Man Crush Monday: "Bel Ami's" Choi David

“Bel Ami” was one of those dramas where viewers were separated on opposite sides of the spectrum – either they loved it or they hated it. Rarely did I come across someone straddling the middle line and even I, myself, have a love-hate relationship with “Bel Ami.”

It’s completely understandable though, considering the drama’s snail paced plot and narcissistic male lead had many scrambling to hit that X button. Even I, who initially expressed nothing but anticipation of the stellar cast members, had dropped and picked it back up a few times before marathoning through to the end. However, it was during that time that I came to appreciate the hidden gem that is “Bel Ami,” even if that gem sometimes looks like nothing more than a mere stone.

It’s forgettable when you’re finished with it, but when you’re watching, there’s a tendency to get sucked into their world. The lessons learned, the humor, the quirkiness – they were all aspects of “Bel Ami” that I enjoyed, but Choi David, our Man Crush Monday for this week, gave the drama that extra sparkle. Deemed as the male version of Kim Bo Tong, who was, by far, my favorite character, he is as eccentric as they come and for that, he’s utterly loveable.

But aren’t you curious about the reasons why? Let’s take a look then! (Spoilers ahead.)

1. He has interesting hobbies.

Choi David is a collector of vintage items… three year old vintage dust, to be more precise. He also shows a passion for one-of-a-kind, handmade, second handed items, which meant he was simply fated to meet Kim Bo Tong! His interests are unique, to say the least, but there’s also something incredibly refreshing about it. Rather than being wasteful, Choi David is actually being resourceful with the things that catches his attention, like… a hat with real, human hair attached that require extra care to properly maintain?

2. Choi David is kind of… weird.

If the first reason wasn’t enough of an indication, then have no fear, because we’re delving into just how quirky he really is right now. Other than his interesting, if not questionable hobbies, he also chooses to sleep in a tent outside, regardless of weather, when he has a rather large house all to himself. He also comes up with unique business ideas, with the assistance of Kim Bo Tong, such as sink noodles (ew!), old cell phone set, where the consumer can take their anger out on old cell phones, rather than new ones, by throwing them around in the midst of temper tantrums (uh, what?), and even reused food, where food that is about to get tossed out is saved and sold elsewhere at all new discounted rates (double ew!).

Well, at least Choi David will definitely keep things fun and interesting, if not downright amusing, so it’s an excellent idea to keep him by your side! He can just keep those sink noodles for himself though…

3. He’s extremely supportive.

No matter what kind of ridiculous scenarios are encountered, you can bet that Choi David will be there to support you. Most, if not all, of the time, he’ll even dive right in to help. Things like socks fanclubs, odd fashion choices, and being an overall goofball to accomplish your goals don’t deter him in the slightest. He does his best and tries his hardest to make sure that smile on your face never wavers – even when it involves forsaking his own feelings.

4. Choi David can sing!

In the dead cold of winter and in front of a large crowd outdoors, Choi David can croon out his confession of love unlike any other and look completely unaffected by the weather in the process. If I were Kim Bo Tong, I would have tossed my decade long one-sided love for this man without a doubt, but Kim Bo Tong is nothing if not loyal to her Dokgo Ma Te. With that being said, I could only applaud Choi David for handling her rejection incredibly well while under the watchful eyes of his fans.

5. He has the ability to use someone’s own words against them.

Some of my favorite Choi David moments involve his head butting with Dokgo Ma Te. He is one of the very few people who can leave Dokgo Ma Te completely speechless or sputter incoherently, especially when Choi David throws his own words back at him. Ha! Although it was somewhat unfortunate that Choi David never got the girl, I was happy that he was the kind of upstanding, righteous, and kind man that would purposely push Dokgo Ma Te’s buttons so that he could see the true worth of the lady who stayed by his side for so long without fail. Had Choi David decided not to interfere, perhaps Dokgo Ma Te, to this day, would still not realize how precious Kim Bo Tong is and that would be terrible, wouldn’t it? Although that might make the Choi David and Kim Bo Tong shippers happy because he’ll finally have a chance to claim her heart! Ohhh… the possibilities!

So, what did you think about Choi David? Did you enjoy watching him in “Bel Ami” or has he never once crossed your mind as Man Crush Monday worthy? Let me know in the thoughts below and, as always, make sure to keep those nominations coming in for January’s Mystery Reveal!

[tv]Find out just how amusing and wacky Choi David is in Bel Ami on SoompiTV!

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