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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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SBS Drama Alice Shuffles Off This Mortal Coil as Episode 16 Ends with Zero Narrative Logic or Emotional Resonance

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 25, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 24, 2020
Two people looking at each other on street.

Yeah, I freaking hate SBS drama Alice and definitely regret spending 16 episodes with it. The upside is learning to love male lead Joo Won, re-energizing my love for Kwak Si Yang, and meeting fresh face Lee Da In as a rising actress I was to see more of. Kim Hee Sun was passable but ended up saddled with annoying … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Alice, Joo Won, Kim Hee Sun, Kwak Si Yang, Lee Da In

Start-Up Episode 3 Sprints into Perfect Action in Emotional Beats and Character Development, With Much Humor and Hilarity

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 24, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 24, 2020
Group of people in modern office setting.

Episode 3 of Start-Up continues the pitch perfect narrative and strong directorial debut of the first two episodes last weekend, proving this drama knows how to tell a story and that it knows where its going. I love it even more for writing four strong leads, all different in personality and interacting in really meaningful ways. I thought I would … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kang Hana, Start-Up, Suzy

First Coolly Emotional Poster and Teaser of Namgong Min in tvN Thriller Drama Awaken

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 24, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 23, 2020
Profile of a man with dramatic background.

It’s like a jolt of awesome when I saw the first promos for upcoming tvN Mon-Tues drama Awaken (Korean title Night and Day). It’s like the production knows its top asset is male lead Namgong Min and is putting all the heavy lifting on him. The poster is pretty standard for a thriller, dark tonal visuals but Namgong Min’s eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Awaken, Namgong Min, Night and Day

Sageuk Moon Rising Over the River Confirms Cast of Kim So Hyun, Ji Soo, Lee Ji Hoon, and Choi Yu Hwa with Guest Appearance by Kang Ha Neul

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 24, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 23, 2020
Group of five young adults posing together.

This is going to be a large scale sageuk so it’s reassuring to have the main cast confirmed this year. The drama Moon Rising Over the River has settled on it’s main cast and one high profile special appearance. Ji Soo and Kim So Hyun will play the leads Princess Pyeonggang and the fool Ondal, with Lee Ji Hoon and … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Choi Yu Hwa, Ji Soo, Kang Ha Neul, Kim So Hyun, Lee Ji Hoon, Moon Rising Over the River

SBS Drama Alice Jumps a Billion Sharks in Episode 15 and Inadvertently Turns Itself into a Comedy of Pointlessness

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 23, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 23, 2020
Intense moment with characters in a dramatic scene.

I won’t regret watching SBS Fri-Sat drama Alice despite its horrific levels of insanity and shark jumping in the last few episodes but goodness is this going down in flames. This Friday’s episode 15 just had me laughing and making WTF faces the entire time even though tons of people died that I should care about. And I do, I … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Alice, Joo Won, Kim Hee Sun, Kwak Si Yang

2020 Asia Artist Awards Release Star Studded Attendees Including Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Jun Ki, Lee Jung Jae, Lee Sung Kyung, Seo Ye Ji and Many More

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 23, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 23, 2020
Nine portraits of diverse individuals.

I figured the awards circuit was going to be toast this fall season but the upcoming 2020 Asia Artist Awards held on November 25th will certainly be worth checking out. The awards body released the names of the expected actor and actress attendees and it’s star-studded for sure with successful veterans and up-and-comers. Attending will be Kim Soo Hyun, Lee … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards | Tagged Ahn Hyo Seob, Asia Artist Awards, Han So Hee, Kim Hye Yoon, Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Sun Ho, Lee Jae Wook, Lee Joon Hyuk, Lee Jun Ki, Lee Jung Jae, Lee Sung Kyung, Seo Ye Ji

Kyung Soo Jin in Talks for 2021 tvN K-drama Mouse With Lee Seung Gi, Park Joo Hyun, and Choi Jin Hyuk

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 23, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 23, 2020
Promotional poster for a sci-fi thriller series.

It’s wonderful how a great drama/performance can make it for me in terms of changing my opinion on an actor or actress. I’ve been meh on Kyung Soo Jin for so many years since she annoyed the shit out of me in Secret Love Affair but after Train she’s on my all good list. That makes this news a positive … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Lee Seung Gi, Mouse, Park Joo Hyun

Tale of Gumiho Drops Below 5% in Ratings for Episode 6 as the Mythology and Prior Life Entanglements are Slowly Doled Out

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 22, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 22, 2020
People in traditional attire interacting in various scenes.

Watching Tale of Gumiho really helps that I have such a long drama watching history to compare to, and it’s the comparison that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of this fantasy K-drama. Episode 6 ratings dropped below 5% for the first time to 4.926% and it’s fitting. This drama is suffering from the writing framing the way that Goblin really … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Jo Boa, Kim Bum, Lee Dong Wook, Tale of Gumiho

Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum in the Same Frame as Top Actors Drop First Promo for Sci-fi Movie Seo Bok

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 22, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 21, 2020
Two men in suits smiling at camera.

Thank you movie gods for this great treat to come. K-movie Seo Bok wrapped filming earlier this year and is gearing up for a release who knows when and how but oh boy am I still super excited. The male leads are Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum, the former playing a government agent and the latter the first cloned … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Tagged Gong Yoo, Park Bo Gum

Official Posters for SBS Drama Penthouse Makes Wealth Social Climbing Seem Like a Horror Movie

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 22, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 21, 2020
Woman in elegant bronze outfit seated confidently.

The promos for upcoming SBS melodrama Penthouse is getting attention for being how horrid everything looks. I mean, that Penthouse and the people living in it or aspiring to live in it all look like horror movie denizens. Straight out of American Horror Story gothic and Shin Eun Kyung is doing a bang up job of always having crazy eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Bong Tae Gyu, Eom Ki, Eugene, Kim So Yeon, Lee Ji Ah, Penthouse, Shin Eun Kyung

Tale of Gumiho Drops to 5.100% Rating in Episode 5 as Sympathy Grows for Little Bro Lee Rang and Sheds More Light on the OTP Backstory

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 21, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 21, 2020
Romantic scenes with couple in traditional attire.

I could see tvN Wed-Thurs drama Tale of Gumiho (Tale of the Nine-Tailed) crumbling under the weight of its own mythology building, not yet in episode 5 but the weak spots are there. I still enjoy the drama and episode 5 took Lee Yeon and Ji Ah major steps closer but I still don’t connect with their modern romance. Conversely … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Jo Boa, Kim Bum, Lee Dong Wook, Tale of Gumiho

jTBC Releases Script Reading Stills of Run On With Im Shi Wan, Shin Se Kyung, Sooyoung, and Kang Tae Oh

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 21, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 21, 2020
Group of four young adults in a studio.

Oh gosh this drama has so much potential, I do hope the twice now filming shut downs due to COVID-19 didn’t impact the production chemistry. jTBC has released script reading stills from earlier in the summer showing the cast of upcoming K-drama Run On sitting down for the table read. Starring Im Shi Wan, Shin Se Kyung, Kang Tae Oh, … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Im Shi Wan, Kang Tae Oh, Run On, Shin Se Kyung, Sooyoung

Park So Dam Trades Her Everygirl Look in Record of Youth for Edgy Couture in New W Korea November 2020 Pictorial

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 21, 2020 by ockoalaOctober 21, 2020
Elegant woman in a white dress at event.

I think there could be some genuinely insightful analysis for Record of Youth, the good, the bad, and mostly just the feeling of something missing or not quite fitting right. That really fits how I felt about Park So Dam in the drama, both her character and performance. But as the drama has progressed it’s really coalesced until I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Park So Dam

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Recent Posts

  • Veil of Shadows Ends Run with Low 5.2 Douban Ratings Continuing Director Guo Jing Ming’s String of Visual Over Substance Dramas
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  • Park Eun Bin and Kim Jae Won Cast in Sageuk Romance K-drama The Wicked Queen




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  • Leia on Veil of Shadows Ends Run with Low 5.2 Douban Ratings Continuing Director Guo Jing Ming’s String of Visual Over Substance Dramas
  • Gennita on Zhao Lu Si Reportedly Chooses Modern Romance C-drama As Beautiful as You Want as Her Comeback from Hiatus Project with Filming Slated for Summer 2026 Start
  • Ceiling on Period Politics and Romance C-drama Spring of the Blade with Xu Kai and Zhou Ye Faces Netizen Criticism on Billing Order, Male Lead Scenes, and Characterization
  • Ceiling on Xianxia C-drama Fate Chooses You with Allen Ren and Wang He Run Air Drops on iQiyi
  • Rei on Zhao Lu Si Reportedly Chooses Modern Romance C-drama As Beautiful as You Want as Her Comeback from Hiatus Project with Filming Slated for Summer 2026 Start
  • Lilith on Xiao Zhan Begins Filming Big Budget Fantasy Action Thriller K-drama The Infinite 10 Days
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