6 Ways 'Train to Busan' Has Upped My Standards for Men

Woo! Three years late to the party. I know. The thing is: I wasn't into the Korean world when 'Train to Busan' came out in 2016. And when I did finally become addicted to Korean dramas, the movie wasn't available on Netflix. Well, now it is. So here I am.

Now y'all know that 'Train to Busan' is an awesome action-packed adrenaline rush from beginning to end. But my biggest takeaway from it is that I will now never settle for less than a man than Ma Dong-seok.

Y'all can have Gong Yoo... Ma Dong-seok is my man.

Here's why I love him:

1. He didn't rush his wife in the bathroom.

Ah. Such a minor thing. Yet still... I've been pregnant. I've peed a hundred times a day once upon a time. And I've had people get annoyed by me peeing a hundred times a day once upon a time. But this guy... this guy didn't just check on her and tell her to take her time. He even told the kid not to wait because he knew how long it takes for pregnant ladies to pee. He was supportive. He took other people into consideration. And he even waited outside of the bathroom door for his wife to finish. My man!

2. He's a strong gentleman.

Dong-seok isn't just a gentleman, either. He's a strong gentleman. And he's no coward. Not by a long shot. This guy saw zombies running towards them and he literally just picked up his wife's pregnant ass and ran to safety. Most guys would grab their woman's hand and run with her. Others might even just run ahead and save their own asses. But not Dong-seok. No, sir. This guy picked up his pregnant wife off of her feet and ran. Ergh. I LOVE HIM.

3. He's refreshingly honest.

Just coz you're a gentleman doesn't mean you have to be polite all the time. In 'Train to Busan', Dong-seok tells it like it is. When Gong Yoo locked him and his wife out, he called him out and asked for an apology. Later on, he calls Gong Yoo a jerk. He tells that kid with a bat not to put the bat in his face, too. He even points out that Gong Yoo never has time for his kid... but then makes him feel good about it, reminding him that his daughter will understand once she's older.

4. He always puts other people first.

Yes, he picked up his wife to save her. But beyond that, he also saved a lot of other people and put them first, even though they were complete strangers. He saved the kid after my heart raced like crazy because I was so sure she was gonna die (you know, having such a negligent father and all). He put other passengers first when he held the doors closed at the train station and the train was departing for Busan once again. I love me an altruistic man.

5. He kicks ass.

Before they get back on the train, he saves Gong Yoo's ass. And then, when they actually make it onto the train, he starts fighting zombies... WITH HIS BARE FUCKING HANDS. And he stops all of these zombies and puts his own life at risk despite having to work with careless people (like that dude who stepped on a can! MY HEART COULD HARDLY TAKE THIS MOVIE, I SWEAR!). And when that student kid was trying to smash the door with his bat, you just knew that Dong-seok could have smashed that door's glass in a heartbeat.

6. He thinks with his head, not with his heart.

Despite all of the craziness going on all around him, he plans out how to rescue his wife using his head instead of his heart. He is the first to point out that the zombies can't see them in the dark (but fine, I'll give Gong Yoo a point for that cell phone plan of his). And until the very end, he thinks about what's best for his wife instead of trying to save himself. He even makes sure to tell Gong Yoo to take care of her and tells her what to name the baby BEFORE HE GOES BACK TO THOSE ZOMBIE BITCHES AND FIGHTS THEM - WITH AN INFECTED HAND, I MIGHT ADD. He even carries some of those assholes. Heroism. At. Its. Bad-asserest. And when they finally make it into that train car thar vthey were trying to get into and those fuckers tell them to get out, you just know that Dong-seok would have kicked everyone's ass in there and punched them all in their faces.

On a more serious note, I believe I watched 'Train to Busan' at the perfect time. I mean, with COVID and all. Some scenes hit a bit closer to home than it would have if I had watched them three years ago. And I love how it shows us the realities of what people would do to survive and just how different some people really are from others. Some people only care about themselves. Others only care about their loved ones. And me, right now, I just care about Ma Dong-seok. Hahahahaha. Ergh. I LOVE HIM.

Now excuse me while I find a man with this new criteria and teach Syrena how to defend herself from zombies. You never know what August 2020 will bring, after all.

You can watch 'Train to Busan' on Netflix here.