that go bump at night. Sometimes, horror is what society expects of you. Horror is the consequence of not fitting into the role that has been written for you. Sometimes, it is terrifying to be a woman in a male-dominated society. That is what Bulbbul explores. Wrapped in a beautiful package, Bulbbul tells the raw story of a child-bride who is punished, harshly, inhumanly, for acting her age. If you haven’t seen it yet, drop everything and watch it. It’s on Netflix.

Lootcase: Dir: Rajesh Krishnan. Starring: Kunal Khemu, Rasika Duggal, Vijay Raaz, Gajraj Rao.

This was a charming little movie that had me in splits. A story of a simple man who chances upon a bag full of money. What follows is a hilarious tale of lies, deception and comedy of errors. Kunal Khemu proves that Bollywood does not realize just how talented he is. Vijay Raaz’s deadpan comedy and Gajraj Rao’s evil smiling desperation are a delight to behold. I’m smiling even as I am writing this. This was fun!

Raat Akeli Hai: Dir: Honey Tehran. Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Ila Arun, Shweta Tripathi, Tigmanshu Dhulia.

This was India’s answer to Knives Out. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is at his finest as the honest and frustrated (in more ways than one) police officer who finds himself attracted to the mistress of the murdered man. What follows is a tale so full of twists and turns that I could not predict where it is going. When you have Siddiqui at the helm, you are almost certain to get a good film. But when he is backed by stellar performance from the able cast, that takes the film to another level altogether.

Patal Lok: Dir: Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy. Starring: Jaideep Alhawat, Niraj Kabi, Abhishek Bannerjee, Swastika Mukherjee, Gul Panang, Ishvaak Singh.

Wow. Just. Wow. This is arguably the BEST thing that I have seen all year. On the surface this is an attempted murder case. But what it actually is, is a mirror to our society. It is a human story. A story of greed, corruption, power, violence, misogyny, depravity and true evil. It is a story of love, hope, support, kindness and humanity. It is a story of us. My hats off to the entire cast and crew for coming up with something truly special.

ENGLISH

Haunting of Bly Manor: Created by: Mike Flannagan. Starring: Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Amelia Eve, T’Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli.

Based on Henry Jame’s Turn of the Screw, this was a poignant tale of love, loss and pain. While it pales in comparison to its brilliant predecessor, Haunting of the Hill House, and the 1961 screen adaptation of the novel, The Innocents, Bly Manor still manages to be a worthy watch. In Mike Flannagan’s deft hands, we get to see a completely different perspective of the Haunting. I won’t say more, for spoilers, but this was definitely one of the better things I watched this year. Especially since I almost eschewed English movies/series this year. (I did watch some forgettable movies like Extraction and Mulan, but even mentioning them here feels sacrilegious.)

Korean

This year, I returned to Korean Dramas after a long time. My last Korean Drama before this year was Faith that I saw in 2014. Since Boys Over Flowers (Read Kim Bum) is my guilty pleasure watch, I decided to have it on in the background sometime in March or April this year. (Honestly, in 2020, who knows?). BOF took me to The King: Eternal Monarch. And TKEM introduced me to Woo Do Hwan who gave me some of the best times in this year. Three of his dramas feature here.

Save Me:- Dir: Kim Sung-soo. Starring: Ok Taec-yeon, Seo Yea-ji, Woo Do Hwan, Jo Sung-ha, Jo Jae-yoon.

Do you fancy a kick to your teeth? Because that is what this series is. What starts a simple story of a regular family’s struggles upon moving to a new town, quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare in which you are simply the viewer. The story delves into cults and the insidious power they hold. Through Seo Yea-ji’s brilliant performance as Im Sang-mi, we see a K drama heroine who is not a damsel in distress. She isn’t the one throwing the punches, that is done by Ok Taec-yeon and Woo Do Hwan. Still she is the one that leads the fight. If that wasn’t enough, Woo Do Hwan, plays Seok Dong-chul. Arguably one of the best male leads I have seen.

Mad Dog:- Dir: Hwang Ui-kyung Starring: Yoo Ji-tae, Woo Do Hwan, Jo Jae-joon, Ryu Hwa-young, Kim Hye-sung.

What a treat this show is! Smart protagonists pitted against equally intelligent antagonists and a taut plot that rarely sags (It does sag just a wee bit in the middle but it picks up pace very quickly). Woo Do Hwan is fantastic as the ever changing, tough to pin down, Kim Min Joon. The layers in this character! This show will keep you guessing. Every cast member is stellar and no one has a single misstep. A must watch!

My Country: Dir: Kim Jin-won Starring:  Yang Se Jong, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Seol-hyun, Jang Hyuk.

This series brings a set of very complex emotions in me. Don’t get me wrong. I love the series. Its story, characterization, costumes, cinematography, acting, action scenes, OST. They are top notch. A+. But... and this is a big one, this series is also a glaring display of what happens when a writer falls in love with one of their characters. As a writer, I can say that we love all our characters. But it is very dangerous for a writer to move from simply loving the character to falling in love with the character. When that happens, the writer becomes afraid of letting that particular character make mistakes. Or glosses over their flaws. Often at the expense of the other character. Which is what happened here. The writer fell in love with Seo Hwi and Nam Seon ho paid the price. Hwi could literally assassinate people in front of Hui Jae and still be forgiven for it, while Nam Seon-ho gets demonized for trying to save Hwi by telling lies. I could go on and on about how unfair this series was to Seon-ho, but that would be a separate post altogether.

Tale of a Gumiho: Dir: Kang Shin-hyo Starring: Lee Dong Wook, Jo Bo-ah, Kim Bum.

I started this series for Kim Bum (I LOVE THE GUY). I was prepared for some cheesy, goofy fun with some good looking people. But soon, I was watching it for the story. A smart Urban Fantasy with elements of Korean Mythology, this was UF done right! This series made me do research. I am so tired of seeing the same old myths in fantasy that this came as a breath of fresh air. Intelligent protagonists who communicate well (gasp! what? That happens?). A flip-flopping anti-hero. A truly psychopathic villain and a bunch of other well-fleshed characters make for one entertaining watch. I highly recommend it.

Chinese:

K-dramas made me revive the Tumblr account that I had created sometime in 2017 and which lay dormant since then. Soon, my Tumblr feed was filled with gifs and metas of a show with pretty men. I did not pay much attention to it, till a post about Jin Ling’s Uncle made me snort. Even though I didn’t understand what it was talking about, it was still funny. Realizing that the show is on Netflix, I saw the trailer and wasn’t impressed. Then there was the length. 50 episodes! Holee-moleee. “No. I ain’t got that much time,” I said and moved on. But then, I saw a gif of a man smiling. I had never seen a smile that dazzling. There was something about that smile that made me go back and click on the first episode. And in less than ten minutes of the episode, they killed the man whose smile drew me to the show. WTF? But I had seen gifs of him. There had to be more. Then, the show began and I had no idea what was happening. I decided no smile could be worth the brain-cells I am having to expend for this. Chuck it. But people in Tumblr said, hold on. You will understand it. Episode 2, and I still wasn’t sold. I gave it till episode 5. Then, before I knew it, I finished the 50 episodes and currently reside in the rabbit hole that is The Untamed.

Dir: Zheng Weiwen and Chen Jialin Starring: Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, and a host of others. I can’t write the name of the entire cast, even though I want to.

PS: In case you don’t know, the man with the pretty smile is Xiao Zhan.