#Kim Hyun Joo

[seodongjae]

트롤리 / TROLLEY (2022-2023)  dir. Kim Mun-kyo

[ikjun]

At least I had you. I wasn't completely alone. Can you believe her? That Ji-hoon is the father? Honey. How can you believe her? Can she prove it? No, right? So how can you believe her?

Trolley / 트롤리 (2022-2023) dir. Kim Mun-kyo Ep. 02: The Accident

[moonlightsdream]

DRAMAS in 2024: 04 | The Bequeathed (2024) — dir. Yeon Sang Ho, Min Hong Nam

[dangermousie]

I don't really have many airing dramas so time for a binge.

Binge of choice? 2021's kdrama Undercover, which I keep meaning to get to.

An entry in the small but favorite of Mousie subgenre "happy couple but one of them turns out not what they seem, will love prevail," Undercover follows a happily married 40-something year old couple with two kids - she's a human rights lawyer and a rising political star, he's an ordinary enough doting husband and dad, and supporter of his driven wife.

ONLY.

When they met decades ago, as student activists and fell in love, it was all a set up. He was an anticommunist agent sent to infiltrate student groups and carry out various shady missions - meeting her and getting her to trust him was part of his work. Only he's fallen for her for real, the mission is seemingly long over and all he wants is for this peaceful life to continue. Hahaha not so fast, it's a drama, the past is about to come back and crash around his and the family's ears.

I can't wait!!! Happy ending btw.

(Also, an older OTP yes pls.)

[aboutdoramas]

[thatbitchsimone]

[stuff-diary]

Hellbound (Season 2)

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Hellbound (Season 2, 2024, South Korea)

Director: Yeon Sang Ho

Writer: Yeon Sang Ho & Choi Gyu Seok (based on their own webtoon)

Mini-review:

I feel like I'm one of the few people who loved the first season of Hellbound. It used an original and terrifying concept to showcase a fascinating exploration of themes like religious fanaticism, sectarianism and media manipulation. And this second (and final?) season delivers the goods once again. Yeon Sang Ho continues to be a master director of action scenes, plus the performances he gets from this cast are simply superb. On top of that, the CGI is much better than it was in the first one; I'm glad they made an effort to improve on that. I'm sure many people will stay mad at the show for refusing to give clear answers until the very end, but I think that makes the viewer feel the same chaos as the characters. If this is really the end, I have to say I really enjoyed what this dark fantasy had to offer.

[curlykytta]

2024 Watches

The Bequeathed

"That's what families are like. Like family...like strangers."

[4ever-always]

Hellbound 2 - 2024

[mymilovesfashion]

[2024 year in review ~ W Korea #3]

AUG - Jaehyun (NCT), Karina (aespa)

SEP - Go Min-si, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Hyun-joo, Kim Hee-ae, Ryu Jun-yeol, Seo Hyun-jin, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Yoo-mi, Jeon So-ni, Chun Woo-hee

OCT - Hoyong Kim, Han Ji

NOV - Jennie (Blackpink)

DEC - Ever Gabo Anderson, Marina Abramovic

[throughaglassdarkly1961]

The Bequeathed (2024), dir. Min Hong-nam

[somanykdramas]

HELLBOUND 2

GENRES: Drama, Supernatural

SUMMARY: What does it mean to be a sinner? What does it mean to be forgiven? Is it possible to survive Hell?

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Cults, hanboks, live-streaming, scheming governments, adorable orphans, solar trains, redemption, nightclubs, hiking, prophecies, and overdue reunions.

HOT TAKE: I tell ya, I'm so grateful that both seasons of this show are so short--these episodes are intense, emotional, and full of action that I'm not sure I would be able to handle the normal 16 ep run.

The stakes are so much higher, our organizations have had time to improve their craftiness and deceit, and the citizens of the world are that much more wary that their time for demonstration is nigh.

Although we are not graced with the acting prowess of Yoo Ah In, I will give credit where credit is due--Kim Sung Cheol did an outstanding job and really made his character his own.

[sickeningly-cruel]

[whoever-the-heck]

Rewatching my favorite korean drama ever.

This has everything - absolutely everything I want in a drama: intrigue, morally questionable protagonists, mystery, suspense, love triangle where the third person isn't really a threat, second chance, ANGST, crackling CHEMISTRY, villains who are multi-dimensional, so much CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, some comedy, outstanding actors and actresses, love and so much LOVE. Ahh. It's so good and it's 50 episodes of delicious push-and-pull where characters take turns being wrong. Even the parts where the focus is on the company - it's like a chess match where you don't know who will win. But it's the romance that gets me every time.

It's not perfect, nothing ever is - but it's excellent. Still holds up!

TW: cheating, suicide

[dangermousie]

That's a heck of an opener!

Also, if you worry your relationship can't survive after a rough spot, these two end up with a happy ending so there is hope for everyone...

[namjhyun]

Kim Hyun Joo for W Magazine Best 10 Performances Special Issue.