K-viewers got a midweek treat this Wednesday with the arrival of jTBC Wed-Thurs drama Thirty Nine, adapted from a hit C-drama and with the female character led cast navigating the trials and tribulations of being on the cusp of forty years old. Age is for sure just a thing but I can see a culture fixated on women’s age mining those landmines for a compelling drama while throwing in a big of happy ending cotton candy possibilities with a male lead paired up with a female lead. What grounds this drama is the strong cast with the ladies side having Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do, and Kim Ji Hyun and the men led by veteran Lee Moo Saeng along with Yeon Woo Jin and Lee Tae Hwan. The first episode is off to a promising ratings start of 4.406% but the reviews have not have effusive. It skews positive with strong praise for Son Ye Jin and Jeon Mi Do, separately and together, but dissatisfaction with the music choices and the directing, plus concern for the script which is good enough for now but not compelling right out of the gate.
Continue readingTag Archives: Lee Tae Hwan
Clearly female lead Son Ye Jin is all over the news right before her new drama Thirty Nine premieres on jTBC on February 16th but it doesn’t feel of promotion that she announced her marriage to Hyun Bin next month … Continue reading
When a K-drama bisects a year during its airing period it does create potential for year end network award gaps. Case in point Secret Royal Inspector, the KBS sageuk that started airing in December 2020 and finished in early February … Continue reading
I’ve watched K-dramas for so many years I’m almost inured to how insanely good looking the actors are and many who have equal talent to boot as well. Recently two dramas had me doing double takes and marveling at how … Continue reading
I’m not holding high high hopes for upcoming KBS sageuk Secret Royal Inspector as it seems to be taking a more light and hokey approach than I would have preferred but low expectations means this drama need only be pleasantly … Continue reading
The role of the historical Secret Royal Inspector has always been rich with fictional fodder for dramas and movies whether in Korea, China, or even Japan. It’s the fail safe for citizens to know there is someone who can stop … Continue reading
KBS is going back to the youth sageuk as the network has confirmed the casting of upcoming Secret Royal Inspector. L will headline the drama along with female lead Kwon Nara and supporting male leads Lee Yi Kyung and Lee … Continue reading
I totally missed this but Channel A cable premiered the first new K-drama of 2020, rom-com Touch with Joo Sang Wook and Kim Bora. The drama started on January 3 and airs on Fri-Sat, with the first episodes getting 0.847% … Continue reading
When I first heard of KBS weekend drama My Golden Life it was all around the controversial casting of male lead Park Shi Hoo who had been surrounded by scandal since a rape allegation from 5 years ago was settled … Continue reading
Scandal is a loaded word, for some K-netizens it connotes something as inconsequential as a star dating news, yet in recent years there have been a series of male star scandals of the serious variety involving accusations, police investigations, and … Continue reading
It’s finally here, or at least the start is finally here for upcoming MBC fantasy sci-fi drama W. It’s gotten a clarification name add to the official title W-Two Worlds, which is two words more to help me write about … Continue reading
When casting started for MBC fantasy-romance-thriller drama W, it felt so far away and rather nebulous. There might be a bend in the time-space continuum because suddenly the drama is getting a full cast and premiere date is a little … Continue reading
On paper this drama looks like a stellar arrangement from the leads to the supporting cast, made all the more pressing since there are quite a bit of unknowns on the line. Male lead Rain is making his first television … Continue reading