Man Crush Mondays Lee Soo Hyuk

Today we get to talk about the intimidatingly beautiful Lee Soo Hyuk, because he is my Man Crush Monday! Model turned actor, Lee Soo Hyuk is absolutely stunning. While he could rely on those beautiful cheekbones and chiseled chin, he is absolutely dripping with talent.

I don't accurately recall which drama introduced me to him, but my first impression was that he played only dark and brooding 2nd leads. For example, his role as Yoo Jin-Woo in the drama High School Savvy was a bit intense.
This character is rich, seething, and menacing.



                                    Yet

(and I have to admit his six-pack abs helped a bit) there was something about him that pulls the audience in. I wanted to know much more about Jin-Woo's character, his background, his trials, and tribulations etc. Even though writers write the 2nd lead fairly, I  was insatiably curious. Though it's been some years, I believe that curiosity







This lead me to youtube stalk him. (Once I'm interested in an artist, I tend to watch everything attached to their name on the platform)
From there I found a show "Style Log" that he did with fellow actor and friend, Hong Jonghyun. This show gave some insight into Lee Soo Hyuk's personality. Basically, I learned he's too cool for school, and he's a bit reserved. If you have some free time to kill on youtube, definitely watch this show.

The next drama I think I watched was "Scholar Who Walks the Night". I think this drama got mixed reviews, but I adored it. One of the best roles in this drama was the vampire Gwi. I had so much sympathy for him. Even though this vampire was evil, he was written with such humanity. I found myself rooting for this character despite all of the atrocious things he did. I was sad that he had to be defeated, I was hoping that things would kind of turn into a bromance at the end hahaha

Valid Love was the drama in which I started to see Lee Soo Hyuk in a different light. He still played a dark and brooding character, but I loved the level of innocence that showed through. In his previous roles, he was arrogant and cocky, but in this role, he seemed genuinely perplexed by social niceties and graces. I loved how delicately written this drama was, and I would recommend this drama to anyone.

Local Hero was the first drama that I saw in which Lee Soo Hyuk completely shed off the dark and brooding roles I'd previously seen before. His eyes looked bright, he had a "fighting" spirit, it was great to watch for the first 4 episodes. I'm not going to lie, I dropped this drama like a hot potato. The drama was poorly written, and I lost interest fast, but Local Hero was the first drama in which I saw Lee Soo Hyuk in a completely different light.

Luck Romance was amazing. I loved that drama and a lot of that had to do with Lee Soo Hyuk's role as Choi Gun-Wook. This caring, sweet, compassionate tennis player was the polar opposite of every role I'd previously seen him in. He effused light and playful energy in this role and I was incredibly happy to watch him every second that I could.

Sweet Stranger and Me, otherwise known as "Man living in my House" was a throwback to his dark and broody roles, but there was a wonderful comedic edge to it that made it refreshing for me. I really enjoyed this drama as well, and though Kwon Duk-Bong was immediately friendzoned, I loved his loyalty to his friend. This performance was enjoyable to watch, and it further showcased his depth and growth as an actor.

So a big cheer for my Man Crush Monday... Lee Soo Hyuk!

King of High School

The two male leads are the reason why I was sucked into watching this drama. I put off watching "King Of Highschool" because I thought it was a high school drama and I'm not interested in those. However, this topsy-turvy drama gave me more enjoyment that I could ever fathom. There are extreme leaps of logic, and the leads' relationship makes me slightly uncomfortable... but despite myself, I LOVED this drama hahahaha

My charismatic crush Seo In Guk plays high-school jock Lee Min-Seok. Lee Min Seok learns his older brother needs him to pose as a director for a corporate company. This was a long reach for me, however, the show pulls off this absurd scenario. Lee Min-Seok is a riot posing as his brother. He uses informal speech, and he generally enjoys his newfound power. I loved this particular performance because it had a youthful execution about it. Seo In Guk had a pep in his step in this role, and it seemed as though he enjoyed acting in this drama. It was also hilarious that this teenager had to juggle the corporate world, along with is academic studies, along with being a super hockey star at his school. This isn't the most realistic drama, but it makes up for it by being hilarious. To help him navigate his corporate endeavors, Seo In Guk heavily relies on Jung Soo Young. As they work closely together, he begins to develop feelings for her. We get to see him pine for her most of the show, and eventually succeed in developing a sweet romantic relationship.

Powerhouse Lee Ha-Na, plays the ridiculously clumsy Jung Soo Young. There is no helping this character. Jung Soo Young is painfully shy, awkward, and the character is a trainwreck. Despite being heavily flawed, there is something about her quirkiness that makes the character attractive. I loved how generous and thoughtful she was. She wasn't easy to bully and she could stand up for herself, even though I was clutching my pillow in second-hand embarrassment as she did. Lee Ha-Na puts a special magic on a character that is poorly written. It's a testament to how amazing of an actress she is, she executed beautifully despite the scarcity she had to work with.

Yoo Jin-Woo is played by the incredibly attractive Lee Soo Hyuk. This second lead never gave me second lead syndrome, but I liked his story. He was also an adult, emotionally stunted, but a full-fledged adult, which made him more attractive. Jung Soo Young challenges Jin-Woo in ways that he isn't used to. She also doesn't buy into his obvious charms. (i.e rich, handsome, etc.) It was nice to see him develop into a decent human being. We also got to see his six-pack abs, and that made the value of this show rise.

Here is the Public Service Announcement: This drama is about a grown woman who essentially falls in love with a high school student. That's the huge elephant in the room. Though she goes most of the drama without knowing Lee Min Seok's identity, once she finds out, it doesn't have the effect it would in the real world. I think he's 18 in the drama, so technically everything is kosher, but still, it was something I actively had to not think about.

Despite this, the drama was heart-warming, and it brought to tears from laughing so hard. I think the director and actors have to be given their kudos because they overcame the obvious discomfort of watching a grown woman fall in love with a teenager.

Happy Drama Watching!

The Man Living in our House/ Sweet Stranger Review

Sweet Stranger was chockfull of actors I thoroughly enjoyed. Reading the synopsis was a bit confusing, but I was excited to watch this drama, and it was one hell of a ride.

Hong Na-Ri is a flight attendant who has her world rocked when her mother dies. Na-Ri doesn't go to her childhood home for a long time, but she is forced to settle her mom's estate. Upon arriving there, she learns that Go Nan-Gil has been living there. Not only is he working as a chef for her mom's noodle shop, living in the house, he also her step-dad. Of course, it's difficult for Na-Ri to accept this. She begins to the investigate the veracity of the relationship and she learns more than she could imagine about her mothers' life.

I laughed a lot watching this show. Every character had these insane leaps of logic. The only grounded character was Go Nan-Gil. Kim Young Gwang plays this ever suffering male lead. The use of his eyes was hilarious. A furrow or a lift of the brow always communicated some sort of long-suffering that never ceased to make me laugh.

Soo Ae is one of my favorite actresses. She is able to deliver so much, and I liked how she showed the innocence of Hong Nari. Her character was enchanting, and she dealt with heartbreak, and confusion with such charm.

Kwon Duk-Bong was AMAZING! I adore Lee Soo Hyuk, and this may be one of my favorite roles he's played. The range of a smitten chaebol was beautifully demonstrated. This sardonic lawyer is smitten and he's trying his best as a Second Lead. We can clearly see that he is friendzoned, but I would've loved to see the dynamic between Hong Na-Ri and Duk-Bong in a relationship. I also loved how he handled his family. He didn't succumb to the pressures of his father, and he was a wonderful older brother to his little sister.

Definitely try this drama, especially if you need a laugh.