Favorite Actors
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Dilraba Dilmurat
Chinez
The first drama I saw her in was "The Flame's Daughter" (which was also my first c-drama). I was too sick at the time to do much other than lie in bed and I ran out of episodes, so I began watching "Eternal Love," in which she plays a supporting role. Following the completion of that series, I watched "The King's Woman," which is much too tragic a story for my taste, but she was excellent in it as well. Whether the role calls for girly frivolity or steely determination, she can pull it off with grace. I have seen her in a couple of roles I didn't care for much at all, but I think it probably had more to do with the writing/directing than her acting ability.
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Shin Hye Sun
Sud corean
This actress is so expressive and versatile! Without doubt, she is among the most talented actors I've come across. I first enjoyed her in "Angel's Last Mission," but she was even more impressive in "Mr. Queen," in which she convincingly plays two roles (as one might guess, one being a man, one a woman). And as much as I enjoyed her in that, I loved her even more in "Thirty But Seventeen." Whether a scene calls for hilarious antics or heartrending drama, she is basically perfect.
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Zhao Lu Si
Chinez
I first saw her in "The Romance of Tiger and Rose" when it aired and immediately adored her. She has so much natural charisma and great comedic timing. I tried "Oh! My Emperor" since she's the lead and Xiao Zhan (another favorite) also has a prominent role, but I just couldn't get into it. She played a very different type of character in "The Long Ballad," but she was still excellent in the role. At the time of this writing, I am watching "Love Like the Galaxy" and enjoying it quite a lot in large part because of her character and her acting.
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Lee Min Ho
Sud corean
I actually probably first saw him in "Boys Over Flowers," but honestly, despite its popularity, I never enjoyed that drama much. I've tried to watch it three times and never got through it. The first role I enjoyed watching him in was "Faith," but I've seen him in a few others, too. He has an effortless sort of charisma.
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Park Bo Young
Sud corean
She's adorable; something about her energy - her mannerisms, the way she talks - is funny and refreshing. She quickly became a favorite. I first saw her in "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon," and then soon after in "Oh My Ghostess." (It's worth noting how convincing she was playing two distinct characters in that show; it reminded me of Tatiana Maslany in "Orphan Black.") I look forward to seeing her in future dramas.
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Yoo In Na
Sud corean
I first saw her in "Goblin," I think, and then in "You Who Came from the Stars," but it was "Touch Your Heart" that made her one of my favorites. Despite being a lackluster drama overall, I adored her as the main character. I love how girly and quirky she is, and she has such a cute, pretty voice.
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Shin Sung Rok
Sud corean
I first saw him in "The Last Empress" and was impressed by his ability to fluctuate between the truly despicable antagonistic side of his character and the surprisingly humorous, childlike, frivolous side of him. His distinct appearance and voice make him perfectly suited for villainous roles, like his character in "Liar Game," but it seems he could probably do well with any type of character.
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Xiao Zhan
Chinez
So far, his strongest performance that I've seen has been in "The Untamed," which is in itself enough to make him one of my favorite actors. The problem I'm having with his other works is not that his acting isn't good, but the dramas are overall not very compelling to me. I'll still probably give anything he's in a try, though.
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Yoo Seung Ho
Sud corean
I first saw him in "The Emperor: Owner of the Mask." The drama itself was far from perfect, but I felt that his performance was pretty solid. Some months later, I saw him in "I'm Not a Robot," which secured him as a favorite for me. He was also great in "My Strange Hero." His comedic timing is on point and he's exceptionally emotive with his million-watt smile and his general woobie-ness.
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Lee Dong Wook
Sud corean
The first role I saw him in was in "My Girl" (my second k-drama), and he was very cute and charming in the leading male role. I've been a fan since. He does seem to always pretty much play the same type of character (aloof, introverted, polite, "sugar-and-ice"), making me wonder what it would be like for him to play a different type of character, but he's one of my favorites anyway.
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Ethan Juan
Taiwan
I first saw Ethan Ruan (or Juan?) in "Fu Yao"; he brought great charisma, emotion, and expressiveness to his role, which ended up being one of the main reasons to keep watching for me. Despite how poorly the ending was executed, I really enjoyed Yang Mi's Fu Yao and Ethan Ruan's Wu Ji. I knew that it was the combination of Ruan's acting and his character that appealed to me, but I was still compelled to find more of his work. I began watching Yang Mi's "Negotiator" and his "Fated to Love You" at the same time, but the latter grabbed my attention first. Although his acting was good, his character was unfortunately vastly less interesting and likable. I'll keep an eye out for other things he's been in, though.
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Yang Mi
Chinez
I thought she was great as Bai Qian in "Eternal Love," but her acting in "Fu Yao" was even better. There is something about Yang Mi's mannerisms that I really like. It's a sort of languid, understated confidence. In the case of both Bai Qian and Fu Yao, the character begins the story with a youthful, childish, cheeky, and mischievous persona, which she also pulls off very well.
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Lee Joon Gi
Sud corean
"My Girl" is also the first drama I saw Lee Joon Gi in. Following that, I watched "The King and the Clown," and more recently in "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo." Even though I did not care for the latter, I'm always impressed with his acting.
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Yoon Eun Hye
Sud corean
One of my earlier favorites. I first saw her in "Goong" (my first k-drama) and I've watch several of her other dramas, but it's been a while since I've seen her in anything.
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Lee Da Hae
Sud corean
I appreciated her performance so much in "My Girl" that it was reason enough to consider her a favorite, but I enjoyed seeing her again along side Lee Dong Wong in "Hotel King" as well.
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Kim Go Eun
Sud corean
In "Cheese in the Trap," Go Eun comes across as very natural and down-to-earth in her role as an overachieving college student trying to make ends meet. I watched "Goblin" immediately after, not realizing that she was the female lead, and felt her performance was even stronger in it. It covers an extensive period of time, and she nails both the youthful, playful vibe of the character's younger years as well as the more mature, emotional scenes later on.
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Baron Chen
Taiwan
I've watched "Bromance" twice now, and I enjoyed his performance as the charismatic and sensitive Zi Feng. I watched his earlier work in "Fated to Love You" sometime later, where he played Dylan, the love rival to Ethan Ruan's male lead. Aside from Dylan's misguided romantic pursuit of the protagonist, he is charming and kind, much like Zi Feng. His supporting character was also enjoyable to watch in "The Pillow Book."
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Geng Le
Chinez
I first saw Geng Le in "Legend of Fei," where he was a bit of a stereotypical villain, but I was impressed with his acting and charisma nevertheless. He was even better in "The Long Ballad"; his nuanced character was one of the highlights of the drama. Unfortunately I haven't watched any other drama that he's been in, but I do hope to see more of his work someday.