#best korean melodramas

[absolutebl]

Wading back into the BL world after several months away, and I would like to politely request recommendations. I'm looking for completed BL shows that are as good as Bad Buddy, have a D/s element, are supernatural, and/or are about politics like Not Me. Any or all of these combined would be lovely. I prefer Thai, but any country is fine.

You're the best!

Hi sweetie! Welcome back.

Recently completed BL, as good as Bad Buddy (I rated that a 9/10) with D/s elements, supernatural (PNR), and/or politics.

Okay so I sorted the spreadsheet of doom by year (we are in October 2024) and then ranking, and here is what I got:

Century of Love

Thai Gaga

fated mates, PNR, historical element, grumpy/sunshine, D/s hinted at but not fully executed

This is a very pretty drama about a young man who fell in love with a nice girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. Or is she? I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz. I like this pair (it’s not DaouOffroad’s fault I didn’t enjoy their first series.) Daou’s wushu is snazzy and we got a unique meet cute. (Erm… Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?)

Ultimately, this is I Feel You Linger in the Air + First Love Again, rather than (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen. It’s a good story and a great BL and I can’t find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lakorns. Also I’m going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as “good for a BL.”

It was, to put it succinctly, a VERY ENJOYABLE show.

Cherry Magic (Thai remake)

Thai grey

paranormal, office romance, no D/s

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team (at GMMTV) and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up). Look, here’s the thing,

Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it stands strong. I, personally, like the Thai BL slightly better than the Japanese live action yaoi, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy Thai BL's style and I LOVE TayNew.

Also all the kissing was both present and better in this version. As it should be from Thailand.

Cosmetic Playlover

Japan Gaga

obsession, office, tsundere/sunshine , claiming, ownership D/s but nothing more than that

I loved this little show. It was a classic office BL about the older workaholic who loves his job and the younger upstart who unexpectedly loves his boss. It’s a hyung romance where everybody is extremely earnest and sweet and pretty about everything. Except our seme, who is slightly unhinged and a little obsessed in all the ways one likes best from Japan. Plus the kisses were good! I can’t ask for anything more, utterly charming unexpected gem of a show. What a great time!

Love For Love's Sake

Korea iQIYI

isekai, paranormal, high school setting, very soft, sunshine/tsundere, it's Korean so no D/s (the only one that might satisfy from them recently is bully romance Jazz for Two)

trigger suicide

Isekai-based KBL is about a man who must win a game by convincing a reserved teen outcast to fall in love with him. Of course, that teen represents himself and his own unhappiness. Like many queer narratives, this show is actually about self worth, trust, and found family, and it is VERY on the nose. But I don’t expect subtlety from my BL and I enjoyed it's truly lovely redemption arc and earnest performances.

I personally found the narrative a touch disjointed with overworked filming angles and poorer than average captions, but the consistency of tone, script, and immersion is beyond the norm for BL. You will drown in this show and like it that way. The leads have fantastic chemistry and it's ultimately highly rewatchable and utterly charming, which counts for a lot.

The Sign

Thai YouTube

paranormal, soulmates, sunshine/tsundere, high heat, police procedural, every other trope, there's even some elements of D/s in there because it has...... well, everything in it

This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it.

Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was.

Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not.

Was it also a charming, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing.

I think this show is basically my KinnPorsche, and frankly I’ve been chasing that dragon naga since KP aired. Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN. Emphasis on balls.

I rated it a 9/10 in 2024 but doesn't contain any of your other requested criteria

Sugar Dog Life

The Rebound

Unknown

Wandee Goodday

We Are

Sorry the D/s has been very light on the ground this year. I mean there has been some kinky stuff, but nothing even approaching BB in terms of quality. I mean Deep Night was about sex work and had a poly romance but was it...... good? Not really.

I rated it an 8/10 but at least it has kink

My Stand-in

Meet You At the Blossom

Jazz for Two

Deep Night

[medleymisty]

No one tagged me in this specifically but I wanted to do it too! :)

People you'd like to get to know better: Tag Game

Last Song: River of Deceit by Mad Season. :)

Favorite Color: Green yay green is the best! :)

Currently Watching: Chicken Nugget and Queen of Tears, both Korean shows on Netflix. I recommend both. :) Chicken Nugget is a very funny story about a woman who gets turned into a chicken nugget and the attempts of her father and a coworker to save her. Queen of Tears is a melodrama by the same writer as Crash Landing On You, with new episodes on Saturday and Sunday. It's about a couple who have been married three years figuring out their relationship problems while a group is doing a cams to take over the wife's family's company.

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: All three! :) I've been eating more Asian food the last few years and growing my tolerance for spicy.

Relationship: Very happily married for 21 and a half years so far. We got married when we were 21, so very soon we'll have been married for half our lives.

Current Obsession: Err, been playing a lot of Elder Scrolls Online because I got a bit burned out on Sims, so does that count? Also, as always, trying to understand other humans and what's up with them. Current focus is on why people have gotten so weird about age and media in the last few years.

Last Thing You Googled: Google is trash these days but I asked Perplexity AI why people get mad when other people are different from them.

I tag anyone else who hasn't done this yet and wants to! :)

[open-hearth-rpg]

Hearts of Wulin Now at Age of Ravens

Hearts of Wulin, a PbtA game of wuxia romance and melodrama is now at Age of Ravens Games. Written by Joyce Ch*ng and Lowell Francis (me). This game and its expansion, Hearts of Wulin Worlds, offers a range of playstyles by focusing on the powerful heroes trapped by a web of obligations and personal desires. 

It’s pretty awesome IMHO. It draws on the literature of writers like Jin Yong and Gu Long, in particular adaptations of those stories in dozens and dozens of TV series (Laughing in the Wind, The Proud Twins). It also works to include things like more recent web novels and their adaptations, with rules for xianxia and the fantastic. The core book includes ideas for various genres, narrating fight scenes, building entanglements, and handling historical/courtly games. 

Hearts of Wulin: Worlds includes several settings: 

Shadow of Joseon, set during the Korean Joseon Dynasty. (Yeonsoo Julian Kim)

1905: San Francisco, presents a Chinatown just emerging from the shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act. (Banana Chan)

Cour de l'Eppee transports Hearts of Wulin to swashbuckling France. (Cat Evans)

Academy of the Blade offers a dueling academy inspired by Revolutionary Girl Utena. (Alison Tam)

Fight Me IRL is a unique take on cyberpunk. (James Mendez Hodes) 

Silk & Steam gives you a wondrous silkpunk setting. (Kienna Shaw)

It also includes two major rules add-ons:

The Villain, a new playbook. Not all wulin "Heroes" are heroes with a capital H. Some start in a darker place... 

Numberless Secrets, a new set of rules for telling mystery/investigation stories in Hearts of Wulin. 

These can be found on Drivethrurpg– both are part of the ongoing GMs Day sale happening right now. 

Personally I’m really excited about the future for Hearts of Wulin. Though I never learned the print run, I do know that the last of the physical copies recently sold out at Indie Press Revolution. I have a short list of things I’m hoping to accomplish. 

Get it up on itch.io. I know some folks prefer to get their ttrpg pdfs via that site. 

Figure out how to get Print-on-Demand versions up on Drivethru. I’ve been told this is a challenging process to get right, so I’m hoping to talk to some folks who have done it before. 

Publish the Names & Entanglements deck. This was a self-print add-on for Hearts of Wulin. It's a useful resource for character creation and I’m hoping to have physical copy available for sale. 

I’ve always said folks should feel free to hack and rework Hearts of Wulin as they wish. But I’d like to get a clear Creative Commons license out there for everyone and encourage folks to play around with the system.

Eventually I might do a 1.5 version bringing some of the HoW: Worlds material over into the main book, as well as a couple of rules updates.

I want to publish a collection of Numberless Secrets mysteries along with guidance for running detective wuxia games. I love the series Ancient Detective and this is the best way I get to play out those kinds of stories. 

Get an online keeper which has easy to use set ups for all of the expansion worlds. We have a solid one– newly automated thanks to Agatha– but it doesn’t have all the expansions. 

Some folks have done from amazing things with HoW so far (inspired by media like Scott Pilgrim, Cobra Kai, Star Wars and beyond). It would be great if I could assemble a collection of new hacks and settings, maybe with some additional play options.

Finalize the one translation agreement I’ve been offered. 

I want to thank everyone who has read and/or played Hearts of Wulin. It remains a game I love to run and it would be amazing to have more people try it out.

[dramalets]

2024 Watch List pt3

Takura-kun & Amagi-kun - This has lots of the Japanese traits that I don’t always love but I did find myself warmed by it. It’s basically two boys being teenage and idiotic whilst learning how to love and be loved. I really liked the two besties in this. 3/5 (13/3/24)

Although I love you, and you? - Apparently this is wildly different from the manga so people were hating on it but, with zero knowledge of the manga, I have to say I enjoyed it. Very silly but had a nice emotional depth to it and Sakae & Soga made for interesting leads. Also loved the little found family of friends and bar regulars. 3 ½/5 (15/3/24)

One Room Angel - This could really only be Japanese. Beautiful, bittersweet and healing this does come with a lot of trigger warnings but if you can stomach it’s darker elements it’s really worth the journey. 4/5 (26/3/24)

Love is science (BL cut) - Just about an hour on YouTube this was delightful. Undoubtedly would not have enjoyed all the different het storylines but these two should have been a show on their own. Just lush. (No rate because it’s a cut. 28/3/24)

Senpai this can’t be love - Errm. Elements I really liked, and I don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad as some make it out to be, but it did have a very naff ending and they deserved a better kiss. These two were cute but probably not one I’ll reach to rewatch. 3/5 (30/3/24)

WaterBoyy - I really only watched this because I’m a dumbass with completionist tendencies. It’s a show? The story and script are absolutely insane. There is so much het nonsense, which I entirely skipped, weird dated language and extremely 2017 dubcon. I can give a lot of old shows a pass for being of their time but this is bad even by 2017 standards. I’ll give it a half point for being moderately well acted. But that’s it. 1/2 (1/4/24)

Our Dating Sim - Very cute. Packed a surprising amount of story into a short time frame. Also delivered some nice kisses. 3/5 (2/4/24)

Jun & Jun - Enjoyed most of this. Episodes 5 & 6 felt a little redundant. Great kisses, much higher heat than standard for a K BL. Would have loved more from the manager & idol pairing, they had an interesting history and I’d like to have seen them a little more developed. I could understand why no man could resist Lee Jun’s face, a 100% cutie. 3/5 (3/4/24)

Love is better the second time around - Much to love about this one. The acting all round was stunning, Aloha as Senpai’s bitchy assistant was hilarious and I need him in a main BL role again soon, the leads were able to tell whole stories in subtle facial expressions. I think the end was satisfying but I did feel like it could have used 8 episodes instead of 6. 4/5 (10/4/24)

Unknown - Quite the surprise. I’m a little hesitant with the pseudo incest, brother lover whatever the hell you want to call it trope. But this was done beautifully well. A mild melodrama with slice of life and found family at its core this is wholly worth your time and I loved it a lot. 5/5 (20/4/24)

We Best Love (1) - I definitely did enjoy this but it also didn’t overly wow me. Shu Yi is my perfect brand of arrogant stupidity wrapped up in a pissed off little cat package so he was an easy and delightful sell for me. Also obsessed with the cousin doctor. Sam Lin and Yu have extremely good chemistry and I’m excited to watch the second series. 3 ½/5 (29/4/24)

Two Worlds - This was silly and pulpy from the get go and stayed that way. The holes have holes in this and the ending was very expected but, having said all this, I still very much enjoyed myself. Wandee knows that mindless pulp & MaxNat are a great combo and truly it is. Would make an easy, delicious spam. 3/5 (16/5/24)

Boys be brave - This felt more Japanese than Korean in some parts? Lots of character examination and broken boys being stubborn. (100% more so in the secondary pairing which really never got explored enough for my tastes.) Overall I found this very enjoyable and it didn’t entirely fluff its ending up. 3 ½/5 (16/5/24)

23.5 - I don’t think this is without its issues but the things it did well I feel it did really well. The teens in this were authentically stupid and all their problems were also accurately teen. Ignore reviews telling you the writing is bad, it isn’t, it’s just extremely specifically teen. None of the problems the girls have are relatable for adults honestly but if you’re someone who never outgrew your teen angst or is just able to remember that period well you’ll enjoy this. Milk & Love were superb as was the entire cast. I’d love more light GL stories like this one and less melodrama and sadness. 3 ½/5 (24/5/24)

[seouldramaspot]

Lovely Runner - A Fusion of Heartfelt Drama and Fantasy

"Lovely Runner" has been highly anticipated by K-drama enthusiasts, and it doesn't disappoint. Starring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon, this 2024 series, based on the popular web novel "Tomorrow's Best" and its webtoon adaptation

A Plot Steeped in Emotion and Intrigue

"Lovely Runner" centers around Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon), a former aspiring film director who finds her dreams crushed by a tragic accident that leaves her paralyzed. Sol's life takes another heartbreaking turn when her idol, Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok), a multifaceted celebrity, dies unexpectedly. However, the narrative takes a fantastical twist when Sol wakes up 15 years in the past, with an opportunity to rewrite both her and Sun-jae's destinies.

The premise alone promises a rich exploration of themes like fate, second chances, and the enduring power of dreams. As Sol grapples with her newfound reality, viewers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster that is both poignant and exhilarating.

Outstanding Performances

Kim Hye-yoon shines as Im Sol, bringing depth and nuance to her character's journey from despair to hope. Her portrayal captures the essence of a woman determined to seize her second chance, making Sol's struggles and triumphs profoundly relatable.

Byeon Woo-seok's performance as Ryu Sun-jae is equally compelling. He seamlessly transitions between the charismatic idol and the vulnerable individual behind the public persona. The chemistry between Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok is palpable, adding a layer of authenticity to their characters' intertwined fates.

Supporting Characters Add Richness

The supporting cast also deserves praise for their contributions to the story. Song Geon-hee as Kim Tae-sung, Lee Seung-hyub as Baek In-hyuk, and Jung Young-ju as Park Bok-soon deliver strong performances that enrich the narrative. Each character brings a unique perspective, making the world of "Lovely Runner" vibrant and multifaceted.

Special mentions go to Park Tae-hwan, Kwon Yu-ri, and Han Seung-yeon for their memorable cameos, which add a touch of realism and excitement to the drama.

The visual storytelling in "Lovely Runner" is captivating, with carefully crafted scenes that enhance the emotional impact of the story. The soundtrack complements the drama perfectly, adding depth to key moments and enhancing the overall viewing experience.

"Lovely Runner" is a compelling drama that expertly weaves together elements of fantasy and melodrama. Its strong narrative, combined with stellar performances and high production values, make it a standout series in the 2024 K-drama lineup. Whether you're a fan of time-travel tales or emotional character-driven stories, "Lovely Runner" offers a heartfelt and engaging viewing experience.

So, grab your tissues and get ready to embark on a journey through time with Im Sol and Ryu Sun-jae. "Lovely Runner" is more than just a drama; it's a testament to the power of resilience and the beauty of second chances.

Honest Comment: At first I thought this will be like the typical love story a series about a high school life that the girl will fall in love with its Idol like obsessed with her Idol but when I start watching I love how the episode go , how the flow of the series its like the year of Korean Drama 2016 it made me feel the past like it was my first time watching Korean drama. I love how fresh the story you will be fluttered especially the interaction with the 2 Protagonist the story surrounds them and the story line is a masterpiece. It gives the vibe that you wanted to fall in love again. Highly recommended for first timer , Big Thumbs Up!!!

[monstress]

                        Favorite 2022 Korean Album Releases

khamat — hunjiya

this album is sonically so so beautiful! the r&b-pop hybrid is trendy (which can be a strength and a weakness) but this album has amazing build up that i cannot ignore. the narrative of zillennial’s blustery self-assuredness with the tracks all in capital letters - ending with last month’s rent in lowercase as the dawning realization of adulthood and growing out of friends and your childhood home. yeah...i’ll drink to that. the best engineered album of the year.

neap paradise — shin hae gyeong

one of my faveeee rock releases of the year. the arrangement of this album is so pleasing as you delve longer and longer in its psychedelic soundscape. it’s also a little reminiscent of korean indie sounds in the early 2010s which mayhaps colored my bias to this album. in addition, there are sooo many individual hooks across this album: when the guitar solo ripssss in Vandalism? the toy laugh at the end of Kaleidoscope? the descending chords in My Chronos? *chefs kiss*

piece of space — kaiavant

this album is soooo sexy...like how can you make marimba in the opening track sound alluring? she did it though! speaking about a shattered, unstable relationship, this alt-r&b is splendidly built and shows so much potential for kaiavant. the track woo hoo (feat. kid milli) is a star. if you’re a fan of bibi’s sound, do check her out!

evergray — jiwoo

his previous album ‘esprit’ got him on my to watch list and he delivered this year!! moody, introspective, and downbeat, this album is wonderful for those searching for a slow night and jiwoo’s voice perfectly emulates the toxicity of lust, love, and breakups. like a dark curtain of rain, it ensconced you in the melodrama if you let it.

nameless things — xeuda

decided to check this album since it was co-produced by cacophony and it didn’t disappoint! if you decide to listen to this album in one sitting, it’s so artful at how it slowly unravels from being defensive in sharing to you the true nature of its artist (her anxiety) and slowly opens up to a crescendo of a frenzy and ends like a grey cast in the aftermath of a storm.

life goes on — orange flavored cigarettes

might be a ~vibey entry to the list but the funk production flares (the underwater effect in kontrast, the reverb in that’s all i want) makes it distinct against its similar bands. this was in constant rotation for the summer for the slow summer nights with its ambient vocals. highly rec check out their other 2022 singles, especially noah.

a.k.a YAYA — yaya kim

this is an insaneeeee album from start to finish. with 33 tracks (yes that’s right!!!!), this album is indulgent, effusive, and operatic in its splendor. it’s magnificent, dark, and seductive which completely matches yaya kim’s husky voice. a concept album for a noir film that doesn’t exist, if you will. from the opening track, it asks you to let down your apprehension and enjoy the velvet-textured, wonderfully performed ride to its completion.

damage — kim doeon

i do love me some experimental albums and this album introduced me to the delightful name of the genre ‘folktronica’. while it’s more ambient than what i prefer, i’ve had this album on replay to able to parse something new with each listen. it’s soooo funky, fresh, and pleasant and it’s production is very evocative of a charming indie pixel game. Green Screen is my fave track of the year.

ㅠㅠ — gonggonggoo009

when this album starts, it does not let up! it’s 40 mins long album and uses it  expeditiously and excellently. the tracks are delightfully groovy at times, addictive in a few, and GOES HARD that you will not fatigued by the end of the runtime. and i know the man has become persona non grata (for good, good reasons) but it will be remiss not to mention the influence of kanye’s my beautiful dark twisted fantasy in this album’s production (the tracks monster, walk and polar bear are pretty obvious - and no, it’s not just because of the autotune). however, as the album goes on it does evolve to take on more of kendrick’s work (concentration is the best track imo). fave khh album of the year, don’t miss out.

♡ ♡ ♡ 

honorable mentions: all of ive’s singles, conch’s hurry up!, kwon eun bi’s lethality, slom’s weather report, rocket punch’s flash, bibi’s lowlife princess: noir, youha’s love you more, newjeans’ hype boy, baek yerin’s pisces, lucid fall’s voice beside guitar, dpr ian’s moodswings in to order

[trendingdrama]

I most recently saw ‘Destined With You’ and ‘Doom at Your Service’ and loved both. I want to watch something that is more serious than silly and I’ve discovered that I really like the whole theme of love that exists beyond time or just love happening despite tragic circumstances. ‘While You Were Sleeping’ is probably my most favorite kdrama. If there are some kdramas you can think of that have similar vibes to those, I’d love to hear about them.

at the outset with time travel or past lives / tragic love...I just know a few ...

Mystic popup bar :

this is more of mix of part comedy , drama , romance ( sub sub plot) and action. Weol Ju (played by hwang jung eum) is a pop up restraunt owner who sets her food tent at night where both the dead and the living can grab a drink and she helps people appease their grudges / problemswith a special drink...( i am sorry this synopsis seems weird but give it a go you might like this :) )

2.Hotel del luna

i think this a mix of romcom , fantasy and horror. The story revolves aroung jang man wol ( played gorgeously by IU ) who is the owner of the hotel del luna (she is bound by curse to look after the hotel for dead and make easy passage for them to the nether world). Things start to be different for manwol once she hires goo chan sung as the assistant manager ....While this synopsis sounds boring it is far from it ... It does explore on some thematic aspects of ' resentment ' letting go and found family themes . Also since you said you liked while you were sleeping it's from the same directors that's an added bonus. Also cinematography and OSTs are my absolute favs...

3. Youth of May

this one not a fantasy but rather a sad romance melodrama.. but the directing acting the story was amazing . It revolves around old school romance of two strangers who met at the time of gwangju uprising. (And this drama made me look into south korean history ) It just gives you that nostalgia of what it is to be in love. Also because it is in the backdrop of a major event in sk history it does depicts deaths and cruel reality of the olden time. Anyway this was one of the best dramas i have watched ( please be ready with lots of tissues when watching this )

4. My dearest

Was released as a two part series with total of 21 episodes with each episodes were a art in itself , set in historical times of Qing invasion Yu Gil Chae is a pretty, bubbly, and a bit spoiled young lady who's called the 99 tailed fox of Neunggun-ri. She is also a bit of an outcast because other young ladies are jealous of her. They seem to think she's too straightforward and her behavior is inappropriate for a young lady, while young noblemen think highly of her. Gil Chae knows how to get men to fall for her but fails to capture the heart of the person she likes. Lee Jang Hyun is a mysterious man who suddenly appears in the Neunggun-ri social scene. Nobody really knows anything about him. Young nobles don't like him, but the elderly are wrapped around his finger. He's been dating around a lot, but he becomes curious about a certain 99 tailed fox, and one day, the said fox quite literally crash lands into his arms.

Once war is brewing, the pair finds themselves separated before they could even start to make sense of their feelings.

But the drama isn't just about their love it is much more than that it captivates it's viewers to empathize with emotions of ongoing war and how wthe invasion affects each and every character ( not just the main ) and the beautiful storytelling and the cinematography with added acting brilliance of nam goong min and ahn eunjin you keep yearning for more and more...

this is definitely the most serious one out of this lot.

JUST another rec of a not romance in fantasy but just a thriller fantasy drama that i am currently watching seems absolutely good

5. TOMORROW

Choi Joon Woong seeks a job, but it's hard for him to get hired. One night, he witnesses a man trying to end his life and decides to stop him. He gets acquainted with grim reapers Koo Ryeon and Im Ryoong Gu, who belong to a crisis management team. Their purpose is to prevent people from committing suicide. After Joon Woong ends up in a coma and becomes half-human and half-spirit, he is employed by a company of grim reapers as the newest member of the crisis management team.

other dramas: that fit love in tragic circumstances maybe :

queen for seven days

it's okay to not be okay ( tragic past )

extraordinary you ( not tragic but how love transcends two webtoons / two stories in fantasy based story where characters are in webtoon and one of the side character relaises THAT FACT !!)

it's okay that's love

[tokkiheart]

The Beauty Inside (2015) Review & General Thoughts

That’s right, I’m reviewing a K-Movie and not a K-Drama.

As a disclaimer, I haven’t seen the original American web-series from 2012 nor the K-Drama that resulted from this movie, so I’m reviewing this movie as it’s own entity and not on how good of a remake/adaptation it is.

As always, this is going to be spoiler free!

Genre(s)

Romance • Fantasy • Melodrama • Drama

Ratings

Rated PG on Viki, rated as 13+ on MDL, rated PG-14 on tubi and YouTube

Where To Watch/How To Watch

Viki • iQIYI • Prime Video • tubi • YouTube • Kocowa+ • Prime Video • Freevee • Rent for $3.99 or Buy for $6.99 on Apple TV • Pluto TV

(You can watch it FOR FREE on Tubi, Youtube, Freevee and Pluto TV with ads, as well as, of course, your favorite illegal streaming site of choice)

Note: I live in the United States, so the only platforms that I have access to and know for sure currently have this movie available in the region are the ones listed, but it’s possible other regions have apps that have this.

Synopsis

This movie is about Woo Jin, a man who designs furniture for a living. An unusual man, Woo Jin wakes up every morning with a new body, which can be any age, gender, race or nationality.

Accustomed to his supernatural “illness,” he lives a relatively solitary existence aside from his childhood best friend who he works with and occasionally visiting his mother.

When he meets Yi Soo one day at a furniture store, he instantly falls in love with her. After visiting her as different people for several days, he eventually musters up the courage to ask her out. Staying up for three days in a row in order to stay in the same body, he dates her and she ends up falling in love with him.

Review

This movie is really good! If you’ve been sitting on this movie wondering if you should watch it, I’m going to have to tell you that it’s very much worth watching (and doing so again and again!)

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, so much so that I wound up rewatching it immediately after finishing the first watch of it!

All of the actors who played Kim Woo Jin did a truly great job of creating a consistent character for him, which really must have been challenging considering all the actors who play him only do so for such an incredibly brief window of time. The only one who lasts more than a day is Park Seo Joon.

Han Hyo Joo was AMAZING, she absolutely nailed her role and it’s so easy to see why Woo Jin fell in love with her character. I feel like this movie really allowed her to show off her various talents as an actor because she had great chemistry with each of the different Woo Jin, she spoke in three different languages (Korean, Japanese, and English) that she is proficient in, and did a fantastic job of making her character come to life and be someone the audience can sympathize with and fall in love with too.

The OST is really good (in my opinion) and nothing really felt too out of place or anything.

I love the message(s) of this movie, which boil down to “love is love” and loving someone for who they are on the inside and not based on their outward appearances. It’s nothing particularly novel, but it was certainly tackled in novel way!

General Thoughts

This movie went to theaters in my country on my birthday eight years ago and I really wish I had been into K-Dramas and stuff back then because I soo would have watched this and would have thoroughly enjoyed it. It might even have been one of those things that made me realize that I’m bi lol

Anyway, this movie had a lot of cute, sweet moments and I always love a couple who bond over a shared love of something (furniture, in this case). There were so many scenes that made my bi heart flutter!

For being technically a heterosexual movie, this is incredibly bisexual/pansexual and I’m quite sure it was fully intentional to be LGBTQIA+ because the font coloring for the movie is rainbow:

Which, I loved by the way. Love a good rainbow gradient colored font. But also they didn’t at all shy away from having some GL scenes in there! Han Hyo Joo really had such amazing chemistry with all of the actors in the role of Woo Jin, which helped make it that much more believable that they were all the same character.

As for the OST, I definitely came away from this movie wanting to hear “True Romance” by Citizens! over and over again:

Advice(?)

Definitely make sure to grab some tissues, there’s some scenes in this movie that will definitely make you cry!

Additionally, once the credits roll, don’t go away! This movie actually has a mid-credits scene, no spoilers, but it’s a nice little wrap up and worth sitting through the credits a little longer for!

[disappointingyet]

Geomijip (Cobweb)

Director Kim Jee-woon Stars Song Kang-Ho, Krystal Jung,  Jeon  Yeo-bin, Oh Jung-se, Lim Soo-jung South Korea 2023 Language Korean (with English subtitles) 2hr 15mins Colour, black & white

Pleasing wild film biz comedy

A key question with art about the artistic process is: how much you do show of the results? If you’re claiming that the painting or record or TV show is great, then it’s best if you keep it off screen. (I was listening to a podcast the other day where they digressed for over 10 minutes just remembering the sheer awfulness of the show within-the-show’s comedy sketches in Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, which, to be clear, were supposed to be cutting-edge good.) If we’re meant to be laughing at it, though, you’ll need it front and centre.

In Cobweb, we end up seeing a lot of the film director Kim Yeol (Song Kang-Ho) is reshooting. That film is in luscious black & white, with the behind-the-scenes stuff in colour. He’s reshooting because he’s had dreams with a better ending that he thinks will turn his film into a masterpiece. 

He feels he needs it to be the best thing he’s ever done because the critics say he’s never escaped the shadow of his late mentor. But the owner of the studio doesn’t see the point of the reshoots and doesn’t want to pay for them. Plus, this is Korea in the 1970s, and tight censorship controls films before, during and after production – the original version was already struggling for approval and the radical rewrite is even less likely to get a pass. 

In the end, Director Kim gets just frantic two days to reassemble the cast and crew (most of whom are busy working on other productions by this point) and rework the main storyline of the movie. Meanwhile, he doesn’t actually have the studio owner’s approval and he’s hoping the censors don’t find out what he’s up to. 

We get filming mishaps, back-stage intrigue, lots of people getting very drunk, emergency cast substitutions… the full chaotic production experience. Woven in with this is the footage from the increasingly unhinged melodrama that Kim is filming, to the bafflement of much of the cast.

A useful selling point for non-Korean audiences is Song Kang-Ho, who starred in Parasite, along with several other Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook movies. He’s excellent value as a director with that familiar mix of intense insecurity and deluded self-belief.

But is it funny? I laughed a lot. I’m sure there are specifically Korean and probably specifically Korean-film-buff gags I’m not getting, but Cobweb can face up to comparisons with film-set-set classics like Living In Oblivion and not be disgraced. And the film-within-a-film is a treat. 

[moonlightsdream]

Seriously what happened to kdramas we used to get a variety of genres but still had room to tell great love stories, it used to be pretty balanced maybe 60/40 in favor of dramas with romance now it has flipped, from the upcoming dramas of the year less than a third is focused on romance. I enjoy non romantic dramas, shows like stranger six flying dragons signal etc are some of the best things I've ever seen. But this feels like the korean drama industry getting swallowed up by westernization and trying to become american television (which is in shambles rn with everything getting cancelled and deleted from platforms) and I don't get it, if only those shows were actually good, sure some of them are fantastic as usual but most of them are the most derivative basic crime stories and what's with the seasons??? And they've started shortening shows, 16 was the perfect length and 20 if sometimes needed, now you can't find a 20 ep drama and we've started getting so many 12 and 8 episode shows.... Lol everywhere I turn it's a mess, american shows are all now 8 episodes never getting to develop characters or plots before getting the axe and writers are about to strike,chinese dramas have always been a complete jumble due to the political landscape which translates into crazy censorship and requirements and rules that change on a dime you're lucky if you get a drama that has a story that hasn't been cut to hell and you can actually understand what's happening, other standards like good directing and writing are just a very rare bonus and now Korean dramas in the last couple of year have turned into this. Is this a reflection of the real world which has been descending more and more into an absolute pile of shit. This industry like all of them has always been driven by greed but we always had a bit of balance with creativity and respect for audiences but now it feels like that's entirely gone and what is supposed to be our solace is an uncertain world is just turning into a mirror of it.

hello!! sorry for the late reply.. i wanted to orgnaize my thoughts first…

i really feel you anon in general, last year i haven't watched that mnay dramas and yet there were only few ones that i fully enjoyed from '22dramas, there were quite numbers of drama i enjoyed which weren't produced in '22! maybe what happened is they started making dramas with international viewers in mind! with how big korean contents have become in the last few years this was bound to happen.. all the upcoming sequels? or this weird trend of spilting dramas into parts? why not film the whole dramas and air it all at once, with so many being produced and aired between the two parts one could forgot what happened in the first part://…. and we even got some dramas that were episodic in their natura, like the case of the week law dramas :///..

long gone the many romance dramas days, esp the pure rom-com as they have to insert serial killers in 95% of them, and we rarely get melodramas… they don't produce many of them anymore and if we got ones they tend to be average mostly which is sad…. like they fall flat either because of the weak writing or lack of chemistry between the leads, i doubt they do a chemistry test between the cast to see if they have any or not :/// .. though i have to mention and say romance in a non-romance drama really hits different and could be as good and compelling as that in the romance drama!!

i might be in the minority here but i don't mind the short length format, some stories can't be stretched into 16eps, i find 12eps a very reasonble length, yet some stories could be told in less number of episodes… take last year netflix dramas they were mostly 10 or less and yet still some of them could've been told in much lesser episodes.. so the biggest issue is the weak writing followed by the directing……

if we are lucky we will get few good romance dramas this year, the bar is very low though.. in the meantime old asian dramas and movies are good alternative..

[project1939]

(See it Now- Edward R. Murrow on top, pictures of wounded Korean War soldiers who are heading home on the bottom)

Day 12- TV and Radio: 

TV: 

See it Now with Edward R. Murrow, February 24th, 1952. 

Roy Rogers, season 1, episode 7, “Outlaw’s Girl,” Feb 17th, 1952. 

Radio: 

Mr. and Mrs. North, “Dead Giveaway,” February 19th, 1952. 

Father Knows Best, episode 16, “Secrets of the Attic,” Feb 21st, 1952. 

The news show See it Now was a 30-minute program presented by legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow. He opened the first segment by saying, “No one can be sure of the impact of television on a political campaign.” (1952 how I envy you!) We had a brief awkward visit to the home of one of the Democrats running for president that year, Estes Kefauver. At least it was livened up a bit by an uncooperative book-throwing toddler!  

The second segment was about a Chinese American man living in San Francisco who was banned from living in a nice neighborhood because “he might bring property values down.” After just commenting yesterday on all the gross racist depictions of East Asians in American media, it really hit me. Murrow took the cameras to the Statue of Liberty to read the “huddled masses” inscription on the base. He made it clear what side he was on! 

The main segment followed three injured soldiers in Korea as they made their way back home. It was extremely moving, especially because the scenes did not seem to be emotionally manipulated. Everything was just presented as it happened, with no great melodrama. Seeing the real men’s lives was emotional enough to make a lasting impact. 

...And now a word from today’s best sponsor: The Wear-Ever College Educated Coffee Pot! Because you want your percolator to be smart; you don’t want to be smarting from the pain of bitter and biting coffee! (Yes, it’s really called the College Educated Coffee Pot!) 

[vianne03]

Movie Review

20th Century Girl is a South Korean romance drama film written and directed by Bang Woo-ri in her feature film debut, starring Kim Yoo-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, and Roh Yoon-seo. The film depicts the friendship and freshness of first love against the backdrop of 1999. It was released on October 21, 2022 on Netflix.1999. It was released on October 21, 2022 on Netflix.

The idea behind the movie 20th Century Girl is both straightforward and original. Starring Kim Yoo-jung as Na Bo-ra and Byun Woo-seok as Pong Woon-ho, it depicts the adolescent love of two high school students. The cinematography of 20th Century Girl is its first distinguishing quality. It is showered in vibrant colors that give the area a Candyland-like appearance and give off a dreamlike vibe. Bright is the best way to sum it up, both aesthetically and narratively. Kim Yoo-jung (Na Bo-ra) is still as charming, attractive, and animated as ever in her role. As Bo-ra's first love, Byun Woo-seok is simply gorgeous, touching my heart and inspiring nothing but sympathy for his character.

The movie is at its best when the protagonists are experiencing the high school reality of flirtations, rejections, and missed encounters but gladden, with its innocence and nostalgia. These two together are really wonderful. The first half of the movie moves along quickly and with a lot of energy, just what the subject matter demands. The setting in the 1990s, which is important for some plot lines, succeeds since it doesn't detract from the narrative. It avoids the tendency in recent-past movies to misrepresent the era that is being remembered by not going overboard with set pieces or trying too hard to contain the time period it depicts.

The final 25 minutes of the movie, which transport us to the present, take an unexpected turn and change the story into a totally different one. The tone change and additional melodrama make it necessary to reconsider the movie's major theme. What begins as an endearing tale of first love becomes overly particular and loses some of its charm. Even though 20th Century Girl swings into angsty territory after the twist, it's still worth watching for its gorgeous first half of pleasure. The final stretch may have been cut out totally to cleanly fit within a genre. It could bring on sentimental emotions in individuals who are feeling reflective. However, others may find it to be excessively sad and unrealistic.

[top-apps]

Top Korean Drama Apps for High Quality Content

If you're on vacation and looking for ways to watch your favorite Korean dramas for free, the best Kdrama apps for Android and iOS devices can provide the perfect solution. From heart-wrenching romances to edge-of-your-seat thrillers, you won't miss out on any of the action, no matter where you are. With English subtitles embedded in videos, you can indulge in deep romantic melodramas or intense thrillers from the comfort of your own smartphone. So check out the list of best Kdrama and Asian drama apps and what they have to offer. 

Below are the Korean shows that may interest you:

1. Crash Landing On You (tvN, 2020) 

2. Descendants of the Sun (KBS2, 2016) 

3. Doctors (SBS, 2016) 

4. Signal (tvN, 2016) 

5. The Heirs (SBS, 2013) 

6. Reply 1988 (tvN, 2015) 

7. Goblin (tvN, 2016) 

8. Reply 1994 (tvN, 2013) 

9. Infectious Diseases (KBS2, 2020) 

10. Itaewon Class (JTBC, 2020)

[lgcseojin]

noeul

( ... ) "How is acting, hm?" He questions stubbornly in his native language, plopping down beside the older man on the floor, before continuing with a cheeky grin. "Do you even need to work on that skill? I thought melodrama was your thing."

Seojin could have called the workshops a reprieve for his body if not for the subjects he was designated to work on. The coaches came to the conclusion that his weakness laid with acting and the English language. He did not expect to become fluent overnight. Even with several of his friends being native speakers or especially skilled, learning the ropes of a new language was certainly no easy feat. However, he would take the task seriously and expected his fellow trainees to do the same — particularly Noeul. It played into his own decision to only speak to him in English for the entire month ( their middle finger contests from then on beside the point ).

"Acting?" He repeated the question, stubborn in his own bid to only use English around Noeul. It certainly made their recent conversations more terse ( and, at times, laced with profanity or insults ). "Do I—" His brain struggled to process transferring Korean into English, then the other way around. A series of blinks later and he turned his head in other other's direction, a certain look Noeul knew well by now plastered on his face.

"Hey, bro. You know where Suplex City is, right? I can take you there right now."

The threat was rather direct, prefacing Seojin hopping up into a kneel so he could aggressively poke and prod at his friend until he caught him off guard enough to lay him entirely on the floor. "Consider yourself lucky." He straightened his papers rather loudly, making a show of readjusting them. The English packet in question was written nearly entirely in the language in question, with a scarcity of Hangul.

"In English, Noeul." With annunciation to the best of his ability, he continued to avoid his native language.

[moonrock]

i'm watching kill me heal me and it's so cringy but i'm so far gone for ji sung.... god.