From somewhere far north in Scotland.

I'm older that you think, so I tend to favour more mature and realistic dramas. Teenage or young adult fantasy characters (ie: the confident, kick a** sarcastic woman, and the cold, strong  and arrogant Alpha) do not swing it for me. 

I'm not into Kpop at all, or pop in general. Give me alternative rock, symphonic metal, and the odd, original song. They all sound the same nowadays and are all pop. Eeeek. I'm a rock girl at heart, always has, always will be.

My ratings.

• I rate with my heart rather than with my head. If a show entertained me well, I will give it a high rating, even if the concept, plot or execution weren't original or high quality. The overall feel in my gut sways my mark giving.
• I am now only completing series that deserve at least a 7. There are too many series I want to watch to waste time on something meh, so if a show hasn't grabbed me by episode 2 (unless I'm really torn), I will drop it without a care. A 7 is still a good mark for me.
• Check out my notes on My Watchlist. I've put short comments on most series and movies.

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My top favourite actors: the ones who make me check their past works, and probably sway me to watch every one of their future movies and dramas just because it's them. 

KANG HA NEUL

I watched him in When the Camellia Blooms, Forgotten, Like for Likes, Midnight Runners, Twenty, New Trial, The Girl's Ghost Story and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. The finesse, skill and sensitivity in his acting is stellar. He doesn't have to say a word to convey his feelings and make me empathize with his character: a subtle change in his voice, in his body language or on his face is all he does and yet he manages to express so much. His laugh makes me weak at the knees, and he has this innate gentle kindness which is hard to resist. A manly, classy, (very) handsome man and flawless actor, the best in my list. My top favourite: he blows me away every time.

*****

KIM BUM

I discovered him in Tale of the Nine Tailed where he played my favourite type of character: the broken villain. His face is so expressive, he can play a smug, confident man who is desperately trying to hide the hurt he's feeling. In The Gifted Hands, he was lost and depressed like a cute puppy. So far, he has broken my heart more times than I can count, and he's done it without ever going overboard with his acting. Now in Hidden Identity, he's a broken, hard hitting, a little crazy cop, and he rings just as true as his other roles.

*****

YANG SE JONG

Watched him in Thirty but Seventeen, where he played a sweet, awkward and aloof character. In Duel, he portrays 3 characters with opposite personalities and he is incredible for all of them. In My Country: The New Age, he was a warrior with a heart of gold but an innate sadness impossible to miss.
He might still be a rookie in the business (not that it's obvious, as he amazed me in everything I watched), but I think he has huge potential so I am now actively following him. 

*****

WOO DO HWAN

His best lead role so far is in My Country: The New Age. His character broke my heart time and time again, right until his final, beautiful scene. In Sweet Stranger and Me, his supporting role of a complex, wicked yet despairing character made me want to watch more of him. In Mad Dog, I loved how he portrayed a cool, fearless scammer. His potential and charisma are undeniable, and he's got this deep , sexy voice too... ).

*****

KIM YOUNG KWANG

I watched him in Pinocchio, White Christmas, The Secret Life of My Secretary and Sweet Stranger and Me. I think he has the potential to lead more serious and complex dramas than the light-hearted roles he's had so far. (Edit: job done with The Guardians. He's fab in here. I knew he could handle a darker role!). He always manages to make me feel for his character, with his unique, cute expressions, and he breathes each character he plays. Shame he seems to favour the syrupy rom-coms these days, when he can do better. If he carries on with them, he'll drop off my top 5.

*****

HONG JONG HYUN

His acting looks quite nonchalant, his feelings tightly wrapped but he somehow manages to express a lot. Not sure how? I discovered him in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, where he played a villain with all the inner darkness necessary, but with enough subtlety that he rang surprisingly true. In Alice: Boy in Wonderland, he was just mesmerising and eerie. I wish he'd get more parts. 

Special mention: they have the phwoar factor

Lee Seung Gi

I completely fell for the hot headed, cheeky character he played in A Korean Odyssey, and I also loved him as a more mysterious, guarded policeman in You're all Surrounded, and as a hot action hero in Vagabond. His latest role as a psychopath in Mouse might be his best role so far. His acting has definitely matured.

He might not be the best actor out there, but his acting is always so full of life I just can't resist him. And he's got a killer, KILLER smile. And killer looks. Cue huge fan girl mode.

*****

Sung Hoon

Realistically, he isn't one of my favourite actors, as in the dramas I've watched (Faith, Noble, my love and I picked up a Star on the Road), his performance was okay, nothing to shout about. However, he is very very quite good looking. So sorry, not sorry, as my actor eye candy, I am following him.

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My top favourite actresses: the ones I'm always happy to watch because I like their acting style and I have a soft spot for them.

MOON CHAE WON

I watched her in Flower of Evil, Good Doctor and Mood of the Day. I loved all her characters from the get go. She always shows toughness and determination while remaining friendly, cute and sweet, and without falling into the trap of being boring or a doormat. So far, she played mature women with experience and natural. I just think she has this little je-ne-sais quoi, a girl-next-door vibe I can't help but engage with. 

 She's my official number one.

*****

IU

She played in two of my favourite dramas: Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and Hotel del Luna, and she blew me away. This actress has a natural sophistication, she is natural in showing different kind of emotions, and can portray multi-layered characters well. She lights up the screen every time she shows. A born actress, who has made very, very clever choices of shows to play in.

*****

GONG SEUNG YEON

This actress can be fantastic when she tones down her acting. Her outbursts didn't ring true in My Only Love Song, but when she needed to show vulnerability, she shone, the way she did in Circle. I am keeping an eye on her because once she finds the role that talks to her (so far, she hasn't played very complex characters), I think she'll truly blossom.  
Lastly, I think she is truly pretty, without being one of these cutesy Korean clones.

*****

LEE YOO BI

I particularly like her when she plays the feisty, bratty, cheeky girl, like she did in Twenty, and Pinocchio. She makes me smile and laugh with her funny expressions and seems to genuinely have a blast on screen. Her dynamism is contagious.

*****

SHIN YE EUN

This actress's acting is still maturing: her feelings don't always ring true, especially in comedy (like in Meow, the Secret Boy), but she's very close already in the emotional scenes (He is Psychometric). She has the uncanny ability to make her characters likeable and is very much the girl next door. I'm sure that with experience, she'll become one of the best, so I am following her from now on.