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This poster for Goryeo-Khitan War is UNREAL!!!

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This is DELICIOUS!!!!!

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1. This was downright Hamletian.

2. I cheered because oh boy that minister had it COMING! Too bad the King didn’t finish the choking job.

3. This drama has an incredibly solid cast, the way I haven’t seen in ages.

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Goryeo-Khitan war (2023 KBS)

So far, so good. (up to episode 2.) Sageuk drama nerd will love it.

Very stylish Korean historical drama, set in the impending War against Khitan in the early 11th century Goryeo kingdom which was ruled by the first ever gay monarch : King Mokjong.

picture from [X]

It is interesting that King Mokjong is interpreted as a complex character with Oedipus complex.

However, the king's cousin disguised as a Buddhist monk with a tragic secret of birth is a real protagonist. He will be remembered as one of the greatest but most miserable Korean monarch in the history. I hope the K-pop idol-turned-newbie actor Kim Dong-Jun will live up to anticipation. This drama's historical research is so accurate that I can't find anything to criticize. I've never seen a Korean Sageuk drama with such an accuracy in over a decade. Good job, KBS.

Opening

In the past, I created and posted a royal family tree of the early Goryeo Dynasty for Moon Lovers : Scarlet Heart Ryeo. It would have been very helpful in understanding this drama as well, But Tumblr deleted my post, perhaps because of the mention of incestuous marriage custom of Goryeo royal family. Sigh.

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OMG. I remember him as a child actor in SBS historical drama Iljimae (일지매 一枝梅, 2008). He is a grown man and Olympic figure skater right now. Haha 

Congratulation on his great short program performance at 2022 Beijing Olympics. (He is currently in 4th place) I don’t know if he can get a medal or not this time, but I hope he can do what he wants to do in the free program.   

hello i love him (that's the whole post)

source: x

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The S classes that I raised (내가 키운 S급들) Official Webtoon trailer

The webtoon adaptation of the famous Korean web novel “The S classes that I raised 내가 키운 S급들”  will be released soon. 

Every Tuesday on Korea’s Naver Webtoon (November 16, 2021)

English webtoon schedule is not confirmed yet.

I already talked about this novel a few years ago.  HERE

The S classes that I raised 내가 키운 S급들 (Ongoing) :

The 30-year-old protagonist (Han Yu-Jin) is the weakest F-class hunter. He decides to go back to the past five years ago, when his younger brother loses his life while trying to save him from a dangerous monster in a dungeon. He comes back to 25-year-old himself, reconciles with his brother, and awakens his unique skills as a 'caregiver' to save the world by discovering and raising S-class hunters/monsters. 

It started as a typical male-oriented fantasy novel but I'm sure almost 90% readers are women right now. The original novel itself contains strong homosexual tension of almost BL level, so it has the support of enthusiastic BL fandom. No webtoon is released yet. One of the representative work of the K-fantasy sub-genre called "Dungeon raid" (or "Hunters"). Solo leveling 나혼자만 레벨업 belongs to this genre as well.

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I’m a South Korean. Here is what I found on Youtube. (with English subtitles)

Does anyone know any Squid Game analysis videos made by actual Koreans? Or at the very least people who did their research?

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Solo leveling TV series

Korean Daily Economics 매일경제 reported today (April 13, 2021) that  Solo leveling 나혼자만 레벨업 will be adapted into American TV series.

[source in Korean]   

[Translation]  According to industry officials, one of the most popular Korean webtoons, Solo leveling 나혼자만 레벨업, owned by DNC Media and Kakao Entertainment will be adapted into a game and a TV series. 

The game will be developed by Netmarble 넷마블, and the TV series will be filmed by a leading production company in the United States rather than in Korea.

In fact, DNC Media and Kakao Entertainment recently decided to use this webtoon IP to create a game with Netmarble. In addition, it will produce TV series with a famous studio in the United States and negotiate to air it through a world-class online video service (OTT). It is reported that many famous companies including Warner Bros. in the United States are showing interest.

They are also considering to make a live action movie in the future. 

Solo leveling - Webtoon trailer (English sub)

Solo leveling Music video made by a Japanese fan

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I don’t know about wattpad, but does it mean that Naver’s popular Korean web novels such as Omniscient Reader 전지적 독자 시점 and Remarried Empress 재혼황후 will be officially translated on Watpad? Or, is Naver going to make webtoon adaptation of the webnovels on Wattpad like it does in Korea?

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Haha, she is sweeping 13 critics awards in the U.S. while she is shooting tvN variety show Youn’s stay in Korea with famous hubae Korean actors such as Choi Woo-Sik (Parasite), Park Seo-Joon (Itaewon class), Jung Yu-Mi (Train to Busan), and Lee Seo-Jin (Damo, Yi San). 

Her life story is very familiar to Koreans. She became an actress in 1969 when the television station first opened in South Korea. Her ex-husband was a famous singer at that time, and the two married and immigrated to the United States. 

However, her ex-husband had an affair with a young woman and abandoned his wife and children and returned to Korea with the woman. Left in the United States alone with her children, she also returned to Korea and started acting again regardless of supporting roles and minor roles. 

It was conservative days when Korean society had prejudice against divorced women, so her roles in TV drama or movies were all negative like a bar girl, a prostitute, or a villainess at that time. She was once even beaten up by a viewer in the street who was shouting "Bad bitch!" because the poor old viewer couldn’t tell her acting from reality.  

However, in order to support her two children, she silently did any roles she can get, and as time passes by, people started to respect her not only because of her acting but also because of her life. 

It would be an honor for her to be nominated for an Oscar, but if she won the Best Supporting Actress Award, wouldn't it be the sweetest revenge for her trash ex-husband who had been still enjoying his life as a veteran singer even though he did such a thing? Hmm, drama.

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Well, Korean news reports already covered Naver Webtoon’s official announcement. Here is the detailed list. [Source in Korean] 

Anime adaptation

Yumi's Cells 유미의 세포들 (animated movie)

Your letter 연의 편지

Nano list 나노 리스트

TV drama adaptation

Sweet Home 스위트 홈 (2020 Netflix)

True Beauty 여신강림 (2020 tvN)

She Would Never Know 선배, 그 립스틱 바르지 마요 (2021 JTBC)  

Now at our school 지금 우리 학교는 (2021 Netflix)

The Hell 지옥 (2021 Netflix)

Yumi's Cells 유미의 세포들

Your letter 연의 편지

Vigilante 비질란테

The Remarried Empress 재혼황후

My brother is an idol 우리 오빠는 아이돌

R.I.P : Rest In Peace 고인의 명복

Golden spoon 금수저

Tomorrow 내일

Homework of the Mind 마음의 숙제

Money game 머니 게임

A Falling Cohabitation 간떨어지는 동거

상중하

알고 있지만

정년이

피에는 피

대작

Live-action movie adaptation

Omniscient reader 전지적 독자 시점

Brave citizen 용감한 시민

Omniscient Reader 전지적 독자 시점 was originally published by a webnovel site called Munpia 문피아. Even before being adapted into Naver Webtoon, Munpia sold the rights to adapt it (5 live-action movies, 3 seasons of TV dramas, and TV animation series) to Realies Pictures 리얼라이즈 픽쳐스 which is currently working on writing screenplays for live-action movies. No detailed information about the TV drama or animation series yet. That's why Naver's official announcement does not include it.

The Remarried Empress 재혼황후 had been the biggest bestseller in South Korean webnovel history until it was overtaken by Omniscient reader last year.  Even though it is really popular among general public, due to the nature of its genre called RoFan 로판 (= female-oriented Romance Fantasy set in medieval Europe-like world), everyone thought that it is impossible for Korean entertainment industry to adapt it into a K-drama or a K-movie. That’s why everyone was shocked when the webnovel author said that she already signed a deal for TV drama adaptation. No information was released yet, but K-drama fan communities guess that it would be set in an imaginary constitutional monarchy like The King: Eternal Monarch 더킹 : 영원의 군주 or Princess Hours 궁. I hope it would be a fusion Saguek (historical drama) though.

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Kim Ki-duk, an influential film director whose career was tarnished by accusations that he had sexually assaulted several women, died on Friday at a hospital in Latvia due to coronavirus complications. He was 59.

Kim, whose films won him a Silver Bear in Berlin, an Un Certain Regard award in Cannes and a Golden Lion in Venice, enjoyed his biggest successes at European film festivals. But he failed commercially, leaving audiences divided over his depiction of extreme violence and dark content.

I hate his films except for Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring 봄 여름 가을 겨울, 그리고 봄 which was a masterpiece. I won’t say RIP because he should have been punished for his sexual assaults.   

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I already introduced this most expensive webtoon-turned-K drama Sweet Home long time ago. Finally, it will be released on Netflix internationally. (December 18, 2020) Check out my old post HERE.  The VFX is a lot better than I expected. 

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Seo Bok 서복 徐福  (2020) Official Trailer (English sub)

█ Seo Bok (2020 Korean Movie)

Official English Title : Not confirmed

Korean Title : 서복 徐福

Director & Writer : Lee Yong-Ju 이용주 (Architecture 101 건축학개론)

Cast : Gong Yoo 공유, Park Bo-Gum 박보검, Jo Woo-Jin 조우진

Genre : SF, human cloning

Release date : December 2020

Synopsis : 

Min Ki-Heon 민기헌 (played by Gong Yoo), a former intelligence agent who is terminally ill, comes across mankind's first human clone Seo Bok 서복 (played by Park Bo-Gum) who is known as immortal. Chief Ahn (played by Jo Woo-Jin), the head of the Korean intelligence bureau, attempts to hide Seo Bok's existence from the public, so he assigns Ki-Heon a mission to protect Seo Bok. As a result, they become caught up in dangerous incidents involving several forces who are on the hunt to possess the clone.

In the history, Seo Bok 서복 徐福 (Xu Bu in Chinese pronunciation)  is a legendary Chinese man who left to find a herb for immortality in order to fulfill the desire of China’s first emperor. According to the legend, however, he never returned to the emperor and founded a new country somewhere on the eastern islands. The movie director said he borrowed a motif from this legend, and wants to talk about the story of eternal life.

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Painter of the Night Season 2 TRAILER

So, I have finally read the famous Korean BL comic Painter of the Night 야화첩 夜画帳 which has a huge number of fans around the world. The drawing is really great but the forced relationship is not my cup of tea.  

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the comics because I felt that the artist is a sincere Sageuk fan. Her comics reminds me of two famous Korean historical drama/movie : Painter of the Wind 바람의 화원 (2008) and King and the Clown 왕의 남자 (2005). Both of them were released during the golden age of Korean Sageuk.

King and the Clown 왕의 남자 (2005, movie) is about a male clown loved by the king and their tragedy caused by the difference in status. In 2005 it broke 10 million submission mark and became the highest-grossing Korean movie ever. (The record was broken by Bong Joon-Ho's The Host 괴물 a few months later though)

Painter of the Wind 바람의 화원 (2008, SBS TV Drama) is about a female painter disguised/raised as a man since childhood. This story came from the novelist's imagination that Shin Yun-bok (신윤복), a mysterious historical figure who was obsessed with drawing women, was actually a woman who was seeking for her lost identity. 

Therefore, this drama has a unique love triangle. Her teacher (male royal painter) who recognized and nurtured her talents gets to love her even though he thinks she is a boy. The beautiful Gisaeng lady who plays music and discuss arts with the protagonist confesses her love thinking she is a boy. It ended up as a lesbian drama which was really sensational at that time. 

Most of all, I think Actress Moon Geun-Young who swept the acting awards with this role resembles the character Na-Kyum in the BL comics. Haha. 

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Omniscient Reader - Constellations

I found this great fan-made opening of Omniscient Reader : Constellations. (Music from Thor : The Dark World soundtrack)

0:28 Master of Steel 강철의 주인

0:31 Mass Production Maker 양산형 제작가

0:35 Maritime War God 해상전신

0:39 Goryeo's First Sword 고려제일검

0:42 Queen of The Darkest Spring 가장 어두운 봄의 여왕

0:45 Father of the Rich Night 부유한 밤의 아버지

0:49 Demon King of Rage and Rust 정욕과 격노의 마왕

0:53 Supreme God of Light 지고한 빛의 신

0:58 Lord of Eastern Hell 지옥 동부의 지배자

1:00 Scribe of Heaven 하늘의 서기관

1:03 Abysmal Black Flame Dragon 심연의 흑염룡

1:10 Demonic Judge of Fire 악마 같은 불의 심판자

1:16 The Prisoner of Golden headband 긴고아의 죄수

1:23 Secretive Plotter 은밀한 모략가

1:41 Director of the False End 거짓 종막의 연출가

1:55 Demon King of Salvation 구원의 마왕

As everyone already knows, Omniscient Reader (Webnovel and Webtoon) is going to be adapted into five live action movies, five seasons of TV dramas, and animation series (hundreds of episodes) according to the interview with its producer Won Dong-Yeon (CEO of Realies Pictures, Inc. )

The following is the official ORV illustrator’s art of 4 main constellations (From the left : Demonic Judge of Fire, The Prisoner of Golden Headband, Abysmal Black Flame Dragon, Secretive plotter) 

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The Trash of the Count's Family

The Trash of the Count's Family (백작가의 망나니가 되었다) Kakao page Webtoon trailer (No English subs)

Trash of the Count's family 백작가의 망나니가 되었다 is the webtoon adaptation of a famous Korean web novel of the same name. This novel won the grand prize at the 2018 Korean Web Novel Contest.  It is an ongoing series with 600+ episodes.

It stared with Kim Rok-Soo who possessed the body of an extra villain character of the fantasy novel he was reading.  As a trash of the Count's family, Cale Henituse tries to avoid his destiny (being beaten miserably by the novel's protagonist) by changing the story a little bit, but he ends up being caught in big events on a continental scale. 

Since last year, I've been in love with Korean web novels. I started with Korean fantasy sub-genre called "RoFan 로판 (Romance Fantasy for female readers)"  such as Who made me a princess 어느날 공주가 되어 버렸다 or The Emperor and the Female Knight 황제와 여기사. However, I was getting tired of similar settings and plots, so I moved to the fantasy sub-genre for male readers. Even though it was originally designed for male readers, there are a few novels also favored by female readers, and one of them was The Trash of the Count's Family 백작가의 망나니가 되었다.

For reference, the following is the “Four most popular Korean fantasy novels among Korean female readers” (4대 판소).

Omniscient Reader 전지적 독자 시점

The S-Classes that I raised 내가 키운 S급들

How to live as the Enemy Prince 적국의 왕자로 사는 법

The Trash of the Count's family 백작가의 망나니가 되었다

Omniscient Reader 전지적 독자 시점 (Completed) :

The biggest bestseller among existing Korean web novels. The largest fandom with almost equal preference between male and female readers. Many BL fans as well as many general fans. It became more popular after the webtoon's release. The representative work of the Korean fantasy sub-genre called "Constellations 성좌물".

The S classes that I raised 내가 키운 S급들 (Ongoing) :

The 30-year-old protagonist is the weakest F-class hunter. He decides to go back to the past five years ago, when his younger brother loses his life while trying to save him from a dangerous monster in a dungeon. The 25-year-old protagonist reconciled with his brother and awakens his unique skills as a 'caregiver' and tries to save the world by discovering and raising S-class hunters. It started as a typical male-oriented fantasy novel but I'm sure almost 90% readers are women right now. The original novel itself contains strong homosexual tension of almost BL level, so it has the support of enthusiastic BL fandom. No webtoon is released yet. One of the representative work of the K-fantasy sub-genre called "Dungeon raid" (or "Hunters"). Solo leveling 나혼자만 레벨업 belongs to this genre as well.

How to live as the Enemy Prince 적국의 왕자로 사는 법 :

The protagonist is the second prince of the kingdom destroyed by the neighboring invasion. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was in the body of the youngest prince of the enemy country a few years before being killed. To stop his half brother from invading his kingdom in the future, the protagonist tries to understand him and gradually saves everyone around. I personally love this novel, but the author died of a chronic illness a few months ago, so we can never see the ending. No webtoon is made yet.