For those bemoaning why so-and-so actor has already gotten drama leading and Kim Woo Bin still hasn’t, I don’t think that criminally hot namja is losing any sleep over it. He’s already the lead in the upcoming Korean heist movie Criminal Designer (formerly known as The Technicians) costarring the underrated Lee Hyun Woo and the always entertaining Go Chang Seok. … Continue reading →
If South Korea follows the Hollywood film release timeline, then Fall is the season when the darker fare comes out. Stuff that screams “awards consideration” over “box office candy”. After the early onslaught of Summer releases with corresponding big VIP list movie premieres, I fell off keeping track of movies but this one caught my eye because it stars the … Continue reading →
The 18th annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off yesterday in the seaside town of Busan, South Korea with lots of glam and anticipation. Featuring 301 movie selections from 70 countries shown over 10 days, BIFF has cemented its reputation as one of the top film festivals in Asia and this year’s star studded opening ceremony brought lots of … Continue reading →
The premieres in Seoul this Summer keep getting bigger and bigger and this is one of the most star-studded to date what with the melding of Hollywood and a Korean directorial super star. Seoul was the location chosen for the world movie premiere of the upcoming Snowpiercer since its directed by South Korean wunderkind Bong Joon Ho, who has helmed … Continue reading →
This might be one of the most star-packed K-movie premieres I’ve seen in a long time, which goes to show that Kim Soo Hyun’s star is incredibly high and his agency Key East Entertainment has lots and lots of A-list stars under founder Bae Yong Joon’s vest since everyone was trotted out for this premiere to support Kim Soo Hyun. … Continue reading →
It’s looking more and more like my gut instinct about To the Beautiful You is right. Sulli and Min Ho are likely the closest live-action actors to their manga counterparts in Hana Kimi. She looks feminine but has the masculine swagger and attitude down right, and Min Ho is aloof without coming across as half asleep or robotic. Of course … Continue reading →
Ah To the Beautiful You, still looking cute there! We’re a week out from the scrum next Wednesday when Beautiful You premieres along with Arang and the Magistrate. To say the two dramas are as different from each other as night and day is an understatement, plus Gakistal is still around since it got an extension, which makes the ratings … Continue reading →
I think there is some cosmic drama in-joke somewhere that has resulted in me recapping Oguri Shun’s Rich Man, Poor Woman around the same time Korea’s remake of Hana Kimi is about to premiere. What will original J-flavor Sano Izumi think about his hoobae Min Ho trying on the high jumping champion facing a career bottleneck? I know what I … Continue reading →
To the Beautiful You just released its first energetic teaser and to my non-surprise, I like it! I have this weird relationship with dramas adapted from mangas, don’t ask. Even the hot mess Boys Before Flowers kept me riveted during its live airing, and I adored Playful Kiss for its slow burn not much happens mellowness. Beautiful You is the K-version of … Continue reading →
The million dollar question is (or billion dollar if we take into account inflation) – will To the Beautiful You (K-version of Hana Kimi) turn out to be a Boys Before Flowers (K-version of Hana Yori Dango) or a Playful Kiss (K-version of Itazura na Kiss)? I’m talking about domestic ratings, of course, as BoF was a surprising hit while … Continue reading →
Due to a change in PD, filming has been pushed back from July on the upcoming K-movie Covertly Grandly (also translated as Secretive and Great) starring Kim Soo Hyun as a North Korean undercover operative stationed in rural South Korea. Based on a popular Korean webtoon of the same name, this story apparently toggles both the comedy and intensity with … Continue reading →
After percolating for the past year, SM Entertainment has finally finalized the cast for its adaptation of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Hana Kimi) which is called To the Beautiful You. The cast is a combination of two idols in the lead, Sulli from f(x) playing the role of Ashiya Mizuki and Minho from SHINee as Sano Izumi, plus two young actors … Continue reading →