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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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Kim Sun Ho is a Dynamic Palette in December 2020 Esquire Korea Pictorial

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 26, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 25, 2020
Person drawing on their face with pencil.

Viewers of tvN Sat-Sun drama Start-Up naturally love Kim Sun Ho and his character. There is nothing not to love, he’s flawed and prickly and whip smart and deeply emotional from a lifetime of telling himself that he’s not emotional. It’s a great character and Kim Sun Ho is doing it beyond justice, so I really really hate the love … Continue reading →

Posted in My Loves | Tagged Kim Sun Ho

The Cast of tvN Mon-Tues Procedural Thriller Drama Awaken Hold Press Conference Ahead of November 30th Premiere

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 26, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 24, 2020
Man in a tuxedo at a red carpet event.

Cable network tvN pulled a switch up this month, airing Birthcare Center in the Mon-Tues slot after Record of Youth but it was only an 8-episode drama. My mental scheduling was thrown off track but it’s back on my radar now that the cast held the press conference for the next drama Awaken (Night and Day). Starring Namgong Min, Seolhyun, … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Awaken, Lee Chung Ah, Namgong Min, Night and Day, Seolhyun, Yoon Sun Woo

jTBC Releases Stirring Romantic Teaser Poster for K-drama Sunbae Please Don’t Put on that Lipstick

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 26, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 25, 2020
Couple kissing on a city street at dusk.

When I saw the teaser poster for upcoming jTBC drama adaptation of manhwa Sunbae Please Don’t Put on that Lipstick, it makes sense because the male lead’s entreaty is due to him kissing her senseless and rubbing all that lipstick off so why bother. Joking aside, the drama has the two leads working for a large cosmetics company so maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Ro Woon, Sunbae Please Don't Put on That Lipstick, Won Jin Ah

Mnet Announces Return of Song Joong Ki as the Host of MAMA 2020 Scheduled for December 6th Live Show in South Korea

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 25, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 25, 2020
Man in dark shirt sitting on stage.

I’m all for shows to go on as long as it can be done safely, and this year South Korea has managed a dash more normalcy with adjusted events than other countries. The biggest music event of the year is always the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) which has been held overseas or in multiple venues on different days in … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Song Joong Ki

Kim So Hyun Considers Signing with New Agency Culture Depot Which Represents Jeon Ji Hyun and Seo Ji Hye Among Others

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 25, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 25, 2020
Young woman seated in white outfit.

With 2020 closing what has been a remarkably topsy turvy year, it’ll be nice is 2021 gets the world back to normalcy and a fresh start. K-actress Kim So Hyun is looking for a fresh start, her contract with current agency E&T Story Entertainment is coming to an end and K-ent reports that she is in talks to sign with … Continue reading →

Posted in My Loves | Tagged Kim So Hyun

SBS Mon-Tues Drama Penthouse Hits New Ratings High of 16% in Episode 9

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 25, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 24, 2020
Modern melodrama cast in tense luxurious settings

The makjang rich-versus-poor formula hits another jackpot and this time for one of the Big Three networks on prime time. SBS Mon-Tues drama Penthouse (Penthouse: War on Life) premiered with 6.7% ratings and this most recent episode 9 followed a steady episode increase to reach 16%. There hasn’t been much for the mainstream channels to smile about this year in … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Penthouse

Won Jin Ah and Ro Woon Lead the Script Reading for jTBC Romance Drama Sunbae Please Don’t Put on That Lipstick

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 24, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 23, 2020
Actors posing and working together at event.

One of the first K-dramas to arrive in 2021 will be jTBC romance drama Sunbae Please Don’t Put on that Lipstick, taking over the Mon-Tues timeslot from high school broadcasting drama Live On. I’m still majorly enjoying the last bits of the 2020 dramas so haven’t been too focused on next year, but Sunbae is one of those dramas that … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Ro Woon, Sunbae Please Don't Put on That Lipstick

Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun are Opposites Attract(?) in New Posters for tvN Drama Queen Cheorin

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 24, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 23, 2020
Playful queen and king sharing royal meal

I liked the premise of C-drama Go Princess Go better than the execution, because goodness was it so low rent it was basically rent-a-costume with whatever haphazard acting could be summoned up for the plot. But the “what if” was so fun to ponder – a modern day playboy male transported in soul back to the past into the body … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kim Jung Hyun, Mr. Queen, Queen Cheorin, Shin Hye Sun

Multiple K-dramas Halt Production Due to COVID-19 Spike in South Korea Including Moon Rising Over the River, Joseon Exorcist, and Sisyphus: The Myth

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 23, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 23, 2020
Five individuals posing in a stylish collage.

While COVID-19 has been in the news for a full year now there are ebbs and peaks depending on so-called spikes which seems to be like Groundhog’s Day. It feels like things are getting better and then it gets worse again and on and on the cycle goes. We’re in a bad cycle again, in the US for sure, but … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Joseon Exorcist, Moon Rising Over the River, Sisyphus: The Myth

MBC Preempts Kairos Again this Monday Due to Baseball and Will Air Two Episodes 7-8 on Tuesday

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 23, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 23, 2020
Dramatic scenes from a suspenseful television series.

I want to put MBC in the corner because they keep screwing the excellent Mon-Tues drama Kairos and thereby screwing themselves for ever trying to regain viewers. The network is preempting the show AGAIN this Monday, due to a baseball game, but will air two episodes tomorrow 7-8 rather than just one episode like they did the last two weeks. … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kairos

Poster, Teaser, and New Stills for Secret Royal Inspector with L, Kwon Nara, and Lee Yi Kyung

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 23, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 22, 2020
Three characters peering from behind straw.

I’m not holding high high hopes for upcoming KBS sageuk Secret Royal Inspector as it seems to be taking a more light and hokey approach than I would have preferred but low expectations means this drama need only be pleasantly non-sucky and it would be a win. I do like the first drama poster, definitely different from the usual pose … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kwon Nara, L, Lee Tae Hwan, Lee Yi Kyung, Secret Royal Inspector

Things Come to a Head in Episode 12 of Start-Up and a Reset Raises the Stakes for the Remaining 4 Episodes

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 22, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 22, 2020
Dramatic moments from a Korean TV series.

Oh my what an excellent episode 12 for Start-Up, dropping what felt like an exclamation mark but then telling us there is much more ahead. Four more episodes left and I think it’s just the right amount for the story head, a lot of hard lessons where learned by EVERYONE in this episode but then each person made the right … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Start-Up

Jung Eun Chae in Lovely Fall 2020 Pictorial and Reunites with Lee Min Ho in Upcoming K-drama Adaptation of Novel Pachinko

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 22, 2020 by ockoalaNovember 21, 2020
Young woman lying among red apples.

Everything about The King: Eternal Monarch felt like a twilight zone version of a Kim Eun Sook penned drama, like everything was off kilter and none in a good way. One sad aspect was the total wasted use of second female lead Jung Eun Chae, normally all KES dramas propel the second female lead to stardom but this one took … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Jung Eun Chae

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Recent Posts

  • C-actress Wang Chu Ran Lands Big Budget Female Lead Centric Hunan TV Period C-drama General Chang Ning Set for 2027
  • Cast Confirmed for Royal Revenge Drama Sister, I am the Queen in This Life with Kim Tae Ri, Ha Yoon Kyung, Jo Han Gyeol, and Moo Jin Sung
  • Meng Zi Yi Reportedly Selects Republic Era Revenge Drama Jing Gui as Next Project and Male Lead Rumored to be Cheng Lei
  • CCTV and iQiyi Medical Drama Small Town Remedy with Xiao Zhan is the Most Well Received C-drama of October 2026
  • Where the Mask Ends Completes Airing with 19th Consecutive Days of Over 10,000 Heat Index on Youku Surpassing 18 Day Record Set By Legend of Zang Hai and The Immortal Ascension
  • Agent Kim Reactivated Chosen by K-ent Industry Insiders as Best Drama of 2026 Followed by Teach You a Lesson and We Are All Trying Here
  • Vertical Mini C-drama Male Lead Dai Gao Zheng Breaks Out with Mainstream Hit C-drama Where the Mask Ends as the Oft Beaten Beefcake Antagonist
  • K-ent Industry Insiders Vote on Worst K-drama of 2026 and Royal Romance Drama Perfect Crown with IU and Byun Woo Seok Leading the Ignominious List
  • Republic Era War and Romance C-drama The Lament of Autumn with Cheng Lei and Xu Ruo Han Peters Out From Hot Start and Frustrates Viewers with Ending
  • Reunion of Blossom Leads Li Yun Rui and Meng Zi Yi in C-drama Tigers Sniff the Rose is Heading Towards Flop Territory Midway Through Airing




Latest Comments

  • Yuhyi on K-ent Industry Insiders Vote on Worst K-drama of 2026 and Royal Romance Drama Perfect Crown with IU and Byun Woo Seok Leading the Ignominious List
  • Yuhyi on K-ent Industry Insiders Vote on Worst K-drama of 2026 and Royal Romance Drama Perfect Crown with IU and Byun Woo Seok Leading the Ignominious List
  • Bluey on C-actress Wang Chu Ran Lands Big Budget Female Lead Centric Hunan TV Period C-drama General Chang Ning Set for 2027
  • Elena Gallagher on Youku Modern Romance C-drama The Early Spring with Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian Becomes Unexpected Summer Hit and Notches a Respectable 6.7 Douban Ratings
  • lev on C-actress Wang Chu Ran Lands Big Budget Female Lead Centric Hunan TV Period C-drama General Chang Ning Set for 2027
  • Ehhhh on C-actress Wang Chu Ran Lands Big Budget Female Lead Centric Hunan TV Period C-drama General Chang Ning Set for 2027
  • Raya on C-actress Wang Chu Ran Lands Big Budget Female Lead Centric Hunan TV Period C-drama General Chang Ning Set for 2027
  • K on Where the Mask Ends Completes Airing with 19th Consecutive Days of Over 10,000 Heat Index on Youku Surpassing 18 Day Record Set By Legend of Zang Hai and The Immortal Ascension
  • arlene on Meng Zi Yi Reportedly Selects Republic Era Revenge Drama Jing Gui as Next Project and Male Lead Rumored to be Cheng Lei
  • Jeannie on CCTV and iQiyi Medical Drama Small Town Remedy with Xiao Zhan is the Most Well Received C-drama of October 2026
  • Jeannie on Cast Confirmed for Royal Revenge Drama Sister, I am the Queen in This Life with Kim Tae Ri, Ha Yoon Kyung, Jo Han Gyeol, and Moo Jin Sung
  • Rina on Cast Confirmed for Royal Revenge Drama Sister, I am the Queen in This Life with Kim Tae Ri, Ha Yoon Kyung, Jo Han Gyeol, and Moo Jin Sung

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