#jang gi ha and the faces

[k00ps]

(Spoilers for Taxi Driver Season 2)

I meant to post this when I initially finished the show, but I had some issues with Taxi Driver 2 (the kdrama).

It very much seemed like a cash grab compared to the first season and you can tell based on the writing, the characters, the predictable storylines, and don’t even get me started on that random lady who showed up at the end of the show just to save the Rainbow Crew.

But anyways what I want to address is On Ha Joon and his character arc. What it was and how it could’ve been better.

On Ha Joon was by far the most interesting character of that season. He most definitely snatched the spotlight from the other characters on several occasions. He was probably the only character who had any real significant personal change.

His character is a representation of one of the themes that Taxi Driver highlighted the whole show: found family. His experience with the cult and Father is a reflection of Kim Do Gi and his loving found family with the Rainbow Crew. This is consistently shown through the loving, fun, and compassionate nature of the Rainbow Crew, vs the distant relationships based on power, material gain, and fear of the cult family.

I feel Ha Joon’s arc was okay, but had so much potential to be better. Like the setup was right there, so I want to walk through some parts of the show and what I would change.

Ha Joon’s introduction is through his infiltration of the taxi job. He is initially presented as naive, innocent, kind, hard-working, enthusiastic, and attentive. However it is soon revealed to be that he is simply someone who can easily put up a facade. Someone who is cold and calculating, but has the capacity to lose his cool and respond with rage. As the show progresses, he becomes more and more violent and frustrated, willing to take extreme measures to remove anything he feels is in his way. He already knows who the Rainbow Crew are as he’s already done quite a bit of research into them. This is all for the sake of entertainment, but also because they could pose a future problem.

Now I *thought* they would go down the route of having Ha Joon experience what true family feels like, through his interaction with Mr. Jang actually caring about his well-being. He even expressed interested “befriending” Do Gi. However, I guess the writers decided to double down on his role as primary antagonist, because Ha Joon completely rejected these ideas of connection to remain fixed on his current way of life and appeal of Father. I would scrap this.

Instead, I think Ha Joon should have had individual bonding moments with every character of the Rainbow Crew, in addition to group outings. Each interaction would chip away at his idea of what a family is and make him question the dynamic he has in the cult. As he spends more and more time with them, his affinity for them would grow, so much so that he might not even want to harm them anymore. This would even be a good place for him to learn about Kim Do Gi’s fatal flaw (the whistle) through Do Gi being vulnerable, instead of him just breaking into the house and seeing it. Kim Do Gi would now have someone new he can be vulnerable with after so long, looking at Ha Joon as a little brother figure.

Then, as the Rainbow Crew continues to ruin the cult members’ enterprises, the stakes would increase as Father’s frustration increases. This would further put pressure on Ha Joon because he would be put in a position where he has to ruin the people who treated him with love and acceptance, or else be faced with dire consequences.

In addition to this, instead of giving the audience suspense bait through Ha Joon *almost* discovering the Rainbow Cave, I would make him actually discover it. This would *force* the Rainbow Crew to be honest with him, and after some cautious deliberation and arguing, they would be fully transparent. They could even use this moment to make Do Gi a little suspicious of how much Ha Joon actually knows until it’s fully revealed that he is apart of the cult.

Now we move forward to Ha Joon being pressed by Father to the point of “killing” Do Gi. Now instead of parading Ha Joon around like a proud villain, they could use this moment to reveal just how much he cherished his moments with them. The decision he made ended someone’s life and that someone was a person he cared about. Someone he looked up to. In addition to leaving his job at the taxi company having “completed” his mission, the subtext of the scene is that he is also leaving because the guilt of staying is too great. As the cult and Father relish in the happiness of having defeated the problem, he stands there in agony. This agony channels itself into frustration and mild forms of self destruction that get worse as the Black Sun arc progresses. This way, when things go to shit, there is *more* of a reason to blame Ha Joon, because everyone has noticed the obvious changes in his behavior.

At the same time, the Rainbow Crew, and specifically Do Gi, suffer from Ha Joon’s betrayal. They realize Ha Joon is an enemy, and sulk in the fact they let someone like him in. Do Gi especially takes this personally. This would make the reunion at Black Sun be more impactful, because not only would Ha Joon essentially feel relieved that Do Gi is alive, but now Do Gi is forced to treat him like every other villain. There’s is a lot more emotion tied into the scene than before.

Ofc atp the Rainbow Crew still doesn’t know about Father, so they don’t know that Ha Joon’s action are primarily caused from that, though this fact doesn’t remove blame. When they discover this, they feel some sort of sympathy for Ha Joon, but they do not forgive him. This does however, give *more* of a reason for Mr. Jang to do his research on Ha Joon’s past, thus that part of the show remains the same.

The story can also utilize the fact that Ha Joon knows the Rainbow Crew’s base, but is deliberately not mentioning it.

Regardless, we press on with the Prison Arc, the Rainbow Crew getting snatched and Do Gi becoming trapped.

This is where I would add another large change. Ha Joon manipulates the prison cages, but instead of doing it with glee, you can visibly see the internal struggle of having to do this to Do Gi. The warden is a reflection of the audience in this scene, because he can clearly see this struggle while standing in the room. The external struggle of Do Gi fighting, and the internal struggle of Ha Joon and his decisions. When Do Gi reaches the room and reveals the villainous plans were foiled, the culmination of all this internal struggle manifests through Ha Joon pulling the gun on him.. however, he is ultimately unable to pull the trigger. The power of the loving found family peeks its head out, then this theme is further exemplified through Father punishing and essentially removing Ha Joon from the cult.

He is now put in a position of isolation due to his failures, but the subtext is this situation is really due to his inability to commit to either family. Just like the original, he is shunned as the cult members turn their backs on him and Father rejects him. His family that he has known for so long no longer wants or needs him, and in a last act of desperation, he gives Father knowledge of Do Gi’s fatal flaw. Not only would this appeal to Father, but it would also make Father wonder why Ha Joon never used it to begin with.

We continue with the scene of Mr. Jang meeting with Ha Joon and telling him his past. This is a breakthrough turning point for him, as the realization of him being kidnapped and then manipulated to kill his own father would shatter his perception of the cult as his found family. Him killing his own father would be a reflection of him “killing” Do Gi, essentially showing he made the mistake of killing family who loved and supported him not once, but twice. This would firmly push him to the side of the Rainbow Crew, but they would not overtly say this just yet.

We move forward to when the entirety of the Rainbow Crew is captured and about to die. Father looks upon them and laughs, while Ha Joon stands on the side watching one family dominate the other. He is now faced with one last decision that will decide the fate of both of his found families. At the 11th hour, Ha Joon, unable to deny his feelings any longer, would somehow save the Rainbow crew, standing up to Father, and choosing love over power/fear. Do Gi and the others watch as someone they gave all their support to stands up for *them* rather than the other way around. The writers could still have him die in the process if they so choose, essentially having him sacrifice himself for this new found family. He could also use this moment to *choose* to use his original name, with the Rainbow Crew validating him by calling him as such. This would solidify the theme of the power of a found family’s love and what a true found family looks like.

I feel this ending would eliminate the need to have that random lady from Japan save them. It would also require the deletion of that last little showdown between Do Gi and Ha Joon, but that’s the price I’m willing to pay.

Ha Joon was my fav character and I feel he deserved so much better. These changes would present him as a conflicted character, forced to bounce between two families with heavily contrasting dynamics. As his internal struggles grow, so do the consequences of his actions, until he is finally pushed to fight for a family that truly loves him rather than one that uses and manipulates him.

[rye-views]

My Mister. 나의 아저씨. 8.3/10

I would recommend this drama to my friends. I would rewatch this drama.

Even though the intro has a lot of snow, it makes the show seem so warm. I could tell I was going to love this show within the first few minutes.

Jung Jae Sung from Big Mouth and Prison Playbook is always a welcome face despite playing not great guys lmao. Nice to see Kim Min Seok from Start Up. Omg Kim Young Min from CLOY being trash. Omg Ryu Abel, what's up. She's still so pretty. Interesting for Now We Are Breaking Up's Jang Ki Yong to be this kinda character.

How does Ji An know Ki Beom? He's loyal too.

Life's homework of having someone to meet on New Year's and Lunar New Year's: noted. This young Ji An actress really be looking like young IU. Omg your company reading your texts through CCTV. Unheard of. Ji An monitoring Dong Hoon's phone calls are like how people joke about the FBI monitoring our online activity.

Gi Hoon pisses me off. He gets angry, makes baseless accusations, and does wrong things. It's interesting how he portrays real family so well though in my opinion. Both the other brothers are a bit unlikable (even though ultimately we love them). They're very immature. It's hard to have family that's family but have characteristics so unlike yours.

I cried at grandma's death. She is my favorite character. Grandma is a moon girl like me. Grandma is also a food girl like me.

All the things IU does with Ki Beom are so sly, slick, and kinda cool. She's malicious and intelligent. The things Ji An overhears through Dong Hoon's phone, it's probably like watching a kdrama unfold.

It's interesting how differently the three brothers think and yet find a common love for each other. Their thoughts on the afterlife are different and yet it all makes sense. What a fresh concept Dong Hoon said about reality being hell and he must've done something wrong in the past to end up here. I've though of reality as hell and I've thought of my current life being based on previous life somehow (not that I believe that) but it's fresh to really think that your current life is the afterlife. It's like the same things but with a slightly different perspective.

One of the best things is Ji An starting to care for Dong Hoon as she listens to his phone. How she starts physically chasing after his location, how she kinda relies on listening to the phone. I love Lee Sun Kyun in this kinda role. Very likable. Grandma is the MVP. Since she can't speak, I wonder what she's thinking about. Albeit great acting in showing me how she feels. I smile when Yoo ra smiles. It's genuinely happy. I love how the men understood her after her failure speech and loved her. It's beautiful because even though everyone sees Dong Hoon as a non-talking guy, he's very often vulnerable (esp, with Ji An), and I love that. I love Ji An and Dong Hoon eating and drinking in silence. Amazing how all of Dong Hoon's friends and bros ran to beat up who beat him up. What kinda crew. I'm not friends with enough loyal crazies to do that for me. It's beautiful how much of a crew all the friends are. So loyal and having each other's backs. I'm so glad they take care of Ji An too, especially at the funeral. Ji An's first thank you was so memorable to me. Kinda meek but sincere. She hasn't said a thank you this whole time. I really like the bag that the slipper gift comes in.

It's so tragic to see the whole Ji An discovering that her grandma can get free care thing. Because it's true. Without guidance, how do we know? And people who have money or parents who understand things don't get it.

Wow when Ji An started running to the Minette to confront Yoon Hee, I was like woah woah she's on the move she's on the move. Whenever Ji An runs I'm like yess!! feelings!! Her running when she overhears Dong Hoon asking for her and calling her pretty. I'm with it.

Memorable Quotes: "나를 아는게 슬퍼." "술..프다." "현실이 지옥이야." "말도 없는 놈 새끼." "파이팅." "억지로 산다." "아무것도 아니다. 아무것도 아니야." "내 속에 있는 걸 밖에서 본다." "아무도 모르면, 아무 일도 아니야."

[kcfangirl]

My Girl (2005)

The first kdrama that I ever watched, thanks to my Mom who introduced it to me.

At first, I was like how can I understand this as the english subtitles are so fast to appear on the screen and I cannot focus much on what's happening in the story already. Hahaha! But then, It's too soon that I have said that because as I continue to watch, I finally fell in love with it. ❤

So, My Girl falls in the RICH GUY - POOR GIRL trope and I definitely fell right into it. The fact that the main leads were Lee Dong Wook (Seol Gong Chan) and Lee Da Hae (Joo Yoo Rin), well, their chemistry was beyond what I expected. Also, the supporting casts, especially, Lee Joon Gi (Seo Jung Woo) and Park Si-yeon (Kim Sae Hyun), added some flavor to the plot as they were the cause of jealousy and misunderstanding between the couple. The others as well contributed to the fun and comedic flow in every episode.

SYNOPSIS

Joo Yoo-rin lives with her father, who is addicted to gambling. Because of her father's debts, Yoo-rin has become particularly skilled at lying and grifting. When her father escapes the island to hide from his debtors, Yoo-rin is determined to support herself and clear up the debts. One day, she meets Seol Gong-chan, the sole heir to the L'Avenue Hotel fortune.

To grant his grandfather's dying wish, Gong-chan employs Yoo-rin to act as his grandfather's long-lost granddaughter. Offering a monthly salary plus a bonus, he asks her to do what she does best—to put on an act. Not wishing to lie to a dying man, yet desperate for the money, Yoo-rin takes the offer and starts playing the long-lost granddaughter. (c) Wikipedia

FAVE SCENES 🎬

✏ "Bluff Scene"

The part where Seol Gong Chan was confused with his feelings for Joo Yoo Rin as she continues to tell him bluffs and stuff to tease him. As they were out that night, Yoo Rin tells him that when he closes his eyes and count backwards from 5 then after that the first person that he will see is the love of his life. The naive Gong Chan did the thing and the shock on his face was so obvious as the one he did see right after doing it was Joo Yoo Rin and he said "I must be going crazy." (Well, he is crazy, crazy in love with her but he's still in denial. 😏)

I personally chose this as one of my faves for this was the start where Gong Chan is kind of aware of his feelings already. I, too, was giddy that he did the thing just to prove that it may be true and unexpectedly, he saw Joo Yoo Rin first.

✏ "Baking Scene"

I super love this part as this showed their playful and 'sweet' side. Yoo Rin is a foodie and when she sees food, she eats it. Gong Chan's Aunt baked a cake for Mr. Jang, however, Mr. Jang went missing on that day and she needed to get out and find him to clear a misundestanding between them, so she left the cake at the kitchen and said bye to Yoo Rin.

Yoo Rin who stayed at home saw the cake and immediately, she got some fork and right away ate it and also, Gong Chan saw her eating the whole cake (yes, the whole thing hahahahaha), however, she conscientiously gave a slice to Gong Chan. Here comes the fun part, Gong Chan's Aunt called Yoo Rin to tell her that she found Mr. Jang as they are now okay and that they are on the way home to eat the cake she made for him. Upon hearing that, Yoo Rin panicked and asked Gong Chan for help. Hahahahaha! At first, Gong Chan doesn't want to help her since she ate all of it as for him, he only took a bite as Yoo Rin already snatched away the cake from him. After all the pleading, he did help but just to guide her in baking the exact same cake. While they're preparing though, Gong Chan seems to lovingly stare at her as she was very cute and clumsy while baking. Finally, they succeeded in making the cake and it was right on time as Gong Chan's Aunt and Mr. Jang were home already.

Look at the way Gong Chan is staring at her. 💕

✏ "Staircase Scene"

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. This was the heart pounding scene of the whole story as this was the time that Gong Chan cannot handle it anymore. His feelings were already at its peak as this was also the day that Yoo Rin will be officially announced as his biological cousin and if he will not confess then his love for her will vanish as it didn't happen since it will be shown as forbidden love already. So, he turned around his car and drove with his might to go back to the hotel and took Yoo Rin away without any hesitation and without thinking that he will be scolded by his Grandfather with what he did.

I was holding on to my seat while watching this part as I can't accept the fact if Gong Chan didn't go back and fought his love for Yoo Rin.

That hand-grabbing and tight hug moment. 🥰

FINAL THOUGHTS 💭

As this was my first kdrama, it really felt like a rollercoaster ride because there was a lot of misunderstanding between the main leads and a lot of bickerings, too. While watching it, there's this 'what if' feeling as you really don't know what's going to happen in the next scene, although this was a cliche romantic comedy, it was unpredictable. Also, this was written by Hong Sisters, the famous writers who likes to do big plot twists and sad endings but fortunately, we got a happy ending for this one.

Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae did an amazing job with their roles, specially, Lee Da Hae, as she was so adorable with her comedic acts. For Lee Dong Wook, I did not expect him to be so cute also and my oh my, he is so handsome and with that natural pink lips of his, he is divine. Lee Joon Gi, as well, his long hair suits him as he had the role of a bad boy type with a soft heart. Whenever he cries in a scene, I feel like crying too. Hahahaha! That's how effective he is as an actor.

Overall, it was a really romantic, fun, heart pounding kdrama. I would definitely recommend this one to a beginner as it's one of the classics.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[agentcable]

Bad Prosecutor Ep. 4 Recap

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Jang-Won's death has left Jin Jung stunned. All evidence indicates that his death was a homicide, but he is the only one who believes this. Jin Jung abandons all duties at the Civil Affairs Division to search for concrete evidence that could disprove Chief Prosecutor Lee's death as a suicide.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Deputy Chief Lee's death was portrayed as a suicide, but Jung suspects it was a murder.

A-Ra investigates the case with Tae-Ho's approval while Jung and A-Ra search for evidence. Meanwhile Chul-Gi remains at the Civil Affairs Office, attempting to distract Jae-Kyung from Jung's absence with an awkward smile. However, Jae-Kyung quickly realizes that Jung is missing. Jung rejects the call from him. He believes that he will be scolded whether he answers or not.

To speed up the process, Jung asks Joong-Do to hack into Deputy Chief Lee's call history. He finds a friend of the victim in the call list and sets up a meeting. At the meeting, he discovers what the deputy chief has been searching for: an MP3 player.

A-Ra is waiting for the deputy chief's autopsy. Evidence of foul play was found upon initial examination of the body, but the offical autopsy report indicates suicide.

Jung and A-Ra regroup after receiving the results. A-Ra suggests they stop investigating since the official paperwork states that it was a suicide. They do not have enough evidence to dispute it. Jung persists and spends the night at his desk searching for evidence. Jae-Kyung offers him to ramyeon and questions why he continues to engage in behaviour that he knows will result in trouble. His answer is, "Because no one else will do it if I don't." When Jae-Kyung asks him to take out the newspapers to the trash, Jung discovers a headline stating that the medical examiner who worked on the deputy chief's autopsy has a history of fabrication or at least allegations of it. Jae-Kyung appears to be carrying some heavy baggage, particularly with Tae-Ho, despite regularly discouraging Jung. This may explain why he is discreetly assisting Jung. Additionally, Jae-Kyung reportedly met with the deputy chief shortly before his death.

Jung asked the deputy chief's daughter for a second autopsy, even though his family was angry with him. She agreed after he suggested that there might be foul play involved. To maintain secrecy, he decides to remove the body covertly and obtain his own medical examiner. Jung also reaches out to an anatomy professor to perform the autopsy discreetly, although he had to use his charm - even if it meant making cringey jokes.

Chul-Gi, Eun-Ji, and Joong-Do are entrusted with sneaking out the body, with Joong-Do playing the role of a corpse. They successfully retrieve the body, but in the chaos, Eun-Ji and Chul-Gi forget that Joong-Do is still inside the coffin. As a result, he is about to be cremated in place of the deputy chief. The crew rescues him, but almost burns him in the cremation machine first.

As everything is unfolding, the chairman of Kangsan Law Firm, Seo Hyun-Kyu is pressuring the justice minister to appoint a specific individual as the new chief prosecutor, following the recent murder of the deputy chief. Seo Hyun-Kyu is the driving force behind this. He first sends out his son and heir, Seo Ji-Han, to deliver the message. However, when it is not promptly followed, he confronts the justice minister himself and hits him hard to break his nose.

At the prosecution office, Do-Hwan faces jeers when his "ladder" suddenly dies. He approaches Tae-Ho promising to do whatever he asks and be his sword but Tae-Ho rejects him.

Chairman Seo has been pushing for Tae-Ho to become the new head. Tae-Ho has been hiding his ambition at work by portraying himself as righteous and unambitious. However, he is just like anyone else who wants to climb up the ladder. He has been collaborating with the chairman, and they are so close that he calls him "hyung".

Tae-Ho arrives at the prosecution office the next day and is greeted as the new chief. He maintains his unambitious and solemn persona. Meanwhile, Jung eagerly awaits the autopsy report. His hunch is confirmed when the second autopsy reveals possible foul play. Do-Hwan arrives with a warrant for Jung's immediate arrest. As he and Chul-Gi prepare to continue investigating, they must now deal with this new development. Jung is charged with the murder of the deputy chief. Unfortunately, Jung did get framed.

[idolskpop]

'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Ratings Rise as Lee Joon Gi and Cast Say Goodbye to Fans

The second season of the historical fantasy drama “Arthdal Chronicles 2” has ended with a slight increase in ratings and a heartfelt farewell from the cast. The show, which starred Lee Joon Gi, Shin Se Kyung, Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ok Vin, and more, depicted the struggles and adventures of the people of Arthdal, a mythical land where power and destiny collide.

'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Ends With A Slight Rise In Ratings

The final episode of “Arthdal Chronicles 2” aired on October 22 on tvN, wrapping up the stories of the main characters and their fates. The drama delivered a satisfying conclusion, with Lee Joon Gi’s dual roles of Eunseom and Saya finally meeting face to face, Shin Se Kyung’s Tanya becoming the high priestess of Arthdal, Jang Dong Gun’s Tagon facing his downfall, and Kim Ok Vin’s Tae Alha giving birth to a child with a special destiny.

(Photo : tvN Drama Official) Lee Joon Gi The finale also hinted at a possible third season, with Eunseom leading his tribe to a new land, Saya vowing to take revenge on Tagon, Tanya discovering a secret about her lineage, and Tae Alha’s son growing up to be a powerful warrior. According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode of “Arthdal Chronicles 2” recorded an average nationwide rating of 4.6%, which is a slight increase from the previous episode’s 4.3%. The drama maintained a steady viewership throughout its run, with its highest rating being 5% for its fourth episode.

'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Cast Expresses Gratitude To Viewers

The cast of “Arthdal Chronicles 2” expressed their gratitude and affection for the drama and the fans in their farewell messages.

(Photo : tvN Drama Official) Lee Joon Gi Lee Joon Gi, who impressed viewers with his portrayal of the twin brothers Eunseom and Saya, said: It was an honor to work with the director and the crew who created this beautiful world of Arthdal. I learned a lot from them and I’m grateful for their trust and support. My fellow actors, thank you for your hard work and love. You are all amazing.

(Photo : tvN Drama Official) Shin Se Kyung Shin Se Kyung, who played Tanya, the first female high priestess of Arthdal, said: I had so many emotions while filming this drama. I laughed and cried with the characters and felt their joys and sorrows. It was a precious memory that I will cherish for a long time. Thank you to everyone who watched and loved our drama. Jang Dong Gun, who reprised his role as Tagon, the ambitious ruler of Arthdal, said: Tagon was a tough and cool character that I enjoyed playing. He had his flaws and weaknesses, but he also had his dreams and passions. I want to thank the writer and the director for creating such a complex and charismatic character.

(Photo : tvN Drama Official) Jang Dong Gun Kim Ok Vin, who also returned as Tae Alha, the cunning and loyal partner of Tagon, said: We worked so hard and immersed ourselves in the story. It was exhausting, but every time I came on set, I’d gain new strength through my co-stars. They were like family to me. I love you and thank you.

A Possible Third Season

Fans of “Arthdal Chronicles” are hoping for a third season to continue the saga of Arthdal and its people. The drama has been praised for its unique setting, rich storylines, stunning visuals, and stellar performances. The show also has a loyal international fanbase, as it is available on Netflix. However, there has been no official confirmation or announcement regarding a third season yet. The production team has previously stated that they have plans for a third season, but it would depend on the ratings and the feedback of the viewers.

(Photo : tvN ) What are your thoughts on “Arthdal Chronicles 2”? Did you enjoy the finale? Do you want a third season? Let us know in the comments below! Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

[kstarvibes]

Lee Joon Gi And Jang Dong Gun Face Off In Poster For “Arthdal Chronicles 2”

tvN’s “Arthdal Chronicles 2” has unveiled its main posters! “Arthdal Chronicles” is an epic fantasy drama about the mythical ancient land of Arth. Four years after the end of the first season, the series will be returning for its second season—entitled “Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramoon”—this September. “Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramoon” is set approximately a decade after Season…

[erti9ir]

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 완결(중드)

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 링크 <<

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 완결(중드)

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 완결(중드)

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 완결(중드)

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 완결(중드)

장월신명 다시보기 1화~40화 완결(중드)

It can be seen as a victim of Koei. His intellect and political power are very good, and he is a pretty handsome boy. He looks good with his free-spirited image, but his powers and leadership are overly low. Even throughout the series, there are many works whose hidden stats are set to greedy personalities. On the contrary, Shik Shik himself was a person who wrote poems like Mr. Gwi and felt sorry for the poor people and tried to use his strength in this and that.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2, the abilities are very simple, just like Jang Liao, but there are many problems. Both Jang-ryo and Jo-sik's intelligence and charm are 80, but the problem is that Jang-ryo's strength is 90, making him an all-rounder, while Shik's strength is only 15. If you send a diary from the battlefield with this level of force, you will never be able to pass the 1st round. However, his intelligence is higher than that of his older brothers, Jo Bi and Jo Chang.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 3, he must never throw up. he dies inevitably almost superlative. However, it is good to use it for military purposes because of its outstanding political power, but it is absolutely not allowed to send it to the front because the land command is 12. He must unconditionally withdraw to the rear. The exact stats are land command 12/hand command 10/weapon 15/intellect 76/political power 82/charm 83, ambition 2, luck 6, calmness 13, valor 8, and the military power is 15, excluding the first line with 1 armed force. In terms of land command, it is in last place except for Chosun. His older brother, Jo Chang's, is 93, which is higher than his father, Jojo's, and ranks 13th out of a total of 531 [1]. Jo Chang also catches Zhang Lio, but Jo Shik is also beaten by Kwak Ga. Of course, Cao Cao is not lacking in armament at all, and Cao Cao is very attractive, so he is very useful as a governor and is also very suitable as a successor when Cao Cao dies.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 4, his stats are Leadership 20 / Power 14 / Intellect 89 / Political Power 75 / Charisma 82. Perhaps because he has lived longer than Jo Bi and Jo Chang, the illustration shows a middle-aged man with a beard.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 5, it comes out with an all-time high of stats of 10 / 91 intelligence / 80 political power / 84 charm. His specialty is infighting, conciliation, encouragement, encouragement, composure, and rebellion. He can be used as a military officer with over 90 intelligence and 80 political power, and thanks to this, he can lead 20,000 soldiers regardless of his name. In other words, Yu-gi and Yu-jong, two sons of Yu-pyo, are perfectly compatible. However, since the armed forces are at a level of 10, which is unanswerable, it is better to focus on the role of a soldier using encouragement and training rather than directly putting them into battle. As an aside, the illustration came out with a beard, and his older brother Jo-bi also came out with a slightly older face, but this one looks older than his older brother, Jo-chang, who came out without a beard.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 6, it comes out as Leadership 19 / Strength 19 / Intelligence 90 / Politics 66 / Charisma 94.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 7, his abilities were nerfed a lot. However, if a Chinese poetry contest is held, Jo Shik wins regardless of whether he has 100 intelligence or 100 politics. In any case, the winner is breakfast, and the Chinese poetry competition in the country is abandoned[2]

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 9, the abilities are Leadership 22/Army 31/Intelligence 84/Politics 75. For siege-type strategies, there are charge and catapult, for plot-type tactics, confusion and treachery, and for strategy-type tactics, there are scolding and encouragement, but they are just ordinary civil servants. Let's write in my affairs. However, in the story of PK's challenge, he does a heinous thing in the revival of the Han royal family. When he occupies the military position, he appears out of nowhere, says goodbye to the stomach, and commits suicide after reciting a poem titled "Yajeonhwangjakhaeng". Because of this, the soldiers are agitated that they are cursed, and the whole morale of the Wei country plummets, and there is chaos for 40 days. It's quite a gold event because the difficulty of the royal family revival is at an all-time high.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 10, the abilities are 20 for leadership, 22 for military power, 85 for intelligence (transformation theory +1), 70 for political power, and 79 for charm. Uniquely, he has special skills in provocation and provocation, and although he has high intelligence, he has no military specialties and low leadership skills, so he cannot be used in battle and has no domestic affairs specialties, so his utility is not that high. Originally, it seems that he should have been deprived of his official position and relocated to the burrow, but without that, in the scenario of Zhuge Liang's launch, he still belongs to Cao Cao's army to the extent that he appears as the governor of Pyeongwon. Unusually, as an exclusive item, he comes out with the Theory of Change (Intellect +1). Overall, his specialty is inspiration, protest, refutation, provocation, noun, and number. There are 6 in total. From this work, even intellect is reversed by Jobi.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms 11, his abilities are Leadership 18/Martial Power 22/Intelligence 81/Political Power 70/Charm 80. Perhaps referring to the fact that he showed his literary side, his specialty is an award. In the state of building a military band, his father or brothers [3] are helpful in replenishing energy.

[asia247]

Jang Gi Ha & The Faces: Harper’s Bazaar December, 2018

[sarangkstars]

Short Kdramas/Drama Special/Web Drama

Part 1

From time to time I go through the well-known "drama hangover". Even if I try to balance my backlog, don't start too many dramas with diversified stories at the same time, even if I choose only one favorite to follow... it doesn't matter, the routine will run over all my plans and I end up not having the courage or the will to watch anything. Usually when this kind of thing happens, I look for short dramas, with plots that I don't need to think too much, just watch, smile, fall in love and that's it, move on. So I remembered to list these short dramas I've seen and give my recommendations.

Part 2 here

Part 3 here

Splash Splash Love

Splash Splash Love, the 2015 minidrama with only 2 episodes made me so immensely happy. The story is about a high school student Jang Dan-bi (Kim Seul Gi). Running away from a maths test she finds herself in a playground. Unconsciously, she goes into a puddle and is suddenly transported to the Joseon period. There she meets King Lee-do (Yoon Doo-joon). My review here.

After the Rain

Kim Kang Woo is my soft spot and this 2 episode drama special seemed to call to me. And good thing too because this show is excellent. This is a comedic human drama about Bong Gil who is forty years old, single and tired of taking care of his 90 year old father. My review here.

The Reason I'm Getting Married

Two very good reasons to check out this drama - Song Jun Ho and Hong Jong Hyun. 😍 The story is about a woman (Park Hee Bon) who is about to marry her long-time boyfriend and meets a friend from the past who has a crush on her. My review here.

Came to me and Became a Star

This story is about Gang Seok (Kim Ji Suk) and Ha Jin (Jung So Min). Both are struggling to stay afloat in life when they meet and fall in love. Review here.

Review Notebook of My Embarrassing Days

Another KBS Drama Special starring Jeon So-min and Park Sung-hoon. Do Do-Hye (Jeon So-Min) is a mathematics teacher and has an overly honest personality, which makes her face embarrassing moments. She keeps a diary where she writes down all these embarrassing moments and reflects on herself. My review here.

Handmade Love

Because this web drama has Lee Soo Hyuk as the lead actor, I had to go see what it was all about. This is about Woven (Lee Soo Hyuk) who is a god who sinned by touching the coat of a goddess and his punishment is to live on Earth and make clothes that cure humans of their sadness.

I think Lee Soo Hyuk is perfect for the role of a god with that perfect elegance and ethereal looks. And I want to thank whoever thought he should wear high collars and fluffy pullovers. ❤️

The first thing that struck me was the luxurious appearance of the small shop. The clothes were beautiful and the furniture looked wonderful and magical.

I liked the stories of the humans he had to heal as they seemed solid and with good messages but I also felt they were rushed, maybe because it was only 8 episodes. So the concept was very cute but the execution was not very efficient.

The Universe's Star

"The Universe's Star" is written and directed by Kim Ji Hyun, known for "Splash Splash Love". That, and having my beloved Suho/Kim Jun Myeon in the cast made me want to watch this drama. This is the love story between a talented singer-songwriter Woo Joo (Kim Jun Myeon) and Byul (Ji Woo), a 19-year-old student who turned into a grim reaper after dying in an accident.

This show has stayed in my heart forever because although it only has 6 half hour episodes, it has more depth than some regular length dramas. Each episode had the ability to make me think and feel, and themes such as the meaning of life, self-worth or appreciating the present came up regularly in my thoughts.

While I can't say that the acting of the main actors was excellent I really enjoyed the OTP arc. The ending is quite emotional and moving and although it left me crying it also left my heart full.

I also have to mention the friendship between Byul and Gakshi (ghost). Though they should be "enemies" a friendship is formed and it is a pleasure to see them together.

Queen of the Ring

It's a cute and romantic mini-series of only 6 half-hour episodes. It's perfect for those who don't have time to devote to an entire series of 16 episodes or more and the content is light and heartfully.

Story is about an ugly girl, Nan Hee (Kim Seul Gi) who one day receives a ring that holds a family secret. Due to the magic ring, she dates Se Gun (Ahn Hyo Seop) who is a handsome guy but has a cold-blooded personality and struggles to see her as his ideal type.

I have a crush on Kim Seul Gi and I thought she gave Nan Hee a spunky personality even though she's so insecure about her physical appearance. And, as always, the emotional moments of this drama were delivered by her in a touching way.

I didn't feel very good about the premise of this drama and the idea of the "ugly girl" liking a boy who was only interested in physical appearances was not winning me over. However, the drama showed me that it had a message behind the original idea that left me quite satisfied with the end result.

Romance Full of Life

It's about In-Sung (Yoon Si Yoon) who is preparing for the exam to become a police officer for 4 years. He fails the exam 8 times, but he still has a positive personality. He then applies for the high paying part-time job which is titled "Full Life Experience". And then his life changes.

Of the Three Colors of Fantasies trilogy, this was the weakest for me. What I liked: I loved Yoon Si Yoon in this drama. I thought he looked adorable as a geek with those chrome glasses and that ruffled hair.

I liked that he turned into some sort of superhero and stopped being a weakling but I hated some of his actions and the way it changed him for the worse.

The OTP was okay.

Two Lights: Relumino

For three years Seo In-Soo (Park Hyung-sik) has been facing partial blindness. Looking for a new leisure activity, he joins a photography club for people with visual limitations. That's when he meets Ahn Soo-Young (Han Ji-min) - a young woman who is part of the group of students.

The story shows the daily struggles each has to go through due to their physical limitations, as well as the bond that is developed between them as they get to know each other better.

This short film is to make people aware of Samsung's Relumino device so the running time of the film is only 30 minutes, so the story is developed quickly but manages to be sweet, sensitive and beautiful.

And I liked the message of hope, inner strength and independence in the midst of darkness.

[gwenchana-gwenchana]

A list of things I will never be over in no particular order: back with a vengeance

part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1. I know I've mentioned Ji Sung in almost every list I've made but I can't help it. This man has been doing dramas for a long time. Secret Love was so fucked up. There are still scenes in it that I still randomly think about. If you haven’t watched it yet you definitely should.

2. The totally platonic with absolutely no romantical tension whatsoever bromance in You're All Surrounded that was our second leads. It took me so long to get on board with Jung Ho but his two besties were loyal af and lowkey in love with each other.

3. The first couple of episodes of My Secret Romance were fun but then I didn’t keep watching- I don't remember why. But all I can think about when I think about that drama is his wonderful offended/exasperated face which he used a lot in the first couple of episodes. I just love the way his eyebrows scrunch. But can I find that particular gif?? No. So this one instead:

4. The theme song for Kill Me Heal Me is iconic and I love it. One word or note plays and it's stuck in my head for days.

5. And not to keep talking about School 2013 but I'm going to keep talking about School 2013. I loved the bromance turned to enemies turned to secretly pining for each other turned to maybe friends turned to literal husbands that was Kim Woo-bin and Lee Jong-suk. Like they -SPOILERS- decided to open a noodle shop together and live happily ever after. -SPOILERS- That is literal husband behavior. Someone fight me on this! I would love to make a PowerPoint.

And cause I can add more gifs I choose to add more of these two:

6. But ALSO pertaining to School 2013: I love the complete 180 they both do with the baby delinquents. These two tall boys who both got held back and have lived complete lives (like they are both emotionally 60-year-old men who don't know how but they are still in high school) long before they both meet again in the tiny angel woman's classroom. Not only do they have to confront each other but they both decide that the baby delinquents need guidance and who better than them. They have lived those lives already and don't want their ducklings to go down the same path. I just love it.

7. I liked Korean Odyssey a lot. I love Lee Seung Gi and his bff who is in every drama with him. It was cute and fun BUT and this isn't something I love but something I super do not love-- we are back in that trend of every kdrama ending being open-ended/ that pretend-happily-ever-after thing that leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth after you turn off the show. I blame this drama and these writers for kick-starting this whole trend again. Because these bittersweet open-ended endings lead to the "artistic bleak real world sucks" type of ending where everyone dies all the time. I've already lived through this once and will not survive another round. I might have to stop watching dramas considering recent dramas like Vincenzo and Crash Landing On You and how they did that open-ended bullshit.

8. Also not to bring School 2013 up again BUT that moment in School 2013 where Go Nam Soon comes home after getting the shit beat out of him and he lies on his bed in his empty lonely house and tells himself that he’s okay over and over. Literally, stab me in the heart and it would hurt less.

9. This is School 2013 adjacent but only because Jang Na-ra picks great drama's to be in. Her style in I Remember You— first of all I love her and her pretty face. Second of all, I really liked really everything she wore. I'm a big fan of the grunge-leather-flannels-and-black look. So surprising, I know.

10. And to bring it back to Healer once again-- I have to mention it every post it seems-- but when he's pretending to be Bong So and they go to interview the first jackass... are you with me here? I don't remember the jackass's name. But okay the moment when Cha Young-shin is having a panic attack because of the violence in front of her and Bong-soo can't do his parkour ultimate fighting skills stuff cause he's Bong-soo and not Seo Jung-ho. So he creates a distraction for the guards and helps Cha Young-shin get out of her panic attack by being helpless Bong-soo who doesn't know how to do anything. She gets out of her panic attack with a purpose and a need to protect her underling. And she does. She saves him. And it's perfect. I love them.

[squidgameincorrect]

[image description: an alignment meme called 'how to deal with: people who disagree with you.' the meme is divided into 7 aisles, each aisle containing people from the major-hit netflix series, 'squid game'. the first aisle says, "their opinion is as valid as mine, no need to fight." and consists of hwang jun-ho. in his picture, jun-ho is looking down at the squid game card. the second aisle reads, "i'm curious about their way, i can always learn something new", and consists of ali abdul, and oh il-nam, both in the game's uniforms. in ali's picture, he has a straight face and his eyes are looking upwards. in il-nam's picture, he is grinning. the 3rd aisle says, "i will talk to them, maybe they'll listen", and consists of seong gi-hun, in which he is wearing a gray cap and shirt and a beige jacket, holding a cigarette in his left hand. the 4th aisle reads, "i'm gonna use every trick i know to prove them wrong", and consists of jang deok-su, han mi-nyeo, and the salesman. deok-su is in the middle of a conversation, mi-nyeo's picture shows her looking towards the left, and the salesman is completely turned towards the right and was in the middle of rising from his seat. the 5th aisle says, "i'll avoid them for the rest of my life", and consists of kang sae-byeok who is turned towards the left, in her game uniform. the 6th aisle reads, "i'll say nothing relevant, but think less of them from now on", and shows cho sangwoo in a gray tuxedo over a white button-up shirt turned towards the left and looking up. the 7th and last aisle says, "i will pretend they're right every time i'll deal with them in the future", and consists of ji-yeong, looking ahead with a straight face and slight pout, her head slightly tilted to the left. jun-ho, gi-hun, mi-nyeo, sae-byeok, and sangwoo's pictures all have a dark filter over them. the rest of the images are regular and unedited. end image description]

[flyinglotus777]

Netflix’s Squid Game

SPOILER ALERT! If you are interested in watching the series, I HIGHLY suggest you do so. This article will be an overall synopsis and my review of the show. For an in-depth analysis of the symbolism of the show and ending, scroll down to the fourth to last paragraph.

The Netflix show, “Squid Game,” written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk is a phenomenal Korean drama centered around our victor, Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae. Contestants were recruited to play in a life or death competition due to their lack of luck, financial knowledge, and influx of impending debt they have accumulated throughout their lives. We first meet Gi-hun as he is down on his luck. Living with his elderly, overworked mother (which in countries outside of the United States is not strange nor uncommon) Gi-hun was a friend to gambling, but that toxic love caused him to be in debt to a gang of (what seemed to be) loan sharks. When luck finally strikes him on the race track, life simultaneously decides to take an excrement on his reality. His debt seekers catch him on his hot streak and involuntarily sign him up to be a participant in the Squid Game.

Similar to many other of the 456 participants, they all shared a common denominator of being in situations it seemed only money could fix. Upon arrival the contestants were asked to voluntarily sign wavers in order to participate in the game, while unknowingly risking their lives, for the opportunity to win 456 billion won (which would be roughly over $3.5 million in US currency). The challenges were mostly based on nostalgic childhood games, both based in the United States and South Korea.

Now I knew due to the explanation in the introduction of episode one that if any player were to lose, they would die. So during the first challenge of red light green light, when players were bulletly penalized for losing I was not surprised. After the game, the players decided to rally together and quit playing. The influence of the cash prize split the decision down the middle, leaving the old man, player 1, to be the final decision. To my surprise he actually chose to decline, freeing all of the players. During the voting, many players screamed at each other as to why they would choose to stay in the hell hole as other players responded that the outside world was not any better if not the same as the harsh environment they were already in. This reality struck many contestants as they returned back to their reality of debt, dependents, and for some bounty hunts, thus resulting in them returning to the game.

During the whole season, I was trying to find the purpose of these games. We knew why the participants felt motivated to play, but I wondered what was the purpose of having them fight for their lives in the first place. When the PlayStation faced soldiers forced the doctor (player 111) to dissect the bodies for organs to sell at the black market, at first I thought that it was what the original game maker wanted which I thought was genius. Soon to learn that it was actually a violation to a code of equality that was placed inside the arena applying to all of those who existed, soldiers and participants alike. Which struck me as odd due to the soldiers being able to tote guns and wear masks based on their own hierarchy and the participants being collectively isolated and given numbers as if it was a remake of the Stanford Prison experiment. Nonetheless many soldiers faced the same fate as the players, and my pondering would meet the solution come the finale.

Let’s discuss players. I only favored Gi-hun because he was the protagonist, but throughout the story he grew on me as his big heart prevailed through the madness. I knew Choo Sang-woo, the embezzling business man and hometown friend of Gi-hun played by Park Hae-soo, was a psychopath when I saw him in a fully filled bathtub with his suit on. Running from the police, in debt or not, that’s just as much of a red flag for serial killer tendencies as sleeping with socks on or having too thin and highly arched eyebrows. The episode that he crossed Ali, the father of one from Pakistan with the missing fingers, made me hate Sang-woo for the rest of the series. I was infuriated and frustrated with Ali for being that naïve to believe that they could escape the round as a duo, but understood his perspective since up until that point Sang-woo was a dependable, trusted ally to Ali. However after that episode I didn’t care who won, I was just ready for Sang-woo to die.

Kang Sae-byeok, the skeptical and beautiful warrior from North Korea played by Jung Ho-yeon, deserves her own paragraph. Along with her beauty, her presence and demeanor was so bad ass. She was thrifty and intelligent, as her talent being pick pocketing. I was waiting for her to just be so bad ass. As the punk disguised to be gangster, Jang Deok-su, pushed her around which seemed to be normal behavior between the two, I was ready for Sae-byeok to twist his arm, send a plunging round house kick to his nuts, and cut his snake tattoo right off of his face. Although her exterior was tough, her heart was made of malleable gold which we got to see as she opened up to her female companion during the marble challenge and sobbed from her loss afterwards. Although she was not the killer bad ass queen I had wanted her to be, I still call her a warrior because of her resiliency throughout life’s and the game’s many obstacles and her drive to provide her younger brother with a better life.

Thankfully Deok-su got what he deserved as Han Mi-nyeo poetically decided to take both of their lives during the glass challenge. “You said we would be together till the end,” she said before diving into her inevitable death with her short lived lover. Mi-nyeo was incredibly annoying as I would often pinch the inside corners of my eyes and scratch my eyebrows when she would appear. However that crazy bitch served justice, and I love her for that.

I was highly disappointed by the demise of the detective Hwang Jun-ho, played by the handsome Wi Ha-joon. I was rooting for detective Jun-ho, as I’m sure we all were, on his pursuit to find his brother. I was not surprised that his brother was Front Man, as I had suspected that his brother must’ve died or been apart of the game making due to his absence in real life and the current game. After discovering his brother was the victor of his year, to me it only made sense that he would be apart of the game enforcement. As we saw from Gi-hun, a normal life is impossible to live after experiencing something so traumatic as a series of death ridden children games. However I was saddened and surprised that detective Jun-ho was unsuccessful in closing down the whole operation. I mean the man was close to performing forced, aristocratic fellatio in the name of serving and protecting the law. I truly thought because he had gotten so far and was so close to exposing the operation that the only choice he had was to be successful. At last he was shot and killed by his own blood, the one he had been looking for; providing us with a cinematic and heart jerking ending to detective Jun-ho.

Lastly lets discuss the old man, player 001 named O Yeong-su, whom I also nicknamed Poppy during the series. Deceivingly innocent and weak, I genuinely liked Yeong-su throughout the game play. I thoroughly enjoyed his relationship with Gi-hun and saw him as a valuable player in most instances. I believe he was one of the main reasons that Gi-hun continued to lead with his heart. Gi-hun claimed that Yeong-su was the reason he returned to the games and later found out that Yeong-su was the reason there were games in the first place. The climatic episode of the marble challenge was when their relationship had been defined as “gganbu” (which is a term for trusted, close friends in Korean, as explained in the series), thus Yeong-su establishing a special place in Gi-hun’s heart. During the challenge, Yeong-su begins to have an episode of what we all assumed to be dementia as the arena they are playing in is designed like his old neighborhood and he abandons the game to take a trip down memory lane. Gi-hun screams in frustration at the old man to play with him only to end up losing in their even and odd game and resulting in deceit, tricking the old man to let him be the victor. Now if I was Gi-hun, I would’ve convinced Yeong-su to let me hold his marbles for safe keeping and let him have a fun time reminiscing on his life while he ran down the clock. Then when it was time, I would’ve turned in all 20 marbles just as Sang-woo did and went about my business. It would’ve only been right for the old man to forfeit as he was already on his death bed, or so we innocently thought. Before I get into the ending, I want to talk about the last match between Sang-woo and Gi-hun.

Finally, the last game to see who would be victorious in a highly anticipated game of Squid between Gi-hun and Sang-woo. It seemed as if it were a battle between good vs evil; Gi-hun representing a more benevolent side as he would often optimistically look to help other competitors and extend the kindness he had been shown versus Sang-woo who represented a more vindictive and ruthless side, determined to hurt anyone in order to receive his highly coveted and long awaited prize in an arena that erased any foundation of morals or ethics as soon as the light turned red. Luck was on Gi-hun’s side as he had the opportunity to play offense. With a cunning mind and a vengeance for Sae-byeok’s death, Gi-hun delivered a can of whoop ass to his opponent. As the saying goes, the good shall always prevail. Perhaps his heart was too pure as Gi-hun halted from crossing the finish line and offered Sang-woo a chance to live, thus forfeiting the prize money. Needless to say, I applauded when Sang-woo committed suicide as it was the only right thing to do in his position.

A year passed by and Gi-hun seemed worse than before. Physically his style was bummy wealthy, a look pioneered by Bill Gates, but mentally he was in shambles. How could you blame him? Gi-hun discovered that the responsible party for these horrendous events was none other than his ggangbu, old man Yeong-su. The biggest, jaw dropping plot twist of the entire series. As they were joined on Christmas Eve and Yeong-su on his death bed, they placed one final bet on an assumed to be drunken, homeless man who sat on the streets as it snowed and waited for help to arrive. Yeong-su explained how he actually wanted to help people and give his money to people who needed it, but wanted to do it in an “entertaining way.” As Gi-hun flared with outrage towards the old man for finding amusement in killing people, the old man rebutted using horse races as an example of people’s amusement. Yeong-su also said he participated in the games because it was more fun to play than to be a spectator, which I had noticed him treating the competition as if it were adult summer camp. I had just assumed since he was old, he didn’t care if he had died or not.

I think most people will think that this show was a metaphor about how money and rich people are evil. However I think it can be seen as commentary on society as a whole, not just the wealthy. Yeong-su says on his death bed that it’s a test of humanity, and asks Gi-hun if he still has faith in humanity after what he has experienced. Although money was the luring motivator to win the game, people still chose to return to the competition to escape their problems. Sure, money was apart of their problems as all of the players (excluding Yeong-su) were in debt, but that was due to choices that they had made. Whether it had been through embezzling, gambling, lack of luck, or financial ignorance, it was the people who had gotten themselves into those situations. Money doesn’t have a personal vendetta against anyone nor does it have an inherent quality of good or evil. Money is a neutral energy used to be exchanged for goods and services. It’s people who designate that energy to their humane or inhumane desires.

Leading to the next point of the wealthy and how they are seen to be evil due to having wealth. Although I do believe that there are some wealthy people who act as villains, money didn’t create the villain inside of them. Those people were going to behave maliciously whether they have money or not. The VIPs, who were spectating the finale of challenges, were tied to a bank devoted to the wealthy and gambled on the competitors who played (and most likely helped subsidize the events). We place judgement on them, but as Yeong-su said, people gamble on horse races. Although people are not animals and by my knowledge I don’t believe most or any horses die during these races, it is still the principle of watching an entity being tortured for amusement, which is not only confined to the wealthy population. When the concept of killing and tormenting living breathing beings for amusement is normalized within society, the lines begin to blur on who is okay to perform and who is not. Take the audience of this show for example, we all watched a show where hundreds of people were mercilessly killed for the desire of winning a cash prize for our own amusement, thus making “Squid Game” the number one show on Netflix at the moment. Although the show is fictional and brilliantly written, this Hunger Games concept is not new. We come in contact again and again with the idea of people who are disadvantaged given an opportunity to better their lives through inhumane means, including risking their own lives or actively sacrificing the life of another, and being spectators on the edge of our seats who can’t seem to look away. It is no different than a Roman gladiator match in a grand colosseum, which in modern day would be a MMA fight at the MGM hotel. We blame it on the rich who are ridiculed for creating these events, but at the end of the day it is the people, rich,poor, and everyone in between, who continue to still go along with it and to some extent desire it. Which makes me question, what does that say about humanity, and do I actually have faith in us? Although Gi-hun went through hell and back, he still remained pure of heart and used his wealth to enhance his life and those around him; proving that wealthy people can still be benevolent and desire righteous good. Similar to Gi-hun, the optimist in me wants to believe that there are still people in this world with good hearts, but I guess we just have to wait until the time comes to see.

Ultimately the show was phenomenal, and definitely sparked a desire inside of me to watch more Korean dramas. I don’t think the show will have a second season. Simply because I think the story line would be better cut off there, thus leaving the audience always wanting more. However if season 2 ever comes out, I’m ready for Gi-hun to take a Liam Neeson approach to ending the Squid Game and hopefully with a beard. Thank you for reading my article. I know it was incredibly lengthy. I have just finished the season after a 2 day binge watch, and have a lot of emotions and thoughts ruminating in my brain. Let me know what you think of the show and what you think of the article. Did anyone else notice the paintings of the games on the walls of the dormitory?

God bless.

[teeztheflag]

─────────────────────

S i e b e n  S i n n e (Seven Senses) III

⋆ pairing: catking!san x reader (x human!woo young)

⋆ genre: yandere au, fantasy au, suggestive

⋆ trigger warnings ⚠️ strong language, yanderish behaviour, possessiveness, violence

⋆ words: 3,500

a/n: last part of this journey, don’t forget San is more like a soft yandere... I know some of you won’t be happy with the ending but it was too much fun haha

part I  part II  part III

⋆ „But I won’t ever be able to turn into a human again.“ 

─────────────────────

You definitely felt more energy while being in the body of a real cat but also the castle seemed to be much more distant now. You didn’t even know how to turn back into the other form so you just ran until the walls came into your view that shielded the gardens of the castle from outside.

It was very easy to just jump up and use your claws to get steady on the surface. Being a cat was indeed fun but you wouldn’t want to get used to it.

Emerging the building you were confused on how to enter it because all the doors seemed to be locked. After a little while of not knowing what to do you decide to descend some balconies and stop in front of a large room where a big desk was set.

Was this San‘s workspace?

A meow escapes you without knowing when you see a chair turning and San looks outside only to see you leaning against one of the big windows with your paws.

He frowns and stands up to open the window to sniff the air. „(y/n)?“ You try to shy away from him but he’s quicker to take you into his arms and press you against his chest while closing the window again. He sits down on his chair and places you on his lap to look at you with heartily eyes.

���I should be angry that Hong Joong came back here without you but I see you seem to have a little problem there...“ You purr at the feeling of him caressing your (y/h/c) colored fur with pleasurable motions.

„You can still talk you know?“

You lick your paws out of instinct and shriek a little bit when you feel something itching in San‘s lap. Jumping on to his desk you sit down in front of him muttering. „It happened when I wanted to go into the shop and now... I don’t know how to turn back.“

This makes the cat king laugh out loud and he bops your little cat nose. „It’s ok. I was afraid something happened to you...“ His eyes are full with worry but it vanishes as quickly when he stands up to take you into his arms again. He kneels down and with a small push he rolls you over and you feel yourself changing back.

You lay on the ground your tail swinging quickly while you examine your body. „Oh, thanks!“ You smile at him and he hums at you.

„I hope you had a nice day anyway. After this the next time you get out of this castle I will be the one on your side.“ Worry takes over your features and you are afraid he would do something to Hong Joong for not being careful enough.

„Don’t worry. Hong Joong is one of my dearest friends. If something happened however...“

There was nothing you could do now then wait. And you did until the day you woke up and knew soon you would be free again. Hopefully everything would go smoothly today.

Woo Young didn’t know how long he layed in the grass of the wide meadow he woke up but he was sure there wasn’t much time left when he saw the hectic pace of the towns people and the carriages that passed him.

Disoriented he literally lived the past days like a stray tomcat looking for you in all places. It was only when he emerged an older woman with gray cat ears that he decided to ask what the ruckus was about.

„Oh boy where do you even live? Today’s the wedding of our king choi and his beloved (y/n)!“ She smiles and gives him a flower after leaving the boy standing there dumbfounded.

„Oh my god...“ You were in the palace.

He demonized the mask seller for not telling him this important information and started to follow the way of the carriages like a maniac.

Standing in front of the big gate guards were quick to push him back when he tried to casually walk inside the royal grounds.

„No trespassing for uninvited!“

He waited a second after another cat bowed down in front of the guards to tell them he was late for the kitchen help. It was pretty obvious when he imitated this action to them earning him a questioning look by the guard.

„I am here for the kitchen help!“

„Sir Min Gi! The chef is asking where all the servants are!“ Min Gi debates with himself for a second when he utters something and points for Woo Young to enter.

„Today everything has to be perfect. Men, get back to work and you, tell the chef there’s help coming.“

Everywhere he can hear cheering and laughter while the castle is in full festival mood. He wanders around trying to find a tip for your location and comes to a halt when two equally rich clothed people pass him in a hallway. He quickly looks to the ground bowing but not misses the gaze of the man with the black ears and tail.

Woo Young mirrors the glare with a bad feeling not knowing who this person was or why he could swear he smirked after he saw the boy.

He continues his way through the corridors and just when he swears he saw a white fabric a servant stops him. „You! We have to get ready and why do still not wear your clothes?“

„I ehm ...“ He stutters and the man rolls with his eyes annoyed. He turns Woo Young around and pushes him into another direction ranting about how everything is messed up now and that they should better hurry up.

With all the guards and servants around having an eye on everything he gives up to look for you. He has to get you when the ceremony starts.

You find yourself in front of a mirror all dolled up the necklace on your neck feeling like it’s suffocating you. A sigh escapes your shaking lips when Ye Ri comes in to announce that it’s time for you. Joy is busy picking on your gown and hair to make sure everything looks perfect while you are praying every second your plan works.

Soon you would be back to your own world. Living with your mom and going back to school. Seeing Jang Mi ranting about you and having Woo Young to annoy you every chance he gets. You stick to the memories like they could vanish out of your head any moment.

And then the door opens and you’re getting outside into the big gardens where the ceremony is being held. Music starts to play and you can see all the guests turning their heads to your direction where you try to not faint.

Everything is decorated like you would want it to at your imagination of a perfect wedding. The guests look mostly rich and their ears twitch in excitement at the arrival of the bride. Turning your attention back to the end of the path where he is standing.

San looks devilishly handsome. He gasps when he sees you and you also forget to move for a moment. So much beauty wasted on a man like him.

Cat. He’s a cat. Don’t forget that.

Making your way to the podest where he’s standing you hear the little remarks some of the guest make and start to feel insecure.

„She’s so beautiful! Look at her ears and tail I bet she has the prettiest fur...“

„And to be this lucky! King Choi looks breathtaking like always!“

San takes your hand in his when you shyly look up to him. His tail is swinging agitated from side to side tingling with yours occasionally.

From the outside you two probably had to look like the perfect match but you knew how cruel the king could be. The pastor finally starts his speech while San doesn’t take his eyes off you any second.

You on the other hand focus your gaze on his tie mind really blank the whole time. Only when you’re asked to answer you look up to him seeing his shining orbs and suddenly the man announces you to cats in marriage with the guest awaitening the magic kiss.

San carefully takes your hands in his and looks at you promising. Then he leans down and his lips collide with yours in a sensual way leaving you no option to kiss him back. He feels soft and his tongue provokes to claim your mouth with a longing force. He embraces your waist and kisses you for god knows how long leaving you with a bubbly feeling in the stomach that doesn’t feel as bad as you would’ve guessed. Everyone‘s clapping and San smiles and waves at the guests feeling the happiest he ever did.

The party is in full swing when suddenly the big doors to the hall open and servants bring in the wedding cake with spray fountains on the top. You gasp at the size but freeze in your spot next to the king when you see a face you nearly forgot.

You’re trembling and about to stand up when you feel San‘s eyes locked on your form. „Are you ok, my queen?“

Slowly you turn to him and put on a fake smile to not gain any more attention. He smirks and leans down to whisper in your ear. „I am as much nervous because of the wedding night as you are. I have a surprise for you by the way...“

You frown at him and quickly lock your eyes back on your friend. Woo Young‘s ears twitch still not used to the loud noises and he nearly doubles over when seeing you next to the king.

Anger is building up inside of him but you mouth him to wait. You don’t know why and how he managed to get to you but the love you had for him just sparked again and left you with a warm feeling.

He came here. To rescue you!

Woo Young is quickly out of your eyes knowing you have to get to the kitchen to meet him while San leads you to the cake and of course his hand is over yours when he feeds you a piece of it.

Guest after guest scurries to you and the king to make conversation and congratulate you. The people were nice and you didn’t have a problem to talk feely with them much to San‘s goodwill.

Music starts to play and you and San dance to the first song. It would probably feel very romantic if your thoughts wouldn’t be with Woo Young every second and you fear that San recognizes your change in behavior.

After that the party really starts and cats are storming the dance floor.

You realize the time has come to get out of here. You dismiss yourself with a lie to use the restroom and go straight to the cabin in the bathroom where you hid other clothes.

You put on the uniform of the servants and look from left to right before you leave into the hallway. Walking to the kitchen with quick steps you’re trying to look busy while finding Woo Young. Tears are flowing down your cheeks when you see the boy looking out of the window his tail in between his fingers playing with it.

You stand next to him poking him on the side to gain his attention and quickly usher him to stop when he whisper-yells your name and tries to hug you.

„Listen, I have a plan to get out of here but we have to go now.“

„Alright.“ He takes your hand in his and holds it so desperately fearing he would lose you again if he let go. „I just missed you so much. I was so afraid, (y/n).“

„I missed you, too. I cannot put into words how thankful I am that you came here to save me.“ You both smile at eachother and you hurry to make him follow you out of the castle.

You both run like wolves chased you and so often turned around to see if someone followed you. Much to your disbelief no one seemed to recognize your absense meaning you really could have a chance.

The place where you met the mask seller moves closer any second and your heartbeat doesn’t seem to slow down. Sweat is forming on yours and Woo Young‘s forehead when you stop in your tracks to look around desperately.

„Are you awaitening someone?“ He talks between taking deep breaths.

„Yes. Someone who helped me and someone who will get us out of here.“

After a minute you suddenly hear foot steps in the distance and because it already got pretty dark outside you only recognize him when he’s embracing you.

„Yeo Sang!“

„We have to hurry up! I’ve seen San and some guards searching up the castle for you (y/n)! And who’s this?“

„This is my friend, Woo Young.“ You smile shyly and Yeo Sang nods understanding your relationship when the boy takes your hand in his.

The three of your run as fast as you can again into the direction of the portal passing the town, villages and forests until you can hear a slight buzzing.

„Here!“ Your gaze drifts not only to Woo Young but Yeo Sang, too, seeing the relief in their eyes being so close to be free and out of this world.

For Woo Young it is only important to have you on his side again so he takes your hand and motions for Yeo Sang to get the fuck out of here.

„Yeo Sang, you first!“ Yeo Sang nods at you and a tear rolls down his cheek.

„Thank you for everything, (y/n).“ He gets through the portal and your heart skips a beat.

He’s finally free...

You watch Woo Young in awe and with desperation in both your eyes you make confident steps to the portal. Just when you walk into the light something seems to pull you back and you realize it’s Woo Young who doesn’t seem to be able to walk through the portal.

You tumble back and frown becoming nervous. „What is going on? Why aren’t we able to go?“ You ask in desperation watching the boy shake his head while the moon illuminates the scene in a mysterious light.

„I didn’t know what it meant... but I guess that’s the price.“

„What the hell are you talking about?“

„This guy. He told me I had to pay later for it.“

„Woo Young. How were you able to come here?“

The glare he gives you tells you more than he could explain now. You had a problem. A big problem.

„We have to find this motherfucker and - “

„Ouch, your choice of words is hurting me.“ Suddenly Seong Hwa steps out of the dark of the trees and sends the two of you an intriguing smirk.

„You knew he was here! You knew it all along! Why didn’t you tell me?“

You’re angered and Woo Young tries to hold you back ashamed he got tricked so easily.

„You didn’t ask, little cat.“ A few seconds pass by with you letting out a hiss ready to attack if needed.

„Okay, you promised me you would help us. Now do whatever so he can leave this place.“

Seong Hwa chuckles lowly and raises his eyebrows at your words. „I can do that. But there’s a price for it.“

„Wh- what?! Are you nuts?“

„Listen, I am a merchant. I serve the one who pays the most... so tell me can you give me something that is more precious than what the other bidder gives me?“

„What other bidder?“ You grit your teeth at his words and don’t notice your hands turn into little fists.

„Your journey finally ends here, my wife.“

A dozen guards step out of the shadow all lead by the one you were running from - King Choi San himself.

You take a step back letting go of Woo Young‘s hand out of pure shock. „How? That’s not possible!“

San sends you the angriest look he had and grimaces at your reaction. „This is my kingdom after all. Nothing happens without my consent.“

He just states impassively and motions for his guards to get you.

„Stop! Seong Hwa, whatever he gives you I will double it! I will give you everything!“

He shakes his head and sighs. „I am afraid you won’t be able to give me more because... I already got everything I wanted thanks to the king and you, too.“

You’re feeling dizzy because of the situation and start to cry when Woo Young turns to you looking as lost as yourself.

„You loose. Your plan was actually a good one but you didn’t have a chance in the beginning, (y/n).“

„(y/n), he won’t have you. Go through the portal and leave me here.“

The guards and San get into position at Woo Young‘s words being prepared to stop you any second from leaving this world and becoming a human again.

„If you go I will torture and kill him in the cruelest way.“ San‘s orbs turn darker than you ever saw it and his words shake your bones. He doesn’t play around you know that. And in this moment you know exactly what to do.

Not what you want to do but... what is the right decision.

„I won’t go. I want to talk to the mask seller for a second.“

San and Seong Hwa share a quick look and the cat king smiles at you nodding afterwards.

Woo Young takes a few steps to the portal searching your face for answer his question what you’re planning. You dismiss him with an assuring smile and wait until Seong Hwa is in front of you.

„Did you already take his soul?“

„Not yet. I still have his human mask with me.“

You debate for a moment not knowing if he would agree with it. „If he stays here San is going to kill him. If I stay here I will still be the queen and his wife.“

„That’s right.“

„But I won’t ever be able to turn into a human again.“

„Yep.“ He grins at you from ear to ear already knowing what you’re up to.

„Mask seller, please give him back his human mask. I will stay here and you... you can have my human soul.“ He raises one eyebrow searching your face.

„You know you will never see him again right? He might never give you up...“

You’re crying again at the thoughts and bite your lips. „I want him to be happy. Can you make him forget about his feelings for me and everything that happened here?“

„I can do that.“ With a swift move of his index you can feel the mask appearing in your hand.

You nod at him and turn around to get to Woo Young Seong Hwa quickly in your tracks to make sure you don’t do anything funny.

„What’s going on, (y/n)?“ You surprise him with a desperate kiss. San only huffs in the background not forgetting about the wedding night he still has with you and where he would let out all the anger he has in himself right now.

He reluctantly pulls away still in the bliss of the kiss when you mouth to him ,I love you‘. He frowns and yells out when you crash the mask on his face and push him into the portal.

The last thing Woo Young sees is your smile and then his world turns dark.

San‘s eyes were focused on you the whole time. It felt like if he looked away for only a mere second you would vanish. He could never allow that. No one could take you from him. You were his.

„S-san, please, I need you to touch me.“

A breathles chuckle leaves the king at your neediness. The bliss of the still lingering marks on your skin ignite a fire in him he didn’t know before. A feeling of passion and desire; but also something darker… possession.

He had you on his mercy. His fingers slowly leaving trails down your spine until they landed on the curve of your waist. Your eyes were closed so you felt the tingle of the king‘s finger tips only more.

„Sleep my little kitten. You’ll always be safe with me…“

If you weren’t so lulled in his words and touches you would’ve known that his innocent smile hides something you should more than fear.

But you gave yourself to him and there was no turning back.

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↺ back to navi

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[aion-rsa]

Squid Game: Best of the Cast’s Shows and Movies to Watch

https://ift.tt/39n8nzK

This Squid Game article contains some spoilers, though not the outcome of the game.

There are so many things to like about Squid Game, Netflix‘s Korean-language series about a group of desperate people competing in a deadly game, but one of the major ones is the stellar cast. Featuring some well-known Korean actors, as well as some relative newcomers to the acting scene, Squid Game‘s ensemble is more than ready to elevate the clever script and sharp direction. If you’re interested in checking out other projects from this cast after finishing Squid Game, here are our recommendations!

Lee Jung-jae (이정재) as Seong Gi-hun

Squid Game character: Leading the cast of characters is Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun, a man who has fallen on tough times after losing his job and his marriage. We are first introduced to Gi-hun in the context of his gambling addiction, as he desperately trues to get out of crippling debt in order to be a better father, son, and friend.

What to watch next: Lee Jung-jae is a 48-year-old actor who began his career as a model before transitioning into TV and later film. Notable projects include Il Mare, the 2000 film on which Hollywood’s The Lake House was based and 2013’s historical drama The Face Reader, in which Lee has second-billing as Grand Prince Suyang.

Jung Ho-yeon (정호연) as Kang Sae-byeok

Squid Game character: Jung Ho-yeon plays Kang Sae-byeok (aka the one who looks like ENHYPEN’s Ni-ki), a North Korean defector who decides to play Squid Game in order to get the money to get her mother out of North Korea and to create a stable life for her younger brother, who is currently living in an orphanage.

What to watch next: Jung Ho-yeon will no doubt be one of the breakout stars of Squid Game. The 27-year-old actress is a successful model, and has previously appeared on Korea’s Next Top Model. Squid Game is her first on-screen role, so we’ll have to wait to see what she does next. In the meantime, you can rewatch Squid Game or check out Season 4 of Korea’s Next Top Model.

Park Hae-soo (박해수) as Cho Sang-woo

Squid Game character: Cho Sang-woo grew up with protagonist Gi-hun, and is the success story of his neighborhood after going to a prestigious university and making it big as a businessman. Unbeknownst to Gi-hun and Sang-woo’s mother, Sang-woo has stolen money from his clients and is wanted by the police. He enters Squid Game in an attempt to make back the money so that he can save his mother’s business and house, both of which he risked to back his illegal activities.

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What to watch next: Park Hae-soo is a 39-year-old actor who is perhaps previously best known, especially to international audiences, for his starring role in 2017’s Prison Playbook (one of our Best Korean Dramas to Watch on Netflix). In the drama, Park plays a baseball player who unexpectedly lands himself in jail days before his major league baseball debut. The show follows his life within prison, along with the lives of other inmates and guards, including his former best friend, who is now a corrections officer. Prison Playbook is one of the most popular K-dramas ever.

Wi Ha-joon (위하준) as Hwang Jun-ho

Squid Game character: Wi Ha-joon plays Hwang Jun-ho, who is a bit of an outlier character in a series that mostly features characters in the game as protagonists. Unlike Gi-hun or Sang-woo, Jun-ho is a cop who is investigating Squid Game after finding one of the game’s calling cards in his missing brother’s apartment. He does a pretty good job too, infiltrating the operation in diverse ways.

What to watch next: Wi is a 30-year-old actor with a solid filmography. If you’re a horror fan, check out Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, a 2018 found footage horror film that takes place in the former Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, considered to be one of Korea’s most-haunted places. You could also check out Midnight, a 2021 thriller in which Wi plays a serial killer. If you’re looking for something a bit softer, Wi has a supporting role in 2018 romantic drama Something in the Rain, in which he stars as one protagonist’s younger brother and the other protagonist’s best friend.

Oh Young-soo (오영수) as Oh Il-nam

Squid Game character: Oh Young-soo plays Oh Il-nam, the oldest contestant in Squid Game, and someone Gi-hun feels some responsibility for as the game progresses.

What to watch next: Oh Young-soo is a 76-year-old actor with a filmography that mostly includes monk roles. His previous work has mostly included playing supporting roles, but if you want to see him in something else, check out 2003 feature film A Little Monk, about a generation of three monks living in one temple, or Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, a 2003 film about the life of a Buddhist monk.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Heo Sung-tae as Jang Deok-su

Squid Game character: Heo Sung-tae plays Jang Deok-su, a gangster who enters Squid Game to settle his gambling debts, and who refuses to trust anyone in the process.

What to watch next: Heo Sung-tae is a 43-year-old actor with an extensive filmography. If you’d like to see him in a very different project, check out Racket Boys, a recent Netflix K-drama in which he appears as the coach of a boys badminton team in Episodes 10-12. If you’d like to see him in another dastardly role, check out 2021’s Beyond Evil, in which he plays a cold-blooded businessman.

Kim Joo-ryung (김주령) as Han Mi-nyeo

Squid Game character: Kim Joo-ryung stars as Han Mi-nyeo, a woman who will say or do whatever she has to in order to find her best chance at winning. Originally introduced claiming to be a new mother, we never actually learn that much about Mi-nyeo’s life outside of the game.

What to watch next: Kim Joo-ryung is a 45-year-old actress with an extensive filmography, though mostly in supporting roles. (Hopefully, her impressive turn in Squid Game will lead to more opportunities for the actress.) If you’d like to see her in a minor role in a successful drama, Kim appears in Episodes 16 and 17 of 2018 historical drama Mr. Sunshine. If you’d like to see Kim in a central role, check out 2012 feature Sleepless Night, in which she plays one half of a married couple working to get through daily life.

Tripathi Anupam as Abdul Ali

Squid Game character: Tripathi Anupam plays Ali, a 33-year-old Pakistani man who joins the game in order to get the money to support his family, including his parents and brother back in Pakistan and his wife and baby son, who traveled with him to Korea.

What to watch next: Tripathi Anupam is a 32-year-old Indian-born actor, who is another standout in Squid Game and a rare actor of non-Korean descent in the Korean TV and film industry. Anupam had a small appearance in Netflix’s Korean sci-fi feature Space Sweepers, in which he appeared as James Sullivan’s secretary. Most of Anupam’s previous roles have been minor, with Squid Game being a breakout role for the actor.

Lee Yoo-mi (이유미) as Ji-yeong

Squid Game character: Lee Yoo-mi plays Ji-yeong, a young woman who we find out entered the game immediately after having been released from prison for the crime of killing her abusive father. She becomes close with Sae-byeok, who recruits her to join her team for tug-of-war.

What to watch next: Lee Yoo-mi is a 27-year-old actress who has appeared in many TV shows and films, mostly in supporting roles. If you’d like to see her in another drama, check out 365: Repeat the Year, a time travel drama that sees 10 people given the chance to travel back a year to “reset” their lives, only to find themselves in danger.

Gong Yoo (공유) as The Salesman

Squid Game character: Gong Yoo appears in a minor role as The Salesman, aka the man who recruits Gi-hun into Squid Game by playing a game of ddakji with him on the subway

What to watch next: Gong Yoo is a very successful actor in Korea who is also known internationally. The 42-year-old actor’s most well-known movie role is Train To Busan, in which he stars as the divorced father and businessman protagonist trying to escape the zombie apocalypse on a high-speed bullet train. His most well-known TV role is in the uber successful Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean TV history. In it, he stars as a 939-year-old immortal goblin and protector of souls. Longtime K-drama stans, however, probably know Gong from his starring role in Coffee Prince, a romance about a woman pretending to be a girl in order to get work and a young food empire mogul, played by Gong.

Lee Byung-hun as The Front Man, aka In-ho

Squid Game character: Lee Byung-hun plays the Front Man, aka the masked man who runs the day-to-day operations of Squid Game. He lives in a fancy apartment within the game’s facility, and maintains contact with the game’s supervisors via a landline.

What to watch next: If you’re looking to see more of Lee Byung-hun’s face than Squid Game offers, then you have a lot of options. The 51-year-old actor and singer has been a part of the Korean entertainment industry for decades, and has been one of the most successful Korean actors in that time, with five films on the 50 highest-grossing domestic films in South Korea list: Joint Security Area; The Good, the Bad, the Weird; Masquerade; Inside Men; and Master.

Lee is the only Squid Game actor to have some substantial Hollywood credits on his filmography as well. American audiences may recognize him from his role as Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe franchise; he has also appeared in Red 2, Terminator Genisys, and The Magnificent Seven. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he was the first South Korean to present an Oscar at the Academy Awards.

Which Squid Game cast member were you the most impressed by? Let us know in the comments below…

The post Squid Game: Best of the Cast’s Shows and Movies to Watch appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[agentcable]

Taxi Driver Season 1 Ep. 11 to 16

Jang Sung-Chul leads a team of employees at a Deluxe Taxi company who seek revenge on those who exploit victims. Kim Do-Ki executes their payback-driven plans, with the support of hacker Ahn Go-Eun, and engineers Choi Kyung-Koo and Park Jin-Eon.

After seeking retribution for the victims of the criminals, they take them to Baek Sung-Mi for imprisonment. Unbeknownst to Team Rainbow, she conceals her illicit organ trade catering to VIP clients.

Episode 11 "Wake Up! Investigator!" Episode 12 "This Board, I Made It" Episode 13 "Where Did Kim Do-gi Go?" Episode 14 "Kill Me, You Bastard!" Episode 15 "She Deserves It. She's My Mother" Episode 16 "So Shall We Begin?"

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Jang Sung-Chul leads a team of employees at a Deluxe Taxi company who seek revenge on thosw who exploit victims. Kim Do-Ki executes their payback-driven plans, with the support of hacker Ahn Go-Eun and engineers Choi Kyung-Koo and Park Jin-Eon.

After seeking retribution for the victims of the lawbreakers, they take them to Baek Sung-Mi for imprisonment. Unbeknownst to Team Rainbow, she conceals her organ trafficking operation catering to VIP clients.

When Jang Sung-Chul discovered that Sung-Mi did not fulfill her end of the deal, he cut ties with her. However, the situation escalated to involve the police and prosecutors, causing irreversible trauma to the criminals who were treated like animals by Sung-Mi and Sung-Chul.

The involvement of the Rainbow Taxi Revenge Service team was uncovered, and Prosecutor Kang Hana, whose cases were entangled with the group's activities, is torn on the best course of action. As a champion of justice, she empathizes with Kim Do-Ki and his team's vision.

After 20 years of silence, Oh Chul-Young, the serial killer who murdered Jang Sung-Chul's parents, confessed to killing two more people. Shockingly, one of the victims was Kim Do-Ki's mother. This unexpected twist forced Do-Ki to relive painful memories while facing Oh Chul-Young. However, it also gave him the chance to find closure that he couldn't get when he believed the culprit dies by suicide.

Do-Ki sets out for personal revenge, which the Rainbow Taxi team declares as their final mission.

Episode 15 and 16 has a real life case behind it. It is the Raincoat Killer case.

Yoo Young-Chul is a South Korean serial killer, sex offender, and self-confessed cannibal. He admitted to the murders of multiple people, mostly prostitutes and wealthy old women. The Seoul Central District Court convicted him of 20 murders. One case was dismissed when it was identified as being committed by another serial killer, Jeong Nam-Gyu. Between September 2003 and July 2004, Yoo mutilated at least 11 victims and admitted to eating the livers of some. He also burned three victims. On July 15, 2004 he was apprehended. Yoo explained his motives in front of a TV camera, stating that "Women shouldn't be sluts, and the rich should know what they've done".

There was speculation that he modeled his killings after several movies, including "Public Enemy", "Very Bad Things", and "Normal Life", based on the content of his apartment searched after his arrest. Yoo later confessed to being inspired by serial killer Jeong Du-Yeong, who had murdered nine wealthy people in Busan from 1999 to 2000.

Prosecutors stated that Yoo killed wealthy older people due to his childhood poverty. They also stated that he targeted women with similar jobs as his previous lover in a bid to retaliate against a lover who betrayed him. Yoo also told police he killed women because he hated them.

The psychologist who assessed Yoo determined that he was not mentally ill. However, Yoo exhibited typical signs of anit-social disorder, which involves creating a belief system based on distrust of moral and social norms.

Yoo's case has fueled the debate on capital punishment in South Korea, and it has appalled many South Koreans. Although the death penalty is still legal, it has not been enforced since 1997. It seemed that capital punishment might be abolished before Yoo's arrest, but support for the death penalty has increased since learning of his crimes.

According to the Seoul Central District Court, "Murders of as many as 20 people are unprecedented in the nation and a very serious crirme. Due to the significant harm caused to the families and society, the death penalty is inevitable for Yoo who is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center.

Netflix released a documentary series in 2021 titled "The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea". The series explores the story of the notorious killer and the investigation that led to his capture.

Down below the trailer. Viewer discretion is advised.

[idolskpop]

‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler: Jo Bo Ah & Rowoon Face Their Cursed Past

‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler reveals that Jo Bo Ah and Rowoon will have to deal with the consequences of their tragic past lives as they struggle to maintain their romance in the present. The JTBC drama has been captivating viewers with its mix of fantasy, mystery, and comedy, as well as the chemistry between the two leads.

What happened in ‘Destined With You’ Episode 12?

In the previous episode, Lee Hong Jo (Jo Bo Ah) and Jang Shin Yu (Rowoon) finally confessed their feelings for each other and started dating. They enjoyed their sweet moments together, despite the chaos at work and the threat of Lee Hu Beom (Ahn Sang Woo), who is obsessed with Hong Jo.

(Photo : JTBC) However, their happiness was short-lived, as they both remembered their past lives and how they died. Hong Jo was shocked to realize that she was Aeng Cho, the woman who cursed Shin Yu in his previous life as a prince. She also saw how Shin Yu killed her in a fit of rage after she betrayed him. Shin Yu also recalled his past life and how he suffered from the curse that made him unable to love anyone. He felt the pain of losing Hong Jo again, as he sensed that she was distancing herself from him.

(Photo : JTBC Official Instagram)

What to expect in ‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler?

The new stills for ‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler show that Hong Jo and Shin Yu will face a crisis in their relationship, as they try to cope with the secret of their past lives. Hong Jo is in tears, as she feels guilty and confused about her role in Shin Yu’s curse. She decides to push him away, even though she still loves him.

(Photo : JTBC Official Instagram) Shin Yu is also heartbroken, as he can’t understand why Hong Jo is avoiding him. He tries to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but he can’t forget her. He still worries about her safety, especially when he learns that she encountered a strange incident at her home. He rushes to her side, hoping to protect her from any harm. The production team hinted that more secrets will be revealed in the upcoming episode, and that they will affect the fate of Hong Jo and Shin Yu.

(Photo : JTBC Official Instagram) They said, “The confusion caused by the secret of their previous lives will change the relationship between Lee Hong Jo and Jang Shin Yu. Please look forward to how they will overcome their destiny and find their true love.”

Where to watch ‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler?

You can watch ‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler on JTBC on October 4 at 10:30 p.m. (KST). You can also stream it on Netflix with subtitles. ‘Destined With You’ is a fantasy romance drama that tells the story of Lee Hong Jo, a webtoon editor who can see people’s past lives, and Jang Shin Yu, a webtoon writer who is cursed to never fall in love. They discover that they have a connection that transcends time and space, and that they are destined to be with each other.

(Photo : JTBC Official Instagram) The drama stars Jo Bo Ah (‘Forest’, ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed’) as Lee Hong Jo, Rowoon (‘Extraordinary You’, ‘She Would Never Know’) as Jang Shin Yu, Ahn Sang Woo (‘The World of the Married’, ‘Beyond Evil’) as Lee Hu Beom, Kim Seul Gi (‘Oh My Ghost’, ‘Splash Splash Love’) as Kim So Hye, and Lee Hyun Kyun (‘Hospital Playlist’, ‘My Mister’) as Choi Jin Ho.

What do you think of ‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler?

Are you excited for ‘Destined With You’ Episode 13 Spoiler? Do you think Hong Jo and Shin Yu will overcome their cursed past and find their happy ending? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below Don’t forget to like, share, and follow us for more K-Drama news and updates! Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article