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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

Two women posing creatively for a photoshoot.

Yearly Archives: 2023

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Park Bo Gum and Lee Jun Ki Among K-stars Out in Force for First Big Movie Premiere of 2023 in Spy Thriller Phantom

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 12, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 13, 2023
Actor being prepared for a photoshoot.

I thought maybe this movie was a dud hence it’s early January premiere date but it’s chock full of big name stars and now even more big name stars are out in force to support at the VIP premiere this week. K-thriller movie Phantom is based on the Chinese novel The Sound of the Wind which was adapted to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Tagged Han Sun Hwa, Jung Woo Sung, Lee Jun Ki, Lee Soon Jae, Minho, Ong Seung Woo, Park Bo Gum, Yoon Kyun Sang

Kim Jung Hyun Struts Back into Im Soo Hyang’s Sunshine and Rainbows Reincarnated Life in New Character Posters for Kokdu: Season of Deity

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 12, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 12, 2023
Romantic scenes from a Korean drama series.

The production team behind the promos for MBC fantasy romance Kokdu: Season of Deity are really going out of their way to highlight the extremes of the two leads. Kim Jung Hyun is the grim reaper on a vacation and here he is strutting his way through the ominous forest looking like a rocker vampire headed to a rave. Then … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Ahn Woo Yeon, Dasom, Im Soo Hyang, Kim In Kwon, Kim Jung Hyun, Kokdu: Season of Deity

Thriller K-movie Tyrant Completes Casting of Three Male Leads Cha Seung Won, Kim Kang Woo, and Kim Sun Ho

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 11, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 12, 2023
Three men posing in monochrome portraits.

When I heard about the upcoming K-movie Tyrant last year I totally thought it was a sageuk. Turns out it’s a modern action thriller around something called the Tyrant Program, which is being run by the Korean government and once it’s shut down the three male leads are racing to get a hold of the final remnants. The movie star … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Tagged Cha Seung Won, Kim Kang Woo, Kim Sun Ho, Tyrant

C-drama Hidden Love with Chen Zhe Yuan and Zhao Lu Si Release New Posters to Celebrate Fastest to Reach 1 Million Reservations on Youku

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 11, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 10, 2023
Couple embracing in a romantic pose.

The slow stroll towards the 2023 sometime arrival of modern college era romance C-drama Hidden Love starts off with a milestone this January. Youku announced that the series has over 1 million reservations, viewers interested in watching the drama, and is the fastest to cross that threshold on the platform. Congrats to the production team and leads Chen Zhe Yuan … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Chen Zhe Yuan, Hidden Love, Zhao Lu Si

Jang Geun Seok Takes on Menacing Conman and Killer Heo Sung Tae In First Poster and Preview for Coupang Play Drama Bait

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 10, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 11, 2023
Two men in contrasting environments and attire.

Streaming platform Coupang Play continues to slowly build its own stable of exclusive K-dramas and coming the end of January will be cat-and-mouse thriller Bait (formerly called Chronicles of Crime) starring Jang Geun Seok, Heo Sung Tae, and Lee Elijah. It’s Jang Geun Seok’s first drama in five years since 2018 drama Switch: Change the World after which he went … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Bait, Heo Sung Tae, Jang Geun Seok, Lee Elijah

Kim Eun Sook Reveals Initially There was a Kiss Scene Between Lee Do Hyun and Song Hye Kyo in The Glory But the PD Nixed it

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 10, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 9, 2023
Man in various outfits and settings, thoughtful expressions.

I am loving all these additional tidbits for Netflix hit drama The Glory, making the behind-the-scenes look at the drama more compelling compared to what was seen in the final product. Writer Kim Eun Sook revealed that her script had a kiss scene between Song Hye Kyo and Lee Do Hyun but it was the PD who cut it from … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Lee Do Hyun, The Glory

K-ent Reports Vote Park Seo Joon as the Most Reliable Box Office Draw in 2023 Followed by Ha Jung Woo and Song Joong Ki

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 10, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 11, 2023
Young man waving with a smile.

2022 was a pretty good year for K-dramas but I didn’t pay as much attention to the box office. It was fully business as usual in South Korea with the audiences being able to go to the theater and no occupancy limitations. There are a bunch of big names coming in with high profile movies in 2023 and there was … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Ha Jung Woo, Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon, Song Joong Ki, Yoo Ah In

C-drama Unchained Love with Dylan Wang and Chen Yu Qi Head into Final Stretch of Airing with Reviews Getting Better

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 9, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 10, 2023
Couple in traditional attire, romantic moment.

C-drama Unchained Love has aired 22-episodes out of the total 36 so it’s into the final stretch of airing and I thought to check in. Surprisingly the reviews and audience feedback is getting better, I noticed since about episode 14 the chatter has turned positive and not just from the diehard fandom. I think it’s much too long for a … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Chen Yu Qi, Dylan Wang, Forbidden Love, Peter Ho, Unchained Love, Zeng Li

Our Blooming Youth Releases Dramatic Preview with Leads Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Hee in Life-threatening Situations

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 9, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 9, 2023
Dramatic scenes from a historical Korean drama.

The upcoming tvN sageuk Our Blooming Youth remains one of my more anticipated early 2023 K-dramas, a combination of the leads and the story being adapted/inspired from the C-novel The Golden Hairpin. You have a brilliantly smart female lead cross-dressing to run away from a falsely accused murder of her entire family and needing to both clear her name and … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Jeon So Nee, Our Blooming Youth, Park Hyung Sik

The Glory Part 2 Confirms March 10th Release But K-netizens Still Frustrated with the Decision to Split into Two Parts

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 8, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 8, 2023
Main cast of "The Glory" Part 2.

I feel like Netflix drama The Glory is an experimental test cast in many ways, from writer Kim Eun Sook deviating from her comfort zone to leading lady Song Hye Kyo putting acting above visuals to now even the format of the drama. It’s split into two parts, with the first part released on December 31st with 8-episodes and now … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged The Glory

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow Piles on More Nonsense to a Happy Ending Meaningful to the Fans Who Have Stuck with the Drama

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 8, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 8, 2023
Couple in traditional clothing by the river.

If there was ever a negative bell curve this drama would be it. Alchemy of Souls managed to start strong for about 15 minutes and end strong for the final 15 minutes and everything in between was the slow descent into pure drivel with an eventual attempt to climb back out. The nadir was the ending to season 1 and … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Alchemy of Souls, Go Yoon Jung, Lee Jae Wook

Jung Hae In Strikes a Fashionable Look Attending the Opening of the Louis Vuitton/Yayoi Kusama 2023 Collab Unveiling at the Taipei Flagship Store

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 8, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 7, 2023
Fashion display with models at Louis Vuitton.

I’ve been seeing tons of Louis Vuitton CF pictures from various Asian countries of its brand models this week all wearing clothes and carrying accessories from the 2023 Louis Vuitton collaboration with artist Yayoi Kusama. TBH I hated their first collab in the 2012 collection, LV collabs are full hit and miss for me and that one was a miss. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Jung Hae In

J-stars Tsuchiya Tao and Katayose Ryota Announce Marriage and Expecting a Baby to Kick Off 2023

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 7, 2023 by ockoalaJanuary 8, 2023
Two smiling students in school uniforms.

There was good tidings from J-ent at the very start of 2023 with the announcement that near same age young stars Tsuchiya Tao and Katayose Ryota got married. He’s 28 and she’s 27 and they met 5 years ago doing the 2017 teen romance movie My Brother Loves Me Too Much (don’t worry, no incest in this one) and was … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Katayose Ryota, Tsuchiya Tao

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