Night-time:

Day-time:

What do they have in common? Well, there is THE YUM.
I have watched episodes 5 and 6 of Iljimae and they were most excellent, but for now I want to concentrate just on Shi Ho, who seems (most happily) express his angst through shirtlessness. I live in hope that one day he will get so angsty, he will drop trou too :)
So yes, eye candy post is courtesy of Iljimae's Shi Ho, who might have some questionable character traits, but has an unquestionable hot bod and a devotion to his 'sister' which borders on Tree of Heaven territory.
He lulls you into false complacency with clothes:

Even hats!


And then there is his love for Eun Chae, who he believes is his half-sister and who binds his wounds (which he got trying to save fake!father):


Notice the subtle exhibitionist streak:

And the yummy hints of quasi-cest:



And then, his true self bursts on us in its full glory! No, it's not this:

It is THIS:

I have yet to figure out why strengthening your bad arm archery because the other one is injured requires shirtlessness in front if lit fires which highlight your impressive musculature and skin, but who am I to complain?

All that and a little wound. How do you know my weaknesses, kdrama?

I repeat:

Look at those arms!

And that back:

Something tells me that if she didn't see him as a brother, she'd jump him. I would.

Ummmyes. YES. Take all this and add rain. Thank you, kdrama. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Or other body parts.

Don't tell me she isn't thinking the same.

Especially when he lights the path for her to walk, with his flamy arrowof looooove.




Unfortunately, he is wearing clothes.


Ah well, it was good while it lasted.
In other news, today, I continued my watch of two dramas, one Taiwanese and one Korean, which definitely prove, all over again, that when it comes to fictional men (just as in RL), my favorites are the well-adjusted sweet ones.
The first is the Taiwanese bubble-gum delight Smiling Pasta, best described as Full House on crack (I've described it plenty elsewhere, so just click on the tag if you are curious). The hero, He Qun, is an incredibly nice guy, whose biggest problem is a little aloofness and reluctance to expose himself emotionally. But he is so nice to the heroine, and the best part is, he is nice before he falls for her...he is nice because he is nice.
The other is the delicious Sweet 18 with Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye. The thing that strikes me the most about this drama (other than its sheer adorableness. If you want plot summary, just click on the tag, I am sure I did plenty) is how well-adjusted and decent both the hero and the heroine are. Sure, she is a bit immature (but then she is 18! She is not immature for her age) and sure, he is a bit too fixated on being the 'good family son/grandson' but they are both incredibly kind, good people. That is why whenever they fight, they make up rather soon: he feels bad for yelling and she does, too. She understands that he might sometimes be in an awful mood and she shouldn't push, and he understands he shouldn't have lost his temper. They apologize and they explain. Etc. Sweet 18 is a story about strangers pressured into an arranged marriage (well, he is pressured, she is delighted because she is crushing on him) and how they grow to love each other, and how they prove to be compatible despite all their obvious differences (he is a young upperclass prosecutor, she is a recent high school graduate and girl-gang leader). And I love that. I think, ultimately, that is why all the plots-and-plans of Evil Ex of Hero have so far come to naught. She is so lacking in decency herself, she fails to understand that basic principle in the character of the man she ditched and now potentially wants back. She manipulates an evening so Heroine is stuck elsewhere and he is at the theater by himself and the ex has a seat next to him? He walks out. And when she tries to emotionally manipulate or whine, he explains that it's nothing against her, but he doesn't think his wife would like it if he spent time with his ex (and the best part, he is not madly in love with his wife, yet, or anything). And later, he looks for his wife because she is waiting elsewhere and a super-adorable scene follows. She drags the wife shopping and connives her into buying a really expensive suit for the husband, in the hopes he will have a huge fight? He makes the wife return the suit but he isn't mad because she did it for him, and she charms him into keeping the tie and there is an adorable tie-tying scene. Etcetcetc.

Day-time:

What do they have in common? Well, there is THE YUM.
I have watched episodes 5 and 6 of Iljimae and they were most excellent, but for now I want to concentrate just on Shi Ho, who seems (most happily) express his angst through shirtlessness. I live in hope that one day he will get so angsty, he will drop trou too :)
So yes, eye candy post is courtesy of Iljimae's Shi Ho, who might have some questionable character traits, but has an unquestionable hot bod and a devotion to his 'sister' which borders on Tree of Heaven territory.
He lulls you into false complacency with clothes:

Even hats!


And then there is his love for Eun Chae, who he believes is his half-sister and who binds his wounds (which he got trying to save fake!father):


Notice the subtle exhibitionist streak:

And the yummy hints of quasi-cest:



And then, his true self bursts on us in its full glory! No, it's not this:

It is THIS:

I have yet to figure out why strengthening your bad arm archery because the other one is injured requires shirtlessness in front if lit fires which highlight your impressive musculature and skin, but who am I to complain?

All that and a little wound. How do you know my weaknesses, kdrama?

I repeat:

Look at those arms!

And that back:

Something tells me that if she didn't see him as a brother, she'd jump him. I would.

Ummmyes. YES. Take all this and add rain. Thank you, kdrama. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Or other body parts.

Don't tell me she isn't thinking the same.

Especially when he lights the path for her to walk, with his flamy arrow




Unfortunately, he is wearing clothes.


Ah well, it was good while it lasted.
In other news, today, I continued my watch of two dramas, one Taiwanese and one Korean, which definitely prove, all over again, that when it comes to fictional men (just as in RL), my favorites are the well-adjusted sweet ones.
The first is the Taiwanese bubble-gum delight Smiling Pasta, best described as Full House on crack (I've described it plenty elsewhere, so just click on the tag if you are curious). The hero, He Qun, is an incredibly nice guy, whose biggest problem is a little aloofness and reluctance to expose himself emotionally. But he is so nice to the heroine, and the best part is, he is nice before he falls for her...he is nice because he is nice.
The other is the delicious Sweet 18 with Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye. The thing that strikes me the most about this drama (other than its sheer adorableness. If you want plot summary, just click on the tag, I am sure I did plenty) is how well-adjusted and decent both the hero and the heroine are. Sure, she is a bit immature (but then she is 18! She is not immature for her age) and sure, he is a bit too fixated on being the 'good family son/grandson' but they are both incredibly kind, good people. That is why whenever they fight, they make up rather soon: he feels bad for yelling and she does, too. She understands that he might sometimes be in an awful mood and she shouldn't push, and he understands he shouldn't have lost his temper. They apologize and they explain. Etc. Sweet 18 is a story about strangers pressured into an arranged marriage (well, he is pressured, she is delighted because she is crushing on him) and how they grow to love each other, and how they prove to be compatible despite all their obvious differences (he is a young upperclass prosecutor, she is a recent high school graduate and girl-gang leader). And I love that. I think, ultimately, that is why all the plots-and-plans of Evil Ex of Hero have so far come to naught. She is so lacking in decency herself, she fails to understand that basic principle in the character of the man she ditched and now potentially wants back. She manipulates an evening so Heroine is stuck elsewhere and he is at the theater by himself and the ex has a seat next to him? He walks out. And when she tries to emotionally manipulate or whine, he explains that it's nothing against her, but he doesn't think his wife would like it if he spent time with his ex (and the best part, he is not madly in love with his wife, yet, or anything). And later, he looks for his wife because she is waiting elsewhere and a super-adorable scene follows. She drags the wife shopping and connives her into buying a really expensive suit for the husband, in the hopes he will have a huge fight? He makes the wife return the suit but he isn't mad because she did it for him, and she charms him into keeping the tie and there is an adorable tie-tying scene. Etcetcetc.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 04:39 am (UTC)I think you are better off checking out Lee Jun Ki (male lead of this) in Time Between Dog and Wolf: he is a messed-up undercover police agent who had to infiltrate the mob etc etc. There are platonic sleepovers (and unplatonic ones), hurt/comfort, guns, and crisp white shirts.
He looks like this:
Oh, and his OTP is the mob boss' daughter.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 04:47 am (UTC)This drama has so much h/c, it's insane! Oh, and did I mention at one point he has to be a total SOB to her to push her away for her own safety? It's pretty awesome. And his Mom got gunned down by the Mob, too, as part of his happy childhood.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:55 am (UTC)I thought your fictional type was the prickly asshole! I watched the first two eps of Thank You, and love must be blinding you, cause I want to feed this asshole the giant teddy bear. XD
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:25 am (UTC)Oh well, more for me.
I can like prickly asshole (only if he has oodles of manpain) but the default is the 'nice guy.' They are scarce in dramas. I assure you Dr. Min becomes quite a nice-guy himself later on :P
ETA: none of the things I'd like to do to TY's hero involve teddybears. Much.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:38 am (UTC)I assume he gets better when he and awesome mom spend more time together?
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:45 am (UTC)Exhbit 1:
Exhibit 2:
Exhibit 3:
I want to say I was cutting him a lot of slack in the early eps because he is literallt shell-shocked by grief and loss of his gf (and we actually find out later why he was snarly in the hospital even before that) and he does help the victims all the time, but while that is a part of it, I'd be lying if I said that was mainly it.
I love my snarky, snarly icy bastards.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:53 pm (UTC)...
I AM SUCH A SUCKER.
*starts ep 3*
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 05:32 pm (UTC)And looks like this while doing so:
Seriously, he takes such good care of them and I am a sucker for the caretaker male :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 05:11 am (UTC)AMEN to that, sister. Unfortunately, this being drama-world, they're (almost) always the ones who DON'T get the girl. :( While the exceedinly messed-up bad boys do. (not that I don't love a little bad boy, as well...) but my heart always went out so much to Yul of Goong and now of course Lei of Meteor Garden. Seriously - isn't there ONE drama in which the sweet, good guy gets the girl? And not just where he's the central character, though that's satisfying, but where's there's another guy who IS hot-blooded and more like the typical hero - and then the girl chooses the sweet guy anyway. C'mon people.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 05:23 pm (UTC)who IS hot-blooded and more like the typical hero - and then the girl chooses the sweet guy anyway.
There are some, but usually it's still the main character who gets the girl, whether he is sweet or bratty :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 08:56 am (UTC)I've been quite enjoying Smiling Pasta. It's not one of my favourite shows but it does have some lovely moments. He Qun is lovely at times and I like how he seems to be falling for Xao SHi before she starts to fall for him.
After having a read through your journal I've ended up with so many extra dramas to watch now. Sweet 18 sounds lovely so I'll have to try that too.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-07 03:16 pm (UTC)