My Top 5 ... Shower Scenes
As the astute watcher of KDrama is well aware, there is almost no sex in KDrama. I say "almost no sex" because there are several instances of where the characters obviously had sex or are, rarely, about to have sex (i.e. when they get pregnant after, like in I Do I Do, or when they wake up in bed together, like in Personal Taste, or when they are in each other's home and don't leave, like in Cheongdamdong Alice - or is this my dirty mind imagining things that were not there?), so technically, there is sex, but simply not on screen. That's not very surprising, given the fact that most shows air on public television and Korean society is generally considered a conservative society. We get the occasional kiss (most of them terrible) and, behold, we get the occasional shower scene (most of them terrific).
Shower scenes almost always involve men (as opposed to women, though there are exceptions) being "naked" (to the waist) and taking a shower - and most shower scenes fall into one of two categories: a) brooding (thinking-about-a-woman) ones, where the shower is probably there to show us that the lead actor needs to cool down his sexual desire a.s.a.p. and b) random fan-service or rating-boost ones, where the shower is used to show us a beautiful actor's beautiful body, i.e. glistening abs and no dramatic purpose is served whatsoever. And I guess there is also c), which is the combination of the two.
Anyways, this is a top 5 post, so I should in theory choose the best 5 shower scenes. But how in the name of what is good and holy do you choose the best shower scene?! They are all the same: a beautiful man naked to the waist takes a shower. Should I have gone for how well they move under the shower? For the context that leads to them taking the shower? For the length of the scene? For the amount of broodiness or outright suffering they display?
No. I flat-out refuse to choose. So, here we go ... my "Top 5+ Shower Scenes", including some ratings. These are dramas and actors that I like. Well, some of the dramas I like and some of the actors I like, but ... never mind. It took me forever to make these gifs, so I do hope I get a position in KDrama heaven when I die. PS: I will do another Top 5 post soonish after this: swimming pool scenes.
The first Shower Scene with Park Shi-hoo is in Family's Honor, Episode 15, 33'00'', in two segments. Theirs is a difficult love, so it's mighty broody and even angry! A naked, dripping, angry Park Shi-hoo?! Me likey. 10/10 for both!
The second Shower Scene with Park Shi-hoo is in the surprise-hit Prosecutor Princess, Episode 10, 16'30''. It's mighty broody alright, but they do keep Park Shi-hoo's wonderful abs from us almost entirely. I cannot give it more than 7/10.
The third Shower Scene with Park Shi-hoo is in The Princess Man, Episode 12, 5'30''. Well, they didn't have real showers back then, but they're washing sexily in the river, which equals a shower scene and then some. His companion (played by Kim Roe-ha) also doesn't need to hide his body, though he is well over forty. Well done! This is top marks because we see abs, abs, and nothing but the abs. Well, the hair is a distraction, but this is not a hair post. So: 10/10.
The fourth and fifth Shower Scene with Park Shi-hoo are in Cheongdamdong Alice, Episode 2 and 3 ... okay, okay, these are not shower scenes! But seriously, this was never about shower scenes anyway but about half-nekkid men, plain and simple. These abs are abs alright! 10/10, Park Shi-hoo. I wish this drama had been as good as your abs.
First Shower Scene with Lee Min-ho is in Boys over Flowers, Episode 2, 46'50''. Unfortunately, it's a half-assed shower scene. We do not see any abs, just some biceps and his back. But he is really broody and I like that he looks at himself in some kind of mirror or whatever it is. Who has a mirror to look at themselves when they take a shower?! Oh well. It's Joon Pyo. Forget I asked. I give it a 3/10.
The second Shower Scene with Lee Min-ho is in Personal Taste,
Episode 3, 35'44''. This is clearly a Type b) shower scene. Lee
Min-ho's character is not at all broody or suffering. But he needed to
be naked for what follows ...
...
which is a delightful little "oups I walked in on you" hijink. Even
though I do not understand for the life of me why she looks at his face?
All in all, the shower scene is funny, but it lacks the broodiness. I
give it a 4/10.
The third Shower Scene with Lee Min-ho is in City Hunter, Episode 2, 24'25''. It's broody alright, and we get to see a liiiiiiiittle more of him. Just a tiny little bit more. And some scars. It certainly isn't enough for top marks: 5/10. But you do get better and better! Continue to work hard, young man!
This beautiful man taking this shower can be seen in Episode 4, at 22'45''. It's one of the best shower scenes ever. The man might not be the best actor in town, but he seems to be the best shower scene actor ever. 10/10!
This, by the way, does not lead to the famous Hand Towel scene, which takes place in Episode 2. And the Hand Towel scene is not what gave Song Seung-hun the nickname Mr. Hand Towel. He is Mr. Hand Towel because his acting is just like a limp, wet hand towel and his name sounds similar to son-su-geon (손수건), which means hand towel / handkerchief in Hangul. I don't know why people are so mean to him. He has the most beautiful eyelashes after all!
Shower scenes almost always involve men (as opposed to women, though there are exceptions) being "naked" (to the waist) and taking a shower - and most shower scenes fall into one of two categories: a) brooding (thinking-about-a-woman) ones, where the shower is probably there to show us that the lead actor needs to cool down his sexual desire a.s.a.p. and b) random fan-service or rating-boost ones, where the shower is used to show us a beautiful actor's beautiful body, i.e. glistening abs and no dramatic purpose is served whatsoever. And I guess there is also c), which is the combination of the two.
Anyways, this is a top 5 post, so I should in theory choose the best 5 shower scenes. But how in the name of what is good and holy do you choose the best shower scene?! They are all the same: a beautiful man naked to the waist takes a shower. Should I have gone for how well they move under the shower? For the context that leads to them taking the shower? For the length of the scene? For the amount of broodiness or outright suffering they display?
No. I flat-out refuse to choose. So, here we go ... my "Top 5+ Shower Scenes", including some ratings. These are dramas and actors that I like. Well, some of the dramas I like and some of the actors I like, but ... never mind. It took me forever to make these gifs, so I do hope I get a position in KDrama heaven when I die. PS: I will do another Top 5 post soonish after this: swimming pool scenes.
be patient for the gifs to load! It is worth it!
Park Shi-hoo Shower Scenes
Park Shi-hoo, who has a very, very, very well trained body and isn't afraid to show it, is "The King of Shower Scenes". He must have the most shower scenes of any active actor in KDramaland. I'm just guessing, of course - there is no hard data on such things.The first Shower Scene with Park Shi-hoo is in Family's Honor, Episode 15, 33'00'', in two segments. Theirs is a difficult love, so it's mighty broody and even angry! A naked, dripping, angry Park Shi-hoo?! Me likey. 10/10 for both!
Lee Min-ho Shower Scenes
If Park Shi-hoo is the "King of the Shower Scenes" then Lee Min-ho deserves the title "Little King of the Shower Scenes". He has had so many - and hasn't even been to the army yet! Imagine what shower scenes will be like with this one once he went in and came back out!! *Nosebleed*First Shower Scene with Lee Min-ho is in Boys over Flowers, Episode 2, 46'50''. Unfortunately, it's a half-assed shower scene. We do not see any abs, just some biceps and his back. But he is really broody and I like that he looks at himself in some kind of mirror or whatever it is. Who has a mirror to look at themselves when they take a shower?! Oh well. It's Joon Pyo. Forget I asked. I give it a 3/10.
Song Seung-hun in "My Princess"
Behold, SSH aka Mr Handtowel has chosen a new drama! He will be back to the small screen in no time (like this April)! Well, without me watching, but he is rather well-built. And he has eyelashes to die for. Here, he is taking a shower in My Princess being broody or at least pensive cause his life is so.damn.hard. |
| credit: latteholic - who also gave me the idea for this post: so thank her! |
This, by the way, does not lead to the famous Hand Towel scene, which takes place in Episode 2. And the Hand Towel scene is not what gave Song Seung-hun the nickname Mr. Hand Towel. He is Mr. Hand Towel because his acting is just like a limp, wet hand towel and his name sounds similar to son-su-geon (손수건), which means hand towel / handkerchief in Hangul. I don't know why people are so mean to him. He has the most beautiful eyelashes after all!
Cha Seung-won in "The Greatest Love"
Wow! A shower scene in Episode 1! That only happens to somebody as seasoned as Cha Seung-won and his beautiful, beautiful body. Oppaaaaaaa! Come back to the small screen soon, pretty please?! This shower scene is from Episode 1 of The Greatest Love, at 21'38'' and it's part of his character's introduction. Definitely a Type b)! 10/10 of course.
Yeon Jung-hoon in "Vampire Prosecutor 2"
This special Shower Scene with Yeon Jung-hoon is in Vampire Prosecutor 2, Episode 2, 37'29''. It's neither a type a), b), nor c). Poor Min Tae-yeon got hurt! And now needs to heal himself while taking a shower. I adore Yeon Jung-hoon (mostly as Vampire Prosecutor) and I wished he did more dramas. This shower scene deserves top marks: hardly ever do we linger so long and so closely on the most important part of the body: the face. Haha, no, of course not that part! I mean the abs. 10/10.
Eric Moon in "Myung Wol the Spy"
Some of the regular readers and especially writers on this blog (i.e. lafer!) never shut up about how good Que Sera, Sera is. But is there a shower scene in there? I do not know, because I still haven't seen more than about 5 episodes of this drama. But I do know that Eric Moon does have a shower scene, which is in fact in Myung Wol the Spy, Episode 8, 23'58''. The drama was as terrible as they come, but Eric Moon ... yum. The scene is as broody as they come, because he is in love with her and of course shouldn't, blabla. The angle is quite good, though the hair is terrible, but since this is not a hair-post ... 9/10.
Lee Dong-wook in "Scent of a Woman"
This is a drama I did not see. Well, correction: I saw about 5 episodes of it and then dropped it because I simply hate terminal illness dramas. Even my love for Kim Sun-ah couldn't convince me, also because she was much, much too thin in this. But then, my dear Shukmeister begged me on her knees to include this shower scene. This is a woman who claims not to be interested in choco abs, mind you ... oh well, the strongest get weak sometimes, right? This particular shower scene is in Episode 4, 43'45''. Oh my. This is one sexy shower scene (in two segments). Lee Dong-wook shows us more than anybody else in this post - below belly button hair. Very well done, Lee Dong-wook. 10/10.
