Kdramadreamer Top 5 – Favorite Kdrama Actresses

A while ago I shared my top five favorite ahjussis. Now it’s time to share my favorite actresses! You may notice that most of the actresses on my list do not have as many dramas or movies listed that I’ve seen as my ahjussi list. Well, I’m busted; it’s because I don’t actively seek out Kdrama actresses the way I do my favorite ahjussis. My two favorite actresses however, I do actively search for dramas they have been in.

Without further ado, here’s my list.

#5 Jeong Ryeo Won

Birthdate:  January 21, 1981
Height: 168 cm

What I’ve seen her in:

• The King of Dramas
• My Name is Kim Sam-soon

I plan on watching her in:

• Medical Top Team

Why I love her: The first drama I saw her in was The King of dramas. She plays a writer who aspires to succeed in the Kdrama business. Her character was very down to earth and this was a fantastic drama (although lacking eye candy). Her personality in My name is Kim Sam-Soon was quite different and I didn’t like her character as much. She’s a very good actress and I really like her look as well. I’m not sure why, but I find she really stands out. She also seems very natural and down to earth at the same time.

Her best performance for me: Writer Lee Go-Eun in The King of dramas

#4 Kim Sun Ah

Birthdate: October 1, 1975
Height: 170 cm

What I’ve seen her in:

• My name Sam-Soon
• The S-Diaries (Movie)

I plan on watching her in:

• She’s on duty (movie)

Why I love her: My name is Kim Sam-Soon is a great drama and I think she’s the main reason why. She plays an average woman, but adds so much spunk and life to the character. I really enjoyed watching her and found her entertaining. I need to watch more of her work.

Her best performance for me: Kim Sam-Soon in My Name is Kim Sam Soon

#3 Ha Ji won

Birthdate: June 28, 1978
Height: 168 cm

What I’ve seen her in:

• Secret Garden
• Love So Divine (Movie)

I plan on watching her in:

• Empress Ki
• King 2 Hearts
• Sex is Zero (movie)

Why I love her:

I find it really great that she does her own stunts. Secret Garden required her to show a lot of range. She had to be physically fit, play a tough but somewhat still feminine character and also switch into the soul of a man. I’m looking forward to watching more of her to be able to add more reasons to this section.

Her best performance for me: At the moment I’m going to say Secret Garden, but I have a feeling her outstanding performance is in Empress Ki. I’m waiting anxiously to see this drama, but I’m currently unable to find it available in my region.

#2 Yoon Eun-Hye

Birthdate: October 3, 1984
Height: 169 cm

What I’ve seen her in:

• Coffee Prince
• Goong (Princess Hours)
• Lie to Me
• Personal Taste (cameo)
• Marry Him If You Dare (part of it)

I plan on watching her in:

• I Miss You

Why I love her:

Eun-Hye was so amazing in Coffee Prince and I immediately appreciated her acting skills. I’ve seen various gender bender dramas, but she’s the only female that I’ve actually felt could pass as a guy. She’s very pretty and feminine, but she was believable as a young man because she played to tom-boy role flawlessly. In other dramas, she acted well also.

Her best performance for me: 

I’ve already said it: Coffee Prince. I think this will forever be my favorite drama of hers. I love this drama!

And my number one favorite Kdrama actress is… Drum-roll please..

#1 Gong Hyo-Jin!!!!

Birth date: April 4, 1980
Height: 173 cm

What I’ve seen her in:

Pasta
Master’s Sun
Thank You
The Greatest Love
Teacher Biscuit and Star Candy

I plan on watching her in:

There’s nothing in particular I want to see her in, but I would like to watch her in some movies. I’m just not sure where to start.

Why I love her:

Because she is amazing! She’s so talented, she’s versatile and has that, as we say in french, je ne sais quoi (intangible quality). I thought she was whiny in pasta but still likable. Then I saw her in Master’s Sun and she really Wowed me! I gained mad respect for this actress in this role. Her personally is really quirky and everyone thinks she’s crazy. She showed a range of emotions and played scared very well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; When she acts, she becomes the character. I forget I’m watching an actress and believe she is whoever she is playing. Love, love love her!

Her best performance for me: 

It’s a tie. I refuse to pick. In my opinion from what I’ve seen her in,  best roles are in Master’s Sun and Thank you.

In Master’s Sun I enjoyed watching the scenes where she was scared and desperately clinging onto So Ji-Sub for comfort. I laughed when she would get possessed by Spirits and have to be a variety of different souls including that of a cat.

I still get shivers remembering her performance in Thank You (her an Jang Hyuk both). Thinking about a mom finding out her little girl has accidentally been infected with blood tainted by HIV/AIDS makes me want to cry. She’s so strong in this drama, but she’s human, and gets run down like everyone else. I love the sexual tension and banter between her and Jang Hyuk. Even though her and Dr. Min both deny being attracted to each other, I can strongly sense an attraction. It’s much more than just physical attraction though. Part of her charm is that she resists him, as long as she can anyway. She puts her needs last, but he treats her as a woman. All I’ll say is : Watch it! Watch it! Watch it! Yes you! I’m tempted to re-watch it again soon.

Honorable Mention

To finish off this post, I would like to add an honorable mention to Lee Dae-Ha. I absolutely loved her in Robbers. She was very good in Chuno as well, but she really shined for me in Robbers. I would like to see more of her. I think she’s very charming and has a very strong screen presence.

Now it’s your turn; tell me about your favorites 🙂

Ahjussis madness continues

I’ve broken up my favorite ahjussis into separate tabs so your can admire your favorite. Click the link below for my thoughts of each individual ahjusshi.

#5 Hyun Bin

#4 So Ji-Sub

#3 Vanness Wu

#2 Gong Yoo

#1 Jang Hyuk

Kdramadreamer Nosebleed Section – My Top 5 favorite Ahjussi’s

favorite ahjussis

I’m not a big fan of flower boys. I know a lot of you may prefer flower boys, or have some flower boys that you like. There are a few flower boys that I can appreciate but I am more of an ahjussi fan. This may be partially because of my age; I’m 29. I like watching a mature, manly-man rather than a young actor who looks like a teen.

Here’s my top 5 countdown list of favorite actors (who happen to all be ahjussi’s). I have not merely selected them for their looks but most importantly for their talent. These 5 actors I feel are all wonderful actors who are well seasoned and have mastered their craft. I do have to warn you.. this post was originally intended to highlight acting, but somewhere along the way I got a little carried away. It’s seem to taken a bit of a sexy turn.

So this is your warning, lots of hotness to follow. You’ve been double warned.

#5 Hyun Bin

Birthdate: September 25, 1982
Height: 184cm

What I’ve seen him in:

Dramas

• Secret Garden
• The World that we live in
• My Name is Kim Sam-soon
• Ireland
• The Snow Queen

Movies

• Come Rain Come Shine
• Late Autumn
• A Millionaire’s First Love

I plan on watching him in:

• King’s Wrath (2014)

Why I love him:

Hyun Bin was my very first Ahjussi crush. I first discovered him in Secret Garden. I thought he did a really good job acting in this drama. This was a really good character for him to play because it showed his versatility. He could be a jerk, act like a woman and be very heartfelt with lots of tears. He made me cry when he was in the car holding Gil Ra-im and also when he was crying in his house. I haven’t liked everything I’ve seen him in, but I can always appreciate his acting no matter what he plays.

Does he look good without his shirt on? I couldn’t find any resent pictures of him shirtless. Maybe he’s not as muscular as the other’s on my list, but I can see some ab action going on under this shirt. Looking good Hyun Bin.

Can he kiss? Yes he can!

My Favorite Kiss of his is from the movie Late Autumn (pictured below).

#4 Van Ness Wu

Birthdate: August 7, 1978
Height: 180cm

Everyone else on my list is a Korean Actor, but I couldn’t leave out this amazing American born Taiwanese Actor.

What I’ve seen him in:

Dramas

• Autumn’s Concerto
• Meteor Garden
• Ti Amo Chocolate

Why I love him:

This is an actor/performer/designer with a lot of heart. He’s very true to himself and is very vocal about what he believes. I think this is okay, because he doesn’t push it on other people, he’s just a very passionate person. He’s a really great singer, and I enjoy a lot of his older and newer music. When I first saw him in Autumn’s Concerto I was seriously blown away by his acting skills. I hope he does more dramas. He’s really good in dramas. He seems to be focusing more on his singing career and designing at the moment.

Does he look good without his shirt on? Yes (and I know, technically his shirt is still on, and so was So Ji Sub’s, but I think you get what I’m trying to say).

Can he kiss? Yes Indeed. Look at that kiss from Autumn’s Concerto.

#3 Gong Yoo

Birthdate: July 10, 1979
Height: 184cm

What I’ve seen him in:

Dramas

• Coffee Prince
• Big
• Biscuit Teacher Star Candy
• The S Diaries

Movies

• Finding Mr. Destiny

Shows:

Running Man

I plan on watching him in:

Silenced (aka The Crucible)

Why I love him:

I fell for Gong Yoo’s charm in Coffee Prince. He was able to convey an inner struggle on screen in a way that I could feel the turmoil he was experiencing. After Coffee Prince, I went on the hunt for more Gong Yoo. I’m trying to get the courage to sit down and watch the Crucible. It’s based on a true story. If I understand correctly (and you can correct me if I’m wrong) Gong Yoo read the novel “Dokani” while in the Military. It talks about true events where hearing-impaired children were being horribly physically and sexually abused at their school. He contacted the writer and that’s how the ball got rolling. After the film came out, they reopened the investigation. A bill was then passed to abolish sex crimes against children and the disabled. His personal conviction in exposing this matter is pretty amazing. Great actor and human.

Does he look good without his shirt on? Yes. Now, are those tattoos real? I’m guessing no but they still look good.

Can he kiss? Why yes he can. Thank you for asking.

I really like this one too from Finding Mr. Destiny. She’s all embarrassed and then he goes in for the kiss.

And my number one favorite Ahjusshi is… Drum-roll please..

#2 So Ji-Sub

Birthdate: November 4, 1977
Height: 183cm

What I’ve seen him in:

Dramas

• Master’s Sun
• Road No. 1
• Sorry, I Love You (2004 Drama Series)
• What Happened in Bali (currently watching)
• We’re Dating Now

Movies

• Always (2011 Movie)
• The Company Man
• Sophie’s Revenge

I plan on watching him in:

• Ghost (aka Phantom, 2012 Drama Series)
• I am Ghost (Bee TV series)

Why I love him:  Okay, first of all, previously I had So Ji Sub listed at #4, but I’ve moved him up to #2. I originally posted this some time ago, but since I’ve been watching so much So Ji Sub lately, I needed to update this.

What I thought was so brilliant about him in Master’s was his hand gestures. He kept cracking me up. From the other clips I’ve seen in him you can really tell that he’s a strong actor and has taken on many different types of roles and genres. Watching him in some behind the scenes clips, he looks like a cool guy.

I have a lot more to say about him, but I need to update and elaborate on this section. I’m currently marathon watching his work, so you’ll see more updates to this soon.

Does he look good without his shirt on? Oh, yes he does! Don’t you just wanna touch them abs. Those are some fine abs.

Can he kiss? Yes! But I couldn’t find very good images of him kissing.

#1 Jang Hyuk!!!!

Birth date: December 20, 1976
Height: 177 cm

What I’ve seen him in:

Dramas

Tazza
Robber
Thank You
Chuno (Currently still watching)

Movies

Five Sense of Eros
Searching For The Elephant
Dance of the Dragon
Windstruck
Please Teach Me English

Shows

Running Man
Healing Camp

I plan on watching him in:

Tree With Deep Roots
Midas

Well, I plan on watching him in pretty much everything. But I think I’ll start with these two most likely. I have so much Jang Hyuk to watch and not enough hours in the day!

Why I love him:

Jang Hyuk has made me want to act again. When I was younger, I used to do a lot of theater and I almost pursued an acting career instead of Graphic Design. I chose not to pursue acting because I figured Graphic Design would be a more realistic career path, but acting was my true passion. I’ve never been in film (with the exception of a role as an extra in the Canadian movie Kayla (1999). Back in the day, I was in a lot of plays with our local theater group and I also performed in School Productions. I did a lot of skits as well with a different theater group and attended some acting and improv classes. I was going through my college applications and wanted to study acting. I was nervous about the acting audition, not for the monologue, but for the singing portion of the audition. I can’t really sing very well.

Me back in acting days, 2nd from the right in dark clothes, looking pale and Gothic. Not my usual look. I’m trying to look fierce. Not my actual personality. We were pretending to be a band.

On top of that, I was taking this acting class where I felt the teacher was very critical of me and I was being challenged with some of the scenes we were working on. Despite the fact that it seemed like he didn’t like me very much, he made me the assistant director in a play he was directing and he cast me in a minor roll. The first night’s performance was fine, but the second night I forgot my lines. I somehow recovered it in a way that wasn’t noticeable to the audience, but I felt devastated that I messed up. I don’t know why I let myself get so discouraged, because I basically gave up trying after that and didn’t end up finalizing my college application for the acting program. When I watched Jang Hyuk in healing camp, I started to tear up when he was talking about how he really struggled as an actor when he first started out. I’m so glad he didn’t give up because he’s sooooo very talented. I’m not saying I made the wrong choice by not following acting, but I do think I would like to find an amateur theater group or an improv class to dabble in the art again. He brings acting alive and reminds me of why I love it so much.

Jang Hyuk is breaking my heart right now in Chuno. I was going to marathon watch it, but the emotions his character makes me feel are sometimes difficult for me to deal with for some reason.

When I watch his work, I see a progression in his acting. I think he was always good, but he’s really grown as an actor and become extremely versatile. I like how Drama Fan told me he looks the best in motion. I really like that statement. I think one thing that makes him truly unique when he’s doing action scenes is how much feeling he puts into it. He never breaks character once. He’s breathing in the character with every movement.

In interviews when he speaking, he may not shout and have a loud personality, but he has no reason to. You can’t help but hang on to every word he says because he’s so engaging.

He’s also helped me gain an appreciation for different genres of drama and film. For a while, I was sticking with Romantic Comedies because I get very emotional when watching anything heavy (I think this has a lot to do with the theatrical side of me). Because I like his acting so much, it has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and really enjoy and experience different types of dramas and Korean movies. I can’t say everything he’s been in has been fantastic, but even if the drama or movie isn’t great, I just focus on him and appreciate his talent for the art.

I’m looking forward to watching this Sageuk – Tree with Deep Roots

Jang Hyuk, if I could ever speak to you, I would tell you thank you for bringing the art form of acting alive and giving me the desire to perform again. Keep doing what you do. I’m going to keep watching and admiring you from afar, cheering you on. Jang Hyuk, Fighting!

Does he look good without his shirt on? Oh You know he does!

Look at those beautiful abs and strong shoulders.

Intense eyes staring with no shirt. Omo! I wonder if he’s ticklish..

Can he kiss? Do you have to ask? Of course he can! Yes, yes and Yes! I like this soft kiss from Chuno. The extended version where they don’t zoom out is even better. It’s very tender and sweet.

Iris 2 may not have been a very good series, but I think we can all appreciate this.

I have yet to watch this drama, but I look forward to it. Someone has to remind me of what it’s called so I can watch it.

 

Scene from Searching for the Elephant. Aren’t they cute?

I wish I could find a gif for the Five Senses Of Eros. I may make one at some point. I didn’t actually like the movie, but I liked the first 15 minutes of it when Jang Hyuk was in it. I think it would have been nice if they would have elaborated on that story. It’s a compilation of short films. The first story with Jang Hyuk is very sexy and has a pretty amazing kiss/bedroom scene. This movie was definitely a movie for adults only (so don’t even think about watching it kids!)

So, do you still prefer flower boys? Hehe

Who are your favorite ahjussis or are you more of a flower boy kind of  person? I’d love to hear who your favorites are and why. I’ll dedicate a separate future post to my favorite female actresses.

My Favorite Kdrama Kisses

I’m a hopeless romantic. I admit, Kdrama kisses are a big part of my infatuation with Kdramas, and Asian Dramas in general. Often, however, it’s not so much the kiss itself, but the slow development of love between two characters.

Very intense “Almost Kiss, moment”

There are also some really fantastic dramas such as “Thank you” pictured above where there aren’t long drawn out open mouth kisses, but it really doesn’t matter because the drama is so fantastic and the chemistry between the characters is already very apparent. They don’t even kiss in the above gif, and my heart still swoons.

I can’t say I’m a big fan of the open-eyed “Oh my gosh! He just kisses me kiss”. These tend to be frequent, but you do also often get some pretty good kisses as well.

Here’s my list of some of my favorite kdrama kisses

This list is not complete, because it’s based off of dramas that I’ve seen I’ve watched. There are still tones of dramas I want to watch and lots of great drama kisses yet to discover.

I was going to place these kisses in order that I preferred, but I gave up, so there’s no real order to them.

Without any further ado, here’s my list of drama kisses – Hope you enjoy!

My Name is Kim Sam Soon -“She kisses him kiss”

Kim Sun-ah and Hyun Bin in My name is Kim Sam Soon

Coffee Prince “I don’t care if you are a man or alien kiss”

Yoon Eun-hye and Gong Yoo in Coffee Prince

Sungkyunkwan Scandal “Out goes the candle Kiss”.

Park Min-young and Park Yoochun in Sungkyunkwan Scandal

Please note: This isn’t the sexiest kiss, but the connotation is there. I thought it was really cute, humorous and funny.

Master’s Sun “Possessed by a ghost Kiss”

So Ji-sub and Gong Hyo-jin in Master’s Sun

Lie to me “Cola Kiss”

Yoon Eun-Hye and Kang Ji-hwan in Lie to me

Playful Kiss “Kiss in the rain”

Jung So-min and Kim Hyun-joong in Playful Kiss

Rooftop Prince “Wedding Goodbye Kiss”

Park Yoochun and Han Ji-min in Rooftop Prince

I must say, this kiss is super sad, but really beautiful.

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop “Outside kiss”

Lee Chung-ah and Jung Il-woo in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop

I didn’t really find him all that attractive in this drama. He looked a little too feminine for my liking, HOWEVER (big however) I LOVE when he kisses her here and how he takes control. It was very manly.

The World that they live in “Carrying you to bed kiss”

Song Hye-kyo and Hyun Bin in the World that they live in

Goong Kiss “Stay by my side kiss”

Yoon Eun-hye and Ju Ji-hoon in Goong (Princess Hours)

Coffee Prince “If you come in I’m not letting you go home kiss”

Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun-hye in Coffee Prince

The Greatest Love “Out of the window kiss”

Cha Seung-won and Gong Hyo-jin in The Greatest Love

Some dramas that I liked, but felt had weak kisses that could have been better:

The Snow Queen
Boys Over Flowers

And here are some bonus kisses, just for fun:

Suzy (Bae Su Ji) and Gong Yoo share a brief awkward kiss in Big

Hilarious moment between Hyun Bin and Yoon Sang-hyun in Secret Garden

What were some of your favorite Asian drama kisses? What are your favorite type of Kdrama/Asian drama kisses? Please do share!

Mmmmm Cola!

My Thoughts on the 2005 Kdrama Biscuit Teacher Star Candy

So I started watching the 2005 Kdrama Biscuit Teacher Star Candy (aka: Hello My Teacher) two nights ago. Even though this is an older drama, I wanted to watch it because it stars Gong Hyo-jin and Gong Yoo. Gong Hyo-jin (from Pasta and Master’s Sun) and Gong Yoo (Coffee Prince and Big) are two of my very favorite Kdrama and Korean Movie Stars. 

Biscuit Teacher Star Candy (aka Hello My Teacher)

I haven’t finished watching this yet, so I’ll probably follow up on it and comment some more when I’m done. My opinion on the drama may also change since I’m only about 7 episodes in at the moment. 

What it’s about: Na Bo-ri (Gong Hyo-jin) is a 25-year-old woman who wants to be a teacher at the high school she was kicked out of so she can work side by side with her longtime high school crush, the art teacher Ji Hyun-woo (Kim Da-hyun). To become a teacher at that school, she has to make sure Park Tae-in (Gong Yoo), stays out of trouble. Tae-in, is a lonely 20-year-old youth, who is a trouble maker, but also very popular. 

The cast and the acting: So Far, I’m not disappointed by the performances of the lead characters. As usual, they are fantastic. Gong Yoo is just wow, as always. He looks so handsome and makes you want to cry in moments where he is sad. Gong Yoo always makes me feel what he feels. He emerges himself into his characters to the point that I forget he’s acting. The character he plays has many layers. On the surface, he looks like an arrogant trouble maker but very quickly we discover he’s very lonely and has suffered a lot of hurt and abuse. 

Student and Teacher

I can’t ever say anything negative about Gong Hyo-jin. She also becomes the roll she plays. She’s a very professional actress and I never notice her coming out of character. Even though this was back in 2005, she was still a seasoned professional.

It’s Pretty Funny: Some scenes really make me laugh. It has a good balance between drama and just plain hilarity. Some of it can be pretty ridiculous. There’s one scene where Na Bo-ri dresses up and dances and it’s pretty funny. 

Who will she end up with? Her High School Teacher who has always been her love crush or her student?

I want to know what happens: I don’t want to get into any spoilers, so I’ll be careful to try not to reveal too much in case you haven’t seen it yet. What I will say is, I see a love triangle forming and I can’t tell at this point who she will end up with. Normally I would say she’ll end up with Gong Yoo’s character, whoever, he’s supposed to be a high school student so I’m not sure. 

Na Bo-ri and Park Tae-in

It’s a little corny and exaggerated: This isn’t really terrible though. It can be quite comical, but some of the fighting and scenarios are not very realistic. 

The OST is not that strong compared to some other dramas: I say this, but it is starting to grow on me. I can’t be too hard on it though, because it’s an older show.

If I were to rate it now, I’ll say 3.8/5 but this might change depending on how the drama develops. Have you seen this drama? What did you think of it? Let me know your thoughts!