Author Archives: ockoala

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow Episode 2 Rises to 7.743% as the Narrative Shows Hand on the Resurrected Bu Yeon’s True Form and Writes the Central Conundrum Back to the Story

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Man, watching the second episode of Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow was alternating between these two are cute and headdesking. It’s clear the Hong Sisters had a concept (soul switching! In sageuk fantasy times!) and then wrote the story around it, hence the complete and utter moral quandries they gloss over in attempts to give the female lead a … Continue reading →

K-netizens Discuss the SBS 2022 Year End Drama Daesang as a Two-way Race Between Kim Nam Gil and Namgoong Min with Nods to Lee Jun Ki, Seo Hyun Jin, and Kim Rae Won

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It’s tough that of the three public channels in South Korea really only SBS had a good year. With the slate basically done it’s time to look at the contenders for Daesang at the Year End Drama Awards for 2022 and it’s looking like a two-man race between Kim Nam Gil for Through the Darkness and Namgoong Min for One … Continue reading →

Chen Fei Yu in Lighter and Princess Tops the Maoyan Entertainment November 2022 Hot Character Chart Followed by Xu Kai in She and Her Perfect Husband

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The Maoyan Entertainment hot chart for November 2022 is out and I only paid attention since I’ve recently watched a few C-dramas so I’m curious what resonated with Chinese viewers. Topping the list is the character of Li Xun in Lighter and Princess played by Chen Fei Yu. He was more interesting to me than female lead Zhang Jing Yi‘s … Continue reading →

Lee Seung Gi Files to End Contract with Hook Entertainment After Expose that His CEO Gaslit Him, Withheld All His Music Earnings, and Used His Money to Spend Lavishly

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The investigation into Hook Entertainment has uncovered a litany of awful and illegal stuff but the biggest victim appears to be the agency’s top earner singer-actor-MC Lee Seung Gi. He’s been with the agency since his debut 18 years ago so there is strong ties but a few weeks ago his side reportedly requested a full financial accounting of his … Continue reading →

Viewer Disconnect and Annoyance with the Loveline Between Song Joong Ki and Shin Hyun Bin in Reborn Reaches Crescendo as Romance Starts in Episode 10

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jTBC weekend drama Reborn Rich is still doing banger ratings, this Friday and Saturday’s episode 9 and 10 dropped from last week’s high of 19% but the story continues to deliver the great plotting plus payoff. Plus the ending of episode 10 will definitely bring in viewers for Sunday’s episode 11. But this post is about the “romance” in this … Continue reading →

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow Returns as Season 2 with Swapped Premise of Bu Yeon Now in Naksu’s Physical Body and First Episode Ratings of 6.719%

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So…..despite all all the self-warning and repeated burning from summer tvN drama Alchemy of Souls, I did come back at least for the first episode of season 2 called Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow. The female lead switched from Jung So Min‘s Jin Bu Yeon physical form with Naksu’s soul to Go Yoon Jung so I figured she’s playing … Continue reading →

Song Hye Kyo Plays the Long Revenge Game and All Her Awful Enemies Look Totally Worth Her Vengeance in Long Preview for Netflix Drama The Glory

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School bullying in South Korea has been discussed at length both in real life investigations and fictionalized often in dramas and movies to highlight the pervasive issue. Upcoming Netflix drama The Glory puts it front and center as female lead Song Hye Kyo plots a long revenge course solely due to her school bullying in high school days. The long … Continue reading →

TVing Supernatural Action Thriller Island Releases Compelling Horror Tinged Previews to Up the Interest Level

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Now this is what I’m talkin’ about! The new previews for upcoming TVing supernatural with horror tinged K-drama Island released substantive previews that are rollicking good fun. My first thought is that Kim Nam Gil is going back to high fighting Bidam roots but this time in modern garb, and then the long preview ended with a flashback to historical … Continue reading →

Kim Hye Yoon Adorable in Best New Actress Win at the 2022 Grand Bell Awards and Leads the Way with Black Dress Done Right

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This Friday evening in Seoul was the Grand Bell Awards (Daejong Awards) which only covers the movie industry. It’s highly prestigious but most readers here are K-drama centered so may not have watched or followed the K-movie circuit this year, but everyone has heard about Decision to Leave which took home Best Movie and male lead Park Hae Il continues … Continue reading →

C-netizens Upset that C-actress Zhang Jia Ni is Reportedly NOT Divorcing Her Cheating Husband Even After the Purported Mistress an Aspiring Actress Proudly Posts Updates on Her SNS

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Man, marriage in real life is messy and can be dirty and definitely is between the two people that signed the social contract for better or for worse. But it’s hard not to have bystander commentary and it’s quite one-sided in the case of C-actress Zhang Jia Ni and her husband who was caught going into a hotel with a … Continue reading →

Song Joong Ki and Lee Sung Min Take Their Reborn Rich Chemistry to the Pages of Elle Korea for Classic Korean Architectural Pictorial

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The quality and ergo the success of jTBC drama Reborn Rich (The Chaebol’s Youngest Son) is another validation that it’s not K-drama quality that has been decreasing is that not enough production teams dig deep to create the needed excellence. Song Joong Ki was in Singapore yesterday attending the streaming channel VIU’s press conference for the release of Reborn Rich … Continue reading →

Yang Mi and Xu Kai’s Frothy Modern Romance Drama She and Her Perfect Husband Ring in Douban Ratings of 5.8 Which is Pretty Spot On

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I remember when auteurs in the cuisine world starts gastronomy and one of the inventions was culinary foams. So cool to look at and seemingly made dish]ed fun(ner) to eat but after you get past the superficial surface it’s just a bunch of nothing, even the flavor evaporates as quickly as it lands on the tongue. That’s what watching She … Continue reading →

First Look at Leads Zhao Lu Si, Wang An Yu and Li Yun Rui in Costume for Xianxia C-drama Hidden God

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So the upcoming C-drama Hidden God (Shen Yin) did start filming this month in December right on time despite the last minute male lead casting hijinks. The first sneak peeks are here and initially it was only of the two male leads Wang An Yu and Li Yun Rui, but a day later came female lead Zhao Lu Si who … Continue reading →