There’s news from the You From Another Star front unrelated to how Descendants of the Sun recently broke many of YFAS’s ratings records. It’s been two years since the monumentally popular drama and since then there have been murmurs of sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, none of which have happened. Last year the news cycle lit up with reports that the … Continue reading →
After releasing the list of current most popular K-dramas in China, polling site Vlinkage is back with the Top 30 list of most popular Korean male and female stars, respectively. Some are long time regulars on any Korean star popularity list while others are a surprise to me but adds diversity to this list. On the male side, the most … Continue reading →
The list is out for Forbes Korea magazine’s annual ranking of the 40 Most Powerful Celebrities, a ranking that takes into account a whole host of factors including buzz, name recognition, successful projects, number of CFs, and so forth. I hope to forestall useless arguing since just because you/he/she think your oppa or unni is the most popular person on … Continue reading →
What does one call the progeny of a goddess? A future god in the making probably. Korean A-list actress Jeon Ji Hyun continues to cap off her enviously perfect personal and professional life, this time giving birth to her first baby with her husband of four years. The couple welcomed a baby boy this week, which seems fast since it … Continue reading →
It’s a testament to to top Korean actress Jeon Ji Hyun‘s star appeal and selling power that many of her major endorsement deals continue to churn out new CF ads with her despite her pregnancy. Not that I have a problem with pregnant women, stars or not, being in CFs, but with Jeon Ji Hyun the ads have cleverly worked … Continue reading →
The top echelons of popularity when it comes to Hallyu stars feels like one of those elite clubs – hard to get in but once in it’s a breezy ride to stay on top. How else to explain the enduring popularity of the current set of It folks, the likes of which is starting to be a cut and paste … Continue reading →
The ranking of fan favorite Korea CF stars are out for 2015 as polled by the Korean Advertising Association, and the one-two spots from last year in 2014 remain unchanged. Come hell or high water, at this point Jeon Ji Hyun and Suzy are the champions of the domestic Korean CF world, not only ranking high in raking in the most money … Continue reading →
Every time there is a survey of some sort, it’s always entertaining to casually peruse which star has maintained top dog popularity and who may have dropped off a bit. This weekend Section TV did a poll for its 800 episode, asking 800 people to name the Top 8 Big Stars of South Korea. This one sounds like a pure … Continue reading →
The awards season seems to have expanded in scope, or else I simply never paid much attention to this particular award until now when my babies are being feted together. Hallyu stars Lee Jong Seok, Park Shin Hye, Jeon Ji Hyun, IU, and JYJ were all gathered at the National Theater of Korea this week to receive Korean Popular Culture … Continue reading →
I think it’s clear that pregnant women run the same gamut as their non-pregnant brethren, i.e. comes in all shapes and sizes. With that said, pregnant stars almost always skew towards the doesn’t look pregnant at all end of the spectrum, glowing with only teeny tiny baby bumps and no excess weight added anywhere else but the belly. Six-month pregnant … Continue reading →
At this point, the list of Korean actors popular in China is so consistent in the last two years, I’m actually waiting for one of the stalwarts to do something stupid and drop off the chart, or for another crazy breakout moment when a contender edges off a longtime fave. During the summer months of 2015, the Korean and Chinese … Continue reading →
As a drama viewer I would prefer to talk about the substance of the work, but the reality is that so much involving the production itself impacts the quality onscreen. If all the production budget goes to paying the two leads, where’s the money to spend on realistic set pieces and paying the rest of the cast to gamely do … Continue reading →
Kim Tae Hee is having a very good August 2015, that’s for sure. Her new drama Yongpal with Joo Won is a major hit (relatively speaking in this day and age of depressed television ratings), and now she’s garnered another crown by being voted by K-netizens as the number 1 celebrity beauty in Korea in 2015. One can argue that … Continue reading →
