Top 30 Favorite Korean Movies (11-20)

The Host

       Park Gang Du  slow-witted man who runs a small snack-bar with his father. A monstrous creature emerges from the Han River, killing several people and dragging Gang Du's daughter away. He teams up with his father, his sister who is a national medalist archer and  his alcoholic unemployed brother to find his daughter before it's too late.

        I absolutely hate giant monster films. I have seen tons of Godzilla movies and I find them extremely boring, badly acted, poorly paced and the giant monsters usually receive less than 10 minutes of screen time. The Host succeeds where most the aforementioned films failed-excellent acting, solid story and the monster is featured prominently.

Punch Lady

        Ha-Eun’s husband Joo-Chang is a mixed martial arts champion who beats her daily for the smallest mistake. Ha-Eun is eventually pushed past her breaking point after her husband strikes their daughter and kills an opponent in the ring, She publicly challenges him to a duel and begins to train for the event.

             This was an amazing film, I found myself actually cheering Ha Eun as she finds the strength to leave her husband and her determination in training. I laughed, cried, and ultimately felt uplifted when watching this movie.

Chilling Romance

          Yeo Ri is a woman who has the ability to see ghosts causing her to lead a miserable and lonely existence. A magician named Jo Goo hires her for his new Horror Magic Show. She eventually reveals her ability and although Jo Goo is initially scared, he puts his fears aside as he starts to fall for Yeo Ri.

          Similar to Shaun of the Dead, Chilling Romance is a romantic comedy that successful blends horror into the mix. I became a huge fan of Lee Min Ki after watching Shut Up Flower Boy Band and he did not disappoint in this movie. I was really surprised at how great Son Ye Jin was in this, I had previously seen her in Personal Taste which is one of my least favorite Korean dramas of all time. She just showed me that the horrible writing in that drama led to her terrible character and not her acting.

Innocent Steps

           Na Young Sae is attempting to make a comeback after a he suffers an injury. He sends for a talented dancer only to receive her younger, completely untalented sister.  Chae Min knows nothing about dancing but Young Sae decides to train her for 3 months to compete in a national dance championship.

           This was a really sweet and romantic movie. The actors had great chemistry and the dancing scenes were fun to watch.

A Werewolf Boy

         Kim Suni is an elderly woman in her sixties who travels from the US to South Korea after learning that her family home is being sold.  She recalls how 47 years ago when she was a teenage girl and she first moved into the house with her mother and sister.  She had to move to the remote home due to health issues and her family is forced to rely on the wealthy landlord's son who loves her.  She discovers a feral boy living in a shed on the property who cannot speak and behaves like an animal.  She forms a friendship with the boy and tries to teach him human behavior. 

         This such a beautiful and sad film. Song Joong Ki was very impressive as the Werewolf Boy, he had to convey so much through his eyes and face because his character could not speak. I did enjoy this film but the disappointing ending ruined what could have been a masterpiece.

Windstruck

         Officer Yeo Kyung Jin is an ambitious young female police officer serving on the Seoul police department. One day while chasing a purse snatcher, she accidentally captures Go Myung Woo, a physics teacher who was actually trying to catch the thief. The two eventually form a relationship but their happiness is not destined to last.

         A sort of prequel to My Sassy Girl, Windstruck is every bit as funny, romantic, sad and intriguing as it's predecessor. Jin Ji Hyn has a real knack for taking on unique and interesting characters and giving them depth. 

My Tutor Friend

          Su Wan is a 21 year old college sophomore and works as a tutor. She is hired to help Ji Hoon, a young man who is the exact same as but still in high school, pass his Senior year. Jo Hoon is an immature guy who is more interested in fighting than getting out of high school and gives Su Wan a hard time. He then starts to fall for her and makes an effort to win her affections.

          This is probably one of the funniest Korean movies that I have yet to watch. I am not a fan of Kim Ha Neul and find her acting to be lacking in most of her films and dramas but she was really enjoyable in this role.

Oldboy

           In 1988, businessman Oh Dae Su is kidnapped the night of his young daughter's birthday and placed in solitary confinement for 15 years. Dae-su soon learns through news reports his wife has been murdered, and he is the prime suspect. With no human contact, Dae Su passes the time shadowboxing, planning revenge, and secretly attempting to tunnel out of his cell. After being released he sets out to find out who imprisoned him and why with the help of a sushi chef named Mi Do.

          Oldboy is probably one of the most popular and most well known Korean movies to international audiences. It has a great story that is suspenseful and intriguing, as well as great characters. I have read the Japanese manga on which this is based and I didn't really enjoy it, especially the ending. The film takes the central concept but makes it better but adding more twists and depth. I was truly shocked by the end and any film that manages to surprise me rates highly in my book.

                  

     

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

          Ryu is a deaf-mute man working in a factory to support his ailing sister, who is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. As Ryu is not a match, he contacts a black market organ dealer, and agrees to exchange his savings and one of his own kidneys in exchange for a matching one. The dealers disappear after taking Ryu's kidney and money, leaving him in a desperate situation. In need of money for the operation, Yeong-mi, Ryu's radical communist girlfriend, suggests kidnapping the daughter of the man who fired him. Things begin spiraling out of control after the kidnapping takes place, leading to multiple deaths.

          Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is the first in the Vengeance trilogy followed by Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. The story and characters were intriguing and Korea once again proves that they are at the top of their game when it comes to revenge movies.

A Bittersweet Life

          Kim Sun-woo is a high ranking enforcer for Kang , a powerful crime boss to whom he is unquestionably loyal. Kang assigns Sun-woo watch over his young mistress, Hee-soo, whom he fears is having an affair. He orders Sun Woo to kill her if she is caught.  He performs his duty but finds himself slowly falling in love with the young woman and his loyalty to his boss starts to falter.

          Lee Byung Hun is a fantastic Korean actor and I have 3 of his films in my favorite Korean films list. His engaging as a cold killer who begins to question his life after becoming emotionally attached to a woman he can't have. Although Shin Min Ah is one of my favorite actresses she didn't have a lot to do in this film, mostly she was just a normal and pretty girl making questionable decisions.

Top 13 Favorite Korean Dramas

Top 13 Favorite Korean Dramas

I decided to list my favorite Kdramas because it has been over a year since my obsession began. I like dramas with solid stories, interesting characters and strong female leads. All the dramas below are ones that I really loved and rated a 10. 

The Princess’ Man

      Princess Se Ryung is the headstrong and forward-thinking daughter to Grand Prince Su Yang, who is determined to be King. She falls in love with the son of his mortal enemy, and their romance gets caught in the crossfire of her father's quest for the throne.

      

     The Princess' Man is a beautiful drama and one of the dramas that actually deserves every bit of it's popularity. A Joseon Romeo & Juliet, this drama is filled with revenge, murder,
palatial politics, romance, action and bits of comedy. Park Shi Hoo and Moon Chae Won are superb as the star crossed leads and the supporting characters are equally as good. I love this drama but I would have trouble re-watching because of how emotionally taxing it is. This is the best Korean drama that I've seen and I highly recommend it. 

Secret Garden

     The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won, an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection, and Gil Ra Im, a poor and humble stunt woman whose beauty and body are the object of envy amongst top actresses. Their accidental meeting, when Joo Won mistakes Ra Im for actress Park Chae Rin, marks the beginning of a tense, bickering relationship, through which Joo Won tries to hide a growing attraction to Ra Im that both confuses and disturbs him. To complicate matters further, a strange sequence of events results in them swapping bodies.

      Where do I even begin to describe how I feel about this drama? It was the second kdrama that I ever watched and it cemented my addiction to Asian dramas. It's not a completely perfect drama but it does so many things right and I've come to appreciate it even more after a year and 100+ dramas later. It had great characters, the leads had amazing chemistry, it was funny, it was romantic, it had great kiss scenes, the story didn't drag, the second female lead was awesome and most importantly it ended beautifully with all the story lines neatly tied up. 

Coffee Prince

     A tomboy is mistaken for a young man, but maintains the deception for the sake of employment. The situation is complicated when her male boss begins to develop feelings for this "boy".

     My first gender bender which made me love the subgenre. It's kind of a running joke that most of the time the female pretending to be a boy completely fails at looking anything close to masculine. Go Eun Chan however, manages to actually pass off as a believable male. Besides being the best gender bender, Coffee Prince is pretty great in many other areas as well. The soundtrack is amazing, Gong Yoo is fantastic, the kiss scenes are passionate and the side characters are interesting.

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

        One day after Cha Dae Woong runs away from his grandfather, he accidentally frees a nine-tailed fox who was trapped in a painting for about 500 years. He didn't realize what he has done, until the Gumiho (nine-tailed fox),who took the form of a beautiful woman, appeared in front of him. Dae Woong was so frightened that he ran away from her and became severely injured. The Gumiho saved him by giving him her most precious bead to share with him the mystic fox strength, as she owed him her freedom. The Gumiho then asked him to help her become human and teach her how to act like one. As time goes by, their mutual relationship grew deeper as they start to fall for each other.

     One of the cutest kdramas but with depth. I fell hard for Shin Min Ah as Mi Ho-she was a great female lead that was upfront about her feelings which is quite rare in dramaland. Lee Seung Gi was also great and equally adorable as Dae Woong and No Min Woo sizzled as the mysterious Dong Joo. 

Me Too, Flower!

     A tough female police officer who suffers from depression falls in love with a young multimillionaire whom she initially believed was a parking attendant. Instead of counting her lucky stars, she is taken aback by how rich he is. Officer Cha Bong-sun is a peculiar woman who defies the rigid social hierarchy and rails against it. And Seo Jae-hee, the millionaire boyfriend, is an eccentric man who falls in love with this quirky police officer. 

     Me Too, Flower was a drama that didn't do well ratings wise but that I really enjoyed. I'm always a big fan of strong and unique female leads. Bong Sun isn't perfect by any means but that's what makes her so relatable-she suffers from depression as well as issues with anger and trust. This doesn't make her an unlikable character but rather a realistic one. Yoon Shi Yoon's character is so opposite from her yet they fit together so perfectly.

I Hear Your Voice

     A drama about public defenders who take on the toughest cases with less than 1% chance of winning. Jang Hye Sung is a bold, sassy, and comical female lawyer. She has a sharp tongue and finds it hard to be enthusiastic about what she does. Cha Kwan Woo is a serious, passionate and macho former police officer who becomes a government lawyer. Meanwhile, Park Soo Ha is a 19 year old boy who has the ability to read people's minds. Together they will team up to solve the cases no one else wants, cases that only have a one percent chance of being found innocent.

      2013 is turning out to be a great year for dramas and here is another prime example. I Hear Your Voice was really hyped on the net so I decided to check it out and was surprised by how fantastic it was.  There are a lot of courtroom cases and legal proceedings but they were interesting and well paced. The story was good, the characters are great and the drama was all around superb.

That Winter, The Wind Blows

       "The Winter, The Wind Blows" is a story about a man who is known to be the best gambler in Cheongdam neighborhood. He lives a meaningless life after being abandoned by his parents and failing at his first love relationship. In order to pay his debt, he starts living with a rich girl who is the heir to a large corporation. However, he falls in love with the girl, who is also as lonely as him. She has also lived a difficult life. She has lost her eyesight and her father has passed away. She will have to protect herself from those around her.

       A great melodrama and one of my favorites of the year. The thing I really love about TWTWB is that all the characters are flawed-they all are a mixture of good and bad traits making them more realistic. I was glued to the screen while watching and I'm pretty sure that I cried at least once every episode. 

Shut Up! Flower Boy Band

      Byung Hee is the crazy, free-spirited leader and vocalist of the popular underground rock group, Eye Candy. Joining him is mood-maker Ji Hyuk, chic Hyun Soo, playboy Ha Jin, silent Do Il and baby-faced Kyung Jong. These boys rule their school until a redevelopment plan forces the delinquent-ridden school to close down. They're all assigned a transfer to Jungsang High, but debate whether it's even worth returning to high school at all. However, due to an outside confrontation with Jungsang's current ruling band, Strawberry Fields, Eye Candy decides to attend Jungsang out of spite and rule the school once again.

     Bromance rules in this drama and I loved every second of it. Besides the unique focus on friendship, SUFBB also has one of the best soundtracks of any drama I've ever watched. 
   

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

       Sungkyunkwan Scandal is set in Sungkyunkwan University in the late Joseon era during the reign of King Jeongjo, revolving around the exploits and love stories of four youths. When her younger brother's illness worsens and their family is in danger of being evicted from their house for lack of money, Kim Yoon Hee enters the school under his name, disguised as a boy in her desperation to support him. There, she becomes friends with the intelligent and upright Lee Sun Joon, the playboy Goo Yong Ha and rebellious Moon Jae Shin.

     Being a historical drama and a gender bender, SS combines two of my favorite genres in one.  Although the main story line is good, it's ultimately the supporting characters that make this drama amazing. 

Reply 1997

     "Reply 1997" will focus on the extreme fan culture that emerged in the 1990's when idol groups took center stage and K-pop was blossoming. Moving back and forth between the ’90s and today, the story centers on the life of Seong Si Won, who idolizes boyband H.O.T, and her 5 high school friends.

      My favorite drama of 2012, Reply 1997 was quite a surprise in the fact that it had so many twists and turns. It is funny and sad, heart-warming and heart wrenching but well worth the roller coaster of emotions that you endure. 

Can You Hear My Heart?

      The love story of Cha Dong Joo, man who's been rendered deaf after an accident but pretends he can hear, and Bong Woo Ri, a woman who's intelligent but pretends she's dim-witted to protect the dignity of her mentally handicapped father.

    Can You Hear My Heart is another melodrama that had me in tears for the majority of it's 30 episodes.  CYHMH is full of angst, tears and secrets but manages to rise above it's cliche ridden plot to become something more than the sum of it's parts. The two male leads (Dong Joo and Ma Ro) are amazing and more than enough reason to watch this one.

Unexpected You

     This drama tells the story of a TV series director Cha Yoon Hee and a surgeon Bang Gwi Nam after they get married. Things become complicated when Yoon Hee meets her unreasonable mother-in-law Uhm Chung Ae and all of her in-laws.

    The longest drama on this list and still the longest one that I have to complete (58 episodes). There are a lot of characters but each one has an interesting story and personality. Out of all of the relationships in this drama the one between tomboyish Bang Yi Sook and eccentric Chun Jae Yong is my favorite.

Smile, You

     Seo Jung In is the second daughter of a chaebol family, whose family suddenly meets with financial ruin. She is dumped by her husband, Lee Han Se, after their wedding ceremony when his family finds out about her family's financial problems. Her family is then left with no other alternative but to move in with their longtime chauffeur's family. The once rich and spoiled daughter and her family must now learn how to adjust to life as commoners in the Kang household.

      I am a huge fan of love/hate relationships and they don't get any better than that of Jung In and Hyun Su. The progression of their relationship from hate to love is both hilarious and romantic.  Smile, You is a longer drama (45 episodes) but just as all the dramas on this list, it is well worth the time. 

*The plot synopsis for each drama was taken from http://mydramalist.com/-a great site to find, rate and discuss Asian dramas.

Top 30 Favorite Korean Movies (1-10)

Top 30 Favorite Korean Movies (1-10)

Believe it or not my first obsession is not Asian dramas but movies. Since becoming addicted to dramas I also began watching more Asian films and found that I love them just as much. Below are my favorite Korean films that I love and hope you decide check out.

I Saw the Devil

    Soo Hyun’s life is turned upside down after the murder of his fiance. Driven by anger and grief, he sets out on a dark path of revenge against her murderer.

    I Saw the Devil was one of the first Korean movies that I ever watched and it remains my favorite Korean film to this day. This was my introduction to Lee Byung Hun and made me an instant fan. I love revenge films and Korea definitely does them well.

Sunny

    Sunny is a film about a group of seven high school friends reuniting after many years to fulfill their former leader’s dying wish.

    This is the movie I usually recommend when someone asks for Korean movie suggestions. It’s a nice mixture of multiple elements including humor, friendship, first love and death. While sad at times it’s also quite inspiring what friendship can accomplish. The idea that seven women who are broken in some way can come together to help fix each other is quite beautiful.

Wedding Dress

    Go Eun is a single mother and wedding dress designer who discovers that she is dying.  She decides to spend her last days making her daughter happy and secretly creating her a wedding dress. Her daughter So Ra finds out about her mother’s condition and tries to fulfill her mother’s wishes.

    Unlike a lot of films on my list this one is not a romance but instead focuses on a mother/daughter relationship. Kim Hyang Gi who plays So Ra really blew me away and made this movie amazing. She brought such an intensity to her role as a little girl who has to grow up far too quickly.

Temptation of Wolves

     Jung Han Kyeong is a country girl who comes to live in the city with her mother after her father dies. She soon attracts the attentions of Ban Hae Won and his rival Jung Tae Sung.

    This movie surprised me because it turned out far differently than how it began. I was expecting a romantic comedy but got so much more. Kang Dong Won is the best part of the movie and I fell in love with his character.

    

A Millionaire's First Love

    Kang Jae Kyung is a spoiled, selfish and arrogant rich boy. He is forced to move to the country and graduate from the local high school in order to receive his inheritance. He then meets Choi Eun Hwan, a local girl whom he dislikes at first but gradually begins to fall for.

     The first half is a bit slow and some developments happen a bit fast but I still absolutely loved it. While not a perfect film, it has some of the most memorable scenes of any movie I’ve ever watched.

Always

    Jang Cheol Min is a boxer who gets a job as a parking lot attendant. One day a blind woman named Ha Jung Hwa comes into his booth mistaking him for the previous attendant. The two slowly form a relationship that eventually becomes threatened by Cheol Min’s past.

     Always is romantic film that manages to be memorable without resorting to a tragic ending. This was my first time watching So Ji Sub in anything and I really loved him (not only because of the workout scenes but they didn’t hurt).

The Beast and the Beauty

     Ku Dong Gun is a voice actor with a beautiful but blind girlfriend named Jang Hae Jun. Hae Jun is eventually able to have a surgery to restore her sight but Dong Gun is nowhere to be found. Dong Gun has always considered himself unattractive and lied about his appearance. Hae Jun later runs into a detective who matches Dong Gun’s false description and he begins pursuing her.

    The Beast and the Beauty is a romance comedy that actually manages to be funny and sweet. It wouldn’t be a proper favorites list without a Shin Min Ah film because she is my favorite Korean actress. I like her in this but Ryoo Seung Bum as Dong Gun is the reason I ended up loving this movie. I’m a big fan of the themes of self acceptance and inner beauty and this film deftly handled them without being overly preachy or cheesy.

Silenced/ The Crucible

    The Crucible is based on the case of Gwangju Inhwa School for the hearing impaired where several faculty members sexually molested students over a 5-year period.

    The Crucible isn’t necessarily an enjoyable film (many parts are extremely uncomfortable to watch) as much as an important one. The fact that this film is based on real life events make it all the more heartbreaking. Gong Yoo is amazing in this as are the three child actors portraying the deaf students that came forward to testify.

Pain/Pained

       Nam Soon is a man who cannot feel pain and works as a money collector for a loan shark. He shocks clients into paying by beating himself up in front of them. He visits a client named Dong Hyun who suffers from hemophilia and his antics get her kicked out her apartment. After saving her from a group of homeless men, Nam Soo invites Dong Hyun to stay with him and an unlikely relationship starts to form.

     I was hesitant to watch this film at first when I learned that Jung Ryeo Won was in it. She portrayed my most despised drama character of  all time-Yoo Hee Jin in My Name is Kim Sam Soon. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed her performance in this and I have concluded that she was just a fantastic actress to make me hate her so much. I always love movies and shows that pair two really polar opposite people who end up being perfect for each other (i.e. Dong Ah and Manager Kim from Wild Romance).

My Sassy Girl

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     Gyun Woo is a college student who has the misfortune to run into a very drunk girl at the subway station. This chance encounter leads to a relationship with the crazy and mysterious girl.

    My Sassy Girl is a really popular Korean film and usually makes it’s way onto many favorite Korean movie lists. One of the things that I really admire about Korean films is their ability to successfully mix multiple genres and this film is a perfect example. It makes me laugh one minute and cry the next but it’s an overall enjoyable ride. If you liked this film then definitely check out Windstruck which is it’s prequel-it’s really great as well.

   Obviously I really like crying because all these films, even the comedies and horror made me weep (I have issues). I love the variety of Korean films and the common theme of mixing genres. A lot of films on this list are not only my favorite Korean films but my favorite movies of all time.