I’m always entertained by lists and polls, offering a snapshot of the general reaction to the topic at hand without needing to take it seriously. The latest list is interesting in how many selections elicited approving nods from me. tvN did a poll of Korean males to ask who their favorite manly actor was and the top three is basically as perfect as it gets. Leading the votes was one of Korea’s favorite box office leading man behemoths in Ha Jung Woo, followed by so sexy it hurts Cha Seung Won, and rounding out the top three is my I Lub You Jung Woo Sung. So much rawr I can’t even.
I find this particular poll adorable because it’s asking men what they think of other men, albeit the other men are all handsome, rich, and famous. It’s notable that the majority of picks are true manly men in K-ent, ones who are conventionally handsome and/or skew towards brutish charisma. But a few flower boys snuck on the list in Won Bin, Jo In Sung, Hyun Bin, and Kim Soo Hyun, and with those choices I’m a little bemused. Won Bin is hampered by his incredible good looks but he is actually more of a character actor who can go full manly in his roles, but I’m never ever thought of Jo In Sung as manly and Kim Soo Hyun is a fave of mine but is so slight as to be unassuming outside of his acting roles.
1. Ha Jung Woo
2. Cha Seung Won
3. Jung Woo Sung
4. Jang Dong Gun
5. Choi Min Shik
6. Won Bin
7. Song Kang Ho
8. Hwang Jung Min
9. Jo In Sung
10. Yoo Jae Suk
11. So Ji Sub
12. Lee Jung Jae
13. Hyun Bin
14. Song Il Gook
15. Kim Soo Hyun
16. Park Sung Woong
17. Song Seung Heon
18. Lee Byung Heon
19. Ma Dong Seok
20. Kim Yoon Seok
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Errr... I don't know.. I won't think of Ha Jung Woo as the manliest man... hahaha. but he's a great actor, I admit..
I would pick Jung Woo Sung as the manliest one.. Just because that face and those abs!!
Manly? Joo Jin Mo comes to mind. Jo In Sung is more to a pretty boy, Jang Dong Gun is the typical handsome man. I guess this thing can be subjective as well?
JJM is not in the list and that's shocking! The man oozes manliness and I don't see how this may be subjective. I adore JIS but "manly" is not the first adjective that comes to mind when I see him. On the other hand, I love how HJW's difficult years are over. The man could not even get a minor role because he was looking older and far from a "flower-boy" type.
Koala, Can you comment why Matt Damon is in one of the screen shots?
as expected...overated Lee Min Ho nowhere to be seen..
i'm very glad that LMH isn't on the list. I always feel he tries so hard to appear manly but falls short of it and appear more like effeminate. His pastel makeup and shiny lipgloss don't help either.
Super disappointed. Where's my Jang Hyuk? :( How they do the poll?
Maybe Matt Damon is secretly a Korean..........
great! wow to the top 2 men, i mean, really see them as manly men and to be given the thumbs up by men that's just wow! and love love that my won bin is on the 6th "ajussi"! his voice, i could drown on it, so manly. well, jo in sung? it's a surprise.
for me the manliest n sexy man is kim sung soo, joo jin mo n lee jin wook. i'm surprise if kim so hyun regard as manly
Jo in sung is such a pretty flower boy,why? He is even in Top 10.
I agree with most of them there, JIS? he's used to get high ranking in most of lists. KSH also is manly? He is higher than SSH and LBH,etc? KSH is so overrated as hell.