100 Favorite Drama Characters: 16th Character

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

Favorite Character: Takano Kyohei

        Kyohei is extremely attractive, a trait that brought him constant attention from woman both young and old. It also caused problems in every facet of his life, with his mother, work and school causing him to become angry and cold. He takes an offer from a wealthy woman for free rent. She wants him and three other young men to help her introverted and gothic niece, Sunako. Kyohei forces Sunako to face her fears and she in turn does the same to him. Kyohei learns self-acceptance and inspires others around him to do the same.

“Apparently in life, we end up being like a lost child at times. The more we struggle, the least likely we’re to find our way. And it can be very frightening… because everyone around us looks like an enemy. And although we may think we’re all alone in the world, the truth is that when we do get really lost, we have no other choice but to wait for someone to come find us. The person who really cares about us will definitely come for us.” – Kyohei

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 15th Character

That Winter, The Wind Blows

Favorite Character: Oh Soo

      Oh Soo was a multifaceted character, he was neither a good or bad person but was somewhere in between. He started the drama as a con artist always out for his own gain and became a better man along the way. He posed as the long-lost brother of a blind heiress, Oh Young, but his feelings for the young woman changed his plans. He could be selfish and mean but was also caring and sincere, a well developed character that is often missing in dramaland.

“I, for your sake, placed a million bells. Actually, this sound is from the rustling of the frozen branches of the trees. Later, when I leave, even when you lose the bell, if the winter wind blows, the trees will always make this sound. If only you could see this now, it would have been really nice. But more than this, what I want to show you is actually you, yourself, more than anything, it would be nice if you could see yourself.” – Oh Soo

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 14th Character

I Hear Your Voice

Favorite Character: Park Soo Ha

Park Soo Ha is another interesting and unique male lead. He had a tragic childhood and fell in love with the teenage girl who saved him and helped send his father's murderer to prison.  He spent years searching for her and then encountered her older self, someone who had grew cold and indifferent to the world. He protected her, helped her court cases by reading people's thoughts, and changed her for the better. He is sincere, thoughtful and wise despite his young age. 

“I know why you’re anxious, and I know why you’re always preparing for a time without me. But even if that time comes, I won’t worry. Even when ten years had passed, I recognized you. When I lost my memories, when I had erased you, I came to love you again. Even if ten more years pass, if I lose my memories again, if that time you’re worried about comes… I’ll find you… and I’ll love you again.” - Soo Ha

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 13th Character

Nodame Cantabile

Favorite Character: Chiaki Shinichi

        Chiaki Shinichi is a very cold and dedicated musician who dreams of becoming a conductor. His transformation after meeting Nodame is quite a beautiful thing to behold. His character struggles to achieve his dreams, dealing with defeat and heartbreak along the way. We cheer when he succeeds and cry along with him when he fails. Nothing short of an amazing character would bring forth that emotional rollercoaster 

"No matter how painful, no matter how much solitary struggle awaits us, because we have joyous moments like this, we can face the challenges over and over again." - Chiaki Shinichi

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 12th Character

Unexpected You

Favorite Character: Chun Jae Yong

        Unexpected You was a longer, weekend drama that was really fun and full of great characters. Jae Young stole the screen whenever he appeared, instantly becoming my favorite person in the show. He was eccentric and funny, not the stereotypical rich male. His attraction to Bang Yi Sook confused him and his antics to win her heart were both odd and sweet at the same time. 

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 11th Character

Shut Up: Flower Boy Band

Favorite  Character: Joo Byung Hee

      Joo Byung Hee is a very unique and charming character. He is only in the first couple of episodes of this drama (for a reason which I won't spoil) but he still managed to be favorite character over all. Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of great characters in this drama and it still turned out fantastic. Although his absence added an important plot development I will always wonder what it might have been like if he had been featured throughout. He left such a huge impression on me from his small amount of screen time that he definitely deserves a lot of recognition. 

"I want to die at my happiest moment." - Byung Hee

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 10th Character

Reply 1997

Favorite Character: Kang Jun Hee

        *SPOILER*  Gay characters are few and far between in Korean dramas, in most Asian dramas in general. Kang Jun Hee was a sweet and kind guy that was shaping up to be a contender for Shi Won's affections until you realized that he was interested in someone else, Yoon Jae. It was an unexpected twist in the story and added another layer of depth to the overall story. Jun Hee's character was handled amazingly well-he was just a normal guy who happened to be gay. He was a nice person and a great friend, his character and relationship with Yoon Jae was one of the highlights of the drama.

“The reason I like you? Because you’re that person. Because you’re you. Is there another reason besides that one? I’d rather know the reason if there was one. Then I could find a way to not like you. If I can’t avoid it, then there’s only one thing I want: to remain by your side, unchanged, for a long time. Here’s to our love, that chills our hearts.” – Jun Hee

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 9th Character

Queen In Hyun's Man

Favorite Character: Kim Boong Do

        In dramaland we are accustomed to a certain type of male lead. He is usually cold, arrogant, selfish, rude, rich and so on. I like that type of character ad there are several on my list but I still feel that it is often overused. Boong Do completely breaks that mold and becomes a very unique lead. He is intelligent, kind, and romantic.

"There are words that I don't understand, and words that I am hearing for first time. But there's something that hasn't changed . . . I love you." - Boong Do

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 8th Character

Boys Over Flowers

Favorite Character: Yoon Ji Hoo

        I was never a huge fan of Rui from Hana Yori Dango in the manga, anime or any the other drama versions yet Ji Hoo completely enraptured my very being. He is basically the perfect male specimen-handsome, talented, smart, kind and sincere. He constantly put others before himself, ignoring his own desires and feelings.  I much preferred him with Jan Di over Goo Jun Pyo, I felt that Ji Hoo and Jan Di had great chemistry and a really close relationship.

“I don’t know when it started either. But now, I can’t be without you.” – Ji Hoo

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 7th Character

Panda and Hedgehog

Favorite Character: Choi Won Yi

     This drama wasn't very good but it had a lot great characters. Go Seung Ji and Choi Won Il were awesome and their bromance remains one of the best that I've encountered in dramaland but Won Yi stole heart. She had a short attention span and was hyper most of the time, practically bouncing off the walls. She was enthusiastic, kind, dependable and a bit naive. Pan Da proved to be a disappointing female lead by episode 5, turning into annoying and selfish character. She would have made any secondary female character, even a boring one, look amazing by comparison. Won Yi was a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise mediocre drama.

"In front of the girl you got knocked down, hyung. Is that winning? You might have saved the cafe but you killed any chance of getting a date." - Won Yi 

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 6th Character

Wild Romance

Favorite Character: Kim Dong Ah

      There are many Asian dramas where I find myself loving the secondary characters more than the leads-usually due to poorly written personalities or bad acting. I actually like the female lead in Wild Romance but I think Dong Ah  would have stolen the screen in any drama she would have ended up in. She an extremely honest (at times brutally so) and very open about her feelings. She is funny, quirky and a great friend to Eun Jae. Besides Dong Ah, the highlight of the drama is her strange but oddly perfect relationship with Manager Kim. He is a very serious, rigid man leading to the dubbing of their relationship to be referred to as the Robot Couple.

“Just need to check and see whether or not you are a robot.” – Dong Ah

100 Favorite Characters: 5th Character

Hana Kimi

Favorite Character: Nakatsu Shuichi

     Hana Kimi was the second Japanese drama that I watched and I instantly fell in love with Nakatsu. If there was ever a second lead that deserved to get the girl, it was Nakatsu. He was cute, funny, kind, honest and a great friend. He was an all-around awesome guy and even though I knew how the drama would ultimately end up, it still broke my heart.  

 “Even when I’m an old geezer, so old that I can’t even remember my own name, I won’t forget all the time we’ve spent together… ever. To me, you are… the best. The best friend I had ever.” – Nakatsu

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 4th Character

Meteor Garden

Favorite Character: Dao Ming Si

     Meteor Garden is my favorite live-action adaptation of Hana Yori Dango because I feel that it is the closest  to the source material out of all the other versions. Tsukasa is one of the main reasons why Hana Yori Dango is so popular and Jerry Yan as Dao Min Si is fantastic. Dao Ming Si truly captures the character of Domyouji Tsukasa-he starts off as a cold, mean and selfish  bully but gradually changes after he starts to fall in love. He's stubborn, passionate, loyal and not extremely bright but his love for Shan Cai is truly awe-inspiring. 

“I will follow you wherever you go. Even in hell I would still follow you. In my eyes there was only you.” – Ming Si

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 3rd Character

Coffee Prince

Favorite Character: Go Eun Chan

      I love gender benders and it is a common and popular plot device used in dramas but most of the time it is beyond obvious that the girl pretending to be a boy is actually a girl. Hana Kimi (all versions), Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Ti Amo Chocolate are just a few in which the girl pretending to be a guy still acts, sounds and looks completely feminine (in Happy Michelin Kitchen the female in question does not even attempt to hide the fact that she has breasts-meaning that the main guy must be a few sandwiches short of a picnic to not notice). Go Eun Chan from Coffee Prince still remains that best example of a girl pretending to be a guy successfully. It helps that she is already a tomboy and teaches martial arts. She has had to be the breadwinner in her household and naturally took on the role of "the man of the house." She is also really funny and kind, pretending to be male to get a job is not the only interesting thing about her character.

"The other day at work, I had this thought – Even if I could just be by his side, that would be nice. Then I wouldn’t have anything more to wish for." – Eun Chan

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 2nd Character

Secret Garden

Favorite Character: Kim Joo Won

       
     Secret Garden was the second Kdrama that I watched and it's the drama that turned me into an addict. Hyun Bin's role as Kim Joo Won totally blew me away and made me a fan, he still remains my favorite Korean actor.  In dramaland there a lot of rich and arrogant male leads but Joo Won definitely stands out. He is funny and has quite a unique personality. His character has depth and  experiences development, something not seen in all  dramas. Hyun Bin was amazing in this and stole the scene whenever his character appeared. He made me laugh hysterically and sob like a baby. I now also love blue, sequined tracksuits.

“I hope you’ll see the things I see. You’ll stand at the window where I stand, and lie down in the bed where I lie down, and read the books I read. If we could be together, even in that way… then that’s enough. Let’s think of it as being together. That’s enough for us to consider ourselves as happy as other lovers.” – Joo Won

100 Favorite Drama Characters: 1st Character

The Princess' Man

Favorite Character: Lee Se Ryung

         I thought that I would start off this series with my favorite drama. I do like quite a few characters but Se Ryung remains my favorite. She is independent and strong-willed in a time where most women weren't. Her love and devotion to Seung Yoo knows no bounds. She goes against her own father and risks her life several times in order to protect Seung Yoo. Amidst all the weak, timid, stupid and annoying female leads in  kdramaland, Se Ryung is a delightful heroine.                                                                           

“How much… how much pain have you endured? I cannot imagine how you could bear such a terrible pain. If by taking my life away, your pain can be healed… even a thousand, a million times I am willing to die.” – Se Ryung