The 8th Annual Seoul International Drama Awards took place last night, and it includes winners from around the world in countries where dramas or serials are produced. For the most part it was K-drama centric but it did try hard to acknowledge dramas in other parts of the world while simultaneously promoting K-dramas. Win and Win, I suppose. I’ll only … Continue reading →
There is such sublime satisfaction in watching a drama get better and better. A story line naturally builds momentum in a linear progression so the quality of a drama following suit is a sort of synergy that is like a steady release of enjoyment. Episode 10 of Two Weeks keeps up the reveals, the momentum, and the fantastic character development … Continue reading →
I’ve got some good news and some bad news, with the bad news dependent on whether you can spot the difference or can’t/don’t want to see it. The good news is that the upcoming 50-episode ambitious MBC sageuk Empress Ki (formerly known as Hwatu) finally has a full main cast. The remaining character of Yuan Emperor Huizhong has finally been … Continue reading →
How the heck does Yu Zheng manage to turn the ridiculously gorgeous Chen Xiao into an unattractive Yang Guo? I don’t get it. One way to get people riled up is to purposely mess with fandom. That is why I loathe drama producer Yu Zheng so much, because he delights in pointlessly screwing with classic wuxia novel fandom (and others) … Continue reading →
The official script reading pictures of the full cast of Those Who Wear the Crown, Withstand the Weight: The Heirs (also known as Heritors) is out. It happened last month on August 5th, but SBS smartly withheld it just to keep that aura of mystery and excitement for a bit longer. Since then, the cast has successively jumped into the … Continue reading →
This is hands down the best episode of Two Weeks yet. Each episode of this drama is like a delicious shot of whiskey on ice, smooth but not terribly complex. I said the lack of a romance narrative didn’t bother me, and really it doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean when it does pop up here and there it doesn’t make … Continue reading →
As The Blade and Petal wraps up this week, next week KBS presents what feels like an old-fashioned four corner melodrama into the mix. I like the cast so I’m going to check it out Secret, but the sensation that this drama is playing catch up from the get go leaves me worried about its quality. Starring Ji Sung, Hwang … Continue reading →
The best part of Goddess of Fire Episode 20 was that orabeoni got a new outfit. It was time to retire his blue and red one, with a reminder after the jump of the awesome scene in episode 19 when he made Jung Yi a rope course and then wrapped a cloth tie around her eyes to shield it from … Continue reading →
A kiss is a-coming in The Master’s Sun. Does a kiss make everything better? If the participants are So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin, then the answer would be “oh you betcha!” I actually think TMS is getting comparatively better, but all my initial opinions stand and my gripes are merely lessened somewhat as the story glides on a … Continue reading →
Who Are You is much like the ghosts that inhabit its world, you can see it but other aspects are ephemeral. The plot is thus far puttering on the fumes of a few sad emotional threads, namely Si On and Hyun Joon’s corporeal divide and now Gun Woo’s grief over the loss of a father figure and mentor. The true … Continue reading →
There is finally a weekend K-drama worth watching, and one that fully does justice to the meaty grist of the makjang genre. MBC‘s throwback Scandal: That Very Shocking and Immoral Incident is one drama that has exceeded all my expectations. Rather than rant about the insanity in I Summon You, Gold or wish for people to get divorced or commit … Continue reading →
More news about upcoming KBS drama Future’s Choice (Mi Rae’s Choice) and I’m liking what I’m hearing. I’m sure only folks familiar with the TVB oeuvre have ever watched the 1990 drama Cherished Moments with Leon Lai and Kathy Chow (it was a classic), but when I heard about Future’s Choice and the time-traveling heroine I immediately thought about that drama (which … Continue reading →
This drama is fantastic for exercising the tear ducts. It’s simple and straightforward enough not to require lots of mental gymnastics when watching, but satisfying in the emotional nuggets it buries in a relatively small-scale story. Episode 11 of Who Are You backed off a little from all that angst stemming from watching all the happy times in the past … Continue reading →