A Rundown of 10 of my favorite K-dramas of all time

Hey homies! How are you guys doing? Hope you’ve all been doing fine? So I was thinking yesterday, staring at the loads of Korean dramas on my system, asking myself humorously; ‘When exactly did you start watching K-dramas, Yetty? When exactly did you fall into this ever wallowing wormhole?’ and I found myself taking a trip down memory lane. It was definitely towards the end of my final year in Secondary School when I still donned uniforms and ‘fangirled’ Mo’cheddah and Omawunmi. It had all started in a cab when a male classmate of mine and his brother whom I used to go home with then asked with excitement dancing frantically around their eyes, if I had seen ‘Jumong’ and I was like ‘What the hell is that?” The rest they say is history. Now I have seen a lot, I mean a whole lot of K-dramas but only these ten I will be giving a quick rundown of, forever own this precious heart of mine. Here they come in no particular order!

Jumong

I just have to start with this incredibly long and complicated historical period drama. Being my first introduction into the exciting world of k-dramas, this drama played a humongous role in giving me such a great first impression about K-dramaland.

*The stunning plotting, the riveting suspense, the heart-wrenching bloody wars, the astounding martial arts, the vile villains, the tragic love stories, the amazing acting and the breath-taking cinematography entirely transported me to a whole new world. Jumong was pulling, intriguing, interesting, exciting, horrifying, saddening and humouring all at the same time.

*The titular actor, Song Il-gook, was absolutely endearing with his performance. His ability to convey variety of emotions and engage me was amazing. He totally made ‘Jumong’ one of the most interesting and deeply engaging historical period drama heroes that I’ve ever seen. And of course, his handsome face which I was just gracing for the first time, totally stole my breath away.

*The tragic love stories. Oh, my dear heart, were most painful to watch. The fact that Jumong couldn’t be with Soseono, the woman he truly loved gave me utmost sadness. Lee So-Ya who bore his child was the sweetest thing for me in the drama and I am happy that at least, Jumong got to be with such a good and gentle-hearted woman like her.

*Guys, remember the beginning of the drama, where we were introduced to Jumong’s parents and the horror they had to go through. Do you remember the deep love between the mother and father that ended so tragically? Remember how the father, General Hae Mosu, was made a blind man so gruesomely? Oh God. I’m crying. I don’t wanna cry. No, no, no no…

*The acting delivered by Jumong’s older half brother, Prince Daeso was powerful. His amazing villainy performance left a huge impact on me. And of course, the other half brother’s portrayal of an absolute idiot was a total comic relief for me.

A Man Called God

Oh Peter Pan Peter Pan. This action flick totally got me daydreaming about Song Il-gook again. His chiseled face, those high cheekbones and the smart, intelligent character he played seriously got me fantasising about him every night. No jokes. I was 16 and he had been my imaginary boyfriend; the charismatic and dapper love of my life.

*Those white shirts of his that he wore a lot of times, his enchanting self-reassured confidence and his ability to fight skillfully and kick any ass were awesome for me. These things convinced me that I was in love guys. LOL.

*And of course! Jin Bo Bae, the only determinedly nosy and smartass fictional reporter that I can stand till date. She was fun, humorous, persistent, quick on her feet, and had a good heart.

*The revenge story, the action-packed plotting, the fast pacing, the beautiful and colourful sceneries, the nerve-wrecking suspense, the fantastic acting, the smart and witty writing; everything worked for me.

City Hunter

Lee Min Ho was the only Oppa that managed to disenchant me from the spell that Song Il-gook had cast on me. Surreal cannot begin to describe what I had ascribed to Min Ho’s face when I first laid eyes on it. His smooth-milky face, double-eyelids, straight nose, sexy lips, one-sided dimple, full cheeks and prettily arranged tooth all resulting into that big beautiful smile of his, honestly got me a 100% whipped.

*What about his totally charismatic portrayal of Lee Yoon Sung? His sassy and arrogant lines? His chic styling? (I mean, those stylish, colourful jackets and awesome pants as well as sexy vests that revealed a tad of chest skin) What about his classy hair cut? His height? His character’s smartness and intelligence? His bad ass fighting skills? Oh god! The amorous feelings are all rushing back.

*Did I mention his amazing portrayal of emotional scenes like the wild fury and pain reflected in Yoon Sung’s eyes whenever he was angered by the people messing around with Kim Na Na and Ajhussi? Do you guys remember the scene where Ajhussi was run over by his father’s car and how bloodshot his eyes became? His frenzy, hysteria, tears, the way his fists formed dangerously and how his whole being vibrated when Ajhussi was being rushed to into the operating theater? Lee Min Ho really crushed those scenes.

*Then the romance! Although I wasn’t pleased with how the drama did not end with romantic scenes of Yoon Sung and Na Na, I placated myself by visualising a befitting romantic ending. I loved the chemistry between Yoon Sung and Bear Na Na. Though there was hurt and pain as with every relationship, theirs was spiced up with bickering, pettiness, and laughter. Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young really had this ease and familiarity when with each other that made their chemistry seem natural. It’s no wonder they dated after the show ended.

*The humour shall not be forgotten. The supporting cast; Lee Min Ho’s co-workers at the Blue house (especially the bespectacled clown, Go Ki Joon), the president’s bratty and snooty daughter, Ajhussi (the home shopping channel addict) and even the corrupt politicians and the embarrassing ways they were caught in their atrocities cracked me up big time.

*I won’t lie; I was attracted to Yoon Sung’s father. He somehow played the role of a villain but his hard stone chiseled face, his scrutinising eyes, his hell bent determination for revenge, his measured footsteps, his majestic walking stick and his slow, gentle way of speaking all that venom about the politicians that killed his comrades, totally appealed to me. I was nearly in love. Okay, am I strange?

*And that good-hearted, intensely resolute prosecutor! When he died was when I truly felt sorrow and pain as a viewer. Just thinking that he finally made up with his ex-wife and then died soon after, got me on the verge of tears.

Descendants of the Sun

Okay, I gotta start with the soundtracks. This drama was ramped up with the most amazing soundtracks. As a lover of music, this drama did a 100% percent for me in terms of crooning sweetly, emotionally and soothingly to my ears. The breezy songs and the romantic ones were and are still part of my favourite K-pop songs and K-ballads ever!

*Song Joong Ki of course is the next reason why DOTS will forever be one of my favourites! That man is hot. And the playful, witty, smart and capable captain he was made to play in that dizzying military uniform, made me forget that Lee Min Ho ever existed in my heart. I know, I’m such a snitch!

*Song Hye Kyo too was the definition of beauty and seeing her in a doctor’s white robe was a sight to behold. I loved the instant attraction and chemistry between her and Joong Ki. No paparazzi with their falling in love unlike most K-dramas.

*One thing I also loved about the drama was the particular scene where Hye Kyo played music with her phone over loudspeaker and got her recorded feelings exposed to Joong Ki and everyone. Ouch! How embarrassing, yet how cute and pleasing! I think we can all agree that Hye Kyo rejecting Joong Ki on several occasions got exasperating and tiring at a point.

*I fancied the drama’s storyline too. The doctor and soldier romance thing. It was one of the major reasons why I was curious to see the drama (apart from Joong Ki’s handsomeness and Hye Kyo’s beauty of course). I wanted to see how that kind of relationship was going to play out. I also loved the writing. It was educative and witty as well.

*And guys, I can’t deny it; one of the happiest moments in my life was learning that Hye Kyo was going to tie the knot with Joong Ki in real life. What a hot Hallyu click! My precious Song-Song couple. I’m still waiting for their assuredly surreal offspring though.

*The supporting cast too were amusing (the doctors and soldiers), especially the General Surgeon, Song Sang Hyun and Ha Ja ae, the ER Senior Nurse. What a funny couple.

*Onew’s performance too as a doctor who faces the guilt and pain that sometimes comes with losing a patient was outstanding. I was truly mesmerized by the deep investments in the dark emotions of his character. It was astonishing for an Idol.

*The exciting and action packed military combats and the whole earthquake disaster thing were new for me in terms of K-dramas so I actually enjoyed watching them. And the cinematography lest I forget, was breathtaking! It was one of great things the show did fantastically well with.

*DOTS was generally a show that I kept going back to again and again. That was how much I fancied the drama. And obviously, I will always fancy it.

Boys Over Flowers

Here in Nigeria, it is safe to say that the F4 BOYS and Geum Jan Di started the whole K-drama syndrome. Boys Over Flowers was a lot of Nigerians’ first introduction to K-dramaland and due to how cherishable and enjoyable this high school drama was, everyone plus me became hooked.

*Lee Min Ho of course, is one of the major reasons I will forever love this classic. He perfectly introduced the cliché K-drama arrogant and egoistic Chabeol male leads to me. While Gu Jun Pyo’s curly hair didn’t particular gain my love; his confident, haughty and childishly silly attitude made him endearing and interesting to watch. His young, handsome face then too was a big bonus. Even my mum and dad were in love with his good-looking face. LOL.

*I also loved the rest of the F4 boys, especially the incredibly cute Kim Bum, who played So Ji-jung and Jan Di’s first love, Yoon Ji-hoo! The bond and friendship between the F4 boys was sweet and beautiful.

*And Geum Jan Di! Oh, Jun Pyo’s shorty and brazen-faced girl. Oh how she dealt with Jun Pyo. Lmao. Till date, my mom cannot forget the name, Jan Di. She now calls every Korean female lead actress Jan Di due to how they all always look alike and I would laugh and laugh asking my mum where on earth she saw any semblance. Jan Di’s kick-ass, no-nonsense attitude and the way she taught Jun Pyo some life lessons were absolutely hilarious and fun to watch.

*I also loved Gu Jun Pyo’s witchy mother. She was annoying yet entertaining. Jan Di’s mother too and her materialistic attitude was cackling.

*And the soundtracks, they were beautiful too. Actually, I started getting attracted to K-drama’s uniquely melodious soundtracks after seeing Boys Over Flowers.

So that’s the rundown of five out of my 10 favorite k-dramas of all time. Stay tuned for the remaining five coming your way soon!

Stay well y’all and remain positive no matter what.