#Kill Their Heart (Kwon Jae-Sung)

[maddmuses]

Kwon HC posts before I get started (boy I hate how tumblr stretches images for basically no good reason)

Born April 4 2001

Kwon Jae-Sung is the son of a South Korean diplomat, not a high-ranking one, but high enough that he could get out of trouble for pretty much anything that would constitute a misdemeanor

At a young age Kwon was taught the fundamentals of taekwondo and "yankee boxing" from his grandfather (a 6th dan in taekwondo) before he had started fighting. This contact was cut-off by Kwon's father when school fights started to become concerns (around age 12). If Kwon were assessed by an objective reader he'd probably be determined 1st Gup or Dan (Red or Black Belt)

Kwon is essentially a bully from the get-go, his father (and grandfather's) mentality was that the strong are right naturally by merit of that strength, even if his father believes more in "soft strength" while Kwon essentially started hitting other students the second he was given more autonomy at school

Kwon has been involved in school fights since early on, and would frequently bully and harass other students into submission, through this lens of "strong and weak", essentially demanding submission from the weak, and challenging those he saw as strong, including older boys

He's been expelled from 15 private schools and 2 public ones in the course of his pre-college education, he has also avoided approximately 22 misdemeanor assault charges, and had 2 felony charges reduced to misdemeanors with fines and anger management

Kwon began at the Kim Dojang after hearing about it around a year following his cut-off from taekwondo, and repeatedly badgered his father (at one point threatening to kill himself if he was not allowed to practice martial arts again) at the age of 15

Kwon was generally discouraged by the dojang's blatant favoritism toward students of legacy, and broad dismissal of many of his early achievements, which later manifested in his (general) behavioral issues

Prior to the start of season 6 (so sometime in 2018) Kwon achieved 1 dan in Kim Sun-Yung's "Kwondo" (Way of The Fist) style of Tang Soo Do. This level of achievement has been exceeded as he was promoted to 2 dan in the time between taking the guem baeji, ast he dojang more formally converted to Cobra Kai under sensei Kreese.

Kwon is a natural southpaw, but over time has trained to be functionally ambidextrous in his fighting. He does, though, favor his left foot for fighting, and tends similarly to spin left so that his 720° spin kick with the heel of his left foot, rather than the right foot as traditional. This favoring his left side slightly also can extend to when he intends to strike with his full power, in which case it is always with the left. To obscure his left-handedness from the enemy, he will often square up when in a fight, or falsely assume a slightly orthodox-biased stance (which in modern day is misinterpreted to indicated right-handedness for most)(clip of his fight v the trio where you can see this functional ambidexterity with slight left-bias at-play, you can see most of his kicks are leftie, and his strongest punches/strikes are delivered from the left-side)

After the Sekai Taikai Kwon intends to enlist and complete his compulsory military service, before attending post-secondary education in the United States, and then further seeking out tournaments to win in adulthood. His intended field of study is English and at least one other foreign language, as well as business management

He is mildly conservative by USA standards (but not on that bigot shit, he's considered a hyper-liberal by modern SK male standards) but is generally considered to be apolitical

Kwon's personal investment in the Sekai Taikai has little to do with any loyalty or reverence he has towards his teachers, but intends instead to establish his own dominance and feed his own pride , while still following the framework his father and grandfather taught him, of showing the weak to their place, and proving himself to be stronger than all others

[perfectirishgifts]

The 13 Best Korean Dramas Of 2020

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The 13 Best Korean Dramas Of 2020

Bae Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk partner up in ‘Start-Up.’

Although 2020 will make the history books for all the wrong reasons, it was a great year for Korean dramas. With a slew of big budget hits and small quirky stories, k-dramas offered plenty of innovative entertainment to help viewers happily pass pandemic time.

Every drama viewer may have a different list of favorites, but here are a few 2020 dramas that stood out in terms of originality, subject matter and execution.

Park Seo-joon created one of the year’s most memorable k-drama characters in ‘Itaewon Class.’

Itaewon Class

The year started off with the quirky hit Itaewon Class, in which Park Seo-joon’s character overcomes so many odds that he naturally sympathizes with those who society may shun. When opening a cafe he hires employees that others might not and those choices contribute to his success. Park’s generous character is one of the year’s most likable and the drama also features top-notch performances by Kim Da-mi, Kwon Nara, Yoo Jae-Myung and Ahn Bo-hyun.

Why see it? If you’ve never been to Seoul’s international neighborhood of Itaewon, this drama takes you there. The drama provides plenty of feel-good moments and a great soundtrack, including a contribution by BTS member V.

Kim Hee-ae and Park Hae-joon star in ‘The World of The Married.’

World of the Married

Although this drama has not yet made it to all international audiences, it was a huge hit in Korea, enjoying both critical success and nationwide ratings of 28.37%. World of the Married, an adaptation of the BBC series Dr. Foster, stars Kim Hae-ae. Kim plays a doctor who thinks her life is perfect until she learns that her husband, played by Park Hae-joon, has been cheating on her. Even worse, all their friends know. 

Why see it? Kim won Best Actress at the Baeksang Awards for playing the drama’s protagonist Ji Sun-woo and the drama was a breakout hit for supporting actress Han Seo-hee. There’s also the guilty pleasure of watching a woman scorned exact revenge on those who betrayed her.

The legal drama ‘Hyena’ starred Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon.

Hyena

The drama’s leading characters, played by Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon, each have their own approach to practicing law. She’s a scrappy small-time lawyer with questionable ethics and he’s a self-satisfied high-profile lawyer at a top firm. Despite their differences—and getting off to a bad start when she scams him—they turn out to be good for each other.

Why see it? Ju delivers a pitch-perfect performance, with his every twitch and grimace creating an unforgettable character.  Ju and Kim have undeniable chemistry that sizzles through episodes of fast-paced high-stakes legal entanglements.

Bae Doona played a zombie-fighting nurse in the second season of ‘Kingom.’

Kingdom 2

The second season of this historical zombie drama was even better than the first. Kingdom 2 also stars Ju Ji-hoon as the prince trying to save his country from a zombie invasion as well as inner court corruption. What makes the second season better than the first is a larger role for actress Bae Doona, whose character takes time out from nursing the sick to battle the undead.

Why see it: It’s a zombie story with a historical and moral twist.

Start Up

Nam Joo-Hyuk and Bae Suzy star in this story of a small tech start-up that gets a chance to compete on a bigger stage. When Bae’s character Seo Dal-mi was young she received encouraging letters from a man named Nam Do-san, but the letters were really written by Kim Seon-ho’s character Han Ji-pyeong. When a grown-up Dal-mi decides to find the real Do-san, played by Nam, Ji-pyeong asks Do-san to pretend he really wrote the letters. Do-san and Dal-mi are perfect for each other but their budding relationship is based on a lie. 

Why see it? The story of how the start-up gets started is interesting. Each of the actors—from the leads to the supporting cast— is imperfectly endearing and Kim wins this year’s unofficial prize for being the most appealing second lead.

Lee jun-ki is a potential serial killer married to the detective played by Moon Chae-won in ‘Flower … [] of Evil.’

Flower of Evil

What would you do if you found out you were married to a serial killer? It might be happening to Moon Chae-won’s police detective character in Flower of Evil. Her devoted husband, played by Lee Jun-ki, has a mysterious past that ties him to a serial killer. Did he also commit murders? If he is a serial killer, does his wife love him enough to look past the incriminating clues?

Why see it? Although some of the drama’s plot occasionally veers into the illogical, the relationship between the leads is so charismatic that the drama acquired a loyal and enthusiastic following. The mystery is sufficiently complex and Lee’s tortured performance as the suspected serial killer is mesmerizing.

Park So-dam played Park Bo-gum’s makeup artist in ‘Record of Youth.’

Record of Youth

Record of Youth features ambitious likable protagonists trying to find their place in a highly competitive world. Park Bo-gum plays a model so charming it’s hard to imagine why he’s not already a success at the story’s start. Park So-dam plays a talented make-up artist with dreams. She’s also a devoted fan of his modeling career.

Why see it? Park Bo-gum’s character is as bright as a shiny penny, ever optimistic and upbeat, despite not having much support for his dreams. Watching Park So-dam act is always a pleasure and the real star of the drama might be Han Jin-hee, who plays Park Bo-gum’s supportive grandfather.

Seo Ye-ji aggressively pursues Kim Soo-hyun in ‘It’s Okay Not To Be Okay.’

It’s Okay Not To Be Okay

Easily the most visually appealing drama of 2020, It’s Okay Not To Be Okay stars two of k-drama’s most photogenic actors Seo Ye-ji and Kim Soo-hyun as a twisted children’s book author and the psychiatric nurse she needs to calm her nightmares. Not only are the actors beautiful, but the drama’s graphics, cinematography and costumes are also gorgeous. 

Why see it? The drama explores the topics of autism and the mental scars created by early trauma. Oh Jung-se’s performance as Kim’s autistic brother was one of the best of the year.

‘The Good Detective’ is a fast-paced crime thriller starring Son Hyun-joo and Jang Seung-jo.

The Good Detective 

The Good Detective delivers a Scandi-noir vibe with its insightful character development plus some over-the-top, superhero police action scenes. The drama stars Son Hyun-joo, who might have the most expressive face of any k-drama actor, and Jang Seung-jo as a detective whose super-power is having a fortune. 

Why see it? The Good Detective is an involving police procedural with top-rate performances. Oh Jung-se plays a hard-hearted villain, a dramatically different role than his vulnerable character in It’s Okay Not To Be Okay.

Nana plays a woman who pursues politics for a paycheck despite Park Sung-hoon’s objections.

Into The Ring 

The wry comedy stars Nana, formerly a member of k-pop group After School, and Park Sung-hoon, who recently played a convincing but comical killer in Psychopath Diary. Nana plays a plucky unemployed woman who runs for office, motivated largely by the paycheck, but also from a sense of justice. Although Park initially finds her irritating, he eventually helps her fight local corruption.

Why see it? Nana is so charismatic in this role, viewers may want to see everything she’s ever done. She and Park develop a low-key lovable comic rapport that keeps a story about local politics happily enjoyable.  

‘My Dangerous Wife’ is a cat-and-mouse mystery within the story of a marriage.

My Dangerous Wife

In this dark comedy Choi Won-young plays a chef who plans to murder his wealthy wife, so he can inherit her money, but when he arrives home with a poisoned bottle of wine he finds she has been kidnapped. The note the kidnappers left behind warns him not to contact the police or they will kill his wife. Should he? It sounds like an opportunity.

Why see it: Interesting plot twists and turns make this drama fascinating to the very last episode. The complex storyline involves a mistress, a mysterious old friend, a detective with a suspicious wife, and a set of curious next door neighbors with secrets of their own.  

Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin experience an impossible love in ‘Crash Landing On You.’

Crash Landing On You

Crash Landing On You, which first aired in Dec. 2019, successfully introduced a wider international audience to the joys of k-drama viewing. The mega-hit, starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, follows the story of a South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea and is helped by a North Korean officer at the risk of his own life.

Why see it? Everything about the drama is top-notch—the cinematography, the romantic storyline and the excellent performances from the lead and supporting actors. The drama also offers some interesting insight into North Korean daily life.

Shin Sung-rok stars in the paranormal thriller ‘Kairos.’

Kairos

Kairos is a tense paranormal thriller about karmic debt. In this drama two people who live in different times stumble on a supernatural way to talk and thus untangle their preventable personal tragedies. Shin Sung-rok plays a callous businessman whose daughter is kidnapped. Lee Se-young plays a woman whose mother disappears. Together they must change fate but they can’t connect in their own time. This plot device was used in the film The Call and the k-drama Signal, but it feels fresh in Kairos, given the carefully crafted moments of suspense and some intriguing performances.

Why see it? Both Shin and supporting actor Ahn Bo Hyun do an excellent job of portraying men who question what they once held sacred. 

Which dramas made your list?

From Hollywood & Entertainment in Perfectirishgifts

[iyeolie]

kdrama recs!

although i already have a tag for my favorite asian dramas in general (check out here if you want) i wanted to make a post dedicated to the dramas i’ve watched that hit differently.... i’ll explain

these dramas aren’t necessarily my fave of all time or at the very top of my fave list, but i did enjoy all of them a lot. the dramas on this list are the ones i enjoyed from start to finish, every episode, practically every scene. the ones i did not want to end. they were easy to watch and the struggle to not click “next episode” was real. so if you’ve got nothing else to do maybe check one or two out!

          ‣  goblin

starring : gong yoo, kim go eun, lee dong wook, yoo in na, yook sungjae

plot : kim shin is turned into a goblin tasked with protecting certain people from the life of misery. the only way to end his immortal life is to find his bride that can set him free of his sword. kim shin accidentally becomes roommates with a grim reaper, wang yeo, and as natural enemies the two clash. ji eun tak is a high school student who is able to communicate with the dead. she gets involved with the goblin and grim reaper. could she be the goblin’s bride who holds the power to release him from his eternal misery and set his soul free?

thoughts : this is my number one (1) fave kdrama and drama over all! it has everything: unique plot, interesting characters, humor, drama, fantasy elements... this is the drama i’ll always recommend to anyone and everyone. there’s not a dull moment and there is always something that grabs your attention. the depth to each character is crazy and how they all connect is insane. you grow close to them all and end up routing for them with all your heart. couldn’t recommend it enough.

          ‣  high-end crush

starring : jung il woo, jin se yeon, yoon bora, lee si eon

plot : choi se hoon is the ceo of an entertainment company and knows his stuff well. he is very arrogant and doesn’t take no for an answer. yoo yi ryeong lives alone on a mountain and doesn’t have any desire for money and fame. the two cross paths and se hoon ends up offering yi ryeong a contract from his company, she rejects him. the determined businessman won’t give up on her and ends up developing feelings along the way. can two people from different worlds come together?

thoughts : the fact that i almost didn’t watch this drama will haunt me forever. i’m sO happY that i gave it a go. i expected nothing but ended up with so much. this mini drama made me laugh and cry, and took me on a hell of a ride. the story between the couple is hilariously sweet and melts my heart. jung il woo stole my heart with this drama, he did an excellent job as the lead and his character made the drama what it is. if you have 5 hours to spare i highly recommend this one, enjoyed every second.

          ‣  hospital ship

starring : ha ji won, kang min hyuk, lee seo won, kwon min ah

plot : song eun jae is a capable surgeon at a large hospital in seoul. due to circumstances she ends up quitting her job and boards a hospital ship that provides medical care for locals in rural villages. on board are army doctors who have unwillingly been assigned their posts, except for kwak hyun, who volunteered. although eun jae has a cold personality, she is perfectionist and very skilled. with her on board, the hospital ship is able to admit patients and help with the most critical medical problems, all while out at sea.

thoughts : honestly i didn’t have any expectations going into this one, but i was pleasantly surprised. all the different characters clashed together and made the story very interesting, everyone came together and became an unexpected family. all the cases they dealt with were just insaane and made the drama so entertaining to watch! they always had the odds against them but somehow made in through them. very addicting.

          ‣  extraordinary you

starring : kim hye yoon, rowoon, lee jae wook, lee naeun, kim young dae

plot : eun dan oh is a student at a prestigious academy. one day she discovers that the world she’s living in is a fantasy world of comics, and she isn’t even the main character! she is only an extra and the writer has set her up with a lame story line that she doesn’t want to follow. dan oh realizes she is one of the few characters that are aware and tries to change the story to free herself from the writer’s grip. she meets a nameless student, number 13, who dan oh thinks can be the key. they work together to try and change their fates, but this comes with a price to pay.

thoughts : this drama was almost impossible not to watch one episode right after another! suuch a cool plot and it was hard to try and predict what was going to happen next. the drama kept its secrets very well and dragged it out, making you as a viewer really miserable wanting to know more, but this is what made it so good. things uncovered slowly but surely and you changed your mind about things over and over. big brain energy on this one!

          ‣  cinderella and four knights

starring : jung il woo, park so dam, ahn jae hyun, lee jung shin, son naeun

plot : eun ha won feels alone in the world and has poor contact with her father and stepmother. she lives a hard life trying to find ways to pay for her education. she gets involved with the three famous and rich cousins : kang ji woon ; a rebel-minded loner, kang hyun min ; a playboy money machine and kang seo woo, a sweet singer-songwriter. because of ha won’s non-nonsense personality, the cousins grandfather thinks she’s the perfect person to discipline his spoiled grandsons to get along with each other. however in the process ha won finds herself in the middle of a quadrangle love story.

thoughts : man, honestly this drama is THE reason why i’m even making this list. i was hooked from the start and STAYED hooked the entire drama. park so dam being the queen she is played her character so fantastically, i love how powerful and confident her character is. how different the cousins personalities were made it hilariously interesting to watch. i myself fell in love with each guy and had the hardest time picking who to root for! second and third lead syndrome is real. this is the one drama that i can honestly say i did not want to end, i’d watch this forever if i could lmfao

          ‣  falling for innocence

starring : jung kyung ho, kim so yeon, yoon hyun min

plot : kang min ho is a cold-blooded corporate raider who treats his workers and people ruthlessly. he is self-defensive and a suspicious sociopath, but he suffers from heart problems and is expected to die in the near future. unless he gets a heart transplant from a suitable donor, he is done for. kim soon jung’s fiancé gets into a car “accident” which ends in fatality. luckily for min ho, the fiancé is a match and min ho gets another shot at life. after the heart transplant, min ho starts to notice changes in his behavior : a rare result of heart transplants. he ends up falling for soon jung and she teaches him the meaning of true happiness and what love is. are his feelings really his, or the memories from the previous owner of his heart?

thoughts : i thought this drama wasn’t gonna be anything out of the ordinary going into it, but i was wrong. the character development the main character went through is one of the best ones i’ve seen and very inspiring at that. how he went from night to day because of his transplant was really something to witness. jung kyung ho killed it obviously and made his character believable. seeing how the characters deal with the situation made me not being able to stop watching.

          ‣  one spring night

starring : jung hae in, han ji min, kim jun han, joo min kyung, lim sung eon

plot : lee jeong in decides to prioritize happiness in her life. she has a long time boyfriend who wants to marry her but she’s not so sure what she feels. to treat her hangover one spring night, she goes to the pharmacy. yoo ji ho is the pharmacist who ends up helping her. ji ho is a single dad and unsure whether a woman could want a man like him. he however immediately becomes interested in jeong in and does whatever he can to meet her in person. the two fall in love despite their situations. the two however now have to deal with the obstacles that family, friends and society sets for them.

thoughts : this drama is like a warm safety blanket for me. i started it on a whim, skimming through netflix just wanting to watch something before bed. i ended up clicking on this and booy am i happy i did. it’s a nicely slow-paced, sweet and romantic love story which touches your heart in the best way. the whole vibe of the drama is just... i don’t know how to describe it’s just... chill?? and nice?? and comfortable?? it was my night time drama before bed, so i have nice memories from watching it. loved their love story. also a+++ for the osts!!!

         ‣  madame antoine : the love therapist

starring : sung joon, han ye seul, jeong jinwoon, hwang seung un, lee joo hyung

plot : go hye rim is a famous fortune-teller known as “madame antoine” and insist she is spiritually connected to the late french queen marie antoinette. choi soo hyun is a highly awarded therapist specialising in women’s psychology. coincidentally, his psychological treatment center is also called “madame antoine”. soo hyun develops an experiment with the hypothesis that love does not exist. he tricks hye rim into participating in the experiment to study her behavior when approached by three different men. however, hye rim isn’t told what the experiment is about and doesn’t know that the men’s feelings for her are fake, or are they?

thoughts : a fortune teller and therapist love story?? sign me the f up!!! i loved seeing these two bicker every other second but overcoming their differences to be with each other. this couple is really what they mean by “you’re hot then you’re cold”, it was on, off, on, off all the time, but i also couldn’t be mad at it. the drama was easy to watch and i couldn’t not click the next episode. all characters were extremely likeable and made me wanna be friends with them too rip. after finishing this one i kinda wanna learn some psychology tricks..... they were both really cool ><

[namjhyun]

He Is Psychometric Episode 15-16 Review (Series Finale)

This review contains spoilers from episode 15 and 16. You have been warned.

I can’t believe at one point of this whole story my biggest concern was proving Sung-mo had feelings for Ji-soo, which for the record he totally did, but how could I possible imagine the writer would take the darkest road of all.

Starting with the Yeon-song apartment building murders and fire, I was holding out hope for Sung-mo to be innocent but that would mean there was hope for him and, let’s be honest, he never had a fighting chance. From the moment he was introduced to us, his character was already cryptic af, clearly playing a long game, and we were wishing for answers... how naive we were.

I have to wonder, what would have happened if Mom and Sung-mo wouldn't have isolated themselves so much from other people after they escaped the first time? Would it had changed anything? Did they even know how to trust others after so many years living inside a cage and then having to run away constantly? Would Sung-mo had called Ahn’s father that night? Would have he realized, by interacting further with others, that not everyone was a disappointment like the police who didn’t investigate his mother’s case or a crazy person like Kang Geun-tae?

Up to that point in his story, the night of the fire, Sung-mo had no real interaction with anyone else other than Mom and Kang Geun-tae. Sure, he had his moments with Jae-in, Ahn and their respective fathers but they were small and insignificant in comparison to everything else he went through. No, in my eyes, Sung-mo remains a victim of abuse and fear who was pushed too far.

I even wondered if Mom was to blame. Whatever her nurturing was lacking because she made an emphasis on intellectual understanding, instead of actual interaction with others and learning through practice. But then I remembered, she sent Sung-mo to school not only to learn but to try have a normal life, make friends, and he lied to her. He chose to stay at the door of the apartment building as a lookout.

Then I wondered if perhaps she relied on him too much, since she was the adult and he was the child but then it’s wrong to put blame on her in the first place because she too was a victim. With more than two decades of confinement, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse, she was doing her best. She was as terrified and desperate as Sung-mo, and what else could she have possible done when -at the time of the incident- even she wasn’t willing to trust or interact with others just in case Kang Geun-tae showed up?

At the same time, tho, I feel she was so oblivious to other’s pain that she failed to really understood the pain her own son was going through, even before the apartment fire. Did she really never suspected what he was doing in order to protect her? And even all those years later, was she truly so blind as to believe Sung-mo was using his work as a prosecutor to send Kang Geun-tae to jail?

No. Sung-mo was doomed from the beginning and so were all the relationships he built through the years, once he understood that other people are the ones who help us experience and understand emotions, but by then it was too late. He had already gone a path with no return. He felt guilt towards Ahn and Jae-in most of all because their respective parents had been kind to him and lend a helping hand, understanding he needed one. And because he didn’t know how or wasn’t able to accept that help, he ended up killing one of them and sending the other to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Same goes for Ji-soo. Sung-mo pushed her away not only to protect her from Kang Geun-tae but because he understood they couldn’t have a future. Sung-mo always knew where his story ended and that meant paying for his crimes.

The most tragic part of the whole story is what finding out the truth meant for Ahn. After the death of his parents, it was Sung-mo and Ji-soo who took the place of role models for him. Perhaps it sounds crazy because they were only 10 or 11 years older, but they were his new family. The people who believed in him, who took care of him, nagged him to do better in school, and gave him a home. By the end of the show, they are both scars and bittersweet memories of a person whose death he feels responsible for and another who he cares about but can’t forgive. I know we have talked about how Ahn is one of the most emotionally stable characters and I appreciate the show making us understand he’s struggling quietly with his feelings towards Sung-mo and Ji-soo, but I don’t think he will ever be able to forgive Sung-mo. Understand him, yes, as we have already seen. Forgive? I’m not sure.

As for Jae-in, even though she cared for Ji-soo and Sung-mo, her journey was always about proving her father’s innocence. It was heartbreaking to hear her say that at one point she doubted him, especially when we have seen throughout so many episodes how filial she is to him. This confession I find it a little out of character but reasonable when you think about the bigger picture. I’m glad she has found a group of colleagues she can trust to do proper police work.

Which takes me to YSS Construction Company and the government corruption case. Personally, I find it was wrapped up quite nicely and a little rushed. There are still many connections to the criminal organization and other officials but that remains to be solved, which is something I am guessing Jae-in, Detective Nam and Detective Lee will make a lifelong goal to achieve.

The half-baked conclusion to this storyline was so disheartening in some aspects that even Dr. Hong decided to take a sabbatical until she felt it was right to comeback to work for the police and prosecutor’s office. Let’s be honest, without Ji-soo, she didn’t know who to trust.

Not everyone had a bittersweet ending, tho, since Detective Nam and Aunt Sook-ja have been dating for a while and they are terrible at keeping it a secret. But another two cuties have nothing to hide: Dae-bong’s years of hard work (and sort of stalking, let’s face it) trying to win over So-hyun finally paid off. They all end up a happy and big family that Ahn and Jae-in can rely on.

Overall, He is Psychometric turned out to be the dark horse of 2019. It came out of nowhere becoming one of the best shows of the year thanks to a compelling story and solid performances. The main four are all relative new as leads but they carried the show with ease.

After Kim Kwon won Best New Actor award last year, as long time fan, I was looking forward to see what his next project would be and I’m not surprised he picked this particular story. He’s always been more drawn to complex and layered characters, and I think we can all agree Sung-mo was exactly that. Many people have commented on twitter they have fallen for him, not only for his good looks, but also for his performance and it makes me incredible happy he’s being recognized.

Kim Da-som has come a long way since the first roles she took on. Her performance as Ji-soo was so good, she became the source light when the story started to go a darker path. And once it was gone, so was all hope for a happy ending. It’s a difficult task to become the heart of a series but she did it gracefully.

I’m mostly impressed with Park Jinyoung and Shin Ye Eun, whom I confess I hadn’t heard about before this show. I believe it’s both their first time in leading roles but I’m sure we will see them in other projects soon enough.

[backtoreal]

MY FAVORITE DRAMAS OF 2019 !

Hello everybody, I’m back for this annual drama pick !

Unlike last year, this year was good, not exquisite, but good. But, I’m still going to give you the best of the best, la crème de la crème ! Once again, this is only my humble opinion, and I might add, I can’t watch every kdrama of the year, so I guess this is quite a small list.

PS : I still can’t choose an order, so please, make your own ranking out of my choice ;)

The 2018 version of it !

Hotel del Luna (호텔 델루나)

Jang Man-Wol is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. Jang Man-Wol is fickle, suspicious and greedy. Koo Chan-Sung, a sincere perfectionist but actually has a soft disposition, begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna, due to an unexpected case. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.

> Where to begin... I guess IU got me again this year (My Mister in 2018), but in a totally different role and kind of acting. I was not disappointed. This drama has a really good storyline, using modern days and history, and reality and myths and legends. This kind of mix works really well for me. All the cast was perfect and the two leading actors had a great chemistry, and it made me love Yeo Jin-Goo a little more. Plus, the scenery and special effects were really great ! AND let’s not forget the looks of Man-Wol, and the charisma of IU > PERFECT ! I guess this drama is in my top 3 !

Kingdom (킹덤)

10 days have passed since the King collapsed from an illness. Queen Jo and her father Chief State Councilor Jo Hak-Joo have forbidden anyone else to see the King. Even his own son Crown Prince Lee Chang is forbidden to see his father. But rumors spread that the King is dead. Crown Prince Lee Chang senses something sinister and sneaks into the King's palace. He sees a shadowy monster through a door and smells its foul stench, but he is discovered and escorted out of the palace. To find out what happened to the King, Crown Prince Lee Chang and Moo-Young travel to the Jiyulheon clinic in faraway Dongnae to see a physician. When they arrive, they discover that the clinic is in ruins and dead bodies are found under a building. A medical staff member Seo-Bi tells them that the dead they saw at the clinic are not dead and they will rise up soon to kill.

> If anyone asks, zombies are my thing, it’s been years, I literally dream of a zombie apocalypse (no, not really). As I’m not over Train to Busan, I was very excited to see zombies in a kdrama. And I’m not gonna lie, it was damn good ! And I was not very glad at first that the storyline happened in old time, because like I already said, I don’t really like historical drama. But this one made it to the list. Great zombies, great actors , great all ... I guess it’s Netflix ! (Mr.Sunshine from 2018)

My Strange Hero (복수가 돌아왔다)

When Kang Bok-Su was a high school student, he was falsely accused of committing violence and kicked out of school. This was caused by his first love Son Soo-Jeong and a male student Oh Se-Ho. Kang Bok-Su is a now an adult, but his life has not gone smoothly. To get revenge on Son Soo-Jeong and Oh Se-Ho, he returns to the same high school as a student. The environment at the school has changed and Kang Bok-Su gets involved in unexpected cases.

> In a lighter tone, my strange hero is a great drama with a great story and great acting from Yoo Seung-Ho, it kind of made me want to follow his project in the future. The story is a classic revenge one, but it really made me want to have justice for Bok-su, it made me attach to this character. Great drama to relax and enjoy the love story.

Touch your heart  (진심이 닿다)

Oh Yoon-Seo is a popular actress. She is famous for her beautiful appearance, but her acting is bad. She gets involved in a scandal with the son from a chaebol family. Her acting career declines precipitously. Oh Yoon-Seo hears that a famous screenwriter wants her to play the lead female role for a drama series. The character works as a secretary for a lawyer. To gain experience for the role, Oh Yoon-Seo is required to work as a lawyer's secretary for a few months. Meanwhile, Kwon Jung-Rok is an attorney for a law firm. He is arrogant and cold-hearted. One day, his boss asks Kwon Jung-Rok to let actress Oh Yoon-Seo work as his secretary for 3 months. He is not happy about the situation, but he has to accept.

> Basic Kdrama trope, but this one worked on me. We can say that Goblin greatly influenced my choice, the chemistry between Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na is beyond everything. But my heart goes all the way for Lee Dong Wook ! Anyway this drama really shows some deep characters and I loved it ! Bonus : it’s funny as heck !

Leverage (Korea)  (레버리지:사기조작단)

Lee Tae-Joon is an excellent insurance fraud investigator. An unexpected case changes his life. He quits his job and recruits talented criminals, that he once caught, to form an elite fraud team. The team includes Hwang Soo-Kyung , Ko Na-Beyol , Roy Ryu  and Jung Ui-Sung . They scam wealthy criminals and return the money that they stole to the victims.

> As a huge fan of the original US version, I was forced to watch this one, and let me say that, for once, the Korean version did not disappoint ! It takes the best of the original series and adapt it to Korean standards, and it works very well ! We can feel a great union between the actors who plays the team ! 

He is Psychometric (사이코메트리 그녀석)

Lee An has a special psychometry ability. Whenever he touches someone, he can read that person's memory. Using his psychometry ability, Lee An wants to take out evil people in the world. Yoon Jae-In is a girl with a scar in her mind. She tries to hide that. Lee An and Yoon Jae-In happen to meet and they struggle to solve cases.

> I was never a fan of Park Jin Young, but damn this boy got me ! He really has a great future in acting in front of him ! But all the cast were amazing. The story for once was really outside the box, I think that’s why I liked it so much ! Kudos to Da-Som whom I hope to see in more dramas !

The Light in Your Eyes (눈이 부시게)

Kim Hye-Ja hopes to become an announcer. She is honest and has a positive personality, but she suddenly becomes a 70-year-old woman. 70-year-old Kim Hye-Ja gains the special ability to manipulate time. Lee Joon-Ha wants to become a reporter. He has worked hard to achieve his dream, but he now lives his life hopelessly. He gets involved with Kim Hye-Ja.

> You can never guess how much I cried at the end of this drama ! You should really watch this drama, for the great acting, but also the story, a brilliant and well made one, I think you never really expected the ending, it tells how much the directing of this drama was good. This drama is definitely a revelation for me !

Extraordinary You (어쩌다 발견한 하루)

Eun Dan-O is a student at a prestigious high school. Her family is wealthy, but Eun Dan-O has a heart disease. Her fiance Baek Kyung attends the same prestigious high school. She likes him a lot, but he does not like her at all. Suddenly, Eun Dan-O has short-term memory loss and she can see what will happen in the near future. She gets confused by her symptoms. Then, Jinmiche, from the school cafeteria, tells Eun Dan-O that she is a character in the comic "Secret" like everybody else there. Eun Dan-O learns that her character is not even a main character, but rather an extra and she doesn't have much time to live. Eun Dan-O is stunned, but she decides she wants to find her own true first love and not someone written by the comic writer. One day, she falls down the school stairs. She feels her back touch the back of another student, among a group of male students. Her heart suddenly starts to flutter. Eun Dan-O wants to find the male student who made her heart flutter. She eventually finds the student and he is her classmate. He is a character that doesn't have a name. They get close and Eun Dan-O names him "Ha-Roo."

> I really did not expect to like this, why ? Because the basic story of this drama has been already this a thousand times : high school crush, bullying, ... But the fact that it happens in a comic really changed it all, plus, the scenography is really pretty, and the acting is on point when you watch them shift of characters ! You should really watch this !

Search : WWW (검색어를 입력하세요: WWW)

The story of three women in their late thirties — Bae Ta-mi, Cha Hyeon and Song Ga-Gyeong — who work in the top two competitive web portal companies: Unicon and Barro. This drama is about the conflicts, the wins, and losses one experiences when working. It will follow the story of 21st century women, who chose to not be a wife or a mother and successfully work without discrimination or impediments.

Bae Ta-Mi works as a director for a big web portal company. She is in her late 30's and is quite competitive. With her competitiveness, Bae Ta-Mi enjoys success. The methods she uses to win has her wondering if she is doing the right thing with her life. 

Cha Hyeon also works as a director for a big web portal company, but as the direct competitor of Ta-mi, she’s also quite competitive, fierce, but also has a soft side, a side that she only shows to Ga-Gyeong her superior and friend.

Song Ga-Gyeong, is a rigid director of Ta-Mi in Unicon and the daughter in law of the CEO of KU Group, a big society who wants to influence the politics via Unicon. She is used by her mother in law but quickly became a fierce woman who stands for herself.

> First ... THREE STRONG WOMEN AS LEADS ! What can go wrong ? What can do better than this ! I don’t know my dear friends, I don’t know... If you ask, yes there is a love story (it won’t be a kdrama otherwise duh !), but the main couple isn’t really that great, and I really didn’t care about that. I loved the show for the power that these three women shows, and how it’s natural for women to rule the world ! (Yes I said it !) Bonus : openly showing that some characters could be bi (Cha Hyeon), and it show a very natural side of people that often people (especially in Korea) think it’s deviant (not shy about expressing their feelings, implying sex scene, etc ...). Great great drama !

  Honourable mention (but did not make it to the list) : Romance is a Bonus book (My love for Lee Jong-Suk did not help unfortunately ! The female lead was hard to like), Her private life (great drama, great actors but the fangirl story is a little cringey), Melting me softly (Nice but weirdly made love story...)

That’s it for this year !

Please feel free to recommend me some 2019 kdrama ! ☺️

2018 ; 2019

[notstargirl]

(source: https://www.kpopmap.com/tempted-2018-drama-cast-summary/)

Disclaimer: PREPARE TO BE SPOILED ROTTEN.

I honestly have no idea how to write a review about this.

I’ve literally just finished watching the last episode and as much as I was happy that everyone got their happy endings, it was also heartbreaking.

Here goes my feelings. There’s also a thread on twitter about how I felt while watching this, soooo.

Anyway, I really wasn’t sold on the drama for the first three episodes because it was a story about rich kids living their lives and having these problems that normal people won’t relate to, but once the game started, that part of my brain that was bitchy and mischievous started getting interested.

Right from the start, Kwon Si Hyun (Woo DoHwan) reminded me of Seo Kang Joon because of his face. I sometimes imagined that this character was played by Kang joon just because of that face. I was really sold on him being a jerk because of the way he acted and the way he talked. Talk about an rich asshole who just wanted to bet on making a girl fall in love with him and then dumping her to be able to marry another girl. Sobrang bullshit non!!!!

So the story goes, Kwon Si Hyun and Choi Soo Ji (Moon Ga Young) made a bet that SiHyun will make Eun Tae Hee (Red Velvet’s Joy) who doesn’t believe in love because of how her mother made her dad be in a one-sided relationship. So this guy makes a move on ate girl and ate girl was iffy for a while but then falls for the guy then kuya boy’s friends notices that he changed and then the other girl gets jealous and wreaks havoc on everyone and it’s just a big mess.

Honestly, it was like I was watching a local teleserye on TV and that the only missing factor is that the lead actors be revealed as siblings so they literally can’t be together by the ending.

I liked how Joy portrayed Tae Hee, it was natural and believable. It reminded me of how she was on We Got Married with Yook Sung Jae of BTOB.

DoHwan was also amazing in the way that he brought to life Si Hyun, an asshole with a heart when it comes to the woman he loves. Labo nun pero that’s the only way I can put it.

GaYoung made me hate her so much as Soo Ji, I literally wanted to strangle her with her plans and scheming and how Si Hyun and Se Joo followed whatever the hell she says. What a bunch of morons! This girl has so many schemes up her sleeves I wanted to drown her in that pool scene with Tae Hee.

MinJae played Se Joo wondefully too. I mean he was a playboy, an all around nice guy in such a way that it tends to be taken for granted by the woman he loves, a scheming ass like Soo Ji, and the funny comic relief in some ways too. Feigning ignorance about how his friends make him feel like an outcast in their group and getting ignored by the woman he loves because she’s in love with another man.

The parents of these people are messier, no wonder their kids are so messed up. This is where the spoilers start. I’m just going to say it. SiHyun’s dad was TaeHee’s mom’s first love. SooJi’s mom is in love with SiHyun’s dad. SiHyun and SooJi’s families are merging the company so SooJi’s mom and SiHyun’s dad will get married and then this is where the bet began. This is a big mess that TaeHee got roped into and then some people got involved, whacked in the head, people fell in love, people realizing that they weren’t liked by the person they liked, parent’s having affairs, a car accident, people getting dying. This show had everything a Filipino TV show has, as I mentioned earlier, the only thing missing is the revelation that the two leads are siblings or somehow blood related.

Now, let’s go to the rich kids’ friendship.

(source: https://forums.soompi.com/en/topic/413539-drama-2018-the-great-seducer-%EC%9C%84%EB%8C%80%ED%95%9C-%EC%9C%A0%ED%98%B9%EC%9E%90/?page=22

Boy is this friendship toxic! The drama started with them scheming and revealing a scandal about a teacher at their high school graduation. Soo Ji was the mind and SiHyun and Se Joo are the executioners of their schemes. Rich kids don’t have normal hobbies, these people liked messing with peoples lives.

The toxicity of SooJi reminded me of that time I broke down in my dorm room and wanted to disappear from the world. The codependency of their relationship and each and every one of them being enablers of each other for the longest time because they thought it was the three of them against the world was very toxic. These people needed help. When SooJi didn’t get her way, she’d get people to hurt other people for the sake of her feeling better, but did she feel better after doing the shit she did? Not really. When SeJoo told TaeHee about the bet and about their plans to make her fall in love with SiHyun, did he feel better about making TaeHee curse SiHyun to the ends of the galaxy? Nope. He got punched for it.

Honestly, these kids didn’t know jack shit about other people’s lives because they lived in their own sheltered world and thought that they were the center of that world but they aren’t and all their schemes will come back to haunt them in time, which it did happen.

Let’s go to TaeHee.

(source: https://kdramakisses.com/2018/05/04/great-seducer-tempted-korean-drama-review/)

She’s a person who didn’t believe in love because of her parents. I was actually rooting for her not to fall in love with SiHyun, but of course, it’s a show so she’s definitely going to fall in love with that asshole. Her confidence about how she felt and the boundaries that she’d set for herself not to get hurt ultimately did hurt her in a way.

She never wavered from being herself and speaking her mind through the end of everything that has happened. She took SiHyun’s words as is and told him that they should tell whatever they were feeling. Even her confrontation with SooJi before she left was very brave of her because if I knew who the mastermind of why my love life is as shitty as hers was, I’d probably punch that person. The growth of this character was admirable because at first, she was a cynic when it came to love and blamed a lot of stuff on her mom but she grew into a mature person that didn’t hold anything against anyone when it came to having feelings for other people.

The Love Story/Seduction Phase

This was definitely not a rom-com type of love story. It’s very messy and the fights and make-ups did kind of get annoying.

A part of the seduction bet that SiHyun and SooJi had were a bit cliched and I liked that TaeHee kind of pushed him away and tried to fend off this creep trying to get with her. Then of course, she slowly got “to know” him. He did give her an out with saying that he’s afraid that he might do her wrong. We all know he did her wrong big time.

This relationship was a mess. Have I said that? I did, I know, but it really was. There was more crying and misunderstanding but I liked that TaeHee setup some boundaries with the relationship. I liked that she was confident in their relationship and that she voiced out her thoughts.

These are my favorite lines from her. She clearly knew what she got herself into and then setup boundaries and made herself clear on what she wanted and didn’t want out of the relationship. At least, that’s what I understood. (I mean, I really wouldn’t know).

I liked their sweet moments and felt pain and heartache when they fought and when she found out that she was being played. Mind you, I cried more than I wanted to. I didn’t want to cry because she already had boundaries for herself but then maybe falling in love does make you do crazy shit.

I kind of also loved but hated the change in character of SiHyun whenever their within earshot of SooJi and SeJoo, like I literally wanted to stab him with a knife because he was being an asshole, especially in that episode where they went to SiHyun’s villa and they were talking and all of a sudden he shut down TaeHee in front of his friends, then he pulls that pool scene stunt, I really wanted to strangle him!

  Kwon SiHyun: Don’t leave. Stay. Don’t leave.

This show was a mess.

The ending also reminded me of the ending of One More Chance.

I don’t know if I still have a lot of feelings or I’m just tired of thinking about what to say. But really, this drama played with my emotions, made a mess out my eye sockets, and made me want to kill people, so obviously, they did a good job with being bad kids with bad upbringing.

Also, the OST is good too. I especially liked that one song where the chorus goes, “I can feel you anywhere…” because SooJi and her mother were literally getting on my nerves every time they show up and open their mouths.

OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0hTfFz9rZc&t=3s

You guys can watch it on Viu.com for free: https://www.viu.com/ott/ph/en-us/vod/79943/Tempted-The-Great-Seducer

    Lash Out: A Review On Tempted (The Great Seducer) K-drama Disclaimer: PREPARE TO BE SPOILED ROTTEN. I honestly have no idea how to write a review about this.

[anastpaul]

Saints of the Day – 20 September – Martyrs of Korea: St Andrew Kim Taegon, St Paul Chong Hasang & Companions – 103 saints and beati.   The Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against Catholic Christians during the 19th century in Korea.  At least 8,000 (as many as 10,000) adherents to the faith were killed during this period, 103 of whom were canonised en masse in May 1984 by St Pope John Paul. 

 St Andrew Kim Taegon was born to the Korean nobility;  his parents were converts to Christianity and his father was martyred.   Andrew was baptised at age 15, then travelled 1,300 miles to the nearest seminary in Macao, China.   He became the first native Korean priest and the first priest to die for the faith in Korea.   He was the leader of the Martyrs of Korea.   (21 August 1821, Solmoi, Chungcheong-do, South Korea – tortured and beheaded on 16 September 1846 at Saenamteo, Seoul, Korea).   He is the Patron of the Korean clergy. 

 St Paul Chong Hasan was the son of Yak Jong Church who was martyred in 1801 in the persecution of Shin-Yu, an attack on the faith that killed all the clergy in the country.   Son of Saint Yu Cecilia;  brother of Saint Jung Hye.   Paul, though a layman, reunited the scattered Christians and encouraged them to keep their faith and live their faith.   He wrote the Sang-Je-Sang-Su which explained to the Korean government why the Church was no threat to them.   He crossed into China nine times, working as a servant to the Korean diplomatic corps.   There he worked to get the bishop of Beijing to send more priests to Korea.   He pleaded directly to Rome for help and on 9 September 1831, Pope Gregory X proclaimed the validity of the Korean Catholic diocese.   When the clergy began to return, Paul entered the seminary.   However, he died in the Gi Hye persecution of 1839 before he could be ordained.   He is regarded as one of the great founders of the Catholic Church in Korea.   (1795 in Korea – martyred on 22 September 1839).  He is the Patron of the Catholic Laity and various apostolates and movements in Korea.

Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and 101 Companions:

The Christian community first began to take shape when Yi Sung-hun started to study Christian doctrine by himself and was eventually baptised and given the name Peter in 1784.   Because of their belief in the Christian God, the first Korean Christians were persecuted repeatedly, rejected by their families and suffered a loss of their social rank. Despite persecutions, the faith continued to spread.

The Christian community in Korea was given the assistance of two Chinese priests but their ministry was short-lived and another forty years passed before the Paris Foreign Mission Society began its work in Korea with the arrival of Father Mauban in 1836.   A delegation was selected and sent to Beijing on foot, 750 miles, in order to ask the Bishop of Beijing to send them bishops and priests.   The same appeal was made to the Holy Father in Rome.   Serious dangers awaited the missionaries who dared to enter Korea. The bishops and priests who confronted this danger, as well as the lay Christians who aided and sheltered them, were in constant threat of losing their lives.

In fact, until the granting of religious liberty in Korea in 1886, there was a multitude of “disciples who shed their blood, in imitation of Christ Our Lord and who willingly submitted to death, for the salvation of the world” (Lumen Gentium, 42).   Among those who died and later labelled as martyrs, were eleven priests and ninety-two lay people who would be canonised as saints.

Bishop Laurent Imbert and ten other French missionaries were the first Paris Foreign Mission Society priests to enter Korea and to embrace a different culture for the love of God.   During the daytime, they kept in hiding but at night they travelled about on foot attending to the spiritual needs of the faithful and administering the sacraments.

The first Korean priest, Andrew Kim Tae-gon, prompted by his faith in God and his love for the Christian people, found a way to make the difficult task of a missionary entry into Korea.  However, just thirteen months after his ordination he was put to death by the sword when he was just 26 years old and the holy oils of ordination were still fresh on his hands.Paul Chong Ha-sang, Augustine Yu Chin-gil and Charles Cho Shin-chol had made several visits to Beijing in order to find new ways of introducing missionaries into Korea. Since the persecution of 1801, there had been no priest to care for the Christian community. Finally, they succeeded in opening a new chapter in the history of the extension of the Church in Korea with the arrival of a bishop and ten priests of the Paris Foreign Mission Society. 

Among the martyrs honoured were fifteen virgins, including the two sisters Agnes Kim Hyo-ju and Columba Kim Hyo-im who loved Jesus with undivided heart (I Cor.7, 32–34).   These women, in an era when Christian religious life was still unknown in Korea, lived in community and cared for the sick and the poor.   Similarly, John Yi Kwang-hyol died a martyr’s death after having lived a life of celibacy in consecrated service to the Church.

It is also important to recall in a special way some of the other martyrs who were canonised that day:  Damien Nam Myong-hyok and Maria Yi Yon-hui were models of family life;  John Nam Chong-sam, though of high social rank, was a model of justice, chastity and poverty;  John Pak Hu-jae who, after he lost his parents in the persecutions, learnt to survive by making straw sandals;  Peter Kwon Tug-in who devoted himself to meditation;  Anna Pak A-gi who, although she did not have a deep grasp of Christian doctrine, was wholly devoted to Jesus and His Blessed Mother;  and finally, Peter Yu Tae-chol who at the tender age of 13, bravely confessed his faith and died a martyr. 

More than 10,000 martyrs died in persecutions which extended over more than one hundred years.  Of all these martyrs, seventy-nine were beatified in 1925.   They had died in the persecutions of 1839 (Ki-hae persecution), 1846 (Pyong-o persecution) and 1866 (Pyong-in persecution). In addition, twenty-four martyrs were beatified in 1968.   All together, 103 martyrs were canonised on 6 May 1984-on the shores of the Han River and in view of the martyrs’ shrines at Saenamto and Choltusan, where they went to their eternal reward - ALL THE NAMES ARE here https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/20/saints-of-the-day-20-september-martyrs-of-korea-st-andrew-kim-taegon-st-paul-chong-hasang-companions-103-saints-and-beati/

(via AnaStpaul – Breathing Catholic)

[deardiamante]

Korean Drama List [2017]

KBS

Have watched/Ongoing:-

구르미 그린 달빛, Love in the Moonlight (★★★★☆, 4/5) - Not bad! Really funny and cute in the beginning of the show :) But towards the end, everything started becoming dark just like other historical dramas - all of the political power stuff and killing people omg - but glad that everything turned out well! Park Bo Gum is so cute!! And he matched very well with Kim Yoojung! :)

화랑: 더 비기닝 , Hwarang: The Beginning (★★★☆☆, 3.5/5) - really loved the chemistry of the cast!! :) The plot could have been better but nevertheless, an enjoyable drama!

최고의 한방, The Best Hit (★★★★☆, 4/5) - Just watched this for the 2D1N cast and didn’t expect anything much from this because there were no hype for it and the ratings were relatively low as compared to other concurrent dramas BUT omg the whole of South Korea is sleeping on this drama!! It had such a sweet romantic line and the humour/gags included were hilarious! Really props to both Yoo Ho Jin and Cha Tae Hyun for directing!! and Yoon Shi Yoon is so cute omg! and omg MC Drill, at first I thought he looked so much like Taeyang and now I know why HAHA (quite a lighthearted drama that is both fun and sweet!!)

To watch:-

쌈, 마이웨이, Fight for My Way (Park Seo Joon!!! And Kim Ji Won!! Can’t wait to watch this cat and dog fight between them hahaha)

학교 2017, School 2017 (hmm... I have watched the past 2/3 School series should I watch this too???)

함부로 애틋하게, Uncontrollably Fond (Kim Woo Bin x Suzy)

MBC

Have watched/Ongoing:-

미씽나인, Missing 9 (★★★☆☆, 3.5/5) - Despite bad ratings in Korea, it was quite a thrilling drama. The suspense was there initially and the plot was interesting too. But one downside was that we all knew who the bad guy was from the start, so the suspense died halfway. I watched the thing till the end just to feel satisfied after seeing the bad guys put to justice!! But wow they forgave Choi Tae-ho!! And I wished they wrote more romance scenes for Ra Bong-hee and Seo Joon-oh ): they were quite an eccentric and cute couple :)

[currently watching]  도둑놈, 도둑님, Bad Thief Good Thief (hello here for the seohyun)

To watch:-

군주-가면의 주인, Ruler: Master of the Mask (yoo seung ho is quite cute and I love Kim So Hyun, she left a deep impression after her ghost role!)

파수꾼, Lookout (omg my Kim Key Bum in the drama!!)

왕은 사랑한다 , The King Is In Love (YOONA!! and I guess Siwan haha)

운빨로맨스,  Lucky Romance (Maybe, maybe not since many said it’s not as good as people expected it to be)

SBS

Have watched/Ongoing:-

푸른 바다의 전설 , The Legend of the Blue Sea (★★★★☆, 4/5) - A good classic rom-com drama! Jun Jihyun played her character well, and her chemistry with Lee Minho was unexpectedly well-matched despite the age gap. Overall, a classic fantasy romance drama, along with the cliche chaebol plot (the whole stepmother inheritance shenanigans).

피고인, Innocent Defendant (★★★★★ , 5/5) - is it possible that I give it a perfect score?? HAHA but really this is a superb drama!! Better than Goblin, Legend of the Blue Sea etc. The villain was good, very hateful which was the point. Jisung was great as the lead and his emotions were just so real! Yuri did so well, I’m such a proud SONE!! It’s such a legit and realistic drama! A bit sad for Kim Min Suk my favourite to die but I thought it was understandable! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

수상한 파트너, Suspicious Partner (★★★★☆, 4.5/5) - This was a really well-balanced drama with its law/crime theme and the romance between all the different couples! Omg my heart dropped every single time they showed those “Ji Chang Wook hard at work in the eyes of Nam Ji Hyun’s character” scenes!! Like he is really handsome why did I not noticed that before?? Both the main leads have great chemistry and the main protagonist of the drama is seriously charming as well but we all know he’s a bad boy in the drama... Really good!! :) the casts had great chemistry with each other, even Mr Byun, Mr Bang and the Prosecutor Na, who turned out to be so funny nearing the end haha

To watch:-

당신이 잠든 사이에, While You Were Asleep [working title] (OMG Lee Jong Suk!! I still cannot revive from W!)

리멤버, Remember (For Yoo Seung Ho and good ratings)

우리 갑순이, Our Gab Soon (Song Jae Rim x Kim So Eun coupling up AGAIN!! but it’s a family drama which is TOO MANY EPISODES)

tvN

Have watched/Ongoing:-

도깨비, Goblin (★★★★☆, 4.5/5) - Super good! Very interesting abstract concepts and all the interactions of every single casts are spot on! Kim Goeun was great!! Even though it was my first time watching her shows, she was the center of everyone’s interaction and she did well with great chemistry, not only with Gong Yoo but with the rest too! Btw, Gong Yoo is a beautiful human being :)

To watch:-

내일 그대와, Tomorrow With You

그녀는 거짓말을 너무 사랑해, The Liar and His Lover (hello LEE HYUN WOO where have you been!! And Joy’s first drama! WEE)

시카고 타자기, Chicago Typewriter (YOO AH IN, finally he has returned! hehehe)

하백의 신부 2017, Bride of the Water God (Erm hello what is this Nam Joo Hyuk and Shin Se Kyung combi!!!)

시그널, Signal (CRIME drama and good ratings so maybe!)

신데렐라와 네 명의 기사, Cinderella & the Four Knights (quite interesting??)

안투라지, Entourage (star-studded cast LEE KWANG SOO haha)

치즈 인 더 트랩, Cheese in the Trap (Maybe, maybe not since there were controversies about it and many said it was not good??)

jTBC

Have watched:-

힘쎈여자 도봉순, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (★★★★☆, 4.5/5) - I love love love this drama!! It’s a well-balanced drama, with actions, romance, cute scenes, crime-thriller and funny moments! :) I love the pairing of Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik!! And poor Ji Soo he needs a proper love line soon!! I can safely say one of the best dramas this year! :)

To watch:-

더 패키지, The Package (starring Jung Yonghwa helloooo BOICE here and it seems like a mystery/thriller drama, my fav!)

OCN

Have watched/Ongoing:-

38 사기동대, 38 Task Force (★★★☆☆, 3.5/5) - A not bad crime-related drama. It really opened up my eyes to corrupted government officials (which is kinda happening in reality) and how they work. The frauds were really planned out meticulously I was so confused by the last one and I didn’t know who to trust anymore hahaha but I was a bit disappointed that there was no love lines ): Now, off to a romance drama hahaha :)

To watch:-

보이스, Voice (HIGH RATINGS for a cable channel and everyone says good soooooo.... *grabbing my popcorn*)

애타는 로맨스, My Secret Romance (Sung Hoon hotness and Song Ji Eun cuteness, hmm worth a watch?)

동네의 영웅, Neighbourhood Hero (Yuri my sone heart HAHA and CRIME)

WEBCAST/WEBDRAMA/Others

Have watched/Ongoing:-

루비루비럽, Ruby Ruby Love (★★★★☆, 4/5) - THIS WAS SO CUTE! Seohyun (my bias!!) has really improved her acting skills and I’m a proud mama!! :’) A very simple rom com webcast drama!! I wanted more!!

첫 키스만 일곱번째, Seven First Kisses (★★★★☆, 4/5) - the best thing about web dramas are that they’re very short and makes you wanting more after it ends. Sigh, this was such a cute and fun drama!! And because they’re so short, you won’t waste time watching them, even if they turned out to be bad haha BUT omg this, Lee Jong Suk was so cute in it!!! And Ji Chang Wook so hot!

To watch:- ...

고호의 별이 빛나는 밤에, Gogh’s Starry Night (hello how did i not know about this??! Kwon Yuri my sone heart! <3)

[maddmuses]

Aight, with Kwon added I can now be annoying about him, but don't worry we'll also get Miguel added hopefully in the next day or two

[whatthekpopofficial]

5 Amazing Korean Films That Shined At The Cannes Film Festival

As the South Korean film industry continues to expand, they keep getting more attention for their work and amazing art with films. As a matter of fact, several South Korean filmmakers made their way to the 70th Cannes Film Festival this year. Though they did not bring back the top awards of the festival, multiple South Korean films caught viewers' attention and didn't fail to amaze them during the festival. Check out these lucky films that made it to Cannes this year!

1- "Merciless"

Just as the title implies, trust and betrayal mean nothing to the characters in this film. The ultimate moral of this film is “Don’t trust anyone.” The film received praises for the unpredictable screenwriting and awesome directing. Directed by Byun Sung Hyun, this film tells the story of an inmate leader Jae Ho (Sol Kyung Go) who wants to dominate and expand his territory upon his release from jail. He becomes friends with a prisoner named Hyun Soo (Im Si Wan) who is actually an undercover cop. Though Im Si Wan started his career as a member of Kpop boy group ZE:A, he has transitioned beautifully from a Kpop sensation to mature actor. Sol Kyul Go is one of the best actors of his generation, as well as one of the most versatile actors in South Korea, bagging multiple awards for different roles he has done— "Memoir of Murder," "Hope," "Oasis," and "Peppermint Candy" to name a few. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3UNY3ICBZI

2- "OKJA"

This film drew many viewers' attention with its science-fiction genre, but it was depicted as a remarkable, must-see screenplay. The film's twist was lauded a work of art and resulted in a four-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Bong Joon Ho, who also directed the award-winning film "Memories of Murder," the true story of Korea's first serial murder case, as well as "The Host" and "Snowpiercer," his first English-language science fiction film. Okja is the Korean term for pig, and the film literally revolves around a super pig which was raised by a 10-year-old girl name Mija (Ahn Seo Hyun). The pig is taken by a bio food corporation whose ultimate motive is to use Okja as a means to revolutionize the livestock industry. Mija meets the leader of an activist group (Jake Gyllenhaal) who helps her save her best friend Okja "Okja" is not just an ordinary pig, it is a super pig. Wondering why this super pig caught everyone’s attention? See the full trailer to find out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MuF5qwkhD0

3- "The Day After"

This film is directed by Hong Sang Soo, one of the most well-known directors in South Korea and even across the globe. Although some of his films did not receive commercial praise in cinemas, his works, such as the movie "Hahaha," were internationally recognized at the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and Venice Film Festival. The movie tells the story of Bongwan (Kwon Hae Hyo), a manager at a publishing house who has an affair with his employee Changsook (Kim Sae Byuk). Their relationship goes south and causes Changsook to quit her job. Areum (Kim Min Hee), an aspiring writer, takes Changsook’s position and later finds a love letter between her own husband and Changsook. The story takes a complicated twist when Haejoo, Bongwan’s wife, causes sudden chaos by mistakenly accusing Areum as the one who had an affair with her husband. The black-and-white trailer doesn't say much, but it draws attention to the serious conversation of two people, making the viewer very eager to know what will happen on "The Day After." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv0QPchaINk

4- "Villainess"

This film is directed by Jung Byun Gil, who is also the maker of "Confession of Murder," which won Best Thriller in the Brussels Film Festival. The action-packed film wowed the audience and also received a standing ovation at the Cannes festival. It tells the story of a female assassin Sook-hee (Kim Ok Bin), who was raised in Yanbian, China to learn to kill. She comes back to Korea and strikes a deal with South Korea’s Intelligence Agency— if she will serve them for 10 years, she will gain freedom. The twist comes when two men from her past, Joon Sang (Shin Ha Kyun) and Hyun Soo (Sung Joon), make a sudden appearance and force her to take revenge in order to find peace in her life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrhHYH9NoJE

5- "Claire’s Camera"

This is the second entry of Hong Sang Soo this year, along with “The Day After.”" It is a French-Korean drama  starring Isabelle Huppert, who has won the Best Actress award two times at the Cannes Film Festival. Hong is known for his art house films and "Claire's Camera" is no exception to the rule. The trailer doesn’t reveal much of the plot but the story focus on the perspective of Claire, a photographer. She believes that in every picture she captures, a simple click can make a sudden change— not just in her own life but in the other person's life as well. In the clip, one of her notable lines state, "The only way to change things is to look at them again very slowly.” Still curious how this film, part of such an offbeat genre, still managed to draw many viewers' attention? Check out the trailer below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KthpVP0Ppng Wow, a big round of applause to these South Korean films!  Hopefully the success of these films will allow the industry to gain even more recognition with international film critics. These films are nothing without their unique, broad, and creative directors and writers who made the films such a success in the first place. Though their budget was not as big as Hollywood movies, the directors prove that first class films are made by innovative skills. Thanks to the Cannes Film Festival for recognizing their hard work and allowing them to showcase their talent in one of the most prestigious festivals in the world! Congratulations to these films, their cast, and crew for such an amazing job! ging1030 is a multi-fandom fan of Kpop since 2010. She enjoys watching Asian dramas and variety shows like “Running Man.” She is an avid fan of the Song triplets and Song Joong Ki.  For her, Kdrama is life. They are her inspirations in life so she can live on and do what her heart desires! Media: As Credited Click to Post

[themoodykwriter-blog]

Who I Write For: Idols, Artists, K-Drama Roles // Last Updated: 28.08.2017

If you don’t see the person you’re looking for in the list, feel free to hit me up and ask whether I’d write for them. Because I don’t really keep track of new groups, I might need to have a rock thrown at me with their name written on it in order for me to check them out.

Note: I DO NOT write for idols / artists that already have significant others or spouses. Okay? Okay.

Extra Note: I don’t do smut. I do write stuff with suggestive content but nothing more than that.

Extra extra note: I only write for male idols / artists / characters. IT’S NOT BECAUSE I ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO GUY GROUPS OKAY.

Lastly: I also write for k-drama characters ((not actors, but characters)). The list will probably be short because I watch very few k-dramas mainly because I have no patience or time lol but I’m planning to watch more once I graduate so yay. Scenarios for these people can be related or unrelated to the drama and need not be paired with their significant other in the drama so yeah

Group Name // Bias // Members I Write For

24K // Daeil, Jinhong // All

(New!) A.C.E // TBA lmao idk yet // All

Astro // Moonbin, Sanha // All

BAP // Daehyun, Youngjae // All

Block B // B-Bomb, Kyung // All EXCEPT U-Kwon ((damn how long have they been together? #goals))

BTS // V // All

BTOB // Sungjae, Ilhoon // All

C-Clown (my babies) // Rome, Kangjun // All

EXO // Lay, Kai // All 

FT Island // Seunghyun, Jaejin // All

Got7 // Jinyoung, Mark // All

High4 // Alex // All

Highlight ((Formerly known as Beast because Cube Ent is a snake)) // Gikwang // All

iKon // Donghyuk, B.I // All

Infinite // Hoya // All

K.A.R.D // J.Seph // Both Male Members

KNK // Youjin, Heejun // All 

Monsta X // Shownu, Hyungwon // All

Myname // Seyong, JunQ // All

NCT // Taeyong, Ten, Haechan // All

Nuest // JR, Baekho // All

(New!) SF9 // Rowoon, Zuho // All

Seventeen // S.coups, Vernon // All

Shinee // Taemin, Minho // All

Teen Top // Niel, L.Joe (I’m not okay) // All

Topp Dogg // Xero // All

Up10tion // Jinhoo, Wei // All

VIXX // N, Hongbin // All

(New!) Wanna One // Bae Jinyoung, Woojin // All

Winner // Jinwoo, Mino // All

Labels // Fav // Who I Write For

AOMG // Ugly Duck // All Except Hoody

Brand New Music // San E, Rudals // San E, Rudals, Candle, iWill / Champagne, Hanhae

Just Music // Nochang // Nochang, Giriboy, CJamm

Others

Andup // Babylon // Crush // Dean // Dok2 // i11vn // Jaewon (One) // Kangnam // Sik-K // Supreme Boi // Reddy // Okasian // Hyunseung // (New!) Samuel

(New!) PD 101 Contestants - Those I Write For (Excluding Wanna One members and those whose names/groups are already in the list above) 

Taehyun (Fav) // Kim Dong Hyun // Im Young Min (Fav) // Kim Yongguk (Fav) // Seon Ho (Fav) // Yoo Hoe Seung // Eun Ki (Fav) // Kim Taemin // Woo Jinyoung (Mitcheoji My Favvv) // Kim Dong Han (Favvv) // Hwanwoong (My fav fav fav k bye) // Takada Kenta // Jung Sewoon // Kim Tae Dong // Jung Joong Ji // Kwon Hyun Bin // Ahn Hyeongseob (Fav) // Lee Euiwoong (Favvv) // Justin //

K-Drama // Characters I Write For

Cheese in the Trap // Jung Yoo, Baek In Ho, Eun Taek

Descendants of the Sun // Yoo Shi Jin, Seo Dae Young, Gi Bum

Divorce Lawyers in Love // Jung Woo

Doctors // Ji Hong, Yoon Do, Soo Chul ((will Ji Soo ever be main)), Kang Soo ((okay but I’m lowkey trash for min seok tho)), Yeong Kook, Pa Ran

Doctor Stranger // Park Hoon, Han Jae Joon

Flower Boy Ramen Shop // Chi Soo, Gang Hyuk, Ba Eul, Woo Hyun Woo ((ya’ll have no idea how crazy I was over him back when I was watching the drama))

Goblin ((I’m still not okay)) // Goblin, Grim Reaper, Wang Yeo, Tae Hee ((okay but he was lowkey my fav though despite only being in 2 episodes lol I crei))

Healer // Jung Hoo

Heartstrings ((this one hit home for me)) // Lee Shin, Yeo Joon Hee ((he was so darn cute oml)), 

I Hear Your Voice // Soo Ha

Kill Me, Heal Me ((hands down my all-time fav)) // Cha Do Hyun, Shin Se Gi, Oh Ri On, Ki Joon

Oh My Venus // Young Ho, Woo Shik, Joon Sung ((HE WAS MY FAV THO)), Kim Ji Woong

Pinocchio // Dal Po aka Ha Myeong

Reply 1997 // Yoon Jae

Sassy Go Go ((so fluffy, so cute, my achy breaky heart)) // Kim Yeol, Dong Jae, Ha Joon

To The Beautiful You // Tae Joon, Eun Gyeol, Hyun Jae

W // Kang Chul, Do Yoon ((fav I swear)), 

Yong Pal // Tae Hyun

[gizkasparadise]

I think you got asked this before but now that you have watched more kdramas, which ones would you recommend? :)

*cracks knuckles* okay let’s do this! top faves, a-rated, and b-rated rec list coming your way with bonus k-movie recs and some favorite actors!

Top Favorites

Goblin. starring gong yoo, kim go eun, lee dong wook, yoo in na, and yook sung jae.synopsis: a human general is cursed to live an immortal life after being betrayed by his king in the goryeo era. in modern times, he searches for the goblin’s bride–the only human woman who can end his existence.deets: urban fantasy, some historical scenes, romance, humor16 episodes (1 hour - 1hr30min each), completed.+: chemistry, amazing cast, MUSIC, humor, CINEMATOGRAPHY, aesthetics, feelings-: slower plot, blatant product placement

Kill Me Heal Mestarring ji sung, hwang jung eum, park seo joonsynopsis: third-generation billionaire is diagnosed with disassociate identity disorder, secretly hires a psychologist. the synopsis super undersells this drama IT’S GREATdeets: magic realism, romance, medical, dramedy, chaebol-realness20 episodes (1hr), completed+: fantastic!!! acting, f e e l i n g s, a lot of hurt but in a good way, great pacing-: ???? i. pretty much love everything about this show so.

Oh My Venus!starring so ji sub, shin min ah, yoo in young, jung gyu woonsynopsis: lawyer kang joo eun just got dumped by her boyfriend of 15 years. by chance, she meets hollywood famous personal trainer “john kim,” who has come back to korea to avoid a ~celebrity scandal. deets: workout/personal transformation, romance, comedy, office16 episodes (1 hour), completed+: this is my favorite kdrama lady protag ever, weight loss/health concerns are dealt with realistically and respectfully, lots of refreshing plays on romcom tropes, found families, great chemistry between the leads, CUTEST PROPOSAL EVER, just -: there isn’t really an overarching plot. watch this if you are just in a romantic comedy kind of place. hands-down most convoluted tragic car crash

Go Ho’s Starry Nightstarring kwon yuri, kim young kwan, lee ji hoon

synoposis: 29 year old advertiser Go Ho finds herself in the middle of office romance shenanigans. and i mean shenanigansdeets: office-based, comedy, romance, romcom20 episodes (20 min. each), completed+: -: it’s not a particularly deep story. total popcorn, and i love it

A-Rating Recs:Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok JooFalling for Innocence / Beating AgainEmpress KiSecret GardenMoon Lovers: Scarlet Hearts RyeoMoonlight Drawn by CloudsCheese in the Trap

B-Rating Recs:Master’s SunSecret GardenShe Was PrettyDescendants of the SunNoble, My Love

Movie RecsMemories of the SwordTrain to Busan (horror)Always / Only You Clash of Families: Enemies in LawThe ThievesThe Wailing (horror)War of the Arrows

What I Want to Watch NextReply 1988SignalArang and the MagistrateWHello MonsterFavorite ActressesKim Go Eun, Shin Min Ah, Ha Ji Won, Lee Sung Kyung, Yoo In Na, Hwang Jung EumFavorite ActorsSo Ji Sub, Gong Yoo, Go Gyeong Pyo, Park Bo Gum, Ji Chang Wook, Ji Woo, Nam Joo Hyuk