Korean-American Film Minari Scoops Up Multiple Oscar Nominations Including Best Picture, Best Actor for Steven Yeun and Best Supporting Actress for Youn Yeo Jung

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It’s awards season in the US and the mother of all film accolades the Oscars (Academy Awards) released its nominations today and one of the big hauls in nods went to Korean-American movie Minari. The movie has garnered universal praise with the only quibble whether it’s a US-language movie or a foreign film. It’s an Korean-American movie for sure, set … Continue reading →

Son Ye Jin, Youn Yeo Jung Among the First Actresses Released in the Korean Actor 200 List

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Here comes the first look at some of the ladies in the Korean Actor 200 list and hoo boy it’s a great cross-section of age, experience, and charisma. The actresses in the first batch of stills include living legend Youn Yeo Jung and Ssangmyundong cheetah Ra Min Ran and with these two I’m already swooning. Then comes the hit-making leading … Continue reading →

Kim Soo Hyun, Song Joong Ki Among Selection of Male Actors in First Release From the KOFIC Korean Actors 200 List

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The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) is assembling a list call the Korean Actors 200 (includes both actors and actresses) to represent the top acting talent from the industry with an express aim to raise further international recognition of the breadth and depth in the Korean film industry. A sneak peak of 9 of the male actors on the list complete … Continue reading →

Episode 8 of Vincenzo Uses the Homme Fatale to Hilarious Results as the Ratings Come in at 10.380%

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tvN Sat-Sun drama Vincenzo is settling into a slower burn after last week’s wild theatrics, which makes sense as it’s a 20-episode drama with a little less than 2/3 of the run to go. This week’s episodes felt like a breather between bigger set pieces, but what it delivered still contained all the great set up and pay offs the … Continue reading →

SBS Zombie Sageuk Joseon Exorcist Releases Movie Quality Character Posters and New Gory Action Preview

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I’m so looking forward to SBS sageuk Joseon Exorcist less for the zombie aspect but solely for the amazing cast and to find a good sageuk. I’m super sad my most anticipated River Where the Moon Rises didn’t have a strong script or directing and now further falls apart with the replacement of the male lead. I’m a tad worried … Continue reading →

tvN Thriller Drama Mouse Rises in Second Week Ratings to 6.202% as the Story and Characters Start to Coalesce in the Search for the New Serial Killer

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I found tvN Wed-Thurs drama Mouse a bit underwhelming last week, it didn’t grab me as the killings were exceedingly brutal but the characters unknown so it doesn’t emotionally connect. The first and second episodes also didn’t segue well, from the OG serial killer now behind bars to new investigations with some bumbling tone thrown in, I wasn’t quite feeling … Continue reading →

Vincenzo Episode 7 Has Ratings of 9.241% and Showcases More Outside-the-box Lawyering and Negotiations as Attention Turns Back to the Fate of Geumga Plaza

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This drama narrative moves so fast, nothing kept secret (for the sake of using it to tell the story) as the focus always remains on the problem that the secret pertains to. How to resolve it is the joy of watching Vincenzo think outside the box with his new right hand woman Cha Young meeting him beat for beat. He’s … Continue reading →

TVXQ’s Yunho in Scandal After Being Detained by Police Breaking COVID-19 Curfew at an Adult Drinking Establishment

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Hooboy, it’s always about the denials and deflections that come back to bite you. A sorta non-story last week was news that TVXQ‘s squeaky clean image Yunho was detained by police for breaking COVID-19 curfew (10 pm) at a restaurant. He posted an apology to his fans and everyone thought it was no biggie, Yunho was out with two friends … Continue reading →

Jung Il Woo Rocks the Unkempt Scoundrel Look in First Promos for MBN Sageuk Bossam: Stealing Fate with Yuri

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Hhhhmmmm, I didn’t know I was missing this in my drama watching life. Pretty boy Jung Il Woo doing the Bidam makeover and actually looking…..oh so smexy. I’m glad, he’s first big break was sageuk Return of Iljimae and perhaps his next return to the big leagues will be with this MBN drama Bossam: Stealing Fate. He plays a n’er-do-well … Continue reading →

jTBC Drama Sunbae, Please Don’t Put on That Lipstick with Ro Woon and Won Jin Ah Wraps as Uneventfully as its Entire Mellow Run

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This week my go-to Mon-Tues romance drama Sunbae, Please Don’t Put on that Lipstick (She Would Never Know) finished its run and I actually had to motivate myself to write a finishing post on it because the drama was soooooo lacking in any true conflict. Emotions briefly flare a few times here and there but it’s resolved in adult conversations … Continue reading →

K-netizens Come Up with Dream Sageuk Pairings that Will Break 10% Ratings and Milk the Tears

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The Ji Soo debacle in River Where the Moon Rises has rekindled the gripe K-netz has with younger actor/actress casting in sageuk, which is held to a much higher standard thanks to the record breaking ratings in the early Hallyu days for 50-episode epics that required fortitude and intense acting prowess to create. I thought Ji Soo’s acting in River … Continue reading →

K-drama Productions Add Contract Addendums and New Terms that Stipulate Penalties for Bad Publicity with Specific Call Out for Bullying Allegations

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I wish this was for the best interests of victims and changing societal behavior but it’s clearly motivated by financial interest. Regardless, at least it’s making agencies more deliberate and considerate when it comes to signing young new talent. K-drama productions are across the board adding contract addendums (to existing contracts signed) and new contract terms for future contracts that … Continue reading →

Sisyphus: The Myth Episode 8 Doles Out the Exposition But Still Doesn’t Provide Any Motive as Ratings Stay at 4.848%

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This is probably my last Sisphyus: The Myth post, it’s not interesting enough in either good or epically bad ways (anymore) to devote time to parse the happenings. The failure of this drama, as evidence by audience feedback and the dropped ratings, is across the board from awful script to lame directing to underwhelming acting. If the world ended because … Continue reading →