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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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Sliding Scale of When Lead Onscreen Chemistry Saves or Sinks Preposterously Plotted K-dramas

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 26, 2020 by ockoalaApril 26, 2020
K-drama scenes with romance and royalty themes.

Four episodes into watching K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch and it’s a steady stream of “buh” and “huh” and “snooze…..” The story may be disjointed but there have been way worse written K-dramas that have worked better thanks to the onscreen romantic chemistry of the leads – not talking about acting ability, just whether the two leads make the viewer … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Arthdal Chronicles, Big, Blademan, Boys Before Flowers, Crash Landing on You, Descendants of the Sun, Dream High, Full House, Goblin, Goong, Heirs, Hotel Del Luna, Legend of the Blue Sea, Lie to Me, Melting Me Softly, Memories of Alhambra, Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food, Secret Garden, The King 2 Hearts, The King: Eternal Monarch, The Moon that Embraces the Sun, Uncontrollably Fond, Vagabond, Why Secretary Kim, You From Another Star

New Stills From MBC Drama Shall We Have Dinner Together with Song Seung Heon and Seo Ji Hye

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 26, 2020 by ockoalaApril 25, 2020
Couple toasting drinks at a romantic dinner.

April 2020 has totally sped by and thank goodness because I was losing track of days, work day and weekends were interchangeable and I haven’t been to a restaurant in nearly two months. That makes upcoming MBC drama Shall We Have Dinner Together rather poignant, the idea that romance blossoms from a chance sharing of a table at a popular … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Seo Ji Hye, Shall We Have Dinner Together, Song Seung Heon

Episode 4 of The King: Eternal Monarch Stays in Single Digit Ratings of 8.5% and 9.7% as Lee Min Ho Travels Freely Between Worlds

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 25, 2020 by ockoalaApril 25, 2020
Couple sharing an intimate moment in nature.

I’ve never hidden my affection for Kim Eun Sook‘s highly polarizing attempt at a Boys Before Flowers high school knock off with Heirs. It’s way more re-watchable than BOF even if male lead Lee Min Ho was at his best in his first star making drama. I love more Kim Eun Sook dramas than dislike if I’m keeping track and … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kim Go Eun, Lee Min Ho, The King: Eternal Monarch

K-actor Kim Jung Hoon Dropped by New Agency a Year After Relationship Scandal with Ex-girlfriend

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 25, 2020 by ockoalaApril 24, 2020
Person in blue shirt against graffiti backdrop.

K-actor Kim Jung Hoon‘s career has been one of the weirder ones in the annals of K-drama prominent performances. He was super duper popular after Goong (Princess Hours) as the second male lead and I confess to liking him better than male lead Joo Ji Hoon who just seemed stiff and emotionally stunted. And yet Kim Jung Hoon’s career never … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Kim Jung Hoon

Ahn Hyo Seob in Talks for Leading Man of Sageuk Romance Hong Chun Gi From the Writer of The Moon Embraces the Sun and Sungkyunkwan Scandal

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 25, 2020 by ockoalaApril 24, 2020
Smiling person in a pink suit.

There is finally movement on the long discussed K-drama adaptation of romance historical fiction novel Hong Chun Gi. The novel is from the same writer of Sungkyunkwan Scandal and The Moon Embraces the Sun so clearly there is high interest and excitement for potentially another hit in the works. The novel is on a world class beauty Hong Chun Gi … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Ahn Hyo Seob, Hong Chun Gi

The King: Eternal Monarch Drops in Episode 3 Ratings to Single Digits and Feels Like a Faded Facsimile of a Kim Eun Sook Drama

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 24, 2020 by ockoalaApril 24, 2020
People dining and conversing at a restaurant.

Oh boy, this is not looking promising. Episode 3 of SBS Fri-Sat fantasy epic big-budget big name cast K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch arrived like a tree falling in the forest with no one around. Was that a thud or no sound, I don’t know because it was sooooooo boring. At least the first two episodes had interesting things happen … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged The King: Eternal Monarch

CNN Indonesia Runs Incorrect Story About Kim Jong Un Near Death with Picture of Hyun Bin’s Fictional North Korean Officer in Crash Landing on You

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 24, 2020 by ockoalaApril 25, 2020
News segment featuring Kim Jong Un and military officer.

OMG, finally something just so totally funny without anyone getting hurt. This week there was a story that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was in critical condition after surgery which was later debunked. When it was still breaking CNN Indonesia jumped on it and during the television reporting broadcast a picture of South Korean actor Hyun Bin playing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Hyun Bin

Hospital Playlist Hits 12.077% and Breaks the Ratings of Predecessor Prison Playbook

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 24, 2020 by ockoalaApril 24, 2020
Group of doctors walking in hospital corridor.

Cable network has another successful drama airing right now but getting overshadowed by the successful crazeballs The World of the Married over on jTBC. Thurs night medical drama Hospital Playlist (Wise Doctor Life) got a high 12.077% ratings this week, which vaults it over the predecessor drama Prison Playbook (Wise Prison Life) which hit 11.195% as its highest rating ever … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Hospital Playlist, Wise Doctor Life

Show Luo Apologizes as Netizens Impressed with His Stamina and Time Management After Grace Chow’s Cheating Reveal

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 23, 2020 by ockoalaApril 23, 2020
Split selfie showing playful duck faces

I don’t think mega TW-singer/actor Show Luo will have any ramifications from this cheating on his long time now ex-girlfriend Grace Chow scandal. Ultimately he just cheated on her literally every day and in multitude of ways but it’s not a crime and for some reason no one in TW-ent seems surprised. Guess his reputation was fairly trashy behind the … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Cheating, Grace Chow, Scandal, Show Luo

Han So Hee Rockets to Stardom as the Mistress in The World of the Married and Garners Comparison to Top Actress Song Hye Kyo

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 23, 2020 by ockoalaApril 23, 2020
Two women with wavy hair, one holding strawberry.

I’m not a fan of super fast stardom rises because it’s harder to sustain the momentum. Only time will tell if rising K-drama actress Han So Hee will build upon the attention she’s garnering as the mistress character in hit jTBC makjang drama The World of the Married. I remember her foremost as the Crown Princess in 100 Days My … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Han So Hee

K-netizens Upset at The King: Eternal Monarch Using Japanese Temple and Design for Royal Architecture

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 23, 2020 by ockoalaApril 23, 2020
Romantic montage with horse and city embrace

I thought the only visual incongruity in just premiered SBS drama The King: Eternal Monarch was that cool as beans white steed Maximus, who struts like the graceful kingly ride he is, was a dwarf horse when shown in the younger King scenes racing like a stubby cutie around the track. Eagle-eyed K-netizens glommed onto another issue and it’s one … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Kim Go Eun, Lee Min Ho, The King: Eternal Monarch

Show Luo’s Web Famous Girlfriend Grace Chow Pens Scathing Breakup Screed Accusing Him of Cheating for the Entirety of 9 Year Relationship

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 22, 2020 by ockoalaApril 23, 2020
Split selfie showing playful duck faces

Okay, this is so so so much “pass me the popcorn” level trainwreck celeb breakup dirty laundry being aired. You can say April 23, 2020 will NOT be singer-actor Show Luo‘s favorite day ever in history as his long time and now ex-girlfriend Grace Chow has eloquently dragged his alleged cheating ass through the public ringer. If it’s all true … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Cheating, Grace Chow, Scandal, Show Luo

Kim Tae Hee Makes Triumphant Drama Return with Heartfelt tvN Drama Hi Bye, Mama!

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 22, 2020 by ockoalaApril 22, 2020
Woman smiling with child on her lap.

Two months just flew by and the mama has said her final farewell this past weekend to viewers. tvN weekend drama Hi Bye, Mama! finished with an average ratings of 5.473% which is solid plus for a cable drama, Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food had average ratings on jTBC of 5.468% for comparison. What’s more impressive is the across … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Hi Bye Mama!, Kim Tae Hee

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  • HL on Top C-drama Actors Jing Bo Ran, Zhang Ling He, Song Wei Long, and Bai Jing Ting Showcase Fun and Fab Male Couture Fashion at W Magazine Event
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  • avarachika on Meng Zi Yi Reportedly Selects Republic Era Revenge Drama Jing Gui as Next Project and Male Lead Rumored to be Cheng Lei
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  • 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
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