Man Crush Monday: "Mary Stayed Out All Night's" Kang Moo Kyul

Recently, there were a couple of articles highlighting a secret weakness of mine: Korean men who can pull off long hair. As I fawned and swooned over the numerous photos, I decided I simply had to feature a man with glorious, silky hair for our next Man Crush Monday. Jang Geuk Suk‘s Kang Moo Kyul from “Mary Stayed Out All Night” is the perfect example!

Kang Moo Kyul is a bohemian, free-spirited indie singer just living day to day. He has no qualms about getting cutely drunk in the daytime; however, he can also turn around and become dead serious in a nanosecond. His kindness towards Wi Mae Ri in helping her escape her father’s wild plans to get out of debt lands him in some serious complications, turning his once simple life completely upside down. Before he knows it, he’s caught in a fake marriage with Wi Mae Ri and he’s got some serious acting to do to pull it off! That is… until that act becomes less about pretending and more about truly loving.

Although the second half of the drama was a first-degree mess due to a switch in scriptwriter who wanted a different OTP, “Mary Stayed Out All Night” was, at least, saved from utter ruin by Kang Moo Kyul and Wi Mae Ri’s adorable love. Even offscreen, their romance had to be fought for, so you know that aspect of the show is bound to be good! (Have you ever heard of leading character death in a rom-com? Yeah, I hadn’t either. Thank goodness Jang Geun Suk came to the rescue!)

But here are five reasons, other than the hair, that makes Kang Moo Kyul this week’s Man Crush Monday (spoilers ahead):

1. He’s a musician.

I think there’s something just super swoon-worthy about being able to see your crush rocking it out on stage. The way Kang Moo Kyul captivates his audience and exudes such a sense of self-confidence can be a total heart stopper. With talent like that, he’s bound to go far and become successful, so you’ll never have to worry about a musician wannabe bumming it out at home for the rest of his, and your, life. Kang Moo Kyul will actually go out and make himself known. Plus, how amazing would it be to always be front and center for his performances?

2. He’s incredibly laid back.

Kang Moo Kyul enjoys living life day to day because he gets to live his dream of being a singer. Because of that, he’s also very easygoing and doesn’t like getting bound to anything constricting or serious – well, unless it’s you! He loves the freedom to laugh as loud as he wants, drink whenever he desires, and sing to his heart’s content. With him, every day will be a brand new day with unique surprises waiting for you. You’ll never be bored with Kang Moo Kyul as he and his crew will always be able to liven things up. It’s also refreshing to see a man who doesn’t care about the material things and chooses to live the simple life. Ah… I envy that worry-free attitude!

3. Kang Moo Kyul is all kinds of adorable.

It’s true! This intense rocker is fully capable of turning people into mush from his adorableness! His drunken antics are super cute and his smile is deadly. Kang Moo Kyul also possesses cat-like qualities, such as licking his own wounds and perching on a ledge, so it’s like having both a crush and a pet in one? (Har har har. Did anyone get that? Yes, yes? Jang Geuk Suk in “You’re My Pet?” Okay. I’ll stop now.) Anyway, his animal noises with Wi Mae Ri is also super adorbs (“Bow wow.” “Meow!”) and his sense of humor is pretty fantastic too. Every time I see him, I just want to squeal and pinch his cheeks. He’s that endearing.

4. Kang Moo Kyul is always subconsciously thoughtful of others.

He may seem aloof on the exterior, but Kang Moo Kyul is anything but. He thinks highly of his friends to the point where even when talent agents want to sign him – and him alone – he’s not willing to leave them behind. Even if he knows their skills aren’t good enough, he sticks by them because they are a team. He’s also known for spoon feeding soup to other people following a shot of soju, which is extremely caring of him and I don’t think he even realizes when he does that. But even when he can egg Wi Mae Ri on to drink while she can’t hold her liquor, Kang Moo Kyul also gets concerned when she’s drinking of her own freewill. As a respectable man, he’ll stop her and, what else, but drink it himself to make sure she doesn’t get her hands on it!

Not only that, but he also loves his scatterbrained mother so much, he’s there for her no matter what. He never scolds her if he can help it and simply picks up her pieces when it shatters. Even when she’s being a complete fool, Kang Moo Kyul seems to have all the patience in the world. He also hates to hurt other people and generally tries to avoid conflict if possible. Seo Joon, his ex-girlfriend, is a classic example of that. Even though they had broken up already, he tries never to hurt her because he knows she still has feelings for him. He never turns her down cruelly, but his friendliness only confuses her more, so when he finally tells her to let him go, it’s also with thoughtfulness and consideration.

5. He’s a closet romantic.

Gifting you with a bouquet of wild plant straight from the ground on your first meeting? Piggybacking you home after you hurt yourself? Check! Telling your father that he’s your husband just to get him off your back about marriage to a complete stranger? Conquering your fears with you? Sending paper airplanes to your window in the middle of the night? (Instead of those pesky pebbles that could potentially break glass.) Going on a sporadic romantic getaway? Cuddling with you to “warm up” because you don’t have the money for a heater? Announcing loudly and proudly, to the whole world, that he loves you? Check, check, check, check! Let me tell you, Kang Moo Kyul’s confession had my heart beat, beat, beat, beating… (Aha, I feel witty today!)

Kang Moo Kyul probably doesn’t even know he’s a closet romantic since it just comes naturally. I’m certain he didn’t plan on serenading someone with his love song and asking her to write the lyrics. I’m certain he didn’t rehearse the lines, “you could say it’s the feeling you give me,” when Wi Mae Ri said the song made her feel warm, followed by “music composition and lyrics meet and together they make one song. Like us.” Look at what a smooth talker he is!

Did I come off as giddy as I felt? Has Kang Moo Kyul ever been your man crush? Which aspect of him was your favorite? Let us know, as usual, in the comments below and make sure to nominate those Man Crush Mondays for next month’s Mystery Reveal!

[tv]Check out Kang Moo Kyul in “Mary Stayed Out All Night” at SoompiTV!
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