It’s been a well-deserved but now much too long acting break for K-actress Lee Bo Young, going on maternity leave over a year ago after welcoming first daughter with husband K-actor Ji Sung. Last month she was reportedly considering her television return in early 2017 with the K-drama remake of Japanese drama Mother. It’s the story of an elementary school … Continue reading →
The bar is set high for upcoming KBS Mon-Tues drama Hwarang, not necessarily because the drama is touting itself high but due to the recent slew of successful hits. There’s sageuk predecessor Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, medical dramas Doctors and Romantic Teacher, Doctor Kim, and fantasy dramas Legend of the Blue Sea and Goblin. The drama is fully pre-produced and … Continue reading →
It’s nice seeing a Korean drama reporter critic write down exactly what I’m thinking (article), but of course it’s merely subjective so feel free to have a different opinion. The premiere of high profile tvN drama Goblin this past weekend allows a side-by-side assessment of it alongside the other high profile fantasy drama Legend of the Blue Sea on SBS. … Continue reading →
A phenomenon has been sweeping Japan and now the rest of Asia since the summer, one that is poised to set new records and break old ones. All of Japan has been enamored of anime movie Your Name since its premiere three months ago in late August 2016. In just three months the movie has become the highest grossing movie … Continue reading →
Christmas has really locked down the green and red and sometimes even seen one color makes me think of the season. Case in point the recently released ad campaign for a jewelry brand unveiling it’s holiday trinket offering. Actress-idol Suzy models the delicate rings and necklaces with shades of ornamental designs but without the heaviness. It’s been a relatively lackluster … Continue reading →
So what’s so good about Goblin? Oh, how about everything so far. Sure the drama has a long ways to go, hence a long trip in which to potentially falter, but the first two episodes have been sheer perfection for me and that’s high praise indeed with no other drama in recent memory being this good all around. I can … Continue reading →
I’m already so in love with Goblin it’s not funny, and definitely the recipe for heartbreak and tears down the road with how dark and beautifully moody the story construct is. The drama doesn’t have the hallmarks or feel of a Kim Eun Sook drama at all, even the quippy dialogue is kept to a minimum as the words are … Continue reading →
It’s two winning K-drama roles in a row for Ji Chang Wook, harder and harder to come these days when dramas feel more mass produced or a vehicle for PPL. I loved his character in Healer and felt like he made more than he was given in the recently finished The K2. I’m sure plenty of his fans also liked … Continue reading →
Pairing popularity celebrities with philanthropic or social causes is always a smart move, but a triple applause for combining that combo with adorable babies. Cosmopolitan Korea released a new black-and-white but oh so adorable pictorial of Korean stars cradling chubby babies in support of Letters From Angels, a Korean adoption campaign. Previous years have seen the same holidays season pictorials … Continue reading →
The first volley out of the gate is a resounding hit that has the legs to be a home run. The first episode of cable network tvN‘s Fri-Sat new drama Goblin garnered a 6.322% AGB nationwide ratings, breaking the record set on that network time slot by Answer Me 1988 with 6.14% AM1988 went on to become a national drama … Continue reading →
This actually doesn’t look bad, this new 2016 adaptation of Japanese manga Itazura na Kiss (It Started with a Kiss), but then again I have zilch expectations going in so that’s not a high bar to cross. Following on the heels of the success Taiwanese version It Started with a Kiss, and the recent success Japanese second version Itazura na … Continue reading →
I’m not a Lee Je Hoon fan but am loving this December holiday themed pictorial he did for L’Officiel Hommes Korea. When magazines fly stars overseas for location shoots but don’t fully take advantage of the shoot, I want to tell them to just do it in a studio but be visually creative and it’ll be more intriguing and save … Continue reading →
Slow and steady is the trajectory of SBS Wed-Thurs drama Legend of the Blue Sea, with both ratings and narrative pacing. Today’s episode 6 hit 18.9% AGB nationwide, a nice bump up from episode 5, and especially notable considering the competition remains mired in the low single digits of 5.5% for My Love Geum Bi and 4.6% for Weightlifting Fairy … Continue reading →
