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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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Author Archives: ockoala

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Aaron Yan Holds Packed Birthday Fan Meeting and Cries Tears of Joy After Ex Outing Scandal

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 19, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 20, 2018
Man in suit looking in a mirror.

I love a resilient and upfront attitude to facing scandal and really how can a star expect to keep in the public eye career nowadays without being forthright. Taiwanese actor-singer Aaron Yan held a 500 person birthday fan meeting this past weekend, deciding to go forward with the event a week after being outed by a vengeful ex who shared … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Aaron Yan

Pink is the New Black in More Teaser Poster and Stills for Clean With Passion For Now

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 19, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 18, 2018
Group of six people in casual attire.

The lead casting for upcoming jTBC drama Clean With Passion For Now has garnered lots of opinions both positive and mostly negative, but this is an entire drama that has plenty of other cast members to round out the cleaning team at the center of the tale. Male lead Yoon Kyun Sang is an OCD neat freak who runs a … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Clean with Passion for Now, Kim Yoo Jung, Yoon Kyun Sang

TW-actress Jian Man Shu Gets Married in Exquisite Wedding Dress with Sleeves, Open Back and Long Train

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 19, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 19, 2018
Bride in elegant white gown, floral backdrop.

I posted a few weeks on TW-actress Jian Man Shu‘s wedding pictorial, the ones taken prior to the wedding as memories to cherish, and it elicited quite polarizing responses. I LOVED hew two dresses: a red and white sleeveless confection and a lace deep-V ballgown, finding them lovely on her willowy frame and also refreshingly different. One can have fun … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Dating, Jian Man Shu, Married, Wedding

People’s Daily Editorial Lambasts C-stars Tax Evasion and Makes it Unlikely Fan Bing Bing Can Make Comeback

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 18, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 17, 2018
Woman posing with stylish outfit by window.

The People’s Daily newspaper is the official newspaper of the Communist party and always offers a clear insight into what is the government line. This week the paper published a strongly worded article about the tax evasion scandal in the entertainment world and reading between the lines it’s going to be neigh impossible for top actress Fan Bing Bing to … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Fan Bing Bing

Chinese Oscars the 2018 Golden Horse Awards Gets Star-studded Attendance and Teary Best Film Win for Young Deceased Director

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 18, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 18, 2018
Four stars posing on black carpet backdrop

The last few years have been meh with the Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-language film equivalent of the Oscars, due to flagging star-studded movies and creativity that also connects with the mass public. This year the ceremony staged a revival with so many famous stars and directors in attendance I was having whiplash. Acclaimed veteran director Zhang Yimou finally won … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards | Tagged Andy Lau, Ang Lee, Carina Lau, Golden Horse Awards, Gong Li, Hu Ge, Roy Qiu, Vivian Hsu, Zhang Yimou, Zhou Xun

TW-actress Barbie Hsu Gets Flack for Looking Her Age and Being Happily Married

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 18, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 17, 2018
Two women smiling in tailored black suits

It’s not easy in the entertainment industry anywhere, and aside from the casting tribulations the commentary and standards continue to follow a star even after pseudo-retirement. TW-actress Barbie Hsu (Da S) hasn’t acted in years ever since her marriage to a rich Chinese heir and then settling down to have two kids back-to-back. Unlike her little sister Xiao S, she … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Barbie Hsu, Da S

Top K-pop Groups BTS and TWICE Angers J-netizens with T-shirt Choices

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 17, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 18, 2018
BTS celebrating at the Billboard Music Awards.

It’s unfortunate what was a super successful year for top K-pop groups BTS and TWICE reaching year end with a controversy, and one that appears not to be going away quickly. Both groups are on the outs with Japanese media and fans with a member’s choice of t-shirt attire that touch upon very sensitive Japanese topics. A BTS member wore … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged BTS, Twice

Lee Jong Seok and Lee Na Young Lead Script Reading Session for tvN Drama How to Publish Love

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 17, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 17, 2018
Young duo displaying blue and white scripts

Since folks seem to have really strong and broad opinions and mismatched drama casting lately, here’s one more that definitely will garner skeptical commentary. The cast for early 2019 airing K-drama How to Publish Love (Romance Supplement or Romance Bonus Book) gathered for the script reading last week led by leads Lee Jong Seok and Lee Na Young, with buzz … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged How to Publish Love, Lee Jong Seok, Lee Na Young, Romance Supplement

The Leads are Charmingly in Webtoon Character in New Stills for Clean With Passion For Now

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 17, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 17, 2018
Young girl resting chin on hands, looking curious.

It’s less than two weeks away for the premiere of jTBC webtoon adapted K-drama Clean With Passion For Now and after all the casting changes and commentary I’m just ready to see how it all turns out. A new batch of drama stills and BTS pics continue to showcase female lead Kim Yoo Jung as so adorable she’s a veritable … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Clean with Passion for Now, Kim Yoo Jung, Song Jae Rim, Yoon Kyun Sang

Retired HK Acting Goddess Maggie Cheung Makes Rare Public Appearance at Louis Vuitton Event in Shanghai

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 16, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 16, 2018
Smiling woman in stylish black jacket.

The 80’s Hong Kong acting legends are making news waves in recent weeks and it’s only fitting that a long retired goddess also returns to the spotlight. Maggie Cheung has been retired from acting since 2006 and in the intervening 12 years she has rarely been seen in public. While her colleagues like Tony Leung, Andy Lau, and Carina Lau … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Maggie Cheung

Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum Pensive in Cuba in Individual Posters for K-drama Encounter

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 16, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 16, 2018
Person sitting by the water, listening to music.

Fans of early Hallyu K-dramas should remember the trend for overseas shoots in romance dramas involving the two leads meeting as strangers in a strange land. That’s fallen out of fashion in modern romance dramas so it feels like a throwback vibe to see tvN drama Encounter (Boyfriend) emphasize the Havana, Cuba connection formed between leads Park Bo Gum and … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Boyfriend, Encounter, Park Bo Gum, Song Hye Kyo

Kim Jae Wook Drops Collectors Edition Media Pictorial After Successful OCN Drama The Guest

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 16, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 15, 2018
Profile of a person in black and white.

I may have been (slightly) more impressed and connected with Kim Dong Wook‘s character and performance in OCN thriller drama The Guest but my first love Kim Jae Wook still knocked it out of the park for his leg of the narrative triangle. This is the first drama of his in ages where I wasn’t left frustrated that his good … Continue reading →

Posted in My Loves | Tagged Kim Jae Wook

Park Bo Gum Comforts Lonely Song Hye Kyo in Beautiful Drama Poster for Encounter

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 15, 2018 by ockoalaNovember 15, 2018
Couple embracing by the seaside at sunset.

The production of tvN drama Encounter (Boyfriend) is doing a great job of delivering a very clear vibe and message. The drama about an older rich divorcee and a younger scrappy man meeting in exotic Cuba and falling for each other is the kind of romance that drama fiction conjures up that is so unrealistic. And yet the promos have … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Boyfriend, Encounter, Park Bo Gum, Song Hye Kyo

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Recent Posts

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  • Agent Kim Reactivated Chosen by K-ent Industry Insiders as Best Drama of 2026 Followed by Teach You a Lesson and We Are All Trying Here
  • Vertical Mini C-drama Male Lead Dai Gao Zheng Breaks Out with Mainstream Hit C-drama Where the Mask Ends as the Oft Beaten Beefcake Antagonist
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  • Song Wei Long and Tian Xi Wei Cast in Tencent 2027 Big Budget Period Drama Da Tang Pi Zhu Ji




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  • Quinn Zhao on Youku Modern Romance C-drama The Early Spring with Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian Becomes Unexpected Summer Hit and Notches a Respectable 6.7 Douban Ratings
  • Diego Duarte on C-actor Dylan Wang Faces Wild Rumor that He Attempted to Enlarge His Private Part But a Botched Procedure Lead to Erectile Dysfunction
  • Opal on CCTV and iQiyi Medical Drama Small Town Remedy with Xiao Zhan is the Most Well Received C-drama of October 2026
  • K on Vertical Mini C-drama Male Lead Dai Gao Zheng Breaks Out with Mainstream Hit C-drama Where the Mask Ends as the Oft Beaten Beefcake Antagonist
  • kam on Where the Mask Ends Completes Airing with 19th Consecutive Days of Over 10,000 Heat Index on Youku Surpassing 18 Day Record Set By Legend of Zang Hai and The Immortal Ascension
  • HL on CCTV and iQiyi Medical Drama Small Town Remedy with Xiao Zhan is the Most Well Received C-drama of October 2026
  • avarachika on Agent Kim Reactivated Chosen by K-ent Industry Insiders as Best Drama of 2026 Followed by Teach You a Lesson and We Are All Trying Here
  • Kate on CCTV and iQiyi Medical Drama Small Town Remedy with Xiao Zhan is the Most Well Received C-drama of October 2026
  • AWUC26 on CCTV and iQiyi Medical Drama Small Town Remedy with Xiao Zhan is the Most Well Received C-drama of October 2026
  • Ximena Delgado on Youku Modern Romance C-drama The Early Spring with Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian Becomes Unexpected Summer Hit and Notches a Respectable 6.7 Douban Ratings
  • LW on Where the Mask Ends Completes Airing with 19th Consecutive Days of Over 10,000 Heat Index on Youku Surpassing 18 Day Record Set By Legend of Zang Hai and The Immortal Ascension
  • Nina Quiroga on Tencent Period Drama The Road to Splendor with Ding Yu Xi and Deng En Xi Gets More Good Reviews than Viewership with Solid 7.1 Douban Ratings

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