The only dark thriller type drama I watched the entirety of last year was OCN‘s fantasy procedural Black. That was spurred by curiosity over whether Song Seung Heon improved and could hack it (he did!) but I stayed for the interesting and cool story mapped out by the screenwriter who also wrote God’s Gift: 14 Days. Interest in the leads … Continue reading →
After Black I’m now conditionally on the OCN drama train, and I condition it on whether the drama casts actors and actresses I like. Otherwise OCN’s genre specific thriller dramas are not the easiest watch, often times the subject matter is darker than dark when one seeks K-drama watching as escapism entertainment. With that said, I’m onboard for OCN’s early … Continue reading →
I love the casting and really hate the appropriated drama title, growls to the conflicted first reaction. Cable network OCN continued to peddle in thrillers and procedural fare nicely, with currently airing grim reaper in the body of a detective drama Black with Song Seung Heon and Go Ara doing well in ratings and getting positive audience reviews. OCN is … Continue reading →
Ladies ruled the red carpet, with a surprising easy on the eyes green movie poster background, at the VIP premiere of K-movie A Taxi Driver. This movie pairs veteran Song Kang Ho with German actor Thomas Kretschmann for a real life depiction of a taxi driver assisting a German reporter in covering the Gwangju uprising of 1980. The star attendees at … Continue reading →
There weren’t many Korean stars on the red carpet on opening night of the Cannes Film Festival but the arrival of the bad girl contingent brought it big time the following day. K-actress Kim Ok Bin headlines action-packed thriller movie The Villainness which screened at Cannes this week to great fanfare, receiving a long standing ovation and getting picked up … Continue reading →
The C-ent happy romance news this past week sadly didn’t extend to K-ent, which was relatively quiet on the relationship front in recent months but has now been hit with a one-two punch of star couples breaking up. The bigger break up news comes from the idol world as Tiffany of SNSD and Nichkhun of 2PM officially broke up after … Continue reading →
I posted two weeks ago about the nominees for the 2014 APAN Star Awards and how some choices were pretty legit while others strangely unfathomable. Pretty much the usual when it comes to acting awards in Korean drama entertainment. Last night the ceremony was held and this time I totally approve as Jo In Sung walked away with the Daesang … Continue reading →
The nominees are out for the 2014 APAN Star Awards, yet another glittery awards ceremony and this one in particular is a recent new arrival on the awards scene in the last few years. It’s connected to the Daejeon Drama Festival and is limited to dramas that ran from November 1st 2013 through September 31, 2014 on all three major networks … Continue reading →
This drama is absolutely batshit insane. Crazy……but good. So I guess its crazy good then? I don’t know beyond episode 1 but so far I am soaking up everything I see. Unless I really love or hate a drama, nowadays I have no time nor inclination to write about it. Even a first impression review since I’d rather summon the … Continue reading →
In anticipating the upcoming Sword and Flower (The Blade and Petal), part of the excitement stems from knowing this drama has the potential to be all about the quality acting. Setting who looks hot or not, this sageuk will be about visuals stemming from the direction rather than the actors faces. Korean entertainments predilection for facial conformity these days make … Continue reading →
There is something so darn familiar about Sword and Flower (The Blade and Petal) that draws me to it literally like a bee to a flower. The familiarity stems from this drama feeling and looking and sounding like a typical C-wuxia drama than anything K-drama-esque. The star-crossed lovers, the military coup, the stylized fighting, the sleek aura, it all serves … Continue reading →
When watching a drama live, and keeping an eye on the proceedings ahead of time, it’s impossible not to form an opinion each step of the way. The initial casting creates either an optimism or pessimism depending on the cast, the first stills and teasers give a glimpse of the quality and mood, and the first episode can either be … Continue reading →
The second teaser for Sword and Flower (The Blade and Petal) was released today after Mandate of Heaven and I almost flipped out of my chair in excitement. It looks sooooo good. And not just good in that trifecta possibility of acting excellence, directing prowess, and narrative intrigue, it also looks good in ways that mirror the best period dramas … Continue reading →
