Drama Dilemmas

I'm winding down on a handful of dramas over the course of the next week or so, and I'm facing some major drama indecision. I know for sure that I want to watch You Are All Surrounded, but I like to have a backup drama going between episodes. I just can't decide, though!

So, friends of the internet, I'm turning to you for help. In order to narrow the options, I'm following that old wedding rhyme "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." If it works for a lifelong commitment, it should work for a 20-episode commitment, right?


Something old: Winter Sonata

Aren't they cold standing in a snowstorm without coats? NO. Because love. 

Pros: I'm slightly ashamed that I haven't ever seen this one. It's such a classic that I feel obligated to get around to it at some point just to enrich my drama understanding.

Cons: From what I hear, there is some serious melodrama going on here. Not my favorite, but I can let it slide for a drama staple.

Something new: Secret Love Affair

Boom chicka wow wow.

Pros: Ever since Sungkyunkwan Scandal, I have been dying to watch more Yoo Ah In dramas. Fashion King and Jang Ok Jung didn't quite make the cut, but this one has rave reviews from people I trust. It sounds like a drama with brains.

Cons: If I'm being totally honest, I have a really hard time watching adultery. I get frustrated that so many movies and shows represent the cuckolded spouse as a terrible person, thereby making the choice as uncomplicated as possible. (Something Borrowed, I'm looking at you. You steal your best friend's fiancee, but we're supposed to think it's fine because A. you best friend is a monster and B. you are Ginnifer Goodwin? Nice try.) For a subject that has the potential to cause such deep, lasting emotional pain, it feels like a cop-out.

Something borrowed: My Love from Another Star

He may be an alien, but that's no excuse not to wear the trendiest haircut in Korea.

Pros: I'm "borrowing" this suggestion from everyone who already watched this show. I feel left out that I'm the only one who didn't watch it, so maybe I should just jump on the bandwagon.

Cons: Kim Soo Hyun's face. There, I said it. I mean, it's a handsome face and all, but he never seems very expressive. What if I watch one episode and hate him, but then I'm stuck watching the whole thing?

Something blue: Heartless City/Cruel City (Blue because of the whole police theme, not because it makes me sad--I hope)

You can tell it's gritty based on the monochrome poster.

Pros: I don't know why I haven't watched more K-drama thrillers. I mean, I love movie thrillers. I'm currently mid-binge watch of the Infernal Affairs trilogy, so undercover cop stuff is right up my alley.

Cons: I'm already watching a cop show as my simulcast, so maybe it'll be overkill?

Well, what'll it be? Convince me in the comments! Or just vote. Because that's what I'm actually going to follow.

Which show should Vivi watch next?
	Winter Sonata
	Secret Love Affair
	My Love from Another Star
	Heartless City
pollcode.com free polls

Quiz: Which Sungkyunkwan Scholar Is Your Ideal Match?

I'm in the middle of Sungkyunkwan Scandal right now (right around the point in the show where I'm throwing things at the TV and shouting "JUST TELL HIM YOU'RE A GIRL! AAAAAAAAAHLJSFDLJF;KSJHGHSDKGHSDKJHFLKSDH!"), and I am having some serious trouble deciding which cast member is my favorite.  That actually says something about how well-rounded this show is, but it's nice to know which character you're rooting for over all the others.  To save others from a similar predicament, I have composed a (ridiculous and completely unscientific) quiz to help you figure out which member of the Sungkuynkwan community is your ideal love match. For those who haven't seen the show, there is some spoiler-y stuff in the questions, but nothing that you couldn't guess pretty early into the series.

Source

The rules: Just keep track of your answers and tally the number of times you answered A,B,C, or D.  Then, BEFORE you look at the results, vote in our poll. The results are underneath the poll.  NO CHEATING!

Which Sungkyunkwan Scholar Is Your Ideal Match?

1. Which style do you find most attractive?
A. Tousled and scruffy
B. Clean-cut
C. Metrosexual
D. Conventional, but combined with a cold glare that tells you who's boss

2. Who was your favorite male character in Boys over Flowers?
A. I could never decide between Ji Hoo and Woo Bin.  If they could somehow combine the two into a clone who is very sad and also punches people, I would be in heaven!
B.   Jun Pyo.  I like tall, reserved leaders.  I just wish he had been more of a scholar!
C.  Yi Jung.  The sexy saxophone totally won me over!
D.   Remember Jae Ha?  Crazy Harry Potter kidnapper guy?  Swoon!

3. What primary life motivation do you find most attractive?
A. Revenge/honoring the dead
B. Principles
C. Entertainment
D. Power

4. When a man is unexpectedly attracted to someone off-limits and doesn't know what to do, how should he respond?
A. Nervous hiccups covered by sarcasm
B. Give the object of his affection the cold shoulder
C. Off-limits?  There's no such thing!
D. Threats--threats always work!

5. Assuming that they all suddenly transformed into attractive Korean men, which Beauty and the Beast character would you date?
A. Beast 
B. Cogsworth
C. Lumiere
D. Gaston 

6.  Everyone brings some baggage to their relationships.  Which one would you be most willing to accept?
A. He's secretly a ninja messenger trying to avenge his brother's murder and take down corrupt government officials. Think of him as Joseon Batman.
B.  He feels very strong filial loyalty, which would be great if his dad weren't actually a corrupt government official who was involved in your father's death.
C. You're pretty sure he's had more than a handful of gisaeng girlfriends.  STDs, anyone?
D. His father once tried to force you to be his concubine.  Awk-ward!

7.  You have to pretend to be a man for a while, but then your love interest finds out.  Which response is most endearing?
A. In order to protect you, he pretends not to know.  He then spends his time secretly making sure that no one touches a hair on your pretty head.
B. In order to protect you, he tries to make you leave and stop pretending to be a man. He also really, really wants to be near you.
C. He invades your personal space and makes a lot of sassy jokes involving double entendres, most of which you don't understand.
D. He tries to get you expelled--or, better yet--executed.


8. How should the ideal man feel about sports?
A. He's naturally better than everyone else at every single sport ever invented, but he only gets competitive if it will help others.
B. He has quite a bit of athletic training and natural talent, but what makes the difference is his dedication to practice for as long as it takes to succeed.
C. Sports make his clothes dirty.  He's better as a hilarious commentator.
D. Sports are an excellent opportunity to injure and/or humiliate enemies.

9.  Someone is causing trouble for you and your friends.  How would your ideal man respond?
A. Grab a lot of people by the collar and threaten to break their arms off.
B. Say something fancy about Confucius that shames everyone into leaving you alone.
C. Schmooze in the background to find a way around the problem.
D. Again, threats.  Threats will almost always be the answer.

Okay, tally up your answers and select the letter you most frequently chose in the poll below:

Which Sungkyunkwan Scholar Is Your Ideal Match?
	A
	B
	C
	D
pollcode.com free polls

Did you vote?




Are you sure? No Peeking!

Results

A. Moon Jae Shin ("Geol Oh")

You like a little danger in your romance.  Geol Oh ("Crazy Horse") is rough-and-tumble on the outside, but he will do anything for someone he loves.  He is loyal, thoughtful, and he's great at comforting you when you feel down.  The downside?  You may have to bandage him after some of his midnight bandit exploits.

B. Lee Sun Joon ("Ga Rang")

Lee Sun Joon is an upright scholar.  He believes in the rules, and he wants to make the world a better place through order and logic. He may seem a little uptight at times, but when he's in love, even Confucius goes out the window.  He would be a great Scrabble buddy--unless, of course, you want a chance to win. 

C.  Gu Yong Ha ("Yeorim")

If you picked Yeorim, you've got a soft spot for the ladies' man.  He's a smooth operator who can sweep you off your feet with just one wink and a charming little grin.  Beware, though.  Yeorim knows how to show a girl a good time, but you can't fall for him too easily or he'll get bored and move on to his next conquest.

D. Ha In Soo

Yes, he's Sungkyunkwan's clever, handsome, wealthy, athletic student body president.  He's also a sociopath.  You should probably rethink your taste in men.

List of Smart, Strong Korean Drama Female Leads: Adding A Pinch of Brains to the Niceness

Ever since my Queen In Hyun's Man review, I've been thinking about the stereotypical "dumb-as-a-rock-but-nice" kdrama female lead.  I really, really liked the leads in that show, but I was infuriated that she kept calling herself stupid the whole time (and no, I don't think that his response of "You're not stupid; you just don't know anything" made things much better).

In many dramas, it's much worse.  The male lead often belittles the female lead for her stupidity, pushing on her forehead with his finger and saying things like "Do you just smash things with this rock?" or "I'm surprised you can even chew food with this useless lump."  (I don't know if those are actual kdrama insults, but they sound like real kdrama insults.  You're welcome to use them in any upcoming dramas, provided that Lee Min Ho is the one saying these lines.)

If a man did this to me, I would break his finger off.  And then do some calculus out of spite.

Now, I'm not saying that every woman has to be a rocket scientist, but these shows seem to consistently assume that the only thing women can do well is being "nice."  That's why they need big, smart men to help them escape their own stupidity.  In essence, saying that women are always stupid and incompetent infantilizes them.

For those of you kdrama viewers who get tired of girls pounding their fists on their heads and blinking absent-mindedly, I've put together a list (in no particular order) of some competent kdrama female leads who have some brains behind all that beauty.  If you don't mind the she-can't-tie-her-own-shoes-but-she's-so-cute lead, then you're welcome to ignore this list and go watch Playful Kiss or You Are Beautiful on repeat.


Note: This list is all about brains.  Some of these leads have other weaknesses that we didn't love, but many of them are all-around awesome.

1. Kim Yoon Hee (Sungkyunkwan Scandal)

I actually started watching Sungkyunkwan Scandal because I really, really needed a show with a female lead who was smart enough to hold her own against the male characters.  Kim Yoon Hee to the rescue!  In terms of gender-bending dramas, she's the anti-Go Mi Nam.  I'm pretty sure you would never catch Yoon Hee accidentally gluing her fingers together, even if she time traveled and had never seen glue before.  But she goes way beyond this bare minimum of brain power; she's a brilliant scholar who refuses to give up on knowledge just because she's a girl.  

I want this to be her theme song.

2. Hwang Tae Hee (Queen of Reversals)

Hwang Tae Hee doesn't even have niceness going for her, so maybe she has to be smart by default.  Even her enemies can't deny that she's the best of the best at her job, but their constant sabotage is no match for her sharp wits. 

I suspect that she derives special brain powers from her helmet hair.

3. Sam Soon (My Lovely Sam Soon/ My Name Is Kim Sam Soon) 

Sam Soon might not have book smarts, but she has something more important: food smarts.  This is the perfect example of finding strengths outside of traditional education.  I'm okay with female leads who aren't nuclear physicists if they are pastry geniuses instead.  To be honest, if I had to decide whether I could have a PhD or become a world-class patisseur, I would probably choose blood orange cream filling every single time. Drool.

This scene is kind of a waste of delicious cake, but the fact that she
combines her baking prowess with the guts to shove cake into a man's face is pretty commendable.

4. Noh Eun Seol (Protect the Boss)

What I love about Protect the Boss is that neither lead is really living up to his or her potential until they join forces.  Noh Eun Seol readily admits that she spent more time hitting bullies than hitting the books in her school days, but that doesn't make her stupid.  She is creative and innovative and finds ways to help her boss tap into his own smart ideas.  In a position that chews through Ivy League graduates faster than you can say "all that student debt for nothing," Eun Seol shows her competence by thinking outside of the box and winning everyone's approval. 

Bonus points for beating up a man who tried to sexually harass her in the first episode.  Extra bonus points for telling the rich chaebol that kissing her without permission is also harassment.

I can't tell if she is punching or cheering, but in either case, she will be victorious!

5. Gong Ah Jung (Lie to Me)

Lie to Me was the first drama I ever saw where the female lead didn't start out starving in a gutter or hiding from loan sharks. Unless an unexpected swarm of bees shows up to trash a major international event, Gong Ah Jung is an excellent public servant.  She takes her position so seriously that when the government tries to fire her, she basically says, "Nope, sorry, I'm actually awesome at my job."

Yoon Eun Hye's best "I love working a desk job for the government!" face
Source

6. Seo Yi Soo (A Gentleman's Dignity)

I already mentioned how I sort of bonded with Yi Soo in my review of this series, but I want to praise her skills again here.  She might be somewhat frozen-faced around her love interests, but in her regular life, she is a personable educator who is able to reach even the most difficult of students. She's not just a teacher; she's a really good teacher, and that's not something to dismiss.

Why yes, that IS an entire classroom of teenage boys applauding during a lesson.
What's next?  A unicorn dancing with a leprechaun?

7. Jang Hye Sung (I Hear Your Voice)

Jang Hye Sung comes with a bit of a caveat.  She's smart and good at her job, but only when she wants to be.  She isn't always passionate about doing a good job, but when she is, she can work a case like a champ.

Source

8. Ma Hye Ri (Prosecutor Princess)

I know what you're thinking.  Ma Hye Ri on a list of positive female depictions?  Impossible!  I know a lot of people saw Hye Ri as a whiny child throughout most of Prosecutor Princess, but I'd like to make a case in her behalf (Get it?  Make a case?  Because she's a prosecutor?  I'll stop now.).  In the first episode, we find out that Hye Ri aced her exams without studying and then graduated at the top of her law class with ease.  Even if she's self-absorbed and useless at first, no one can deny that the woman has some brains under that hideous mop of hair.  Once she stops focusing on herself, she actually turns out to be a pretty strong prosecutor, too.

I don't think it's any coincidence that the level of crazy perm in Ma Hye Ri's hair
has an inverse relationship with the quality of her work.
Source

9. Yoo Jung In (Vampire Prosecutor)

Okay, if you really want to see a female prosecutor done right, look no further than Yoo Jung In.  Unlike the previous two entries, she comes to the job full of passion and a drive to succeed.  When she gets left out of the boys' club for being female and a non-vampire, she doesn't mope or dress up as a boy.  She just does her own sleuthing (without the help of cheater vampire powers, might I add) and solves crimes on her own.  Also, she beats up gangsters.  Also also, she interrogates people like a boss.  Also also also, I LOVE HER.

"Let's see who wins"?  It's you, Yoo Jung In.  You win.  At everything.

10. Kim Na Na (City Hunter)

Last but not least is City Hunter's Kim Na Na.  This is Park Min Young's second entry on this list, but it's for quite a different role.  This time, she's a talented, driven bodyguard with goals to make it to the Blue House.  Not only does she have brains, but she can also best Lee Min Ho at judo. For more about how awesome she is, see Coco's review of the series.

Must...restrain...envy...

So who did we miss?  What other series should we check out for other smart, capable women?  What characteristics do you love in kdrama female leads?

Which Smart Kdrama Lead Is Your Favorite?
	Kim Yoon Hee (Sungkyunkwan Scandal)
	Hwang Tae Hee (Queen of Reversals)
	Sam Soon (My Lovely Sam Soon)
	Noh Eun Seol (Protect the Boss)
	Gong Ah Jung (Lie to Me)
	Seo Yi Soo (A Gentleman's Dignity)
	Jang Hye Sung (I Hear Your Voice)
	Ma Hye Ri (Prosecutor Princess)
	Yoo Jung In (Vampire Prosecutor)
	Kim Na Na (City Hunter)
pollcode.com free polls

Watch Kdramas With Strong Female Leads:
DramaFever
Viki
Crunchy Roll

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Fashion Face Off Friday (Tuesday): Kdrama Hotties in Suits

Note: Our poll froze and we had to replace it, so if you already voted and it isn't showing, you can vote again!

The winner of our last Fashion Face-off Friday: Terrible Kdrama Date Outfits is Park Gae In from Personal Preference! She barely beat out our equally strong contender, Jan Di from Boys Over Flowers. Let's hear it for the ladies for being good sports about poor wardrobe choices and for the men who love them anyway!

I realize it is not Friday, but who cares? Let's do another fashion poll anyway! Okay, so I know our last few Fashion Face-off Fridays have focused on some of the strange and less desirable fashion trends in Korean dramas, so today let's take a look at something a lot of kdramas do well: hotties in suits. I am totally a sucker for a man in a suit, and luckily there are plenty to choose from. Which kdrama man wears his suit the best?

Contender 1: Hyun Ki-joon from Lie To Me

Possibly one of the hottest kdrama males in kdrama history in all the suits he wears in this drama. Am I right, or am I right? Dang boy!

Contender 2: All Four Men from Gentleman's Dignity

I know it's not really fair to put all four men from A Gentleman's Dignity into one category, but I couldn't help myself. They all just look so good standing there in those suits. Whoo!

Photo Source

Contender 3: Park Hae-young from My Princess

Next up we have an equally strong contender, Park Hae-young from My Princess.

Photo Source

Oops! I mean:

Photo Source

I admit that it was difficult for me to tear myself away from the shirtless images to find this one of him in a suit, but luckily he is just as hot fully clothed. Hold me back!

Contender 4: Cha Ji-heon from Protect the Boss

For those of you who are actually not that turned on by men in suits (is that possible?), I present as the final contender, Cha Ji-heon from Protect the Boss. He totally rocks the "As a chaebol I am obligated to  wear a suit, but as a spoiled, lazy brat I will wear it half-assed over a t-shirt" look.

Photo Source

I know it might make more sense to have Cha Mu-Won as the contender from Protect the Boss,

Photo Source

but let's stick with Cha Ji-heon for the sake of variety.

So, which kdrama hottie wears a suit the best? Let your voices be heard by voting in the box below. If you are not satisfied with the options, write in your vote in the comments.

Which Kdrama Hottie Wore a Suit Best?
	Hyun Ki-joon in Lie to Me
	All four men in A Gentleman's Dignity
	Park Hae-young from My Princess
	Cha Ji-heon from Protect the Boss
pollcode.com free polls

And the Winners Are...

Remember back in February when we held votes for our K-drama music awards ? And then I closed the polls but never announced the winners? Well, your agonized waiting for results is finally over! Unless, of course, you just clicked on the "view results" button a month ago, in which case you ruined the surprise. For shame!
You know how the Oscars come around and all kinds of pop culture gossip websites live blog the results for those chumps who aren't watching? (And yes, I'm one of those chumps who prefers to read the live blogs rather than watch the actual awards show).  In my imagination, this is how a live blog of  our k-drama music awards ceremony would go:

6:15-- The red carpet is awash with Korean celebrities supporting the music of their favorite dramas.  There was a rumor that Lee Min Ho might arrive to support the nominees from Faith and Boys over Flowers, but thus far, he's a no-show.  The fashion is ranging from adorable to downright crazy, though we're glad to see that Taecyeon left his accordion headband at home.  Good move, buddy!

The Dream High cast walking the red carpet.
Bow tie = 10,000,000 times better than accordion headband.
Image source

6:45--Right at the end of the red carpet, Kim Jeong-hoon shows up with Mae Whitman as his surprise date.  A befuddled reporter confuses Whitman for her man and speaks to her in Korean.  AWK-WARD!

7:30--With the stars all in their seats, it's time for the announcement of the first award of the evening.  We begin with the minor category of "Best Cover of 'Tell Me Your Wish.'"

And the winner is . . .

DREAM HIGH in a landslide!

With nominations in several other categories, the Dream High cast was the heavy favorite here.  In tribute to the You Are Beautiful Cast, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, and Kim Soo-hyun don wigs during the acceptance speech.  Everyone laughs heartily.

7:50--With the special awards out of the way, it's time for the serious business to begin.  First up is "Best Second Male Lead Theme."   Kim Jeong-hoon and Kim Hyun-joong are both sporting white suits in honor of their nominated characters. Fortunately, they decided against swoopy tan hair today.  Prior to the award's announcement, Jaejoong performs his theme from Protect the Boss.  No Min-woo juggles knives and pets adorable puppies in the background, making us wonder why the rest of these lame, mopey characters are even nominated.

Seriously, though.  The man has a magical dagger.
Most awesome second male lead ever.

And the winner is . . .

KIM HYUN-JOON and "STRANGER SUN"!

The audience mostly applauds, but some stoically glare at the stage.  This is the anticipated protest over the controversial choice to nominate "Stranger Sun" over "Because I'm Stupid" in this category.

8:15--In a shocking announcement, there is an unprecedented TIE in the category of "Best Ballad"!  Since "Carry On" from Faith and "Someday" from Dream High received an equal number of votes, the winner of the award is determined by a clap-o-meter a-la Saved By the Bell. IU has a solid response, but when the Faith theme song comes on, Lee Min Ho appears on stage unexpectedly, and the theater erupts!  Sorry, IU.  Maybe someone will give you a consolation kitten.

8:34--The announcers begin to announce a second tie in the category of "Worst Song to Get Stuck in your Head."  Upon beginning to play the two winning songs ("Lovin' Ice Cream" and "Never Say Goodbye") for the clap-o-meter, the audience quickly becomes unruly. There is a stampede for the door!  Children are curled in the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably!  People are hurling anything and everything at the stage in the effort to just.make.it.stop!  This may just signal the end of the awards ceremony...

This is the exact face I make when I hear these songs.

9:01--Pandemonium ensues until Kim Hyun-joong spontaneously hops onto the stage and pretends to pensively play the violin in his white suit.  At the unexpected Ji-hoo re-enactment, 80% of the females in the crowd immediately faint, thereby putting an end to the chaos.  Once they recover, the show is able to continue.

9:10--Time for the final announcement of the night, and the song we've all been waiting for: "Best Upbeat Song."  You can hear a pin drop as everyone holds their breath in anticipation.

And the winner of the k-drama music award for "Best Upbeat Song" is . . .

"DREAM HIGH" from Dream High!

Well, this settles it!  Dream High is basically the k-pop version of Lord of the Rings in its ability to sweep (or tie) all categories for which it was nominated.  Wait, what's this?  Random members of the audience are standing in the aisles and doing this dance? At first the other attendees appear confused, but it's only a matter of time before they all join in!  That's right, folks!  Lee Min Ho, IU, and Yoon Eun-hye are all dancing side by side in what has become the best flash mob in all of history!

                                                          Why yes, I was able to find a video of Lee Min Ho dancing.  

                                                                               The internet is a magical place.

(Cut to commercial. And then exit my imagination back into sad reality.)

Do you agree with the winners?

Fashion Face-off Friday: Korean Female Bowl Cuts, Who Wore it Best?

Results are in for our first Fashion Face-Off Friday: Crazy Man Hair poll, and it's a tie between Lee Min Ho in Boys Over Flowers and Jang Guen Suk in You Are Beautiful! Here is the conversation where ViVi and I discussed the close race. ViVi thought Lee Min Ho won.

Let this be a warning to you when texting your kdrama fangirl bestie that auto correct just does not get it.

For our second Fashion Face-Off Friday, where we celebrate bizarre kdrama styling choices, we examine female bowl cuts. Who ever said bowl cuts never look good on women? Everyone...except kdrama stylists. But let's be positive about this. Some leading ladies pull it off better than others and are a little easier to imagine as desirable to men.  Let's vote on, as far as bowl and extended bowl cuts go, who wore it best!

Competitor #1

Goo Jae Hee from To the Beautiful You is a female lead who got a bowl cut to try to pass as a boy. I find it hard to believe that anyone actually fell for it because she is still so pretty. Makes me jealous that she can be that pretty with a bowl cut. I would look absolutely ridiculous.

Photo Source

Competitor #2
While this might be considered more of an extended bowl cut, it is still a strong contender. I have to admit that I was really bothered by Jan Di's hair for the first half of Boys Over Flowers, but a combination of her hair growing out a little and me growing to love her more allowed me to look past it and even consider it kind of cute.

Photo Source

Competitor #3 
Gil Ra Im sports a whispy, side-swept bowl cut. She is not trying to pass for a boy, but she might be sporting this look to fit into her male dominated field of stunt doubling for action films. She pulls it off in a sassy way.

Photo Source

Competitor #4
It was never made clear whether Eun Chan from Coffee Prince cut her hair into a bowl cut to try to look androgynous, or if she just cut it that way to keep it out of her way as she worked one of her many physically taxing jobs to support her family. When I first started watching Coffee Prince I asked my friend who had already seen it whether her hair ever changes. I was so impatient for her to be pretty. She told me that it wouldn't happen until the last episode and I thought I would die. But gradually, just like Jan Di, I came to love Eun Chan so her hair didn't matter.

Photo Source

So who pulled off the bowl cut best? These female leads all did their darndest in a difficult style situation and pulled it off way better than I ever could. Vote below now!

Best Bowl Cuts
	Goo Jae Hee
	Geum Jan Di
	Gil Ra Im
	Go Eun Chan
pollcode.com free polls

Fashion Face-off Friday: Crazy Man Hair

One of my favorite things about Korean dramas is the crazy fashion that pops up from time to time.  While many dramas have suave male leads sporting sharp suits, they also have their fair share of bizarre styling choices.  So I want to take some time to embrace these fashion trends with a series of fashion face-offs.  Vote for your favorite challenger in this battle of who wore it worst!

For our first Fashion Face-off Friday, I had to go with one of my favorites: crazy man hair.  Anyone in a historical drama is exempt from this category for trying to be accurate. Let's meet the challengers:

Challenger 1: Taecyeon in Dream High
Maybe this isn't fair because it was stage hair for a dance show, but is that an accordion headband I see?  Like the ones I wore in eighth grade?  Was he wearing stirrup stretch pants too?

Maybe the headband keeps his hair from getting wet with tears.
Or maybe he's crying because of the headband.

Challenger 2: Lee Min Ho in Boys over Flowers

We can all agree on this one, right?  I mean, the man has a fluffy perm that blends into his fur cape.

Did they decide to match because they're both rich?

Challenger 3: Jang Keun Suk in You Are Beautiful
I almost didn't include this one because we all know how I feel about this drama and I didn't want to seem biased, but I feel like even objectively, this is an obvious choice.  The only problem I had was figuring out which iteration of his hair to choose.  The bun/mullet combo won out in the end.

I guess you could say it's...sumo in the front?
And party in the back?

Challenger 4: Lee Jong Hyuk from A Gentleman's Dignity
At first glance, this hair appears to be totally normal.  Then you see the shaved sides...and it looks like he taped a toupee on top, kind of like that detachable old-school Lego hair.

Does this mean that if I pull hard enough, I can replace it with something else?

So, who is our winner?  Who wore it worst?

Who Wore It Worst? Crazy Man Hair
	Taecyeon
	Lee Min Ho
	Jang Keun Suk
	Lee Jong Hyuk
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K-drama Music Awards: Let Your Voices Be Heard!

Let's talk about Korean drama soundtracks for a second.  Every single series has about 5 songs (upbeat cheerful song, sad crying/reminiscing song, mellow in love song, love triangle song, etc.) that get repeated over and over in every single episode whenever a certain emotion arises.  These songs all tend to blend together after a while, but every once in a while, a song will stick with you.  We thought it would be nice to celebrate some of the best and worst songs in our k-drama watching experience, and we want YOUR votes!  The polls will be open until February 27, and then we will announce the winners. Even if you haven't seen these dramas, you can watch the links before making a decision. If we held a red carpet event, do you think Taecyeon would show up? One can only hope, right?

And the nominees are...

Category: Best Upbeat Song

"Dream High" from Dream High

•  How can you NOT want to dance when you watch that video? Impossible.

"Let Us Just Love" from Protect the Boss

• Confession: When it's dark and cold and depressing outside, I sometimes listen to this song in the bathroom while I get ready for work. Plus, we all know how much  I love this series.

"Hallelujah" from Iris

• I am not someone who can pull off listening to hip hop while driving around town in my car.  This song makes me want to try anyway.

"Superstar" from Dream High 2

• There is a specific category of music that it is peppy enough to even motivate me to clean the bathroom.  This is one of those songs. Yes, HershE, I AM a superstar.  A toilet-scrubbing superstar.

Best Upbeat Song
	Dream High
	Let Us Just Love
	Hallelujah
	Superstar
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Category: Worst Song to Get Stuck in Your Head

"Never Say Goodbye" from My Girl

• My husband is usually pretty understanding of my k-drama watching obsession.  This song broke him.  He said that it was floating into the next room and giving him brain cancer.  I tend to agree.

"Fox Rain" from My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho

• If you want to know why this song is among the nominees, skip to 1:45.  The lyrics to the chorus are LITERALLY "doobeedoobeedoolala."  This song is partly nominated for laziness on the part of the songwriter.  But only partly.

"Lovin Ice Cream" from Lie to Me

• I want to claw my ears off. Enough said.

"Go Go Chan" from Coffee Prince

• Another entry from the "fake words as lyrics" camp, this song is the dark horse of the category.

Worst Code to Get Stuck in Your Head
	Never Say Goodbye
	Fox Rain
	Lovin' Ice Cream
	Go Go Chan
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Category: Best Ballad

"Across the Ocean" from Coffee Prince

• Most ballads sound ridiculously similar, but this one is refreshingly different.  It's something that I would listen to in real life without being embarrassed.

"Someday" from Dream High

• First of all, if a unicorn and a kitten had a baby that pooped rainbows, that baby would be IU.  She is possibly the cutest human on the planet. She also has a lovely voice. 

"You Are So Beautiful" from Scent of a Woman

• This song goes out to all the ladies who love more traditional ballads.  It sounds like it was meant to be played at weddings.

"Carry On" from Faith

• Be honest: If you don't speak Korean, you're making up lyrics to this so you can belt it in the shower.

Best Ballad
	Across the Ocean
	Someday
	You Are So Beautiful
	Carry On
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Category: Best 2nd Male Lead Theme

"Goong" from Princess Hours

• I couldn't find an isolated version of Prince Yul's theme, but it starts around 0:10 in the video.  This song mostly plays while he stares up at the sun.

"Stranger Sun" from Boys over Flowers

• Okay, I know I already did a piece on Kim Jeong-hoon's lookalikes, but we need to talk about the similarities between the characters of Ji-hoo and Prince Yul.  They both have tragic pasts and relatives who abandoned them. Then their hearts get broken by a sassy girl who actually isn't all that great. They both wear a lot of white and have sad, swoopy tan hair until they decide to become tougher.  And then the music.  Nothing says "I'm sad" like violins.  But which one is better?

"Trap" from My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

• No sad violins here. Park Dong Joo might have a tragic past, but he's also a knife-wielding veterinarian bad-A.

"I'll Protect You" from Protect the Boss

• Okay, so this one isn't technically Mu won's theme song, but the second male lead is singing, so I'll count it.

Best 2nd Male Lead Theme
	Goong
	Stranger Sun
	Trap
	I'll Protect You
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Bonus Category: Best Cover of "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)" by SNSD

Dream High cast

• Yes, Dream High is nominated for a third category.  The music was some of the catchiest of any drama I've seen. With the acoustic guitar at the beginning, I might enjoy this more than the original version.

 You Are Beautiful cast

• This one gets extra credit for getting otherwise-serious characters into drag.

Best Cover of "Tell Me Your Wish"
	Dream High cast
	You're Beautiful cast
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Vote! Vote! Vote! And convince us to choose your favorites in the comments!