Wrapping Up: I Need Romance 3

Another drama down, three more on the way (but that's a story for another day).

tvN's third installment for the I Need Romance franchise finally came to a close. Its last episode brought so much cute and a bit of sexy (mmmmm... those kisses) to end a series that warmed my heart and made me long for a noona-adoring puppy of my own. Anyone know where to find them?

Before I ramble on about the main couple, I have a handful of thoughts about the minor pairings. First off, Min-jung and Min-seok? I LUFF THEM. Those two were adorable to the very end and I love where the drama left off with them. Realistically, not all relationships end in marriage. And I'm glad the drama didn't foist that on these two characters who have always been steadfast in their disinterest in marital unions. But their mutual agreement to live in the here and now and be there for each other and for their twins was as heartwarming as any marriage vow. Even the misdirected saranghae's were fitting of these two characters.

As for our youngest couple, I've had frustrations over Woo-young and how he chooses to show his affection. On the one hand, he's adorable. On the other hand, not so much. And that definitely hit home in the last episode where he was so bullheaded about Hee-jae's decision to travel by herself for a year. I understand his wanting to keep her by his side, especially since they just started going out, but I hate the way he chose to react to her. There was wrist grabbing, and shouting, and condescending lectures involved that made me cringe. So while Woo-young continued to have one foot in and one foot out of the asshole basin, I’m glad Hee-jae stood by her decision to leave and find herself. I trust she'll be back a happier person, and I also believe Woo-young would wait, albeit impatiently.

On the other hand, I'm not quite sure if Tae-yoon has the balls to return to Se-ryung. Also, I don't even think he deserves a girl as awesome as her. Gotta hand it to this girl though, she knows what she wants and she stands by it. Tae-yoon hate aside, I’m glad he turned a new leaf with the support he gave Min-jung before he left. That was a surprising turn of events that I fully accept. He may not be the best boyfriend, but at least we know he has a heart after all.

And now, for the main reason I stuck to this drama like glue. The Goguma + Shing Shing couple. Should I even count the ways I love thee? I love that Shin Joo-yeon's character growth was complete and came full circle in the finale. It felt earned. She went through such emotional enlightenment to realize her own heart and I love that she experienced all the telltale signs of falling in love after the fact. Like, how she realizes all the little things she loves about Joo Wan after already having acknowledged the fact that she loved him. We know, as she also eventually found out, that she was in love. But the little things - his strong arms, his slim fingers, the way he looks from behind, his voice - these are things she only noticed she liked about him after already having fallen for him.

Wannie, on the other hand, also had some growing up to do. In most dramas, first leads have to learn to stop being assholes and realize their feelings in order to show affection. But our Wannie is the complete and total opposite. He loved completely and without question. His growth had a lot to do with reining his feelings in. It was definitely difficult for him to not be there at Shing Shing's side all the time. I'm glad the show made him realize that love is not a one-way street and made him understand that there are times when he had to back off. I also love that while we all swooned over his seeming perfection, Wan wasn't perfect. And the show acknowledged that. He wasn't always right and he didn't always make the best decisions.

Together, they were sizzling. But a lot of that had to do with the onscreen chemistry of Kim So-yeon and Sung Joon. This was the first time I've ever seen Kim So-yeon in anything and I've gotta give it to her. Despite Joo-yeon's incredible social flaws, I've never once disliked her as a character. She was hard on the surface, but you could always sense a tinge of vulnerability through her cracks and that made her endearing. Sung Joon, on the other hand, I've seen in a handful of dramas but this is the first time I've ever really warmed up to him. I guess I need to re-watch Shut Up Flower Boy Band, eh?

Another thing I loved about I Need Romance 3 was the friendships. Although, had Joo-yeon found it in her to make actual connections with people around her sooner, we would have had a lot more of cute girly banters between her and her girlfriends. It took way too many episodes for her to open up to the other girls, but I'll take whatever I can. Her restored friendship with Se-ryung was probably the highlight, as that was established earlier. But some of my favorite scenes from the final week were Joo-yeon's one-on-one conversations with Hee-jae and Min-jung. Her telling Hee-jae that she was offering advise not as a boss but as an unni, and her asking Min-jung if they can be friends - those were major turning points in her character growth that I absolutely loved. I felt so proud of her in those moments.

By all means, I Need Romance 3 was not the perfect drama. Anyone who follows me on tumblr would know the drama this show ignited, apart from the drama itself. There have been feminist rage hurled at almost all the male characters (I think only Min-seok was spared from this, ETA: I just went through the INR3 tag on tumblr, no one was spared). But ultimately, I Need Romance 3 was an entertaining ride that gave me so much life lessons, whether intentionally or indirectly. There were a handful of wise words from a handful of characters. Things like, "there is no future if there is no present," or about not being scared of things that have yet to happen, or about waking up not worrying about the future but instead to think of how I can make today happier...

Now where to find a Joo Wan of my own?

Read More

Wrapping Up: You From Another Star

WAAAHHHH. You From Another Star finally came to a close. I'm just glad it ended on a happy note with hope for our OTP's future together.

From the onset, I was worried about how they were going to close a story like this one. Let's be honest, kdramas are not the best at explaining away mechanics of alternate universes or finding ways around fate in a believable and satisfying way (i.e. Rooftop Prince). So while You From Another Star left much to be desired in terms of explaining how Do Min-joon was able to travel back or if he got sick after that awesome kiss, I'm happy they had at least given us emotional closure, if not scientific or mythological closure.

This drama sure took us for a ride, in the most enjoyable way possible. The writing found the perfect balance of sweet, heart wrenching, and hilarious which resulted in well-rounded episodes. I truly appreciated how a lot of the heavier episodes were undercut by adorable and hilarious scenes that made dilemmas easier to bear. A lot of times, in kdramas, the latter third of a series would suddenly veer into melo territory because that's when all the conflicts are laid out on the table (or worse, they were given an extension they couldn't handle). I'm glad this drama was able to steer clear of this hurdle to serve us what it initially promised.

Somehow, I'm always pleasantly surprised by the dramas that sound wonky on paper but end up doing really well in execution. Just like I Hear Your Voice (courtroom drama/noona romance/supernatural powers) and Master's Sun (rom-com/horror/supernatural powers), two of my favorite dramas of 2013, You From Another Star (alien romance/noona romance/comedy/timeskip drama) sounds just as insane on paper, but squishing together three or four different genres apparently make for an amazing narrative. Ha.

As awesome as the story was, that does not take away from the fact that this drama had awesome leads. I've loved Kim Soo-hyun from the first time I saw him cry on Dream High. He is one of the best criers in kdramaland, seriously. Whenever I see him tearing up on screen, it feels like someone's digging into my chest to retrieve my heart. He is also fantastic with visual comedy, as is apparent in his last film Secretly Greatly (or Covertly Grandly, whichever title you want to call it). Both of these skills were put to great use in this drama.

 On the other hand, I did not have expectations of Jeon Ji-hyun because, to be honest, I haven't seen her in anything aside from My Sassy Girl which was over a decade ago. All I knew was that she was pretty awesome and awesomely pretty in that film. And in You From Another Star, she's proved that she is indeed both those things. I don't think the character of Cheon Song-yi would've worked quite as well with a lesser actress. It would've been too easy to play her wrong and to make her come off as irritating rather than endearing.

A happy surprise, as well, comes in the form of model-actor Ahn Jae-hyun, whose only previous credential is possibly a huge bunch of music videos. One in particular that I know him from is K.Will's "Please Don't" which he starred in alongside Seo In-guk. I have no idea what they're feeding these models nowadays, but a lot of today's up-and-coming young actors are off of Seoul's runways and fashion spreads. In the same vein as Lee Jong-suk, Sung Joon, and Kim Woo-bin, I can see Ahn Jae-hyun going the distance with his acting career. He was utterly adorable and believable in his hyung-worshiping (and E.T. fanboy) role that it took me awhile to digest the fact that he is actually older than Kim Soo-hyun.

So it's with a happy sigh that I leave this drama behind (or not quite behind, I think I will be re-watching the last two episodes all weekend long). As a last note, you know what would've made the finale even more awesome than it already was? To have been able to witness the reunions between Do Min-joon and Lawyer Jang and Yoon-jae. Can you imagine how sweet and adorable those events would've been?

Read More

2NE1 returns tonight!

Being highly YG-biased, I have to admit that 2NE1's pending comeback is the only girl group comeback I care about. I have nothing against SNSD, but I am quite impartial to most of their members and their brand of music.

It's been years since 2NE1's last full-length album. Years. So allow me to express my utmost excitement for this album to drop. TONIGHT! Finally. 

YG has officially released all teaser photos for the new album entitled Crush, as well as the track list. Apparently, CL had some hand in writing lyrics for some of the songs and I am looking forward to hearing what a CL-penned track might sound like.

Also, this comeback comes hand-in-hand with a world tour and I need to find a way to get a hold of tickets without totally killing my bank account. I kinda want to be close enough to the stage to be able to see what they're wearing, but not close enough to regret the insane financial setback a month later. HA.

You know what would make this year even better? Winner's debut, a Lee Hi comeback, and a Big Bang comeback. Aaaaaahhhh. And maybe for the YG Family World Tour to head in this direction (not gonna happen, but no one said I need to be realistic when wishing for things).

Here are the Crush teaser photos and the track list.

Read More

Ahn Jae-hyun just slays me!

Dropping a quick blog entry because I've been rolling on the floor laughing over the perfection of the E.T. joke on You From Another Star. I should've expected it to happen, but I didn't and thus was slapping my thighs as I obnoxiously laughed out loud at the scene. Repeatedly.

So, apparently, Elliott has found his E.T. Isn't that just the cutest?! Ahn Jae-hyun has been sooo perfect in this role so far and he's totally selling the teenage geek role despite the fact that he's older and taller than Kim Soo-hyun. And when he called him "uri Min-joon hyung," I just about died.

Looking forward to more projects from him. But in the meantime, off to watch that E.T. scene again. Ack. Min-joon, phone home!

Read More

Joo Wan is my puppy, Kang sunbae please get lost

Shin Joo-yeon is an idiot.

I'm pretty sure that we're all head over heels in love with Joo Wan at this point in the story and we have been falling deeper and deeper in love with him for several episodes now. Unfortunately, his selfless acts of romance isn't working on Joo-yeon. For one reason or another, she's convinced she's in love with Kang sunbae (which is Wannie's fault, but was totally the right decision). Except, I don't think Joo-yeon knows her own heart enough to differentiate love from other strong emotions like admiration or attraction. I'm crossing my fingers that she snaps out of it soon because my heart is breaking for Wan. And, let's face it, Kang Tae-yoon is an ass.

Where Wan is selfless, Kang Tae-yoon is one of the most selfish characters I've ever come across in a drama. To the point where one has to ask whether he is indeed the second male lead and not the first. Truth be told, Wan's too-good-too-be-true character is very typical of second leads. In the same vein as Shin-woo hyung (You're Beautiful) and Kang Woo (Master's Sun), Joo Wan is always there for our main girl even if that means driving her to her date with another man. Or cooking her some hot soup only to allow her to give it to said man. Or the willingness to buy her flowers and rings and to tell her he loves her if that worthless man refuses to go a little extra way for her himself. Ugh. Joo Wan, be mine.

Tae-yoon, on the other hand, is cold and brusque and cares not one whit about Joo-yeon unless it's work related. He uses her to his advantage. He makes her stay in situations that are horribly uncomfortable for her because he's her boss and she has to be rational enough to leave her personal hurts behind and be professional like he is. He allows his past relationship with Oh Se-ryeong to hurt Joo-yeon when it would be so easy to expel her insecurity and fears with a single word. Typical first lead.

Dear drama overlords, please reassure me that Joo Wan is indeed the first lead and will sooner or later win the girl. Because, damnit, at this point, he really is starting to sound like the second lead (on paper, at least). And if Joo-yeon ends up with Kang sunbae, I'mma have to throw something. Preferably, something large and breakable.

Read More

Wrapping Up: Prime Minister and I

For those who have yet to finish the drama, go back and return after you watch the final episode. There will be major spoilers ahead. In 3, 2... 1!

THAT DAMN ENDING. SERIOUSLY.

This drama was cutest when it gave us the fluff we were watching it for. Not the tear-jerking angst-driven plotlines. I swear to God, I loved this drama. But episode 17 was enough for me to want to slap the writer so hard she'd need her jaw realigned. For the most part, they delivered the story well and I cared enough for all the characters that I cried along with them to the very end. And that was the problem, all the crying to the very end. They dwelled in the tears for so goddamn long that by the time I had wiped my tears away, I didn't feel all that happy about the reunion anymore. And that fricking reunion. I expected hugs and kisses and all I got was a measly handshake. How dare you, Show? How dare you?!

Although I get why they ended that way, and I really do, but I don't care for it all too much. So yes, the show ended on a happy note where our adorable heroine and sexy Prime Minister reunited and "met" each other in a more positive note where the possibility of starting over was clear. But honestly, didn't we all just want to see them together and in love? Because they already fricking were in love. I don't care if the show gave me a limp-lipped kiss, but to give me no kiss at all in the finale? That's just plain cruel.

You were given a 1-episode extension and you still end with a handshake?! What a fricking travesty.

Anyyyywaayyyy... all the emotional and funny beats leading up to episode 17 were awesome and touching and they played with my emotions in the best way possible. And I now have so much more respect for Yoon-ah as an actress than I ever did before. And I've confirmed that Yoon Shi-yoon can move me with just a single look. Also, Lee Beom-soo is one sexy mofo. Having said that... I'm now off to denying episode 17 ever happened. I'm of the belief that the show gave us a sweet ending with adorable reunions and kisses all around, with Nam Da-jeong surrounded by her new family and the people who love her the most.

Read More

My Lists: 10 favorite k-pop dances I wish I could do

I love dancing and it's one of the major reasons why I love k-pop. Like, I do admit to having danced miss A's "Goodbye Baby" or A Pink's "No No No" in front of the mirror in the safety of my own bedroom once or twice before. However, there are a handful of k-pop dances that I still want to learn but whenever I go and watch the videos, I'm immediately muttering to myself, "nope, not gonna happen." I've seen the dance practice versions, the tutorial videos, and possibly all the covers, but there's a difference between knowing how the dance goes in your head and actually being able to execute them properly. Sure, I can do Brown Eyed Girls' "Abracadabra" but there are those dances that just seem impossible to learn. And today, I'm listing down my 10 favorites.

10. Infinite's "BTD (Before The Dawn)"

9. EXO's "History"

8. miss A's "Breathe"

7. Rain's "Hip Song"

6. Infinite's "Be Mine"

5. 2PM "I'll Be Back"

4. SHINee's "Lucifer"

3. B2ST's "Fiction"

2. EXO's "Growl"

1. SHINee's "Everybody"

These are just some of the most epic dance videos in k-pop and there are so much more out there. What're your favorites though?

Read More

Currently Watching: Prime Minister and I, You From Another Star, Let's Eat

Now, more than ever, I'm feeling the addiction settle in for a long ride. A very long ride. As soon as one drama ends, two more premiere and I find myself watching more dramas than I was a month ago. While, yes, I dropped Pretty Man way before it reached the halfway point, I still find myself drowning in all these shows. So much so that I'm not quite sure if today's dramas are legitimately that awesome or I'm just that thoroughly addicted to them. So before the premiere of 2 more dramas that I've been waiting for come to pass (Emergency Couple - which debuts tonight! - and Three Days), let me recount the dramas that I'm still watching.

1. Prime Minister and I - I am so freaking in love with this drama and the central pairing. This is one of those shows that sort of caught me by surprise. To be honest, I was never a fan of Yoon-ah's acting. Also, I had no idea who Lee Beom-soo was. Needless to say, I am now more forgiving of Yoon-ah and I already have History of a Salaryman on my to-watch list. I've fallen in love with Kwon Yul and, therefore, Lee Beom-soo as well and I just need more of him. Imagine that. I get into this drama looking forward to Yoon Shi-yoon and Yoon Shi-yoon alone but it looks like I'll be parting with it (only 2 more weeks left omg!) with fondness for both its leads and the awesomeness of their fictional family.

2. You From Another Star - This is yet another drama that has been causing havoc on my nerves on a bi-weekly basis. I was so looking forward to the cute fish-out-of-water plus noona romance the plot promised to deliver, but I got all that and loads more. Not only is it cute and funny at times, but the drama has a tendency to consistently deliver some good terrors and a whole lot of feels every episode. Whether it's shrinking back every time Jae-kyung gets that horrifying look in his eyes, or whether it's wanting to reach into the screen to give Do Manager or Cheon Song-yi a well-deserved hug, it always triggers more emotions than I can bear. Which is a good thing. Also, can I just say, I've always loved Jeon Ji-hyun, but this drama just made me love her even more.

3. Let's Eat - Although I'm not all caught up with this drama, I still fully intend to continue watching it once I get back on track with my watching schedule (my phone got stolen and I have yet to get a replacement - which sucks because I used to keep up with my dramas via mobile videos, so it's not quite the same now that I need my laptop to watch anything). Doo-joon is the biggest, and happiest, surprise from this drama. I usually don't have high expectations of idol actors, so color me shocked by his onscreen charisma and actual acting chops. Also, at this point in the drama, I'm not quite sure if I want Lawyer Kim or Dae-young to end up with Soo-kyung. All I know is that Lawyer Kim is adorable and Dae-young is, indeed, jjang jjang man!

4. I Need Romance 3 - Sung Joon. Do I even need to elaborate? And, honestly, I've only watched the first episode, but that alone made me want to marathon the entire drama only to realize that that's an impossible feat since it's currently airing. But really, I tried loading the second episode into my classic iPod, you know what I mean, right? Those non-touchscreen gadgets with a click wheel thingy?? But trying to read the subtitles off of that thing made me see double, so I'mma have to wait till this weekend to marathon episodes 2-4 on my laptop. I. Can't. Wait.

5. 1 Night 2 Days - With the third season came four refreshing new members and a PD who brought back the fun of the first season. And by fun, I mean the horrible sadistic streak of first season's Na PD. Which isn't surprising because Yoo PD was a rookie producer during the show's earlier season and he's now back to put our cast members through hell and then withhold food from them afterwards. As for the new cast members: Defconn is such an eager beaver and it's hilarious, Jun-ho just slays me all the time, Joo-hyuk ahjussi is the most handsome pabo ever, and maknae Joon-young is just delightful in every way. It's also awesome that our remaining veteran cast members have such a nice rapport with the new guys and it's amazing watching Cha Tae-hyun take the rein to lead our new gang this season when he's always been the laziest and unluckiest member before.

6. Winner TV - These boys own me. They haven't even officially debuted yet (damnit YG, even JYP's debuted GOT7 already) but I'm already craving for more. It's a good thing Winner TV is keeping me (somewhat) satisfied. From what little we’ve heard on the recent episode, I’m already liking the sound they’re pursuing. Stand-outs are Taehyun’s compositions and that one track co-penned by GD and Minho. To think that these are already good enough songs as they are but YG is pushing them even harder when it comes to their songwriting - well, that just raises my expectations even more. Yang Hyun-suk may be a hard sell and has even higher expectations of the boys than we do (which is no surprise, duh) but looking at the bigger picture, that’s a good thing. Winner fighting!

7. We Got Married - Taemin and Naeun ended on such a sweet note and my heart was crushed with their departure... But with that came the awesome awkwardness of 2PM's Wooyoung and his poor wife, actress Park Se-young. The thing about Wooyoung is that he always means well, but he has some sort of foot-in-mouth disease that keeps knocking him down a peg. Which, to be honest, is hilarious. I'm looking forward to all this awkward business to be done and over with and for all the cute to arrive. Which, I know, are not mutually exclusive. Awkward can be cute. It's just that... singing a song you wrote about your ex-girlfriend to your current girl is really not the smartest move. Ha.

Emergency Couple premieres tonight, best believe I'll be downloading that drama as soon as subtitles are available. Also, my friend was in Seoul last month and she spotted Choi Jin-hyuk and Song Ji-hyo in Myeongdong shooting for the show. Back when I visited Korea, I spent almost every day in Myeongdong and I did not see a single celebrity. Life is, indeed, unfair.

Oh, also, Park Yoochun's new drama Three Days is set to premiere in late February. And if the photos from his training are anything to go by, it's going to be awesome. I luff him.

Read More

Actor Typecasting: Boxing My Favorite Actors Into Convenient Categories

So many dramas, so little time. Along with all these dramas come my never-ending list of actor crushes. I would love to list them all down but that would probably take me about a week or so to write up. My love for all these actors knows no categorical limitations. I don't care if the actor is young or old, tall or short, with a background in musicals or the catwalk - all I need is sizzling onscreen charisma and I'm yours.

So here I attempt to group my favorite Korean actors into convenient categories. Let the sorting begin...

1. The Idol Actor - A lot of people cringe at the thought of all these idol stars making their way into Korean dramas and movies, but not all idol actors are bad news. There are several handful of idols who have given acting a shot with successful results. World Star Rain, himself, is an idol who has made quite a name for himself as an actor, not just in Chungmuro but in Hollywood as well. Following in his footsteps are some of today's hottest young stars, and my favorites have to be JYJ's Park Yoochun (Rooftop Prince, I Miss You), Big Bang's T.O.P (71: Into the Fire, Commitment), Beast's Lee Gi-kwang (My Friend Is Still Alive, Me Too Flower), and Seo In-guk (Reply 1997, The Master's Sun).

2. The Model Actor - Having models in our dramas is not a new thing. A lot of actors started out gracing catwalks and fashion spreads before hitting the screens. Stars like Cha Seung-won, Jo In-sung, Gong Yoo, and So Ji-sub first found success as models before being cast in dramas and movies. The trend of turning models into actors is far from over and the past few years has churned out quite a number of successful crossovers. And there's no point in guessing who my favorites are. It's quite easy. They're all of your favorites too, you see: Kim Woo-bin (School 2013, The Heirs), Lee Jong-suk (School 2013, I Hear Your Voice), Lee Soo-hyuk (White Christmas, What's Up), Hong Jong-hyun (Dating Agency: Cyrano, White Christmas), Sung Joon (Shut Up Flower Boy Band, I Need Romance 3), and Ahn Jae-hyun (You From Another Star).

3. The Ahjussi Actor - It doesn't matter how old they get, a hot man is a hot man is a hot man. It doesn't help either that most of these men have kept fit, if not fitter now than they were 10 years ago, and have quite the chocolate abs to prove it. And the wrinkles, I actually find sexy. Don't you think? I mean, take a look as some of my favorite ahjussis: Cha Seung-won (Greatest Love), Kim Seung-woo (Miss Ripley), Lee Beom-soo (Prime Minister and I), and Jung Woo-sung (Cold Eyes). There are several actors whom I love that I'm not quite sure falls under the ahjussi category quite yet (specially since I'm not a hormonal teenager but a rational adult, psych!) but would not be considered an oppa to a majority of k-pop fans. Actors like So Ji-sub (Always, The Master's Sun), Uhm Tae-woong (Architecture 101, Equator Man), or Choi Won-young (The Heirs) are not quite old enough for me to call ahjussi, but are not quite oppas either. But they're all gorgeous, nonetheless.

4. The Musical Actor - Loving music and loving dramas is one thing, but I'm also a huge fan of theater and Broadway musicals, and seeing all these actors in productions of Grease or Spring Awakening is just too much for my little fangirl heart. And I don't mean actors who eventually found their way into theater. I'm talking about actors who started out in theater but now have veritable drama and film careers, like Joo Won (Gaksital, Good Doctor), Jo Jung-suk (The King 2 Hearts, You're The Best Lee Soon-shin), Kang Ha-neul (Monstar, The Heirs), Lee Sun-kyun (Coffee Prince, Miss Korea), and Oh Man-seok (What's Up, The Vineyard Man).

5. The Jailbait Actor - Unfortunately, there are a handful of child actors who I love that are way too young for me to even be looking at. Even more unfortunate, for me, is that some of them really don't look their age. Take Yeo Jin-goo (I Miss You, Potato Star 2013QR3) for example. The kid is 16 years old but looks and sounds like a man in his 20's. There's no doubt that kid is going places. At 16, he's already romancing 23-year-old Ha Yeon-soo in their sitcom where he plays a 24-year-old web developer. Although, technically not jailbait anymore, these kids are still off limits: Yoo Seung-ho (Arang and the Magistrate, I Miss You), Lee Hyun-woo (To The Beautiful You), and that other Lee Min-ho (Rooftop Prince, Prime Minister and I).

Sharing a little more of Yeo Jin-goo just so y'all better understand my frustration over this kid. 

He's only 16 years old. I can't even.

I feel like I'm missing out on a bunch of other actors, but only because I couldn't find a category to fit them into. Actors like Park Ki-woong or No Min-woo or Kim Soo-hyun are not on this list. Maybe a new category should be made just for the likes of them? The Pretty Actor? But aren't they all?

Read More

My Lists: 15 favorite k-pop songs from the second half of 2013

Looks like the second half of 2013 was filled with a whole lot of black, white, red, and gray.

And just like that, we're in 2014. My obsession has yet to wane and I don't see it going anywhere in the next few months, so I forge ahead.

In many ways, 2013 has been a very memorable year in k-pop. There were several songs released this year that are still on my "Favorites" playlist and are still on constant rotation. As I did 6 months ago for the first half of 2013, I've listed down my favorite songs from the second half of the year that was.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 15 favorite songs released after July 2013.

miss A - "Hush"

Kim Hyun-joong - "Unbreakable"

B.A.P - "Badman"

B2ST - "Will You Be Alright?"

f(x) - "Rum Pum Pum Pum"

G-Dragon - "Who You?"

Seungri - "Let's Talk About Love"

Jung Joon-young -"10 Minutes Before Breaking Up"

IU - "The Red Shoes"

T.O.P - "Doom Dada"

SHINee - "One Minute Back"

2NE1 - "Missing You"

Exo - "Growl"

SHINee - "Symptoms"

G-Dragon - "Crooked"

So here's looking forward to yet another year of awesome music. Ciao!

Read More