Taecyeon Offered Male Lead Role Opposite Jung So Min in Sageuk Tale of the Secret Royal Inspector and Jo Yi Replacing Jo Byung Gyu After Bullying Scandal

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

The fallout of the February spate of bullying allegations continues albeit less fast and furious. Young actor Jo Byung Gyu was on the verge of total breakout after three consecutive hit dramas Stove League, Sky Castle, and The Uncanny Counter is not on ice. He was accused by former classmates of bullying, he has denied it, but it appears his … Continue reading →

Mouse Episode 6 Goes Back to Its Who is the Serial Killer Tricks Bringing in a New Ratings High of 6.672%

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

I’ve been watching tvN Wed-Thurs drama Mouse in a bubble, trying to assess and enjoy without stacking it against nearly identical serial killer jTBC drama Beyond Evil or analyzing outside of what I am seeing. But with episode 6 I went back to the production sheet, I write about so many dramas I don’t keep track of who is the … Continue reading →

K-netizens Share Side-by-Side Comparison of MBC, KBS, and SBS Dramas Color Grading Which Makes a Difference in Mood

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

This is such a cool find from K-netizens and once it’s been pointed out I retroactively see it and flash through my rolodex of past dramas. The prime time Big Three networks KBS, MBC, and SBS have been producing dramas for decades and each has an unique reputation among viewers for the genre, quality, and style of dramas it favors. … Continue reading →

Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi Confirmed for Romance K-drama That Year Us with Simultaneous Naver Webtoon

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

Woah, The Witch is morphing into awkward exes! Movie stars Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Shik are reuniting in the small screen later this year for the romance K-drama That Year Us produced by the company that did True Beauty. I’m super surprised to hear these two pick a romance drama since it doesn’t seem like their style but … Continue reading →

Lee Hee Joon Puts on a Tour de Force Performance in Episode 5 of Mouse as the Killer Escalates the Pain

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

Episode 5 of Mouse can probably be a standalone episode because it left me speechless. The tactics were frustrating to deliver the crescendo but the emotional impact really washed away all the nonsensical, coincidental, and absurd events that needed to deliver the gut punch. I can’t believe the Korean police would allow a live show with call in to catch … Continue reading →

Ahn Hyo Seob and Jo Boa in Talks for Webtoon Adapted Romance K-drama Office Blind Date

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

I don’t read Korean webtoons for the most part, though a few times a K-drama adaptation has led me to marathon the source material such as with Sweet Home. But it does feel like there are a bajillion webtoons since the entry barrier is so low so the quality must vary wildly. With so many to choose from, there appears … Continue reading →

Song Ji Hyo, Nam Ji Hyun, and Rookie Chae Jung Hyeop Start Filming Fantasy K-drama Welcome to Witch’s Restaurant

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

One good thing that came out of the brain hurty jTBC drama Sisyphus: The Myth was discovering a new talent. I was like Park Hyung Sik’s character in Heirs when he first meets female lead Cha Eun Sung and he swans over with a cheeky “Dugu, new face?!” I’m talking about Chinese restaurant boy Sun played by rookie actor Chae … Continue reading →

Na In Woo’s First Full Appearance in Episodes 9-10 of River Where the Moon Rises is Surprisingly Better than Ji Soo in Bringing More Mature Presence to the Role

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

Man, now I wish I never watched Queen Cheorin because seeing Na In Woo suck six-ways to Sunday in his second male lead role there really was the worst introduction to this actor that could have happened. I say this because when I first laid eyes on him there I was very pleased, he looks like a taller, new gen … Continue reading →

Netflix Drama Love Alarm 2 Premieres to Mixed Reactions from Loyal Fans of Season 1

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

I missed watching the first season of Love Alarm when it first premiered solely due to timing, and then later heard that a season 2 was coming so decided to marathon the two when it finished. Now I’m not sure why I’ll even start so I would love to hear reviews/reactions/thoughts from fellow drama fans. The general consensus after Love … Continue reading →

Former C-drama Costars Wu Qian and Zhang Yu Jian Confirm Marriage After She’s Spotted Out with a Toddler Girl

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

Well, at least this scandal has a happy ending so to speak, I’m still traumatized by Zheng Shuang abandoning two babies in the US after asking if surrogates can still abort. Chinese stars Wu Qian (Janice Wu) and Zhang Yu Jian, who costarred as the OTP in romance C-drama Le Coup de Foudre (Love at First Sight) in 2018, are … Continue reading →

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

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

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

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

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

A Koala's Playground Posted on by

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 →