#2023 Drama Round-up
Day 2. Male lead I’ll never forget

K-drama ML I’ll never forget – Lee Jang-hyun from My Dearest. Get you a man who hears the sound of flowers when he looks at you. From the moment he hugged Gil-chae, when she told him about her assault, Jang-hyun had my whole heart.
Though I have to admit Jang Ju-won from Moving came close.

C-drama ML I’ll never forget – This was a tough one – Tantai Jin, Shi Ying, Li Lianhua were all amazing but my heart belongs to Xie Zhiyao from Meet Yourself. Also someone I’d like to be friends with! A ML who doesn’t need the FL to ‘fix’ him, who is striving for himself and his people, who truly builds a relationship of equals. Bonus points for making one of the most beautiful confessions of love I’ve seen.

I realize that my memorable MLs are just mirroring my memorable FLs. I guess there’s nothing that beats a story about two halves that make a whole.






17
7

    Awww 🥰
    When 2023 started this was the first drama I finished. And right then I knew Zhi Yao was going to be the best OF 2024. I made him my cover and no one has taken that spot since.
    There was something so calm, mature, earnest, nurturing quality about him, just seeing him on screen made me feel warm. When he told his friend why he asssumes she should leave everything and come to him he had my whole heart. And Li Xian brough this role to life. He really has the sweetest smile.

    3
    1

      Warm is such an accurate description of the character! That conversation with his friend was exactly what I was thinking of when I wrote about ‘relationship of equals’. It was such a simple statement but made the friend also realise his internalised biases. Li Xian did a stellar job – love that he wasn’t afraid to be goofy or cute too.

      1
      0

    Perfect choices and your last paragraph is just *chef’s kiss* 🤌

    2
    0

    I have picked Zhi Yao (Li Xian) too. He was practically perfect, but in a realistic way. I understand why the FL fell for him.

    2
    0

    Even if Zhi Yao is at the top of your list in this category, thank you for giving one of your honourable mentions to Shi Ying 🥹🥹🥹🥹

    2
    1

      I had to! Feel like he got buried in a year of great dramas but Shi Ying is a very well-written character and Xiao Zhan played him with a lot of subtlety and charm.

      2
      1

        I agree!
        It’s so easy to portray such a character— isolated, alone, etc.— in a very stoic, unfeeling, and cold way (see Wallace Huo in “The Journey of Flower”), but Xiao Zhan breathed so much warmth, gentleness, relatability, and a sense of yearning and love into Shi Ying 🥹

        1
        0