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boysplanetrecaps · 2 years ago

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Group Mission 1 (Ep 3-4) Main Recap

Boys Planet Episode 3-4 Recap / Master Post

This post will cover the second half of episode 3 and all of episode 4 of Boys Planet, with the in depth discussion of performances and teams covered in separate posts that will be linked below. I think it’ll make sense as we go! :) So let’s get started.

This recap covers episode 3 from 54:50 on, and all of episode 4.

Each practice group is experiencing a specific “drama,” which is either real or manufactured by the MNET editing. Remember at all times that this show has been edited so much that it’s almost fiction at this point -- keep that in mind before you get angry at a trainee.

What I'm going to do here is sort of recap the whole portion from second half of episode 3 all the way through episode 4, and as we go along you can click on a link to go to the full in depth review of that performance.

First, we visit with the Kill This Love teams, who get 8 minutes of screen time. The gist of the drama for G-group is that they all want the Killing Part, though they’re actually very reasonable and mature about the situation. Also, Matthew ends up with sub-vocal 2, which he’s a little sad about, but he’s just on such a talented team.

The gist of the drama for K-group is that Gunwook is the real leader, not Hwanhee -- which isn’t really drama so much as just, something that is happening. Also, because they’re nervous that they’ll lose to the very talented G-group team, they decide to do very big, manly movements in their dancing.

At 1:02:51, we visit with the Very Nice teams, who get 4 minutes of screen time. The K-team doesn’t have much drama -- just that they choose Mun Junghyeon, a rapper, to have an important subvocal part with a lot of high notes. Wonder why the editing is focusing on that?

On the G-side, the drama is that they’re having a hard time choosing a leader structure, a debate that is further hampered by communication problems. They eventually choose Ouju as leader. Each group gives the killing part to their most popular member, and K-group seems to choose parts without too much problem. But G-group’s squabbling continues.

At 1:06:55 we head over to the Danger teams, who get 4 minutes of screen time. The K-team doesn’t have drama, but it does have a weird power imbalance -- the 0 star but popular Lee Da Eul chose the K team, and his generally older and better ranked (star-wise) but less popular teammates have to just live in Da Eul’s world. They flatter him and say he’d make a good leader, but that’s too much work, so he happily hands over the leadership reins to Lee Seung Hwan.

The G-team is the leftovers team, and they’re pretty miserable. Chen Yu Geng is the only one willing to be leader, and he tries his best. The only one who can even kind of sing is Yang Jun, from Hot, and it’s… not good.

At 1:10:49, we visit with the Back Door teams, who get 7.5 minutes of screen time.

More than 4 minutes of that time is given the K-team. We see that the team has chosen Mr. Sexy BL Kim Ji Woong leader, at least in part because he chose the team, and he immediately says that he is just the mediator (“okay!”) and has no power (“okay!”) and that he’s just a listener (“okay!”) and that their opinions are more valuable than his (“congratulations!”). The drama is over who will get center; Han Yu Jin really wants it, but YuJin’s confidence has completely tanked, and Yoon Jong Woo gets it instead.

Meanwhile, the G-team isn’t doing as well, and MNET devotes a full 3.5 minutes to just their squabbling. Six of the members speak Chinese; one member, their leader Na Kamden, does not. The Chinese members, apparently led by Krystian (but beware the MNET edit) begin talking to each other in Chinese, and Kamden is left in the dark. It’s not great.

At 1:18:12, we visit with the Burn It Up teams, who get almost 4 minutes of screen time. G-group is getting along great, joking around about who has abs and smiling a lot. They’re all 2 and 1 stars but they seem to have high spirits. K-group is the leftovers team, and as you’d expect, their morale is low. The drama seems to be about whether little Choi Seung Hun will find his confidence, but I’m not sure that I care.

At 1:22:00, we visit with the Hot Sauce teams, who get almost 3 minutes of screen time! Lucky ducks. On the K-side, the two oldest members duke it out for leader, but blue-haired Park Hanbin, the only all star on the team and leader at his own agency, wins unanimously.

Meanwhile, over on the G-team, the drama is that the leader, Osuke, is the shortest one on the team at 5'5, so he keeps disappearing from view. MNET lets us know that this is very funny with their choice of background music.

At 1:25:00, we visit with the Love Me Right teams, who get 5.5 minutes of screen time.

These are the two first-chosen, powerhouse teams.

K-team has picked Hui as its leader and picks Lee Ye Dam to do its killing part. Naturally, Hui will be their main vocal -- that’s just common sense.

G-team picks Wumuti to be their leader, and were going to give the killing part to Jay and the main vocal to Wumuti, but the latter gets intimidated by Hui and asks Jay if they can switch. Jay agrees, and then Jay is the main vocal while Wumuti gets the killing part.

So far, there doesn’t seem to be any real drama on these teams.

We see a brief montage as the days fly by and the trainees rehearse, eat, sleep, and rehearse more.

Show Day

At 1:30:50 in, it’s show day! There are crowds around the block trying to get in to the filming, which is cool to see. The editing shows us a ton of non-Asian faces, as well as some Chinese and Japanese audience members, although we have no way to know what the audience break down actually was.

The boys get dressed in their stage clothes and makeup, and feel like idols for the first time. Then they get to walk in through the crowd, and the crowd --which is almost entirely female -- goes pretty crazy for them, which had to feel pretty good. Jung Se Yun, who is on team Burn it up, interviews, “I guess this is why everyone wants to be an idol.”

Then Hwan Min Hyun comes out, and the audience loses their mind again. Minhyun explains the rules to the audience, while the judges watch from some safe distance, in a pure white room, that I assume is on Min Hyun’s space station.

Are they sitting on folding chairs? Could the show not get them some more comfortable seating, and maybe a table? Did the staff spend the whole budget on those pajamas?

At 1:34:30, the Very Nice teams come out.

At 1:35:34 there’s a lengthy bit about how the boys did arm wrestling to decide who goes first, and weirdly, K-group wins every time, leading me to wonder if the arm-wrestling stage thingy was rigged somehow.

And then back to Team Very Nice.

We start with the G-group, who struggled learning the dance, until one of the psycho dance teacher’s malicious, hurtful, critique of them somehow helps them be better dancers. You’d think teaching them would work better, but apparently, no, vindictive spiteful abuse it is! They put on a cute performance though, with great vocals from Cong.

At 1:50:20 the K-group comes back out and we head into flashback mode shortly thereafter. The drama is that Jung Min Gyu has taken on the difficult role of Subvocal 1, with all the high notes, and he’s running his throat raw. No one else can do it, so he’s stuck with it, and has to do his best. In the performance, his voice breaks a few times, but he sticks with it, and the whole team does a good job, with great vocals from Yoo Seung Eon.

At 2:01:30, both teams come out and it’s time for the voting. Yoo Seung Eon earns 248 votes, which is a lot -- it's the third highest votes that any single trainee will earn tonight. K-team takes it by a landslide. 530: 243.

At 2:04:21, Team Kill This Love goes up.

Minhyun introduces the song by saying it “rewrote the history of K-pop girl groups,” and I don’t know if that’s quite true, but yeah, Blackpink is obviously a force of nature in Kpop.

We see the introductions for most members of both teams, and then see the rehearsal for the K-group.

As you recall, the drama is about whether General Gunwook’s plan can possibly defeat Keita’s incredibly strong team.

Keita’s team goes up first, and they’re fantastic. Dance, vocals, rap, they’re great. They even do some harmony and it sounds really good. I mean, you know. You already know. They do a thing where they had some red lipstick on their hands somewhere, and during the outro they smear it on their faces, giving the appearance that they were tearing their skin open. Kind of dumb, yet it works.

The judges are just like

Meanwhile, K-team is backstage, feeling nervous. They’re also good, but they know they’re facing an uphill battle.

They come out and they do really well, and if they’d been up against almost any other G-team I think they would have won. But some of their vocals are shaky, and Lee Hwanhee’s Hail Mary of an adlib doesn’t sound that great. You know that I love Hwanhee, and all these boys, but I think they were scared and tired.

G-team wins, and by a big margin. Congrats to them! They did so well and made it look easy! The score is 586 to 356.

And someone, please buy all these boys some Throat Comfort tea and tell them to stop singing when their throats are tired. More singing won’t make it better.

I love this stuff. I talk for my job so I need this to survive.

At 2:27:48, Minhyun says, “This group opened the door to Korean albums selling a million,” and the audience yells “EXO!” I’m an EXO-L and I don’t know if I would have gotten it from that hint, but whatever. Yay! EXO! That means we get to listen to Love Me Right! It also means the Love Me Right teams will perform! This is all well and good, but also, there are only 16 minutes to go in this episode, and we’re going to need at least 3 minutes set aside for instant replays and reactions alone, so we know that there is no way we’re going to see both teams perform.

The teams come out, though, and seem ready to start.

We get to see the G-team perform, and as you might imagine, Jay’s vocals are fantastic, though the rest of the team seemed a bit shakier to me. Still, overall the performance was very good.

At 2:41:40 the K-group comes out, but you and I know they’re not going to perform right this minute! Not a chance. They get a few notes in and that’s that. So we’ll have to wait until Episode 4 to find out what happens.

Then they give the live voting results, but only those ranked 40-60, so I’m not going to bother to record it here. Throughout the recaps for these episodes, I’ll continue to use the rankings from the end of Episode 2 because otherwise I’d go insane. I’m already going insane. They do give away that the top three is the same top 3 it’s been -- Sung Han Bin, Kim Ji Woong, and Han Yujin.

The majority of the preview for next episode is about whether or not Hui can hit the high note.

Feel free to skip to Episode 4!

If you’re happy to skip past the preview and promise not to cheat, go to 1:39.

We open with some “boys being cute” stuff that I’m not going to recap, but it is cute! It’s a joke about how much they love their i-pads, which help them so much, but it’s also about how hard they’re working and how much they love their dreams.

To skip past the voting instructions, go to 4:07. It’s still performance night! Who is up next? Announcing it makes MinHyun nostalgic, because it’s the Wanna One song, and the audience cheers “Wanna One! Wanna One!” until he gives in and does like 5 seconds of the choreo. Aw.

It looks really weird in that double breasted suit of his.

After that, it’s time for the Burn It Up teams to come up. And it’s time for the audience at home to get out a box of tissues, because these are the two teams that had the saddest time, as far as I can tell.

Let me just say that these segments are exploitive; MNET sets people up to fail, and then films them failing, and then wrings out every emotion from them. It ends up being good television, but also it’s awful. But it’s kind of what I’m watching the show for, at a certain level.

I guess that…

you can call me monster?

Anyway.

As you might recall, the drama with both teams is that they were full of low ranked members; the G-team was the second to last formed, and the K-team was the leftovers.

The drama for G is that one member can’t quite do a particular dance move, while another member can’t quite sing a certain vocal run. They both practice a lot; in the end, during the performance, Xuan Hao manages to sing the vocal run, but Chen Ren Yu can’t quite do the dance move. Overall though they do fine, which is a relief.

The drama for K is that the two youngest members -- a 14 year old and a young seeming 15 year old -- are not holding up well under the pressure. The group’s leader, Park Min Seok, struggles with leading them without scolding them too much, and ends up being really rather sweet and lovely. In the end, the performance is actually perfectly fine, and Park Gwan Young’s singing was the major surprise for me. Came out of nowhere!

K-team wins, 518 to 326.

At 28:09, the teams performing Danger by BTS come out.

Almost immediately, we go into the backstory for G-team, who are the leftovers of the Global Trainees. Their leader Chen Yu Geng is trying to have a meeting with his demoralized team, but it devolves into an argument with main vocal Yang Jen. It’s really just miserable squabbling between two stressed out people who both are sort of wrong, but also totally relatable. That makes it not the most FUN watch, though it is kind of engrossing. In the end, they tearfully admit that they’re both just so stressed out and completely without hope, and they apologize.

It is sort of interesting that Takuto didn’t get a story focus here, and I almost was wondering if MNET had forgotten about him when he popped up to give the final statement before the performance.

The performance starts at 34:40 or so, and they do a surprisingly good job. I don’t know if I would have picked this one out as the leftovers’ specifically if I’d just watched it on Youtube without knowing the backstory. That’s meant to be a compliment.

When they’re done, everyone’s so relieved, especially Team G themselves.

Then at 38:54 we go into flashback mode for the K-team.

Their drama is that at that big mid-way checkup, when all the trainees give each other feedback, Lee Da Eul doesn’t know his part and really the whole team is doing terribly. Most of their feedback forms contain no compliments. The team makes some changes -- the leader, Seung Hwan, gives his own main vocal part to Jung I Chan, who nonchalantly says the high notes are easy for him. They try to talk Da Eul into giving up his big rapping part, and he won’t budge, and implies that since he is the one who picked everyone for this team, they should let him keep the part. And they feel like they have to let him, since he’s the highest ranked. It’s really gross. They’re still doing poorly at dress rehearsal, and they all get a serious dressing down from the judges, especially Da Eul.

On performance day, the judges are worried, and rightly so. Most of the team pulls it together and puts in a decent performance -- I’ll put in a plug for Jeon Wooseok, who I think does a great job -- and Lee Da Eul does well enough that people can pretend it’s good. But Jung I-Chan, who also was on I-land as Jaebeom, just completely flops. It’s not just the bad singing -- it’s how he lets it show on his face, and does most of the performance looking like this.

When the results come back, the K-team wins; we don't get the full voting results here, but later on find out the score was 486 to 286.

At 54:50, it’s time for Back Door, and everyone is excited. It seem like even a lot of members of G-team are just honestly excited to see the performance, and from context, it’s clear that it’s really K-team they want to see.

K-team’s drama is that Han Yujin is having some trouble with the choreo and needs to practice more, and then he does, and does great. That’s about it. Also, Kim Tae Rae should have been the main vocal instead of Ji Yun Seo, but it seems like even the team doesn’t know that, and it’s not a source of drama.

They do fucking fantastic. Best performance of the whole mission. Kim Ji Woong lifts his shirt up high enough to expose his nipples and the audience goes batshit crazy. It’s obvious they’re going to win.

The G-group has a ton of drama. They have to switch the killing part from Krystian to Ricky, and Krystian isn’t happy about it. Kamden is having trouble as a leader, and there’s just sort of ill feelings all around. The team ends up talking it through and getting to a better place, and they put on a perfectly good performance of Back Door, with the possible exception of the shaky high notes from Feng Jun Lan, their main vocalist.

There was nothing they could have done to win. Kim Ji Woong gets 259 votes all by himself, which would have already have been enough to beat the entire G team.

Final score, 551 to 204.

At 1:21:37, it’s time for Hot Sauce.

We flashback to G-team’s rehearsal. They had a hard time getting started, because leader Osuke not only is short, which is an important plot point ya’ll, but also is not great as teaching choreo. Luckily, Ollie, who really shouldn’t be a 0 star, steps forward and ends up low key saving the whole team. They don’t really have a main vocalist, but they are doing the dancing as well as they can.

At the performance, both Ollie and Osuke shine, and in my opinion, Nice wins the most improved award. Poor Toui can’t quite hit the notes, but does his best. The judges' assessment is mostly kind.

At 1:29:55, it’s time for K team’s flashback.

This team has an excellent leader in blue-haired Park Hanbin, who is firm but respectful, driving his team to excel by showing them the correct movements and not insulting them or belittling them. There’s no drama here at all, so there’s nothing for MNET to wallow in. They don’t even make a big deal out of losing a member and having to recalibrate the performance for 6 instead of 7. They just make it work.

Their performance is overall really great. Their main vocalist isn’t quite up to the task, but their dancing is exceptional, and their energy is infectious. Plus, the crowd loves it when Hanbin lifts up his shirt to show his abs. He ends up getting 253 votes, second only to Kim Ji Woong, and the K-team absolutely routs G-team, 618 to 233.

At 1:40:45, it’s time to return to the Love Me Right team.

In the flashback, we focus on how Lee Yedam gave the killing part to Seung Hanbin, and then focus on how Seung Hanbin originally wanted to be an elementary school teacher (was this man created in a lab to be a Kpop idol?). Then they focus on how Hui’s voice isn’t in top condeeshon. Oh no!! Will he mess up his performance?

Of course not. The performance is exceptional. Everyone does really well. Hui sounds fantastic. Everyone sounds and looks great. Arguably the best performance of the night, though I'd be hard pressed to choose between it and Back Door. When they’re done, the judges just drop their clipboards and say, “That was perfect.”

The voting reflects this, of course. K-team wins easily, K team wins, 557 to 206. Three members of the K group break 100 votes -- Gyuvin, Hanbin, and Hui -- and no one on G surpasses Jay’s 66.

Then there's nothing left to do but count. It's already obvious which teams won, and it's of course also obvious that K group got the benefit. They also reveal that Back Door got the most audience votes, so they'll be headed to M-Countdown. That's all that really happens, so you can feel ok about skipping the last few minutes of the episode.

Hope you enjoyed the recap(s) -- there's a lot more "meat" in the individual recaps linked at the top.

#boys planet 999 #boys planet recap #boys planet #boysplanet

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randomobsessionsofa30something · 11 months ago

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My top 10 korean OSTs of 2023

It's time to countdown my favorite music from korean dramas. As per usual I only chose one per dramas from dramas that started in 2023.

H.M. New Jeans-Beautiful Restriction. I actually didn't watch A time called you. I just never got around to it but I found this song and it reminded me of those typical OSTs from like ten years ago so this song felt nostalgic somehow.

10. WINTER- With you. My demon is my favorite drama right now. I've always been a sucker for rom coms with a supernatural twist. It feels like every OST from this drama is gonna be great. New Jean's Our Night is more beautiful than your day is probably the most played in the drama but it's Winter's beautiful vocals that won me over. No surprise there since she is my favorite Aespa vocalist. Still Whenever Wherever by Roy Kim and Dawn's Even if we disappear are so good.

9. Melomance-The secret between us. Melomance are one of my favorite interpeters of OSTs and this song is sweet with a playful chorus, which goes perfectly with the fun romcom A good day to be a dog. Sunday Latte by Junggigo and Jea is also worth a listen.

8. Kim Sejeong-Once Again. Kim Sejeong sang two OSTs for the second season of The Uncanny Counter and they're both a really good listen. However the way Sejeong's voice soars in Once Again just gives it a bit of an edge. By the way if you haven't watched the Uncanny Counter it's a fun fantasy drama to binge. Cravity's Ready Set Go and Dvwn's No problem are also really good.

7. Lee Chang Sub- Love from a real heart. Honestly I felt too old to watch Beginning is from the first kiss but the OSTs are power ballads that are definitely worth listening. From Lee A Young's Even Silently Cry to Heaven by Lim Jae Hyun they all get you in the feels. BTOB's Changsub however just has that extra something in his voice that makes you pay attention.

6. Noel-That's you. Lyn made some beautiful soundtracks for Destined with you (I'll always be with you and We love each other) that you should check out but the chorus of That's you by Noel is so catchy that I had no choice but to choose this song in my list. The vocals are full of emotion.

5. Jeon Seowoon-Fall in love. Having SNSD's Yoona and 2PM's Junho as the leads of this drama was somehow exactly what I didn't know I wanted. I love Jeon Seowoon's tone for OSTs and he released a few this year but for me this was the best one. It's just painfully sweet. This drama had other pretty songs but Punch's Keep me busy, and Minseo's Perhaps love are also standouts.

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4. Solar-EXIT. This song for the drama The Escape of the Seven sounds so epic. It has a lot of verses in English. And Solar's power vocals shine through.

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3. Doyoung-Here with me. NCT's Doyoung keeps delivering beautiful OSTs. And my favorite this year is the one he did for See you in my 19th life which happens to be one of my favorite romcoms of the year. Colde's Star is also a stand out song for this drama.

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2. Baekhyun-Hello. The third season of Dr. Romantic was my least favorite of the series but it had great OSTs. EXO's Baekhyun sang the first one and it has such a beautiful melody. The vocals are of course on point. Gummy's I will stay with you, Doyoung's Beautiful Day, Seukwang's Still you and Lia's One Hundred Love are worth listening too.

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1. Kang Seung Yoon-Half&Half. The drama True to love was crazy funny. This song by WINNER's Kang Seung Yoon is so great and definitely my most played OST of the year. iKON's JU-NE also sang a beautiful song for this drama called Accidental love.

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idolskpop · 1 year ago

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‘Moving’ Episode 19: Ryu Seung Ryong, Kim Sung Kyun’s Emotional Father-Son Reunion

The penultimate episode of ‘Moving’, the hit Disney+ original series, delivered an intense and emotional showdown between the former agents and the North Korean army. Ryu Seung Ryong, Kim Sung Kyun, and Han Hyo Joo were on the brink of losing but promised to save their children.

‘Moving’ Episode 19: The Final Battle at Jeongwon High School

(Photo : Disney+) The episode began with the continuation of the fierce battle between the former agents and the North Korean army. The North Koreans were determined to complete their mission and bring the file back to their country, while the former agents were willing to do anything to protect their children. Lee Kang Hoon (Kim Do Hoon) was brutally beaten by Park Chan Il (Jo Bok Rae), who had super-strength powers. Kang Hoon was inexperienced and overpowered by his opponent. Their guidance counselor, Cho Il Hwan (Kim Hee Won), tried to stop Park Chan Il, but he failed. Luckily, Lee Jae Man (Kim Sung Kyun) arrived in time and saved Kang Hoon from the North Korean soldier. Their father-son relationship touched the viewers as Jae Man apologized for coming late. Jang Joo Won (Ryu Seung Ryong) was able to defeat Kwon Young Deuk (Park Gwang Jae), who had the same powers as him. Joo Won used his healing abilities and superhuman strength to overpower his enemy. However, the situation turned worse when Kim Deok Yoon (Park Hee Soon) called for backup from their strongest soldier, Lim Jae Seok (Lee Suk Hyeong). Lim Jae Seok had the ability to crush anything with a clap, but he was sensitive to light and could not stand seeing it. Lim Jae Seok unleashed his destructive power and demolished half of Jeongwon High School, causing chaos and panic among the students and teachers. Joo Won had to save Jae Man again from the collapsing building, but he got trapped under the rubble with a metal rod piercing his chest. Joo Won’s eyes were severely damaged by Lim Jae Seok’s attack, and he decided to remove them himself. He told Jae Man to take care of his daughter, Jang Hui Soo (Go Youn Jung), and said his final words: “I love you.” Jae Man managed to escape from the building with Kang Hoon and others before it was too late. He carried Joo Won’s body with him and mourned his death.

The Heartbreaking Reunion of Ryu Seung Ryong and Go Youn Jung

(Photo : Disney+) Meanwhile, Kim Bong Seok (Lee Jung Ha) and Hui Soo were hiding in a classroom with Frank (Ryoo Seung Bum), who had betrayed the CIA and decided to help them. Frank used his healing abilities to treat Bong Seok’s wounds and told him that he was his uncle. Frank revealed that he was Kim Doo Sik’s (Zo In Sung) younger brother, who was kidnapped by the CIA when he was a child. He said that he never forgot his brother and wanted to see him again. He also said that he was sorry for what he had done and asked for Bong Seok’s forgiveness. Bong Seok accepted Frank’s apology and hugged him. He said that he was glad to have an uncle like him. Frank smiled and said that he was proud of his nephew. Hui Soo was worried about her father, Joo Won, who had not contacted her for a long time. She tried to call him, but there was no answer. She asked Frank to help her find him, but Frank said that it was too dangerous. Hui Soo insisted on going out, saying that she could not just sit there and do nothing. She said that she loved her father more than anything and wanted to see him alive. She ran out of the classroom, followed by Bong Seok. They encountered Lim Jae Seok, who was still rampaging outside. Hui Soo tried to fight him, but she was no match for his power. Lim Jae Seok grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up. Bong Seok used his flying abilities to rescue her, but he was also caught by Lim Jae Seok. He squeezed them both until they lost consciousness. At that moment, Joo Won’s voice echoed in Hui Soo’s mind. He told her that he loved her more than anything and that he was sorry for not being a good father. He said that he was proud of her and that she should live happily. Hui Soo regained her strength and broke free from Lim Jae Seok’s grip. She used her healing abilities to heal Bong Seok’s wounds and helped him fly away from Lim Jae Seok. They landed near a truck where Jae Man was waiting for them. He told them to get in quickly and drove away from the school. On the way, Hui Soo saw her father’s body lying on the back seat. She was shocked and devastated. She cried out his name and hugged him, hoping that he would wake up. She asked Jae Man what had happened to him, but Jae Man could not answer. He was also in tears and grief. Hui Soo blamed herself for her father’s death. She said that she should have stayed with him and helped him. She said that she was sorry for not being a good daughter. Bong Seok tried to comfort her, saying that it was not her fault. He said that her father loved her very much and that he sacrificed himself to save them. He said that they should be grateful for his life and honor his memory. Hui Soo sobbed and said that she loved her father very much and that she missed him. She said that she wanted to see him again and hear his voice. Bong Seok hugged her and said that he was there for her. He said that they were not alone and that they had each other. He said that they would get through this together. The episode ended with a heartbreaking scene of Hui Soo and Bong Seok mourning their father’s death, while Jae Man drove them to safety.

Netizens’ Reactions

(Photo : Disney+) The 19th episode of ‘Moving’ received rave reviews from the viewers, who praised the actors’ performances and the director’s skills. They expressed their emotions and opinions on various online platforms. Here are some of the comments from netizens: - “This episode was so sad and touching. I cried so much for Joo Won and Hui Soo. Ryu Seung Ryong and Go Youn Jung are amazing actors. They made me feel their pain and love.” - “Kim Sung Kyun deserves an award for his role as Jae Man. He showed so many emotions in this episode. He was angry, scared, sad, and brave. He was a hero and a father.” - “I can’t believe Joo Won is dead. He was my favorite character in this show. He was so funny, kind, and cool. He had such a great chemistry with everyone. I will miss him so much.” - “The action scenes were so epic and realistic. The special effects were impressive. The director did a great job of creating tension and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.” - “I’m glad Frank turned out to be a good guy. He redeemed himself by helping Bong Seok and Hui Soo. I hope he reunites with his brother, Doo Sik, soon.” - “I’m worried about what will happen in the final episode. Will Doo Sik and Mi Hyun survive? Will Bong Seok and Hui Soo be happy? Will Frank escape from the CIA? I can’t wait to find out.”

Conclusion

(Photo : Disney+) ‘Moving’ is a captivating series that combines action, fantasy, romance, and family drama in a unique way. It is based on a popular webtoon by Kang Full, who also wrote the screenplay for the series. The series features a stellar cast of veteran and rising actors, such as Ryu Seung Ryong, Han Hyo Joo, Zo In Sung, Cha Tae Hyun, Ryoo Seung Bum, Kim Sung Kyun, Lee Jung Ha, Go Youn Jung, and Kim Do Hoon. The series has received positive reviews from critics and viewers alike, who praised its plot, characters, cinematography, music, and production value. It has also achieved high ratings on various platforms, such as Disney+, Hulu, IMDb, MyDramaList, and Naver. The series will air its 20th and final episode on September 20th, 2023. It is expected to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the story of the superpowered families. If you enjoyed this article, feel free to share it with your friends and leave a comment below. Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

#KimSungKyun #Moving #RyuSeungRyong

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thesecrettimes · 1 year ago

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Blockchain Firm Raises Millions From Andreessen Horowitz, Paris Hilton to Help Monetize AI Mashups

Investors Pledge $54 Million to Support Story Protocol’s Plan to Help Copyright Holders in AI Age

U.S. blockchain company Story Protocol has won the support of a group of investors led by American venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz for its plan to help content creators track and monetize their work in the times of generative AI, Bloomberg reported. Against the backdrop of low investor interest in crypto startups, the San Francisco-based tech firm managed to raise $54 million. Among those who offered funding for its project are also Hashed, Endeavor, Samsung Next, TPG Capital founder David Bonderman, and Paris Hilton’s 11:11 media. Besides receiving equity in Story, whose valuation was not disclosed, Andreessen has also obtained the right to buy digital tokens, if the company decides to issue such, although co-founder Jason Zhao indicated that it does not currently intend to do so. The launch of Openai’s Chatgpt and other platforms utilizing artificial intelligence attracted millions of users to AI tools which led to a spike in remixes and mashups online, the report notes. Lawsuits filed by copyright holders have also surged in number. In response to this trend, Story Protocol is building a blockchain-based repository of intellectual property for various types of content, including prose, images and audio, that an author would be able to register their work with and then use connected apps to sell licensing rights. “In a year or two the level of remixed content through GenAI is going to be so much higher,” remarked Story’s other co-founder, Seung-Yoon Lee. He gave an example with a song featuring AI-generated versions of the voices of artists Drake and the Weeknd which became viral before it was shut down by Universal Music Group. At the same time, Lee also pointed out: You can’t go and cease and desist everything. The investment will allow Story Protocol to launch its blockchain technology in the first half of 2024, Jason Zhao noted. It comes despite a venture capital drought in the crypto space with funding for startups declining since prices of digital assets dropped last year and amid an ongoing regulatory crackdown on the industry. Do you think crypto companies should develop more products with AI applications to attract investment? Share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below. Read the full article

#andreessen #artificial #blockchain #company #Copyright #Crypto #GenAI #hilton #horowitz #Millions #monetize #paris #Protocol’s #TPG #work

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ailtrahq · 1 year ago

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The new blockchain-based IP ownership network Story Protocol News/home/20230905638262/en/Story-Protocol-Launches-With-Over-54M-in-Funding-Led-by-Andreessen-Horowitz" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">closed a $54 million funding round on Sept. 7, which included investments from big names like Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media, and Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z. The platform uses Blockchain Technology to help content creators oversee and monetize their content in the face of fakes generated by artificial intelligence (AI). It plans to serve as a blockchain-based IP ownership repository for all types of content including text, image and audio. If artists eventually register with the protocol they can use connected services to sell the licensing rights for various other uses. The other co-founder of the project Seung-Yoon Lee estimated that in “in a year or two the level of remixed content through GenAI is going to be so much higher.”“In a world of total abundance catalyzed by generative AI, blockchain technology presents the perfect solution for transparent provenance tracking and fair attribution.”The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, who also received equity in the company and the right to buy Digital Tokens if issued by Story Protocol, according to a spokesperson from the company. Story Protocol also received backing from Hashed, Endeavor, David Bonderman - the founder of TPG Capital- and Samsung Next.The company’s co-founder Jashon Zhao said the funds will go towards the launch in the first half of 2024. The battle against deep fakes and copyright-infringing content at the hands of generative AI has been of major concern for the entertainment industry. Universal Music Group (UMG) has been campaigning for streaming platforms such as Spotify to be vigilant about removing content that misuses copyrighted work. Shortly after UMG’s email was dispersed, Spotify announced it would be increasing its policing across the platform and actively began to remove content in violation of copyright rules. Most recently, it was revealed that UMG and Google were in negotiations over how to manage deep fakes, along with how to best license melodies and vocal tracks that can be used in AI-generated songs.

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smylealong · 3 years ago

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Year End Drama Recap

This was a year that tested me in more ways than one. I have had highs and lows unlike any I had experienced before. I lost much, spent a long time in throes of anxiety and depression. I also managed to beat something that was making my life miserable. A decision I took has led to a happier, healthier me. I made lifestyle changes that have yielded fantastic results. Overall, this was one heck of a roller-coaster year. Amidst all these upheavals, dramas grounded me and provided with some much-needed distraction. In fact, I managed to watch quite a few dramas, both Korean and Chinese. This post is a recap of the dramas I watched/abandoned or am currently watching. Since this will be a long post, I will put it under “keep reading”.

K-Dramas

That Winter the Wind Blows- (Abandoned) -This drama had been on my to-be-watched list for a very long time, primarily because of Kim Bum. I love that guy and I wanted to like this drama. Alas, this drama was much too strange for me. That the central romance goes down the whole “fake-cest” route, with one party actively defrauding the other was too icky for me to continue. The cinematography was excellent, but the dull grey tones were too dreary for me.

Black- (Abandoned)- The concept of this series was fantastic. It even had Jo Jae Yoon (Cheetah for Mad Dog/ Perm job from Save Me), someone I love to bits. I absolutely adored the character played by Kim Dong Jun (Oh Man Soo), and enjoyed the male lead, Han Moo Gang, played by Song Seung Hoon. The story was interesting, and the acting was great. Why then did I stop watching it? Because this series has the unfortunate tendency to use bodily fluids as a crutch for humor, which grossed me out thoroughly. I can’t stand that brand of humor. I had to stop.

Goblin- (Completed)- Loved this drama. Enjoyed every second of it. The bromance between the Goblin and the Reaper was the cherry on top of this fantastic sundae. Also…. Lee Dong Wook! *fans self*

The Guest- (Completed)- One of the best horror series I have seen in a while. I liked that this series did not go the gore/jump scares route. Instead, it went the environmental and situational horror. Led by capable, strong, and decisive leads. Supported by able side characters and a tight plot, The Guest kept me glued to the screen. Also… Kim Jae Wook! *fans self*

Strangers From Hell- (Completed)- This was such a disappointment. It started off brilliantly – a naïve, young protagonist stuck in a claustrophobic, ready to explode situation. And then, it turned into a torture-porn with believability diminishing with every episode, this was an arduous watch. The caricatursih portrayal of the villains only exacerbated my frustrations. I only held on because of Lee Dong Wook. But it was an uphill task.

Hotel Del Luna- (Completed)- This was one heck of a ride. I loved the quirky and deliciously evil Jang Man Wol played by the competent IU. The male lead, Gu Chan Sung played by the incredible Yeo Jin Goo, was delightful to watch. A perfect supernatural romantic comedy that warmed my heart. Worth the hype.

Crowned Clown- (Watching) – This Korean take on The Prince and The Pauper has Yeo Jin Goo in a brilliant double role. The guest appearance of Jang Hyuk makes that series that much better.

C-Drama

The Wolf- (Abandoned) – I began watching this drama for Xiao Zhan. I love that guy and I had to watch it. The drama had the added benefit of Li Qin and Xin Zhilei, so I was looking forward to it. But then, the drama was chopped by the censors and the end result was one hot, incoherent mess. It did not help that the main couple, Bo Wang (Darren Wang) and Ma Zhai Xing (Li Qin), were one toxic mess. Xiao Zhan’s Ji Chong was the only good thing about the drama but even he could not salvage it for me.

Dance of the Phoenix- (Abandoned)- Started watching this drama for Wang Hao Xuan. But the male lead, Jun Lin Yuan (played by Xu Kai Cheng), had all of half an expression on his face throughout the drama. It did not help that the drama went down the whole, “Black is ugly, fair is beautiful” route. I was disgusted.

My Heroic Husband- (Abandoned)- Half the cast of Joy of Life meant this automatically became a drama I would watch. Guo Qi Lin is a delight to watch, and Song Yi was competent. I was enjoying myself watching this drama, until I wasn’t. Guo Qi Lin’s Ning Yi was a little too much of a Mary Sue for me. This just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The Rebel Princess- (Completed)- Rarely has a drama elicited such a polarizing response from me. Even though I was not entirely sold on Zhang Zi Yi playing a teenaged A’Wu, I pushed through, primarily because of Liu Duan Duan’s Song Huai’en. But slowly, I was sucked into the complicated palace drama. It was thrilling, entertaining and fun. I loved it right up to the point where Purba Rgyal’s character, Ma Zilu, died. From that point on, the drama meandered. It went into a lala land and when both Song Huai’en and Jia Yi Ping’s Wang Su went rotten, I was ready to give up. But at @terribleteej’s behest, I continued. In the end, I loved some bits, liked some bits, got annoyed with some things and downright hated some of it. In the end, I did end up writing some fanfics. So yeah… there is that.

Hope All Is Well With Us- (Completed)- Watched it for Liu Duan Duan. Not worth the time spent, can be skipped.

The Long Ballad- (Completed)- Unpopular opinion perhaps, but I really enjoyed this drama. I watched this drama when I was in a really bad place mentally, and it gave me exactly the distraction I was seeking. I wanted something that did not need me to think too much. I went in with zero expectations and enjoyed myself. I liked all four leads, and fell in love with Liu Yu Ning’s singing.

Love Me if You Dare- (Completed)- When I watched Mindhunter, I became interested in understanding the mind of a serial killer. Since a character in one of my original stories is a serial killer, I needed to study more about them. One thing that I learned during my studies is that most TV series get the portrayals wrong. I have seen interviews of real killers and trust me, they are far more chilling than any actors I have seen. Love Me if You Dare also fell in the trap of a wildly gesticulating, weird face contorting, and monologuing serial killer instead of how they can be. The real ones don’t need all of those bells and whistles to chill you to the bone, they can unnerve you with one casual, throwaway remark. That said, I did enjoy looking at the beautiful faces of Wallace Huo, Sandra Ma and Wang Kai.

Nirvana in Fire- (Completed)- Well, well, well. What do I say about this fantastic political drama? Intelligent characters, glorious sets, gorgeous costumes and a taut script. I enjoyed this drama fully. Mei Chang Su reminded me of Chanakya with his cold, precise, and calculative political maneuvers. It was even better with competent and useful female characters and some fantastic battle choreography. I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who wants a smart political thriller.

Longest Day in Chang’an- (Watching)- This is a show that requires 110% of my mind and attention. This is a thrilling and complex series that doesn’t believe in spoon feeding the audience. It needs a certain state of mind, and I will admit that it is taking me forever to watch the show but finish this show I will because I like what I see.

Sword Snow Stride- (???)- Am I still watching this show? Am I abandoning this? What does this show want to do? What exactly is happening? Do I like this show? I don’t know yet. This show confuses me.

Feng Qi Luoyang- (Watching)- I am loving this drama and enjoying everything that this drama has to offer. Just three more episodes to go, and if this drama ends the way it has been going, this would be one of the best things of 2021. Also… Liu Duan Duan *fans self*

Hindi/English

House of Secrets - (Completed)- I would also use this space to talk about a documentary I watched on Netflix that had me thinking for a very long time. This three-part documentary seeks answers to a horrifying and bizarre incident that took place the Burari area of New Delhi, India, in 2018. A family of 11 were found hanging, with their mouths gagged, eyes blindfolded, hands tied and cotton stuffed into their ears. The documentary chronicles the police investigation that took place amidst mounting political pressure and the media circus. The documentary seeks answers to some difficult questions. And the answers that do come forth are even more bizarre than the incident itself. This is definitely a documentary I would recommend highly. However, be warned, this is very disturbing and is likely to give you some sleepless nights.

#drama recap #k drama #c drama #netflix documentary

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asena-queenslayer · 4 years ago

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Yoon Seri is the rich aunt that takes you shopping 'til you drop. She'll give you a complete makeover and pay for it all despite your protests

"no, I'm not hearing another word about this, you're getting these twenty brand new custom fit outfits whether you like it or not"

And then you go to a trendy coffee shop and exchange the latest gossip as you people-watch and judge them over the most expensive gold-leaf-sprinkled espresso (of course it's good, it's Aunt Seri).

She'll give you the best advice on everything...and I mean everything. It might be a little questionable, but it’s good.

Seo Dan isn't the type to spoil you; she acts super cold, but you know you can come to her with anything. Someone break your heart? She's ready to break theirs. In fact you gotta physically pull her away from the door.

"Dan it's not that bad I'm going to be fine, stop you're going to do something illegal"

"ILLEGAL??? They broke your heart and you're worried about illegal?? What they did is illegal! How dare they break my niece/nephew's heart!"

She finally stomps away from the door with a huff and plops down on the couch next to you.

You don't get anything else done that night, but the next day on your doorstep you find a huge basket brimming with chocolates, loaded gift cards to all the top designer stores, and a beautifully elaborate, very pointy hairpin underneath it all. The note: "since you won't let me do it, you do it yourself. Aunt Dan has your back. Go break their heart."

You grin, and with that reassurance you head out to do just that.

Ri Jeong Hyeok is the clueless dad. Or, that's what he says. He's an amazing cook, pianist, and captain, but uh...dad? He tries his very best though, and you haven't told him yet, but you know he's already doing a better job than many dads out there. He would rather be there for you all the time, but he knows that's not possible, and that it's not healthy either. He teaches you everything he knows, how to diffuse a fight, and if worst comes to worst, how to finish it; how to play the piano (he teaches you all his favorite pieces); and how to cook and make the tastiest noodles from scratch. He cares about your mental health, he listens very carefully, and does his best to support you with it. He comes to all your activities, and maybe he's not jumping up and down and cheering at the top of his lungs, but you can look over at any time and he'll be beaming proudly at you. He knows you down to your favorite brand of toothpaste, and maybe it drives you crazy that he remembers everything you say, because some of it you'd rather he forget

"is that the person you like?"

"SHH DAD NOT ANYMORE"

but at the end of the day he's really the best dad you could ask for, and you love him anyway

Gu Seung Jung is that uncle that half the family doesn't know exists and the other half thought he came from the other side of the fam. Regardless, you can count on him to be at all your activities, cheering you on, and just being your top fan. He's the charmer, he knows what compliments you like and which ones you don't, and he'll pile all the ones you love on you until you have to tell him to stop (he'll pout about it for a while until Dan slaps him out of it). He also tries to cook for you, but ends up horribly burning the instant ramen (that one time with Dan was his only successful one and that was because she was watching him the entire time) so you have to go out for ramen instead. He's got your back, in the nonviolent way (don't tell Dan), and if you want it, just get him and Aunt Seri to unleash a scathing roast of your enemies. It's very entertaining.

#kdrama #crash landing on you #imagine #kdrama imagine #AND YES I'M AWARE THAT SERI AND RI SHOULD BE TOGETHER #IT'S JUST THAT SERI FITS RICH AUNT BETTER THAN RICH MOM AND RI DOESN’T FIT UNCLE AT ALL #the queenslayer writes

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thereishopeinchoices · 5 years ago

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IF THE ROYAL ROMANCE WERE A KDRAMA

As a fan of Korean dramas, I have always wondered if I were a director, who would I cast for The Royal Romance?

After much thought, I was able to make a list of Korean celebrities whom in my opinion can match the personalities of TRR characters. Similarity in looks are just a bonus though.

@playchoices

THE ROYAL ROMANCE | KDRAMA VERSION

MAIN CAST:

Daniel Henney as Prince Liam

The “Crown Prince” of Cordonia. He fell in love at first sight with Riley during his Bachelorette Party in New York.

Hyun Bin as Drake Walker

Prince Liam’s best friend. Son of the King’s Guard. A commoner.

His father died in the line of duty, protecting The Royal Family.

Has hidden feelings for Riley.

Nana as Riley

The main protagonist. A waitress in New York.

Han Hyo Joo as Hana Lee

Became best friends with Riley. They met during The Royal Masquerade Ball.

One of Prince Liam’s suitors.

Choi Siwoon as Maxwell Beaumont

The youngest member of The House of Beaumont.

A close friend of Prince Liam.

Sponsors Riley’s flight to Cordonia for a chance to compete for the hand of the Crown Prince.

SUPPORTING CAST:

Song Seung-heon as Bertrand Beaumont

The Duke of Ramsford. Head of The House of Beaumont. Maxwell’s older brother.

Has feelings for Savannah Walker (Drake Walker’s sister)

Krystal Jung as Olivia Nevrakis

The Duchess of Lythikos

Prince Liam’s childhood friend and one of his suitors who will compete for him.

Lee Da Hee as Madeleine

Countess Madeleine of Fydelia.

One of Prince Liam’s suitors.

Ex-fiancee of the Former Crown Prince Leo (Liam’s older brother)

Nam Kyung-eup as King Constantine

The King of Cordonia. Prince Leo and Prince Liam’s father.

Jung Ae-ri as Queen Regina

The Queen of Cordonia. Prince Leo and Prince Liam’s step mother.

Kim Min-joon as Bastien

Prince Leo and Prince Liam’s bodyguard.

Jung Woo-sung as Prince Leo

Former Crown Prince of Cordonia. Abdicated the throne to marry a woman he met in a cruise ship in Athens.

Park Shin Hye as Kiara

Heir to Duchy Castelsarreillan.

One of Prince Liam’s suitors.

Became best friend’s with Penelope at court.

Has a crush on Drake Walker.

Yoo In Na as Penelope

Lady Penelope of Portavira.

One of Prince Liam’s suitors.

Obsessed with dogs.

Kim Hee-sun as Savannah Walker

Drake Walker’s sister.

Has feelings for Bertrand Beaumont.

Park Hyung-soo as Anton Severus

Main antagonist. Disguised as a public relations officer of Riley.

Cha Seung-won as Tariq

One of Prince Liam’s friends.

Involved in a conspiracy against Riley.

Lee Hye Young as Lucretia Nevrakis

Aunt of Olivia Nevrakis

One of the antagonist.

Chun Ho Jin as Godfrey

Duke of Karlington. Madeleine’s father. Husband of Adelaide.

Kim Sung-ryung as Adelaide

Duchess of Krona. Wife of Godfrey. Madeleine’s mother.

Cousin of Queen Regina.

Kim Chang-wan as Xinghai Lee

A businessman. Father of Hana Lee. Husband of Lorelai.

Na Young-hee as Lorelai Lee

A member of a Cordonian minor noble house. Wife of Xinghai Lee. Mother of Hana Lee.

Um Hyo-sup as Landon

Duke of Portavira. Father of Penelope. Husband of Emmeline.

Kim Mi-sook as Emmeline

Duchess of Portavira. Mother of Penelope. Wife of Landon.

Kil Yong-woo as Hakim

Duke of Castelsarreillan. A diplomat.

Father of Kiara. Husband of Joelle.

Choi Ji Woo as Joelle

Duchess of Castelsarreillan. An artist.

Mother of Kiara. Wife of Hakim.

Park Sung Woong as Neville Rancour

Future Earl of Cormery Isle

One of Hana Lee’s suitors.

Bullies Drake Walker.

Lee Jae-yoon as Rashad

Heir to Duchy Domvallier. A businessman.

A friend of Neville Rancour.

One of Hana Lee’s suitors.

Lee EI as Ana De Luca

A Fashion Designer.

Journalist of “Trend” Magazine.

Yoon Ji-min as Mara

Riley’s personal bodyguard.

Oh Hyun Kyung as Queen Eleanor

Former Queen of Cordonia. Second wife of King Constantine. Prince Liam’s mother.

Died because of poisoning.

(Featured in The Royal Romance story through flashbacks)

-------------------------

안녕!!

I’ve always been loyal to Prince Liam! But since Hyun Bin is one of my bias wreckers.. casting him as Drake Walker would really cut my heart in half!! 😂 I believe he’s the perfect oppa to act as Drake, after watching his recent kdrama “Crash Landing On You”. OMG!!!

As for finding an actress as Riley, I did thought of having Bae Suzy..

But I prefer Nana because I find her visual more unique...

She has more of the “western” look vibe. She reminds me of Kim Tae-hee!

Also, I prefer the potential I guess.. she isn’t known for romcom roles yet since she’s always casted for badass films.

Also the “chemistry” among the characters especially the love team is something that I’ve also considered. 🤔Nana and Hyun Bin already worked together in a film called “The Swindlers”.. while Daniel and Hyun Bin starred in a 2005 kdrama “Lovely Kim Sam Soon”.

Here’s an old photo of Daniel Henney & Hyun Bin together!

SWEET!!!! 😍😍😍

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dramapic · 4 years ago

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MASTERLIST

I update this list everytime I watch and review a show.

Disclaimer: These reviews are subjective and only reflect my opinions. There are no drama on that list that I’ve turned off and all are worthy of a watch.

Recs welcome!

#1 Crash landing on you

(사랑의 불시착)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Son Ye-jin (who plays Yoon Se-ri) and Hyun Bin (Ri Jeong-hyeok) have amazing chemistry and every episode plays out like the chapters of an excellent fanfiction. Classic romantic tropes, humour, angst, action, CLOY has it all. Moreover, if you’ve never watched a Kdrama in your life, CLOY is a great starting point—not only will it introduce you to Korean culture but also to popular tropes and codes of the genre.

#2 Rookie historian Goo Hae-ryung

(신입사관 구해령)

Grade: A++

Genre: Historical, Age gap

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Delightful from end to end, with lots of humour and an engaging story. The romance between Goo Hae-ryung and himbo-prince Dowon will make your heart go soft, especially if you’re into reverse gender dynamics (she’s older and kisses him first *le gasp*)

#3 Memories of the Alhambra

(알함브라 궁전의 추억)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Sci-fi; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Intriguing premise, great cast and tons of special effects but the romance between Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) and Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye) won't go down in history. On top of that, the ending is a bit wishy-washy in that annoying “maybe there’s more to come” kind of way. Give us a clear cut ending, damnit!

#4 Good doctor

(굿 닥터)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Medical drama

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Good heart but the writing is really clumsy at times and the hospital politics don’t make an awful lot of sense. On the bright side, Joo Won is great in the role of Park Si-on.

Note: I haven’t watched the American remake so can’t compare.

#5 My love from the star/ You from the stars

(별에서 온 그대)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi, fantasy, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 21

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Jun Ji-hyun is absolutely stellar in the role of Cheon Seong-yi, a ditzy Hallyu* star whose career is going south while Kim Soo-hyun plays the emotionally closed-off alien to perfection. Lots of pinning, a dose of angst mixed with a pinch of wacky humor.

*Hallyu means “Korean wave” in Chinese and refers to the popularity and spreading of Korean pop-culture outside of Korea.

#6 Hwarang The Poet Warrior Youth

(화랑)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Coming of age, fake siblings who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute boys and interesting lore rooted in true facts (the bone rank system and the real Hwarang, the “Flowering Knights” of the Silla kingdom) but the story drags. I guess I expected more bromance and frolicking and less angst. Lastly, the main girl starts off quirky and fun but they quickly transform her into a sobbing mess which becomes real annoying real fast.

#7 Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (구르미 그린 달빛)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Romance, Coming of age, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 18

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A classic tale of a girl raised as a boy who ends up in a situation where she needs to do her best to not blow her cover while catching feels (As someone raised on Versailles no bara and Ribbon no Kishi, it remains one of my favourite tropes)

Sweet romance and good characters. The fact that Crown prince Lee Yeong doesn't turn emo when he starts developing feelings for Eunuch Ra-on before discovering she's a girl is the cherry on top of the cake.

#8 Something in the rain

(밥 잘 사주는 예쁜 누나)

Grade: C

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes, but it still doesn't make you happy

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Wasted potential!

Great start but the characterization falls apart quickly and you end up wondering why the main characters keep sabotaging their lives. By the end, despite their reunion, you're left with the impression they've learned nothing and that their relationship is doomed to fall apart.

On top of it all, watching Jin-ah fight sexism in the workplace and gaining nothing is depressing af (I don’t need realism in my escapism, thank you very much).

Too bad because Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in look really good together and the acting is top-notch. My advice is to watch the first 8 episodes then make up your own ending in your head.

#9 Moon embracing the sun

(해를 품은 달)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical,Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 22

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A traditional historical drama with all the tropes that go with the genre + a hint of esoterism.

If you love ill-fated relationships, tragic love triangle, evil queens, and amnesia, this is the show for you. Beware, the interrogation/torture scenes are rather brutal.

#10 My sassy girl

(엽기적인 그녀)

Grade: B-

Genre: Historical, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute and lighthearted but easily forgettable. Still worth a watch thanks to Joo Won & Oh Yeon-seo's chemistry.

#11 Coffee Prince

(커피프린스 1호점)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Solid story, great cast but be ready for a lot of bickering.

Yoon Eun-hye is a precious bean who manages to sell the story of Eun-chan, a struggling androgynous working-class girl who mistakenly gets hired by a rich guy to play his boyfriend, then becomes his employee, then falls for him while not correcting his assumptions about her gender. Opposite her, Gong Yoo (from Train to Busan fame) is 🥰🥰🥰

Sidenote: Despite Han-kyul's struggle to accept his feelings for Eun-chan, homosexuality isn't treated as a joke or a shameful thing. The one time he goes seek “medical help”, the doctor is depicted as an old, clueless idiot. And honestly, the story would work too if Eun-chan was a guy.

#12 My girlfriend is a Gumiho/My girlfriend is a Nine-tailed fox

(내 여자친구는 구미호)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Campy and goofy. It does look a bit dated (it’s from 2010) and the story is a little predictable but Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dae-woong, an aspiring action film actor and Shin Min-ah as “Gu Mi-ho” the nine-tailed fox looking for a mate are super cute. The show is also a good introduction to Korean folklore.

#13 Goblin / Guardian: The Lonely and Great God / The Lonely and Great God – Goblin

(쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Historical, Fantasy, bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Viki

Unpopular opinion but since I’m not into older guys, I wasn’t invested in the romance between Bride and Goblin until late in the series. I loved everything else though. The show has such a unique tone and atmosphere. It goes from super serious to goofy in no time. The cinematography is gorgeous (especially the historical sets) and you'll cry your eyes out.

#14 Healer

(힐러)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

If you're into toll broody guys and fearless smoll girls, you’ll love Healer. The story is great, the characters are great and the way Jung-hu (played by Ji Chang-wook) and Ji-an (Park Min-young) are horny for each other is peak drama! *chef kiss*

#15 Kangchi the beginning/Gu family book

(구가의 서)

Grade: B-

Genre: Historical, Fantasy

Episodes:

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Engaging coming of age story of a half-human half-gumiho looking for his place in this world. If it wasn't for the wishy-washy ending it could have been the perfect mix of action fantasy and romance.

Special mention for Dam Yeo-wool (played by Suzie Bae) who is a female character who's allowed to be a bit of everything at the same time (strong, kick-ass, funny, cute, romantic)

#16 Queen for seven days

(7일의 왕비)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Romance, Villainous crush

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

With that title don’t expect a HEA but there are plenty of sweet moments along the way to make you appreciate the journey.

Chae-kyung loves the Prince and the Prince loves Chae-kyung but the King wants to kill the Prince and Chae-kyung is loyal to the King but the King is a tyrant and everyone wants the Prince to take his throne. On top of that the King wants Chae-kyung. Big mess. Lots of feels.

The story is (very) loosely based on real-life Queen Dangyeong, which makes it even more poignant. I cried my eyes out at the end because I’m a big softy.

#17 Korean Odyssey

(화유기)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The show (very loosely based on Journey to the West) has its faults including the wishy-washy ending and the fact that Jin Seon-mi/Sam-jang starts off as a doormat but I ended up liking the relationship developing between the assholish Monkey god and the naive human girl more than I expected.

The side characters are compelling, and the banter and bickering between the deities work really well. If you grew up with Dragon ball, you’ll have a blast trying to match-up the Japanese and Korean names of everyone without looking up Wikipedia.

Lastly, not something I imagined saying after seeing him in Gumiho and Gu family book but Lee Seung-gi as Son Oh-gong = BDE *fans herself* 🥵

#18 Strong Girl Bong-soon

(힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Super-Heroine

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Graphic depiction of violence against women

A++ super-heroine story, bad side characters

First, every girl should aspire to find a Min-hyuk in their life. Someone who'll love them because of their strength, and support them unconditionally. Someone who won't ask them to change or pretend to be somebody else.

Second, western media should learn that a super-heroine can HAVE IT ALL—the superpowers AND the love AND the family.

My only complaint with the show (and that's why I gave A- instead of A++) is the inclusion of many cringy side characters/situations that spoiled my overall enjoyment (see the caricatural flamboyant gay co-worker, Bong-soon’s mom hitting her dad, the mobsters...)

#19 The K2

(더 케이투)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Political

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The romance is bad and the political story far-fetched but Ji Chang-wook is 🔥🔥PEAK HOTTIE🔥🔥

That being said, I didn’t completely dislike the political intrigue and it was interesting to see the good guy working for the villains (sort of).

#20 Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo

(역도요정 김복주)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Uplifting coming of age story and super sweet romance. Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) & Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk) are precious children on top of being cutie-patooties. Bok-joo’s insecurities hit hard, especially if you’ve ever been outside the norm of beauty standards.

I liked how the show normalizes therapy and taking care of your mental health.

In one word…

SWAG!

#21 The scholar who walks the night

(밤을 걷는 선비)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Fantasy, Vampire, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Guilty pleasure.

Don’t ask me about the details of the main storyline, I’ve already forgotten most of it. Sometimes all you need is a show where a hundred-something years old good vampire with a sad backstory and the main girl who is thirsty for the good vampire are fighting a sexy evil vampire.

PS: Did I mention the sexy evil vampire?

#22 Romance is a bonus book

(로맨스는 별책부록)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imagine reading a relaxing book under a cozy blanket while sipping hot cocoa. That’s how that series made me feel.

Everything is sweet and soft from the characters' fluffy jumpers to the soft palette of color used for the sets. People make books and love books. There’s a mystery but no unnecessary angst. If you need a break from everything, jump in that ship.

#23 Hotel Del Luna

(호텔 델루나)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Sorta

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Interesting world-building and a good cast of side characters but the romance lacks a bit of oomph.

On the + side, the hotel sets are gorgeous and Man-wol's wardrobe is to kill for.

#24 Suspicious Partner

(수상한 파트너)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Star-crossed lovers in an office

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Toll serious who hates criminal falls for smoll weirdo falsely accused of murder. A must watch for anyone in search of a quirky romance.

#25 Touch your heart

(진심이 닿다)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Tooth rotting sweetness. The series is just a pretext to watch two good looking people (Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na) being nice and awkward around each other. What do you need more? 0

Note: If you watched Goblin you can also pretend it's a spin-off series about the reincarnations of Grim Reaper and Sunny. 💡

#26 Because this is my first life

(이번 생은 처음이라)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Fake marriage

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The Fake Marriage AU you’re looking for, mixed with slices of modern, messy, complicated life.

The main storyline revolves around Ji-ho an assistant drama screenwriter who struggles to find her place within the patriarchal structure of Korean society, and Se-hee, a socially incompetent computer designer who only cares for his cat and his mortgage. The way they end up in a fake marriage as well as the development of their relationship feels organic and doesn’t rely too heavily on comedy like it’s often the case with that trope.

The show also follows the stories of Ji-ho’s friends, Su-ji and Ho-rang who have different aspirations in life—Su-ji’s goal is to become CEO while Ho-rang only cares about becoming a housewife. I loved that the show makes a point to not pit women against each other and advocate living your life the way YOU want rather than trying to follow societal expectations of what love, work and marriage should look like.

Also they have the cutest cat.

#27 What's wrong with Secretary Kim?

(김비서가 왜 그럴까 )

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

I wish Secretary Kim had more agency in certain situations but the romance develops well and the horny moments are caliente 🥵🔥

#28 Where your eyes linger

(너의 시선이 머무는 곳에)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern, BL, Coming of age, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 8

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Bite-size BL gem to devour in one sitting.

Stellar acting from the two leads and the balance between fluff and angst is just right. There's no graphic violence that sometimes plagues yaoi and BL and the story is believable. I got emo remembering my first love.

#29 Live up to your name

(명불허전)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Historical, Time travel, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for graphic depiction of violence

Big surprise. I was looking for a cheesy comedy but it was actually a thoughtful story about humanism. I even teared up a little.

Trigger warning for needles. They do some pretty impressive procedures with those acupuncture needles.

#30 W - Two Worlds Apart

(더블유)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk. Nuf’ said.

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk.

The silly premise hides a solid story that keeps you on your toes and I was suprised by the rollercoaster of emotions I went through.

“Option 3″

“That’s 4 fingers”

#31 Life

(라이프)

Grade: C

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Unless you want to learn how fucked up the private health sector is becoming in Korea, there's not much to gain watching this show.

The story starts off well though. The problem is that by the middle of the series the writers have dropped the main mystery (the circumstances surrounding the death of the director) to deliver an exposé on the political machinations of big corporations, and then shoehorn an explanation at the last minute (“it was all but a misunderstanding”). Very underwhelming.

The relationship between the two brothers played by Lee Dong-wook and Lee Kyu-hyung is the only bright spot.

#32 Pinocchio

(피노키오)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Fake family members who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

On paper, the story sounds a little crazy but it all comes together nicely.

Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye have great chemistry and deliver a stellar performance as “uncle” and “niece” (not related by blood) who can’t fight the romantic feelings they harbor for one another. The main storyline has enough twists to keep you entertained and surprised.

My only complaint is that it drags a little. 16 episodes would have been enough.

#33 My Holo Love

(나 홀로 그대)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Fake men > Real men

Imagine a Black Mirror episode about a love triangle between a woman suffering from face blindness, an emotionally supportive AI boyfriend and the disenchanted creator of said AI, minus the nihilism. *chef kiss*

#34 Legend of the blue sea

(푸른 바다의 전설)

Grade: B++

Genre: Modern, Fantasy, Fairy tale, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Park Ji-eu (the writer) read the little mermaid and decided to give her a happy ending. Great chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun but the spark is missing for me.

The antics of modern-day mermaid Shim Cheong are a little predictable and Joon-jae needs to be less of a control freak at times but the story remains enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised to see Shim Cheong’s character grow, making the power imbalance between the clueless mermaid and the con-artist less pronounced by the end of the series.

The side characters are interesting but underused, and I wish Tae-oh was more developed. On the other hand, the Joseon area sets and costumes are absolutely gorgeous (Don’t tell anyone but Joseon!Lee Min-ho is hotter than Modern!Lee Min-ho 🥵)

#35 Tale of Arang / Arang and the Magistrate

(아랑사또전)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Fantasy,

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

One word: Campy.

Interesting lore but the pacing is a little off—there’s a lot of back and forth between the characters and the locations and the love triangle doesn't add much.

#36 My ID is Gangnam Beauty / Gangnam Beauty

(내 아이디는 강남미인)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

If you’ve ever been bullied for your looks, you’re gonna bawl your eyes out.

The show does a great job of calling out the unhealthy beauty standards imposed on Korean women but the topic is universal enough for the story to resonate with everyone. I love that you never see Mi-rae’s old face because it’s not our perception of her lack of beauty that matters but the fact she suffers greatly. Don’t you hate in western shows when they take a beautiful actress, give her a pair of glasses or a fat suit and call her ugly, making sure the audience feels shittier about themselves? Here, the writers concentrate on Mi-rae’s transformation and her coping with the consequences of her decision to do plastic surgery.

It’s also not a revenge fantasy where the ugly duckling suddenly becomes the most popular girl at school. Being a “Gangnam beauty” leads to a new form of suffering.

Romance-wise, it’s the slowest burn of slow burns because Mi-rae and Do Kyung-seok are the most socially awkward beans on the planet. I love them, Your Honor.

#37 Tale of Nokdu

(조선로코-녹두전)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 32 x 30mns

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Now available on Netflix (FR)

Fun and lighthearted all the way through.

The story of a guy who puts on a dress to investigate a village of widows could have gone very wrong but it was well handled. It’s refreshing to see the classic trope of posing as the opposite sex reversed and Jang Dong-yoon is never cringy when he’s pretending to be Lady Kim Nok-soon.

#38 Bride of Habaek / Bride of the Water God

(하백의 신부 2017)

Grade: B

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Crime against fashion

Promising premise and lore (I'm interested in reading the original comics now) but the writing fails to deliver an epic romance and a cathartic ending. Moreover, the sets lack imagination (or money?) and in the end I failed to ever feel immersed in a fantasy world.

The unfortunate consequence of the clumsy writing is that the male characters who are meant to be arrogant/confident Gods (Habaek and By-ryeom) sound like they're negging their love interests more than wooing them, and the relationship between Mu-ra and By-ryeom particularly irked me.

#39 Strangers from Hell / Hell is other people

(타인은 지옥이다)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Psychological Thriller

Episodes: 10

Happy Ending: Spoiler

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Violence

What a departure from everything else in that list! Absolutely worth a watch if you enjoy thrillers and shows like Hannibal. If psychological horror isn’t your cup of tea though, you might give it a pass.

The storyline and the characters are a little cliché (it goes with the genre) but the cinematography and photography are fantastic. You can notice how the pension becomes more and more sinister throughout the series via the use of dark greens and browns and pale yellows, as opposed to the mundanity and coldness of the city (greys, and cold blues).

Last but not least, the acting is top-tiers. Im Siwan does a great job at portraying Jong-woo, an aspiring crime novelist who slowly loses his marbles but the true revelation for me is Lee Dong-wook. After seeing him so many times in roles where he plays awkward yet charming men who can barely express emotions, I was intrigued to see him take on the role of a serial killer, and holy cow, he's the perfect mix of sinister and alluring. Towards the end of the series, his character Moon-jo acts like a black-hole whenever he appears in a scene—a towering, dark presence who sucks the light out of the room (If he carries any of that darkness in the upcoming Tale of Gumiho, it’s gonna be *chef kiss*).

#40 Empress Ki

(기황후)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 51

Happy Ending: From a certain point of view

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for violence against women (not graphic but implied)

51 episodes.

Fifty.One.Episodes.

That's a lot of episodes considering the story starts with the ending.

Did I enjoy this show? Yes, very much so. Do I think it's for everyone? Nope.

You'll enjoy Empress Ki if you're into old-school historical sagas or you wished Game of thrones had no gratuitous nudity and violence. If you’re looking for an historically accurate biography of the real empress Ki though, then look away because Empress Ki is basically a lengthy fanfiction trying to justify how the Goryeo native Seung-nyang married the wimpy Emperor of the Yuan dynasty whilst trying to portray her as loyal to her motherland and to her first love, the Crown Prince of Goryeo.

Personally, I didn’t care for the love triangle formed by Seung-nyang (Ha Ji-won), Wang-yoo (Joo Jin-mo) and Toghon Temür (Ji Chang-wook) but I liked the politics and the backstabbing. Also, contrary to GoT, the bad guys get their comeuppance at the end so it makes watching the side characters die less painful.

#41 Meow, the secret boy / Welcome

(어서와)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Modern fantasy

Episodes: 24 x 35mns

Happy Ending: I guess

Watched on: Viki

How do I put it? It's not *terribad* but it's not *good* either.

I was super on board with the concept—if Lee Seung-gi can bang a nine-tailed fox in My girlfriend is a gumiho, I have zero issues with Sol ah, our heroine, falling in love with Hong-jo the cat-person after being dumped for no reason by Jae-sun her boyfriend—but it didn’t exactly develop that way, and as soon as they explained why Jae-sun had broken up with Sol-ah, the writers lost me because I like when things happen for a reason.

#42 Clean with a passion for now

(일단 뜨겁게 청소하라!!)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Super zany and tropey but that’s why it works so well. The only reason I’m giving it a minus is because it’s trying to be woke but in the end there’s still a lot of unsolicited grabbing and some iffy remarks/pick-up lines said by every male characters (IRL that’s the kind of story that ends up with a restraining order and a lawsuit for sexual harassment).

#43 Mystic pop-up bar

(쌍갑포차)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Heavy themes (miscarriage, pregnancy, loss of a child, death of loved ones)

You know how the meme goes... Sometimes a family is a hot-tempered bar owner, a cursed kid and an ex-Afterlife-Police officer with a secret past.

It took me a few episodes to get into it, but once the characters were established it became really enjoyable.

The tone of the series leans toward wacky but the core of the story is actually pretty dark if you look into it. Every grudge they solve for their “clients” gives a clue about Wol-joo’s personal story and by the last episode I was crying my eyes out.

Last but not least, Wol-joo’s collection of modernized hanboks is *chef kiss*

#44 My secret Terrius

(내 뒤에 테리우스)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Action, Comedy, Bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

An enjoyable action drama to watch with your family or your significant other.

Koreans prove that you can write a story about a black ops agent on the run who becomes a childminder without reeking of toxic masculinity. Contrary to American comedies where the manly-man-hero working undercover is incompetent and believes that working with children is a woman’s job and a waste of his manly-man talents until he has an epiphany of some sorts, Kim Bon (played by So Ji-sub) never once expresses discomfort to the idea of looking after two kids. In spite of his sober demeanor, he’s a caring and attentive person from the start and watching him gradually becoming a part of this spunky family while investigating a national security threat made my heart go awww.

Opposite him, fearless and resourceful mom Go Ae-rin (played Jung In-sun) brings a lot of energy, and the twins are absolutely adorable.

#45 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

(달의 연인 - 보보경심 려)

Grade: A--

Genre: Historical

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Random streaming site

Don’t get attached—Moon Lovers is the missing link between Empress Ki and Boys over flowers, but with a sad ending.

I did binge watch the series but there are some frustrating aspects to it that prevented me from giving a perfect score, notably the fact that Wang So remains possessive and demanding with Hae Soo throughout the years—for instance “You’re my person” is a romantic statement until it evolves into “You can never leave me.”

The other problem of the series is that Lee Ji-eun (UI) does cute and goofy really well, but she doesn’t have the emotional range needed to portray a character who goes through many heartbreaks and betrayals. As a result, Hae Soo appears a little fickle in her infatuations with the princes.

That being said if you’re a sucker for tragic romance and you believe that power corrupts even the purest of love, you’ll have a blast.

#46 Forest

(포레스트)

Grade: B++

Genre: Modern, Romance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

UST in the woods (Dat first kiss 🥵🥵🥵)

The characters and the story are a little cliché but who doesn’t love a story where the protagonists are clearly attracted to each other but can’t act on their desires because their moral values are opposite?

*slams fist*

San Hyeok is your typical heartless businessman who refuses to confront his childhood trauma, and Yeong Jae is a surgeon who suffers from panic attacks and cares too much about other people. They’re both good looking and fate brings them to a remote village in the middle of the forest where they have to share a house. Really, I wonder what’s gonna happen?

#47 100 Days My Prince / Hundred days husband

(백일의 낭군님)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Trigger warning: Important character death.

Cute and charming but also very annoying at times. Obviously, the story is tropey af (fake marriage doubled with amnesia, you can’t really beat that) but it also includes elements I’ve never seen in any other dramas like the fact that the Crown Princess is pregnant with another man’s child (le gasp!). The things that annoy me the most were the unnecessary flip-flopping of the heroine towards the end of the show for the sake of creating artificial drama (just let them be together FFS!) and the fact that the male characters take a lot of decisions for Yeon Hong-shim.

Romance wise, Do Kyung-soo and Nam Ji-hyun are really cute together but in the end I found myself more interested in the political intrigue and the side characters than the main romance because slow burn has its limit. In essence, it’s the perfect drama to watch with your conservative family because whilst the main couple is living under the same roof and is technically married they don’t get frisky.

#48 I Am Not A Robot (로봇이 아니야)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Angsty with a good pay-off.

With a premise like that, things could have gone wrong really quickly but the writers managed to write a story that isn’t a man wanting to fuck a robot because real women are scary so big kudos for them. Seeing Min-kyu celebrating his Roomba’s birthday because he has no other friends will instantly melt your heart and from that point on you’ll cheer for his recovery. The show has the right amount of angst without becoming a mess and they handle the big reveal very well, making sure to show how hurt both Min-kyu and Ji-ah are by the situation, without making you doubt that they can find each other again. The other strong point of the show is that it’s not just about romance, it’s also about friendship and learning to let other people in your life.

The acting is incredible to the point that by the end I wondered if Yoo Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin were making out in front of my salad or if I was still watching the characters Min-kyu and Ji-ah being lovey dovey.

#49 Sungkyunkwan Scandal (성균관 스캔들)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite gender

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Hana zakari no kimi tachi he with gats.

This show checks so many boxes when it comes to my favourite tropes story-wise and character-wise that I instantly fell in love with it. It might feel a little dated for a younger audience and it definitely suffers from the second male lead syndrome (who wants unseasoned boiled chicken when there are not just one but two juicy rotisserie chickens on the table next to you?!) but it’s still very much enjoyable. Also, they don’t shy away from using the word “homosexuality” and having one of the second lead confessing to having romantic feelings for his friend (I’ll take any scrap of bi-representation, okay?)

#50 It’s Okay to not be okay (사이코지만 괜찮아)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Found family.

In spite of one ridiculous plot twist (that I was aware of when I started the show) this show has made me feel all the feelz. The three main actors all did a phenomenal job portraying their characters in all their complexity and fragility and I ended up crying so many cathartic tears in the second to last & the last episodes.The relationship between Sang-tae and Gang-tae is one of the best sibling relationships I’ve seen on-screen in a long time while the romance between Moon-yeong and Gang-tae blends perfectly elements of comedy and melodrama. Mental illness isn’t treated as something to be ashamed of, whilst showing that you can grow and recover from trauma and finding your own happiness.

PSA from my boyfriend, who dropped the show before the end:

The plot twist is so stupid that it takes away from the rest of the series. In my opinion it negated the positive portrayal of mental illness built up until then. They completely lost me.

^ We discussed a lot about it which is why I wanted to share his POV to balance my own review.

#51 coming soon

#k-drama #kdrama

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randomobsessionsofa30something · 4 years ago

Text

My top 10 korean dramas of 2020

Today is the last day of the year so I think it's time to share which dramas were my favorite in 2020. I wish you all the best for 2021!!

10.5. The King: Eternal Monarch. So here's the thing: this drama was not great. I absolutely hated the ending and the editing however I do appreciate what they tried to do. It had great potential and Lee Minho and Kim Go Eun were nice as a couple. The story is about two dimensions: one that is like the real world and another where Korea still has a king. The worlds start to mix and the King crosses, meets a detective, someone he has been looking for since he was a kid.

10. Find me in your memory. This drama was so much fun especially in the first half. I had a couple of issues with the last two episodes but nothing major. Moon Ga Yeon plays an actress that lost some of her memories and is trying to live in the moment. She meets a newscaster (Kim Dong Wook) and falls for him. However he has a disease that makes him unable to forget each and all details he has lived through. They both are unaware they share a bond that will link them but also puts them in danger.

9. Start up. This drama was silly at times but I really enjoyed it. Suzy stars in this drama as a sales employee that has gone through a lot because she chose to stay with her father after they parents got divorced who was an unsuccessful entrepreneur. She wants to show her sister and her mother she can be successful on her own so she applies to receive a grant (korean survival style). There she meets her childhood crush, a guy who she exchanged letters with or so she thinks. Nam Do San (Nam Joo Hyuk) is a guy that is trying to start up a company but has failed so far to get investors. When a famous CEO shows up at his door asking him to pretend to have written some letters he ends up getting dragged into a ruse to cheer up this girl except she shows up in what was his last chance to make it.

8. Kairos. I started watching this drama just because WINNER's Kang Seung Yoon had a role in it. At the beginning I thought I wasn't gonna love it because of the time travel aspect to it. The plot though changed my mind. This mistery drama starred by Lee Se Young and Shin Sung Rok really surprised me. The story is about a girl that is struggling to get by but things change when she loses her phone and when she calls back a man picks it up in the future. By the way when I made my OSTs list it totally slipped my mind just how good Kang Seungyoon's rock ballad Can you hear me? is.

7. Itaewon class. Park Seung Joon plays a man that did time in jail because of an injustice. He comes out with a plan to bring down the people responsible for his father's death. To do that, he assembles a team of misfits and opens up a restaurant in Itaewon. The injustices in korean society and his past will get in the way of his love life and his goal to achieve his dreams. I wasn't a huge fan of the last few episodes of the drama but I did liked it overall.

6. Strangers. Season 2. If you watched the first season you'll definitely like the second. A web of corruption and deceit is drawn from episode one so it really was satisfying when it all came together. If you haven't watched the first season, I'll just say this is well made crime drama and that now would be a good time to binge watch both seasons.

5. Sweet Home. I don't really watch horror movies because I think I'm too logical to be scared with monsters or ghosts so most times I just don't watch any. However I really enjoyed this apocalyptic horror 10 episode drama. Based on a webtooon, it tells the story of the inhabitants of a building after Seoul is run down by monsters.

4. Kingdom Season 2. I actually didn't watch Kingdom last year. I watched the teaser and I was like "Joseon and Zombies? I don't know about that". The pandemic has led me to stay home for so long that I think I watched all of Netflix korean dramas I hadn't checked out which finally led me to watch Kingdom. I liked the first season but it was the second season I enjoyed the most. If you haven't checked it out, I'll just say it's based on the Land of the Gods webtoon and it's the story of the Crown Prince who finds out that, because of greed, his stepmother has revived his father and a plague spreads through Joseon.

3. Hyena. This intense legal drama tells the story of a prideful attorney that lives for his job and meets his ideal woman in a laundromat. However she humiliates him when she shows up as the opposite counselor in a high profile divorce case. This was such a funny drama and the cases were interesting. It had a double digit ratings in Korea.

2. Do you like Brahms? This drama is slow. Like really slow paced. So it's not for everyone but I was just so obsessed with this drama while it was airing. It's a sweet romantic drama about a pianist (Kim Min Jae) who has no passion for what he does and a violinist (Park Eun Bin) who has all the passion but lacks talent. They are both kind and just really bad a communicating their feelings so when they end up getting to know each other they somehow connect. They have another thing in common: they both are in a similar position when it comes to love they're in love with the girlfriend/boyfriend of their best friends.

1. It's okay not to be okay. This was my favorite drama by a long shot. It's just another romantic comedy. However it is so well done. From the cinematography to the plot and even the animation everything was on point for me. Honestly it felt like this really was Kim Soo Hyun's grand comeback to dramas. Seo Yeo Ji's excelled in portraying a strong but lonely woman whose upbringing was different from anyone else's so she grew up to be a rude and unapologetic children story writer. She meets Moon Gang Tae and realizes it's not the first time she has met him. On another hand, Moon Gang Tae puts on a strong face whose sole goal in life is care for his autistic older brother. When he goes back to his hometown he ends up finding out the truth behind his mother's death. I also loved that the story is narrated at times as a fairy tale.

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#korean drama #kdramas #lee min ho #kim go eun #kang seung yoon #yg winner #suzy #nam joo hyuk #lee se young #shin sung rok

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the-inner-weebs · 4 years ago

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K-Drama Recommendation Masterlist

RICH GUY POOR GIRL

Coffee Prince (2007) 커피프린스 1호점 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama

𝐆𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 ~ Choi Han Gyul

𝐘𝗼𝗼𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐞 ~ Go Eun Chan

Choi Han Gyul is the grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han Gyul is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo Joo, who only sees him as a friend.

Go Eun Chan is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family.

When Han Kyul and Eun Chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han Gyul takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo Joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun Chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.

Director: Lee Yoon Jung

Secret Garden (2010) 시크릿 가든 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodramatic/Supernatural

𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Kim Joo Won

𝐇𝐚 𝐉𝐢 𝐖𝗼𝐧 ~ Gil Ra Im

The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won, an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection, and Gil Ra Im, a poor and humble stuntwoman whose beauty and body are the object of envy amongst top actresses. Their accidental meeting, when Joo Won mistakes Ra Im for actress Park Chae Rin, marks the beginning of a tense, bickering relationship, through which Joo Won tries to hide a growing attraction to Ra Im that both confuses and disturbs him. To complicate matters further, a strange sequence of events results in them swapping bodies.

Director: Kwon Hyuk Chan/Shin Woo Cheol

Personal Taste (2010) 개인의 취향 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝗼 ~ Jeon Jin Ho

𝐒𝗼𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Park Gae In

Jeon Jin Ho is a straight guy who is mistaken as gay when he applies to become Park Gae In's roommate. His hobbies include organization and ironing, and he's known for his stoic poker face. He's a stickler for cleanliness, but he also has a talent for figuring out a women's feelings. Gae In is very trusting even though she has a habit of being betrayed. However, that doesn't stop her from giving people the benefit of doubt and Jin Ho is no different. How will Gae In react when she finds out that her gay roommate is not actually gay at all and that he has fallen for her?

Director: Song Hyung Suk/Noh Jong Chan

What’s WrongWith Secretay Kim (2018) 김비서가 왜 그럴까 ~

Genre: Friendship/ Business/Comedy/Romance

Park Min Young ~ Kim Mi So

Park Seo Joon ~ Lee Young Joon

The series revolves around the narcissistic Lee Young Joon, the vice president of a company run by his family. He is very self-absorbed and thinks highly of himself, so much that he barely acknowledges the people around him. Lee Young Joon has a capable and patient secretary Kim Mi So who has remained by his side and worked diligently for 9 years without any romantic involvement. However, Mi So now wants to set her life & focus on herself so when she decides to resign from her job, hilarious misunderstandings ensue. After 9 years of their strictly-workplace relationship, can it now develop in something more?

Director: Park Joon Hwa

SUPERNATURAL

Goblin (2016) 도깨비 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Fantasy/Melodrama/Supernatural

Gong Yoo ~ Kim Shin

Kim Go Eun ~ Ji Eun Tak

Kim Shin was once an unbeatable general in Goryeo's military who died a tragic death. He now possesses immortality but is tired of living while everyone else around him dies. For 900 years, Kim Shin has searched for his bride, a mortal who can pull out the sword and end his life. One day, he encounters Ji Eun Tak, a positive, upbeat high school student who can see the dead and has gone through tragic events, yet still stays strong. She claims to be the Goblin's bride who can end his immortal life, but what appears to be an easy task, only gets complicated, as the two fall in love.

Director: Lee Eung Bok

Moorim School (2016) 무림학교 ~

Genre:Action/Romance/School/Drama/Martial Arts/Fantasy

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐖𝗼𝗼 ~ Yoon Shi Woo

𝐇𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Wang Chi Ang

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Shim Soon Duk

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Hwang Sun Ah

The Moorim School is a hidden school that can only be seen by special individuals, it isn't focused solely on high academic scores but on physical abilities. The school teaches its students great virtues which include honesty, faith, sacrifice, and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries and each has their own stories. Everything is very extraordinary and normal until a student who doesn't seem to fill the role wanders into the academy and changes the destiny of all the students.

Director: Lee So Yeon

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) 힘쎈여자 도봉순 ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Supernatural

Park Bo Young ~ Do Bong Soon

Park Hyung Shik ~ Ahn Min Hyuk

Ji Soo ~ In Gook Doo

Do Bong Soon is a petite, unemployed woman who is honest and kind. She appears little and sweet on the outside, but she is in fact very, very strong. In her family, for generations the women have been gifted Herculean strength to use for the greater good. If abused, however, their power will be taken away. Whilst standing up for herself after gang members bully her, she finds herself approached by Ahn Min Hyuk, the handsome and somewhat childish CEO of Ainsoft, a gaming company. Ahn Min Hyuk, who holds a great distrust towards the police, witnessed the whole exchange of Bong Soon's superhuman strength, and now wants to employ her as a bodyguard after being threatened by an unknown enemy. Min Hyuk falls in love with super-strong Bong Soon at first sight, but there's a catch. Bong Soon has eyes for someone else; police officer and childhood friend, In Guk Doo, whom she has known since high school. When chaos ensues after a series of kidnappings in Do Bong Soon's hometown of Dobong-dong, Dobong-gu, Bong Soon must decide whether to use her strength and stand up to evil, or play it safe and keep her powers hidden from the world. Combined with the love triangle she faces between In Guk Doo and Ahn Min Hyuk, as well as having to keep Min Hyuk safe, Bong Soon's life is thrown into turmoil. Can she use her strength for the greater good, or will it prove in the end to be too much?

Director: Lee Hyung Min

He is Psychometric (2019) 사이코메트리 그녀석 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Fantasy

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐧𝐠 ~ Lee Ahn

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐧 ~ Yoon Jae In

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐊𝐰𝗼𝐧 ~ Kang Sung Mo

After losing his parents in a fire, Lee Ahn acquires the power of psychometry, the ability to read a person or an object's past through physical contact, and he decides to use it to take bad people down. While he does not know how to control his power yet, he meets Yoon Jae In who tries her best to hide her painful secrets. Together with his foster guardian, prosecutor Kang Seong Mo, and the latter's colleague, investigator Eun Ji Soo, they team up to solve an elusive case that has been haunting the lives of Ahn, Sung-Mo, and Jae In. The case revolves around the life of prosecutor Kang his mother and father who were the main cause of the fire. Jae In and Lee Ahn heal each other through their past present and future and find the culprit.

Director: Kim Byung Soo

Memorist (2020) 메모리스트 ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Mystery/Crime/Supernatural

Yoo Seung Ho ~ Dong Baek

Lee Se Young ~ Han Sun Mi

Dong Baek has an extraordinary ability. He can peer into the memories of whoever he touches. With his supernatural power, get it done attitude, and eye-pleasing looks, he is fervently revered worldwide as a superstar detective. However, when his punches meet with suspects before words, he can be a bit of a headache to his comrades. Starting from the age of twenty, Han Sun Mi is the youngest to have passed the bar exam, obtain a doctorate in criminal psychology, and become a senior superintendent in the police force. Having solved five cold cases that even a detective with supernatural powers couldn't do, she is a genius profiler. She has a secret that drives her to do what she does. These two highly-skilled professionals meet their match—a serial killer with abilities that transcend theirs combined. It's going to be a fight worth watching.

Director: So Jae Hyun, Kim Hwi

Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020) 구미호뎐 ~

Genre:Action/Suspense/Thriller/Horror/Romance/Fantasy

Lee Dong Wook ~ Lee Yeon

Jo Bo Ah ~ Nam Ji Ah

The mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon had to settle in the city many centuries ago. Able to transform into human form, he eradicates supernatural beings that threaten the mortal world. His real aim is to find the reincarnation of his lost first love.

The talented television producer Nam Ji Ah works in a show that features urban myths. In the past, her parents were involved in a mysterious car accident and disappeared, and she suspects that Lee Yeon might be connected with this accident.

The half-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang. Despite being half-human himself, he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport, he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour, by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires.

Director: Kang Shin Hyo

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Heal Me Kill Me (2015) 킬미힐미 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Ji Sung ~ Cha Do Hyun

Hwang Jung Eum ~ Oh Ri Jin

A traumatic childhood experience leaves Cha Do Hyeon, suffering from memory loss and dissociation. The latter has resulted in the creation of seven distinct personalities. Wanting to regain control over his life, he asks Oh Ri Jin, a first-year psychiatric resident, to help him, but she eventually falls in love with one of his personalities. Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On, a famous mystery novelist, investigates Do Hyeon and his family.

Director: Kim Jin Man, Kim Dae Jin

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) 사이코지만 괜찮아 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Family

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Moon Gang Tae

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Ko Moon Young

𝐎𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞 ~ Moon Sang Tae

The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process.

Moon Gang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

Director: Park Shin Woo/Jung Dong Yoon

MEDICAL

Emergency Couple (2014) 응급남녀 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐒𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐢 𝐇𝐲𝗼 ~ Oh Jin Hee

𝐂𝐡𝗼𝐢 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐤 ~ Oh Chang Min

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝗼 ~ Gook Chun Soo

Jin-Hee led a satisfying life as a dietitian. She then met medical school student Chang-Min. Despite his wealthy family's strong opposition, Jin-Hee and Chang-Min decided to get married. Chang-Min's family is full of doctors. Chang-Min though gave up his medical internship and began working as a pharmaceutical salesman. Their marriage life was not happy. Chang-Min's family looked down on Jin-Hee and even Chang-Min seemed to change. Chang-Min began to think terribly of Jin-Hee and they finally divorced. After their divorce, Jin-Hee became a medical student and now works as an intern. Chang-Min also graduated from medical school and begins to work as an intern. One day, they meet in the emergency room of a hospital where they will both work together.

Director: Kim Chul Gyu

Doctor Stranger (2014) 닥터 이방인 ~

Genre: Thriller/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐉𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐤 ~ Park Hoon

𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Song Jae Hee

𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝗼 𝐑𝐚 ~ Oh Soo Hyun

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐚𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Han Jae Joon

As a child, Park Hoon and his father were kidnapped by North Korea. In North Korea, he was trained to become a doctor by his father who was already a doctor. Park Hoon became a genius-like heart surgeon. He then flees to South Korea. Park Hoon begins to work as a doctor in South Korea's top hospital Myeongwoo University Hospital, but he feels like a complete outsider. To bring his love from North Korea, he does anything to make money.

Director: Hong Jong Chan/Jin Hyeok

Blood (2015) 블러드 ~

Genre: Action/Vampire/Romance/Drama/Medical/Supernatural

𝐀𝐡𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Park Ji Sang

𝐆𝐮 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Yoo Ri Ta

Park Ji Sang is a doctor specializing in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery in the best cancer research hospital in the country. He is also a vampire. Despite seeming cold and unfeeling, Ji Sang masks his soft heart and inner pain and yearns for closeness with people. He believes very strongly in the sanctity of human life and suppresses his thirst for blood to treat terminally ill patients and save lives.

Among his colleagues is Yoo Ri Ta, a hotshot physician who entered medical school at the age of 17 and is also the niece of the chaebol group chairman who owns the hospital. Ri Ta is highly capable but snooty and prideful, yet Ji Sang finds himself falling for her. He also gets drawn into a conflict between good and evil as he encounters Lee Jae Wook, a two-faced hospital chief who gains everyone's trust with his gentle demeanor but inwardly harbors a dangerous ambition for power and a talent for cruelty.

Director: Lee Jae Hoo/Ki Min Soo

D-Day (2015) 디데이 ~

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Kim Young Kwang ~ Dr. Lee Hae Sun

Jung So Min ~ Dr. Jung Ddol M

An unprecedented 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck Seoul, destroying roads and buildings, and preventing ambulances from reaching victims. Woefully unprepared for such a massive disaster, Korea can only watch the desperate situation and listen to the pleading cries for help. Hae Sung, a competent surgeon, can’t resist doing everything he can to help the injured people during the emergency. This upsets his hospital and they put him on a blacklist, as his benevolent help is against the hospital's profit. Ddol Mi, beautiful and ambitious, chased money and fame as a doctor, but now wants to become a truly compassionate doctor after meeting Hae Sung. Woo Jin has been building a successful career as Korea’s rising doctor, but secretly, he truly cares about being a genuine doctor, saving the lives of the sick. These three characters team up to rush into emergencies, holding onto hope in the most desperate situations, and taking all sorts of risks for the sake of saving lives.

Director: Jang Yong Woo

Hospital Ship (2017) 병원선 ~

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Ha Ji Won ~ Song Eun Jae

Kang Min Hyuk ~ Kwak Hyun

Lee Seo Won ~ Kim Jae Gul

Army doctors board a hospital ship, which is a floating hospital that serves people who live on remote islands. But were these doctors interested in helping underprivileged people for free? Not at all. There is the non-army doctor Eun Jae, a cold perfectionist surgeon whose fast-track career was derailed. Kwak Hyun who practices internal medicine is the first army doctor to volunteer for duty on the hospital ship. Then there is the irritating Jae Geol, an oriental medicine doctor who drew the short straw and now has to serve on the hospital ship. A bunch of doctors with different backgrounds finds themselves afloat at sea. They are too old to be called youthful doctors as they are all in their thirties. Though they have skills obtained through long years of studying in medical school, their hearts and souls are barren. This is a coming-of-age story about doctors who have experienced setbacks in life that they are trying to bounce back from while they learn how to be a compassionate doctor and pursue fulfilling lives.

Director: Park Jae Bum, Kim Sang Woo

Doctor John (2019) 의사 요한 ~

Genre: Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Medical

Ji Sung ~ Cha Yo Han

Lee Se Young ~ Kang Shi Young

“Doctor John” is a new medical drama about doctors specializing in pain management. In a refreshing take on the genre, “Doctor John” will portray the doctors’ search for the cause of their patients’ mysterious pain as a thrilling chase, almost like a detective hunting down the perpetrator behind an unsolved crime.

Cha Yo Han is a genius anesthesiologist, who is also the youngest professor at his medical school. The brilliant doctor goes by the nickname “10 Seconds,” referring to his ability to figure out his patients in the 10 seconds that it takes for them to enter an examination room and walk to their seats.

Kang Shi Young is a legendary anesthesiologist, who was always at the top of her class throughout medical school. The talented doctor inherited her skills from her cool-headed, rational mother, while she inherited her empathy, listening skills, and warm bedside manner from her father.

Director: Jo Soo Won

ROMANCE COMEDY

Pinocchio (2014) 피노키오 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Melodrama

Lee Jong Suk ~ Choi Dal Po

Park Shin Hye ~ Choi In Ha

The idealistic Choi In Ha has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome,” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Choi Dal Po, whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Bum Jo, a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Yoon Yoo Rae, whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. The 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process.

Director: Jo Soo Won

I am Not a Robot (2017) 로봇이 아니야 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Sci-Fi

𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐒𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝗼 ~ Kim Min Kyu

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Jo Ji Ah

𝐔𝐡𝗺 𝐊𝐢 𝐉𝗼𝗼𝐧 ~ Hong Baek Gyun

Kim Min Kyu is the largest shareholder of a financial company. He suffers from a "human allergy", preventing him from normal interactions with other people. He becomes interested in a robotic project named Aji-3 created by the Santa Maria robotic team. The team is headed by Hong Baek Gyun, inventor of Aji-3 and world-renowned robotics professor. He modeled Aji-3 after his ex-girlfriend, Jo Ji Ah, a struggling inventor that also works as a personal shopper to make ends meet. Just when Kim Min Kyu wants to test the robot, an accident causes the malfunction of the robot's battery. Hong Baek Gyun begs Jo Ji Ah to take the place of Aji-3 and pretend to be the robot so they can get funding from Kim Min Kyu. But, Aji-3 becomes the closest thing that the lonely Min-Kyu has to real contact with another person.

Director: Jeong Dae Yun

My Shy Boss (2017) 내성적임보다 ~

Genre: Business/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 𝐖𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Eun Hwan Ki

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 ~ Chae Ro Woon

When a young, energetic employee joins a public relations firm with an introverted and severely misunderstood boss, she makes it her life’s mission to show the world who he really is.

Eun Hwan Ki is the boss at a PR company. He is really shy. So shy that even his employees don't know him that well. He prefers to hide in his office. Everyone thinks he is a cold, prickly, arrogant grouch. They call him the "Silent Monster".

Chae Ro Woon is a recent hire at the same company. She is energetic, bubbly, loves to be the center of attention, and always has something to say. The exact opposite of her boss, who she seems to have an old grudge against. Her goal in life is: to expose the big boss man for who he really is and take her revenge.

The same company also employs Kang Woo Il, co-boss at the company. He, unlike his partner, is warm, sensitive, and well-liked.

Eun Yi Soo is a chaebol heiress who has been engaged for three long years.

Director: Song Hyun Wook

Thirty But Seventeen(2018) 서른이지만 열일곱입니다 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Coemdy/Romance/Life/Drama/Family

Shin Hye Sun ~ Woo Seo Ri

Yang Se Jong ~ Gong Woo Jin

Woo Seo Ri, a violin prodigy at 17 who was about to study in Germany, got into a bus accident and fell into a coma waking up 13 years later. Mentally she is still only 17, while physically she is now 30.

Due to a trauma he experienced 13 years before, Gong Woo Jin does not want to have a relationship with others.

This series is about a man and a woman whose lives in their own ways essentially stopped when they were 17. Together, they use all their might to try and open the door to the happiness that they once thought had been closed to them.

Director: Jo Soo Won

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019) 로맨스는 별책부록 ~

Genre: Frienship/Business/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Lee Na Young ~ Kang Dan Yi

Lee Jong Suk ~ Cha Eun Ho

Cha Eun Ho is a successful and handsome writer who is also the youngest chief editor at a publishing company. He has a calm demeanor and remains reasonable at work. He then becomes involved in the life of his childhood friend, Kang Dan Yi who was once a popular copywriter. She is now divorced, a single mother, unemployed and struggling in life though still attempts to find a job, but even with her once good career, she cannot.

However, in a desperate attempt to find a job, she lies about her background and begins to work as a temporary worker in the same building under none other than Cha Eun Ho. As they become involved in each other’s life more than often, a love story begins to unfold.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo

DoDoSolSolLaLaSol (2020) 도도솔솔라라솔 ~

Genre: Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

Go Ah Ra ~ Goo Ra Ra

Lee Jae Wook ~ Sun Woo Joon

Goo Ra Ra is a naive rich girl, who dreams of being a great pianist with her father's love guiding her. But her path becomes rocky when her father passes away, and she finds herself going bankrupt. Being scammed of home and needing an escape, she goes on a ride where she encounters an accident trying to avoid Sun Woo Joon, a diligent worker trying to meet ends. Being hospitalized with a broken arm and no place to go, guilty Sun Woo Joon decides to take responsibility and take care of her. With Go Ra Ra’s naive personality, she slowly begins creeping into Sun Woo Joon's heart, while trying to deal with the challenges of living an adult life.

Director: Kim Min Kyung

YOUTH/LIFE

You’re beautiful (2009) 미남이시네요 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Jang Geun Suk ~ Hwang Tae Kyu

Park Shin Hye ~ Go Mi Nam

Jung Yong Hwa ~ Kang Shin Woo

Lee Hong Ki ~ Kang On Yu

The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung's voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn't want to spoil her brother's chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother.

Director: Hong Sung Chang

Boys Over Flowers (2009) 꽃보다 남자 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama

Gu Hye Seon ~ Geum Jan Di

Lee Min Ho ~ Goo Joon Pyo

Kim Hyun Joong ~ Yoon Ji Hoo

Kim Bum ~ So Yi Jung

Kim Joon ~ Song Woo Bin

Geum Jan Di comes from a poor family who owns a dry-cleaning shop. One day, she visits Shinhwa High School, a prestigious school for the wealthy, and saves a student trying to commit suicide because of bullying. For her heroic act, Jan Di receives a swimming scholarship and starts attending the school.

In school, she meets the notorious F4, the most popular and powerful group of boys at the school, consisting of Gu Jun Pyo; the leader of F4 and heir to the Shinhwa Group, Yoon Ji Hu; the grandson of a former president of Korea, So Yi Jung; a skilled potter who comes from a family that owns the country's biggest art museum, and Song Woo Bin; whose family runs the country's largest construction company.

Her life at school starts out miserable, as she doesn't fit in with other students because of her status, and later becomes worse when she is labeled as the new bullying target of the F4.

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

To the Beautiful You (2012) 아름다운 그대에게 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama/Sports

Sulli ~ Goo Jae Hee

Choi Min Ho ~ Kang Tae Joon

Lee Hyun Woo ~ Cha Eun Gyeol

Tae Joon became Jae Hee’s strength during her toughest time, and she leaves the US for Korea to enroll in a men’s physical education high school to help Tae Joon restart his high jump career.

Tae Joon announces his retirement from the high jump national team and closes his heart, but his closed heart begins to open after meeting Jae Hee.

Eun Gyul is confused about his sexual orientation as he falls in love with Jae Hee who is masquerading as a man. The student-athletes have a fun time training with each other and are not tied down to setting a record or competition.

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

Strongest Delivery Man (2017) 최강 배달꾼 ~

Genre: Friendship/Business/ Comedy/Romance/Life/Youth

Go Kyung Pyo ~ Choi Kang Soo

Chae Soo Bin ~ Lee Dan Ah

Choi Kang Soo is a deliveryman. In spite of his humble beginnings, Choi Kang Soo is fearless and gives it all in everything he does. Lee Dan Ah is another delivery worker. She hates her current socioeconomic status so much that she, like many young people, calls her country “Hell Joseon.” Lee Dan Ah is so focused on making money and changing her life that she has no time for men. But when she comes across the charming Choi Kang Soo, her attitude is due to be moved.

Together, Choi Kang Soo and Lee Dan Ah have a budding competition and romance in their quest for glory. And, for them, glory means being like rich folk Lee Jin Yoon and Oh Jin Gyu. They compete to conquer life but, as our two delivery workers soon learn, being the strongest does not guarantee success.

Director: Kim Shin Il, Jeon Woo Sung

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016) 역도요정 김복주 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Roamnce/School/Youth/Sports

Lee Sung Kyung ~ Kim Bok Joo

Nam Joo Hyuk ~ Jung Joon Hyun

Bok Joo is a weightlifter who is pursuing her dream of winning the gold medal but she then finds romance for the first time in her life. While she is a woman who trains with heavy steel weights, she is also very feminine when it comes to relationships. To focus solely on weightlifting would jeopardize her relationship but leaving her weightlifting career for love would keep her from attaining her dreams. Can she find a way to have love as well as glory at the age of 20? The characters within this drama are elite athletes in weightlifting, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics who work hard to reach their goals in life. It covers their coming-of-age stories and relationships through hectic life.

Director: Oh Hyun Jong

Itaewon Class (2020) 이태원 클라쓰 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Business/Romance/Life/Drama

Park Seo Joon ~ Park Sae Ro Yi

Kim Da Mi ~ Jo Yi Seo

Kwon Na Ra ~ Oh Soo Ah

Park Saeroyi's life has been turned upside down after he gets expelled from school for punching a bully and his father is killed in an accident. Following his father's steps, he opens a pub named "DanBam" in Itaewon and, along with his manager and staff, strive towards success and reaching greater heights.

Director: Kim Seong Yoon

ROMANCE

One Spring Night (2019) 봄밤 ~

Genre: Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Jung Hae In ~ Yoo Ji Ho

Han Ji Min ~ Lee Jung In

Feeling trapped in a stale four-year relationship and reluctant to take the next step into marriage, Lee Jung In stumbles into Yu Ji Ho's pharmacy one morning, nursing a hangover after a night of drinking with her friend. As she tries to reassemble herself before going to work, Jung In discovers that she has forgotten her wallet and cannot pay. Ji Ho kindly helps Jung In, despite her prickly personality. What begins as an innocent daily interaction, develops into a deeper attachment as the two find themselves drawn to one another. They embark on a secret friendship while navigating the minefield of familial and societal expectations.

Director: Ahn Pan Seok

Crash Landing on You (2020) 사랑의 불시착 ~

Genre: Military/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Political

Hyun Bin ~ Ri Jung Hyuk

Son Ye Jin ~ Yoon Se Ri

Tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, a South Korean heiress and a North Korean elite who also happens to be an army officer. One day, while paragliding, Yoon Se Ri has an accident caused by strong winds, leading her to crash land in North Korea, where she meets Ri Jung Hyuk, a North Korean army officer, who agrees to help her return to South Korea. Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo

THRILLER

Extracurricular (2020) 인간수업 ~

Genre: Friendship/Psychological/Crime/Life/School/Youth/Drama/Mature

Kim Dong Hee ~ Oh Ji Soo

Park Joo Hyun ~ Bae Gyu Ri

"Extracurricular” is centered around three high school students who start committing crimes to earn money and the unpredictable dangers they face as a result.

Kim Dong Hee will portray Ji Soo, who goes from a model student to a criminal after committing an unthinkable act. Jung Da Bin as school bully Min Hee, who gets caught up in Ji Soo’s crime. Park Joo Hyun will portray Ji Soo’s dangerous partner in crime Gyu Ri, while Nam Yoon Soo will appear as Min Hee’s boyfriend and the school’s most popular guy Ki Tae.

Director: Kim Jin Min

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queensqewed0722 · 4 years ago

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I have a confession to make: I was one of those who gladly anticipated the drama “Crash Landing On You” and looked forward to seeing Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin in the series. I liked the premise and thought it would be interesting to watch the romance unfolding between a loyal, North Korean soldier and a pampered South Korean heiress.

I tried to watch it as it aired but things got in the way and I ended up watching it in spurts after the drama had already ended. I liked it well enough, but not enough for it to actually make a lasting impression on me. I loved the gorgeous location and cinematography was top-notch. Hyun Bin was both funny and charismatic as Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok, his comrades as equally funny in their attempts to understand Son Ye Jin’s Yoon Se Ri, this strange creature from the other side of the border who spoke in a strange accent and acted so differently from the women of the North. Son Ye Jin was beautiful and the epitome of style as the heiress from Seoul who fell in love not just with Captain Ri but with his comrades as well, and learned to somehow appreciate the beauty in the simplicity of their lives.

Yet despite the fact that CLOY had all the factors of the kind of drama that I would love, and Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin had the chemistry for it, it wasn’t their story that made a deep impression on me. Rather, it was the secondary female character, Seo Dan, played by Seo Ji Hye, an actress I’ve never heard of.

Seo Dan is the fiancée of Captain Ri, and they were betrothed by their parents when they were still in high school. Seo Dan has always been in love with Jeong Hyeok, but he doesn’t care for her and only sees her as an obligation to his family. Seo Dan is a cellist and loves classical music, like Jeong Hyeok, but somehow it never brought them closer.

At first glance, Dan comes off as cold, aloof and arrogant, and so she is. She is, after all, an heiress of the largest department store in Pyongyang, wealthy in a nation where most of the people do not own much in terms of personal wealth. Yet her cold exterior hides a vulnerable and insecure side. Seo Dan longs to be loved and accepted by Jyeong Hyeok and she has spent half of her life trying her best to win his heart.

In the course of the story, she meets Gu Seung Jun (alias Alberto Gu), a con man who had once been engaged to Yoon Se Ri until Se Ri found out his real motives behind his desire to marry her and she terminated the engagement. Seung Jun had used money he had stolen to flee and hide in North Korea. His life gets entangled with Seo Dan because of their connection to Se Ri and Captain Ri. In the process, Seung Jun falls in love with Dan and, though reluctantly at first, she learns to love him too. But fate isn’t on their side, and just when Dan realizes her feelings for Seung Jun, he gets killed trying to save her.

In the end, Dan decides to end her engagement to Captain Ri and live her life alone as an independent woman since she had lost the man she loved, who loved her in return.

Unlike most CLOY viewers and fans, I really didn’t care much for Gu Seung Jun’s character. He was funny and could be charming, annoying at times, but to me, his importance lay in the fact that he awakened a side of Seo Dan that would have lain dormant if he hadn’t come into her life. He made her realize how it felt to actually be loved by someone for herself and not for what she could give (money) or what she represented (power and influence). He made her feel wanted and appreciated for who she was. I wasn’t so much into their relationship, but I appreciated it for what it did for her. Seung Jun was a catalyst for Seo Dan’s character growth. I think, more than anything, he taught her how to love and appreciate a person in spite of them. After all, Gu Seung Jun was everything that would have gone against Seo Dan’s values and upbringing.

Seo Ji Hye actually made Seo Dan a very sympathetic character. In the hands of lesser actresses, Seo Dan would have just been another villainess, a second lead competing for the affections of the male lead with the female lead. She would have been deemed evil and inferior in all aspects by the viewers, no matter how beautiful or accomplished she may be. But with Seo Ji Hye, Seo Dan wasn’t a caricature. She was human.

I think that was a major factor that made Seo Dan and Gu Seung Jun’s romance almost as compelling and interesting to the CLOY viewers. Its tragedy was juxtaposed with the happy-ever-after of Captain Ri and Yoon Se Ri, and to them it was just as unforgettable. (Of course, this being Kdrama, there has to be the token tragedy inserted into all the romcom sweetness and since that can’t come from the main leads, it was supplied by the secondary leads.)

In “Dinner Mate”, though, we see a totally different Seo Ji Hye as mobile content producer Woo Do-hee. She’s still beautiful and statuesque, but where Seo Dan was all cold elegance and grace, Woo Do-hee is a bundle of energetic quirkiness and warmth. Gone are the fashionable trench coats, scarves and distinctly styled and colorful dresses of Seo Dan. What we see now are jeans, slacks, and peasant blouses under vests, topped by coats and blazers. And her hair is no longer immaculately combed and held back by jeweled barrettes and her makeup is no longer strong. Do-hee’s naturally made-up face is framed by soft bangs and slightly wavy long hair that’s either held in a half-pony or full-ponytail. There are no barrettes to be seen anywhere.

And Woo Do-hee smiles and laughs more readily than Seo Dan. And she tends to make faces or pouts when she’s displeased. Dan would never do that. She’s very much in control of her emotions, down to the way they’re expressed on her face. At most, she would have made a small moue of displeasure if annoyed or a close-lipped smile when pleased. Do-hee, on the other hand, would either screech in indignation or smile up to her eyes.

But one thing that I’ve liked about how Seo Ji Hye portrays her roles is that she does them with such genuineness. Regardless if she’s Seo Dan or Woo Do-hee, the sincerity of her character always comes across. I especially notice this when she cries in her dramas. Unlike other actresses who, even when they cry, still give off a feeling of detachment (as if their tears are merely superficial), Seo Ji Hye weeps with such deep-felt emotion. Her pain and sorrow are just so palpable. Her face literally crumples into tears. (Well, she still looks gorgeous even after weeping but then, she’s just one of the lucky ones who couldn’t ugly-cry even if they tried.)

I remember feeling so bad for her as Seo Dan when she screamed and cried after Seung Jun died, and I felt just as bad for her when she wept when she was talking to Ah-young about the futility of pursuing her feelings for her dinner-mate, Kim Hae-kyung. Something in the way she looks and the expression in her eyes make me feel that she’s no longer acting. She seems to totally inhabit her character.

Another thing that I found wonderful about her is that, because she has this natural presence and charisma, she is able to establish chemistry with her co-stars, whether they be her love interest in the drama or just another character that her own character acts with. I think that was the reason a lot of viewers got sold on the idea of the romance between Seo Dan and Gu Seung Jun. She and Kim Jung Hyun made them a viable pairing. And now with “Dinner Mate’, she looks wonderful with Song Seung Heon and they work so well together. Yet amazingly enough, she also looks great with Lee Ji Hoon. (Some viewers even jokingly said that since she also has great onscreen chemistry with APink member Son Na-eun who plays Song Seung Heon’s former lover, maybe there will be a plot twist and their characters end up together instead. Ha-ha.)

That’s why I find it strange that she doesn’t seem to be well-known as a lead actress, although she seems to have done her share of lead drama roles early in her career. But then I’m not surprised. She probably prefers doing character roles to lead female roles and that’s probably to her advantage artistically. Supporting character roles would allow her to stretch her acting chops and give her greater flexibility and range. And although she’s physically gorgeous, she does give this air of aloofness and strength, as well as cool elegance and grace. Coupled with her low, husky voice, what comes across is the image of an independent woman who lives life on her own terms and can easily tell anyone to f*** off. Not quite typical KDrama female heroine material.

In any case, I think she’s now one of my favorite Korean actresses and I do look forward to her next projects. I hope she gets to do film projects or dramas at the level of my KDrama standard, “My Ahjussi”. But I will always keep my fingers crossed that she reunites with Song Seung Heon. They’re just magical together on and offscreen and I’d love to see them again in the future.

#seo ji hye #will you have dinner with me #dinner mate #Crash Landing On You #CLOY #seo dan #woo do hee

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