It’s the end of the year so I’m reorganizing my top four idol-actor of 2019. I have two open slots.
Im Siwan of ZE:A and Do Kyungsoo of EXO are in. They’re my non-negotiables.
Ok Taekyeon (sorry, kiddo!) and Yoon DoJoon (sniff! sorry!) are out for now.
I’m planning to make a surveymonkey form so you can have your input. But since I’m not a techie…lol…we’ll see what happens. Just leave a comment then.
Here are the choices. If I forgot someone, please shoot me a post.
*You can have more than one choice. We’ll just tally everything up.
Current members of the winners’ circle.
A. Im Siwan
B. Do Kyungsoo
C. ??
D. ??
Contenders:
1. BoMin of Golden Child
He was “Melting Me Softly.” Don’t know him but he was mentioned by @LeeDale.
2. Cha Eunwoo of Astroturf
The handsome dude in “Rookie Actor”… errr… “Rookie Historian.”
Before voting him for the top spot, please remember these awkward moments.
At least we all had this:
3. Chani of SF9 (the “other” member of SF9)
He was in “SKY Castle.”
I didn’t even know that there was another actor in that group till I saw this. lol.
4. ChanYeol of EXO
The Harry Potter kid in “Memories of Alhambra.”
5. Choi Siwon of Soju
He starred in “My Fellow Citizen” this year.
This face is meme-able.
6. Eric of Shinhwa
Maybe I should delete this guy? He’s not in the same age group. lol.
7. Jung JinYoung of B1A4 (the Moonlight guy)
“Windbell” and “My First First Love.” He was busy this year.
I don’t know what this scene was all about, but he looked like he was being attacked by a psycho butterfly.
8. Kim Myungsoo (or L) of Infinite
Conflicted angel in “Angel’s Last Mission” who aegyo’ed his way through that drama.
9. Lee HongKi of FTIsland
He played the lead in “I Hate You Juliet.”
Was this any good? I stopped after ep 3 because the subs were slow.
10. Lee Joon of the now disbanded Mblaq
Nothing new for him this year because he’s serving in the military (or the hospital or something).
11. Lee JunHo of 2PM
He was in “Confessions” this year. It was a legal drama, unfortunately, so I didn’t see it.
12. Lee Taehwan of 5urprise
I last saw him in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?”
13. Minho of Shinee
Serve well, kid!
credit: kpopmap
14. Ok Taecyeon of 2PM
Still waiting for your next drama.
15. Ong Seong-wu of Wanna One
He starred in “At Eighteen.”
16. Park Hyungsik of ZE:A
lol. If interns were this cute, I can see the Happy Hour at my workplace being deluged.
17. Park JiHoon of Wanna One (or the “buzzworthy” kid)
Fair warning! If his fans spam this blog, I’ll automatically delete him. Buzzworthy, my foot.
18. Park Jinyoung of Got7
His character was an incorrigible flirt. 
Ha! He and Jang Dong Yoon (of “Tale of Nokdu”) can’t kiss??!
credit: liveasbutterflies’ tumblr
19. Rowoon of Extra-Ordinary You (hahaha, SF9)
Still looking for nice gifs of him…
Will go with these for now.
credit: sf9’s tumblr
Final warning to the lurker(s): I know you love your oppa but bore me one more time with your homage, and both your gmail and yahoo accounts will be blocked. My bitch rules.
20. Seo Kang Joon of 5urprise
I’m looking forward to his (and Lee Jae Wook’s) new kdrama, “I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice.” But if this is going to be a @#$@ drama like “Third Charm,” I’m going to ban him because he’s bad news.
Since it’s the holidays, I’m going to post this.
21. SuHo of EXO
Apparently, he was in “Rich Man, Poor Woman.” Somebody should have warned him that the original actor, Shun Oguri, owned that role.
lol. This isn’t SuHo.
This is Suho.
But don’t know if Suho did anything after that.
22. Yook Sungjae of BtoB
After “Goblin,” he seems to be doing variety shows instead of kdramas. lol. I still remember him and Joy in “We Got Married.”
But I like to watch “Master in the House” when I want to de-stress.
23. Yoon DooJoon of Highlight (formerly Beast)
Serve well, dude!
24. Yung Yonghwa of CNBlue (I’m ignoring his scandal that he blamed on his mother.)
I should delete this guy, too, because he’s been inactive. But I still remember his phone date in “You’re Beautiful”
and who hasn’t fantasized about having a rocker/crooner boyfriend? (I’m ignoring her kiss, too.)
Banned:
Kim HyunJoong
Mickey Yoochun
TOP
I think I haven’t been around kdramas and k-pop long enough because I only know a quarter of those 😂
Anyway I’m voting for 17, Park Jin Young 😍
Thanks.
I don’t know so many of those but I’m voting for 15.Park Hyungsik of ZE:A Loved his cutesy head over heels in love in Strong Woman Bong Soon. I wanted to watch his other shows like Heirs and movies but just don’t have time for it. Though I would have voted Rowoon lol if Hyungsik wasn’t in the game…hehehe.
Which reminds me, do you review or watch K-movies?
You can vote for more than one.
Sure. I watch anything that’s happy. Is there a good kmovie you want to recommend?
hahaha. Park Jin Young is my fave, too. He was on Running Man recently. It’s on my “to watch” queue.
Hurry and watch “Extraordinary You.” I’m sure you’ll like Rowoon, too. 🙂
Personaly, I don’t like DO, I can’t not see a angry teenager… I tried 100 Days My Prince for Nam Ji Hyun and I couldn’t finish.
Seo Kang Joon was really great as a robot-human in Are You Human Too (even if the plot was meh), in The Third Charm and his last Watcher.
Cn BLUE Yonghwa was in the army until few weeks. But his drama The Package was really a nice drama. It was funny and I love the story happened in France and not only Paris.
I liked Cha Eunwoo in My ID Gangnam but not at all in Rookie Historian, but I didn’t really like his character, without him the story was pretty much the same.
SF9 CHani was in Signal too, he has a thing for falsy accused boy :p But he’s a young child actor before becoming an idol. Kim Hye Yoon played with both of SF9 members. She was in love with Chani’s character in Sky Castle 😀
Korea is bad for Japanese drama remake but Sunho as Oguri Shun? They did not even try…
My votes for Seo Kang Joon and Rowoon because he’s recent in my mind :p
I’ll start on EY tonight 😊
I’ve been busy with Christmas wrapping that’s why I haven’t been able to start it 😄
Lee JunHo – Just Between Lovers was a brilliant watch. I didn’t think much of him initially but as I watched the drama he grew on me.
Park JinYoung – He is Psychometric. I like his wholesomeness.
Add Ong SeungWoo (WannaOne) – Moment of 18. The Korean version of Dylan OBrien. He doesn’t have to speak to emote. He’s got something special.
Lee Jun Ho – Just Between Lovers was the first time in my very long life I got the feels for a couple
Park Hyungsik suits me
and anybody worth his salt should have known nobody beats Oguri so why waste time trying
There are others on this list I rate but you only wnted two and who am I to disobey our fearless leader.
Wrapping already?? You’re good.👍😂😍 I’m still waiting for my stuff to be delivered. Finished everything yesterday, Cyber Monday. Except for stocking stuffers.
Nah, I still haven’t finished my shopping for the rest of the family. But I put up our Christmas tree early this year so I like it with presents around it. 🙂 I want to finish wrapping early so I can binge watch on the R1988 and EY. hehehehe
You already have your Christmas tree up? Whoa! Are you in Elf mode? We had nasty, rainy and cold weather here on Sunday so we couldn’t hang the Christmas wreaths on the windows and put out the lawn decorations. I think our neighbors have the same “J-O-Y” sign on their yard so I might have to look for another lawn signage that says “P-E-A-C-E” or “L-O-L”.
I did unbox the Advent wreath, and the creche. 🙂
Park Hyung Sik is #1 for me. I could spend all day watching him watch his leading ladies.
I also like Taec and Choi Min Ho.
Two not mentioned: Lee Seung Gi (Vagabond) and Seo In Guk (Shopping King Louie) both started as singers/idols. I’d put Seo in Guk as #2 after Park Hyung Sik.
Existing members of the Bitches Circle have special privileges. Go ahead and and rate the other idol-actors that you want. ‘
It’s the argumentative fangirls that I’m cracking down on. 🙂
Oh, and if we had a girls’ list, my faves in order would be:
1. IU (Hotel del Luna, My Ajusshi, Scarlet Heart)
2. Jung Eun Ji (Reply 1997, Cheer Up)
3. Jung Ryeo Won (Witch’s Court, Bubblegum)
4. Nara (Suspicious Partner, Doctor Prisoner)
Oh for gjrl’s, I forgot Yoon Eun Hye from Coffee Prince! #2 after IU, shift down the rest.
‘You already have your Christmas tree up?’
I always have our Christmas tree up by end of November 🙂 We love Christmas don’t we? 😉 Oh I forgot to ask you how is the weather there as it was on the news that there were a few road incidents/accidents/pile up in the US because of the heavy snow.
‘I might have to look for another lawn signage that says “P-E-A-C-E” or “L-O-L”.’
I like that, LOL. 😂
Awwww, Yoon Eun Hye is my number 1 @Barbrey 🙂
Thanks! Ha ha – I don’t follow idols so don’t know half the list. I did see this one Lotte ad once that I loved, for its kitsch, fun and handsome longer-haired men. From 2008 I think. Of the five men, one became an int’l superstar (Rain), one arguably Korea’s best actor (Ji Sung), one Korea’s most handsome man (Song Seung Heon), one a suicide (Park Yong Ha) and one a rapist (Kang Ji Hwan). So it’s sad too. Then there’s Big Bang.
So fun to compare what the starring actors of a decade ago look like compared to idol actors now. Here it is: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_fulrnsNtCI
I don’t usually watch a drama wondering if the actor is an idol or not. I usually find out after the event. Which is good because I don’t want to hold it against them for being an “idol” from the get go. Everyone should start on a level playing field? I judge based on their on screen performance and if they interest me enough then research them more. If they catch my interest then I will chase down their previous works and watch them. Just to see if my initial assessment is credible across various genres. And if their offscreen persona ticks all the boxes morally for me, I add them to my favorites list 😂. Which is growing… currently ahjussis are what hits the mark for me, whilst KyungSoo is on hiatus and serving in the military.
I don’t know about ajusshis but I do like the men older or more mature than a lot of shows have on them. My fave is actually Cha Seung Won, who must be 40. I remember watching Game of Thrones and being startled to realize it had a lot of age appropriate (for me) gorgeous older men on it, from Ned to Jaime to Bronn to Jorah. Not that their makeup made them look too appealing lol but they’re all lookers in real life.
My favorite idol actors are:
1) Park Hyung Sik- loved him in Sirius, Nine Time Travels, and High Society but his star making performance in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon puts him at the top for me. His comedic timing and skils so strong-perfect in that drama. from melo to comedy, he’s got range and that makes him my #1.
2) Lee Jun Ho- Another star making performance in Just Between Lovers. Prior to that drama I had not heard of him, his performance was so strong I thought he was another rookie actor like his co-star Won Jin Ah. I was very surprised to find out he was a boy band idol singer first and foremost. I think he’s got great talent and could do acting full time if he wanted.
3) Park Jin Young (Got7)- Heard good things about him from his performance in Legend of the Blue Sea, and I have to agree after watching his performance in He Is Psychometric. He’s got acting talent and I will be interested to see him develop it further.
4) Seo Kang Joon- Arguably the most talented actor of my choices here (excepting Seo In Guk who is on a whole other level), but something about his real life personality just turns me off, so he ranks lower on my personal favorites list. Saw him in Cheese In The Trap and liked his performance there, but it wasn’t until last year with his back to back performances in Are You Human Too? and The Third Charm where I saw his strong acting talent.
Not On the Contenders List:
All time favorite idol actor- Seo In Guk- To be honest, I keep forgetting that this man is a pop singer and is still making albums and releasing singles. For me, he is an actor. I saw him in Reply 1997 without knowing his background, and thought he was just another newbie actor on the scene. He gave a good performance in that drama and he has just gotten stronger with each role he takes on. He has tremendous range and can do both comedy and drama with ease. His last 2 dramas of Shopping King Louis and The Smile Has Left Your Eyes really showcase that. Such a great talent.
@Barbrey
“ I don’t know about ajusshis but I do like the men older or more mature than a lot of shows have on them.”
Yeah. That’s what I meant by ahjussis. 😂. Recently discovered Ji JinHee (Designated Survivor 60days) and Cho SeungWoo (Secret Forest and Life). Chasing down their various other projects and watching their dramas/movies. CSW’s portrayal of an autistic boy in Marathon was riveting to watch.
That means you and I agree on the other two spots, Table. Park Hyung Sik and Seo in Guk. I also agree SIG is on another level to most, though I’d like to see PHS stretched the way SIG has been.
As for the others on your list, Seo Kang Joon is to me like you by far the best actor of the 3 remaining, though I’ve not finished any of his main lead dramas – the drama’s not his fault I would argue. As for his personal rep, I think the Cheese brouhaha tarnished it with that suspected relationship with the director, which was just a rumour afaik so I’ve never held it against him. This was a rare case where I was in the thick of the gossip because I cared about Cheese – the actors but also the indy musicians who made that show special and weren’t getting paid!
@nrllee. Oh yeah, Ji Jin Hee is definitely up there from Designated Survivor. Don’t know the other guy.
@Barbrey If you haven’t watched Secret Forest (where I discovered Cho SeungWoo), it’s a must watch for a drama with tight plot, layered characters. Not much romance though… The writer also penned Life. I love her writing. It’s realistic, very well researched and the relationships never feel forced. Cho SeungWoo is not your typical handsome man but he has stage presence. It helps that he’s from a musical theatre background.
@Barbrey
“ My fave is actually Cha Seung Won, who must be 40”
Try nearly 50. (He’s 49 this year). 😳
@nrllee, that gives me a lift! Kind of like finding out James Marsters as Spike was actually older than me after lusting after him in BtVS!
I’ve tried the award-worthy show Secret Forest and can’t get past two episodes. I feel I’ve paid my dues with gloomy police procedurals over many years! I’ll have to see that actor in something else.
@Barbrey-
Yes, definitely would be happy to see Park Hyung Sik and Seo In Guk take the remaining 2 slots. They are both very talented actors. I think PHS really shines in comedy (which is more difficult than tragedy to pull off), but yes it would be nice to see him challenge himself a bit more with his next role. Just found out his latest drama- K version of Suits is now available at Netflix, so I have that on my watch list. As for Seo In Guk, after watching the amazing on screen chemistry between him and Jung So Min for TSHLYE, I want to see them together in a rom com ASAP. Their cameo in Abyss was not enough.
As for Seo Kang Joon, I saw him interviewed and his manner just rubbed me the wrong way. And yes, the Cheese controversy did not help to improve my opinion of him later on with the way he handled himself while all that was going on. However, I try to separate the man from the performer and I give him credit for his acting talent.
@nrlee- I love Ji Jin Hee too. He was great in Word From Warm Heart and Misty. One of the things I like about the K Dramas is that the “older” women and men actors are still able to get good leading roles, and are still considered viable romantic leads. ( Chocolate, anyone?) Although I am still a little confused about what makes someone an “ajussi”- I’ve seen the term used for people like Jo In Sung who is not even 40, but also for people like Lee Byun Hun who is 49.
One more member of ZE:A that didn’t make this list but who has been making a showing in supporting roles the last few years is Kim Dong Jun (Black, Chief of Staff, About Time). I only saw Black but he was cute as a button as the second male lead. Lots of screen presence, in a happy way. I predict he’ll do very well in the future. That ZE:A huh? I’ll actually have to watch the band some time, though aside from the dancing, kpop’s not my thing.
Seo In Guk is a great actor but he’s not an idol. He was not a trainee and didn’t debute in a dance group. He was in music show contest.
Barbrey> You don’t know Cho Seungwoo? Didn’t you watch the famous movie “Classic”, a classic in Korean movies 😀
A lot of musical actors are really great like him, Jo Jung Suk, Yoo Yeon-Seok, Lee Kyu-Hyung, etc.
@table122000
“ Chocolate, anyone?)”
Yes I am watching Chocolate 😂. For some reason even though it’s riddled with tropes and the storyline is predictable, I am enjoying it regardless. It’s just a nice easy watch. The more mature cast is great. Warm and fuzzy. Word of warning – do not watch on an empty stomach…all those baking/cooking scenes will make you hungry 😋.
@sayaris, I know he began in a contest but he went on to chart top a lot of songs. Are you saying you’re only an idol if you were a trainee and are in a dance group? I thought IU was considered an idol – she was and is referred to as one – but she didn’t do those things either? I will defer to your judgment though, as I don’t follow kpop.
If last years i really fall deeply with siwan and jung hae in.
I think 2019 i have none.. i did like L myungsoo and DO drama. But still not fall deeply like i was crazy about siwan and jung hae in..
But i started to like Song kang from love alarm.. maybe with jung garam too.. both are not idol actor..
I think for me what is matters is the character they played on drama first..
One not on the list was the star of the first drama I watched, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Jang Geun Suk, I first met him through movies when he was a teenager and later realised he was a singer His acting is much better than what some of his drama choices make him out to be.
Hahhaha I love you @packmule 😘😍 Thanks for including my son Bomin in the contenders list. Reading this post and seeing my baby’s name today is a great birthday gift 😃.
Praying someday my golden child will star in notable dramas so that bitches over here will notice him. I’ll admit he’s still a newbie so his acting now may be not on par but he’ll get that top actor status one day 😊.
Literally when I saw this pop up I thought SongKang was Rowoon 😂…and then I read the name…
https://twitter.com/koreanupdates/status/1207127620174761987?s=21
Looks just like him!
Go to bed, @barbrey! 😂
I’m awake now. Finished watching Crash Landing and will write a review in a bit. 🙂
Wait. Isn’t he the guy in Love Alarm?
He’s the short version of Rowoon. Or as I like to call it, the “snack size”. 😂
Ha! This time it’s my morning not my night! I get weird sleep cycles when I’m not working.
Look forward to Crash Landing review. I think it’s good but so far not crack in that it wouldn’t bother me if I couldn’t watch another episode.
Just watched the movie 6 Underground and my adrenaline is still pumping. Recommended for those who don’t mind violence and mayhem – – fun ride.
“ Wait. Isn’t he the guy in Love Alarm?”
I believe so. 😂
I might need to check out Love Alarm to see if SongKang is the better actor or not. Daughter Dear watched it and said the concept was strange. I see his name has popped up again in a Netflix Original soon to be aired so maybe he’s starting to get noticed for his work.