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dangermousie · 9 months

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Top Dozen 2023 drama MLs so far

It's August, so not the end of the year, neither it is at halfway year mark, but why would I ever do anything like a normal person? Here my very very subjective list. I have limited myself to one dude per drama or LYF would be half the list. No order except alphabetical.

Chen Wende (Sun Yizhou in Gone With the Rain, China)

The epic troll lord stole the whole drama as competently as he stole the FL's heart. He was competent and adult and oh-so-amused by but also gone for the heroine.

Gu Jiusi (Bai Jing Ting in Chang Feng Du/Destined, China)

CFD lost steam for me halfway through but Jiusi's character remained a delight throughout and BJT gave a great performance as a golden boy who went through a bunch of hell and grew up but remained goodnatured at heart.

Han Dong Jin (Kim Young Kwang in Call It Love, Korea)

You know, he and Jing (from LYF1) really fit the same mold even if one is in a mellow realistic modern and another in xianxia - lovely traumatized people from monster families who win over heroine with a metric ton of baggage through sheer unswerving decency. I have a type.

Jang Uk (Lee Jae Wook in Alchemy of Souls s2, Korea)

I loved Uk in S1 and S2 continued that love - he's so intense, so grieving, so still in love with Naksu. LJW is always a good actor so it's such a pleasure to see him in a good role.

Kim Do Ha (Hwang Min Hyun, My Lovely Liar, Korea)

The year of surprises - Minhyun, who I found utterly wooden in AoS stole my heart here as this hopeful, traumatized sweetheart of a man.

Kim Moo Chan (Park Hae Jin, The Killing Vote, Korea)

Yeah, we are only one ep in but who said anything about this list was objective? PHJ brings his usual unsettling intensity to the role of a cop who breaks all the rules and teeters on the edge and now is set to catch a killer who really only differs from him in a matter of degree.

Lee Jang Hyun (Nam Goong Min in My Dearest, Korea)

If I had to pick a favorite ML from this list, it would be between him and Jing (LYF). This is basically if you took Rhett Butler and took out slavery and rape but gave him a sword. The character is complex and nuanced and NGM is giving his usual incredible performance.

Lee Rang (Kim Bum in Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, Korea)

I was not a Rang fangirl for most of the original (even if he was well-acted; and he did win me over by the end) but I fell for him head over heels in this sequel/prequel/spin-off. I am so happy the man who believed he had nobody and was abandoned by everybody ends the story with his beloved brother and his beloved woman, both.

Moon Seo Ha (Ahn Bo Hyun in See You in My 19th Life, Korea)

A lot of MLs on this list have serious trauma and haunted by it and can't let go of their past love (I have a type) but even by those standards, Seo Ha was such a lovely, quiet person slowly healing.

Tantai Jin (Luo Yunxi in Till the End of the Moon, China)

Abuse victim/monster/praiseworthy king/xianxia saint/man on the brink - LYX portrayed a character in multiple timelines and many different complexities and did it amazingly. Tantai Jin may or may not win my favorite place on this list, but his performance was hands-down the most glorious thing this year.

Tushan Jing/Ye Shiqi (Deng Wei in Lost You Forever part 1, China)

If before LYF aired someone would have told me that a character played by Deng Wei, an actor I've always found eminently forgettable, would make it on this list and be in the running to win the whole thing actually, I'd have wondered what weird reality they came from. They somehow managed to make someone genuinely good and kind not in the least boring; I am ridiculously invested in the man who managed to keep his soul after all he's been through.

Yun Xiang (Chen Xiao in The Ingenuous One, China)

A schemer on a revenge quest, smarter than anyone else in the room but helpless in front of love. Yun Xiang was an adult in an adult story for adults and it was glorious.

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clubfluffer · 1 year

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Random AOS thought after episode 8:

How they gonna end it all in two eps I don't flipping know? I kind of hope we get another series because I feel like we haven't learnt everything about a lot of these characters. Like, if they can't get LJW and GJY back I'd totally watch a series about Go Won (who is OBVIOUSLY not on the dark side I mean come ON) becoming king and finding his wife. I mean, if they couldn't get JSM to do this series cos of other commitments, I'd totally be down to see her as Buyeon and maybe getting together with GW if she comes back fully? And I cannot be the only person who watched the last episodes wondering who they could cast to play Yul's father, who everyone seems to be terrified about? Just give us more!!

Speaking of Go Won, I'm going to believe he and Uk have come up with some plan to basically get Jin Mu and destroy him and his secret organisation, because in this episode GW specifically asks if he's going to be introduced finally and we see this in the previews. ALSO I like the idea that the Uk that we see at the end of the ep may be a figment of her imagination but WHAT IF GW managed to get a message to Uk about Buyeon/Naksu going into Gwido, so he can get to her? I mean, they mentioned the door randomly opening to let Uk in at the beginning so who's to say someone/something did the same to Gwido? Rewatching the bit when Naksu shows up, it does feel like GW is surprised by her coming and wondering how the hell he's going to stop her getting hurt & let Uk know about it. Before that as well, when Jin Mu is praising GW for getting Uk to leave and they have that conversation about protecting those they love which is then repeated by Uk when he talks to Park Jin about who his target it. Sounds like a part made by the two to take Jin Mu down! *crosses all my fingers*

Is it just me or did anyone else notice how Naksu's eyebrows got darker the more she became comfortable with her memories? And this look she gave Jin Mu was absolutely 1000% I Am Going To Fuck Your Shit Up, Jin Mu, You Little Shit. Not once in any of the previous episodes has she imbued the spirit of assassin!Naksu as much as she did here, eyebrow raise and everything!

Can't wait for Uk and Naksu to have a fight over who had the biggest jealous strop over themselves once everything gets sorted out lol *ignores any hint of a unhappy ending*

I had other thoughts but ngl a lot of them disappeared when I went back to rewatch the start of the episode lol *fans self*

#alchemy of souls #alchemy of souls: light and shadow #jang uk x naksu

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mallahanmoxie · 5 years

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assorted thots on tonight's episode (which i stayed up to watch so... excuse the incoherence)

let's just... fucking get the baek kyung tirade out of the way. it's me. you knew it was bound to happen.

i, unlike the writers, don't think he's in love with dan oh (tho ljw rlly sells it so prettily). i maintain she's been the only positive constant in his life and he's latching onto that. truly the entire cemetery scene i wished he would end his speech in a "i never realized how precious it was... to have a friend like that" (as opposed to the "... until i lost" that is implied)

also unlike the writers (they might surprise me!), i find super interesting the inherent tension in becoming aware and finding yourself becoming the villain whether you want it or not. i just know he's gonna go batshit crazy when he finds out he was the traitorous crazy king that made haru kill people (including you know who). i rlly wish they would go all in on that.

he's just rlly fucking tragic. i wanna adopt him, tho i'd hate living with him. truly honestly would skin his stepmother if i was him, idk how he doesn't.

his grief... understandable.

ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!

another super interesting dynamic i NEED to see (but probs won't) is namjoo and jinmichae. they've basically got the same character. the same mum. facing that would be amazing i think.

also. yeo juda........ the woman that u are.

shes rlly gonna fall for do hwa i just know it. history is a circle

which brings me to

HARU & BAEK KYUNG: SAGEUK EDITION

firstly i want to say that, wigs aside, the sageuk bits??? outstanding. i Love how the costuming is just this side of... costumey that gives it a fairytale sort of feel. Love it. all the fabrics are Gorgeous

back on track. baek kyung and haru.

The King & Lionheart of it all, yall

because imagine that haru did love him, he was actually loyal to him, they were both fearsome creatures. baek kyung Had Him (with the caveat of possession) and then haru awakens and is........ not who he thought he was.

like i could be wrong but usually bodyguards don't get the unsure expressions like that i assumed that was all Him

or perhaps he was always unsure but what's in this world for him but Baek Kyung.

the main trio's dynamics mirror each other so much and i just have to say if they were a little nicer to each other we would all be screaming ot3

in general there was a Lot and haru specifically is going in for the kill (haha) with me. can't wait to see what happens.

#extraordinary you #i have more thoughts but its midnight and im falling asleep #sorry 4 this #i could write you an ESSAY on baek kyung and haru's relationship #it just.... fuck #adele voice fellas. adele voice.

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