#SOUTH KOREAN DRAMEDY

[blbambeyond-nonblblog-hyd-mg-bof]

LOVELY RUNNER (2024, SOUTH KOREA)

Episode 12

Poor Sunny.

[mond-is-a-thief]

GO YOON HWAN

[AKA: RYEOUN] as Ha Eun Gyeol

CHOI HYUN WOOK as Ha Yi Chan

TWINKLING WATERMELON (2023, SOUTH KOREA)

Both in Main Roles in this series in sort of a bromance. However they are father and son in the series.

Ha Eun is a hearing child of a deaf couple with an older brother who is also deaf. Ha Eun is the defacto interpreter. He also has a dream of being musical. After an argument with his deaf father he is soon in the past. A past in which his father is a hearing teen in high school in a band to impress a girl. Unbeknownst to Ha Yi Chan another girl has a crush on him. A deaf girl. This girl is Ha Eun's mother as a teenager.

Together these two actors lead this series. Both absolutely riveting as they are gorgeous.

Verdict: BOTH SCENE AND SERIES STEALERS. these two steal every scene they appear in, however when they aren't in the scene you wish they were. Great actors in this series truly but these two steal the show.

[ppeonppeonhan]

BL Shows - Currently Watching (May 2023)

> TUESDAY

Step by Step (up to ep. 5/12) -Thai workplace enemies to lovers romantic dramedy: Love Pat (employee). Tolerating Jeng (boss). Pat's friends -- his female mentor that everyone thought he was dating; his gorgeous female bff Ae; and his new gay work friend Chot -- are really carrying this series, because Jeng is acting like he just woke up on this planet and has yet to master human emotion. I NEED the reason he disappeared and returned to work be goodt! Otherwise, the mystery is for nothing. Comparatively, I could care less about Pat's ex Put, and wish they chose someone less...nerdy. There is nothing intimidating about him -- not with the zaddy energy Jeng is promising us/Pat. Jaab (above) is my other favorite character. Not because of his crush on someone who is unavailable, but because he's adorable and reminds me of Vegas from KinnPorsche. 🤷🏾‍♀️

> WEDNESDAY

Past-senger (up to ep. 9/12) - Thai time travel enemies to lovers classmates romantic dramedy: I'm going to wait to binge the rest of this cause the current memory loss obstacle is definitely going to annoy me. In general, I'm enjoying Cooper's character, Kiao, more than his character in My Engineer. He has good chemistry with Bamee, but I don't understand how this ends. Even if Kiao returns to his timeline, grows older, and reunites with Bamee in his timeline, we'll have to pretend a 20yr age difference doesn't matter. But I also wonder if this is really just a journey for Kiao to realize he's bi and in love with Bamee's dad, which if they get together, would mean Bamee and his annoying little brother Mudaeng aren't born...what are we doing? 🙃

Happy Merry Ending (up to ep. 6/8) - South Korean one-sided workplace romantic drama: Jae is very cute, and the way he takes care of Seung is admirable. Wearing sunglasses while they performed in solidarity was peak adorrrrable. Also love that they have unique jobs: wedding performers. I hope his former kpop trainer who CLEARLY uses his job to groom young, impressionable queer men -- that guy: I hope he gets hit by a bus. In general, I find this drama lacking in romantic substance. Not because there aren't a lot of romantic scenes but because the focus is on Seung's trauma and recovery, and not a mutual interest in each other.

> THURSDAY

Love Mate (up to ep. 5/8) - South Korean one-sided workplace romantic comedy: Ha Ram is cute AF. That does not condone his stalking or scheming, but it does make it hard to feel bad for Lee Jun, who is a salty bitch who takes out his frustrations on complete strangers who've done nothing to deserve it. I get that he's recovering from heartbreak and he has every right to protect his heart, but he needs to be a little less...callous about it. I'm not even talking about Ha Ram. That first dude he went on a date with got curved so hard for no reason. Anyway, he gave in a lot quicker than I thought he would, so I wonder what their obstacle will be. Ex returns? Miscommunication? Plot twist -- it was all an experiment to prove a point? 🤔

> FRIDAY

A Boss and a Babe (up to ep. 11/12) - Thai one-sided workplace romantic dramedy: I expected this was going to be as stupid as Cher is 🙄 the entire way through. Did not, however, expect there to be a clinical depression or child abuse storyline. Still recovering from that emotional whiplash. But I do enjoy Cher's dynamic with Gun, even though it's a very inappropriate boss and intern relationship. I wish they would've leaned into the goofy chaotic romance genre more instead of trying to get deep, but I'm going to need Gun and Drake's character, Time, to reconcile before this ends. Always love seeing him and Mike in everything. And Fluke and his character's bf are new favorites. It's a really solid supporting cast, all in all.

[hividsmarttv]

More Movies Inspired By Comic Books

You've heard of X-Men, but did you know these great movies are also based on comics?

Copyrighted image from Neil Gaiman's Stardust (1997)

Oldboy (2003) - Directed by Park Chan-wook, this South Korean thriller follows a man who is imprisoned for 15 years without explanation, only to be released and given five days to uncover the truth. The movie is based on a manga series by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi.

Men in Black (1997) - Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, this sci-fi comedy stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as secret agents who monitor and regulate extraterrestrial activity on Earth. The movie is based on a comic book series by Lowell Cunningham.

American Splendor (2003) - Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, this biographical dramedy stars Paul Giamatti as comic book writer Harvey Pekar, chronicling his life and career. The movie is based on Pekar's autobiographical comic book series.

The Mask (1994) - Directed by Chuck Russell, this zany comedy stars Jim Carrey as a mild-mannered bank clerk who becomes a superhero with the help of a mysterious mask. The movie is based on a comic book series by Dark Horse Comics.

A Scanner Darkly (2006) - Directed by Richard Linklater, this sci-fi drama follows an undercover cop who becomes addicted to a drug that alters his perception of reality. The movie is based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, which was later adapted into a comic book series by Richard Sala.

From Hell (2001) - Directed by the Hughes brothers, this horror-thriller stars Johnny Depp as an investigator tasked with solving the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian England. The movie is based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell.

History of the World, Part I (1981) - Directed by Mel Brooks, this comedy is a tongue-in-cheek retelling of historical events, featuring sketches such as the Spanish Inquisition and the French Revolution. The movie is loosely based on the comic book series The Madhouse Glads by Jack Davis.

Timecop (1994) - Directed by Peter Hyams, this sci-fi action movie stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a time-traveling cop tasked with preventing criminals from altering history. The movie is based on a comic book series by Dark Horse Comics.

Stardust (2007) - Directed by Matthew Vaughn, this fantasy adventure stars Charlie Cox as a young man who sets out to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves. The movie is based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, which was later adapted into a comic book series by Gaiman and Charles Vess.

RED (2010) - Directed by Robert Schwentke, this action-comedy stars Bruce Willis as a retired CIA agent who must come out of retirement to save himself and his former colleagues. The movie is based on a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner.

These 10 movies demonstrate that comic book adaptations come in many different forms and genres, from indie dramas to sci-fi comedies. Even if you're not a fan of comic books, these movies are worth checking out for their unique and imaginative storytelling.

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2024.11.08

Friday, November 8th:

(exclusive): Every Minute Counts (APrime, Mexico City earthquake drama, all 10 eps), Cromañón: The Night of the Fire (APrime, Buenos Aires limited series, all 8 eps), The Cage (netflix, MMA fighter drama, all 5 eps), Mr. Plankton (netflix, Korean romantic dramedy, all 10 eps), Bank Under Seige (netflix, Spain hostages drama, all 5 eps), Honest Renovations (Roku, "A Holiday Home Makeover" special)

(movies): "The Stepdaughter 2" (TUBI, thriller, ~100mins), "Black Cab" (Shudder, horror-thriller, ~90mins), "Vijay 69" (netflix, Indian sports dramedy), "Umjolo: The Gone Girl" (netflix, South African drama)

(streaming weekly): Before (apple+), La Maison (apple+, penultimate), Disclaimer (apple+, limited series finale), Angel of Death (MAX, penultimate), The Great British Baking Show (netflix)

(also new): "Trivia at St. Nick's" (HALL, original movie, 2hrs), "Salute to Service 2024" (PBS, "A Veterans Day Celebration" special)

(hour 1): S.W.A.T. (CBS), Happy's Place (NBC) / . / Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC), Shark Tank (ABC), Inside the NFL (theCW, special night), Sweetpea (Starz, ~50mins, penultimate), Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (disney, 60mins)

(hour 2): Fire Country (CBS), Joan (theCW, limited series finale), Fat Joe Talks (Starz), The UnXplained (HIST, season 7 finale)

(hour 3): Blue Bloods (CBS), Three Women (Starz, penultimate), Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Scare Tactics (USA) / . / Hysteria! (USA, ~65mins), The Proof is Out There (HIST, 60mins, season 4 finale)

(hour 4 - latenight): The Graham Norton Show (BBCAm|AcornTV|AMC+), "It's Florida, Man" (HBO), Hysteria! (USA, contd)

[preempted, on hiatus: Whose Line Is It Anyway? (theCW) returning in December.]

[asianhappinesss]

Mr. Queen (2020)

Summary

Jang Bong Hwan is a South Korean chef who has risen up the ranks to cook for the country’s top politicians in the Blue House’s presidential residences. Ever the dreamer, he finds himself in the body of the young queen, Kim So Yong, when whisked away to an era deep in Korea’s past.

While Queen Kim So Yong’s husband is the reigning monarch, King Cheol Jong, he is so in name only. The late King Sunjo’s Queen, Sun Won, has taken advantage of King Cheol Jong’s better nature, and is ruling the realm in his name. And she faces competition from her own brother, Kim Jwa Guen, who also has designs on power.

Queen Kim So Yong will come to discover that her husband harbours some secrets, and is not as gentle and meek as he seems…

Review

A Joseon Era Time-Travel Dramedy

In Mr. Queen (Korean title: 철인왕후), Jang Bonghwan is a sharp-witted, carefree chef working at the Blue House who gets framed for endangering the life of a foreign ambassador. In his attempt to escape the authorities, he falls into water and transmigrates back in time into the body of Kim Soyong days before her marriage to King Cheoljong, who’s known to history as an incompetent puppet king under the control of the Kim clan. The new Queen Cheorin, with his twenty-first century cooking skills and slangs, confuses everybody with his erratic behavior and, strangely enough, captures the heart of his previously unloving husband, who’s not as incompetent or resigned to being a figurehead as he appears.

If the premise sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s based on the 2015 viral Chinese web series, Go Princess Go, about a modern day playboy who transmigrated back in time into the body of the crown princess of an unspecified Chinese dynasty. I’ll go into more details later, but in general, Mr. Queen is a vast improvement upon its predecessor, and a drama that more than deserves to be judged on its own merits first.

Queen Cheorin and King Cheoljong Are Made for Each Other

Queen Cheorin/Jang Bonghwan has one brain cell, and it only works for five minutes a day, by the looks of things.

King Cheoljong, one the other hand, is very intelligent when it comes to everything but his queen.

Combined, our protagonists make for a hilarious couple whenever their storylines remotely involve each other. From the numerous instances of miscommunications (“no touching” in particularly invokes a second layer of mirth, as it reminds me of that one Arrested Development gag) to them being horny on main for each other (AKA that scene in episode 17 where they faked public sex), their antics throughout the drama are endless. They’re ridiculously perfect for each other.

They’re amazing characters individually as well. Bonghwan’s lighthearted storyline remained independent from King Cheoljong’s more serious and suspenseful one for much of the earlier episodes. This not only heightened the misunderstanding-based comedic moments, but did the job of establishing them as distinct individuals with personal agendas before their fates lined up later on.

So Many Scene-Stealing Characters

In other dramas, there might be one or two outstanding breakout characters worth mentioning alongside the main leads. In Mr. Queen, everybody fits that bill.

I mean, do I talk about Queen Cheorin’s devoted maid, Hong Yeon, and her weird love triangle between Hong Byeolgam and Kim Hwan, who are two idiots who also have a weird, homoerotic thing going on?

Or Court Lady Choi’s magnificent facial expressions and awkwardly repressed sexuality, and her budding romance with Royal Chef Man Bok, the owner of the most stylish mustache in all of Joseon?

Or the dimensions that make up the Grand Queen Dowager, who’s simultaneously a petulant but adorable old lady and the cruelest, most vain person ever?

Or Jo Hwajin, who defies all my expectations and emerges from the story a better, more confident woman who sees her life extend beyond obtaining King Cheoljong’s love?

Or how devoted Kim Byeongin is to Kim Soyong, and how despite him coming off as pathetic and pitiful in the story, his actions make complete sense when you look at events from his perspective?

Or how terrifying a villain Kim Jwa-geun is despite him literally not emoting for most of the time he’s on screen?

For Mr. Queen, getting through a scene with no interesting characters is not a problem. The drama gives even the minor characters distinct personalities and traits—nobody’s boring!

How Mr. Queen Improved on Go Princess Go

A large part of why the original Chinese web series, Go Princess Go, blew up as it did was due to its abysmal costumes and set designs, as caused by budget and time constraints. That, contrasted with the series’ sharp comedic timing, abundant pop culture references, and an actually good story exploring the taboo themes of gender and sexuality, made it the viral hit it was.

Mr. Queen lost none of the humor—only adapted it for a Korean audience—and improved on everything else.

This drama is visually stunning. Everything is flawless, from the female characters’ hair ornaments, to the food, to the clothes, to the designs of the sets, to the cinematography, to the performance of every actor. The production quality is top-notch, and the team behind it deserves all the accolade for it.

Mr. Queen basing its story on a real life king from Korean history also added a sense of inevitability for the audience. I spent a good chunk of the drama wondering if our protagonists can overcome fate, or if we’re doomed to an unhappy ending. Having historical context really helps newcomers unfamiliar with the culture of Joseon-era Korea too. (Relatedly, a disclaimer about historical accuracy at the beginning of a drama does wonders. Why China can’t just require time travel dramas to have that instead of banning the genre altogether is a mystery to me.)

The Gender Question

Perhaps Mr. Queen‘s most notable contrast to Go Princess Go is its handling of Jang Bonghwan’s identity crisis. In Go Princess Go, the main character’s identity crisis is purely a gender-based one. The Original Good no longer exists once Zhang Peng transmigrates into her body.

That is not the case in Mr. Queen. Kim Soyong, as it turns out, remained dormant within her body when Jang Bonghwan takes over. Remnants of her muscle memory, her actual memory, and her behavior bleed into his personality. They become one person during the duration of his stay, and the drama is both better and worse off for it.

Making Kim Soyong a part of the equation serves a lot of narrative purposes. She’s not only there to provide a mystery for Jang Bonghwan to solve, but she’s the key to several plot points and story elements crucial to achieving satisfying and guilt-free pay-offs, most notably, those related to her father and Kim Byeongin.

Her memories and her personality blending together with Bonghwan also drives his story along. Without them, he’d be happy just living out his days as the queen of a country instead of doing what he needed to do to change the course of history.

Lastly, having her back wraps up the story nicely in some ways, given that it all started because of her figurative wishes. In the beginning, she kills herself over love, happiness, and freedom, all of which she could not have. In the end, through Bonghwan’s guardianship of her body—and he is like the guardian angel she never asked for—she gets everything she wants.

Where this deviation from Go Princess Go fails on a story-level boils down to a simple question: Who did King Cheoljong fall in love with, Jang Bonghwan or Kim Soyong?

This is a question with no real answer. The sad truth is, he never knew either of them. He came to know Jang Bonghwan in the context of Kim Soyong, and Kim Soyong only after Jang Bonghwan has colored King Cheoljong’s experience of her with his personality. Although both inhabitants influenced each other, they’re separate people at the end of the day. The way Mr. Queen chose to end their bizarre, three-person romance is probably the most disappointing aspect of the entire drama.

In the context of the real world, Jang Bonghwan’s identity crisis being a crisis of personality allows the drama to gloss over a huge part of what made Go Princess Go so controversial and interesting in the first place: gender and sexuality. Every one of Queen Cheorin’s feminine inclinations can be explained by the presence of her original self in the body. Jang Bonghwan’s attraction towards King Cheoljong? Kim Soyong caused it. He didn’t really love him, at least, not in a gay way. That was all Kim Soyong. When their inner voice switched from male to female? Kim Soyong. There’s no bisexuality or transgenderism here. No, sir!

Uuughh….

I get it. South Korea is conservative. I don’t blame the team behind Mr. Queen for this decision. Still disappointing though.

Final Rating and Recommendations

Do you want laugh-out-loud antics? Subtle jokes and running gags? A protagonist who’s the smartest idiot alive? A romance interwoven with political intrigues? A plot that builds just right? Then Mr. Queen is twenty hours of your life you’ll not regret.

Based on the viral 2015 Chinese web series Go Princess Go, Mr. Queen is a improvement on its predecessor in almost every way. It’s a fast-moving, whip-smart, and utterly addicting series about transmigration and time travel with a talented cast, wonderful set designs, and great costuming. I cannot say enough good things about this drama.

[pynkhues]

Hi! You’ve said you’re really into movies before and now I’m curious about a few things. If this makes uncomfortable, please do ignore me.

Aside from english speaking movies (by that I mean any american, english, australian, etc, movies). What movies were you really into? What film industry to you wanna check out next? Have you ever watched Bollywood films? Asian film? Arabic films?

All in all, I just wanna get some insight on your film brain haha.

Hi! Yes! I love movies of all different languages and cultures, anon, and I watch pretty widely.

I’d say I’m definitely more versed in English-language films of course, but I’ve also watched big chunks of the back catalogue of many really iconic international filmmakers. I’ve watched pretty much all of Ingmar Bergman’s films for instance, and a lot of Akira Kurosawa’s, Federico Fellini’s, Kenji Mizoguchi’s (Ugetsu is p great in particular), Vittorio De Sica’s, and more, but I also watch a lot of newer films too. Recently I’ve seen the German film Land of Mine ago which I found deeply affecting, the Kenyan lesbian romance Rafiki which I also really enjoyed, and the pretty terrible, but also pretty fun Chinese eco-thriller The Wandering Earth, among many others!

Generally speaking, I try to watch three to five movies a week, and of that, I try to make sure at least one is a foreign language film and one’s a documentary.

For instance this week I’ve watched four films so far!

The Dry which is a new Australian film starring Eric Bana about a man who returns to the small town he grew up in after his childhood friend commits a murder-suicide, killing his wife and young son and then himself. It was very good, and a thriller that managed to be both tense and kind of meandering? Which is a really interesting mix to pull off!

Blindspotting, which is an American dark dramedy about an ex-convict three days away from finishing his parole who sees a cop kill an unarmed Black man. I loved it and was really affected by it! I’ve thought about it a lot since watching it and highly recommend it!

Harlan County USA, which is a 1976 American documentary about the unionisation of the Brookside Miners and their subsequent year-long protest after many of the miners died of black lung. Beyond that though, it’s also very much about police brutality, poverty and capitalism. It’s extremely good and even though it’s almost 50 years old, feels as relevant now as it was when it was made.

Rafiki which as I mentioned above is a Kenyan lesbian romance and somehow manages to be incredibly cute and sweet while not shying away from the complex political context of being LGBT+ in Kenya.

And I’ve also bought tickets to see the English horror film, Saint Maud at the cinema tomorrow night which I’m very excited for!

In terms of what I’m into, I’ve watched a lot of French films, a lot of Japanese films and a lot of Greek films, but at the moment, I’m particularly watching a lot of South Korean films, especially horror (over the last few months I’ve watched The Call, The Wailing, I Saw the Devil, Red Eye, The Host, Train to Busan, and re-watched A Tale of Two Sisters which is a fave), and I’ve recently started watching a bit of Israeli cinema (Waltz with Bashir, Foxtrot, I Love You Rosa and The House on Chelouche Street being the ones I can name off the top of my head).

I haven’t actually watched a lot of Indian films or Bollywood films though! It definitely feels like a major canon I’m missing – particularly given I’d say Deepa Mehta‘s Elements Trilogy is in my top 100 movies.

So yes! I hope that’s interesting, haha. I’m always open to movie recommendations too or questions about movies. I’ll watch pretty much anything and feel like I’m a known rambler on here at this point, hahaha. 😊

[kpopotd2]

July Wrap Up

Hello everyone!

We are now coming to the end of summer (but not quite, there’s about a month left thankfully!). We are also about to hit 500 posts! A few things we wanted to talk to you all about-- KPopupdated is now @kpopsunbae! We went through a little rebranding, but you’ll see more of that in a little bit. Also don’t forget, we have a Discord Server: https://discord.gg/3gx6u5R (this link shouldn’t expire)! 

We also wanted to know if you guys had any type of content you would like to see from us-- let us know on any of our social media accounts (Instagram or Twitter!). Constructive criticism is always welcome too! One last thing, what time zones are you guys in? Let us know so we can modify our scheduling if need be. 

Lastly, an exciting project will start coming to fruition in the coming months so you can look forward that official announcement! As always, thanks for following us!

--JR, Min, Onyx

NEWS:

July 7, 2009: – South Korea suffers a cyber attack, just after the US was hit as well.   July 31, 2009: The 동의보감 (Dongui Bogamhave) is officially registered as a part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. July 1, 2010: The three neighboring cities, Masan, Changwon and Jinhae unified to create Unified Changwon City, which has a population of over 1 million people.

July 29, 2010: Chung Un-chan decides to resign from the position of Prime Minister. July 6, 2011: The International Olympic Committee awards the 2018 Winter Olympics to Pyeongchang. July 8-13, 2011: 2011 Asian Fencing Championship, Korea wins 9 gold medals. July 24, 2011: 2011 World Aquatics Championships, Park Tae Hwan receives gold in the 400 meter freestyle.

July 25–28, 2011: Floods and landslides hit Seoul.  July 28, 2011: Asiana Airlines Flight 991 crashes into the sea close to Jeju Island after a fire broke out on the main deck.  July 18, 2012: Tropical Storm Khanun makes landfall over Jeju Island and the South Jeolla Province.

July 17, 2014: A helicopter searching for missing people from the sinking of the Sewol sinking in April crashes into the city of Gwangju, killing the five people aboard.

Public Holidays - July 17 - Constitution Day (제헌절(制憲節) Jeheonjeol) - The day celebrates the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea in 1948.

DRAMAS

July 2009: Dream (This drama was singer Son Dam-bi’s acting debut. SHINee and Bobby Kim contributed to the OSTs.) 

July 2011: Myung-wol the Spy (Eric Mun of Shinhwa is one of the main male leads. The show’s ratings averaged at around 7%. Ryeowook of Super Junior contributed to the OSTs along with BEG’s Narsha, Bobby Kim, and Lena Park.) July 2011: The Princess’s Man (The drama did very well ratings wise-- slowly climbing till it ended with over 20% ratings. It also won various awards at multiple awards show.) July 2011: The Scent of a Woman (Stars Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong Wook. Junsu of JYJ made a cameo. The show did really well in ratings and won many awards.)

July 2012: Golden Time (Hwang Jung Eum is the main female lead. The show did really well with ratings and won four awards at different award shows. The OSTs features a lot of known singers including Every Single Day, 10cm, Byul, Zico, and Melody Day.) July 2012: Reply 1997 (Full of star power including Apink’s Jung Eun Ji (this was her acting debut), Seo In-Geuk, former INFINITE member Hoya, SECHSKIES Eun Ji Won, and many other incredible cameos. Because it is set in the 90s, there is no usual soundtrack like other dramas, but the leads did release a special song for fans. It eventually achieved really great ratings (through word of mouth) and won many awards.)  July 2013: Who Are You? (Ok Taecyeon of 2PM is one of the main male leads of this drama.) 

July 2014: Hi! School: Love On (The show stars INFINITE’s Woohyun and Sungyeol. It was later broadcasted in five other Asian countries.) July 2014: Fated To Love You/You Are My Destiny (The show stars Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara. It reached up to 12% ratings and won a few awards. It boasts a few great OST’s from Baek A Yeon, Jeff Bernat, VIXX’s Ken, Ailee, and Melody Day.)  July 2014: It’s Okay, That’s Love (EXO’s D.O has a small but important role in this show. It got an average of 10% ratings, and won multiple awards.) July 2014: Marriage, Not Dating (This show stars 2AM’s Jinwoon, Han Groo, and Han Sun Hwa.) 

July 2015: Assembly (The drama starred Ok Taecyeon of 2PM. It peaked at 6% ratings.) July 2015: Scholar Who Walks the Night (This drama stars Lee Joon Gi, TVXQ!’s Changmin. Jang Jae In, Yook Sung Jae from Beast(now Highlight), and G.NA participated in the OSTs. It also won a few awards.) 

FILMS:

July 15, 2009: Chaw (This movie was made to emulate a B-rated Hollywood style horror film about an animal going mad and killing humans. Partially shot in the States with a variety of special effects.)  July 23, 2009: Tidal Wave/ Haeundae (Singer Uhm Jung Hwa is one of the characters. The film received over 11 million admissions and won ten awards at various award shows.)  July 29, 2009: Take Off (This film was made to introduce the Korean people to ski jumping. It ended up winning a few awards.)

July 20, 2011: The Front Line (This movie won multiple awards at various award shows.) July 27, 2011: Leafie, A Hen into the Wild (This critically acclaimed movie made records, as over 2 million movie goers viewed. It was considered a “home grown animated” film. What made this so special is that animations tend to do poorly in Korea. Yoo Seung Ho is one of the lead voice actors.)

July 12, 2012: Dangerously Excited/I’m a Civil Servant (This dramedy stars Yoon Je Moon and Sung Joon.)  July 25, 2012: The Thieves (This is the 8th highest grossing film in Korean film history, winning multiple technical and acting awards.) 

July 11, 2013: Pluto (This movie won an award at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. It stars Lee David, Sung Joon, and Kim Kkot Bi.)  17, 2013: Mr. Go (This was the first Korean film to be completely shot in 3D.  This joint production between China and South Korea was based on the comic The 7th Team.)

July 3, 2014: Mourning Grave (This horror film, starring Kang Ha Neul and Kim So Eun,   had over 200,000 ticket sales. MBLAQ participated in the main OST.)  July 23, 2014: Kundo: Age of Rampant (This movie broke the record for highest opening day box office.)  July 30, 2014: The Admiral: Roaring Currents (Just eight days later, this movie broke Kundo: Age of Rampant’s record for highest opening day box office.)

July 22, 2015: Assassination (This movie won multiple awards.)  

HAPPY STUFF:

July 2012: PSY shoots to stardom with his mega-hit Gangnam Style! Later, during the same year, the music video became the first video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube (and on the internet). As of writing this post, the video has over 3 billion views!

SAD STUFF:

July 12, 2009: Ko Mi Young, a climber, passes away after making a false step. July 2009: JYJ leaves TVXQ and SM. Soon after, they filed a lawsuit citing an overly long contract (thirteen years) and unfair profit distributions.  

July 2015: Twin duo, Tasty, departs from Woollim Entertainment.

TOP POST OF THE MONTH:

PSY - Gangnam Style!

THIS IS ALSO OUR 500th POST!

[bodashiri]

Kevin Hart has come on board to produce the comedy-drama “Bye Bye Bye,” a remake of the 2011 South Korean movie “Sunny.”

Universal Pictures has acquired a pitch from Hart’s HartBeat Productions and CJ Entertainment. Amy Aniobi, a writer-producer on HBO’s “Insecure,” will pen the script.

The movie is a female-driven dramedy about a group of adult friends who reunite 20 years after high school. “Sunny” was one of the highest-grossing movies in South Korea when it was released in 2011.

2011 Korean original movie “Sunny 써니” trailer

2018 Vietnamese remake  THÁNG NĂM RỰC RỠ trailer

2018 Japanese remake “SUNNY 強い気持ち・強い愛” trailer

[blbambeyond-nonblblog-hyd-mg-bof]

LOVELY RUNNER (2024, SOUTH KOREA)

Episode 6

Post 1

Crying because of grannie's onions Im Sol (KIM HYE YOON) is misunderstood by crush Sun Jae (BYEON WOO SEOK) who believes she's crying over her break up. And drinking.

In efforts to get her to turn to him the two scuffle.

And Im Sol's older brother Im Geum (SONG JI HO) also misunderstands and sets out to protect his little sister.

Poor Sun Jae...oops.

[reelydope]

The AAPI Heritage Month 2017 Flixtape

Celebrate #aapi Heritage Month with our flixtape, via @netflix.

Happy May! I hope you’ve gotten all your Justin Timberlake jokes out of the way, because the entire month is better spent celebrating Asian Pacific American heritage. Starting back in 1977 here in California, APAH Month was founded to celebrate and highlight the traditions, cultures and histories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders here in the states. Dope right? Well, since we deal in…

[thenewsedge]

In a stunning upset, director Bong Joon-ho’s dramedy “Parasite” won best picture at the 2020 Oscars, beating out such films as “1917,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Marriage Story” and “The Irishman.” While the South Korean movie was a critical favorite, it has earned only $35 million at the box office in the United…

[greensparty]

Green’s Party Guide to the 2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films

I am very excited to continue my annual tradition of showcasing the Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Short Film, Best Live Action Short Film and Best Documentary Short Film (read my 2017, 2018 and 2019 guides). Here are my thoughts and predictions:

Best Animated Short Film:

Among the most high-profile is Hair Love, which played before The Angry Birds 2 and features the voice of Issa Rae, about a father trying to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. Sister, from China, is a man looking back at growing up with his little sister in 1990s China. Kitbull is from Pixar, but its a rare Pixar film that is animated in 2D and hand-drawn. It’s about an unlikely friendship between a stray kitten and a pit bull (hence the title). Daughter, from Czech Republic, is about a father and daughter and their unspoken strain. Memorable, from France, is about an elderly painter and his wife dealing with his advancing dementia.

Will Win: Hair Love is the front-runner and the most popular.

Should Win: Sister was very powerful. It started as one thing and ended as a completely different thing.

Best Live Action Short Film:

A Sister (Une Soeur) from Belgium is a thriller that, like a lot of good shorts, drops the viewer right into the situation, in this case - a kidnapped woman calling an emergency line pretending its not. Brotherhood from Tunisia, is a family drama about a father whose oldest son returns home from a journey with a new wife. Also from Tunisia is Nefta Football Club a dramedy about two brothers who come across a donkey wearing headphones. Saria looks at two orphaned sisters in a Guatemalan safe home as they try to escape to America. The Neighbors’ Window is about parents’ with small children in an NYC apartment who become enthralled with an across the street neighbor in her twenties.

Will Win: There’s a lot of support for Brotherhood, but I predict Nefta Football Club is going to get it based on being the lightest of all the subject matter.

Should Win: Some very strong live action shorts this year, but The Neighbors’ Window is the standout. It had an effective message about the grass isn’t always greener.

Best Documentary Short Film:

Life Overtakes Me, which was released by Netflix last year, is about Swedish refugee children afflicted by resignation syndrome, a coma-like illness. In the Absence is about the 2014 sinking of a South Korean ferry. Walk Run Cha-Cha, which was released by New York Times, is about an older Vietnamese couple, who are now in Southern California and re-gaining their youth on the dance floor. Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), which was produced by A&E, is about young Afghan girls learning to read, write and skateboard in Kabul. It has something to say about inspiring confidence and empowerment through skateboarding. St. Louis Superman, which was produced by MTV Documentary Films, is about Bruce Franks Jr., a state representative from St. Louis, MO who becomes a big political figure following a great deal of trauma and loss.

Will Win: Learning to Skateboard... It shows how something like skateboarding can inspire confidence in young girls. It’s one of the longest ones at 40 min. and is subtitled, but Oscar voters will see past that.

Should Win: St. Louis Superman is both heartbreaking AND uplifting at the same time as it follows someone who is dealing with loss, gun violence and social injustices, but doing some good for his community as a state rep.

To find out where you can see this year’s Oscar Nominated Shorts: https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2023.08.18

Friday, August 18th:

(exclusive): Snoopy Presents: "One-of-a-Kind Marcie" (apple+, special), LEGO Disney Princess: "The Castle Quest" (dsn+, animated special), Chris Fleming: "Hell" (Peacock, stand-up special), "Every Body" (Peacock, documentary beyond binary), Misfortune (amazon, Mexican melodrama "Mala Fortuna", all 8 eps), Mask Girl (netflix, Korean offbeat drama, all 7 eps), Guns & Gulaabs (netflix, Indian gangster dramedy series, all 7 eps), New Bandits (amazon, "Cangaço Novo" Brazil bank heist gang drama, all 8 eps)

(movies): "Bad Things" (Shudder, horror), "Puppy Love" (freevee, original rom-com, ~105mins), "When Frank Met Carlitos" (dsn+, Latin musical drama), "The Monkey King" (netflix, animated, ~95mins), "Love, Sex, and 30 Candles" (netflix, South African drama, ~95mins), "10 Days of a Bad Man" (netflix, 2nd in Turkish noir trilogy, 2hrs+)

(streaming weekly): Foundation (apple+), Shelter (amazon, Harlan Coben YA thriller premiere, first 3 eps), The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (amazon), The Summer I Turned Pretty (amazon, season 2 finale)

(original made-for-TV movies): "Assassin Club" (MGM+, thriller, ~110mins), "What Lies Behind Closed Doors?" (LIFE, 2hrs+), "The More Love Grows" (HMM, 2hrs)

(earlier - hour 0): Death in Paradise (OVAtion, season 10 marathon contd)

(hour 1): Family Law (theCW), The Villains of Valley View (disney) / . / Pretty Freekin Scary (disney, 60mins), Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS)

(hour 2): Moonshine (theCW), Pretty Freekin Scary (disney, contd, season 1 finale), CMT Summer Sessions (CMT), Minx (Starz) / . / Men in Kilts (Starz)

(hour 3): Praise Petey (Freeform, 60mins, season 1 finale), Heels (Starz)

(hour 4 - latenight): How To with John Wilson (HBO), Death in Paradise (OVAtion, contd, season 10 finale)

[geekekitten]

Playful Kiss: Adorable, meet Frustrated

Playful Kiss is a South Korean romantic dramedy based on a manga series called by Itazura Na Kiss by Tada Kaoru (I am completely unfamiliar with the manga). I found this show while browsing through the foreign tv shows section. I had already seen a few foreign shows that I really liked and decided I wanted more. It looked cute so I decided to check it out. I consider it a romantic dramedy rather than just straight rom-com because there are quite a few serious moments within it and a lot of emotional upheaval for the main character,  Oh Ha-ni. The main plot is that Ha-ni is in love with (really more like obsessed with) a fellow classmate, Baek Seung-jo, who acts as though he couldn’t care less. This is a pretty typical plot for Japanese shows and Korean shows it seems (both anime and live-action) so its not that this show is really bringing anything fresh and new to the table, but the way the story is delivered is fun, cute, and entertaining. If you like cutesy but romantically frustrating animes you’re probably going to like this (think Suzuka, which is one of my favorite animes). 

So this story follows the two youths as they stumble through their relationship, Ha-ni full of love and hope, Seung-jo full of attitude. Seriously, he deserves an ass-kicking throughout most of this show. She deals with so much BS. But in all fairness there is more to it than that (including a mother who just can’t mind her own business). There were many moments where I wished she would tell him to shove it and pursue someone who really cared about her (she had other options) but her loyalty and persistence were a big part of her character. It was damnable and admirable all at once. 

The acting is pretty good in this show. Cheesy at times but it really seems deliberate and it fits in with the sometimes anime-ish vibe. The soundtrack is upbeat and enjoyable. The characters are interesting, all feel different from each other and you get to know them enough that you are invested in what happens to them and how they feel. Although the main focus is on Ha-ni you also learn a lot about her father, Seung-jo and his family, and a few of her close friends from high school. 

Ha-ni is definitely not the brightest bulb in the bunch, which they really like to remind you of throughout the show, but you will find yourself cheering her on over and over again for each victory she achieves and chastising those who don’t. So if you’ve run out of adorable/frustrating romantic animes to watch, or you just feel like watching something live-action for a change of pace, give this a try.