#Seon Kang Joon

[khaopybara]

it's funny because it's the same director, hwang daseul.

KIM NURIM as LEE DOHOE and LEE SEON as SIN JUYEONG episode 2 of LET FREE THE CURSE OF TAEKWONDO

SON WOOHYUN as KANG SEOJOON and KIM KANGMIN as HAN JIWOO episode 4 of TO MY STAR SEASON 2

[dreamsandstars24]

The uncanny counter season 2

WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I GASPED WHEN I SAW KANG KI-YOUNG I AM NOT JOKING 

HE WENT FROM “Excuse me, can you please kneel?”

To “Kneel. Now.”

I feel offended that they kept this from me. I do. Another man who is older than me and already has my heart. 

AND HIS EVIL ERA!!!!! I AM HERE FOR IT!!!!

But honestly, it should be illegal for all of them to look this good. 

I need a lot of hobi water in order to continue watching this. 

[blackramhall]

살인의 추억 - Memories of Murder Bong Joon-ho (2003)

val3n_roig

[rookie-critic]

Memories of Murder (2003, dir. Bong Joon-ho) - review by Rookie-Critic

Prior to 2019 (really 2020, if we want to get really specific) there probably weren't a lot of people in the States who could tell you who Bong Joon-ho is if pressed. Nowadays, after Bong's historic first non-English language Best Picture win for Parasite, most people would at least identify the name as familiar, and for good reason. Parasite is undoubtedly amazing; its message is both regionless and timeless, it has superb acting and brilliant cinematography, it is one of the best films of the modern era, if not any era. However, prior to Parasite, back in the days when Bong's fanbase outside of his native South Korea was limited to foreign film lovers and people who really liked Snowpiercer, most people would probably point to his breakout film, Memories of Murder, as his best work, and for a lot of the same reasons that people point to Parasite as his best now.

I'm not entirely sure why it has taken me so long to sit down and watch this considering how much I've enjoyed the other films of his that I've seen, but I'm glad I finally did. Following the true story of the detectives that investigated the Hwaseong serial murders of the mid-80s to the mid-90s, the film works as both a gripping crime thriller and a social satire of the failings of the legal system and the corrupt nature of a lot of its employees. One of our protagonists, Detective Park Doo-man (played brilliantly as always be Song Kang-ho) as well as his partner Detective Cho Yong-koo, are horrible police officers. They fake evidence, they torture victims until they'll confess to anything to make it stop, and they scoff at real investigative discoveries and excuse them as the other detectives "watching too many crime movies" (which in and of itself is an amazing line that both pokes fun at and winks a respectful eye towards the crime films that it follows in the legacy of); all they care about is putting someone away, regardless of if the person is actually guilty of the crime they're accused of committing or not. You can watch the film purely from a plot perspective and be entertained and engrossed, but much like Parasite, the true genius of it lies within this satirical commentary.

The knowledge that maybe the killer could have been stopped, victims could have been saved, if more resources had been poured into actually searching for the real killer instead of trying to put away people who obviously had nothing to do with it is maddening, but somehow Bong is able to inject humor throughout the film that makes all of these frustrating people and darker moments have a brief sense of levity without taking away from the nature of the subject matter. It's truly amazing the way he is able to craft stories that are not only interesting from a surface level perspective, but that contain darker themes and complex social commentary that even casual moviegoers can pick up on and appreciate, and then even with all of that blend comedy and drama so seamlessly you rarely notice the change. Another element of the film that I personally found brilliant, and that I briefly mentioned above, is the way that it seems to be a love letter to the crime dramas/thrillers that came before it and a criticism of them at the same time. If you've been following my reviews for awhile, you'll know how deeply I appreciate films that are able to strike that balance (Scream, Nope, etc.). The ability to acknowledge the problems with a genre without completely dismissing the films that portray those flaws as lesser or bad is something that just appeals to me on such a core level. This may just sound like a meeting of the Bong Joon-ho Fan Club, but it is truly awe-inspiring that he can make a film that has something for everyone in it, and can make everyone enjoy the other bits that, in any other movie, they may not have.

Now, Memories of Murder isn't perfect, it is only Bong's second film and some of those early film maker pitfalls exist here. A lot of the first half of the movie tends to drag a bit, and there may be certain scenes that could have cut or sequences that could have been re-edited to keep that sense of urgency (or maybe even the lack thereof on the part of the detectives) a little more present and flowing. Also, and I know I just got done ranting about how great this exact quality was, but sometimes the injection of humor could overtake the film a little too much. It doesn't happen but maybe once or twice, but I did take note of those moments as something that stood out to me, at least. Outside of these few kinks, Memories of Murder just further proves that Bong Joon-ho just knows what he's doing, and I can safely add another film to the "great" column of his filmography, and hopefully soon I can finish out watching the rest of them.

Score: 9/10

Currently streaming on Hulu.

[kdram-chjh]

Kdrama: Bloody Heart (2022)

Bloody Heart | Streaming 2 May | Disney+ Singapore

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgj7MdXxMwE

[letterboxd-loggd]

Memories of Murder (살인의 추억) (Salinui chueok) (2003) Bong Joon-ho

December 28th 2022

[equalv]

South Korean tv shows with lgbt* characters

Because so many people liked my post for german tv shows with queer characters, I thought I‘d compile lists for other countries as well.

A-Z

A First Love Story (2021) (mlm) | YouTube

Jaesung (Kim Hyeongwon)

Mingyu (Jung Jaewoon)

Blueming (2022) (mlm, wlw) | IQIYI

Hyeong Daun (Jo Hyukjoon)

Cha Siwon (Kang Eunbin)

Cha Siyeong (Moon Hyein)

Choco Milk Shake (2022) (mlm) | YouTube

Jungwoo (Ko Hojung)

Choco (Lee Jaebin)

Milk (Kim Seonghyuk)

Uncle (Park Seungbin)

Girlfriend Project Day 1 (2022) (wlw) | YouTube

Ahn Gain (Park Hyunwoo)

Song Heeram (Bing Hyejin)

His Man (2022-) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala | reality tv

Season 1

Kim Changyu

Kim Seonyul

Jeon Eunchan

Lee Jeonghyun

Kim Changmin

Leon Hyukjun

Lee Hyeon

Hokeep

Season 2

Shin Sungho

Oh Minsung

Kim Yoonghee

DABIT

DAENYOL

Lee Junseong

Yang Hyunjin

Joon Seonwoo

Jazz for Two (2024) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala

Han Taeyi (Ji Hogeun)

Yoon Seheon (Kim Jinkwon)

Seo Doyoon (Song Hangyeom)

Lily Fever (2015) (wlw) | YouTube

Kim Kyungju (Kim Hyejoon)

Jang Serang (Jung Yeonjoo)

Love Class (2022-) (mlm) | Viki, Gagaoolala

Season 1

Cha Jiwoo (Han Hyunjun)

Lee Roa (Kim Taehwan)

Kim Namjun (Yoo Hyukjae)

Season 2

Lee Hyun (J-min)

Shin Maru (Lee Kwanghee)

Oh Minwoo (Woo Hyowon)

Kim An (Kim Yongseok)

Yoo Joohyuk (An Jeonggyun)

Kim Sungmin (Jung Woojae)

Love for Love's Sake (2024) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala

Tae Myungha (Lee Taevin)

Cha Yeowoon (Cha Joowan)

Chun Sangwon (Oh Minsu)

Ahn Kyunghoon (Cha Woongki)

Love Tractor (2023) (mlm) | IQIYI

Seon Yul (Do Won)

Suh Yechan (Yoon Dojin)

Kwon Inseo (Yang Seungbin)

Merry Queer (2022) (mlm, wlw, trans) | Gagaoolala | documentary

Kim Minjun

Park Bosung

Yoo Taeyoon

Lee Minju

Im Garam

Lee Seungeun

Our Dating Sim (2023) (mlm) | VIKI, Gagaoolala

Shin Kitae (Lee Seunggyu)

Lee Wan (Lee Jonghyuk)

Semantic Error (2022) (mlm, wlw) | VIKI, Gagaoolala

Jang Jaeyoung (Park Seoham)

Chu Sangwoo (Park Jaechan)

Choi Yuna (Song Jioh)

She Makes My Heart Flutter (2022) (wlw) | YouTube

Gangseol (Byun Jihyun)

Jung One (Park Somi)

Yubin (Choi Jiwon)

Sarang (Kang Nayoung)

Leera (Ahn Yeonsun)

The Eighth Sense (2023) (mlm) | VIKI

Seo Jaewon (Lim Jisub)

Kim Jihyun (Oh Juntaek)

To My Star (2021-2022) (mlm) | VIKI, IQIYI

Season 1 & 2:

Kang Seojoon (Son Woohyun)

Han Jiwoo (Kim Kangmin)

Our Relationship Ended Before It Began (2023) (wlw) | YouTube (only Ep 1 and 2 are available for free right now, but I still wanted to share this series (Link))

Yoonah (Park Hayoung)

Kim Ahyoung (Park Sanha)

Note: For this list, I decided not to add a symbol for shows that center queerness, because in a way all of these shows do that and at the same time almost none actually do. Queer characters and their love stories are featured in every show in this list, but most of them do not address any other queer aspects of their lives and only some address the fact that they are queer at all. This is not a critique of South Korean shows, but just an observation of their current media landscape and added as context, in case you are interested in watching.

[kdramaqween]

To finish off the year, here's my TOP 23 Ships from dramas I watched in 2023

1. Kim Doo Shik ♥ Lee Mi Hyun

Moving

2. Cha Jin Woo ♥ Jung Mo Eun

Tell Me That You Love Me

3. Seo Do Guk ♥ Han Yi Joo

Perfect Marriage Revenge

4. Xin Qi ♥ Min Hui

The Love You Give Me (C-Drama)

5. Choi Kang Ho ♥ Lee Mi Joo

The Good Bad Mother

6. Dongfang Qincang ♥ Xiao Lanhua

Love Between Fairy and Devil (C-Drama)

7. Jung Ki Ho ♥ Seo Mok Ha

Castaway Diva

8. Moon Jang Yeol ♥ Bong Ye Bun

Behind Your Touch

9. Gu Won ♥ Cheon Sa Rang

King the Land

10. Cho Yong Pil ♥ Cho Sam Dal

Welcome to Samdalri

11. Yoo So Joon ♥ Song Ma Rin

Tomorrow With You

12. Kang Hee Shik ♥ Kang Nam Soon

Strong Girl Namsoon

13. Dong Go Yun ♥ Jung Da Eun

Daily Dose of Sunshine

14. Gong Tae Gyeong ♥ Oh Yeon Doo

The Real Has Come

15. Jang Seon Gyeol ♥ Gil Oh Sol

Clean With Passion for Now

16. Cha Min ♥ Cho Se Yeon

Abyss

17. Heo Joon Jae ♥ Shim Cheong

Legend of the Blue Sea

18. Kim Tae Hee ♥ Baek Dong Joo

May I Help You

19. Jung Gu Won ♥ Do Do Hee

My Demon

20. Nam Si Heon ♥ Han Jun Hee

A Time Called You

21. Jang Tae Sang ♥ Yoon Chae Ok

Gyeongseong Creature

22. Lee Kang ♥ Moon Cha Young

Chocolate

23. Cha Eun Ho ♥ Kang Dan Hee

Romance is a Bonus Book

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Categorizing Parent-related Trauma for male and female leads in Kdramas:

Orphans: Lee Hong-jo (Destined With You) Moon Gang-tae (It's Okay to Not be Okay) Moon Sang-tae (It's Okay to Not be Okay) Ha-ru (Extraordinary You) Naksu/Cho Yeong (Alchemy of Souls) Tak Dong-kyung (Doom at Your Service) Nam Ji-ah* (Tale of the Nine Tailed) Cheon Sa-Rang (King the Land) Jang Man-wol (Hotel del Luna) Yoon Yi-seo (100 Days My Price) Kang Young-hwa (Moon in the Day) Kim Do-ha (Moon in the Day) So Mun (The Uncanny Counter) Do Ha-na (The Uncanny Counter) Kang Tae-moo (Business Proposal) Kang Tae-ha (The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, present version) Lee Heon (The Forbidden Marriage) Do Do-hee (My Demon) Ji Eun-tak (Guardian: The Great and Lonely God) Na Bong-seon (Oh My Ghost) Kang Cheol (W: Two Worlds) Do Da-hae (The Atypical Family) Yeom Hae-sang (Revenant) Jeong Ji-an (A Shop for Killers) Shin Jae-rim (Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale) Kim Ji-uk**** (No Gain No Love)

Half Orphans with loving remaining parent: Eun Dan-oh (Extraordinary You) Koo Chan-sung (Hotel del Luna) Ye So-ran (The Forbidden Marriage) Nam Ha-neul (Doctor Slump) Yu Ji-hyck (Marry My Husband) Kang Hee-soo (Captivating the King) Choi Yi-jae (Death's Game) Im Sol (Lovely Runner) Ryu Sun-jae (Lovely Runner) Lee Chang (Kingdom) Lee Geum, Prince Yeoning (Haechi) Gu San-yeong (Revenant) Son Hae-yeong (No Gain No Love)

Half Orphan + Remaining Parent is THE WORST: Jang Uk (Alchemy of Souls) Kim Do-ha (My Lovely Liar) Lee Yul (100 Days My Price) Ahn Min-hyuk (Strong Woman Bong-Soon) Seo Mok-ha (Castaway Diva) Gong Tae-seong (Sh**ting Stars) Kang Tae-ha (The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, past version) Yi In (Captivating the King) Kang Ji-won (Marry My Husband) Kang Sun-woo (Oh My Ghost)

Parents (at least one) are THE WORST but Both Are Still Alive: Jang Shin-yu (Destined With You) Han Yi-joo (Perfect Marriage Revenge) Ko Mun-young** (It's Okay to Not be Okay) Mok Sol-hee (My Lovely Liar) Gu Won (King the Land) Crown Prince Lee Hwi/Dam-yi/Yeon-seon (The King's Affection) Do Bong-soon (Strong Woman Bong-Soon) Woo Young-woo (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)*** Jung Ji-woon (The King's Affection) Kang Bo-geol/Lee Ki-ho (Castaway Diva) Yeo Jeong-woo (Doctor Slump) Hong Hae-in (Queen of Tears) On Eun-yoo (Twinkling Watermelon) Oh Yeon-joo (W: Two Worlds) Yoon Ji-ho (Because This Is My First Life) Nam Se-hee (Because This Is My First Life) Bok Gwi-ju (The Atypical Family) Moon Cha-min (Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale)

Immortal Being that Still Somehow has Parent Issues: Myul Mang/Doom (Doom at your Service) Lee Yeon & Lee Rang (Tale of the Nine Tailed) Jeong Gu-won (My Demon)

Added trauma flavour: Parent was murdered in front of them (**Still counts if they survived the murder Parent tried to murder them Dying from seemingly incurable disease which makes their parents/guardian sad (If your parents are alive, you must pay for it by dying yourself) Adoptive parent/stepparent is THE WORST

Somehow has normal, alive parents: Lee Jun-ho (Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Has no backstory at all. We only meet his older sister and hear nothing about his childhood.) Shin Ha-ri (Business Proposal, her family is refreshingly normal, right down to her brother being sent out to find her when she's drunk) Oh Han-byeol (Sh**ting Stars, Again, we know almost nothing about her family, only that she has twin sisters. But she doesn't appear to have childhood trauma.) Park Yeon-woo (The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, her mom being annoyed at her for something that is a crime doesn't count as bad parenting) Lee Young-joon/Sung-hyun (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, his trauma comes from a kidnapper, his parents faced a pretty impossible situation and did their best. They clearly love their kids) Baek Hyun-woo (Queen of Tears, nothing wrong with them out of the ordinary and they are in the drama a significant amount.) Ha Eun-gyeol (Twinkling Watermelon, very loving parents and the deafness and their reliance on him is not anyone's fault)

*Counting her as an orphan even though she gets her parents back after 20 years, she spent her childhood orphaned. ***This character is tricky because I understand why her mother wanted nothing to do with her, but her trying to manipulate the dad and also saying he didn't raise her properly made me so angry. ****This character is tricky because he was explicitly raised as an orphan by his grandma, his father didn't sign his birth certificate (Korean equivalent of this), and he's registered as the child of his grandmother, not his actual mom. His grandma is dead by the beginning of the series and he is living alone without family, so I think he counts as an orphan.

Uncatagorized due to lack of clarity on parents: Soundtrack #1, Hospital Playlist, Happiness

[seamayweed]

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern

tagged by @illwynd & @mid-n0vember, ty so much - this was very fun to do!! <333

Half of Your Fate (mctna, concubine!seon-ho au) Seon-ho finds out he can get pregnant after the exam that should have never happened and before the war that can never happen.

The Earth Still Burns (ff7, cloud strife/sephiroth) Mother, I love you, he said, the way she had told him so many times.

Streuner (mad dog, choi kang-woo/kim min-joon) “I’m home,” Kang-woo says as soon as he unlocks the door and steps into his apartment, but he pauses when he sees the lights on.

coffee date (bloodhounds, kim myeong-gil/kim gun-woo) Mrs. Yoon’s face falls as soon as he enters the café.

Number One (the killing vote, kim ji-hoon & kwon seok-joo) Father is a man in glasses walking next to a girl holding up a pink umbrella shielding Ji-hoon né Tae-yang from the rain.

a higher power (sweet home, jung jae-heon/pyeon sang-wook) When the monster attacked Sang-wook, all he could think of was Jae-heon.

which the sons of men had built (vincenzo, jang han-seo/jang han-seok) The world burned.

the candles burned out the light (bloodhounds, kim myeong-gil/kim gun-woo) Violence is an art he has mastered.

limbo (mctna, bangseonhwi) The next time Hwi sees Seon-ho is when he’s leaving from another meeting with Bang-won, reporting to him like the good, obedient dog he is; even just the mere thought has his jaw and wrists rolling, hands itching for arrow and bow.

and bloodless again (mctna, bangseon) By some fluke, Bang-won walks into the room Nam Seon-ho is in, still in his saheonbu uniform as though he never takes it off.

gosh, that's a lot of different fandoms i've been writing and posting fic for lately... anyway, looks like i usually prefer to start with short, simple sentences!

tagging @pondsphuwin, @convenientalias, @blueberry-cheese-pizza, @godotismissingx, @rhaenys-queenofkhyrulzz, @nubreed73, @lostemotion, @argents-huntress, @holographings, @laireshi, @fuckingferalhawks, @itsza, @noona96n, @lvsifer, @haraxvati, @sadviper, @rhysiana, @talesofsorrowandofruin and anyone else who wants to do it!!

[lee-minhoe]

9 characters i loved in 2023 (kdramas)

tagged by @baekhyunnybyun <33

first row: jeon do yeon as nam haeng-seon in crash course in romance (2023) • kim young kwang as han dong jin in call it love (2023) • ryeoun as ha eun gyeol in twinkling watermelon (2023) [mel note: WHAT A CUTIEEE]

second row: chae jong hyeop as park tae joon in love all play (2022) • park ju hyun as park tae yang in love all play (2022) [mel note: the park couple 🥺🫶💕] • park in hawn as sim deok cheol in navillera (2021)

third row: park bo young as jung da eun in daily dose of sunshine (2023) • lee junho as gu won in king the land (2023) • song kang as jeong gu won in my demon (2023) [mel note: did not realize they were both gu wons until right now 😂 two of the lomls]

tagging: @minchanz @dinoboos @woodziecup and anyone else who wants to do this really!! i know there are prob some more kdrama lovers out there hahaha

[dangerousstrawberryshark]

K-pop Boy Bands Stations

Seventeen

Choi Seung-Cheol (S. Coups)

...

Yoon Jeong- Han (Jeonghan)

...

Joshua Hong (Joshua)

...

Wen Jun-Hui (Jun)

...

Kwon Soon-Yeung (Hoshi)

...

Jeon Won-Woo (Wonwoo)

...

Lee Ji-Hoon (Woozi)

...

Lee Seok-Min (DK)

...

Kim Ming-Gyu (Mingyu)

...

Xu Ming Hao (The8)

...

Boo Seung-Kwan (Seungkwan)

...

Hansol Vernon Chwe (Vernon)

...

Lee Chan (Dino)

...

TXT

Choi Soo-Bin (Soobin)

Choi Yeon-Jun (Yeonjun)

Choi Beom-Gyu (Beomgyu)

Kang Tae-Hyun (Taehyun)

Kai Kamal Huenging (Huening Kai)

Monsta X

Sohn Hyun-Woo (Shownu)

Lee Min-Hyuk (Minhyuk)

Yoo Ki-Hyun (Kihyun)

Chae Hyung-Won (Hyung-won)

Lee Joo-Heon (Jooheon)

Im Chang-Kyun (I.M)

EXO

Kim Jun-Myeon (Suho)

Kim Min Seok (Xiumin)

Byun Baek-Hyun (Baekhyun)

Kim Jong-Dae (Chen)

Park Chan-Yeol (Chanyeol)

Do Kyung-Soo (D.O)

Kim Jong-In (Kai)

Oh Se-Hun (Sehun)

Zhang Jiashuni (Lay)

Li Jiasheng (Kris)

Lu Han (Luhan)

Huang Zitao (Tao)

Stray Kids

Christopher Chan (Bang Chan)

Lee Min-Ho (Lee Know)

Seo Chang-Bin (Changbin)

Hwang Hyun-Jin (HyunJin)

Han Ji-Sang (Han)

Felix Lee (Felix)

Kim Seung-Min (Seungmin)

Yang Jeong-In (I.N)

Kim Woo-Jin (Woojin)

NCT

Lee Tae-Yong (Taeyong)

Moon Tae-Il (Taeil)

Seo Young-Ho (Johnny)

Nakamoto Yuta (Yuta)

Qian Kun (Kun)

Kim Dong-Young (Doyoung)

(Korean Name) Lee Young-Heum (Ten)

Jeong Yoon-Oh (Jaehyun)

Dong Si-Cheng (Winwin)

Kim Jung-Woo (Jungwoo)

Huang Xuxi (Lucas)

Mark Lee (Mark)

Xiao Dejun (Xiaojun)

Wong Kunhang (Hendery)

Huang Ren Jun (Renjun)

Lee Je-No (Jeno)

Lee Dong-Hyuck (Haechan)

Na Jae-Min (Jaemin)

Liu YangYang (Yangyang)

Osaki Shotaro (Shotaro)

Jung Sung-Chan (Sungchan)

Zhong Chen-Le (Chenie)

Park Ji-Sung (Jisung)

ENHYPEN

Yang Jung-Won (Jungwon)

Lee Hee-Seung (Heeseung)

Jay Park (Jay)

Jake Sim (Jake)

Park Sung-Hoon (Sunghoon)

Kim Seon-Woo (Sunoo)

BTS

Kim Nam-Joon

Kim Seok-Jin

Min Yoongi

Jung Ho-Seok

Park Ji-Min

Kim Tae-Hyung

Jeon Jung-kook

Solo Artists

Lee Ho-Seok (Wonho)

Kang Dong-Ho (Baekho.)

Cho Seung-Youn (Woodz.)

[elderflowergin]

2022 kdrama/movie roundup!

It was a tough year for keeping up with anything because life, toddler, etc, but here are the things I watched, in part or whole, that I remembered. Hot Takes Incoming!

Sell Your Haunted House - Jang Nara in boots. Kang Mal-geum in dark lipstick. Touching, gay, many mother issues. The girls were fantastic. The boys weren't bad.

25 21 - I was dropped back into the 90s. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it. The girls were fantastic. Na Hee-do was correct to dump Baek Yi-jin. Moon Ji-woong, perfect boy. Ji Seung-wan for PRESIDENT!

Why Her? - Someone thought it'd be a great idea to throw Seo Hyun-jin's ex-client (shudder) current-student (TRIPLE SHUDDER) Hwang In-yeop into the romance mix when billionaire CHOI YOUNG-JOON and Crown Prince Bae In-hyuk were already there. And they thought it'd be funny if Hwang In-yeop won. NO.

Eve - The superior commentary this year on the horrors of capitalism. It ends with reparations (Park Byung-eun hands over his entire empire to Seo Yeji, who promptly divests it), rich people dying in horrible ways and Seo Yeji doing the tango. Were the makjang knobs dialled up so high they're broken? Yes. Was it fun? YES, because I got to see Park Byung-eun's range, which includes Pained Hottie, and Seo Yeji running men's feet over in cars wearing couture. We can ask for no more.

Juvenile Justice - No one asked "What happens if we take three of the most charismatic working actors in Korean entertainment today and squeezed the life out of them?" But someone answered anyway.

My Liberation Notes - Lee El, a revelation. Mr Gu, a revelation when he started talking, and not the good kind.

Grid - Kim Mu-yeol. Kim Ah-joong and Jang So-yeon had a great year. I didn't understand the time thing at all. This is a me problem, but probably the only time I'll face it this year. Right? RIGHT?

Bloody Heart - Jang Hyuk has done nothing wrong, ever. The girls were fantastic. Lee Joon, I heard your script was meant for Lee Joon-hyuk. Sorry.

Pachinko - The girls were fantastic. Kim Min-ha, baby, you're gorgeous. JUNG EUN-CHAE was everything. Sorry to Lee Min-ho, who had the tough double role of acting as Ko Hansu and also like he belonged to this cast of greats.

Our Blues - Great acting, but my own blues were sufficient for me. The girls were fantastic. Unwanted to wanted pregnancy storyline: no thanks. This is a me problem, but probably the only time I'll face it this year. Right? RIGHT?

Extraordinary Attorney Woo - 75% love; 25% NOT THIS AGAIN.

Little Women - The girls were fantastic. I ran out of air by this point in the year. I'll come back for you, gothic interior design, poison orchids, and Song Joong-ki in the best role he's played all year!

Through the Darkness - Almost too many twirling moustache psychos and dead girls. I did it for Kim Nam-gil because he's so pretty in this and in case it wasn't abundantly clear by now, I don't think with my brain. The lone living girl - Kim So-jin - was fantastic. Jin Seon-kyu, well-adjusted stealth hottie!

Reborn Rich - Samsung owes Lee Sung-min its entire semiconductor business as @rain-hat said. Lee Sung-min owes me reparations for making me watch this show for him primarily (secondarily Park Hyuk-kwon, Kim Shin-rok, Park Ji-hyun and Kim Nam-hee for their acting; Kim Young-jae because he is THE DILF). I'm manifesting NO TIMESLIPS in 2023 dramas.

Under the Queen's Umbrella - Kim Hye-soo pushing up her hanbok sleeves to carry babies and do embroidery should be projected onto my tombstone unto eternity. The girls were fantastic. And I know this is unusual, so bear with me, but: the boys? FANTASTIC ALSO.

Movies:

Vikram - Fahaadh Faasil, my thoughts are nasty and you don't want to hear them. The girls might have been fantastic had they been permitted to live and not be dumdums. That was never going to happen, of course. There was torture and a baby in significant peril, but it was also the most fun I'd had in a while. I should get my head checked.

Ponniyin Selvan - The sheer scale of work and sweat that has gone into the enterprise of making Vikram seem taller than Trisha Krishnan for the last twenty years! Iconic. The girls were fantastic.

The Naked Kitchen - This is sold as a story of a woman choosing between two men. That is a lie. It's about a man coming to terms with his marriage drifting into polyamory, and enjoying it. Shin Min-ah and Ju Ji-hoon fuck in a museum, which was also weirdly sweet.

Asura City of Madness - AHJUSSHIS WHY. Hwang Jung-min's shirttails worked very hard in 2012. Jung Woo-sung ate glass and has pathological issues about being as handsome as he is. We love him for it. We did not love this.

Hunt - Love is your bestie learning how to write and direct just to write and direct you in the role of a lifetime for you, personally. I don't know if that's what happened here, but that's what love is. And chemistry is whatever these two guys have in this completely ordinary movie that did not give any feelings. Hwang Jung-min, pussy OUT.

Decision to Leave - A well-deserved love letter to Tang Wei, just beautifully shot, gorgeous.

Il Mare - Absolutely lovely little film, reliant almost entirely on the star power of two actors who are so charismatic they don't need to meet in the movie to convince you of their romance.

Laal Singh Chaddha - There was a very beautiful wedding at the end. Aamir Khan's face must hurt.

Darlings - A movie that appreciated and respected noted hottie Shefali Shah.

[koreaguides]

Top K-Dramas on Netflix in 2021

1. Sisyphus: The Myth 

Worldwide Rank: 81 

Actors: Cho Seung Woo & Park Shin Hye 

2. Hospital Playlist 

Worldwide Rank: 67 

Actors: Jo Jung Suk, Jeon Mi Do, Yoo Yeon Seok, Jung Kyung Ho, & Kim Dae Myung

3. Nevertheless 

Worldwide Rank: 66 

Actors: Song Kang, Han So Hee, & Chae Jong Hyeop. 

4. The King’s Affection 

Worldwide Rank: 48

Actors: Park Eun Bin, Rowoon, & Nam Yoon Su 

5. My Name 

Worldwide Rank: 47 

Actors: Han So Hee, Ahn Bo Hyun, & Park Hee Soon 

6. Hellbound

Worldwide Rank: 46 

Actors: Yoo Ah In, Park Jung Min, Won Jin A, & Kim Hyun Joo 

7. Hometown Cha Cha Cha 

Worldwide Rank: 26 

Actors: Kim Seon Ho, Shin Min Ah, & Lee Sang Yi 

8. Vincenzo 

Worldwide Rank: 15 

Actors: Song Joong Ki, Jeon Yeo Been, & Ok Taecyeon 

9. Squid Game 

Worldwide Rank: 1

Actor: Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, Jung Ho Yeon, & Wi Ha Joon 

[khaoray]

top 10 kdrama couples? and top 10 romantic kdramas? (i wanna watch something with good romance haha)

oh nonnie this is gonna be a challenge but i will do my absolute best. one thing you need to know about me and my taste in romance is that i'm really not here for straight up fluff. i need a bit of melodrama and angst to keep me invested. gonna stick it under a read more bc i feel it's gonna get lengthy asdfghjk

couples:

ji ho and jeung in (one spring night) - they invented being in love and facing your problems with maturity and they're just so important to me.

kang doo and moon soo (just between lovers) - if there's one thing i love in my romance it's angst and hurt people learning to heal together and literally no one does it like them. kang doo remains my favourite junho role too, so.

kyeo rye and yeon joo (if you wish upon me) - similar to jbl tbh kyeo rye is such a broken man at the start of the drama and watching him slowly fall in love and heal from years and years of trauma destroyed all of my emotions.

gong myung and se ra (into the ring) - THE childhood friends to rivals to friends to lovers ship!!!!! no one does it like they do honestly they're THE standard when it comes to emotional maturity.

joong gil and ryeon (tomorrow) - listen if you were around last year then you know just insane they made me. soulmates defying literal fate to end up together after centuries of trauma they make me so sick.

cheoljong and so bong (queen cheorin) - THE standard for enemies to lovers. nothing has ever been able to replicate the buzz they gave me week to week.

seon gyeom and mi joo (run on) - the softest couple on this entire list actually i think. they're just so sweet and cozy and safe and i love them so much.

taejun and taeyang (love all play) - my babies!!!! the drama itself kinda sucks but theyyyyy. one of the most mature relationships i've ever seen in a drama actually like we love a couple that actively talk about their issues and try to overcome them together.

vincenzo and cha young (vincenzo) - enemies to coconspirators to lovers excellence honestly who is doing chemistry like them. they're just so sexy.

dong jin and woo joo (call it love) - hi hello it's another instance of two traumatised people falling in love and finding happiness together what can i say i have a TYPE.

dramas:

one spring night - i've already talked about why i love this drama so much so i won't do it again but just know. i love it so so much it's so important to ME.

just between lovers - another one i've talked about a lot at this point but outside of the romance, this drama is just so GOOD. it deals with a lot of heavy themes so i'd advise discretion but it's so worth it imo. but just 10/10 experience wish i could go back and watch it again for the first time.

if you wish upon me - i love it for a lot of the same reasons i love jbl they're very similar imo. also. kyeo rye is the most character of all time i genuinely don't think ji chang wook is ever topping him.

into the ring - underrated!!!! underrated!!!!!!!!! underrated!!!!!!!!!!!! y'all slept on this one so hard and i still haven't forgiven you. i love romance between two grown adults who actually act their age and don't fall victim to stupid tropes.

run on - this drama makes me feel so cozy and safe and fuzzy idk man it's just pure good vibes for my soul.

call it love - if you love dramas that are slow, where a lot is said with very little dialogue and where the colour grading tells you a lot about the characters emotional states then boy do i have the drama for you.

witch's romance - can i interest you in twinky park seo joon in love with uhm jung hwa??? bc that's what this drama has to offer and it's so fun. it might be a bit dated now bc it came out in 2014 but i had such a good time when i first watched it.

queen cheorin - aside from the last half of the last episode i had such a good fun time watching two absolute idiots fight tooth and nail against falling in love with each other. when are we ever getting that level of chemistry again???

moon embracing the sun - alright i'm gonna be honest i don't actually remember all that much of this one anymore. i only watched it because kim soo hyun's in it. but i watched it as it was airing and it emotionally destroyed me so that's gotta count for something.

first love hatsukoi - yeah yeah it's not korean it's japanese but it's also the best show i've watched in the last year so!!!!! y'all can just take my rec and live with it. please please PLEASE watch it it's one of the most beautiful dramas i've ever seen and all four of the main actors are absolutely incredible in it.

[consumeronionbulletin]

Something in the Rain (2018)

This show feels like a very long indie romance movie. I loved the performances, the writing made very few mistakes (with the romance part at least), and this is one of my new favorite shows. However, I think it would have been even better as an ensemble...

The first 10-12 episodes are an excellent and touching look at the early stages of romance and intimacy. While I did not completely understand the cultural nuances that are the drive behind some of the obstacles to their romance, I still wanted to be there for the characters, which is all you can ask for.

If there are any flaws, it's that they invested so much in the romance, that they didn't give other potential viewers anywhere else to go to. Which is why I think it would have made a much better ensemble (similar to Romance is a Bonus Book).

The Performances

Son Ye-jin as Yoon Jin-ah the first lead. She did an amazing job making this character come alive. I feel like the direction for alot of scenes was just "put Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in together in a room and let them play around until we have enough footage." And it worked because of the chemistry and the talent of the two leads.

Jung Hae-in as Seo Joon-hee the other lead. This guy knows how to play a male lead in a romance. He's able to just look at his screen partner and let the audience see her the way that his character sees her. And I enjoyed watching every minute of it. He also did a fabulous job with pretty much every other actor he worked with. Just charming as hell.

Jang So-yeon as Seo Kyung-seon, Joon-hee's sister and Jin-ah's best friend. Her interactions were great and I never got tired of seeing Kyung-seon and Jin-ah together in a scene. I feel like the writers could have done so much more with the character though (which is one reason why this show needed to be an ensemble).

Wi Ha-joon as Yoon Seung-ho, Jin-ah's brother and Joon-hee's best friend. Having seen Ha-joon in other roles, I can say for certain that they should have given him more to work with. He did great as a side character, but cutting back on some of the romance (and the scenes with Jin-ah's mother) and giving him a few scenes as the main character would have been much better.

Gil Hae-yeon as Kim Mi-yeon, Jin-ah's mother. This character legitimately has a personality disorder and the real tragedy is that no one in the family wants to talk about it. The actress did a good job where she needed to, but it got tedious after awhile (which is also realistic). Her parts where especially hard to watch if—like me—you aren't spacing the episodes out a week or so at a time.

Jung Yoo-jin as Kang Se-young, Jin-ah's coworker and kind-of rival. Having seen the actress in a better role (Romance is a Bonus Book), I feel like the writers kind of did her a disservice. The character was a good foil in many ways, but they could have brought more nuance to her instead of just making her a total b--.

Joo Min-kyung as Geum Bo-ra, Jin-ah's coworker and eventually her good friend. This was kind of a standout role as the character could have been very bland as written. Some of that was just good casting / chemistry with Min-kyung and Ye-jin, but I would have loved to see her given more to work with, especially in the office drama.

Kim Chang-wan as Joon-hee's father. This guy is a national treasure and they probably couldn't afford him for a whole series, but he made the (at times tedious) family drama arc more compelling just by the way he played the character.

Seo Jeong-yeon as Jung Young-in the woman in charge of HR. If I'm being honest, most of the male characters in the office drama were good at playing sleazy, but felt really interchangeable. I fast-forwarded through alot of that stuff. But if Jeong-yeon was in the scene, I knew it would be good. I enjoyed watching her maneuver through this messy scandal. Some of it was the writing, but alot of it was the performance as well.

TL; DR:

This show really got under my skin and didn't let go. I know it's not perfect and not everyone will love it, but the parts that worked, really worked. I can think of a dozen ways this could have been better, and a hundred ways that the people making it could have screwed it up. But they didn't screw it up, and instead, they made something very special.