Actors to watch

First saw him as the son of the main antagonist in Itaewon Class. He stole every scene and WENT there. Such a damaged, vulnerable, self-hating, unhinged role, but wow, I'm hooked. He's just a blast in everything he is in.

Former golden gloves equivalent boxer in South Korea and you can tell. Big, big hands, and he's got a slightly drooping left eyelid from getting tagged. Adds to his drop deadness. And from Busan to boot. Adorable.

Okay, Fang Yi Lun has been in some ... poorly written shows, to say the least.

HOWEVER.
Shisan. From Journey to Love. Every time he comes on screen, rose petals descend from the sky (almost literally). Shisan easily could have been a clown in any other actor's hands, but Yi Lun gave him pathos and gravitas along with lightness in just the right proportions. Credit the writer, for certain. But Yi Lun gave the director and editor everything they needed. His nuanced facial expressions, body language, the hands ... he embodied the character perfectly. Magnificent.

So I'll give him a chance in anything he does. Zhan Zhao Adventures was fun. Will anything ever measure up to Shisan in Journey? Probably not (but wouldn't that be great).

Woof. This guy has RANGE. First saw him as the Marquis antagonist in The Rise of Ning and became ... a little fixated, not gonna lie. A creepy character, but Sha has so much intensity and charisma you almost want him to win. Can't look away. Then in Condor Heroes as the simple but earnest Guo Jin? Yep. This is the guy.

Finishing up A Splendid Match now, where he actually ends up with Ren Min's character for once (after missed connections in their other two dramas together). Chen Yan Yun is an almost completely restrained and reserved character, except for a few insanely compelling moments, and Ci Sha does a great job of showing the intensity just below the surface of his calm.

And his hands. Rarely do you see an actor that uses his hands so effectively. Every adjustment of his sleeves, the way he holds a brush, everything is placed for effect. Will follow wherever he goes.

First saw in Fairy and Devil and he was amazing as Esther Yu. His embodiment of her physical tics and habits during their body swaps was great. Haven't seen him in anything like it since, but he seems to choose projects that I'm not as interested in. Hope our interests align again soon.

This girl is the real deal. A boxer, take-no-shit-from-anyone, sometimes inappropriate (but for good reasons) survivor of childhood abuse in real life. (Truly, the police reports of her mother's crimes are AWFUL). She breathes intensity into everything she touches. I automatically take a look if she's in something.

Good grief. This man is possibly perfect, like Li Yun Rui. Please stop taking your shirt off. I'll never get through an episode if you keep doing that.
He was an absolute gas in Shen Li as Lord Sparkle Princess (Fu Rong Jun), which was the first role I saw him in. He played the character's comic-relief-to-hero arc beautifully, and after that, I'll watch almost anything he's in. He's another actor with total commitment to the emotional truth of a scene, no matter what, and no matter how it makes him look. A keeper.

Hou Ming Hao is one of those +5 to charisma actors. If he's onscreen, you look at him. Period. Part of the reason is that half of his face is his expressive eyes, but the rest is his total commitment to the role, whatever it is. He's got a compact, live-wire physicality that practically vibrates onscreen as well. Doesn't hurt that he's also shameless about his body, much like a dancer (which he is, having gone through idol training for years).

Off screen he seems rather aloof. He's intensely protective of his private life, and that comes across in bts vids and interviews. For me, that just makes him more compelling.

What else is there to say? Crash Landing was my first Hyun Bin drama and that was it. It's no wonder he's a pinup in practically every Asian country. The Japanese drama The Makanai has a hilarious reference to this. When the elderly Makanai grandmother opens her closet and we see she's turned it into a shrine to Hyun Bin ... Well. Yeah. We get it, Grandma.

Here's how one story about him goes: He was quite slender as a young actor, but after he got back from the military, where he served as a sniper, he had put on quite a bit of muscle and had broadened out. He got some flack for this in the industry, but when an agent asked him to slim down, he said, "Look. This is what a grown man looks like. Take it or leave it." Then he did Crash Landing. So.

Doesn't hurt that he's a practically drooling wife-guy/doting father in real life.

Strangers From Hell. Absolutely terrifying. And then the fantastic town business leader in Our Blues. Range. Range to BURN. Following her around in whatever she shows up in next.

The Master. This man grew up as a highly awarded child actor and made a seamless transition into adult roles. Love Like the Galaxy is an absolute classic, and without his intensity and sheer obsessed drive, it wouldn't have been the same show (same goes for Lu Si). Will watch almost anything he's in.

So appealing! Not a fan of her cutesey roles, but still is watchable. She makes it so easy to be on her side in any role, though it would be interesting to see her as an antagonist. A bit of a scene chewer, but that's okay. Who doesn't get noshy from time to time.

First saw him as the insufferable (but so great) Yuan Shen in Love Like the Galaxy and thought "this guy needs lead roles, stat."

And I mean damn. Blossom was the best possible breakthrough into ml stardom. Totally watchable and, no lie, absolutely beautiful to boot. Absolutely. Beautiful.

He's been in some ... questionable projects to date, but I'll still check out whatever he does.

This man is among my top three of all time in C-dramas. I follow him in EVERYTHING HE DOES. An authentic human being that came up without the support of an agency. Self-made is rare, and he did it at a much older age. Fantastic person and utterly mesmerizing onscreen. A Journey to Love is what took him over the top for me.

He's unusual looking, beautiful and rugged in turn, sometimes in the same scene. His imperfections (his slightly buck teeth) lend him vulnerability. He has that tall man physicality that can be so fun, especially in action scenes, which he nails. Oddly, he can't dance to save his life.

Also adore his music and OST work. Baritones always knock me out.

First noticed her in Perfect Match and my goodness! This actress has some of the most natural acting I've seen, almost like she's a charming, witty friend we're watching. Honestly haven't seen her in anything where I haven't been half mesmerized.

Jesus effing Christ. What a scene chewer, but in the best possible way. I was OBSESSED with him in My Dearest and watched as many of his ml dramas as I could find. Absolutely deserved all those best actor awards. Also, is, no lie, utterly effing beautiful.

Met him at a film industry event in the US a few years ago. What a lovely man! Saw him as a serial killer at the premiere of Exist Within and decided to follow him.

IU's best friend and absolutely ADORABLE. First saw her as a scene-stealer in Goblin, then started following her dramas. She's got a very South Korean kind of vulnerability powered by strength that is unique and ... just ... charming as heck.

I always thought of him as a lovely vase—fun to watch, occasionally compelling, but more like a nice piece of candy.

Yikes. Now he is an ACTOR.  Pursuit of Jade (a flawed but also brilliant show) has taken him over the top for me. He's intense, compelling, and his facial expression and body language nuance and control is off the charts. Wow. Also loved him in The Best Thing. Totally different role. The fact that he was in school for electrical engineering and still does public science communication and education ... what a doll. He's been in some stinkers, but I'll still check out whatever projects he works on.

Our queen. Most decorated actress of her generation. Haven't watched everything she's done, but I'll watch 80% of it.

I will watch Zhao Lu Si in anything. And I mean anything. Putting on her socks. Eating dumplings with her fingers. Slitting someone's throat when they threaten her little sister. Whatever. Her attention to a character's physicality, the little nuances of motion and expression, it's uncanny. She has a couple of physical imperfections that make her characters come across as unique and intensely human.

She's Been Through It and come out the other side, thank goodness. Here's to what's next!