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Odds and Ends: The hotness effect

javabeans: Let’s be shallow today, because I want to talk about hot men and I don’t know how to be meaningful about that.

girlfriday: Perhaps the meaning isn’t the point! Haven’t you heard that life’s all about the journey? I can’t think of a better reason than that. It’s like they said in Cantabile Tomorrow — it’s about enjoying the thing you’re doing as you do it. It teaches us important things about life and stuff!

javabeans: And also that Joo-won is really pretty.

girlfriday: OMG SO PRETTY.

javabeans: It’s fucking distracting. Here I am, trying to recap, and suddenly I have 100 screenshots of Joo-won’s face because I can’t refrain from the impulse to screen-capture every single frame. This one’s a tiny bit different! He moved a little!

girlfriday: Yes! I have giant folders filled with endless screencaps of his face. Have you noticed how he changes his expression with the slightest shift in his eyes or the corners of his mouth?

javabeans: It’s true. It’s a small change, but the mood can feel completely different. It must be because he has a particularly expressive face. He can do a lot with it.

girlfriday: It’s really not a show that would normally require this many screencaps — Gaksital, maybe, because of all the action — but in Cantabile there’s no real reason, excuse, what have you.

javabeans: Uh, the reason is Joo-won. I thought we established this. Fine, so maybe in some angles he sometimes looks like an alien.

girlfriday: The world’s prettiest alien, you mean.

javabeans: I can actually see why people might say he’s not their idea of good-looking, until they see him in action. He acts with an intensity that sucks me in, and isn’t trying to look pretty.

girlfriday: My favorite thing about him is that no matter how pretty he is, he isn’t vain in his acting.

javabeans: It’s full absorption into the world. You can often see that other actors are constantly aware — where the light is, where their mark is, where to face — and that’s not always bad, because it’s good to have technical skills. But Joo-won doesn’t care what he looks like as long as his emotions are coming through.

girlfriday: Yes, he’ll cry snot tears. We’ve seen it.

javabeans: And the funny thing is, not trying to look good makes him look better.

girlfriday: It’s the cool paradox — trying to be cool fundamentally makes you uncool.

javabeans: It’s weird to remember thinking he was odd-looking at first, like in his Baker King days, but now I honestly can’t remember how it felt to think that.

girlfriday: I just don’t even understand, because Kang Dong-won is so pretty to me, and Joo-won looks just like him.

javabeans: Okay, I didn’t get Kang Dong-won for a while either.

girlfriday: I… don’t understand you. How are we even friends?

javabeans: But personality is such a huge component! And it’s like Lee Soo-hyuk: from some angles, giraffe alien hybrid. Other angles, beautiful.

girlfriday: Haha. Yeah but it’s those strange-but-beautiful-looking guys that stand out in the end. Exhibit A: Kim Woo-bin.

javabeans: Some guys aren’t the conventionally pretty type where every angle looks like a photo shoot (say, Lee Min-ho or Song Seung-heon), but once you see their appeal, they become more interesting because they’re different.

girlfriday: The classic case of that effect is Lee Je-hoon. He’s soooo good that it revises your memory of what he looked like in past projects.

javabeans: If you’d only seen him in photos or in passing, you might think he’s mildly cute, or even a little odd. But once you see how good he is as an actor, your eyes are opened to the truth!

girlfriday: I even converted my mom, who scrunched up her face and said he wasn’t very pretty, and then watched Secret Door, and is now gushing about him nonstop.

javabeans: Same applies to Park Seo-joon (Witch’s Romance), who seems so much hotter than the other noona-killer who broke out at the same time, Seo Kang-joon (Sly and Single Again), and it’s because he can act.

girlfriday: I always confuse them by name, but never by face, not after Witch’s Romance.

javabeans: Sure Witch boy kinda looks like a turtle, and Sly boy may be prettier, but Witch boy wins hands down.

girlfriday: I agree. Turtle boy is too cute for words.

javabeans: The Sly boy was cuter to me in Suspicious Housekeeper, because he played an ass who turned friend, and that was interesting. Again, personality is important!

girlfriday: Yes, a good character makes ALL the difference. A guy you never even noticed before could suddenly become beautiful one day because of a good role. Case in point: I didn’t believe you about Lee Sang-yoon being hot in Liar Game, and then I watched Liar Game, and now I’m OBSESSED with him.

javabeans: Well DUH! He’s so hot in that all of a sudden.

girlfriday: SO HOT. Why?? I don’t even understand it.

javabeans: He’s so hot in Liar Game that you’re like, “Omg now I have to go back and watch everything he’s do— oh. Right.”

girlfriday: Wah waaaaaaah.

javabeans: Because it’s not like I’m going to go back and watch old episodes of Goddess of Fire Jung-yi or The Duo or Heading to the Ground.

girlfriday: God, no. We’ll just watch more Liar Game. Seriously though, why is he suddenly so hot? I need to know this. Is it his sexy brains?

javabeans: No, I really don’t think so. I mean, his sexy brains are great! I love that he’s a real-life physics graduate of Seoul University! But I’ve watched many “genius” characters on TV who did nothing for me, and Lee Sang-yoon’s hotness is something else altogether. Also, there’s Shin Sung-rok right next to him being an evil mastermind, and while he’s also gorgeous, I’m mostly just scared of him.

girlfriday: That’s true, Shin Sung-rok is very pretty, but he’s not crazy hot like Lee Sang-yoon is in this drama.

javabeans: I think it’s that smoldery scruffiness for me. It really reminds me of how irrationally attracted I was to Lee Jung-jin in Runaway Plan B. There were a lot of hot guys in that — Rain wasn’t too shabby — but in contrast, I don’t even remember what Daniel Henney was doing there.

girlfriday: Daniel Henney is like wallpaper.

javabeans: He would literally be onscreen and just not register. My eyes just overlooked him, because he has no acting presence. But Lee Jung-jin! He would actually make my heart speed up when he came onscreen.

girlfriday: Yeah, I didn’t get that, but now I have that same affliction for Lee Sang-yoon.

javabeans: The cherry on top was all of the bromancing between Lee Jung-jin and Rain. Not that I had eyes to spare, but when Lee Jung-jin was offscreen at least I had consolation.

girlfriday: See, if I were re-watching Runaway Plan B, it’d be for Rain.

javabeans: If we’re just watching things for Rain, you could watch She’s So Lovable.

girlfriday: But then I’d have to watch L, who is actually a good example of the reverse effect of hotness: acting giveth and acting taketh away.

javabeans: Absolutely. L was so cute when he seemed like a better actor (in Shut Up Flower Boy Band), but even though he may look even prettier these days, I just don’t care. Watching him is so dull. So yeah, Rain might really be the only reason to bother with Lovable.

girlfriday: Orrrrrr I could just watch more Runaway Plan B. But honestly I’d rather watch more Liar Game.

javabeans: Is this going to be one of those dramas where at the end of it, you won’t know what the hell happened because you were so distracted from staring only at Lee Sang-yoon?

girlfriday: I already don’t know what the show is about.

javabeans: Well, it’s about this reality show competition—

girlfriday: Don’t know, don’t care.

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Love this post! But I feel your pain as screencappers who can't help but hoard images of the current "My Pretty" and having to choose which images to use.

This phenomenon of falling (often hard) for guys who at first glance I'd say are definitely not my type has become one of my favorite aspects of drama-watching. It's helped me to more readily appreciate people's beauty in general. Sometimes, it only takes an episode or two before having the hotness epiphany. But I also marvel at how I can watch someone in an entire drama (or several) and not feel much of an attraction, then watch that same person in a different role, and suddenly, I see the light! And usually, once I've grokked the hotness/adorability factor, I can't unsee it later.

I didn't get Rain's appeal until I fell in love with him as Sang Doo; I didn't find Song Jae Rim particularly attractive until watching him on We Got Married, and now I lubs him. To me, Hong Ki was cute but not at all hot in You're Beautiful, and I was shocked to see his hotness in Bride of the Century.

The list could go on and on~ I can't count the number of times the Nays have turned to Yays, and the Snores have turned to Rawrs for me. Repeatedly falling in love with/feeling the hots for people I don't expect to is such a lovely experience~ no wonder I'm an addict!

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Nays to Yays and Snores to Rawrs - perfect! I also find this syndrome among my favorite parts of drama watching. In fact - it took me about 5 episodes of MNIKSS to "get" Hyun Bin :o. Can you imagine ???
Park Seo Jun - didn't like him at the start of Warm Word and then the light bulb went off: who IS this guy? So Witch's Romance was like manna from heaven.

For the record: also think that Joo Won feels like KDW lite, Lee Jung Jin is super hot - and that Daniel Henney is completely gorgeous in addition to having done some pretty good acting. Really!

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YES. Another person who fell in love with Rain in Sang Do, Let's go to School! Still my favorite character from him :)

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Hotness epiphany...

Hyun-Bin
My Name Is Kim Sam-soon (Nay)
Secret Garden (Yay)

Lee Hong-Ki
You're Beautiful (Nay)
Bride of the Century (Yay)

Lee Min-Ho
Boys Over Flowers (Nay)
City Hunter (Yay)

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Agree!! same here :D

But Hongki already caught my attention in YAB, as the cute little brother (who can sing wonderfully) I would like to have. It was a surprise when I caught myself thinking he was hot in Bride of the Century XD ...my little boy has grown up...

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"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder." ― Plato

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." ― Margaret Wolfe Hungerford

"It is easy to be beautiful; it is difficult to appear so." ―Hosea Ballou

All Smiles :) for Lee Soo-hyuk, Kim Woo-bin, Lee Min-ho, Song Seung-heon, & Park Seo-joon.

If not for Rain, I wouldn't have even started She's So Lovable to begin with in the first place. And Rain is the reason why I am still watching albeit begrudgingly till the end.

If not for Lee Jung-Jin along with Park Ha-Sun, I wouldn't have even tuned in to check out Temptation in the first place. They are the reasons I ended up wading through it.

First discovered and took notice of Lee Sang Joon in My Daughter Seo Young. Apart from the fantastic job by Kang Ha-Neul, LSJ is the only reason I stuck with Angel Eyes.

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Hey all let's not forget uri Jo Seung Woo sshi *.*

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Lol, I was trying not to mention him because now everyone will claim him!!!

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Agreed! I was seriously trying to convince my sister that Joo Won was the best just yesterday! I always thought he looked weird but after watching him in action, I was instantly smitten! I'm like, how could I have been so blind?!? He's obviously perfect.

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2 things:

A) Girlfriday, you seemed to completely miss the point about the immaculate difference between Rain in Plan B, and Rain in She's So Lovable. Please believe me. Mute it when anyone else is talking and fast forward through anyone else is on the screen, and you have a new, Oscar-worthy drama: He's So Freaking Gorgeous Lawd Jizusuh Prayus HIIIM.

B) How did you guys make it so far sleeping on Lee Sang Yoon?? He's classicaly, worldly handsome. If I remember correctly--and I do--I watched the entirety of that weekend drama, Somethign about a daughter or something daughter S something. I don't even freakin remember the name because all I remember is him, and a little bubble in my heart for Park Hae Jin. I basically fastforwarded through anything not Hot Guy.

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1. How are we forgetting Seo In Gook in this whole post?!?!?! He makes my heart quiver just thinking about him! He doesn't care about how he looks either and it's his full absorption and earnestness in his acting that makes him so hot and makes me want to tell him fiercely how amazing he is!

2. Are you kidding me, girls? I watched Lovable Girl and Rain is as attractive as the dead branch I passed in the park this morning. And Lovable Girl is such an easy show to act, the fact that he is doing it so badly just makes me feel a bit sorry for him because he should be good at this by now!

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I agree! Rain is so not attractive here :( I would rather go for L's character, atleast he is interesting and pretty.

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yes for Seo In Guk
love rain - he's not memorable for me
reply 1997 - wow who is this guy. i looooovvveee him
love him even more when watched his live performance when he sing <3 <3
also variety show I Live Alone
he's so cute in there.
when he's in variety shows he's so adorable and honest.
sadly i dropped HSKoS because of the story :(

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High School savvy is my drama medicine. I dont think Seo In Gook very hot, but he has a very plastic face. he can do anything. in the drama he played Min seok so perfectly that ...you know, you really felt he was 18 and all that. and it wasnt his hotness but his sweet nature and carefree charm that did everyone in. including us. and I never ever expected anything from him after Masters Sun. he was just so held back there.
but in High School Savvy, when lee Soo hyuk appeared I just stared, blank and didnt even pay attention to where the plot was going. but not because he is hot per se, though he is beautiful. he just has this face that you can stare for hours and think... nothing.

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Yes! Yes! Yes! Seo In-Guk! ♥ ♥ ♥

mingmangming, how far did you get in HSKoS?

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i dropped it at epi 6.
but i watched him when lee hyun soek appeared ;)

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LOL. I encourage you to watch it. It becomes quite touching. There was one scene where I sobbed as much as I ever have. Deeply moving. I couldn't wipe away the tears fast enough to see the screen. The show has emotional depth balanced with humor, and as lovely and wacky a couple that you'll ever meet.

Sounds like you've seen the same SIG things I have. Did you see him on Mamma Mia? I'm guessing you have since "so adorable and honest" fits that appearance to a tee!

Grooveshark.com has a large catalog of his music. When not watching Kdramas, I'll often play his song list as I'm working. (Pandora and Spotify are useless. Grooveshark better for Asian music.)

I could continue to rhapsodize on SIG ad infinitu. I adore him. Plus I could watch that Reply 1997 water fountain kiss everyday of the week. :-)

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Dear Dramabeans and GF, please make a version of this post full of screencaps! If you have the time. I love it :D

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Saw the topic and just had to take a quick peek!

Now I'm sitting here nodding madly to jb and gf's and everyone's comments! Especially about the weird alien-giraffe-turtle faces who you end up not being able to take your eyes off!

I definitely find an attractive actor is even hotter if they've got a bit of added oomph/x-factor or added - like he's funny or smart (and I don't mean a geeenuis). The pretty boys who just stand there and look pretty while saying their lines are about as exciting as watching paint dry. I'd rather watch the villains, then.

Also agree that oftentimes, their real charm is revealed in their tv/variety personas (if they have any). The CFs they get after they become famous are great for fan service, but you don't really discover what they themselves are like as a person.

Anyway, thanks for this long overdue topic, and hope that more actors (and actresses) meet their memorable breakout "role" next year, so we can see more kdrama magic!

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HAHAHAHHAHAHAH
I loved this odds and end!
And OMG THIS! "Lee Soo-hyuk: from some angles, giraffe alien hybrid. Other angles, beautiful." Before watching High school savvy I used to think of him as such a weird looking guy, but here he is TOO BEAUTIFUL! I am continously staring at his perfect face ?
And same case with Song Jae Rim, I used to think he looked weird. But recently I saw his pics in the cropped hair do for that mermaid drama and now WGM and I am like well well well ♡
LSY has always been hot for me ? I was mesmerised with him in "My daughter lee Soo Young" and while watching the drama I totally fell for Park Hae Jin too teehee
I need more posts on hot guys in the future DB and gf! :D

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There's "attractive actors" (Gong Yoo, Lee Min Ho, etc), there are sizzling hot characters (Oh Jin Rak, Byung Hee, or Goo Hae Young, for example), and then there's "So this is what the gods intended".

I'll just be honest, on the latter list for me there are only two names: Lee Joon Ki, and Kwon Hyun Sang.

I must admit, I really like looking at them.

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he is not my usual go-to for hot guys, but I thot he was really hot in My Daughter Seoyoung. Could be the character. Now you make me want to watch his Liar Game but currently trying to finish The Genius gameshow first.

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Lol. It's that effortless swag.

Oh yeah.

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It's true, the acting and confidence the actors carried make a difference in the hotness radar. I never cared much for Lee Sang Yoon in all of the drama I've seen of him, but I'm falling for him in the Liar's Game. Same goes for Park Seo Joon who was in Dream High 2 and I never recalled, I'm like what? He was so winning in Witch Romance and made me actually voted for noona romance! I only saw Lee Je Hoon in My Paparotti before Secret Door and I thought he was ok, not cute or good looking in any way, but in Secret Door I wish I'm one of his concubine (Hahahahhahaha j/k or maybe not). He's hot.

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Hotness is relative (good thing: all kind of men can get a job).
Hotness can't save a bad drama, at least for me: Even my darlings can't keep me in front of my screen if the show is a dud.
I like Lee Je Hoon, Joo Won & Rain but they all picked a bad show & those dramas are failures as far as I'm concerned. Well, you live, you learn.

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Thank you!!! Ive tried watching Lee Sang Yoon's older dramas, since there was hardly enough of him in Liar Game, and boy does he look different. His face is so much more rounded, the haircut in Liar Game makes him look like a whole other person!

Seems like a character can definitely make or breakean actors hotness. But honestly, in Liar Game LSY is so intense and mesmerising, its hard to follow the dialogue and plot. I'm glad I"m not the only one afflicted.

I think Ji Sung was one of those actors who didn't start out as attractive, to me at least, but the more you watch of him on screen, you can't help but fall in love.

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" My favorite thing about him is that no matter how pretty he is, he isn’t vain in his acting."
Thank you SOOO much for stating the obvious regarding Joo Won.As to JW's hotness quotient....I must say this: You gals have finally seen the light!

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ohh Lee Sang-yoon.. Gawd! Same here. just up to my 2nd Liar Game episode and I just fall deeply attracted and in love with him. Don't know why and don't want to find out either. Just SO HOT

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and Lee Je-hoon, for the first time I see him on dramabeans to googling him until watch him onscreen, I just can't resist his charm. Lee Je-hoon for life

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I feel vindicated of having a lot of screenshots of Joo-won from Cantabile... I wish Fashion King will still be showing when I get to Seoul in a couple of weeks!

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So much hotness ..... so little time!

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Say YES to Joo Won and Park Seo Joon!!

I love Joo Won since Gaksital and dayuumm, he's so freaking hot as Cha Yoo Jin sunbae in Cantabile *dies

I only saw Park Seo Joon in Witch Romance and I must say that he mesmerized me with his hotness and cheekiness at the same time. I am so in love with him!!

And let's not forget Jung Kyung Ho. I find him so attractive in Heartless City. What a hot and sexy badass *sigh

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I havent watched any drama of Lee Sang Yoon, but currently I find him attractive, wish one day can see him and Gong Hyo Jin co-staring :D

as for me, my CURRENT list, since watching It's okay it's love, Jo In Sung is one of the list and Lee Jin Wook has totally melted me specially after ep11 of TM, so he is currently the king of my list :D

btw, is it only me that doesnt get swooned at all by joowon? :P

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The guys that I did not find attractive at first but after watching them act made me want to watch moaaaarrr of them are Uhm Tae-woong (Sword and Flower, he was the only good thing in that), Jang Hyuk (Fated to Love You), Cha Seung-won (Best Love), and Joo Ji-hoon (Goong). Their eyes melt me like a candle hahaha

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I realize I'm so late to this party, but I must add my two cents as to Mega-Hotness Personified:

JI CHANG WOOK.

Is all. :D

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in total agreement!!!

someone please bring back the "Like" function!

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Totally agree about the acting skills and charisma that define the hotness factor. I'll personally add a whit of mystery. And all these ingredients mixed together make me melt for the likes of Park Hae Jin, Kang Dong won or HA Jung Woo. * in a swoon*

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I remember starting a drama and thinking countless times that 'Ah. He is so average looking. There's no way I will find him attractive'. 2-5 episodes later, non-stop drooling. I had this for Hyeon-bin in Secret Garden, Joo-won in Gaksital mmm Gong-yoo in Coffee prince or more recently Jo In-seong in It's okay that's love... their character just drew me in so much that I felt disappointed of living in the real world. These people became hot through their characters.

Then, there are other people whose character I adore, but I am just not attracted to them at the same level... I loved Lee Min-ho's character in City Hunter, Woo-bin in Heirs or Lee Seung-gi in King2Hearts... but I would really need an eye surgery to say that they are super hot. I mean I just don't have this I-wanna-stuck-in-an-elavator-with-them-feeling...

Lastly, the pretty boys. I must really shallow, but I just don't care they cannot act. I was head over heels for Kim Hyeong-joong, I adore L... I mean they are just soooo pretty that my jaw drops and I don't hear anything, don't care what they do just thankful that they are there.

I watch both Liar Game and Secret Door. Lee Sang-yoon. Hair cut makes a huge difference and I love that he is a smarty-pants with a gentle heart and a fierce look. Lee Je-hoon. Damn! Those teary eyed scenes made me want to be his tissue.

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you can have them all. I'll just stick with Lee Dong-Wook. :) my girl, scent of a woman, wild romance and blade man - he makes the difference and I'm glued to the screen when he's on. like him in roommate too.

oh, and Yoo Ah In. he just need to smile or gaze or make puppy eyes... ;)

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Lee Dong-Wook... love him as well. Like you, he always has me glued to screen. And fabulous kisser (from what we can tell). His kissing scenes are always wonderful. Great voice, too.

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Great topic and comments, now I have a long list of "hotties" to investigate!

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I felt the same way (not as good looking at first, but then I see them act so well and all of a sudden they're super handsome) too. Examples include Park Hae Il and Jo Seung Woo. There are some newer, younger ones too but for those two I remember thinking they're not the standard good looking guys and then I watched a movie of theirs and was obsessed and wanted, no needed, them to do more projects. I even looked them up on dramawiki to watch their older stuff. hehe.

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** also I agree that Liar game is awesome and that Lee sang yoon is awesome in it. **

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My favorite ever description of Kim Woo-Bin in Heirs was that he looks "like an alien rock star." I have a feeling it was Girl Friday or Java Beans--if that was you, thanks! It still makes me laugh every time I see him.

Perfect timing: I was thinking just the other day about how odd looking some of my favorite K-actors are. Acting skill and screen presence matter so much! If I see good acting, then I start to find odd features attractive.

It seems like K-actors features are less important than being tall. Tom Cruise would never have made it to star status in Korea. The actors' faces matter, too, but the obsession with height means "the industry" accepts more variation in their faces--more alien rock stars--than in actresses faces. You might not find a tall guy who also has L's prettiness. (Oh my God, L is so disappointing in My Lovable Girl. So much better when he didn't have any lines back in Shut Up FBB. I had to stop watching that show even though Grown-up Rain is incredibly hot. Please, universe, give me more Grown-up Rain!)

Are there any K-drama leading men who aren't at least 6 feet tall? (182 cm for everyone using 21st-century measurement schemes). Is this why Kim Woo Bin can get away with those crazy eyebrows?

I love reading everyone's comments and adding dramas to my list for the future. Thanks, beanies!

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I don't think they are that tall or I would say there are many actors with average height. But I agree that being tall is an important thing in the industry. From what I have seen the domestic audience cares more about the height and international fans prefer the flower boy look, pretty face.

I ran into Rain when he was shooting for My Lovable... let me just say that he was wearing too much and too tight clothes and was sweating badly... ya know the sexy kind of sweating:D I don't think I can look at him without a heart attack ever since.

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Mmmm, thank you for that image! I made it through many weeks of My Lovable Girl for that hot hot man! And the attractive golden retriever.

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Oops, I didn't mean to imply that KWB's height is what makes him a star. In my book, he can look as alien as he wants to with that charisma and screen presence. But if he had that face, that charisma, acting, screen presence, etc., and he was 5'10" (178 cm), would his career ever have gotten off the ground?

Only leading man I can think of who's under 6 feet is Yoon Shi-Yoon. Does having a flower boy face get you past the guards at the studio door who hold up the "you must be this tall to ride" yardstick? Ah, I love tall men, but think of the hot actors we might never know because they were an inch too short. Sigh.

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I admit I have a weakness for evil masterminds. The creepier and more intimidating, the more my heart flutters. (Is it attraction? Is it fear?) This is why in the Liar Game, I find Shin Sung-rok the more gorgeous one. And I love the way his expressions and words make me double-guess his intentions. (The thing that he said about the Colosseum made shivers go down my spine. The good shivers.)

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The creepier and more intimidating, the more my heart flutters.

Then I highly recommend Vampire Prosecutor 2 with its super-creepy bad guy vampire (played by heart-fluttering Kwon Hyun Sang. So devious and malicious and yet, somehow, disturbingly sympathetic.)

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I have an opposite reaction regarding jo woon.. He makes me won't watch anything he is in since gaksital.... Becomeing jo woon's allergic... His acting is just not my cup of tea.... And he is still unappealing to me... I hope one day I can finally can watch him in any drama I like so I can erase my allergic.

An actor who makes me swoon when. I watch their acting on screen. Yeon woo jin in marriage not dating... Omg.. I swear after experiencing arang and magistrate when I find him dull (or rather his char)... I didn't expected I would attract to him like no tomorrow.. He is actually looks sexy in wet sexy look in episde 1. And the guy can act... He is just so good as gi tae... And makes me fall for him.. Sincen I like his char so much... Eric moon is another example you find him hot when he Act.

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Yeon Woo-Jin, yes! And Eric too! <333

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I would agree on the Lee Sang-yoon front except I've been obsessed ever since Angel Eyes.

Also, now that you've pointed out that Park Seo-joon looks like a turtle, I can't unseen it. He really does look like a turtle!!! Cutest turtle ever.

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Purely based on physical aesthetics and not an actor's charisma and/or talent which can certainly add to attractiveness.

Best looking Korean actors (not including hapas) in no particular order w/ ideal masculine features (not complete list):

Kim Sung-soo
Oh ji-ho
Ji Jin-hee
Jo Han-sun
Song Seung-heon
Cha Seung-won (esp. when he was younger)
Go Soo
Won Bin
Han Jung-soo
Joo Sang-wook
Lee Jin-wook
Yoo Gun

Actors who are good-looking, but not as good-looking as they are deemed to be.

Kim Soo-hyun
Hyun Bin
Jang Dong-gun
Kwon Sang-woo
Jo In-sung
Eric Mun

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Additional to ideal list:

Joo Jin-mo
Cha In-pyo
Lee Ki-woo
Taecyeon
Choi Si-won
Kim Bum
Lee Min-ho (esp. now that he lost some of the baby fat)
Ji Chang-wook (similar to LMH in features, but maybe a little better looking)
Song Jong-ki (albeit still on the boyish-side)

Good-looking, but overrated.

Jung Woo-sung

Actors who are deemed good-looking by some, but really are not.

Lee Jung-seok
Lee Seung-gi
Mickey Yoo chun
Kang Do-won (borderline)

The term "Pretty" can mean various things when it comes to describing males - could just mean very good looking (George Clooney and Brad Pitt have been called "pretty boys" back in the day altho they have masculine features) or actually looking pretty (does not mean feminine) or in what I consider really misused, looking feminine/androgynous which doesn't = to being good-looking.

Oh Ji-ho, Kim Sung-soo, etc. can be referred to as "pretty boys" in just the incredibly good-looking sense (a la Clooney and Pitt).

Song Jong-ki or Im Joo-hwan can be deemed pretty boys in having that boyish, but handsome look (as could Lee Min-ho before he hardened his look recently).

As for actors who have that feminine or androgynous look - can't think of any whom I would regard as "pretty" as a pretty actress, much less the prettiest actresses - and most, frankly, aren't good looking.

Park Hae-jin is a decent looking actor and not one what one would consider feminine looking (but also not overly masculine looking), but in a Family Outing Parody, PHJ looked like he could be Hyori's sister while Kim Sung-soo and Jo Han-sun looked like good-looking, masculine guys in drag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywhbELQhJjs

Examples of actors who are good/decent looking, but just that much more attractive due to their charisma and talents.

Gong-Yoo
So Ji-sub
Kang Do-won

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It's interesting what you are saying about the term pretty.

I'd never use it as an interchangeable word with good looking. For me pretty has to do something with being feminine. And by that I do not mean that they look like a girl, or prettier than a girl. It's just that you do not see any facial hair and they have a baby face with prominent features. For me pretty is L or Kim Hyun-joong.

OMGGG I love Song Joong-ki, I cannot wait for him to be discharged from military service. (Btw I dont really consider him as a pretty boy, he is average. pretty similar features as Kim Bum)

And So Ji-sub is absolutely hot. He has a masculine, mature look. I feel the same way about Lee Byung-hun.

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Yes yes yes to So Ji-Sub. Am rewatching Master's S right now. His face has these odd, unpredictable angles to it. He isn't conventionally handsome (especially with the haircut he has in MS). But I can't take my eyes off him. So masculine and charismatic.

I love the Leading Man Thing that he and Gong Yoo have--as well as a few of the other more conventionally handsome guys. I think it's partly about screen presence, but it's something more, this Cary Grant quality that combines playing the hero with not taking heroism too seriously. Being able to do the dramatic stuff but then getting a twinkle in the eye and making fun of himself. That's so sexy.

I haven't seen Kang Do-Won in anything, but I have M in my queue and will give it a watch.

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wow your descriptions are on point. I google each of these actors and drool looking at their younger pictures for the best looking korean actors. Most of them 40+ something actors.

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As always, I love your posts JB and GF...and what a fertile topic!

Ok, this is going to reveal how old I am, but years ago I boarded the Go Soo ship after watching Piano.. *spoiler alert* It was a melodrama centered on forbidden love between (not blood-related) siblings, but ohmygod did I fall for Go Soo's desperate please-just-let-me-hold-you-just-once-for-a-few-brief-minutes-please pleading.. Was that "hot" per se? Can't remember other details of the drama, but I just know it's a scene I haven't forgotten innumerable dramas and decades/a decade(?) later.

I also did a double-take on Hyun Bin, cos I watched Secret Garden before My Name is Kim Sam Soon--yes, just two dramas of his--and hadn't recognized it was the same guy. (Meaning I'm of the less-impressed-with-Binnie-in-SG school.) Then I googled him and up popped these gorgeous studio-shots of him, so of course I was hooked.. My point being he wasn't an immediate draw for me, but now it's a different story.

Quiet guys who gradually reveal their deeper, unwavering, passionate intent...those are my usual draws. Lee Sang-wok, Lee Jung-Jin, Lee Jin-Wook... I'll definitely watch Runaway B Plan for Lee Jung-Jin. Mm, already anticipating all the fun I will have!

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Reading this article (conversation) was so much fun. Thank you!

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Totally happened to me with Song Jae Rim. I know he's hot and everything but my mind thinks of him as this cold blooded assassin... until I saw him in Surplus Princess. OMG. It's a whole new world of sizzling hot Song Jae Rim! Now every time I see him, my heart just keeps on pounding like crazy.

My heart never raced for Kim Soohyun before I saw him in YFTS. Same thing for Lee Minho until he became Kim Tan. Now I'm so into Im Siwan as Jang Geu Rae, it's crazy. So for me, it's not really the actor but the character that I like.

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Joo Won is the best looking on my bias list or perhaps the only one I can describe as handsome or beautiful. His looks caught my attention in Ojakgyo Brothers but it was his acting and person that made me a fan.

I tend to like actors who can act rather than how they look. I sure enjoy my eye candy but just like candy, it is not satisfying in the long run. Actors that hook me based on their acting and onscreen charisma are Oh Jung Se and Kim Myung Min. In any case, in kdramas there are always actors who are good and looks good too.

Back to Joo Won. This man has infiltrated my hard disk, I have lots of his pics but I must say he looks incredibly handsome and gorgeous in Tomorrow Cantabile.

Screencapping each episode takes a crazy long time because he looks so good in every frame. And yes, he is so subtly expressive and those minor changes in facial expressions are driving me nuts.

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"OHMYGOD LEE SANG YOOOOON, WHY DID YOU SUDDENLY BECOME SO HOT?" is what ive been thinking to myself this past couple of weeks and I seriously still dont know the answer. I watched Angel Eyes to verify his hotness and he literally did not do anything for me in that drama. The difference is so vast it's CRAZY. Lee Sang Yoon's hotness aside (although we all know we cant really put that aside), Liar Game is a freaking gem! The drama is so well done, and really good and exciting. In just 4 episodes in, it's easily the best drama of the year for me.

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haha, yes, after drooling over him in Liar Game, I went back to see if I could finish watching Angel Eyes... I literally could not bring myself to do it! :)

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Tell me about it!! I just watched Episode 5, its freaking amazing!!! Hits all the right notes. Omg the action, its friggin intense and Lee Sang Yoon, my heart beats so fast and so hard every time he's on screen, its distracting as hell. He needs to keep that haircut in his future dramas. I'm just gonna be walking around in a daze after each episode.

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I have many of actors who I see them as hot and gorg..eous but I think you forgot also Choi Daniel with his cute glasses ?Does anyone consider him hot?

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yes. lee sang yoon is super hot. haha. and that dimplesssss... damnnnn

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Hah, totally agree with this. Unfortunately, it's so hard to convince my friends (who absolutely watch zero k-dramas and that's not about to change any time soon) that I actually really have good taste in Korean actors :/

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I find Joo Won really hot, handsome and cute at the same time. I wonder: HOW could THAT be possible?

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Aaaaahhh. Joo Won. The only one for me.

No one caught my attention like Joo Won did. And its not even watching his dramas but watching him in 1N2D that made me follow who this cute but hot guy is. And boom, Gaksital sealed my fate for him. Dang, those hot, tight pants....

Those expressive pool of eyes, they do suck you in your own fantasy world and rendered you helpless when you stare at them. That is actually one of the things that I love catching in every screencap I made of him. He can actually change his expressions in an instant that you need to backtrack just to catch it. His acting for me is superb, I cannot see any trace of Joo Won in any of the characters that he portrayed. And I really like him as a person.

And after almost 3TB of Joo Won goodies, yeah-yeah, I am a Joo Won-hoarder, I need to buy a new hardisk :D, a few times of seeing him in person, -gaaaawd he was so good in his musical Ghost- I still cannot get enough of the hotness, cuteness, sexiness and awesomeness that is Joo Won.

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This post is so cool and so timely! I agree with you 100%! The funny thing is I was thinking the same thing while watching/ getting hooked on the same dramas! Haha.
Sometimes it's not just about being born handsome - I firmly believe that your talent, personality and appeal makes you even more gorgeous. Coz plain handsome can be boring.
Totally lovin' Joo Won and Lee Sang Yoon right now. :-)

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Hi, javabeans and girlfriday, I agree with everything you said about Joo won. He is so pretty and hot in Cantabile. I love his portrayal, his expressions, his conducting and playing the piano and violin - - looks and feels so real. I loved him in Gaksital, Ojakkyo Brothers and Good Doctor too. His crying scenes in Gaksital and OB were so heart wrenching.

I also love Oh Ji Ho – he is also so pretty and I love his voice.

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It's been a few months since a drama (Korean or Japanese) caught completely my attention: lately I've been dropping quite a few, even though I really wanted to enjoy them! So, I tought, wow, I'm getting better, (better since I've started to watch kdramas and jdoramas some years ago!), now that I'm almost 30 I'm becoming reasonable and not obsessed too much, waiting like a creep for the next episode to come out etc etc…WEEEEELLLL…..NOOOOOO I was sooooo wrong :(

Since this post it's about hotness and being shallow…. here: I'm currently watching: Bad Guys (Jo Dong-Hyeok and Park Hae-Jin; and love the attitude of Kim Sang-Joong); Liar Game (Lee Sang-Yoon-what happened? why I did not pay attention to him before??-and Shin Sung-Rok); Pride & Prejudice(Choi Jin-Hyuk, looove him); Birth of a Beauty(Joo Sang-Wook); Cantabile Tomorrow (Joo-won)and dorama Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu (Hiroshi Tamaki)… I would like to spend all day screenshotting images …If I look myself from the outside I'm quite ashamed of myself :(( a bit creepy…aahahaaha ;P

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my questions may offend a few ppl there..whose the last hottie? i mean the last pic?

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maybe i'm just actracted to visually interesting looking guys but i personally find park seo joon & lee je hoon both better looking than seo kang joon. i think seo kang joon is too damn perfect looking for my tastes--like his face is so beautiful that i don't find him attractive anymore? LOL. so weird to explain, i know.

i also find lee min ki & park hae jin so damn visually appeal omfg.

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Re-reading this in 2017 and still agree to everything. Also, I ended up here because I missed Lee Soo-hyuk and I read almost every article tagged with him. Huhuhu

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