[Theme of the Month] Villains
by stroopwafel
I must have seasonal allergies, because last month I found myself tearing up whenever I’d read the theme posts for “Community.” Seeing all the love out there for our special communities and dramas got me thinking about the different elements that I love about dramas. There are the creative storylines, the swoonworthy actors, the beautiful fashion. Then I realized, one of the things I love most about a good drama is a good villain.
A good villain can often make or break a show. Narratives about conquering adversity and finding happiness in the face of opposition are satisfying. But when the protagonists conquer a seriously wily villain on top of that? SO satisfying. On the other hand, when a drama can’t muster up a good, competent villain? Oh, the rage! (I’m looking at you Abyss.) So:
Tell us about your drama villains, the ones you loved to hate or the ones you just plain hated.
To submit:
- Email your submissions to hello@dramabeans.com. If you have a registered Dramabeans account, include your handle so we can link to it.
- Include at least 1 image, though more is preferred.
- Suggested length: Between 500 and 1,000 words.
- Deadline: We will post these on a rolling basis, so we’re taking submissions now. We will cut off accepting submissions on July 26. If you miss this month, join us for a new theme next month!
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1 transient
July 1, 2019 at 11:07 PM
There is only one villain for me, Shin Sung Rok
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lemoncello
July 1, 2019 at 11:32 PM
But he's super cute in "Perfume." His Russian dance he did in episode 8 really cracked me up.
I agree, Shin Sung-rok is too good to be a villain...
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 3, 2019 at 4:42 PM
Loved the Russian Dance to stave off . . . feelings~
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2 Cyoon
July 1, 2019 at 11:39 PM
Mishil from Queen Seondeok! Or Jang Hee Bin from Dong Yi!
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deadlybaby
July 2, 2019 at 12:57 AM
the first 2 dramas i’ve ever watched did set high standards for villains
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13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 5:02 AM
I wish I had the patience to marathon Queen Seondeok for 62 hours then I would have seen what awesome Lady Mishil was in that drama. 😓 She was really hugely popular in her time.
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Misky
July 5, 2019 at 2:40 AM
Mishil was pure bliss to watch on screen ! She was motivated, evil, smart and hella fun. I appreciated her presence in that drama
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PilTa
July 6, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Mishil was the perfect cunning and amibitious villain. I haven't quite seen a villain that you will love to hate but somehow make you feel for her aside from Lady Jo from The War of the Flowers.
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3 lillamy
July 1, 2019 at 11:47 PM
There is only one villain in my heart and that's Nam Goong-Min in The Girl Who Could See Smells. One shining ray of light in an otherwise crappy show.
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happiness
July 2, 2019 at 3:50 AM
one of the only villains who genuinely gave me the chills watching him, i was fairly new to dramaland when i first watched GWSS and never suspected him to be the killer, finding out gave me so much goosebumps!
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BdxPelik
July 3, 2019 at 9:32 PM
I wrote a mini essay on how good of a villain NGM is as the one you mentioned and as Nam Gyu Man in Remember, that watching him as a protagonist in a different drama made me very wary.
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ajummabunny
August 8, 2019 at 7:20 AM
Especially in Beautiful Gong Shim! He had this scene with halmoni and I was sure he was going to knife her or beat her head in! Hee Hee Hee
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4 liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
July 2, 2019 at 12:07 AM
Is this my time to write about my instant-coffee-loving Emperor Hyuk?
Or just Shin Sung-rok in general. I just love this guy.
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purplesheesh
July 3, 2019 at 5:02 AM
Was he a villain? I didn't notice. LOL
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liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
July 3, 2019 at 3:32 PM
He was in the first half. He became a puppy (we all love) in the second half though 😂
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purplesheesh
July 3, 2019 at 3:55 PM
All his deeds were easily forgiven by me. I loved him!
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5 FlyingTool
July 2, 2019 at 12:15 AM
Nam Goong Min from Remember, the Son’s War.
SSR from Liar Game
The Queen from Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
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6 Kairoskat 💐
July 2, 2019 at 12:28 AM
Shin Sung Rok in Return, You Who Came From The Stars , Liar Game, The Last Empress, The King's Face. He has too many villain roles and nails each and every one of them. Hahaha
But my favourite villain role of his might be Oh Tae Suk..so manipulative, smart and knows what he wants. Wait...that sounds like his other villain roles too except for Hyuk 😅. Coffee Hyuk broke my heart with his flipflopping evilness that made me root for him to be better 😂.
Maybe I could pick one or two of his roles and elaborate about them.
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7 junglia
July 2, 2019 at 12:33 AM
Min Joongoooooook!!! (IHYV)
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8 mango
July 2, 2019 at 12:44 AM
I llove likable villains like Park Hoo Ja in My Fellow Citizens or Tanashiri in Empress Ki :D
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Cloggie
July 2, 2019 at 2:59 AM
Park Hoo Ja made that show
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Delurker
July 2, 2019 at 7:13 AM
There is a case to be made that evil Empress Dowager was the real villain, and Tanashiri just a victim of circumstances. Just saying :-p .
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mango
July 2, 2019 at 7:53 AM
You're right. Empress Dowager and Tanashiri were real villains. Poor girl, if she wasn't around nasty, her life would've been better.
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Delurker
July 2, 2019 at 12:43 PM
***SPOILERS*** The poor girl just wanted to give birth to an heir and do what was expected of her, but evil Empress Dowager got in the way, and made her evil in self-defence. She needs a vindication post :-p .
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SadKDramaLama
July 2, 2019 at 7:39 PM
@delurker @mango
I was wondering if someone was going to bring up that the system is the villain.
Sure, there are opportunist, or those just playing society's allotted role. However, most of the evil comes baked in to KDrama's social structure.
It's just the flip side of all the things people love in dramas.
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9 💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 2, 2019 at 12:47 AM
Kyungsoo in I Remember You.
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deadlybaby
July 2, 2019 at 12:59 AM
iry has one of The Best villains hands down
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UmbrellaMan
July 2, 2019 at 10:55 AM
Seriously
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ObsessedMuch
July 4, 2019 at 8:20 AM
The amount of likes!! So many people agree! <3
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10 cozylurker
July 2, 2019 at 12:52 AM
Uhm Ki-joon was here. 🥺
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deadlybaby
July 2, 2019 at 12:59 AM
it’s almost as if he was born for villain roles
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cozylurker
July 2, 2019 at 1:12 AM
Couldn't agree more. He's always giving me the chills, just too scary. If he gets cast as fierce and unapologetic lead, I'll cry with happiness.
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13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 5:06 AM
I loved him from Dream High a lot! As that kind of teacher who influenced his students good.
We need him back this year!
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13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 5:03 AM
Augh!!! Bringing the feels from the Ghost!
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13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 5:04 AM
And yeah defendant....
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cozylurker
July 2, 2019 at 5:28 AM
I know! 😤😢
I am a fan of him since 2012 Ghost.
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11 mary
July 2, 2019 at 2:54 AM
Ooooh I love terrible characters (in fiction!)
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coolgirl
July 26, 2019 at 10:26 AM
And we have been blessed with Save Me 2: so many of them terrible in so many different ways!
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12 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 2, 2019 at 3:11 AM
Dang. There is one villain to rule them all.
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Waadmay
July 2, 2019 at 12:00 PM
Who , who who ???!
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egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 12:15 PM
Noble idiocy?
Time skips?
Meddling mothers?
Bad writing?
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Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
July 2, 2019 at 2:11 PM
I always consider you my favorite villain, @egads
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 2, 2019 at 2:14 PM
Is it hard work having a nemesis? Maybe I should get a nemesis too?
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Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
July 2, 2019 at 2:26 PM
I could be your nemesis too, LT. The Priestess versus the Dames.
Gosh I would watch the heck out of that drama
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 2, 2019 at 2:29 PM
I wouldn't want to exhaust you, Coco, if having two nemeses would be too much hard work.
Especially since us Two Old Dames would obliterate you in a heartbeat. Bring it on.
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 2:30 PM
@hotcocoagirl me too, that sounds like a great drama.
@leetennant I find having a nemesis much less taxing than having friends.
Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
July 2, 2019 at 2:36 PM
I mean, pf course you would win. (This is a drama after all). But we’d have a great time getting there.
This Dark Priestess is ready *cackles as I light the candles in my sanctuary, casting shadows on all things*
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 3:09 PM
@hotcocoagirl I'm in because candle light is flattering, but I'm bringing my own water.
another woodalchi nicole recruit
July 2, 2019 at 5:45 PM
so THIS is the comment that brings me out of my lurking. *grabs popcorn*
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 2:15 PM
That's so sweet.
*wipes tears.
I like your new name. Are you starting a new cult?
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Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
July 2, 2019 at 2:33 PM
Actually, the state of religion these days, I’ve decided to be an as needed Priestess to get enough work. Fish Cult? I’ve got the ancient proverbs. Murder? Ive got a fan ceremony for the hot serial killers. Plot issues? Let us pray to the drama gods.
Let me know your spiritual needs friend.
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 2, 2019 at 12:53 PM
@waadmay @egads
Choi Yoo-jin from the K2.
But, egads, I like your idea. A lot.
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egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 1:53 PM
I always forget about K2.
Take the idea and run with it!
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Kafiyah Bello
July 3, 2019 at 6:32 AM
She was the single good thing in that drama. Song Yoo Nah was so excellent.
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13 happiness
July 2, 2019 at 3:48 AM
just finished watching Voice and Kim Jae wook was amazing as Mo Tae Gu
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coolgirl
July 26, 2019 at 10:28 AM
He tops them all! The best psychopath and serial killer ever seen in dramaland.
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14 Nafson
July 2, 2019 at 3:52 AM
Yoon ah-in In "six flying dragon" as YI BANG WON cha sung-won In ATHENA:GODESS OF WAR Lee sung-jae in GU FAMILY BOOK
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cozylurker
July 2, 2019 at 4:38 AM
Six Flying Dragons. Bang-won. My heart was ripped into pieces and I can't for the life of me move on. Ack.
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WishfulToki
July 2, 2019 at 7:17 AM
Omo. I never considered him a villain. His enemies were my enemies. Says a lot about Yoo Ah In’s acting 🙈
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cozylurker
July 2, 2019 at 8:54 AM
Ack. Yup, his acting is just incomparable.
I think in my history of watching kdramas, I cried the most in SFD. I shed worth of lifetime of tears on Boon yi and Bang won's love story alone.
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13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 9:49 AM
Awww 💔 my heart broke for them
It’s funny because knetz were like sad about their poignant love story but at the same time they couldn’t ship them because the great King Se Jong had to be born, therefore, Bang Won had to marry his mother!!
13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 9:14 AM
So agree!!! I was actually taken a back when his character popped up here! I had never thought of him as the villain. But thinking about it he was the anti hero! Ooooh The feels are coming back for this drama too!
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suk
July 2, 2019 at 6:21 PM
I only realized after finishing SFD and contemplating it for a whole month that Bang-won was the bad guy. I fell in love with him from episode 1 and I am still forever on his side. The fact that Moo-hyul was team Bang-won was a very big factor too.
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15 liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
July 2, 2019 at 4:03 AM
I just remembered Kim Eui-Sung (Dad) in W. He is just so creepy there. I also hated him so much in Train to Busan. After watching those, whenever I see him on the cast I just think he is going to be bad (except in My Fellow Citizens).
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Zora
July 3, 2019 at 10:32 AM
Oh I despised him in Mr. Sunshine! He was in Arthdal too but his character didn't do much damage compared to what he did in W and Mr. Sunshine.
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liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
July 3, 2019 at 3:32 PM
I heard bad things about him in Mr. Sunshine but I loathed him so much in Train to Busan. If not for him, Gong Yoo might still be alive! 😂
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16 javinne
July 2, 2019 at 4:20 AM
The truck of doom!!!!!
Oh no, @cloggie already wrote a defense for it in another theme of the month!
(See http://www.dramabeans.com/2018/01/in-defense-of-the-truck-of-doom/)
LOL😂😂😂
Then simply FATE... somebody has to write about Fate... there is no ultimate villain in dramaland better than it.
Blame the perverse mind of drama writers😂😂😂😂 down with them 😅😂😅😂😅😂😬
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Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
July 2, 2019 at 2:13 PM
Haha I came here to nominate our lovable Truck of Doom ~
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Cloggie
July 2, 2019 at 2:43 PM
That post is still the highlight of my DB career. I don't know why I still hang out here, I'll never be able to top that.
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17 nafson
July 2, 2019 at 4:36 AM
Uhm ki joon in INNOCENT DEFENDANT
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18 13infamyss
July 2, 2019 at 5:15 AM
I’m sure I’m forgetting someone and Uhm Ki Joon has been mentioned here, so..... off the top of my head
Min from Hello Monster!!!! 🥺🥺
Not K-drama related but I need to mention it cuz, gaah! Because of Meeting You ♥️ Yi Xin annoying af character. Unapologetic till the end. This was based from K-Drama Come Jang Bo Ri and Lee Yu Ri won a daesang being the makjang evil sister in this drama. Now, I don’t want to go through that same painful journey again, but it does make me wonder how stellar she must have been in this drama that she bagged a Daesang!!
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19 WishfulToki
July 2, 2019 at 7:19 AM
The mom in MY HUSBAND OH JAK DOO.
Or just all those infuriating drama parents 😂
But yeah, Namgoong Min in GIRL WHO SEES SMELLS immediately came to mind.
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20 신류지
July 2, 2019 at 7:34 AM
Man villains love to hate huh? I get the hunch that in that case, it would be a tug of war between SSR and Namgoong Min. No?
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21 welh
July 2, 2019 at 7:58 AM
For psycho-beauty, I would vote for Cheo Yeo-Jeoung in Ms. Perfect.
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22 DoubleFault
July 2, 2019 at 8:39 AM
I liked Kwon Soo Ah from Sassy Go Go and Rachel Yoo from The Heirs. I think these are resident school ice queen roles that were done and acted well.
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saturtledaisy
July 3, 2019 at 10:26 AM
THANK YOU for the shoutout to my best most nuanced hard working baby Kwon Sooah who has suffered the most.
Chae Soobin is a goddess.
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silentbeluga
July 3, 2019 at 9:30 PM
Just came here to say + 1000, Chae Soo-Bin IS A GODDESS!
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DoubleFault
July 4, 2019 at 5:37 AM
While I do not condone bullying, I have a soft spot for these mean girls.
Chae Soobin is indeed a goddess. ;) She has been brilliant in all of the dramas that I have seen her in.
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saturtledaisy
July 4, 2019 at 6:07 AM
Oh bullying is the worst and Kwon Sooah did terrible things but not once did I not understand where she was coming from and it was so clear she was hurting herself the most in the end. My favourite missguided suffering teenage baby.
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23 spazmo
July 2, 2019 at 10:01 AM
Ki Chul from Faith - my favorite villain!
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 3, 2019 at 4:46 PM
It was such a pitiful demise for our Faith villain though!
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redfox
July 10, 2019 at 2:09 PM
I couldn´t tell whether Ki Chul was villainous or comic relief character.
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 10, 2019 at 7:56 PM
The whole flavor of the drama changed at some point in that regard and one had to laugh to keep from crying!
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24 Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
July 2, 2019 at 10:51 AM
*rubs hand together*
this month is gonna be an interesting read XD
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25 FlyingTool
July 2, 2019 at 10:57 AM
So, as a sub type - the worst mother in law in kdrama history?
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26 UmbrellaMan
July 2, 2019 at 10:58 AM
Eeeeevil witch (literally) Hong-joo in Mirror of the Witch. She was just too good!
The unhinged craziness that was Eun-hee in Ms. Perfect.
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FlyingTool
July 2, 2019 at 12:31 PM
Run-her from Ms. Perfect, ah yes...!
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UmbrellaMan
July 2, 2019 at 3:50 PM
She was complete batshit crazy and I loved every minute of it.
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FlyingTool
July 2, 2019 at 4:43 PM
So did I. At some point, completely off the deep end is just fun.
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신류지
July 2, 2019 at 4:40 PM
YESS!! You know, I don't often love villains much but man, her? She was like *muah*
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meowingme
July 2, 2019 at 6:49 PM
Hong-joo and her perfect eyeliner is the first one in my mind too! Brainy villainy...
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purplesheesh
July 3, 2019 at 5:03 AM
I remember Ms. Perfect!!!
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27 larelle79
July 2, 2019 at 11:05 AM
For me, Joo Hyun gi from MAD DOG. He was everything a true villain should be. Smart as hell, knew how to stay ahead, questionable styling choices and the pleasure of watching Choi Won young play him.
And by association, Cha Hong joo played by Hong Soo hyun. Things were going well until it became a daddy issue. Way to shortchange her show.
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DoubleFault
July 4, 2019 at 5:39 AM
Choi Won Young is a very good villain. He is detestable in Twenty Again and super creepy in I Remember You.
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luvabe
July 25, 2019 at 12:20 PM
You should check out Doctor Prisoner. Choi Won-young plays another great villain there. Creeped me out from beginning to end.
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28 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
July 2, 2019 at 3:05 PM
You From Another Star - Shin Sung-Rok (twists ring)
Great Queen Seondeuk - Go Hyun-jung as Mishil
School 2015 Who Are You - Jo Soo-Hyang as Kang So-Young
W / Alhambra / Sunshine - Kim Eui-Sung
With honorable mention for:
Hwang Sun-hee for having been better than average in both Sign and Master's Sun.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
July 2, 2019 at 3:09 PM
Argh...
Forgot Yu Oh-Seong from Faith until Spazmo mentioned him above.
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spazmo
July 2, 2019 at 9:55 PM
and we forgot CRONY from Prison Playbook...
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29 bong-soo
July 2, 2019 at 3:42 PM
Wow. I am surprised my nominee is still available.
Naturally for me it has to be: Secretary Oh in HEALER.
Interestingly, on 30 June in a comment on NOKDU FLOWER I wrote:
“On a tiny side note. After watching episode 40 tonight I am officially springing actor Jeong Gyu-su from my doghouse. He has been there since I first encountered him as the despicable Secretary Oh in my first kdrama HEALER.
I was warming up to him in his portrayal as Dong-rok Gae in NF but when his two boys showed up to volunteer and he was so proud I thought, “ ah hell, all is forgiven”. There is only so long you can hold a grudge. I feel better already. Lol.”
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30 JustMe
July 2, 2019 at 4:18 PM
Ive been saying it for a ehile but i do feel inspired! I could talk of our beautiful RH.... so many things to say omg omg what to choose what to choose
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egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 4:43 PM
Are insinuating RH was a villain? Hmmph.
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FlyingTool
July 2, 2019 at 4:50 PM
RH? Going *woooosh* by my Swiss cheese of a memory?
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egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 5:04 PM
RH = Royal Hotness or Hyuk the Emperor of South Korea as played by Shin Sung-rok in The Last Empress.
Royal Hotness was the name we gave him during the rabbit watch. RH for quick commenting. It stuck.
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FlyingTool
July 2, 2019 at 5:08 PM
Got it! Thanks.
JustMe
July 2, 2019 at 5:59 PM
Oh god i forgot it wasnt his real name. Hahaha
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 2, 2019 at 6:19 PM
@justme it's pretty much canon at this point. I'm sure even SSR has the character name as RH on his resume. It was on his wiki page after all.
Kairoskat 💐
July 2, 2019 at 6:32 PM
RH is beautiful. His amazing wardrobe amplified his beauty. Lol
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31 RenOIshi
July 2, 2019 at 5:15 PM
Unpopular opinion:
The 'good' guys in The Crowned Clown.
I'll see myself out....
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JustMe
July 2, 2019 at 5:57 PM
Darn it that was one of my ideas for my essay!
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RenOIshi
July 2, 2019 at 6:51 PM
Do it! I was about to ask my daughter @sicarius but I wouldn't you at all!!!
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RenOIshi
July 2, 2019 at 6:51 PM
mind*
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 2, 2019 at 7:42 PM
Someone do it please.
I was thinking about TCC again last night.
Got mad. Again. Lol.
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RenOIshi
July 2, 2019 at 8:25 PM
We will only get a just 'a couple of' likes :D
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 2, 2019 at 8:50 PM
You'd have to write very convincingly to make your point, and even then, people don't wanna know why if they can just react instead.
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 2, 2019 at 9:11 PM
The funny thing is, this wasn't a hard drop for me. After episode 8 I always intended to keep watching. But I got busy and got a few eps behind and then I started to see people's comments about it and decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
Because, quite frankly, the whole conversation Cray Cray had on that beach established ?Haksan? (god I don't remember character's names after all this time) as the bad guy to me.
The realistation that he was supposedly loyal to King Cray all those years – but he still just stood by and watched while he slipped into addiction and madness. I mean, he was basically just an ideologue who would happily stand by while the Clown was destroyed and that made me realise he was the biggest threat to the Clown in the Palace.
Except... apparently not?
Either way, I'm glad I dropped it.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
July 2, 2019 at 9:31 PM
Gosh @leetennant .. I was gonna say a lot more in my last reply and I held back because I swear the need to rant about TCC is never far from me and I should refrain more often than not... And then you just had to go say that. Haha
See like you pointed out here, Haksan screamed wolf in sheep's clothing, a solid bad guy in good guy's attire. And he had moral complexity to him. So did almost everyone actually.
And (one of) my issues is not that everyone was morally "grey", it's that nobody's moral complexity was really treated as if it meant anything.
Haksan died as the good guy, Clown escaped everything as the good guy, and the designated rejects and villains died as them, and never anything else. They were never allowed to be anything else. Even if their characters implied more complexity, and "moral greyness", the show never did anything worthwhile with it, just excused it when it needed to and condemned it where it needed to.
Anyway.
Enough of that.
I was so restrained in my final review I feel like I could write a book on that stupid godforsaken show.
Nam Joo-hyuk is Tall
July 3, 2019 at 9:05 PM
@sicarius Why must this show keep coming back to haunt us? I can forgive a lot, but I'll never forgive them for letting Haksan die a good guy. Such a waste of a great character (and actor). I just need to keep repeating my mantra "this show ended at ep 8, it ended at ep 8"
32 another woodalchi nicole recruit
July 2, 2019 at 5:48 PM
Did someone already say Lee Chang-joon (Yoo Jae-myung) from Forest of Secrets? Because honestly he is my favorite villain ever of anything.
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Midnight
July 2, 2019 at 10:12 PM
I came here to write exactly this! He is my favorite villain EVER! His storyline is actually one I have always wished to see in a show, and I kept hoping upon hope for it to turn that way and when it did! I LOVED it! It was perfect.
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SadKDramaLama
July 3, 2019 at 12:02 AM
@anothernicole
Yoo Jae-myung - OMG what a performance.
However, it's a Russian doll of villainy. Break one doll just reveals another ever deeper level of dastardly.
I guess the moral of the story is when you live in a dog eat dog world of fiefdoms and brutal hierarchies, you can't be surprised that someone is one.
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purplesheesh
July 3, 2019 at 5:04 AM
YESSSSS!
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beantown
July 3, 2019 at 12:52 PM
Agree completely with you. He was the best ambiguous villian
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Anisa
July 4, 2019 at 12:15 PM
I was scrolling down to write exactly this! Still my most memorable recapping experience, and yes, best villain of all time.
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33 missjb
July 2, 2019 at 10:08 PM
I think a good villain is also indicated by how much they also can challenge the audience to can't draw the line of wrong or right between the good guy and the bad guy. Which I find it fastinating in The Devil, Mawang.
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34 SadKDramaLama
July 3, 2019 at 12:09 AM
THE UNCONVENTIONAL VILLAIN
I know not everyone will agree...but Yoon Ji-Ho (Jung So-Min) from This is my First Life.
Its almost a re-imagining of "The Bad Seed". Her brutality was only revealed in the last 2 episode but it recast the entire drama to a very dark place. I still can't re-watch this drama or listen to the OST as it gives me chills.
The show played with our expectation by using the Romantic comedy formula even though it constantly told us to look at it differently.
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35 misty
July 3, 2019 at 4:45 AM
If villians fell into a spectrum of shades of grey, how does one decide who was more of a villian in Misty?
1. Go Hye Ran (Kim Nam Joo)
2. Kang Tae Wook (Ji Jin Hee)
3. Seo Eun Joo (Jeon Hye Jin)
4. Kevin Lee (Go Joon)
It's a testament to the well written script and actor's skills that I couldn't decide. After each episode as the story unfolded, I'd feel alternately sorry for or dislike each character in turn for their morally ambiguous decisions.
Not to mention the supporting cast of Tae Wook's mother, and upstart anchor Han Ji Won who were all villainy in their own ways!
Not many people liked the ending of the drama, myself included, but it was reflective of real life.. that not all villians get their just desserts in this life. And that sometimes the right decision made at the end might come too little, too late.
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36 kellie
July 3, 2019 at 7:02 AM
Mishil, of course. But my fave remains Park Sang-min in "Incarnation of Money" -- cold, ruthless, sexy Ji Se-kwang.
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37 Midnight
July 3, 2019 at 7:17 AM
This is very interesting. I haven't watched this show only read the recaps and lots and lots of raving comments, but I never came across this interpretation. Would you care to elaborate on why you think so?
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Midnight
July 3, 2019 at 7:29 AM
What happened!! I'm totally sounding like a bot!😂 I posted this as a reply to @SadKDramaLama, I don't know why it got posted separately.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 3, 2019 at 12:25 PM
LOL, you were really sounding like a bot!
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Midnight
July 3, 2019 at 12:30 PM
I know! I laughed so much when I re-read my post!
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SadKDramaLama
July 3, 2019 at 1:07 PM
@midnight
Do you know the film "Rashomon"? That is the best way I can describe it.
TIOFL starts out looking like a re-working of "The Graduate" (which it constantly references) just with a happy ending. However, as we get sucked in to RomCom world we ignore all the signs that "Happy Ending" was just our expectation.
TIOFL sets very clear and deliberate rules where every event and every episode make us see the previous in a new way. In the final episode where it tells us what Ji-Ho has really done. Just like Rashomon, in the end, we must choose do we ignore that ugly reality that we have learnt so we can believe in a happy story (even though it seams like the drama had a crappy end). OR...do we follow the rules - but this means we have to accept that darkness that has occurred.
Just like in "The Bad Seed" it is amazing how many clues we ignore so we can make the happy story or believe in the beautiful girl.
The thing that chills me is the evil that goes unseen...probably because it has no limits.
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Midnight
July 3, 2019 at 10:13 PM
@sadkdramalama Thank you for your explanation! This was very very interesting.
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mano
July 4, 2019 at 4:40 AM
But what are the clues? I love BTIMFL until somewhere around episode 13 and the last two episodes made me decide I will never rewatch it. I love jiho because she didn't look like most FL in dramas that released that year (2017). But all of sudden she changed into a totally different person in the last two episodes. If there was any clue that indicated Jiho had been like that all along, I really didn't see it.
I never watched Rashomon, I just read about it on Wiki. Now I'm curious, I will surely find that movie.
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SadKDramaLama
July 4, 2019 at 5:07 AM
@manohira
Just curious if you are really asking "But what are the clues?"
Let me know.
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mano
July 4, 2019 at 5:29 AM
Yes I'm really asking, sorry English is not my first language. I didn't remember any clues that should make me change my expectation that BTIMFL was a romcom, with two nice, smart and rational leads (a bit eccentric, but they're still nice) and hopefully it would end in a happy ending.
It did end as a happy ending, but a crappy one
SadKDramaLama
July 5, 2019 at 4:26 AM
@manohira
Beanie PakalanaPikake noted “Ji-ho has been passing herself off as one thing when she is in fact very different, and she does it in a sneaky and underhanded fashion. She is passive-aggressive, and lies by omission, denial, and withholding information and truthful responses. Se-hee has no reason to suspect her of any of these actions because she has so cleverly camouflaged her tracks…”
If this is a show’s rules are that new information always reframes what we saw before (as it did in every episode), then the final ep Ji-Ho is a woman who emotionally torments someone whom she knows is still in pain from losing a child so they are fresh and new for her That is not just manipulative, it’s sadistic.
Typical of abusive/controlling relationships, she needed to see his pain (it was her proof). Then to seal the deal she gaslights him by claiming to be the victim.
Once we realise who Ji-Ho is and her manipulation the clues are endless (most of the moments that felt jarring…but the story made us laugh at them so we didn’t pay attention)
• Why surreptitiously gather information from people close to him.
• Why get a job near his office.
• Why engage with Bok-Nam near his work and home.
• Why name his cat
• Why take his personal belongings and use that information.
• Why use his family against his wishes
Once we realise Ji Ho is not what she presents herself, what appeared innocent previously is suspect:
- When her friends state: “Ji-Ho is crazy”
- Her mother’s comment: ”She is not innocent…”
- All the way back to episode 4 when at the bus when SH calls “By any chance, do you like me?” and she her answer: “No.”
- There are music and story cues that the Bok-Nam confrontation was not her being innocent but actually a setup.
If Ji-Ho is not a reliable narrator then timelines may not be as we assumed. We trusting viewers typically assume we see negative events the first time they occur. However, the story never states that it was the first – only that Ji-Ho would commit those offences.
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princess monobrow
July 5, 2019 at 5:25 AM
imagine failing to understand a show this badly
mindy
July 5, 2019 at 5:33 AM
@princess monobrow
My hero
This is actually the most hilarious thread I’ve read all week though, thanks for giving me such a good laugh
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 5, 2019 at 5:35 AM
LOL
mano
July 5, 2019 at 5:45 AM
I didn't realize it, but you're right. Jiho has done all of those things you mentioned. It's just the last time when she left, I was shocked. If you dont tell me I really don't know that she left him to seal the deal. I just thought maybe she's in a spiritual journey like "Eat Pray Love" something like that, or maybe she's just simply crazy. But then why she's back after just a few weeks (or days? I don't remember)
I wonder, did the writer deliberately write Jiho with passive-aggressive and manipulative traits? Are we, the viewers, supposed to cheer her?
SadKDramaLama
July 5, 2019 at 2:33 PM
@manohira
BTIOFL never told viewers what to think - it always let us make our own decisions. This is where the drama was so brilliant.
Does the drama change if you evaluate JH by what she actually does the end rather that hold on to what we think about her at beginning? I don't think anyone would view Se_Hee by the awkward abrasive recluse in ep01 but understand him as a shattered and scared man due to what we learn about him. Same goes for all the other character arcs.
I just find it interesting how people break this to keep viewing JH from ep01 lens. This show always asked questions of us. Will we distort our perceptions to keep happy going (even when against all evidence)....Rashomon.
SadKDramaLama
July 5, 2019 at 5:06 PM
@princess monobrow
I know. Its how abusive relationships continue. Everyone on the outside thinks they are such nice loving people. They ignore the bruises, the absences.
Its so ingrained - its why most people don't see the gorilla in the selective attention test.
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 5, 2019 at 5:17 PM
It's possible that bow you're drawing is getting a little long at this point, @SadKDramaLama
SadKDramaLama
July 5, 2019 at 6:08 PM
@leetennant
Not at all. I thought I gave sufficient evidence to outline the take for @manohira. However, I would be more than happy to see overreach if someone points out that none of those things happened in the drama.
Otherwise I see no romance in someone who is this emotionally manipulative. Who without consent gets in the bed of a drunken ex or knowing torments someone still suffering from the loss of a child to the point of emotional collapse.
Its too familiar and I hope I never stop calling it out.
mano
July 5, 2019 at 9:18 PM
@sadkdramalama
I just found Rashomon on torrent. I will watch it tonight. I never watched Akira Kurosawa's work before, even the most famous one Seven Samurai despite have heard and read about it for years. So Rashomon will be the first and it's all started because you said there's parallel between Rashomon and BTIMFL 😄
This is why I love Dramabeans!
Back to the drama, like I said before Jiho is the reason why I love BTIMFL in the beginning. Compare Jiho with another FL from Fall 2017, Ma Yi-deum, who to me is still the worst FL in k-drama, Jiho was perfect. I still see Jiho trough the lense of episode one because she's Jiho that I love.
I think more than anything else, I'm broken hearted with the fact that she's not the same person that I knew in the early episodes.
Thanks for your insight!
SadKDramaLama
July 7, 2019 at 5:31 PM
@manohira
If this piques your interest, I recommend the 8minute Youtube video "Akira Kurosawa - Composing Movement"
by "Every Frame A Painting".
In 8min it blows my mind and makes me notice so much more.
P.S. if you watch Rashomon, I would love to here what is your take on the event @ the end.
SadKDramaLama
July 7, 2019 at 5:54 PM
@manohira
Agreed, Ji-Ho is an amazing character (M or F). She is layered, complex and nuanced. JSM's portrayal is brilliant and there isn't a lazy moment in it. Just because I have a dark take does not effect my opinion of the drama's quality.
This was one of the few dramas that didn't resort to actors just reading out the complex plot points. How I love a drama that shows us and doesn't just tell us.
38 Snow Flower
July 3, 2019 at 6:22 PM
Favorite villains from favorite historical dramas:
Lady Mishil, Queen Seondeok: A classic villain I loved to hate. Her brother, Lord Misaeng, falls into the same category.
Im Baek Moo, Hwang Jin Yi: In the beginning of the drama I hated her with passion. Her death scene turned me into a sobbing mess...
Lee Kyung Sik, Chuno: A villain I hated. He did get what he deserved!
Hwang Cheol Woong, Chuno: A villain (or an anti-hero) I was supposed to hate, but all I could do was feel sorry for him, and I hated myself for that. His cathartic sobbing in the arms of his disabled wife is one of the many memorable scenes from Chuno.
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39 crescendo
July 3, 2019 at 6:39 PM
park bo gum as lee min in hello monster and yang se jong as lee sung hoon in duel :(( they commit villainous acts but i can't get myself to completely hate them. they are fragile and broken characters that i just can't help but want to hold and protect them :(
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bong-soo
July 3, 2019 at 8:27 PM
I agree. Both were victims.
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redfox
July 10, 2019 at 2:06 PM
Min is a total villain he ran away with all our hearts and hasn´t returned them since.
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crescendo
July 17, 2019 at 6:29 AM
totally true!! 😤
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40 MikeyD signed up
July 3, 2019 at 7:43 PM
As much as people may have disliked the ending of The K2, the character of Choi Yoo-jin, the presidential candidate's wife played by Song Yoon-ah, was on another level as far as villains go.
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41 bong-soo
July 3, 2019 at 8:44 PM
After these dramas finished airing I considered these three characters as shoo-ins into the Kdrama Hall of Fame of Villains:
1. LAWLESS LAWYER: Judge Cha Moon-sook (Lee Hye-young) (Legal Division) and ex Mayor Ahn Oh-joo (Choi Min-soo) (Political Division); and
2. COME AND HUG ME: Reporter Park Hee-young (Kim Seo-hung) (Reporter’s Division).
(I haven’t forgotten about psycho dad).
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42 wongskiee
July 4, 2019 at 2:54 AM
Yum Jung-ah from Sky Castle ofc!!!
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43 Cloggie
July 4, 2019 at 5:55 AM
Tilda?
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liar song #PuppyNotPuppyLeeJaeWookIsBack
July 4, 2019 at 5:59 AM
Screw you, Tilda 🤣
I miss Johnny sometimes...
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
July 4, 2019 at 11:55 AM
*wipes eyes*
How could I forget the duplicitous, evil Tilda: the true and only villain of INAR?
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44 Anisa
July 4, 2019 at 12:18 PM
Pretty Noona who bought Jung Hae-in food.
*runs away*
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45 KimJaeHooked
July 6, 2019 at 2:07 AM
Mo Taegu 😭
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46 FlyingTool
July 6, 2019 at 5:51 PM
A Question to the Dramabeans gods - does a Villain’s month imply Hero’s month in the future? Or a Victim’s month to celebrate or condemn the door mats and potted plants of kdrama?
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47 Chesens
July 8, 2019 at 5:08 PM
I am late in the comments but I just want to throw in Shunji from GAKSITAAAAAAL!
A villain I love and pity. And his demise, oh my heart breaks so...
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48 redfox
July 10, 2019 at 2:04 PM
"I´ll be there"...
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redfox
July 11, 2019 at 2:41 AM
actually, this could be my whole article. Makes the point all right
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49 coolgirl
July 26, 2019 at 10:38 AM
It's the last day of the submission but I wanted to pay an homage of the villains of Save Me 2: i won't name any character to not spoil the plot but it was an impressive panel of murderers, bullies, sex traffickers, drug traffickers, frauds, thiefs, sexual offenders but the most impressive that the hero could have a high place among all those them (it's not a spoiler).
And big shoutout too to the zombies in Kindgdom: they were incredibly good at eating their own children and parents!
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