#Jo Duk-hyun

[enterenews]

Yoon Jong-shin, new song 'Living in the heart' released on the 30th…

Singer Yoon Jong-shin conveys his longing for the late former President Roh Moo-hyun through a new song.

Yoon Jong-shin announced the release of the December issue of the 'Monthly Yoon Jong-shin' project 'Living in the Heart' through his Instagram.

The December issue of 'Monthly Yoon Jong-shin', 'Living in the Heart', is a song with lyrics of warm consolation that reminds you of a person you miss. The song was produced in two versions: Park In-young and Song Young-joo, and Jo Jeong-chi and Park In-young arrangement.

Yoon Jong-shin announced the release of the song and introduced the missing people who will appear in the music video. The late Kim Mi-duk, the mother of film director Byeon Young-joo, the late singer Kim Seong-jae, who passed away in 1995, and the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, who passed away in 2009, were mentioned. In particular, Yoon Jong-shin introduced them one by one in his Instagram story and drew attention by writing 'I miss you' about former President Roh.

Yoon Jong-shin introduced glasses, a keepsake of former President Roh, on the album cover and said, “President Roh Moo-hyun always kept books close. He preferred to read several books at once rather than reading them one by one. Even when he reached the age where he had to wear reading glasses, he always read books with his glasses next to him.”

'Monthly Yoon Jong-shin' December issue 'Living in the Heart' will be released on various music sites on the 30th.

[olivierdemangeon]

  Des soldats de Corée du Nord et de Corée du Sud, ainsi qu’un pilote américain, se retrouvent dans un village isolé, où ses habitants ignorent largement ce qui se passe dans le monde extérieur, y compris la guerre.

    “Welkeom tu dongmakgol” (웰컴 투 동막골), ou “Welcome to Dongmakgol” pour la distribution internationale, est un film dramatique sud-coréen datant de 2005, co-écrit et réalisé par Park Kwang-hyun, à qui l’on doit également “Fabricated City” (2017). Les acteurs principaux sont Jung Jae-young, qu’on a pu voir dans “Broken” (2013), Shin Ha-kyun, qu’on a pu voir dans “Extreme Job” (2018), Kang Hye-jung, qu’on a pu voir dans “Lucid Dream” (2016), Im Ha-ryong, qu’on a pu voir dans “Neighbors” (2012), Seo Jae-kyung, qu’on a pu voir dans “Wild Card” (2003), et Ryu Deok-hwan, qu’on a pu voir dans “Default” (2018). Ce métrage est également connu sous le titre de Battle Ground 625. Ce film est paru le 4 août 2005 en Corée.

En septembre 1950, durant la guerre de Corée, Neil Smith (Steve Taschler), un pilote américain se crashe dans une région reculée et montagneuse. Les habitants de Dongmakgol, petit village de montagne coupé du monde, viennent en aide au pilote blessé. Pendant ce temps, un peloton de soldats nord-coréens tombe dans une embuscade tendue par une unité sud-coréenne. Trois soldats nord-coréens parviennent à s’échapper en empruntant un passage montagneux escarpés. Ils parviennent au village de Dongmakgol, où vient tout juste d’arriver deux militaires sud-coréens. Après plusieurs moments de tension, l’ensemble des soldats finit par se détendre et participent aux travaux du village ainsi qu’aux récoltes. Cependant, un commando venu porter assistance à Neil Smith va semer le trouble dans le village et tous devront faire front pour neutraliser les nouveaux venus au comportement agressif. Après coup, ils devront s’associer pour détourner un bombardement massif du secteur par les alliés qui sont persuadés que la région fourmille de batterie anti-aérienne. Le passible village est en danger…

Le scénario concocté par Kim Joong, Jang Jin et Park Kwang-hyun est très bien écrit. On notera que ce dernier, Park Kwang-hyun, endosse ici la double casquette de co-scénariste et de réalisateur. Le récit prend le temps de bien installer les différents personnages et de démontrer les tensions qui opposent les différents protagonistes. On peut même mesurer une certaine stupidité chez les belligérants qui n’ont parfois qu’une connaissance superficielle du conflit qui les oppose. L’ensemble des habitants de ce petit village de Dongmakgol sont complètement naïfs, vivant dans une bulle, en ne se préoccupant que des choses de leur quotidien. Cette situation est paraphrasée, amplifiée par la présence du personnage incarné Kang Hye-jung. Une jeune femme écervelée qui ne mesure nullement la dangerosité de la situation. L’injustice et les exactions orchestrées vont finir de renforcer les liens des différents protagonistes qui vont s’associer, au-delà de leurs différences, pour tenter de sauver le village.

Sur une durée de 133 minutes, “Welcome to Dongmakgol” offre un rythme qui oscille entre scènes d’action, discussions et situations humoristiques. La scène de confrontation entre les différents personnages principaux et un sanglier, venu semer la zizanie, est particulièrement originale et cocasse. La bataille finale est pleine d’émotion avec son lot de sacrifices dans une opposition inégale. Finalement, ce métrage est un parfait exemple du film anti-guerre, qui démontre, certes avec certains défauts, qu’en se côtoyant, qu’en discutant ensemble, qu’en agissant côte à côte pour le bien de la collectivité, on peut surpasser nos différences pour aller de l’avant. En définitive, le véritable héros de toute cette histoire est probablement le village de Dongmakgol, qui semble protégé par une force invisible matérialisé par cette nuée de papillons.

Les éléments de production développés pour “Welcome to Dongmakgol” sont légèrement supérieurs à la moyenne. La photographie Choi Sang-ho est sympathique, offrant de superbes visuels de la montagne. Les décors expriment parfaitement l’univers paysan, accompagné par une petite pointe de mystique, représentée par la présence de statuettes en papier mâché qui borde le sentier permettant d’accéder au village. La bande musicale orchestrée par Joe Hisaishi, compositeur japonais, est vraiment excellente, offrant une coloration très poétique à une multitude de scènes. Enfin, le montage présenté par Steve M. Choe offre un film qui aurait peut-être gagné en dynamisme en le raccourcissant d’une bonne trentaine de minutes. Rappelons que le cinéaste fut le monteur de nombreux métrages dont “Montage” (2013), “Snowpiercer” (2013), “Northern Limit Line” (2015), ou encore “Operation Chromite” (2016). On notera que Kang Hye-jung a remporté le Blue Dragon Film Award dans la catégorie de la Meilleure Actrice dans un Second Rôle pendant qu’Im Ha-ryong remportait celui dans la catégorie du Meilleur Acteur dans un Second Rôle.

En conclusion, “Welcome to Dongmakgol” est un très bon film dramatique disposant d’une histoire originale, d’une intrigue classique et d’un développement atypique. Le rythme est pondéré laissant suffisamment de temps pour positionner les personnages, le récit est fluide et la narration est linéaire en dehors de quelques flashbacks présentés sous forme de rêves/cauchemars. La photographie est très agréable, la bande musicale est gracieuse et permet de bien distinguer l’aspect amusant des moments plus graves. Le montage est propre, mais aurait permis au film de gagner du punch en étant écourté de quelques minutes. La distribution offre de très bonnes prestations et la performance délivrée par Kang Hye-jung mérite amplement ses récompenses. L’ensemble est attachant et mérite qu’on lui accorde une bonne recommandation.

    Retrouvez-nous sur notre groupe de discussion Facebook !

    WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL (2005) ★★★★☆ Des soldats de Corée du Nord et de Corée du Sud, ainsi qu'un pilote américain, se retrouvent dans un village isolé, où ses habitants ignorent largement ce qui se passe dans le monde extérieur, y compris la guerre.

[myromancedramas]

LINK: EAT, LOVE, KILL (2022) - ji won tak & hwang min jo

[binging-asian-dramas]

Summer Guys 4

Story: 5

Acting: 8

Chemistry: 8

Comparable to: ?

First off I’ll add I’m a multistan of many many many kpop groups. Cnblue is one of them. With that being said, oof as much as I love Lee Jung Shin (Cinderella and the Four Knights ugh sooo good) this just really hard for me to get into for some reason. It’s a short drama, 10 episodes about 30 minutes a piece. Unfortunately It’s predictable and incredibly cliche. I mean in the first ten minutes of the first episode you have a girl who trips onto the main lead (Jung Shin) and just so happens to meet her lips with his. Everything is in slow motion. It’s hilarious in a way, but not in a good way. Next there’s a fainting scene, that was almost too comical. Everything in this drama is highly overdramatized and rushed, the cast did what they could In a short script with not great direction I thought. Now on the upside so I don’t feel like a total downer here. It dies have a few good moments, the bartender scene was rather nice and unique, and the scenery was beautiful.

[soompi]

Seo Hyun Jin, Yang Se Jong, Block B's P.O, And More Hold First Script Reading For Upcoming Drama

Seo Hyun Jin, Yang Se Jong, Block B’s P.O, And More Hold First Script Reading For Upcoming Drama

Seo Hyun Jin and Yang Se Jong‘s upcoming drama, “Temperature of Love” (working title), recently revealed photos from its first script reading.

The read-through was held last month at the SBS building in Ilsan. The upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama was written by Ha Myung Hee and will be directed by Nam Gun, both of whom were present at the reading. Also in attendance were cast members Seo Hyun Jin,…

[dangermousie]

About your post in which you said that Lost could have been made in the past with Go Hyun Jung and Jo In Sung: wow, the aesthetics! Although I've never followed any of their drama projects, they have visuals as perfect as the actors in the actual JTBC Lost.

I know you didn't ask, Anon, but hey, I feel like it, so here are some of my recs for either of them.

JO IN SUNG

I have never been as obsessed with a kdrama actor before or since the way I was obsessed with JIS a decade plus ago. Here are some of my faves of his:

Something Happened in Bali - they don't make them like that any more (and just as well - I heard rumors of a remake and made a sign to ward off evil eye.) This one is just amazing, and I am not talking about its infamous (but to me inevitable) ending. Ha Ji Won, Jo in Sung and So Ji Sub are a love triangle in this dark, disturbing, desperate drama (and I do mean love triangle - HJW sleeps with both of them, something not to be done in nowadays' sanitized kdrama world.) It's a story about deeply damaged, flailing, emotionally unpretty people and I love it so much. JIS plays an abused rich boy who has no healthy role models and coping mechanisms and whose love for social climber HJW is tinged equal parts with boyishness and desperation. The scene where he is on his knees, groveling to his monster of a father as the old man takes golf clubs to him is honestly seared in my memory.

Piano - a really old and old school and awesome drama, yet another one about gritty and unglamorous lives of desperation.

It's OK It's Love - JIS and Gong Hyo Jin set the screen on fire in this tale of damage and abuse and healing and mental illness and awesomeness.

A Dirty Carnival - JIS is a small-time gangster and if you like heart-breaking and intense, this is for you.

The Frozen Flower - JIS in period gear as a ridiculously gorgeous lover of a gay king who is made to sleep with the queen and a deadly love triangle ensues.

That Winter the Wind Blows - fakecest! melo! intense! beautiful people angst!

Shoot for the Stars - noona romance, dyslexic hero, Jeon Do Yeon playing the heroine and a happy ending for once, what's not to love?

Spring Day - Jo In Sung is a secondary guy who steals the girl, but it's also just a lovely melo.

GO HYUN JUNG

She's been around forever and I love her!

Daemul - GHJ takes on corruption, has a love affair with the prosecutor and is just generally an awesomely smart and tough woman!

Queen Seon Duk - she steals the show as the villain. This is an awesome drama and she's one of the best things in it.

What's Up Fox - a delightful noona romance.

Spring Day - well, guess who else also starred in this. Heee. Yup, you can watch JIS and GHJ together.

Sandglass - I saved the best for last. This was a huge huge milestone for kdramas and a mad hit and she was the female lead.

Thanks for allowing me to ramble :P

[emmagalaxy25]

Why was Love Alarm 2 so infuriating to me?

Needless to say, but Spoiler Alert! 

Before telling my reasons, I’m here to say that this isn’t about teams, this is going to be about why I didn’t like season 2 me very much, and yes, it’s because of the ending, but not related to Team Sun Oh o Team Hye Yeong.

So, if you, just like me, enjoyed the first season, when it comes to the relationship Sun Oh and JoJo had… then, I think I found the reason why season 2 didn’t feel right. Before explaining, I know that JoJo’s choice is the same she made in the webtoon, but I won’t go that way. 

Now, leaving a side the reasons why Sun Oh decided to kiss JoJo, even knowing ? that his best friend might like her… I truly enjoyed the first season because of the chemistry between So Hyun and Song Kang. I think they both did a really good job, and that’s why I personally truly enjoyed the first season. This couple made me feel things that I haven’t felt in a lot of time… so, yeah, we were following that couple, JoJo and Sun Oh… that felt like where the story was going… but then things changed, and the second couple couldn’t reach the expectations I had. I’m not going to lie, they are cute and sweet, but that doesn’t change the relationship Sun Oh and JoJo had… 

In the second season they followed the second couple, and yes, I understand it, she moved on, fell in love with Hye Yeong and the rest is history, but I didn’t move on, and neither did Sun Oh, for the obvious reasons: JoJo never came to him to tell him what was going on, so I see why the boy had a mess in his heart. Maybe he did something, maybe he didn’t, he still didn’t know, and he wanted answers. I understand him because It kinda happened to me once… So with uncertainty, and doubts we saw Sun Oh suffering a whole season, not being able to move on, how could some of us move on too? 

In most romantic movies, we are presented with a couple that might have their differences, might fight and go through ups and downs… but at the end they end up together, because that’s the power of love (not actually but I hope you understand what I mean). With Love Alarm 2… that didn’t happen… call what I wanted cliche, but that’s what I was introduced to in the first season, so for some of us, it might make sense that it was what we wanted the ending to be. And that’s why it felt disappointing, thinking that after all they went through they would be together at the end. 

That’s what I wanted but didn’t happen. Instead, focusing on the real ending, we got a Sun Oh that still wasn’t able to move on, and that’s what hurted me the most. I’m not quite sure, correct me if I’m wrong, but I read that in the end of the webtoon, Sun Oh made Yuk Jo’s alarm sound. And we didn’t even get that? We were left with a “yeah, maybe - just maybe - in the future I can make your alarm sound” ? The uncertainty following this character's life makes my blood boil. Why not give him the end he deserved? The end he actually had in the original work… Even Duk Gu had an ending, knowing that he would never make Gul Mi like him, and even that ending isn’t quite clear. 

What I felt is that they let Sun Oh, and other characters in a tight rope. Yes, I know this suddenly became the JoJo and Hye Yeong show, but at least give me some proper goodbyes? And yes... you can say that the scene in which JoJo and Sun Oh had a last chat, it’s the ending of what they have, the ending of his doubts… but that doesn’t make the rest of the season right… he still suffered, and a “quick let me forgive you” scene doesn’t recompense what the boy went through. This suddenly feels too much, love isn’t that much, and that’s what I would think, but I’m sure that for Sun Oh it meant a lot and that’s why It hurted him so much. 

Closing the idea, as “Team Sun Oh” as maybe some of you would like to paint me as, I think that Sun Oh, and even  Yuk Jo deserved at least, a better ending and a better character development for that matter.

But don’t confuse me as immature,  I understand very well why JoJo ended up with Hye Yeong, It Just felt like the rest of the characters were there to fill the blanks and nothing else, and that felt quite upsetting. 

In terms of production, I felt the season was really long, slow and meaningless. It definitely could have been better… 

Little shout out to the first season who will remain as my favourite! 

If you read this whole thing, then thank you! And I hope you enjoyed it! 

Let me know (without hating please) if you agree with me or not! 

- Emma.

[the-inner-weebs]

K-Drama Recommendation Masterlist

RICH GUY POOR GIRL

Coffee Prince (2007) 커피프린스 1호점 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama

𝐆𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 ~ Choi Han Gyul

𝐘𝗼𝗼𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐞 ~ Go Eun Chan

Choi Han Gyul is the grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han Gyul is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo Joo, who only sees him as a friend.

Go Eun Chan is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family.

When Han Kyul and Eun Chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han Gyul takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo Joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun Chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.

Director: Lee Yoon Jung

Secret Garden (2010) 시크릿 가든 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodramatic/Supernatural

𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Kim Joo Won

𝐇𝐚 𝐉𝐢 𝐖𝗼𝐧 ~ Gil Ra Im

The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won, an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection, and Gil Ra Im, a poor and humble stuntwoman whose beauty and body are the object of envy amongst top actresses. Their accidental meeting, when Joo Won mistakes Ra Im for actress Park Chae Rin, marks the beginning of a tense, bickering relationship, through which Joo Won tries to hide a growing attraction to Ra Im that both confuses and disturbs him. To complicate matters further, a strange sequence of events results in them swapping bodies.

Director: Kwon Hyuk Chan/Shin Woo Cheol

Personal Taste  (2010)  개인의 취향 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝗼 ~ Jeon Jin Ho

𝐒𝗼𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Park Gae In

Jeon Jin Ho is a straight guy who is mistaken as gay when he applies to become Park Gae In's roommate. His hobbies include organization and ironing, and he's known for his stoic poker face. He's a stickler for cleanliness, but he also has a talent for figuring out a women's feelings. Gae In is very trusting even though she has a habit of being betrayed. However, that doesn't stop her from giving people the benefit of doubt and Jin Ho is no different. How will Gae In react when she finds out that her gay roommate is not actually gay at all and that he has fallen for her?

Director: Song Hyung Suk/Noh Jong Chan

What’s WrongWith Secretay Kim (2018) 김비서가 왜 그럴까 ~ 

Genre: Friendship/ Business/Comedy/Romance

Park Min Young ~ Kim Mi So

Park Seo Joon ~ Lee Young Joon

The series revolves around the narcissistic Lee Young Joon, the vice president of a company run by his family. He is very self-absorbed and thinks highly of himself, so much that he barely acknowledges the people around him. Lee Young Joon has a capable and patient secretary Kim Mi So who has remained by his side and worked diligently for 9 years without any romantic involvement. However, Mi So now wants to set her life & focus on herself so when she decides to resign from her job, hilarious misunderstandings ensue. After 9 years of their strictly-workplace relationship, can it now develop in something more?

Director: Park Joon Hwa

SUPERNATURAL

Goblin (2016) 도깨비 ~ 

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Fantasy/Melodrama/Supernatural

Gong Yoo ~ Kim Shin

Kim Go Eun ~ Ji Eun Tak

Kim Shin was once an unbeatable general in Goryeo's military who died a tragic death. He now possesses immortality but is tired of living while everyone else around him dies. For 900 years, Kim Shin has searched for his bride, a mortal who can pull out the sword and end his life. One day, he encounters Ji Eun Tak, a positive, upbeat high school student who can see the dead and has gone through tragic events, yet still stays strong. She claims to be the Goblin's bride who can end his immortal life, but what appears to be an easy task, only gets complicated, as the two fall in love.

Director: Lee Eung Bok

Moorim School (2016) 무림학교 ~

Genre:Action/Romance/School/Drama/Martial Arts/Fantasy

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐖𝗼𝗼 ~ Yoon Shi Woo

𝐇𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Wang Chi Ang

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Shim Soon Duk

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Hwang Sun Ah

The Moorim School is a hidden school that can only be seen by special individuals, it isn't focused solely on high academic scores but on physical abilities. The school teaches its students great virtues which include honesty, faith, sacrifice, and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries and each has their own stories. Everything is very extraordinary and normal until a student who doesn't seem to fill the role wanders into the academy and changes the destiny of all the students.

Director: Lee So Yeon

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) 힘쎈여자 도봉순 ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Supernatural

Park Bo Young ~ Do Bong Soon

Park Hyung Shik ~ Ahn Min Hyuk

Ji Soo ~ In Gook Doo

Do Bong Soon is a petite, unemployed woman who is honest and kind. She appears little and sweet on the outside, but she is in fact very, very strong. In her family, for generations the women have been gifted Herculean strength to use for the greater good. If abused, however, their power will be taken away. Whilst standing up for herself after gang members bully her, she finds herself approached by Ahn Min Hyuk, the handsome and somewhat childish CEO of Ainsoft, a gaming company. Ahn Min Hyuk, who holds a great distrust towards the police, witnessed the whole exchange of Bong Soon's superhuman strength, and now wants to employ her as a bodyguard after being threatened by an unknown enemy. Min Hyuk falls in love with super-strong Bong Soon at first sight, but there's a catch. Bong Soon has eyes for someone else; police officer and childhood friend, In Guk Doo, whom she has known since high school. When chaos ensues after a series of kidnappings in Do Bong Soon's hometown of Dobong-dong, Dobong-gu, Bong Soon must decide whether to use her strength and stand up to evil, or play it safe and keep her powers hidden from the world. Combined with the love triangle she faces between In Guk Doo and Ahn Min Hyuk, as well as having to keep Min Hyuk safe, Bong Soon's life is thrown into turmoil. Can she use her strength for the greater good, or will it prove in the end to be too much?

Director: Lee Hyung Min

He is Psychometric (2019) 사이코메트리 그녀석 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Fantasy

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐧𝐠 ~ Lee Ahn

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐧 ~ Yoon Jae In

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐊𝐰𝗼𝐧 ~ Kang Sung Mo

After losing his parents in a fire, Lee Ahn acquires the power of psychometry, the ability to read a person or an object's past through physical contact, and he decides to use it to take bad people down. While he does not know how to control his power yet, he meets Yoon Jae In who tries her best to hide her painful secrets. Together with his foster guardian, prosecutor Kang Seong Mo, and the latter's colleague, investigator Eun Ji Soo, they team up to solve an elusive case that has been haunting the lives of Ahn, Sung-Mo, and Jae In. The case revolves around the life of prosecutor Kang his mother and father who were the main cause of the fire. Jae In and Lee Ahn heal each other through their past present and future and find the culprit.

Director: Kim Byung Soo

Memorist (2020) 메모리스트  ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Mystery/Crime/Supernatural

Yoo Seung Ho ~ Dong Baek

Lee Se Young ~ Han Sun Mi

Dong Baek has an extraordinary ability. He can peer into the memories of whoever he touches. With his supernatural power, get it done attitude, and eye-pleasing looks, he is fervently revered worldwide as a superstar detective. However, when his punches meet with suspects before words, he can be a bit of a headache to his comrades. Starting from the age of twenty, Han Sun Mi is the youngest to have passed the bar exam, obtain a doctorate in criminal psychology, and become a senior superintendent in the police force. Having solved five cold cases that even a detective with supernatural powers couldn't do, she is a genius profiler. She has a secret that drives her to do what she does. These two highly-skilled professionals meet their match—a serial killer with abilities that transcend theirs combined. It's going to be a fight worth watching.

Director: So Jae Hyun, Kim Hwi

Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020) 구미호뎐 ~

Genre:Action/Suspense/Thriller/Horror/Romance/Fantasy

Lee Dong Wook ~ Lee Yeon

Jo Bo Ah ~ Nam Ji Ah

The mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon had to settle in the city many centuries ago. Able to transform into human form, he eradicates supernatural beings that threaten the mortal world. His real aim is to find the reincarnation of his lost first love.

The talented television producer Nam Ji Ah works in a show that features urban myths. In the past, her parents were involved in a mysterious car accident and disappeared, and she suspects that Lee Yeon might be connected with this accident.

The half-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang.  Despite being half-human himself,  he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport,  he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour,  by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires.

Director: Kang Shin Hyo

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Heal Me Kill Me (2015) 킬미힐미 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Ji Sung ~ Cha Do Hyun

Hwang Jung Eum ~ Oh Ri Jin

A traumatic childhood experience leaves Cha Do Hyeon, suffering from memory loss and dissociation. The latter has resulted in the creation of seven distinct personalities. Wanting to regain control over his life, he asks Oh Ri Jin, a first-year psychiatric resident, to help him, but she eventually falls in love with one of his personalities. Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On, a famous mystery novelist, investigates Do Hyeon and his family.

Director: Kim Jin Man, Kim Dae Jin

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) 사이코지만 괜찮아 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Family

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Moon Gang Tae

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Ko Moon Young

𝐎𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞 ~ Moon Sang Tae

The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process.

Moon Gang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

Director: Park Shin Woo/Jung Dong Yoon

MEDICAL

Emergency Couple (2014) 응급남녀 ~ 

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐒𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐢 𝐇𝐲𝗼 ~ Oh Jin Hee

𝐂𝐡𝗼𝐢 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐤 ~ Oh Chang Min

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝗼 ~ Gook Chun Soo

Jin-Hee led a satisfying life as a dietitian. She then met medical school student Chang-Min. Despite his wealthy family's strong opposition, Jin-Hee and Chang-Min decided to get married. Chang-Min's family is full of doctors. Chang-Min though gave up his medical internship and began working as a pharmaceutical salesman. Their marriage life was not happy. Chang-Min's family looked down on Jin-Hee and even Chang-Min seemed to change. Chang-Min began to think terribly of Jin-Hee and they finally divorced. After their divorce, Jin-Hee became a medical student and now works as an intern. Chang-Min also graduated from medical school and begins to work as an intern. One day, they meet in the emergency room of a hospital where they will both work together.

Director: Kim Chul Gyu

Doctor Stranger (2014) 닥터 이방인 ~ 

Genre: Thriller/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐉𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐤 ~ Park Hoon

𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Song Jae Hee

𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝗼 𝐑𝐚 ~ Oh Soo Hyun

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐚𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Han Jae Joon

As a child, Park Hoon and his father were kidnapped by North Korea. In North Korea, he was trained to become a doctor by his father who was already a doctor. Park Hoon became a genius-like heart surgeon. He then flees to South Korea. Park Hoon begins to work as a doctor in South Korea's top hospital Myeongwoo University Hospital, but he feels like a complete outsider. To bring his love from North Korea, he does anything to make money.

Director: Hong Jong Chan/Jin Hyeok

Blood (2015) 블러드 ~

Genre: Action/Vampire/Romance/Drama/Medical/Supernatural

𝐀𝐡𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Park Ji Sang

𝐆𝐮 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Yoo Ri Ta

Park Ji Sang is a doctor specializing in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery in the best cancer research hospital in the country. He is also a vampire. Despite seeming cold and unfeeling, Ji Sang masks his soft heart and inner pain and yearns for closeness with people. He believes very strongly in the sanctity of human life and suppresses his thirst for blood to treat terminally ill patients and save lives.

Among his colleagues is Yoo Ri Ta, a hotshot physician who entered medical school at the age of 17 and is also the niece of the chaebol group chairman who owns the hospital. Ri Ta is highly capable but snooty and prideful, yet Ji Sang finds himself falling for her. He also gets drawn into a conflict between good and evil as he encounters Lee Jae Wook, a two-faced hospital chief who gains everyone's trust with his gentle demeanor but inwardly harbors a dangerous ambition for power and a talent for cruelty.

Director: Lee Jae Hoo/Ki Min Soo

D-Day (2015) 디데이 ~ 

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Kim Young Kwang ~ Dr. Lee Hae Sun

Jung So Min ~ Dr. Jung Ddol M

An unprecedented 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck Seoul, destroying roads and buildings, and preventing ambulances from reaching victims. Woefully unprepared for such a massive disaster, Korea can only watch the desperate situation and listen to the pleading cries for help. Hae Sung, a competent surgeon, can’t resist doing everything he can to help the injured people during the emergency. This upsets his hospital and they put him on a blacklist, as his benevolent help is against the hospital's profit. Ddol Mi, beautiful and ambitious, chased money and fame as a doctor, but now wants to become a truly compassionate doctor after meeting Hae Sung. Woo Jin has been building a successful career as Korea’s rising doctor, but secretly, he truly cares about being a genuine doctor, saving the lives of the sick. These three characters team up to rush into emergencies, holding onto hope in the most desperate situations, and taking all sorts of risks for the sake of saving lives.

Director: Jang Yong Woo

Hospital Ship (2017) 병원선 ~

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Ha Ji Won ~ Song Eun Jae

Kang Min Hyuk ~ Kwak Hyun

Lee Seo Won ~ Kim Jae Gul

Army doctors board a hospital ship, which is a floating hospital that serves people who live on remote islands. But were these doctors interested in helping underprivileged people for free? Not at all. There is the non-army doctor Eun Jae, a cold perfectionist surgeon whose fast-track career was derailed. Kwak Hyun who practices internal medicine is the first army doctor to volunteer for duty on the hospital ship. Then there is the irritating Jae Geol, an oriental medicine doctor who drew the short straw and now has to serve on the hospital ship. A bunch of doctors with different backgrounds finds themselves afloat at sea. They are too old to be called youthful doctors as they are all in their thirties. Though they have skills obtained through long years of studying in medical school, their hearts and souls are barren. This is a coming-of-age story about doctors who have experienced setbacks in life that they are trying to bounce back from while they learn how to be a compassionate doctor and pursue fulfilling lives.

Director: Park Jae Bum, Kim Sang Woo

Doctor John (2019) 의사 요한 ~

Genre: Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Medical

Ji Sung ~ Cha Yo Han

Lee Se Young ~ Kang Shi Young

“Doctor John” is a new medical drama about doctors specializing in pain management. In a refreshing take on the genre, “Doctor John” will portray the doctors’ search for the cause of their patients’ mysterious pain as a thrilling chase, almost like a detective hunting down the perpetrator behind an unsolved crime. 

Cha Yo Han is a genius anesthesiologist, who is also the youngest professor at his medical school. The brilliant doctor goes by the nickname “10 Seconds,” referring to his ability to figure out his patients in the 10 seconds that it takes for them to enter an examination room and walk to their seats.

Kang Shi Young is a legendary anesthesiologist, who was always at the top of her class throughout medical school. The talented doctor inherited her skills from her cool-headed, rational mother, while she inherited her empathy, listening skills, and warm bedside manner from her father.

Director: Jo Soo Won

ROMANCE COMEDY

Pinocchio (2014) 피노키오 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Melodrama

Lee Jong Suk ~ Choi Dal Po 

Park Shin Hye ~ Choi In Ha

The idealistic Choi In Ha has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome,” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Choi Dal Po, whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Bum Jo, a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Yoon Yoo Rae, whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. The 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process.

Director: Jo Soo Won

I am Not a Robot (2017) 로봇이 아니야 ~ 

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Sci-Fi

𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐒𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝗼 ~ Kim Min Kyu

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Jo Ji Ah

𝐔𝐡𝗺 𝐊𝐢 𝐉𝗼𝗼𝐧 ~ Hong Baek Gyun

Kim Min Kyu is the largest shareholder of a financial company. He suffers from a "human allergy", preventing him from normal interactions with other people. He becomes interested in a robotic project named Aji-3 created by the Santa Maria robotic team. The team is headed by Hong Baek Gyun,  inventor of Aji-3 and world-renowned robotics professor. He modeled Aji-3 after his ex-girlfriend, Jo Ji Ah, a struggling inventor that also works as a personal shopper to make ends meet.  Just when Kim Min Kyu wants to test the robot, an accident causes the malfunction of the robot's battery. Hong Baek Gyun begs Jo Ji Ah to take the place of Aji-3 and pretend to be the robot so they can get funding from Kim Min Kyu. But, Aji-3 becomes the closest thing that the lonely Min-Kyu has to real contact with another person.

Director: Jeong Dae Yun

My Shy Boss (2017) 내성적임보다 ~

Genre: Business/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 𝐖𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Eun Hwan Ki

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 ~ Chae Ro Woon

When a young, energetic employee joins a public relations firm with an introverted and severely misunderstood boss, she makes it her life’s mission to show the world who he really is.

Eun Hwan Ki is the boss at a PR company. He is really shy. So shy that even his employees don't know him that well. He prefers to hide in his office. Everyone thinks he is a cold, prickly, arrogant grouch. They call him the "Silent Monster".

Chae Ro Woon is a recent hire at the same company. She is energetic, bubbly, loves to be the center of attention, and always has something to say. The exact opposite of her boss, who she seems to have an old grudge against. Her goal in life is: to expose the big boss man for who he really is and take her revenge.

The same company also employs Kang Woo Il, co-boss at the company. He, unlike his partner, is warm, sensitive, and well-liked.

Eun Yi Soo is a chaebol heiress who has been engaged for three long years.

Director: Song Hyun Wook

Thirty But Seventeen(2018) 서른이지만 열일곱입니다 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Coemdy/Romance/Life/Drama/Family

Shin Hye Sun ~ Woo Seo Ri

Yang Se Jong ~ Gong Woo Jin

Woo Seo Ri, a violin prodigy at 17 who was about to study in Germany, got into a bus accident and fell into a coma waking up 13 years later. Mentally she is still only 17, while physically she is now 30.

Due to a trauma he experienced 13 years before, Gong Woo Jin does not want to have a relationship with others.

This series is about a man and a woman whose lives in their own ways essentially stopped when they were 17. Together, they use all their might to try and open the door to the happiness that they once thought had been closed to them.

Director: Jo Soo Won

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019) 로맨스는 별책부록 ~

Genre: Frienship/Business/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Lee Na Young ~ Kang Dan Yi

Lee Jong Suk ~ Cha Eun Ho

Cha Eun Ho is a successful and handsome writer who is also the youngest chief editor at a publishing company.  He has a calm demeanor and remains reasonable at work.  He then becomes involved in the life of his childhood friend, Kang Dan Yi who was once a popular copywriter. She is now divorced, a single mother, unemployed and struggling in life though still attempts to find a job, but even with her once good career, she cannot. 

However, in a desperate attempt to find a job, she lies about her background and begins to work as a temporary worker in the same building under none other than Cha Eun Ho. As they become involved in each other’s life more than often, a love story begins to unfold.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo

DoDoSolSolLaLaSol (2020) 도도솔솔라라솔 ~

Genre: Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

Go Ah Ra ~ Goo Ra Ra

Lee Jae Wook ~ Sun Woo Joon

Goo Ra Ra is a naive rich girl, who dreams of being a great pianist with her father's love guiding her. But her path becomes rocky when her father passes away, and she finds herself going bankrupt. Being scammed of home and needing an escape, she goes on a ride where she encounters an accident trying to avoid Sun Woo Joon, a diligent worker trying to meet ends. Being hospitalized with a broken arm and no place to go, guilty Sun Woo Joon decides to take responsibility and take care of her. With Go Ra Ra’s naive personality, she slowly begins creeping into Sun Woo Joon's heart, while trying to deal with the challenges of living an adult life.

Director: Kim Min Kyung

YOUTH/LIFE

You’re beautiful (2009)  미남이시네요 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Jang Geun Suk ~ Hwang Tae Kyu

Park Shin Hye ~ Go Mi Nam 

Jung Yong Hwa ~ Kang Shin Woo

Lee Hong Ki ~ Kang On Yu

The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung's voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn't want to spoil her brother's chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother.

Director: Hong Sung Chang

Boys Over Flowers (2009) 꽃보다 남자 ~ 

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama

Gu Hye Seon ~ Geum Jan Di

Lee Min Ho ~ Goo Joon Pyo

Kim Hyun Joong ~ Yoon Ji Hoo

Kim Bum  ~ So Yi Jung

Kim Joon ~ Song Woo Bin

Geum Jan Di comes from a poor family who owns a dry-cleaning shop. One day, she visits Shinhwa High School, a prestigious school for the wealthy, and saves a student trying to commit suicide because of bullying. For her heroic act, Jan Di receives a swimming scholarship and starts attending the school.

In school, she meets the notorious F4, the most popular and powerful group of boys at the school, consisting of Gu Jun Pyo; the leader of F4 and heir to the Shinhwa Group, Yoon Ji Hu; the grandson of a former president of Korea, So Yi Jung; a skilled potter who comes from a family that owns the country's biggest art museum, and Song Woo Bin; whose family runs the country's largest construction company.

Her life at school starts out miserable, as she doesn't fit in with other students because of her status, and later becomes worse when she is labeled as the new bullying target of the F4.

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

To the Beautiful You (2012) 아름다운 그대에게 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama/Sports

Sulli ~ Goo Jae Hee

Choi Min Ho ~ Kang Tae Joon

Lee Hyun Woo ~ Cha Eun Gyeol

Tae Joon became Jae Hee’s strength during her toughest time, and she leaves the US for Korea to enroll in a men’s physical education high school to help Tae Joon restart his high jump career.

Tae Joon announces his retirement from the high jump national team and closes his heart, but his closed heart begins to open after meeting Jae Hee.

Eun Gyul is confused about his sexual orientation as he falls in love with Jae Hee who is masquerading as a man. The student-athletes have a fun time training with each other and are not tied down to setting a record or competition. 

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

Strongest Delivery Man (2017) 최강 배달꾼 ~

Genre: Friendship/Business/ Comedy/Romance/Life/Youth

Go Kyung Pyo ~ Choi Kang Soo

Chae Soo Bin ~ Lee Dan Ah

Choi Kang Soo is a deliveryman. In spite of his humble beginnings, Choi Kang Soo is fearless and gives it all in everything he does. Lee Dan Ah is another delivery worker. She hates her current socioeconomic status so much that she, like many young people, calls her country “Hell Joseon.” Lee Dan Ah is so focused on making money and changing her life that she has no time for men. But when she comes across the charming Choi Kang Soo, her attitude is due to be moved.

Together, Choi Kang Soo and Lee Dan Ah have a budding competition and romance in their quest for glory. And, for them, glory means being like rich folk Lee Jin Yoon and Oh Jin Gyu. They compete to conquer life but, as our two delivery workers soon learn, being the strongest does not guarantee success.

Director: Kim Shin Il, Jeon Woo Sung

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016) 역도요정 김복주 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Roamnce/School/Youth/Sports

Lee Sung Kyung ~ Kim Bok Joo

Nam Joo Hyuk ~ Jung Joon Hyun

Bok Joo is a weightlifter who is pursuing her dream of winning the gold medal but she then finds romance for the first time in her life. While she is a woman who trains with heavy steel weights, she is also very feminine when it comes to relationships. To focus solely on weightlifting would jeopardize her relationship but leaving her weightlifting career for love would keep her from attaining her dreams. Can she find a way to have love as well as glory at the age of 20? The characters within this drama are elite athletes in weightlifting, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics who work hard to reach their goals in life. It covers their coming-of-age stories and relationships through hectic life.

Director: Oh Hyun Jong

Itaewon Class (2020) 이태원 클라쓰 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Business/Romance/Life/Drama

Park Seo Joon ~ Park Sae Ro Yi

Kim Da Mi ~ Jo Yi Seo

Kwon Na Ra ~ Oh Soo Ah

Park Saeroyi's life has been turned upside down after he gets expelled from school for punching a bully and his father is killed in an accident. Following his father's steps, he opens a pub named "DanBam" in Itaewon and, along with his manager and staff, strive towards success and reaching greater heights.

Director: Kim Seong Yoon

ROMANCE

One Spring Night (2019) 봄밤 ~ 

Genre: Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Jung Hae In ~ Yoo Ji Ho

Han Ji Min ~ Lee Jung In

Feeling trapped in a stale four-year relationship and reluctant to take the next step into marriage, Lee Jung In stumbles into Yu Ji Ho's pharmacy one morning, nursing a hangover after a night of drinking with her friend. As she tries to reassemble herself before going to work, Jung In discovers that she has forgotten her wallet and cannot pay. Ji Ho kindly helps Jung In, despite her prickly personality. What begins as an innocent daily interaction, develops into a deeper attachment as the two find themselves drawn to one another. They embark on a secret friendship while navigating the minefield of familial and societal expectations. 

Director: Ahn Pan Seok

Crash Landing on You (2020) 사랑의 불시착 ~

Genre: Military/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Political

Hyun Bin ~ Ri Jung Hyuk

Son Ye Jin ~ Yoon Se Ri 

Tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, a South Korean heiress and a North Korean elite who also happens to be an army officer. One day, while paragliding, Yoon Se Ri has an accident caused by strong winds, leading her to crash land in North Korea, where she meets Ri Jung Hyuk, a North Korean army officer, who agrees to help her return to South Korea. Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo 

THRILLER

Extracurricular (2020) 인간수업 ~ 

Genre:  Friendship/Psychological/Crime/Life/School/Youth/Drama/Mature

Kim Dong Hee ~ Oh Ji Soo

Park Joo Hyun ~ Bae Gyu Ri

"Extracurricular” is centered around three high school students who start committing crimes to earn money and the unpredictable dangers they face as a result.

Kim Dong Hee will portray Ji Soo, who goes from a model student to a criminal after committing an unthinkable act. Jung Da Bin as school bully Min Hee, who gets caught up in Ji Soo’s crime. Park Joo Hyun will portray Ji Soo’s dangerous partner in crime Gyu Ri, while Nam Yoon Soo will appear as Min Hee’s boyfriend and the school’s most popular guy Ki Tae.

Director: Kim Jin Min

[sarangkstars]

Thirty but Seventeen

Pros

The main story is delightfully sweet and engaging. I was delighted in the first episode. A blessing for the soul.

Shin Hye-sun as Seo Ri - First I have to mention that I decided to see this drama, finally! (it was on the endless list), because of Shin Hye-sun and I think she is truly fantastic on this show and it is thanks to her that this show is so credible and engaging.

Yang Se Jong as Woo Jin is a cute pie. The character of Woo Jin, at the beginning, made me doubt his personality but as soon as I got to know him better, I saw that he was a sugar cube waiting to melt.

Ahn Hyo Seop as Chan - the most loving nephew in all kdramaland!

The relationship between Woo Jin and Seo Ri - I loved watching Woo Jin start opening his heart to Seo Ri, despite all the attempts to avoid it, and seeing all the smiles (such a cute smile), when he was so cold and abominable before. I loved the conversations that this OTP started to have, in which the conversations were honest and started to be curative for both.

The two young actors who play the role of Woo Jin and Seo Ri in their youth are phenomenal. They really touched me.

Cha and the two rowing friends Duk Soo and Hae Bum (Jo Hyun Shik and Lee Do Hyun) are such a funny watch.

The OST

Cons

This OTP grows so slowly. I understand that they didn't want to resent people because she's having a mind of a seventeen years old girl.

I was not interested in the violinist's story. It was not necessary.

I couldn't get interested in the housekeeper's story because of the way the actress characterized Jennifer. I couldn't get over the irritation I felt every time she opened her mouth. She says pearls of wisdom but with that robotic way of speaking who has the patience to listen to them? This is my opinion and I know that most people loved this character.

[twins2994]

Heroes Wallop Bears In Seoul!

Bears 2 Heroes 11 W-Lee (2-2) L-Yu (5-2) 

The Kiwoom Heroes have been the hottest team in the KBO over the past two weeks. They entered today having won ten of their past eleven games and looked for more against the defending champion Doosan Bears tonight. The Bears struck first in the first inning though. Jose Fernandez lined a one-out double to left and Jae-Hwan Kim plated him with an infield single. This put Doosan up 1-0 before the Heroes even grabbed a bit. The Heroes offense got to work in the second. Byung-Ho Park ignited a rally with a lead-off walk then Jeong-Hyeop Heo singled with one out. Ji-Young Lee drove in a pair with a double to center and Kiwoom took a 2-1 lead after two innings of play. The Heroes continued to tack on runs in the fifth against Hui-Kwan Yu. Joon-Tae Park lined a one-out single to right then Keon-Chang Seo hit a comeback off Hui-Kwan Yu. Yu made a terrible decision and threw wildly to first base. This scored Joon-Tae Park and advanced Keon-Chang Seo to second base. Later in the inning, Jun-Hoo Lee lined a sacrifice fly to center and the Heroes had a three-run lead. Kiwoom added to their lead in the sixth. Dong-Won Park led-off with a double to left and was bunted over to third base. Ji-Young Lee hit a sac fly to center and Kiwoom had a 5-1 advantage. The wheels started to fall off for the Bears in the seventh. Joon-Tae Park started it all with a lead-off double to right and the next two batters walked to load up the bases. Jung-Hoo Lee kept the chain moving with an RBI single to center. Dong-Won Park drove in three more with a double to left and Ji-Young Lee plated park with a double to left. Byung-Woo Jeon doubled home another run to cap off a six-run seventh for the Heroes. Meanwhile, Seung-Ho Lee threw six solid innings for Kiwoom. Tae-Hoon Kim and Sung-Hyun Moon each threw a scoreless inning. Duk-Gil Jo came on for the ninth and struggled a bit. Jae-Il Oh blasted a Jo change-up out to center for a solo blast. It was Oh’s sixth homer of the year and pulled the Bears within nine. Jo eventually got out of the mess and the Heroes picked up another win tonight at home. 

-Final Thoughts- Seung-Ho Lee was very good for the Heroes tonight. He went six innings and allowed a run on five hits with five strikeouts. Hui-Kwan Yu did okay despite only lasting five innings. He gave up four runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts. His bad throw to first base likely costed him the two runs in the fifth inning. Keon-Chang Seo, Dong-Won Park, Ji-Young Lee, and Joon-Tae Park each had two hits to lead the Heroes. Kiwoom is now two games out of first place with the NC loss to Lotte tonight. Tomorrow’s game is the Eagles against the Tigers. Shi-Hwan Jang will face Ki-Young Im in that one. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[blaq-o]

tvN’s drama “Another Oh Hae Young” will be transformed into a musical!

The musical based on the popular drama “Another Oh Hae Young” will feature hit songs from the drama’s including Seo Hyun Jin and Yoo Seung Woo’s “What Is Love,” Ben’s “Like a Dream,” and Jung Seung Hwan’s “If It Is You,” as well as new songs produced just for the show.

As the first drama from Studio Dragon (written by Park Hae Young) to be transformed into a musical, the show will be directed by Choo Jung Hwa and musical director Heo Soo Hyun and written by the writers’ group “Never Ending Play.”

“Another Oh Hae Young” is a romance drama about two woman with vastly different personalities who are both named Oh Hae Young (played by Seo Hyun Jin and Jeon Hye Bin) and Park Do Kyung (played by Shinhwa’s Eric), who suddenly develops the ability to see into the future.

In the musical, Moon Jin Ah, Shin Eui Jung, and Yoo Joo Hye will be taking on the role of Oh Hae Young, the lead female character who is a strong but ordinary woman. The perfect but prickly male lead Park Do Kyung will be played by g.o.d’s Son Ho Young, MBLAQ’s Seungho, and Kim Ji On. The other Oh Hae Young, who is Park Do Kyung’s ex-fiancée, will be played by Sandara Park and former STELLAR member Hyoeun.

Park Soo Kyung, Park Do Kyung’s older sister, will be played by Jeon Hye Sun and Go Eun Young. Park Do Kyung’s friend Lee Jin Sang, who falls into a thrilling romance with Park Soo Kyung, will be played by Jo Poong Rae and Heo Gyu Ga. Finally, Han Tae Jin, Oh Hae Young’s ex who leaves her the day before their wedding, will be played by Jo Eun Sol and Goo Joon Mo, while Oh Hae Young’s mom Hwang Duk Yi will be played by Jang Yi Joo and Jang Ye Won.

This production with be Sandara Park’s first musical, and she will also be joined on stage by other actors who started out as idols including Seungho, Hyoeun, and Son Ho Young, who has experience performing in several musicals.

The upcoming musical will premiere in March 2020 at Seokyeong University’s Performing Arts Center.

[kdramareviewsbylizzie]

A Review: Love Alarm

status: Complete

network: tvN, Netflix

air time: Aug 2019

episodes: 8

genre: Romance, Comedy

cast: Kim So-hyun, Song Kang, Jung Ga-ram

favourite ost: Can I Fall In Love Again? By KLANG

synopsis: Joalarm is a new app that will ring if anyone that likes the user is within a 10 metre radius of them. Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun) is a high school student who lives with her aunt and cousin. In order to pay off her mother’s debt that was passed onto her aunt when her parents passed, she saves up money by working multiple part-time jobs. Hwang Sun-oh (Song Kang) was born into a wealthy family, his mother was a popular actor and his dad is a politician. He grew up living with his best friend Lee Hye-young (Jung Gu-ram), the son of their family’s maid. They both attended the same school as Kim Jo-jo and when they discover that they both like her, they use Joalarm to see who she picks.

my response:

!!! SPOILERS !!!

OKAY. So I just finished this drama and usually, I do spoiler-free reviews but I have to discuss this ending. What. A. Cliffhanger. Like seriously I feel like I’ve been abandoned - there better be a second season or I’ll be left curious forever. Before I discuss who I prefer with Jo-jo, I’ll give a quick review of the drama as a whole. So I really liked this drama. The idea of Joalarm is so interesting to me. I think the drama shows how society would react to an app like this quite well, showing both the positives and negatives it would introduce. One thing I feel passionate about is my hatred for Jo-jo’s cousin, Gul-mi. I’ve found that multiple times she’ll seem quite nice actually but within a few seconds of me thinking this she’ll do something that will legitimately make me rage i.e. her treatment of Duk-gu or when she started THROWING JO-JO’S STUFF OUT THE WINDOW. Major respect for the actor who plays her, Go Min-si. Anyways, overall the plot was super addicting. It definitely felt like it was moving along too fast at multiple points so I do think it would be better if they spaced it out with more episodes. And so, now the major dilemma: Hwang Sun-oh or Lee Hye-young? Now I can definitely see both sides but my choice as of right now is Sun-oh. I feel like most people probably feel the same way about this because legit the whole drama was about Jo-jo and Sun-ho’s romance so why spend so much time setting it up and then not following through? I got quite annoyed after the whole motorbike-accident-and-then-cut-to-4-years later thing. It was just getting more interesting and then WHOOP time skip and guess what? They’re not together anymore. It was super unsatisfying and I really don’t like it when this happens in dramas bc it feels like we’re leaving behind the characters we’ve grown to know. Before the time skip, Sun-ho and Jo-jo were honestly the cutest and I wasn’t even thinking about Hye-young. But then after it happened, Hye-young was definitely creeping up but still Sun-ho is first for me. ALSO I’m just gonna say, if what happened with Jo-jo and Sun-ho in the first episode, like the whole staring at each other, Sun-oh following her and then them going into a laneway and kissing, were to actually happen it would honestly be the creepiest thing. So because of this at the start of the drama I didn’t really like Sun-oh bc he was just…. idk way too weird. Hye-young was super sweet throughout the drama and I could tell that towards the end of the season, they were setting it up so that he would be with Jo-jo. I wasn’t really happy with the idea but I was preparing and trying to convince myself that it’d work. And then that ending happened and now here I am. I’ll continue to wonder about the direction the drama will take in the next season but for now, I think this drama was really enjoyable to watch and I would recommend it to anyone. Feel free to leave a comment about your opinion of the ending and who you prefer with Jo-jo.

rating: 4.5/5

Also, does anyone know if there’s an English translation anywhere of the webtoon this is based on??? I really want to read it.

[johnnymundano]

The Age of Shadows (2016)

Directed by Kim Jee-woon

Screenplay by Kim Jee-woon

Music by Mowg

Country: South Korea

Running Time: 140 minutes

CAST

Song Kang-ho as Lee Jung-chool

Gong Yoo as Kim Woo-jin

Han Ji-min as Yeon Gye-soon

Uhm Tae-goo as Hashimoto

Shin Sung-rok as Jo Hwe-ryung

Heo Sung-tae as Ha Il-soo

Lee Seol-goo as Oh Nam-won

Shingo Tsurumi as Higashi

Kim Dong-young as Ha Chul-joo

Jung Yoo-ahn as Hwang Ui-seo

Go Joon as Shim Sang-do

Seo Young-joo as Joo Dong-sung

Kwon Soo-hyun as Sun-gil

Lee Hwan as Park Dae-yi

Kwak Ja-hyung as Seo Jin-dol

Yoo Sang-jae as Hunter Park

Jo Young-gyu as Kim Hak-jin

Choi Yu-hwa as Kim Sa-hee

Han Soo-yeon as Mae-hyang

Nam Moon-chul as Kim Hwang-sub

Kim Soo-woong as Saito

Choi Jang-won as Noh Duk-soo

Heo Hyung-gyu as Jung Woo-sik

Baek In-kwon as Park Woong

Jung Do-won as Woo Ma-e

Lee Soo-kwang as Hideo

Hiromitsu Takeda as Takeda

Shin Sung-il as Park Ga

Kim Ui-gun as Heo Jung-goo

Foster Burden as Ludvik

Izo Oikawa as Umano

Kazuhiko Ikebe as Nakada

Lee Byung-hun as Jung Chae-san (cameo)

Park Hee-soon as Kim Jang-ok (cameo)

The Age of Shadows is a handsomely mounted, lightly melodramatic South Korean period spy thriller, punctuated by superbly staged action set pieces. The Age of Shadows also has a chunky runtime, and is thus able to play the long game; its initial sparkily lightweight approach shifts around the midpoint into a murkier, weightier tone, building towards an emotionally rewarding finale. It’s good watching, is what I’m getting at. But you have to stick with it to get the full effect. The Age of Shadows manages to be both entertaining and also be about the upsetting business of terrorism, while successfully evading the bear trap of tastelessness. I say “terrorism” but it should always be acknowledged that the name for people using violence for political ends always depends which side you’re on; for a South Korean audience these terrorists would be Freedom Fighters.

The Age of Shadows is set in Korea in the 1920s when it laboured under Japanese colonial rule (1910 – 1945). Over here in the UK there is a howling void in the heads of the hoi polloi like I, where the history of the East should be; we spend hours being taught about The Corn Laws but we only find out that Korea was once under Japanese rule by watching The Tiger (2015; awesome, watch it) or The Age of Shadows. Or it might just be me who is an idiot; either way don’t knock the educational content of movies about giant tigers or people in sharp threads planning to bomb an embassy. Anyway, after a few seconds research it looks like Japan, successfully eschewing military confrontation, slowly eroded Korea’s independence with some underhand shenanigans and a bunch of treaties from 1876 onward, tying the two closer and closer together, culminating in the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1910. This completed the annexation of Korea by Japan. Why would Korea sign such a thing, you may be understandably wondering. The ridiculous answer is they, or the then Korean regent Gojong, didn’t. Japan annexed Korea anyway. South Koreans have since dubbed this the Japanese Forced Occupation and The Dark Japanese Imperial Period. Korea was well miffed is the message I’m getting here. Hence the freedom fighters.

Since The Age of Shadows is a South Korean movie it is understandably very much not on the side of the Japanese overseers. It is very much on the side of the Korean freedom fighters, who are all plucky, photogenic and brave. You could easily come away from The Age of Shadows believing that they are so awesome that, like The Punisher©®™, no innocents ever get caught in their bomb blasts or crossfire. It’s a measure of the movie’s subtlety that this isn’t true. It wants you to root for the freedom fighters so it does somewhat soft soap the collateral cost; but it can’t bring itself to lie, the bodies of the innocent are there if you watch closely. Innocent isn’t a term the movie extends to the Japanese, who are the bad guys here (and to be honest, Japan of the 1920’s, I’m thinking Korea has a point here).

Surprisingly for an occupying force the Japanese are few in number. They seem to be operating on the Roman Empire model - where you go in, take a place over, and use the locals to police themselves; with the subjugating force occupying the upper echelons and running the martial apparatus. It’s a good model; you can cover a lot of ground with limited resources. But because you are outnumbered on the ground, you have to brutally dissuade any insurgents. Brutally, I stress. Hence all the Japanese characters are nasty pieces of work. There is a range of evil on offer though; the cartoony psychosis of number one goon Hashimoto (Uhm Tae-goo; cartoony, psychotic, good fun) or the quietly vile police chief Higashi (Shingo Tsurumi; supremely reptilian). Now, I wouldn’t take this as an indictment of the Japanese race as a whole, it’s more a reflection of the kinds of people who gravitate to the suppressive end of the police state. Basically, if they weren’t in uniform they’d be in prison. Every country has a rich crop of these sweethearts, not just Japan.

That’s the backdrop against which the epic sweep of The Age of Shadows unfolds. It is a big movie; Korea vs Japan! Freedom versus vassalage! Authenticity vs Inauthenticity! Love vs Duty! But it is also simultaneously a small movie; it’s all about Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho; fantastically sympathetic), a Korean and also a cop working under the Japanese. It’s about how he grows some self-respect, I guess. How he learns that everyone picks a side, even if they don’t realise it; so it’s best to make it a conscious decision. The Age of Shadows opens with a crucial confrontation between Lee Jung-chool and Kim Jang-ok (Park Hee-soon; athletically defiant), a resistance fighter and ex-classmate of lee Jung-chool. This is a  ferociously entertaining thrill of a night-time firefight with much rooftop running, and even a nifty bit of business with a severed toe; the kind of tossed off quirk Korean cinema does so well. Something is stirred within the laissez-faire breast of Lee Jung-chool, something which is positively agitated by his investigation into antique shop owner Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo; disarmingly pleasant), and a plot involving the transport of explosives by train. Kim-Woo Jin attempts to turn the copper, while Lee Jung Chool seeks to infiltrate the ambitious cell before their plans bear explosive fruit. But who is fooling who, and, ultimately, is someone fooling themselves?

What follows is a cloak and dagger game of cat and mouse which reaches a climax mid-movie, with a tense and expertly staged train journey/traitor hunt with a hectically violent conclusion. After that the games being played extend beyond the cast to envelop the audience as the The Age of Shadows keeps its cards close to its chest, dealing out revelations at a steady pace throughout this darker, harder half of the movie. It’s discreetly smart film making, so high fives and bear hugs to Kim Jee-woon. But I think most credit is due for segueing so smoothly from the initial Boy’s Own escapades to the quite harrowing consequences of defiance. The Age of Shadows pulls its punches, no doubt, but it still admits the ugly cost of defiance to a quite remarkably unpleasant extent. Ultimately The Age of Shadows is a beautiful, finely acted, whip-smart movie which secretes within its enthralling entertainment a soupçon of brutal truth.

[dangermousie]

Have you ever had secondary lead syndrome? Being new in the kdrama fandom thats one thing i was absolutely not ready for. I have never experienced it before and believe me i have watched tv in every language possible. Secondary leads or the third person in the triangle is always easy to hate or easy to not ship with the main girl. But with kdramas they are so amazing they make me root for them.

I am the poster child for canon shipping, in kdramas or elsewhere. For me to get SLS (and I am not counting something like The King Loves, where the second lead was always intended to get the girl as in the novel or Boys Over Flowers where by the end I wanted heroine with both depending on the scene, but a genuine SLS), something must have gone seriously haywire in either writing or acting (or I suppose the trope book.)

It’s probably not surprising that out of the few times I shipped the lead with the second lead, a lot of the times it was such a widespread phenomenon the makers actually changed canon:

East of Eden - our hero, played by Song Seung Hun, was supposed to eventually end up with classy Lee Da Hae, and his romance with the mob daughter Grace was going to be a short little sideline. Only they had a few too many scenes and insane chemistry long before the supposed main couple even met and a LOT of fans jumped ship. Apparently, the male lead did also, because guess who ended up being his permanent true love? They are still one of my all time favorite OTPs, btw. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9qKOLUW_Do

Empress Ki - ooooh boy. Clearly, Ha Ji Won’s heroine was supposed to end up with the noble Korean king played by Joo Jin Mo (in terms of endgame, not happy ending), and not the intense wreck of a Chinese emperor played by Ji Chang Wook. Promos, billing, posters, the fact that it’s a freaking Korean drama, etc. I (and the fandom in general) went insane for Team Emperor and that chemistry and dysfunction was out of this world. Yup, he’s the one who ended up being her true love, even if they were one of the most messed up OTPs out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-4yldyj0kM

Queen Seon Duk - noble boring Yushin was supposed to be the heroine’s love and then Kim Nam Gil as unstable Bidam appeared and stole everyone’s hearts, mine included and guess what the epic love ended up being. It didn’t help that the usually reliable Uhm Tae Woong was a piece of wood in that drama and KNG was on fire. Best ending ever even if tragic. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfQsDRlrRmo

Spring Days - heroine was supposed to end up with older brother who cured her but instead ended up with the younger brother which made me mega happy. But then you don’t hire Jo In Sung and expect anyone to root for anyone else. He’s one of those actors who, even before he was a big star, really should have never played a secondary guy for he’d steal the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps7l27OBnVQ

Two Park Shi Hoo dramas - How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor and Queen of Reversals. Whatever his behavior in real life, on screen PSH is basically a chemistry beast and I will always ship him with the heroine, whatever else is going on. So back when he was doing secondary roles, I shipped him with female leads in both of these and got my wish. He got the girl both times! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-V-d382Oqo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmQU6q2oPWg

(Btw, don’t know if you noticed, but out of the above, except for Neighbor, all of them are longer dramas; it gives the writers time and chance to fix things.)

There have only been a couple of dramas where I’ve been driven to uncanon ship and it didn’t end up being the case because, once again, for that to happen means there are other issues. And they are:

Iljimae. Because Park Shi Hoo. That is the only time I didn’t ship Lee Junki with the leading lady or at least I was fine with them as an otp but preferred her with PSH.

Dream High and Bad Guy - both of those are partially result of my love for abused/mistreated sweetheart with awful family finding joy in plucky female lead tropes. With BG, it was in addition because Han Ga In had better chemistry with Kim Jae Wook than Kim Nam Girl and because I thought their scenes were on fire. With DH, frankly it’s because Sam Bong annoyed me and if I had to pick between sweet bumpkin or intense fuck-up in terms of fictional dudes, you know who I’d go to (FWIW, I am firmly convinced that the way the early eps were set up, my OTP was supposed to be the canon one, but then Kim Soo Hyun and his character took off like a storm and they switched.)

Seeing that I have been watching kdramas for 13 years, the above is a pretty tiny list though, because as I said, I am a canon worshipper pretty much.

So that’s my lengthy screed…