The Best Boy Club

 The Asexual K-Drama Geek's "Best Boy" Club

Throughout my time in K-Dramaland, I've developed many favorites - from favorite shows to favorite romances to favorite characters in general. But there is a unique subsection of faves I've developed early on in my watching that I've come to refer to as the "Best Boy Club." 

These are male characters - usually not the main character of a show, although there are a few exceptions - who stand out to me for how exceptionally kind-hearted and ultimately good they are in their behavior, demeanor, or personality. From the silly to the serious, these guys are not just good characters, they're just portrayed as good people. In short, they're best boys. 

So here is my ongoing list of some of my absolute favorite Best Boys in all of K-Drama, in order of when I first encountered them.

[Minor spoilers ahead!]

Han Do-kyeong from Chief of Staff

Eager, earnest, and with a genuine desire to do good, Do-kyeong is a young staff member who works under actor Lee Jung-jae's character in this political drama. Even in a world of sharks, he always manages to stay above water, and is proof that optimism doesn't have to be amiss even in the scheming political world.

Park Sun-woo from Signal

The plot of Signal kicks off when our main character (a criminal profiler played by actor Lee Je-hoon) discovers a walkie-talkie that allows him to talk to a police detective in the past. Much of the main character's desire to solve crime comes from his childhood, when false accusations were lobbed against his older brother, Park Sun-woo. Spoiler alert, not only is Sun-woo innocent, but he's also a salt-of-the-earth type of guy who wants what's best for the people around him. In short, he was too good for this world, too pure.

Choi Jae-sun from Sisyphus: The Myth

One of my absolute favorite members of the best boy club, Jae-sun starts off as a young man just trying to support his family when he's drawn into the extraordinary world of time travel and future tech in the sci-fi gem Sisyphus: The Myth. I love Jae-sun's dedication to the people he cares about, and how he goes from clueless nobody to a real, genuine hero. A best boy indeed.

Seo Jung-hoon from Memories of the Alhambra

Memories of the Alhambra centers on an incredible virtual reality fantasy game that ensnares the CEO looking to purchase it when it begins bleeding into reality with deadly consequences. Soon, the CEO (played by actor Hyun Bin) and the people around him get caught up in this strange new world, including his patient, dedicated, and loyal secretary Seo Jung-hoon, who becomes his ally in the game in more ways than one. I love this character so, so much.

Choi Joon-woong from Tomorrow

If you had to create a Best Boy in a lab, he might look something like Choi Joon-woong from the supernatural fantasy drama Tomorrow, which centers on a team of grim reapers that help save people who are at risk of suicide. Joon-woong is a normal human young man who accidentally gets ensnared in the world of the reapers when he tries to save someone and ends up in a coma. Not quite dead but not quite alive, he joins the reapers in their task, becoming invested in the team around him and the lives they save in a way that is deeply heart-warming.

So Mun from The Uncanny Counter

Here we have another example of a textbook best boy - in fact, I think if you could look "best boy" up in a dictionary, you would see the face of So Mun, the high school student suddenly thrust into the world of demon hunting in the fantasy drama, The Uncanny Counter. Despite not only the hard circumstances of his life, but the frightening and unusual circumstances of suddenly becoming a "Counter," Mun is optimistic, hard-working, and brave. He loves those around him and won't hesitate to fight for them when need be, but never surrenders his sweet and caring nature.

Jang Han-seo from Vincenzo [Spoilers!]

Although it appears at first as though Han-seo is going to be a villain in the crime dramedy Vincenzo, he is quickly revealed to be a pawn in a much bigger scheme. As the show goes on, he's able to shake off the shackles of this scheme and become better. He may not be the smartest or quickest, but at his core, he is a genuinely good person - to the point where he became one of my favorite characters in this show and the only best boy who got the distinction of being called "my precious son," a very high honor.

Ji Hyun-joong from Hotel del Luna

Hotel del Luna takes place at the eponymous hotel where ghosts find rest and the chance to deal with unfinished business before they pass on. The hotel also employs a ghostly staff, including the hotel's kindly young receptionist Hyun-joong. During life, he was a soldier who died during the Korean War and who longs to be reunited with his younger sister when she eventually passes on herself; in death, he waits and helps the ghosts in the hotel with patience and dedication. His story is moving, sweet, and emotional in unique ways - and he's an equally unique but no less worthy addition to this list.

Seo Yul from Alchemy of Souls

A mixture of fantasy, historical influence, romance, and drama abound in Alchemy of Souls, a drama about young mages who deal with love and heartbreak while they fight against dangerous machinations in the fictional country of Daeho. If you like magic, swordplay, beautiful sets and costumes, and amazing characters, this could be the drama for you. One of those amazing characters is Yul, an intelligent, studious, but extremely kind-hearted young mage at the heart of the plot. His loyal dedication to his friends, the depth of his emotion, and his desire to protect those he cares about make him one of my absolute favorite best boys.

Park Dang-gu from Alchemy of Souls

Also from Alchemy of Souls is Park Dang-gu, a good friend of Yul and of main character Jang Uk. While his friends are somewhat serious and burdened, Dang-gu is, in many ways, their ray of sunshine with his bright, cheerful personality. But that doesn't mean he's any less loyal or full of emotion. His playful nature mixed with that earnestness - as well as both the humor and heart he brings to the show - make him a great addition to an amazing cast.

Jo Eun-sup from The King: Eternal Monarch

Fantasy drama The King: Eternal Monarch centers on the parallel worlds of South Korea as we know it in this world, and an alternate world where the country is actually a kingdom ruled by young king, Lee Gon. Nearly everyone in the "real world" has a counterpart in the kingdom, including Eun-sup. Goofy, sweet, and with a thick Busan accent, Eun-sup is the decidedly unserious counterpart to Jo Yeong, the king's stoic guard in the other world. While Yeong is striking and loyal, it's Eun-sup - my Busan boy - whose kind-hearted and bright nature I miss more, and who has a permanent home on my best boy list.

Kasy from The Heavenly Idol

The Heavenly Idol centers on a group of failed K-Pop idols known as Wild Animal who get put on an unexpected path when one of their members accidentally swaps places with an otherworldly high priest. The entire band is precious, but Kasy in particular spoke to me due to his struggles with depression, anxiety, and fear. Watching him work to overcome these struggles and try to get more confident made me root for him and his success as if he were a real idol, and he captured my heart like one too. Kasy, fighting!

Cha Hae-gyeol from The Heavenly Idol

Another member of the group Wild Animal from the show The Heavenly Idol, Hae-gyeol - the group's youngest member - had my heart from the moment he said that no one had ever made a fan cam for him (fan cams being videos that focus on a specific member of a K-pop group during their performances). His shy, unobtrusive manner made me wish he was a real idol so I could make a fan cam for him. He deserves it. Hae-gyeol, fighting!