#Hong In-kyu

[k-star-holic]

Kim Jun-ho, a baby daddy in Thailand, wrapped his belly and said, "Solitary confinementTour"

[easternmind]

The weird and wonderful history of Kowloon as a digital interactive space - Part I

The Kowloon Walled City was one of the most emblematic locations in Hong Kong due to its irregular, fast-paced and largely ungoverned growth within a minute parcel of land. During the occupation of Hong Kong Island by the British in the mid 18th century, the Qing authorities surrounded the area with walls, turning it into a strategic position from where to closely inspect the foreign nation's covert activities. Almost a century later, during World War II, the area was seized by the Japanese, who tore down the walls and repurposed the stone for the construction of a nearby airport.

After the war, China would eventually regain possession of the city, though the disinterest of local authorities in addressing its increasing social disturbances placed it in a downward path to a state of utter degradation. By the 1970s, Kowloon had become the epicentre of Hong Kong's criminal underworld, dominated by a handful of its most vicious Triads.

Towards the last years of its existence, the ancient settlement was as a precarious heap of concrete, sheltering nearly half a million people within less than seven acres of land. Cultural and political changes in China made it increasingly difficult for this urban anomaly to remain unaddressed. In the late 1980s, an action plan was put together aiming to relocate its inhabitants and reconvert the real estate into an inner-city park. Stories about residents refusing to leave their unsafe and unsanitary homes were featured prominently in newspapers, baffling readers all over the world. Once the single most densely populated area in the world, this enclave was an architectural aberration whose disconcerting aesthetic influenced numerous works of art in different fields of creation; including a small yet consequential number of video games that briefly reference or prominently feature this abominably transfixing space.

九龍島 (Kyu-Ryu-Tou) - Starcraft - 1986

The year is 2025. An arms dealer escalates the tensions between East and West by developing a genetic weapon in a secret base at Kowloon Island. The United Nations react by sending in their best man, Jamie Starr. Unrelated to the Walled City itself, the first game to be located in the Kowloon peninsula - and indeed include the name as a part of its title - is this obscure turn-based RPG, Kyu-Ryu-Tou for the NEC PC88 and FM-77 machines. The game is a sequel to Shangai, released the year before, featuring the same protagonist. Starcraft would also go on to produce a third instalment in 1987 named TO.KY.O. Clearly there wasn't much regard here from the developers part for geographic accuracy, as Kowloon is depicted here as being an island. While Hong Kong's southern territory is composed of an actual island, all the different areas named Kowloon are located in the mainland.

Riot City - Westone - 1991

One of the most shameless specimens among a relatively long list of Final Fight clones, Riot City contains subtle references to Kowloon, though never referring to it by name. Two narcotics detectives are assigned with the mission of dismantling a cartel running a crime-ridden located in fictional Riot Island. This recurring yet geographically nonsensical notion of Kowloon as an island comes up here, yet again. The final moment of the introduction sequence for this minor Sega arcade success shows both protagonists approaching a tight cluster of buildings whose source inspiration is quite unmistakable. Because Westone maintained ownership of most of this production's intellectual property, a later port to the PC Engine entitled Riot Zone was made possible with the help of Hudson soft. Kowloon's Gate - Zeque - 1997

Reviving the Walled City through the lens of cybermystic surrealism, Kowloon's Gate is a dense, daunting adventure masterfully capturing the slum's dark and narrow recesses. This 1997 Japanese Playstation exclusive spans across four discs of unparalleled full motion 3D CGI spectacle, alternating with real-time 3D dungeons brimming with outlandish characters and concepts deeply inspired by Chinese history, geography and cultural traditions.

Ironically, Zeque managed to embed the theme of Feng-Shui, the ancient geomantic art seeking harmony between the individual and their surrounding space, into a story set in the world's most historically untidy district.

SaGa Frontier - Square - 1997

SaGa Frontier takes place in a solar system named The Regions, composed of multiple inhabited worlds for the player to explore, each with its different degree of civilizational development and culture. One of these planets goes by the suggestive name Kūron. Its pervasive neon light signs, food stalls, makeshift cabins and rooftop scaffolding instantly evoke the memory of China’s so-called city of darkness.

Shadow Hearts - Sacnoth - 2001

Shortly after the release of Koudelka, Sacnoth's initiated the development of Shadow Hearts, the first episode from a cult RPG trilogy exclusively designed for the Playstation 2. In good Japanese fashion, the game proposes an anachronistic yet visually suggestive depiction of Kowloon, portraying its architectural style and degree of decay as it existed in the late twentieth century, despite the fact that the game's events take place during the nineteen twenties.

Just as noteworthy is the almost complete absence of any inhabitants, which inadvertently make this portrayal of the quarter eerily reminiscent of the state in which it was found circa 1993 or 1994, as local authorities brought the long, arduous eviction project to a close.

Shenmue II - SEGA AM2 - 2001

Shenmue II exhibits the most complete and period-accurate video game representation of Kowloon to date. While more recent games featuring this area may represent a number of its aspects with the aid of improved visual fidelity, none features it with such depth as this masterpiece of masterpieces. More than mere background decoration, Kowloon exists in the Shenmue series as a crucial, climacteric element of its modern epic narrative.

It is a well known fact that Yu Suzuki and his team conducted extensive research of the region so as to achieve a result that impresses even to this day. It must be noted, however, that they have similarly taken a fair share of creative liberty when converting the area to best align with the themes they wished to explore. Further reading is required for a more complete context in this regard, namely how this area ties with an early Dreamcast tech demo design which fans lovingly named Tower of Babel. Ostensively, technical limitations did curtail the degree of precision in which the surrounding area could be replicated. The aerial view from the cutscene in which Ryo Hazuki arrives on location places Kowloon at an imaginary degree of elevation over surrounding vegetation. In the year of 1987, during which the game is set, the actual enclave stood perfectly levelled with a myriad of other modern buildings, undoubtedly more than could be reproduced under the circumstances. These trifling considerations aside, Shenmue II entirely succeeds in capturing the vibrant life and mesmerizing beauty of the destitute and decayed urban agglomeration, in a way that it was deemed entirely impossible at the time of its release.

For reasons entirely related to per post content limitations imposed by Tumblr, this article will be continued in PART II.

[geminidaydreamer]

Them talking about Byeong-Kyu's muscles 🤣🤣🤣

[korean-dreams-girls]

KyuJin (NMIXX) & EunChae (Le Sserafim) - Selcas

[dopening]

Revenant 악귀 NG (2023) Gif

[phantom-retrospective]

Hey guys, this is really important.

As some of you may know, Art Seen Films is doing theatrical screenings of a Korean production of Yeston & Kopit's Phantom musical starring Kyuhyun.

They have a survey going which asks about interest in a streaming & blu-ray release. They also ask if anyone is interested in having another musical called Werther featuring Kyuhyun.

So whether you're interested in Phantom or only a fan of Korean theatre/culture in general please fill it out.

[mxbanelght]

I'm convinced Kim Seungmin (skz), Kim Min-kyu (business proposal), Hong Kyung (weak hero class 1) and Lee Do-hyun (the glory) are the same person but different fonts

[not-a-kaleshi-saanp]

When it's exam season and that one insta notification keeps bothering you:

kya karu kya na karu ye kaisi mushkil haye~~

[somanykdramas]

MISSING CROWN PRINCE

GENRES: Historical, Romance, Comedy

SUMMARY: A moment’s regret evolves into a generation of palace intrigue, backstabbing, and royal love.

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Kidnapping, greedy Kings, mistaken identities, first aid, poison research, gymnastics, face-reading, brotherly miscommunication, mid-life pregnancy, bodyguards, bandages, power-hungry grandfathers, tiger hunters, painting dates, and loyal gangsters.

HOT TAKE: This is a LOT of show--not only is it 20 episodes but every hour has at least several plot twists and turns. This is not a criticism, but just beware, you are going to come out on the other side having lived at least a few lives.

Suho did a pretty decent job as the Crown Prince! His character is understated, but he really has fun with the little moments of flirting and clever planning scattered throughout the season.

[stuff-diary]

Revenant

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Revenant (2023, South Korea)

Directors: Lee Jung Rim & Kim Jae Hong

Writer: Kim Eun Hee

Mini-review:

I finally got the chance to watch this, and it didn't disappoint at all. I love me a good horror thriller, a genre that's very in rare in the world of k-dramas, and this one ticks all the boxes for me. Sure, it's not super scary or anything, but it does know how to be creepy as hell. And while it was the central mystery that kept me hooked from beginning to end, I also appreciated the way they used individual "cases" to build up the main plot, especially during the first half. On top of that, the show is superbly acted, with Kim Tae Ri being particularly excellent in a sort of dual role. But really, I don't think I have a single complaint. Revenant is truly that good, and I will certainly add it to my favorite dramas list.

P.S. There is a lot of triggering content throughout its twelve episodes, so be careful with that and make sure to check warnings.

[passionforfiction]

Dr. Romantic 3

Dr. Romantic never disappoints and this season was something special! I loved seeing my favorite characters once again and the new ones too. Master Kim's dream is about to come true and we are part of the ride.

It is an open ending and the beginning of new dreams for all the staff at the Doldam Hospital.

I loved it!

Poster from Soompi - https://www.soompi.com/article/1581523wpp/han-suk-kyu-ahn-hyo-seop-lee-sung-kyung-and-more-doldam-hospital-staff-are-one-big-happy-family-in-dr-romantic-3-poster

[k-star-holic]

Kim Ji-min " ⁇ Kim Jun-ho and Kiss in Drinking Energy So Far" ⁇ "Unpleasant" rage ('Solitary Confinement Tour')

[gebo4482]

The Nhaga Eater (Unannaounced Project)

Artist: Jaemin Kim / Dona Chen / Kyu Choi / Red Hong / seok young choi

Visual Concept Trailer / Website

[noonecaresaboutmyreview]

The Heavenly Idol - Kdrama Review

Ah I am currently in a drama slump and I can't seem to get out of it. I decided that I needed to watch a drama that is silly yet romantic with a side of comedy to help me. That's why I decided to pick up The Heavenly Idol that just finished airing last week.

The Heavenly Idol is about Rembrary (Kim Min Kyu), a Pontifex from the Other World who finds himself being transported into this world as a washed-up kpop idol boy group member Woo Yeon Woo. Naive to how this world works, he tries his best to navigate his way around while trying to stop The Evil One from causing chaos. Luckily he got help from Kim Dal (Go Bo-gyeol), who is a new manager working for his idol group.

Tbh when I read the summary of the drama, I was intrigued. The genre of the drama is labelled fantasy romantic comedy so I was expecting a good time. But did I had a good time? Not really.

This drama is ultimately a fantasy drama however this is one of the messiest fantasy drama I've ever watched. The inconsistent world building and random introduction of important characters without proper explanation threw me off. Just as I thought I am starting to understand how the magic works, they introduce new powers and restrictions.

Rembrary is supposed to be powerful although naive but I feel like he was too naive and useless in this world while he constantly needs saving from the mess he creates. He has the power to heal people and that seems to be it? Probably the only reason why I don't hate the character is because of Kim Min Kyu. He introduce cute little quirks that made his character endearing to watch. Like how obsessed he is with snacks. Tbh, Kim Min Kyu definitely hard carried his character to the finish line.

I don't know if this is a low budget drama but the actors acting as idols still seems very new and awkward, which can be distracting to watch. That being said, special shout out to this two characters that I enjoyed watching. Kim Dal and Choi Jeong Seo.

Kim Dal as a character is very relatable as a kpop/kdrama fan. She was at her lowest when she found hope in Woo Yeon Woo. I love that although she is a fan of Woo Yeon Woo, but as their manager, she remained professional and did not ignore the welfare of rest of the members in the group.

Choi Jeong Seo is the leader of the group. He embodies what is it to be a leader of a struggling kpop idol band. He's love for his members and his passion for what he does make his character very charming. Not to mention the actor playing the character (Hong Seung Bum) kinda looks like Choi Tae Joon to me.

Overall, this drama definitely did not bring me out of a slump. Instead I finished all 12 episodes within the day thanks to the fastforward button. But was it silly? Yes. It is silly to the point that it is ridiculous. The chemistry between the main leads is gold tho. I honestly wouldn't mind the same pairing but with better script and storyline.

I'll only recommend this drama if you have time to spare and if you miss Kim Min Kyu's cute face from Business Proposal.

Rating: 2/5

--Fary

[korean-dreams-girls]

KyuJin (NMIXX), HaeRin (Newjeans) & EunChae (Le Sserafim) - Selcas

[dopening]

revenant 2023 악귀 Gif