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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk Go Back to the 90’s in First Look Video at Coming of Age Romance Drama Twenty Five Twenty One

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 30, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 30, 2021
Two young adults interacting in a library.

Seeing the making of video with so many BTS moments released by tvN as the first look at February 2022 drama Twenty Five Twenty One, I get a Memento moment with female lead Kim Tae Ri. She’s so bright, bubby, radiating optimism as required by her character a fencing prodigy, it feels like her acting career is going backwards in … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged KIm Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk, Twenty Five Twenty One

Namgoong Min Takes Home the Daesang at the 2021 MBC Drama Awards for The Veil and the Cast of The Red Sleeve Cuff Wins Big Across Multiple Categories

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 30, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 30, 2021
Man in tuxedo holding an award trophy.

The first of the three network drama awards was the 2021 MBC Drama Awards which was less about the depth and breadth of offerings (slim pickings this year) but about the veteran versus the youngster for Daesang. It was a genuine competition with two very compelling acting performances that were nevertheless a comparison of a great orange with a great … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Cha Seo Won, Jang Hye Jin, Jung Moon Sung, Junho, Kang Hoom, Kim Do Hyun, Kim Hwan Hee, Kim Ji Eun, Lee Deok Hwa, Lee Sang Yeob, Lee Se Young, Namgoong Min, Park Ha Sun, Uhm Hyun Kyung

Five Actors Make the Sports Donga List of Top 10 Korean Contents Worldwide Leaders in 2021 Including Lee Jung Jae, Youn Yeo Jung, Song Joong Ki, Shin Mina, and Ro Woon

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 30, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 29, 2021
Collage of Korean celebrities and groups.

Hahaha, four out of five that make sense isn’t so bad a batting average for this outing. Korean newspapers Sports Donga released an article listing the 2021 Top 10 Worldwide Korea Content Leaders, basically the ten people/groups in Korean entertainment that wowed the broader global audience. Of course BTS is on there lol, those boys remain singlehandedly generating their own … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Ro Woon

Gong Yoo and Kim Tae Ri Offered Leads in Jirisan, Kingdom, and Signal Screenwriter Kim Eun Hee’s Next Drama The Devil

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 29, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 30, 2021
Portraits of two smiling individuals.

I would say screenwriter Kim Eun Hee played a meaningful part in why tvN big budget big name cast K-drama Jirisan was a relative failure in bringing in the ratings. There was wonky directing in the beginning but it settled down reportedly, and leads Jeon Ji Hyun and Joo Ji Hoon while not getting lauded as deserving awards for their … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Evil, Gong Yoo, KIm Tae Ri, The Devil

Seoul Court Denies Injunction Request in Lawsuit Filed by Korean Civic Rights Group to Stop jTBC From Airing Snowdrop

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 29, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 29, 2021
Couple in dimly lit room sharing a moment.

I think jTBC did not set out to give a different take on the late 1980’s student democracy protests and the actions of the military government in cracking down but it ended up shooting itself in the foot regardless with Snowdrop. By combining that real life era and events with a made up North Korean spy in South Korea fiction, … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Jisoo, Jung Hae In, Snowdrop

Dr. Who Fans Complain that Netflix K-drama The Silent Sea is a Ripoff of the 2009 Episode The Waters of Mars

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 29, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 28, 2021
Astronauts conversing in a futuristic spacecraft.

The recently premiered Netflix sci-fi drama The Silent Sea was did not get as much positive reception from the critics as the prior few Netflix premiered dramas did and the viewership also is not as high. But the viewers who did watch appear to like it as the general audience commentary has been positive, with the general view that the … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Bae Doo Na, Gong Yoo, The Silent Sea

Powerhouse Soop Entertainment Releases Adorably Hilarious Doodles by Choi Woo Shik of His Fellow Agency Colleagues Including Gong Yoo, Seo Hyun Jin, Suzy, and More

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 28, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 28, 2021
Artistic collage of a person and drawing.

In the currently airing SBS drama Our Beloved Summer, male lead Choi Woo Shik‘s character is a successful adult artist after being an academic loser in high school. He belongs to Soop Entertainment agency and this week he’s the pen behind a series of colleague doodle sketches of their face. The most LOLWUT has to be top star Gong Yoo … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Choi Woo Shik, Gong Yoo, Jung Yumi, Kim Jae Wook, Nam Joo Hyuk, Seo Hyun Jin, Suzy

Lee Je Hoon Gets His Dream Casting Wish Pairing Up with Koo Kyo Hwan for Action K-movie Escape

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 28, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 29, 2021
Two men in black and white portraits.

One of the cutest love calls in recent memory for K-actor Lee Je Hoon at the Blue Dragon Film Awards sending his dream casting wishes to the current It Actor Koo Kyo Hwan. There was finger hearts and it made everyone watching so excited to see if these two can work together. It’s now come true as a Christmas wish … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Tagged Escape, Koo Kyo Hwan, Lee Je Hoon

K-ent Lists the 5 Breakout Male Drama Actors of 2021 as Na In Woo, Lee Do Hyun, Song Kang, Kim Young Dae, and Lee Jun Young

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 28, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 28, 2021
Four men at an award ceremony event.

Okay, these guys are busy bees this year and most on the list did at least two K-dramas this year and some even more than that (Song Kang, imma looking at you). With the year coming to a close, there is a promising new crop of breakout male drama actors who are expected to rake in more casting offers to … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kim Young Dae, Lee Do Hyun, Lee Jun Young, Na In Woo, Song Kang

Lee Joon Makes First Appearance in Episode 4 of Bulgasal and K-netizens are Swooning Over His Cool Evil Character

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 27, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 27, 2021
Dramatic scenes featuring stressed characters in danger.

I remember watching Interview with a Vampire and being way more entranced with the evil Lestat than the emo with human regret Louis. When one is the undead it’s more fun to just embrace it, at least cinematically. The tvN weekend drama Bulgasal deals with main character(s) who are immortal and must deal with the consequences of their inability to … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Bulgasal, Lee Joon

Kim So Yeon, Song Hye Kyo, Lee Je Hoon, and Honey Lee are the Daesang Nominees for the 2021 SBS Year End Drama Awards

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 27, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 27, 2021
Smiling woman holding a hairdryer in salon.

Well this is going to be a tight two lady race for the winner and it’s trending nearly evenly split among the K-netizens commentary. SBS released the four nominees for this year’s SBS Drama Award Daesang and it’s Kim So Yeon in Penthouse, Song Hye Kyo for Now, We are Breaking Up, Taxi Driver himself Lee Je Hoon, and Honey … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Honey Lee, Kim So Yeon, Lee Je Hoon, Song Hye Kyo

The Hosts of the 2021 KBS Drama Awards with Kim So Hyun, Lee Do Hyun, and Sung Si Kyung More Interesting as Daesang Winner Likely a Veteran From Hit Weekend Family Dramas Revolutionary Sisters or Gentleman and Young Lady

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 27, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 26, 2021
Three individuals posing for the camera.

I would love to see a talented grown up child actress like Kim So Hyun or Park Eun Bin win a year end drama Daesang but alas it’s likely not their time (yet). The KBS 2021 Year End Drama Awards are being postulated to be the least competitive and interesting among the Big Three networks due to having zero major … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kim So Hyun, Lee Do Hyun

tvN Sat-Sun Fantasy Drama Bulgasal with Lee Jin Wook and Kwon Nara Takes a One Way Ratings Fall from 6% to 4% Range 4-episodes In

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 26, 2021 by ockoalaDecember 27, 2021
Dramatic scenes featuring emotional characters and tension.

The hullabaloo around jTBC Sat-Sun drama Snowdrop and its highly controversial premiere last weekend overshadowed the same time arrival of new tvN Sat-Sun drama Bulgasal (Immortal Souls). Starring Lee Jin Woo, Kwon Nara, Lee Joon, and Gong Seung Yeon, I wasn’t personally interested but it was occupying what has been tvN’s prime airing slot taking over for Jirisan. It actually … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Bulgasal, Gong Seung Yeon, Kwon Nara, Lee Jin Wook, Lee Joon

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K-dramas: When the Phone Rings

Recent Posts

  • Chae Soo Bin and Kim Young Kwang Kick Off Filming for Rom-com K-drama Take Care of My Heart
  • Kim Hye Yoon and Park Solomon Embark on Their Own Nine-Tailed Fox and Human Rom-Com in SBS K-drama Human From Today
  • Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre
  • iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Tiffany of Girl’s Generation and Actor Byun Yo Han Confirm Dating with an Eye Towards Marriage
  • tvN Kicks off Promos for January 2026 Workplace K-drama Undercover Miss Hong with Park Shin Hye and Go Kyung Pyo
  • Modern Sci-Fi Romance C-drama Love on the Turquoise Land with Dilraba Dilmurat and Chen Xing Xu Wrap Uneventful Run and Nets a Relatively Low 6.2 Douban Ratings
  • Production of The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage Makes Dylan Wang and Meng Zi Yi Joint Top Billing as Filming Slated for Q1 of 2026
  • First Poster for iQiyi Modern Romance C-drama My Queen, My Rules with Ao Rui Peng and Shen Yu Jie Gives off Sleek Sexy Vibes
  • TW-tabloids Go Wild with News that F4 is Reuniting at Concert this December in Shanghai But Without Member Ken Chu and Adding Top TW-singers Jay Chou and Ashin of Mayday as Special Guests




Latest Comments

  • Sirey on Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre
  • Somebody on Top J-pop Star Ayumi Hamasaki’s Shanghai Concert Abruptly Cancelled Last Minute as China-Japan Political Spat Worsens
  • Kristina on Kim Hye Yoon and Park Solomon Embark on Their Own Nine-Tailed Fox and Human Rom-Com in SBS K-drama Human From Today
  • Mandy on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Somebody on Top J-pop Star Ayumi Hamasaki’s Shanghai Concert Abruptly Cancelled Last Minute as China-Japan Political Spat Worsens
  • Somebody on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Somebody on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Somebody on Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre
  • HL on Modern Sci-Fi Romance C-drama Love on the Turquoise Land with Dilraba Dilmurat and Chen Xing Xu Wrap Uneventful Run and Nets a Relatively Low 6.2 Douban Ratings
  • HL on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • HL on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • HL on Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre

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