=> The dramas listed as watched here may not reflect all the dramas I've seen. Been watching Korean dramas since 2005 but only started mydramalist a few years ago (not sure if 2018, 2019 or 2020).

=> I have lots of favorite actors and actresses (especially actresses) but I really love and am a long time fan of these actresses: 

1. Ha Ji Won 하지원 ( real name Jeon Hae Rim 전해림) - my favorite of the original hallyu actresses. I'm more of a sageuk fan and I think she's the only hallyu actress who is known for her sageuk work aside from her modern work during the 2000s. I love that she can be as pretty is a gisaeng in one show (Hwang Ji Ni) and then as tough as a stuntman in another (Secret Garden) and then as clumsy as a student in another (100 Days with Mr. Arrogant) and then has a strong aura as an empress in another (Empress Ki) and then as brave as a warrior in another (Damo). She is so versatile and has done lots of roles.  I hope she still is able to comeback with a good drama for the new generation of Netflix era kdrama watchers. 

2.  Moon Chae Won  문채원 - I just love watching her in sageuk  dramas. She is one actress with high quality sageuks and whose presence in them is one of the highlights in those sageuks (whether she's the main character or not). Even during her rookie days in Painter of the Wind, I really loved her, hence my sadness during Brilliant Legacy/Shining Inheritance because I know the viewers will hate her for being a second lead. Love that she eventually became a main actress in The Princess Man, her role here is the most perfect fit for her. Then her Baeksang worthy but barely noticed work in Flower of Evil has only made me curious to make me see more of her work. Really love her sweet voice and her melodrama acting that perfectly fits romance historical melodramas as well as modern drama (ex: Innocent Man)  and even thriller. She's also humble and kind which is why I like her very much. I wish that she's not underrated. I also hope she gets female centric roles (especially female centric roles in historical dramas, she really fits this genre more than modern dramas). Some of her other sageuk/partly sageuk works include her Blue Dragon winning role in War of the Arrows, Feng Shui/Myeongdang movie (she has a small but very memorable and important part), and Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter. 

3. Kim Yoo Jung (김유정) - this girl has been a treasure in the industry since she was young. I first saw her in Painter of the Wind. She was entrusted to the young version of many female leads, both sageuk and modern kdramas, meaning that it was partly her responsibility to make people get interested in continuing, and she delivered greatly. I have always liked seeing her in sageuk drama as "that cute young actress" but her acting in the kdrama Gumiho: Tale of the Fox's Child (aka Grudge the Revolt of Gumiho) has made me seriously respect her. At age 10, she was able to play all kinds of emotions an actress need to convey (including romance and love, amazing for a kid). She also convincingly played a feral gumiho (meaning she can make the appropriate animal sounds and really act like an animal), she is so amazing in the role. Some of her acting in this show is really impactful, no wonder she can do her beloved childhood role in Moon Embracing the Sun well. I hope in the future she'll get to play more versatile roles than what she's given now (2020s) (though she's still amazing now, especially Lovers of the Red Sky)  and give her better costars that can act well please!

4. Kim So Hyun (김소현) - she's also a very versatile actress since she was young. I like her even when she plays villains. When she was not yet super popular, what I felt for Moon Chae Won during Brilliant Legacy/Shining Inheritance, I also felt for her because I kind of understand her character in Moon Embracing the Sun having to be compared with a girl her age who seems so perfect in every way. She has captured both the nastiness and the pitiful element of her Moon/Sun character. She also played a rape victim very well in Missing You. For these two roles, I really admire her. And then I admire her more for doing River Where the Moon Rises, not only is it a tough warrior princess role, but she also had to reshoot many of her scenes because of her stupid original costar who had a bullying scandal. Glad she was nominated for Baeksang in the role. So Hyun will forever be one of my faves, hope she gets good costar actors in her dramas too. 

=> I'm still on my way on watching some of the dramas/films of the actresses above. But I also have other favorite actresses, the ones above are just the ones I like the most. 

=> Fan of historical dramas. Though recently, I only have plans to watch my faves historical dramas. However if there is a historical drama that seems really interesting, I will be willing to watch them. 

=> A historical drama written by Kim Young Hyun  (writer of Jewel in the Palace, Queen Seon Deok, Tree with Deep Roots, Six Flying Dragons,  Arthdal Chronicles (Season 1 Part 1, Season 1 Part 2, Season 1 Part 3, Season 2) is a must watch. I love the strong female characters, worldbuilding, political discussions of her shows. 

=> It's easier for me to stan female actresses than actors in general.  I have very high standards for male actors since in general it's easier for them to get popular. Hence most male actors on my lists of faves are veterans except for a few which I find really exceptional or at least extremely underrated. An actor not on my top list however doesn't mean I dont like them, it's just the ones on my list are the ones I find really great and outstanding.

=> I also watch non-historical dramas. Big factors for me in watching them though are that some of my favorites are there.

=> Due to nostalgia, it might be hard for me to replace my top dramas even if new dramas I watch are really great. Unless drama is ridiculously good (ex: 6 Flying Dragons)

=> Favorite actors don't necessarily have to be in my top 10 dramas. For example: Kim So Hyun is a fave actress, but she has never been in my top dramas. One think in common with fave actors is that it is their scenes that I always watch when trying to watch only parts of their dramas.

=> Dislikes in kdrama: I don't like idols being leads in kdramas It's not like I hate them (idols), there are some idols whose kdrama osts are songs I really love. I understand some of them have gotten better in acting (and I appreciate any improvement) but I can't help but think that they started getting lead roles in their first few dramas because their idol/singing fanbase is large.  I'll watch their drama if it's really interesting (and especially if I really love their costar).  I might find them really good in their dramas too (some of them are surprisingly really amazing) but it's hard for them to become my favorite actor no matter what they do. Especially when there are less popular actors with small fanbases that I love that never got lead roles (ex: Bae Soo Bin from 10 years ago and Lee Tae Ri now).  Also a bad idol actor will still get cast in hyped productions and be talked about and remembered. Whereas a non-idol, non-romcom actor (even if good) will rarely get the hype they deserve (unless they acted with a bigger name, and they are still the ones getting a lot of criticism despite sometimes better than the bigger name). I don't like their fanbase either, always bullying the non-idol costar. And it has happened to many times, my non-idol fave being negatively compared to the idol actor/actress. Just a little disclaimer, if an idol actor happens to be a child actor before he became an idol and I have seen the drama he was in, I might not even see him/her as an idol actor.

=> Dislikes in kdrama 2: I don't like people underestimating my faves just because they are not popular for romcoms, not one of the original hallyu stars, or not having starred in a popular hyped drama post 2016. 

=> Dislikes in kdrama 3: The recent trend of dividing dramas into parts and seasons. It's not nice to wait for a few months for season 2 or other upcoming seasons. I also don't like lead actors being replaced for their roles  (no matter how much I like their replacements) except if they did bad things (ex: Na In Woo replacing the male lead in River where the Moon Rises) or the unconfirmed dates of filming the next seasons cause the actors from the previous season to not being able to commit for the newly announced season anymore (ex: Song Joong Ki and Kim Ji Won leaving Arthdal because they couldn't wait for season 2 confirmation date as they needed to focus on getting projects to be more well known). Nevertheless, if I started a show, I'll try my best to finish even if they replace casts if I feel the first season story is incomplete. 

=> Additional: I also don't like actors/actresses that are bullies/rapists/gaslighters. A drama they starred in will still be a fave if I have watched and loved a drama they starred in before they are later found it to be bullies/rapists and I might even praise their acting there. However, I will avoid their work at all costs unless they act with an actor/actress I really love. I do wish my non-problematic faves (especially actresses) will be favored by the casting gods over these bullies/rapists/gaslighters.

=> Most of my favorite actors and actresses are great in historical dramas. Also, most of them have been in historical dramas on or before 2012, when people think "historical dramas are boring".  There's some of them who haven't been in older historical dramas though (ex: Kim Tae Ri, because she started acting later than 2012).

=> I look forward to watch kdramas of my faves or historical dramas I find interesting. I don't care if it's an old or new kdrama (I'm a bit slower in kdrama watching in 2023 because I found a new obsession with British Historical Shows, especially those either shown in the 1990s or classic novel adaptations). 

=> Outside Asian dramas and movies, I love Disney movies, period dramas in general (especially Jane Austen adaptations and other British period dramas and movies), 2000s Barbie movies, and some musicals (ex: Les Misérables , Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Anastasia Musical, etc.). I also really like actress Liza Soberano from the Philippines (she's my favorite among the actresses of her generation that were very well known in the Philippines throughout the 2010s). I can't wait for more Hollywood roles from her after her critically loved acting in Lisa Frankenstein. 

=> NOTES

      = list of dramas watched may not be accurate, I have seen a lot of kdramas before starting mydramalist. If there's a drama that's suddenly completed in my list (without having the drama appear with episode currently watching) it means I watched the drama long ago. A drama that I have finished before night also appear in currently watching if I'm rewatching again.

       = I also have actors that I really like that may not currently appear on my favorites list. The actors in my faves list are usually my top faves or actors that impresses me in my top 10 historical dramas.

PS: I'm 123gir_hermione at letterboxd