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OMFG BEOMGYU'S FIRST OFFICIAL SOLO SONG IS COMING NEXT THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Third week of When Life Gives You Tangerines: this show continues to be a wonder. It just nails its portrayal of themes like parenthood, family expectations and aging. Everyone involved is doing such an incredible job, from the director and the writer to the cast and art teams. I'm really looking forward to seeing how all of this beauty wraps up next week, even if I feel like I could keep watching these characters forever.

P.S. 1: Park Bo Gum has appeared as a guest on IU's Palette. Their voices sound heavenly together!

P.S. 2: IU herself also released a song for the show's soundtrack (played at the end of episode 12) and it's as gorgeous as expected.

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I'm loving the R&B vibe J-Hope has chosen for his latest singles. I wouldn't mind it at all if he went with this style for his next album too.

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Adolescence

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2025

Adolescence (2025, UK)

Director: Philip Barantini

Creators and Writers: Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham

Mini-review:

Basically everyone has been talking about this miniseries lately, so I decided to give it a chance. And I can understand why it has become such a hit. When done well, the one-shot format can be incredibly gripping, and Philip Barantini has obviously mastered the technique; when I looked him up and saw he was the filmmaker behind Boiling Point, everything made so much sense. His team pulled off a seriously impressive technical achievement. On top of that, the script dives deep into the radicalization of young boys the world has been experiencing lately. The writers knew how to approach this timely topic with due sensitivity. But really, it probably wouldn't work as well without the excellent cast. Owen Cooper gives a particularly impactful performance, which is crazy considering this is his acting debut. I really do think Adolescence won't leave anybody indifferent.

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K-pop is on fire this month! Today we got a couple more great tracks:

Know About Me by Nmixx

Based on the first listen, this might end up being one of my favorite Nmixx title tracks. The beat is fantastic from beginning to end, and the vocals are as stunning as always.

VVV by The Boyz

It's been a while since I liked one of their title tracks so much. They're really good at making these upbeat, purely pop songs.

Bonus:

Hot (English version) by Le Sserafim

Wow, the English lyrics came out amazing. They're more hard-hitting than I expected.

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This week I'm more thankful than ever for Undercover High School, cause its sense of fun is easing the heartache caused by When Life Gives You Tangerines. These two dramas really give me the perfect balance every weekend.

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Second week of When Life Gives You Tangerines: we're only halfway through, but there's a genuine chance this might become my favorite drama of all time. I'm loving its approach to generational trauma and life in general. Also, I can't remember the last time I cried so hard while watching something; there were times where I literally had to stop the episodes just to breathe.

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They should really consider letting K make the choreo for the title tracks, cause this is absolutely amazing. Perfectly captures the vibe of the song. Oh, and I love the outfits!

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Le Sserafim's comeback is finally here and they delivered a perfect piece of pop music. The chorus is super catchy and the choreo has some brilliant moments. Also, I really hope they keep working with director Yunah Sheep; her style is rather simple, but she gets the group's concept like nobody else so far.

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I'm so glad Kazuha went on this show, cause she just showed all the haters that she sings like an angel. All the covers sounded marvelous 💗

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Update on Undercover High School *SPOILERS ahead*: caught up with episodes 5 and 6, and it's still going strong. At first I didn't want Su Ah to find out about Hae Seong's identity so soon, but they've handled it really well. It seems like the reveal won't make their hijinks any less fun, and I'm sure the writer will keep coming up with hilarious misunderstandings.

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Damn, this Monday has been another busy day for K-pop:

Air by Yeji

Everything about this is exactly my style, from the beat to the choreo and the aesthetic. Such a great solo debut!

Baby, Not Baby by Seulgi

I liked 28 Reasons, but I feel like this sound and concept suit her so much more.

동갑내기 by Hoshi X Woozi

I didn't expect this specific unit to go for this type of vibe, but they make it work. Really fun!

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Anora

Movies watched in 2025

Anora (2024, USA)

Director & Writer: Sean Baker

Mini-review:

I didn't get to catch this before the Oscars as it wasn't showing anywhere near me, but that obviously changed after its many wins. And thank god for that, cause it's absolutely brilliant. For starters, it has this dark sense of humor that hits when you least expect it and gets big laughs out of you. Then there's Mikey Madison... WOW. That's a star-making performance if I've ever seen one. Her line delivery is pitch-perfect throughout the entire movie, and there's not a single false note in her acting. Yura Borisov is also low-key hilarious and super charming. The cinematography and the editing deserve some serious praise, too. So yeah, Anora is a sharp and surprising film that will leave no one indifferent.

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First week of When Life Gives You Tangerines: the K-drama event of the year is finally here and let me tell you, it already has me floored with only four episodes. Some parts were a bit messy and could have used tighter editing, but the whole thing is gorgeously made and wonderfully acted. Like, episodes 1 and 4 had me crying rivers. And to think that this is only the beginning... Anyway, I do hope the male lead gets a little more depth over the next weeks; he's the sweetest thing ever, but I need to know where all that kindness is coming from. Give me some backstory, people! All in all, it seems like we're in for a deeply endearing and heart-tugging ride.

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The 'signal song' release seems like the perfect moment to say I've been following this Oen High survival show, where Hybe will form its new J-pop group. I'm not sure the producers/editors/whatever are being fair to all the contestants, and there's some pretty obvious favoritism going around. Overall, I feel like this is a much crueler format that &Audition was. But still, some of the boys are quite talented and I'm curious to see what the final group will look/sound like.

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Ok, let's take a look at today's major K-pop releases:

Sweet Dreams by J-Hope feat. Miguel

Such a lovely song! The combination of the beat with the lyrics, the vocals and the raps is so dreamy. Easily one of my favorite releases by J-Hope, which is saying a lot.

Like Jennie by Jennie

This really showcases all of her skills. It's getting clearer by the day that YG was holding her back (and the other BP members too, obviously).

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As expected, this already sounds like one of the best K-pop albums of the year. My favorite for now is Ash, which seems like a banger 👀