My Lists: 15 favorite songs from the second half of 2014

Yes, yes. I forgot to write up my list of favorite songs for the second half of 2014. As I've said in my last post, I got super lazy last month and into the new year. So here I am, trying to squeeze this post before the first month ends completely.

As was with the first half of 2014, the second half of the year was just as kpop-filled and my playlist just kept getting bigger and bigger. And so, without further babbling, here are my 15 favorite songs from the second half of 2014.

Apink - "Luv"

Taemin - "Danger"

Super Junior - "This Is Love"

Sistar - "Touch My Body"

Winner (Mino Solo) - "I'm Him"

Taemin - "Ace"

Kara - "Mamma Mia"

BTS - "Danger"

Masta Wu (ft. Dok2, Bobby) - "Come Here"

Beast - "12:30"

GD x Taeyang - "Good Boy"

Epik High - "Happen Ending"

Hi Suhyun - "I'm Different"

Winner - "Empty"

Epik High - "Born Hater"

What were your favorite songs from 2014?

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Warning: Taemin's "Danger" Ahead

Taemin dropped his debut solo music video for "Danger" late last week, and the mini album ACE followed suit just earlier today. And good lord is it everything I never knew I wanted from this kid. While last week saw mostly Winner in constant rotation on my music player (I'm still addicted to their album), looks like this week will see a massive amount of the SHINee maknae.

There are so many things to love about the album and the accompanying music video. One: the very fact that Taemin is proving to the world that he's not just SHINee's main dancer anymore and that he has very much earned the title of singer and that he deserves this. Two: that even while many complained about his going solo before Onew or Jonghyun, Taemin broke out into the solo scene with an outstanding single that is sure to rocket through all the charts. Three: Taemin is showing us that he's no longer that 14-year-old kid who loves steak and burgers and frequently loses his stuff if not glued to his hands, he's an adult (but sorry, sweetie, seeing you shirtless still makes me feel like I should be kneeling in a confessional box even though I'm not Catholic).  And lastly, that Taemin is clearly in his element, singing and dancing the way he wants to, and being able to pay homage to his idol in an obvious Michael-Jackson-inspired track via lead single "Danger." Even the music video, a few fashion choices aside, is fantastic..

Aside from the title track, each and every song on the mini album is golden and are the kind of songs I've always imagined Taemin would do were he to ever go solo. The sexy pre-released track "Ace," with lyrics penned by DBSK's Changmin, is a favorite. It throws back to SHINee's own "Symptoms" and I can very well imagine it being sung by the entire group, but nonetheless Taemin totally rocks it solo.

Taemin has already performed his new songs on several stages this past weekend, including Inkigayo, Music Bank, and a SMTown concert in Seoul. Sadly, as is the SM Tradition, these were mostly lip-synced because that's the way SM just does things to avoid mistakes during initial debut/comeback promotions. We all know that Taemin, along with the rest of SHINee, can very well hold their own during live performances. It doesn't matter how intense the choreography is, Taemin can hit those notes. So, hopefully, as we go into the second week of promotions, we get some actual live performances from it. I'm so excited for this, you guys.

I never realized how huge a fan of Taemin I was until this solo thing happened. I've always considered SHINee as one of my Top 3 k-pop boy groups, but I was never really sure of who my SHINee bias was. With this solo though, it's kind of looking like he very well might be my bias. (But then there's a huge chance I'd feel the same way if Onew or Jonghyun make their solo debuts.)

Gaaahhh. I might not be Kim-Jonghyun-level of going gaga over Taemin, but I'm pretty damn close. (I'm not even kidding with how much Jonghyun is fanboying over their maknae, this is him in a nutshell. He's been tweeting so much in support of Taemin and it's super sweet how he declared himself the president of the Taemin fanclub. I heard he cried when he first watched the "Danger" music video.) But see, we all feel like proud parents here. I might not have been there since the beginning, but after falling in love with SHINee, I've watched a boatload of videos on YouTube and got a crash course on the group. So I've seen videos of Taemin as a kid. And now he's all grown up. I'm feeling kind of verklempt right now.

Lee Taemin, fighting!

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Currently Watching: The Heirs, Mi-rae's Choice, Pretty Man, Reply 1994

It's gotten really bad, this addiction of mine. I think this is the most number of dramas that I've ever attempted to watch simultaneously. By simultaneously, I don't mean I have 5 different screens simultaneously airing 5 different dramas. But If I could do that and still completely understand what I'm watching, I would. That would cut down on my drama-watching time significantly.

Aside from watching currently airing dramas, I'm also watching an older drama that has been on my to-watch list for so long. Also, I'm revisiting a favorite from last year. So without further ado, here are the dramas that are currently taking up most of my time.

1. The Heirs - As frustrating as it is to watch two overgrown teenage boys playing tug-o-war - sometimes emotionally and most times literally - with a tiny girl, I'm stuck to this drama like glue. For one, it does have a stellar cast - although most of them are underutilized and left in the background.

Aside from the main love triangle, I'm loving all the minor relationships in the drama. The mothers are awesome. Yoon Chan-young and Lee Bo-na are adorable. Well, Lee Bo-na is just all-around wonderful - and here I thought I was going to dislike her. I'm glad they took Krystal's character in a different direction because it's quite too easy to make her haughty, possessive, self-important role and turn her into a mean girl. It also must be said that characters like Lee Hyo-shin and Jo Myung-soo keep me sane.

We have 6 more episodes and I'm hoping we find some believable character growth in our main leads before the finale. If not, I will have wasted 20 hours of my drama-watching life that I could have very well used to re-watch City Hunter, a drama I actually liked Lee Min-ho in.

2. Mi-rae's Choice - While I'm more sympathetic towards the male leads in this drama, the Noble Idiot act that both Oppa and Kim Shin are pulling in the recent episodes are frustrating. I thought my annoyance would be reserved for Ahjumma Mi-rae, but no. The boys are starting to aggravate as well.

I'm just glad I'm still fully behind Mi-rae every step of the way. Because it's one thing to gripe about Noble Idiots and another thing entirely to have no heroine to support. I'm happy Mi-rae is not just likeable, but she's also shown the most character growth in the drama. She's no longer the weak pushover who was happy with being mediocre. Now, she has an actual dream and a goal to work towards. There's no way in hell she's ending up with Ahjumma Mi-rae's life and problems. She's above all that now and her growth has been fun to witness. Honestly, she needs neither men right now.

Here's to hoping that the final episodes redeem Kim Shin's decision to be an ass towards Mi-rae (to spare her from a future that hasn't even happened yet). I mean, we all know Mi-rae ends up with him, right? Park Se-joo may be awesome, but Mi-rae's just not feeling him. Sad. My Shin-woo feels are resurfacing. Let me love you, Shin-woo hyung!

3. Pretty Man - Come to think of it, we have Shin-woo and Go Mi-nam in separate dramas this season, and with the premiere of Pretty Man last week, Hwang Tae-kyung is back as well. All we need right now is for Lee Hong-ki to get himself a drama and my A.N.Jell babies will be complete.

That aside, Pretty Man had a pretty strong premiere week. In my personal opinion, that is. I'm not sure how it rated against The Heirs, who shares the same time slot, but I thought the first 2 episodes showed promise. While I was expecting fluff and cuteness, what I was not expecting was depth and mystery. I should have taken more note of KBS's decision to use Bel Ami as its international title, a reference to the Guy De Maupassant novel. Clearly, we're delving into darker and more emotional corners here.

I'm glad then that they have both Jang Geun-suk and IU on board. Both actors can do comedy and drama quite well. While Jang Geun-suk has a tendency to overact, it bodes well for the drama that he is also a very nuanced actor where multiple emotions come across with a single look.

Though they are of different genres, and are as different as night and day in treatment and aesthetics, what immediately comes to mind with the characterizations in Pretty Man is the 2007 drama Que Sera Sera. That character-driven drama tackled similar themes - an abusive relationship between a simple girl and a gold-digging womanizer. So while both lead characters in Pretty Man are completely flawed, I'm excited to see how working with each other will change them. Because that's where we're headed, right? Right?!

4. Reply 1994 - While I'm not liking how long this drama is seeming to be (20 one-hour-long episodes?!), I can't help but love its plot points and characters. A lot of the plotting is similar to its predecessor, Reply 1997, and yet it doesn't exactly feel the same.

What this drama does so well, as with 1997, is how they tackle real-life situations without aggrandizing these occurrences. First loves, first heartbreaks, one-sided loves, friendship, family - the drama finds these precious moments in the lives of our characters and highlights the emotions without amplifying them. It's very day-in-the-life and can easily make a wrong turn towards the mundane, but it doesn't. It's quite beautiful.

Because of the longer format, compared to 1997's total of 16 30-minute back-to-back episodes, 1994 actually jerks us around more in the question of who Na-jung ends up with. Is it Oppa? Is it Chilbongie? No, it's Oppa, right? Nope, Chilbongie? No! It's Haitai! Team Haitai for the win!

5. School 2013 - Truth be told, while School 2013 is on my list of favorite dramas, I actually haven't watched the entire drama. I used to watch it on KBS World when it aired late 2012 to early this year. And on those days I couldn't watch, I'd immediately go find the recaps on dramabeans while promising myself I'd download the episode eventually. I never did. So I finished the series half by watching it on tv, and half by reading the recaps online. I cheated and I'm sorry.

So now, with the vast onslaught of Lee Jong-suk and Kim Woo-bin feels (from both I Hear Your Voice and The Heirs), I've decided to revisit School 2013. Properly, this time around. I'm still on episode 2 (I started last night, to be fair) but the feels are already there. Heung-soo isn't even around yet and I'm already itching for his appearance and the promise of angst-y bromance. I luff them.

6. White Christmas - This drama has been on my list for the longest time. I actually started watching it several times before but never got past the first episode because of one thing or another. But I've always been told of how awesome it is and that I absolutely must see it. I actually have no excuses seeing how it's only 8 episodes long. And this is it. I swear.

I'm not going to deny the fact that the driving force behind watching White Christmas is, once again, Kim Woo-bin. He is awesome and I just need more of him. Not to mention the very many other model-actors in this drama. Apparently I have a thing for them. Lee Soo-hyuk, Hong Jong-hyun, Sung Joon - I love them all. If only Lee Jong-suk were in this drama too. HA.

7. We Got Married - In this variety-docu series, I'm still totally invested in the relationship of Taemin and Na-eun so I do try to stay away from the crazy things the fans have to say online. I don't need the netizen-driven drama to enjoy this couple, thank you very much.

I've also started to watch the 2 new couples: Jung-Jung Couple and the Yoon-han couple. I actually love Jung Joon-young and Jung Yumi together. They are hilarious and complete opposites, yet so awesome together.

To be honest, I'm thinking of dropping Yoon-han and his wife (I don't even remember her name). While I think they are cute and a perfect match, they bore me to tears. They should just get it over with and get married in real life. I loved Yoon-han even before he got on board the We Got Married train and he's an awesome singer and pianist, but this show is showing me how dull he is. Everything is just so damn serious with them. I can't. My older friends absolutely love it but I'd rather have more of Taemin and Na-eun's adorable first love instead.

So these are the shows I've been busy with on a weekly basis. It's insane. And yet, there are still other shows I watch every now and then, on top of my already busy drama-watching schedule. There's that adorable show Tablo and his daughter are on, Superman is Back. Cuteness overload, seriously. And then, of course, there's Running Man. And I also have to try to tune into the new season of 1 Night 2 Days, if only to check out the rapport between the new cast members and to see if the new PD is any good.

Ugh. I'm so ready to hibernate. Is it December yet? I need a breather. From work, that is. I'm probably just going to keep watching all these dramas (and the upcoming new ones) during my Christmas break.

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Currently Watching: Master's Sun, Good Doctor, Cool Kiz, WGM

Don't we all wish we had more time in the day to get things done? And by "get things done," I mean watch all the dramas, movies, and variety shows we can get our greedy little hands on while keeping on top of things both at home and at work? As it is, I'm watching my shows on my phone while riding the train to and from work. I'm watching my shows before going to bed. Sometimes, I watch my shows at work. And on weekends, I have drama marathons. But my list of shows to watch is never-ending and, matter of fact, it just keeps on getting longer.

With a handful of my shows over and done with (having had to say goodbye to I Hear Your Voice, Monstar, Fabulous Boys, and You're the Best Lee Soon-shin), I've started on several new dramas and I'm still hooked on a handful of ongoing varieties. My current watch-list looks like this:

1. Master's Sun - As a handful of dramas written by the Hong sisters have been my crack in previous years, this new horror/romcom penned by the famous writing siblings is my crack for this season. I'm just eating it all up and it is awesome. Sufficiently scary and satisfyingly heartwarming, this is a formula I never thought would've worked, but it does. Also, So Ji-sub is a hottie.

2. Good Doctor - I'm kind of behind on this drama, having only seen up to the 4th episode, but I am determined to catch up. Joo-won is awesome, as is expected of him, and I've always had a soft spot for Moon Chae-won. So far, the drama is living up to expectations.

3. Running Man - Admittedly, I'm not all caught up with this show. I've seen a lot of its episodes but not each and every one of them. The last one I saw was the one with the couple race that featured an eclectic handful of celebrity guests like Sayuri, John Park, Jo Jung-chi, and Jung-in. Last week had long-running boyband Shinhwa on the show and I can't wait to see that episode. The Chuseok special that will feature 14 idols is coming up. Big Bang's Seungri, G-Dragon, and Daesung will also be featured in an upcoming episode - ohmygod.

4. We Got Married (Taemin-Naeun Couple) - I can't even handle how precious these two are. They are both adorable and are just as perfect together. It helps that Naeun's a lot shy, so there's more to look forward to in the coming months. I mean, I'm at a point where a quick hug from them results in screams and a lot of OMG's from my end, so you know I'm feeling them.

5. Cool Kiz on the Block (Badminton) - Who would've thought a game of badminton could make me fist pump so hard? When a game is exciting, a heart attack is not a far-fetched occurrence. I mean, the number of deuces in Kang Ho-dong and John Park's game last week left me on the brink of insanity. I was watching with bated breath and so much pent-up energy. And then the episode ends and it leaves you thinking... "That was just badminton." So I guess kudos to the show's editors. They make badminton look badass. So do the hot men on the show.

6. WIN: Who is Next? - This reality show by YGE and Mnet is only on its second episode but the stakes are high and the competition is fierce, so I'm stuck to it like glue. It also helps that the backstories of the trainees makes you care about them and how they fare on the show.

Whew. That's a lot of shows. And if I had more time, there would be a lot more. A whole lot more. I mean, I have yet to see The Gu Family Book, Goddess of Fire Jung-yi, and Two Weeks. And I have a lot of backtracking to do with 1 Night 2 Days and Master Chef Korea Celebrity Edition, seriously. And then you have the shows from years ago that I have yet to see. On my list is He Who Can't Marry. Aigoo.

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My Lists: 10 favorite male dancers in k-pop

Dancers never fail to make me swoon and, luckily for me, there are a bajillion awesome dancers in k-pop. Whether popping, locking, or breaking - these guys definitely have it going on. So, today, I'm going to introduce to you my 10 favorite male dancers in k-pop... And believe you me, it took incredible discipline and self-control to limit myself to 10. But without further ado, here we go.

Jay Park - The best b-boy in k-pop, Jay Park has been representing his crew AOM loudly and proudly. A former member, and leader, of 2PM, Jay has since found his niche as a solo performer and doing all Jaywalkers proud. No one does tricks quite like he can.

Hoya - Infinite's Hoya is a beast on stage, and a veritable quadruple threat. Not only is he a singer, rapper, and actor; above all else, he is a dancer. The boy has got the right moves and he flaunts them as he should. So precise, so clean, and yet utterly graceful, Hoya is always a pleasure to watch.

Kai - He may be the youngest on this list, but EXO's Kai could probably dance circles around half of the members of Super Junior, his hyungs and sunbaenims by years. Having trained in ballet and jazz dancing at an early age, Kai's dancing is notably graceful and smooth.

Taemin - I'm in love with the way this boy moves. Even as the youngest member of SHINee, Taemin has proven that he brings so much to the table than just aegyo. He's the group's best dancer and has the vocal chops to boot. A born performer, this boy is going places.

Donghae - I am hugely Donghae-biased, so don't even contest this. Ha. Seriously though, I love Donghae and the way he dances. He's not as stylistically awesome as Eunhyuk, but his moves are always clean and smooth and easy. Like, he just flows. I love it.

Eunhyuk - He is easily Super Junior's best dancer. He's an expert at popping and locking and he does it with such finesse. It really is no wonder that he always takes to the front of the SuJu formation when it's dance break time.

Taeyang - Big Bang's best dancer is a little fireball. Always full of energy, Taeyang quite literally bounces around on stage and it's clear how much he loves performing. So it's a good thing that he's not all energy without the moves to back it up. Taeyang knows how to move his body and it's always awesome to see him working choreography. I'm quite tired of the dougie and the cat daddy, but when Taeyang tackles actual choreography, good lord.

Rain - Before he became the huge pop star that he is now, Rain began training to become a backup dancer. He'd always second-guessed his vocal abilities and would often tell JYP that he'd rather just dance. His confidence was always in his dancing. It's a good thing, though, that JYP pushed him to sing because I melt at his voice too. Now, whenever Rain takes to the stage to sing and dance, I'm a puddle of goo.

Junsu - Not only is he one of the best singers in k-pop, Junsu is also one of it's best dancers. I don't know what it is about him, but a single hip thrust from him has me hyperventilating. The boy is sexy, damnit. So am I excited that he has a second solo album dropping soon? Hell, yes.

Yunho - Good lord, this man should never stop dancing. Back when DBSK had 5 members, I was always so torn between Junsu and Yunho, never quite sure who to look at when they danced. But while Junsu's dancing is sex personified, Yunho is a whole lot of technique, style, and sex. Ha.

Honorable Mention: Jo Kwon - Because 2AM is a ballad group, Jo Kwon isn't given enough time to showcase his dancing abilities. And when he does, it's usually in comedic girl group dances or in Kkab Kwon mode. Which is just sad because the boy is actually very technically gifted. Just check out this pre-debut dance video with Jay Park.

Who are your favorite dancers? 

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My We Got Married fixation

Okay, I admit it. Possibly due to the lack of a personal love line, I have resorted to reveling in other people's affairs and am now a We Got Married addict.

It all started with Khuntoria. They were adorable and, despite my aversion to Victoria's aegyo, I stuck around for Nichkhun's awesomness. Then my obsession grew as I checked into the Adam Couple. Those two owned my heart down to their cute yet tearful parting. To this day, they are still my favorite WGM couple.

I haven't watched a lot of the more famous couples (i.e. Goguma Couple, Hwangbo & Kim Hyun-joong) despite coercion from my sister and friends. I've seen clips here and there, but not their entire run with the show. I used to be a couple-based fan. Like, I wouldn't actually watch entire episodes, and instead would only look for the segments that featured the couples I liked. I watched Leeteuk and Kang Sora without watching Lee Jang Woo and Eunjung. I also enjoyed Lee Joon and Oh Yeon Seo without watching (much of) Julien Kang and Yoon Se-ah.

Now though, I'm downloading entire episodes to watch every single couple. Even real-life couple Jo Jung-chi and Jung In - who are as real as real can be since they have been dating for the past 12 years - have been keeping me interested. Though Kwanghee and Sunhwa have left the show, their replacements are just too adorable to pass up on. Taemin and Na-eun are both bright-eyed young idols who are perfectly adorable and I can't wait to see how the rest of their episodes play out.

Hands down though, my favorite couple of the season is Jinwoon and Go Joon-hee. Those two have organically grown closer as a couple, and are very much believable in their attraction to each other that I'd probably call bullshit if they deny it. They could very well be good actors, as simple as that, but I'll refuse to accept it. Hah.

Jinwoon and Joon-hee, as of late, have been very natural with their skinship and have hit the stage in their relationship where holding hands is not just a natural occurrence but an enjoyable necessity. It's also interesting to note that their 6-year age gap makes for a fun set-up where she's the noona and he's the dongsaeng.

Honestly, I have watched all their episodes at least twice and it still hits me right in the heart every time I see them smiling at each other. Ugh!

Should those two decide to date for real, you won't be hearing any qualms from me. 

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