Forever Favorites | Actresses & Actors

• First Time: Boys over Flowers (2009)
• Notable Works: Boys over Flowers (2009), Personal Taste (2010), City Hunter (2011), Gangnam 1970 (2015)
• Yet to Watch: Pachinko (2022, 2024)

• First Time: Signal (2016)
• Notable Work: Signal (2016), I Can Speak (2017), Taxi Driver (2021), Move to Heaven (2021), Rented in Finland (2024), Show!terview with Jessi (Ep 23 - 2020)

• First Time: The 100th Love with You (2017)
• Notable Work: The 100th Love with You (2017), Tonight, at Romance Theatre (2018), Signal (2018-2021), Dr Chocolate (2023), Only Just Married (2021), CODE: Japan - the Price of Wishes (2023), The Parades (2024)

There are more, and believe me all are a must watch!

• First Time: She Was Pretty (2015) [Support Role]
• Notable Work: Mr Queen (2021), Still 17 (2018), Angel's Last Mission: Love (2019), Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023), Brave Citizen (2023)

• First Time: Love and Leashes (2022)
• Notable Work: Love and Leashes (2022), Pump up the Healthy Love (2025), Avengers Social Club (2017), Brave Citizen (2023), May I Help You (2022), Weak Hero Class 2 ((2025)
  
  Support Roles in these, but left a lasting impression: DP (2021), Mask Girl (2023), When Life Gives You Tangerine (2025)

• First Time: Strangers from Hell (2019)
• Notable Work: Strangers from Hell (2019), Misaeng: The Incomplete Life (2014), The Attorney (2013), Boyhood (2023)

• First Time: Strong Girl Bong Soon (2017)
• Notable Work: A Werewolf Boy (2012), Hot Young Bloods (2014), Oh My Ghost (2015), On Your Wedding Day (2018), Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023), Light Shop (2024), Abyss (2019)

• First Time: L♥DK: Two Loves Under One Roof  (2019)
• Notable Work: Barakamon (2023), Love's in Sight (2021), L♥DK: Two Loves Under One Roof  (2019)

• First Time: Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)
• Notable Work: Kill Me, Heal Me (2015), Familiar Wife (2018), Defendant (2017), The Devil Judge (2021)

• First Time: Healer (2014)
• Notable Work: Healer (2014), Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023), The Worst of Evil (2023), The K2 (2016)

The K2 and Healer - only for JCW visuals & actions, they both are popular dramas but I personally didn't enjoy them much. Would be totally skippable without JCW holding it together.

• First Time: You Are My Destiny (2014)
• Notable Work: You are my Destiny (2014), VIP (2019), Go Back Couple (2017)

• First Time: She was Pretty (2015)
• Notable Work: She was Pretty (2015), Kill Me Heal Me (2015)

• First Time: Goong (2006)
• Notable Work: Goong (2006), Mask (2015), Kingdom (2019), Blood Free (2024), Light Shop (2024), The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (2025), Dark Figure of Crime (2018), Along with the Gods (2017 & 2018)

• First Time:  Shopaholic Louie (2016)
• Notable Work: Shopaholic Louie (2016), Death's Game 1 & 2 (2023-24)

• First Time: The Secret Life of My Secretary (2019)
• Notable Work: The Secret Life of My Secretary (2019), The Guardians (2017), Gogh The Starry Night (2016), Room No 9 (2018), Soul-Mate (2018), On Your Wedding Day (2018), Hot Young Bloods (2014)

• First Time: Mr Bad (2022)
• Notable Work: Mr Bad (2022), Hidden Love (2023), Our Secret (2021), Dark Night & Dawn (2024), The White Olive Tree (2025)

TBH, I am not a fan of Hidden Love, cause I cannot wrap my head around the fact that the ML dates the FL when she's really young. MDL-ers helped me why this is so (apparently age of consent for women in China is very young). Plus I was not a fan of how the FL was doing all cutesy things that were borderline stalkerish and weird. Still I respect both the actor and actress, not their fault, it is how the characters are written and the societal context. And CZY is amazing - whatever character he does - his eye acting, the best I have seen amongst Asian actors.

He's an actor that I have seen since my childhood. I mean it was almost as if I opened my eyes and was introduced to Jackie Chan films - as this was something my parents were already a fan of. And so it was natural for me to fall in love with his films. 

He is the master of comedy and action - and is an actor that is epitome of iconic. He is a legend - there would be no one like him. We all are really lucky to have him, and see his work and be able to say that we lived in a age and years, where Jackie Chan does too.

First Time: Way Back Love
Notable Works: No Mercy (2025), Untangled Love (2025), Way Back Home (2025), Filing for Love (2026)

Within the same year saw him in "No Mercy" and "Untangled Love" in 2025. And all of them ended up being my must watch dramas/movies of that year. Currently watching him in "Filing for Love" in 2026 where he's paired against another favorite of mine Shin Hae Sun.

I was quite surprised to know he was part of 5urprise, as from that group I think I have seen a lot Seo Kang Joon but somehow I missed Gong Myung. But better late than never - cause this guy is terrific. He's got the looks and acting - and in a way I have seen him as the good and ad guy both. He is phenomenal and I know I will always prioritize his projects going forward.

First Time: Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Notable Works: Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Do You Like Brahms

I know I have mentioned and technically seen her only in 2 works out of her vast filmography. But then I have rewatched EAW many times, and lost count of how many times I saw DYLB that makes her one of my absolute favorites. She's someone who's truly talented and can pull off any role she's given. At the same time she gives off this vibe of being someone soft and shy. She's really versatile and that's what made me put her on the list. I am slowly watching her other dramas/movies and will be updating this list shortly.

First Time: As an Astro member. Drama-wise: My ID is Gangnam Beauty
Notable Works: My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018), True Beauty (2020), First Ride (2025), Rented in Finland (2024), Master in the House (2017-2023), Handsome Tigers (2020)

I will say it here and hope no one comes to fight me - please don't, I have zero energy lol. He's NOT a good actor. He's not, and some might argue why I am putting him on this list among others who I call talented/versatile actors. Somehow, I don't know if it's the hype or his visuals but I can never say no to a drama or movie that has him in it. I guess that's what you call visual star-power. Like none of the dramas I have seen him in has made me stand up and saw oh now he's acting so well. No he is not - but yet I cannot help but be captivated by him - or rather I feel he chooses his projects very well. At the same time, I cannot say he's too bad. He's able to pull it off decently, in spite of what anyone would say is stiff acting. It is what it is - and yet am oddly coming back like a moth to a flame and watching the dramas/movies and in turn, him. In fact I liked him in " First Ride (2025)"

Nonetheless, I like CEW - always have. Though for me he's Dong Min. I liked him the best in the variety shows where he's more like himself - like Rented in Finland and Master in the House. There is no denying it - he's handsome AF, and i simply can't look away and therefore, even when I know the show is not up my alley or will be terrible - I have watched them.

He's here simply cause i DO end up watching his works - so that way he becomes one of my favorites. He's hard to ignore.