A new K-awards show debuted this week, with the Blue Dragon Awards branching out from their movie exclusive perch to launch the 1st annual Blue Dragon Series Awards feting the best of television. This year the big winners were primarily streaming dramas with Lee Jung Jae winning Best Actor for Squid Game and D.P. taking home Best Drama. Kim Go … Continue reading →
I know this drama will get a proper English title eventually but it’s weird to keep calling it Youth, Climb the Barrier because it has like, nothing to recommend what it’s about. I’m talking about the K-drama adaptation of the Chinese novel The Golden Hairpin which was already filmed as a C-drama adaptation but that remains unable to air due … Continue reading →
I remember a former EA who worked in Hollywood production explaining the rise of reality shows around two decades around in the early aughts. It was cheaper to produce was the bottom line, and such is the case that reality and variety has exploded around the world and taken over streaming on a personal level where anyone can broadcast. But … Continue reading →
In a blink of the eye there is now a fully complete 4-episode run of romance K-drama Soundtrack #1 to binge if you subscribe to Disney+. It’s either a lot of people don’t pay the Mouse for streaming or this drama isn’t that buzzy because it’s been pretty muted on the netizen commentary and feedback. Is it too slow burn, … Continue reading →
Music, friendship, and romance are the dishes on the menu for Disney+ drama Soundtrack #1, starring Park Hyung Sik as a photographer and Han So Hee as a songwriter as they navigate the slow pivot from long time platonic friends to maybe a couple. It’s a music themed drama so it’s nice to have a actor-singer also join in a … Continue reading →
The foray of Disney+ into K-drama land has been wonky off the bat. It picked controversial Snowdrop to stream and got some early blowback. And recently it premiered sci-fi thriller Grid but didn’t go any meaningful promotions and the drama seems to have just been forgotten. I hope it doesn’t stash Soundtrack #1 away to grow musty because a short … Continue reading →
I wonder if Han So Hee and Park Hyung Sik wanted a break from all that revenge fighting and zombie fighting, respectively from their last dramas, and signed up for this quiet and softly warm upcoming romance drama Soundtrack #1. They just look so relaxed and comfortable together, and impart that same vibe to the viewers from the posters and … Continue reading →
Streaming service Disney+ is apparently still hemorrhaging viewers in South Korea, due to the lack of comparably large body of works and also nothing super popular with any new projects. But the company is big enough to subsidize a long term investment in the market even if it keeps losing money for the time being, the most net connected country … Continue reading →
With streaming platforms getting into the production/funding business, it hasn’t only been for K-dramas. It’s also produced streaming only K-movies and that may add to the bread and depth of less big budget movies geared towards romance but in a tighter 2-plus hour format than a full drama length story. Park Hyung Sik and Han So Hee will be paired … Continue reading →
This past weekend an underrated gem of a K-drama Happiness, according to the very vocal audience feedback, wrapped up its tight 12-episode run on tvN Fri-Sat late nights. The drama averaged mid 3% ratings through its entire run and the final episode was the only to break 4% with 4.185%. It’s considered a ratings disappointment based on the popular profile … Continue reading →
Wow this drama moves fast and is apparently filming already. Last month Han So Hee was announced to be doing a short musical drama but it’s later clarified to not include singing but instead is a music themed drama set in the industry and also a cohabitation drama between the leads who have been friends for 20 years before feelings … Continue reading →
It’s a big premiere few days going on in K-drama land as a bunch of dramas are arriving in short succession. The first is tvN Fri-Sat drama Happiness starring Han Hyo Joo, Park Hyung Sik, and Jo Woo Jin. Despite the positive sounding title, it’s a dark drama involving the spread of an infectious disease and what looks like maybe … Continue reading →
Most K-dramas telegraph with giant neon blinking lights what it’s genre and concept is, so it’s a refreshing and kinda nervous approach I see with upcoming tvN drama Happiness. With such a title it screams bright and happy human drama type but alas it’s anything but. The story is set in a modern high rise residential building where the two … Continue reading →
