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prbni · 2 years

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My controversial Kdrama opinions

1. Ko Moon Young was just a psychologically messed up girl. She isn't the 'girlpower' or 'badass' that the Kdrama fandom likes to dub her into.

2. In 'Hotel del Luna', they could've just chucked the entire character of Gu Chansung out of the window and gave Chang Myung a rebirth/rebirths,make him go through various trials and tribulations to repent and earn Man Wol's forgiveness. Didn't have to make it unnecessarily tragic.

3. Unnecessarily tragic reminds me, the 'realistic' ending of 2521 was a JOKE. There was NO point of developing such a power couple if they were to break up for such a mundane reason.

4. Romance genre isn't Song Kang's 'thing'. He shines better as an actor in non-romance genres.

5. Had they focused on developing Ju Kyung as an individual character who finally learns how to completely take a stand for herself instead of dangling her between Suho and Seojun, 'True Beauty' would've become a more popular and appreciated drama.

6. The love line between Hwang InYeop and Seo Hyun Jin's character in 'Why her: Oh Soo Jae' was absolutely unnecessary and awkward.

7. Jo Bo Ah and Ahn Bo Hyun and an amazing chemistry in 'Military Prosecutor: Do Bae Man'. However, they could've developed a slowburn romance between them instead of abruptly putting a kiss sequence in the last episode out of nowhere.

8. In 'Snowdrop', Eun Young Ro forgiving Soo Ho later on didn't make sense. Their kiss sequence was purely fan service,nothing else.

9. Individual acting aside,Kim Hye Yoon had more chemistry with Lee Jae Wook(2nd lead) than Rowoon(main lead) in 'Extraordinary You'.

10. Writers are overusing 'Let's kill off the main character and make the show tragically memorable' trope wayyy too much.

11. As much as it physically hurts me given the chemistry of the actors,Choi Do Il and Oh In Joo not having any proper romantic sequence till the end of 'Little Women' makes sense to the storyline(the shipper me might've wanted a hug though).

12. Also the writers should stop doing the 'lets make the second lead better than the main lead'. Its annoying to see one person actually making sincere effort for the girl but the girl ends up totally ignoring their effort and like the ML. Not in just Kdramas but in all sorts of dramas. I actually saw a Chinese drama where the second lead finally turned into a villain. I LITERALLY commented 'good for him' lmao.

13. Sunho in 'Cheer Up' is problematic. Neither his sad backstory nor his sincere feelings for Haeyi changes that fact.

14. The Heirs(2013) drama wasted an opportunity to pair Young Do(Kim Woobin) with Yoo Rachel(Kim Jiwon). No, they didn't need to be 'siblings'. I'd have chosen the two heartbroken yet sassy and tough people romance over the sappy romance of the main couple in a heartbeat. And the actors would've NAILED it.

15. Jojo not ending up with Sunho in 'Love Alarm' finally broke the 'Cinderella and Prince Charming' fairytale trope of Kdramas. That girl was too messed up in the head . She didn't need the rich,fierce and impulsive lover, but the quite,patient and thoughtful one. So don't go ahead and say the ending sucked. Maybe they could've made things more coherent, but no the ending didn't suck.

16. Moon Dong Eun should have remained single, with the last episode ending with him crossing paths with Do Yeong, with Yeonjin & gang & all the revenge agenda gone, she could hv offered him a smile and a game of Go, keeping an open ending for them. Lee Do Hyun was fabulous in playing Yeojeong and their chemistry was amazing. But they could hv just been partners in crime with their teamwork without the romantic plot between them.

17. No. Ryu Shi Oh doesn't give second lead syndrome. Byun Woo Seok is a very good actor but he plays the villain in 'Strong Woman Kang Nam Soon' and not anti-hero. Lee Yoo Mi and him should be paired opposite to e/o in some other project in the future but Shi Oh and Nam Soon ain't the 'enemies to lovers' you think it is.

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minideegifs · 2 months

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hey! may i ask what projects you're working on now?

Hi!

Almost done with Im Ji Nah in Mask Girl and I'm still trying to pick the next one from my projects list (you can find it on my discord server or below), or whatever else catches my eye since that's also a thing.

• kim min jae / dali and the cocky prince • kim ok bin / love to hate you • park ji yeon / next door witch j; imitation • sara minami / kimi ni todoke • song kang / forecasting love and weather • nam yoon su / today's webtoon • hwang seung eon / new normal zine • kim hyun jin / cheer up • kwon na ra • park min young / her private life; love in contract • han hyo joo / happiness • seo joo hyun / private lives • lee si woo • lee joo bin • kwon na yeon (nana) / mimicus • jeon hyo sung / celebrity • jeon so mi / fast forward • lee jae wook / do do sol sol la la sol • ahn hyo seop / dr romantic 3 • lee da bin / live on • wi ha joon / the worst of evil • song kang / navillera • lee dong wook / single in seoul • jung yoo min / perfect marriage revenge • ji chang wook / welcome to samdal-ri • kim yoo jung / my demon

#answered asks #anon asks

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leeminkifanblr · 3 months

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Lee Min-ki Filmography and other works

(reverse chronological order)

Dramas |*| Movies |*| Music |*| Magazine etc. |*| Others

2024 <Sangyoung ENT>

Sep 14: Fanmeeting [Japan]

룩앳미 - Look At Me [Cha Jung-woo] Wavve

사흘 - Three Days(?) [Father Ban]

May 13~Jun 18: 크래시 - Crash [Cha Yeon-ho] ENA

- Apr 24: ARENA

2023 <Sangyoung ENT>

Nov 26: Fanmeeting "Hello Again" [Tokyo, Japan]

Aug-Dec 30: Filming of Crash

Aug 12-Oct 1: 힙하게 - Behind Your Touch [Insp. Moon Jang-yeol] JTBC

- Aug 24: MMTG ep 306 [x]

- Sep: Elle Korea [x] [y] [z]

Mar 29: ARENA [x]

Mar 18-July: Filming of Look at Me

Sep 21 2022-Feb 20: Filming of Behind your Touch

2022 <Sangyoung ENT>

Nov 16: 데시벨 - Decibel [Cpt. Hwang Young-woo]

Sep 21-Feb 20 2023: Filming of Behind your Touch

Apr 9-May 29: 나의 해방일지 - My Liberation Notes [Yeom Chang-hee] JTBC

- Apr 9: Elle Korea [x] [y]

- May 20: Cosmpolitan [x] [y]

2021 <Go_od> <Sangyoung ENT>

Sep 2: NELL(넬): Beautiful Jeopardy MV appearance [x]

Jul 12-Dec 28: Filming of My Liberation Notes

- Dec 31: Workman ep. 132 [x]

Apr 20-Aug: Filming of Decibel(special appearance)

Mar 24-May 13: 오! 주인님 - Oh My Ladylord [Han Bi-soo] MBC

- Mar 9: Dazed [x] [y]

Feb 23: Marie Claire Korea [x] [y]

2020 <Go_od>

Feb 10-May 2: Filming of Three Days

2019 <Go_od>

Oct 12-Dec 1: 모두의 거짓말 - The Lies Within [Insp. Jo Tae-sik, 36] OCN

- Sep 19: Cosmopolitan [x] [y]

- Sep 24: Marie Claire Korea [x]

Feb 27: KNTV preview(Beauty Inside) [x]

Feb 3: Elle Korea [x] (Hong Kong)

2018 <Go_od>

Oct 1-Nov 20: 뷰티 인사이드 - Beauty Inside [Seo Do-jae] JTBC

Jul 5: 김비서가 왜 그럴까 - What's Wrong With Secretary Kim [Mi-so's father] tvN (flashback ep. 10)

Feb 8: 조선명탐정: 흡혈괴마의 비밀 - Detective K 3: Secret of the Living Dead [Heukdopo/Jung In-yul]

2017 <Go_od>

Oct 9-Nov 28: 이번 생은 처음이라 - Because This is My First Life [Nam Se-hee, 38] tvN

- Oct 23: Marie Claire Korea [x] [y]

Aug 7-Oct 26: Filming of Detective K 3: Secret of the Living Dead

2015 <Go_od>

Jan 28: 내 심장을 쏴라 - Shoot Me in the Heart [Seung-min, 25]

2014 <Go_od>

- Dec 30: Elle Korea [x] [y]

Aug 7: Enlisted in the army; assigned as public service worker to Yonsan-gu office, Seoul

- Aug 2: Entertainment Weekly [x]

Section TV Entertainment ep. 713, 724

Entertainment Weekly ep. 1526, 1534

Jun 14: 황제를 위하여 - For the Emperor [Lee Hwan]

- Mar 15: Marie Claire Korea [x]

Jun 13: Witch Hunt ep. 44

Jun 5: Happy Together ep. 349

Mar 16: 몬스터 - Monster [Tae-soo]

- Mar 13: Elle Korea [x]

Nylon

2013 <Go_od>

UNIONBAY

Oct 31: Han So-hyeon(한소현): Sorry MV appearance[x]

May 5-Jul 31: Filming of Monster

Section TV Entertainment ep. 667

Entertainment Weekly ep. 1468, 1486

Mar 21: 연애의 온도 - Very Ordinary Couple [Lee Dong-hee]

- Mar 14: Lee Min-ki with 3rd Coast: Those Days I Had with You [x] [inst]

- Apr 11: Lee Min-ki with 3rd Coast: Everything [x] [inst]

Feb 25: Cosmpolitan [x]

Jan 16: A Song for Island Memoir [x] [x]

Jan 11: Fanmeeting [Japan]

2012 <Go_od>

Section TV Entertainment ep. 662

Entertainment Weekly ep. 1439

Apr 9: NELL(넬): The Day Before MV appearance[x]

Jan 30-Mar 20: 닥치고 꽃미남 밴드 - Shut Up Flower Band Boy [Joo Bung-hee] tvN (cameo)

- Feb 6: SUFBB OST: Not in Love (single) cover MV [x] [y] [inst.]

UNIONBAY

The Class

~Jan 18: "Youth" Photobook

2011 <Wellmade Star M> <Go_od>

Midnight TV Entertainment ep. 338

Dec 4&6: Fanmeeting “Minki’s Forest” [Omiya&Osaka, Japan]

Dec 1: 오싹한 연애 - Spellbound [Ma Jo-goo] [x]

Nov 27: Running Man ep. 70

Oct 28: Elle [x]

Jul 20: 퀵 - Quick [Han Ki-soo]

Vogue Girl

The Class

Beatles Code ep. 49, 50

Yoon Do-hyun’s MUST ep. 4

Live Talk Show Taxi ep. 202

Jan 15: Fanmeeting [Tokyo, Japan]

2010 <Wellmade Star M>

Aug 6-Dec 20: Filming of Quick

Mar 13: Filming of Brother Young Ja-ya is cancelled due to production issues [x]

Max Beer CF [x]

2009 <Wellmade Star M>

Sep 25: Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate ep. 72

Sep 17: “News of the Imagination”

Sep 3: Live Talk Show Taxi ep. 103

Aug 27: Live Talk Show Taxi ep. 102

Aug 10: Lee Min-ki NO KIDDING EP [x] [y]

- Eternal Summer MV [x] [y]

- Dreaming [x]

- Joujou (Let Me See the Love) [x]

- Play My Way [x]

- Tonite, Tonite [x]

- Joujou (♥Minki Remix) [x]

Aug 6: 10억 - A Million [Park Cheol-Hee]

Aug 3: Come to Play ep.254

Jul 22: 해운대 - Tidal Wave [Choi Hyeong-Sik]

Feb 22-May 6: Filming of A Million

Feb 19: 오이시맨 - Oishii Man [Kim Hyun-suk]

- Feb 23: Oishii Man OST:

-- Frozen Mountain [x]

-- Neanderthal Man II [x]

-- Disappears Like That

-- A Match for You [x]

TBJ

2008 <MEN> <Wellmade Star M>

Dec 31: FreeTEMPO Power of Love Tour- Miller FRESH countdown 2009 [x]

Dec 24: 로맨틱 아일랜드 - Romantic Island [Lee Jung-hwan]

Dec 10: Lee Min-ki feat. Weekenders: We Can't Forget the Reason [x]

Nov 15: Performed a rendition of My Way for the Mnet KM Music Festival(MKMF) opening act [x] [y]

Nov 14: FreeTEMPO feat. Lee Min-ki: Power of Love Part 2 [x]

Nov 28: Japan Fanmeeting [Japan]

Sep 26: FreeTEMPO feat. Sheean and Lee Min-ki: Power of Love MV appearance [x]

Come to Play ep. 224

Aug 22: The One(더원): My Girl MV appearance[x]

Aug 18-Dec 17: Filming of Tidal Wave

Mar 13: 허밍 - Humming [Oh Chun-jae]

LG Telecom OZ [x] [y]

2007 <MEN>

Dec 21: Fanmeeting "Hello, Minki" [Japan]

Oct 8-Nov 27: 얼렁뚱땅 흥신소 - Evasive Inquiry Agency [Park Mu-yeol] KBS2

Aug 27: The Name&Choi Jin-yi(Rumblefish): After Break-up MV appearance [x]

Heroine 6

Come to Play ep. 129

Sangsang Plus ep. 151

Feb 8: 바람 피기 좋은 날 - A Good Day to Have an Affair [College Student]

Jan 22: Ya Shim Man Man ep. 196

Jan 3-Mar 15: 달자의 봄 - Dalja's Spring [Kang Tae-bong, 27] KBS2

2006 <MEN>

Sep 7: 뚝방전설 - Three Fellas/Riverbank Legends/Bar Legend [High-school Student #7] (cameo)

~Jul 16: Filming for cameo in Riverbank Legends

Jul 12: Rainbow Romance OST: Before I Become Sad [x]

May 2: I Really Really Like You OST: Like Candy 2 [x]

Apr 8-Aug 6: 진짜 진짜 좋아해 - I Really, Really Like You/Love Truly [Nam Bong-ki, 28] MBC [x]

LITMUS

Feb 5: X-men ep.97 [x]

2005 <MEN>

Pizza Etang CF [x]

Oct 29-Nov 19: 태릉선수촌 - Taereung Athletic Village [Hong Min-ki, 26] MBC [x]

Oct 24-Nov 3 2006: 레인보우 로망스 - Rainbow Romance [Lee Min-ki] MBC

LITMUS

LG Telecom Phone & Fun CF [x]

Aug 6: 계룡산 부용이 - Booyong of Mt. Kyeryong [Hyeong-su] KBS Drama City [x]

Jul 24: X-men ep.69 [x]

Jun 19: X-men ep.64 [x]

Jun 5: X-men ep.62 [x]

Jun 1: SoulStar(소울스타): Only One For Me MV appearance [x]

Feb 14-Sep 30: 굳세어라 금순아 - Be Strong, Geum-soon! [Noh Tae-wan, 26] MBC

Jan 2: 오!사라 - Oh! Sarah [Kim Dong-kang] KBS Drama City [x]

Nina(니나) Hit'm MV appearance [x]

Come to Play ep. 69

X-men ep. 35-43

2004 <MEN>

Jun 13: 우리 햄 - My Older Brother [Kang Min-ki] KBS Drama City [x]

Nizoral CF [x]

2003

SK Telecom

#이민기 #lee minki #lee min ki #lee min-ki #イミンギ

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kdramacrybaby · 10 months

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The Glory (2022)

Genre: Revenge, Thriller

Synopsis: Moon Dong-eun faced severe mental and physical bullying while she was in school. She had to give up on her dreams because she had to drop out of school, so instead, she spends her entire life planning the perfect revenge on those who hurt her. Whatever it takes, she will take them down one by one. Her bullies are living their perfect lives, but with Dong-eun suddenly back in their lives, everything starts crumbling around them.

Episode info: 16 episodes / Runtime around 60 minutes

Lead cast: Song Hye-kyo (Moon Dong-eun), Jung Ji-so (Young Dong-eun), Lee Do-hyun (Joo Yeo-jeong), Lim Ji-yeon (Park Yeon-jin), Yeom Hye-ran (Kang Hyeon-nam), Park Sung-hoon (Jeon Jae-joon) Jung Sung-il (Ha Do-yeong)

Link to watch: You can watch on Netflix or Dramacool

Drama rec masterlist | Drama rant thread (beware of spoilers)

Firstly, I want to start with the warnings for this drama - because this drama is dealing with severe bullying, as well as sexual assault and domestic violence. And Netflix does not shy away from showing everything, and I really mean everything. So if this is something you have a hard time dealing with, this drama is not for you, just trust me on this one. Even I had to look away sometimes, and I’m not usually squeamish.

While this drama was a hard watch, in the sense that it’s so brutal, I really liked seeing the female lead just not giving a single fuck. She does not care if what she does makes is technically wrong - she wants her revenge, and she is going to get it. Don’t get me wrong, she is kind to the right people, but as she states multiple times herself: “I am not a good person.”

And this thing about being either good or bad is such an interesting topic. I think I touched on it in both Vincenzo and Your Honor too - good or bad is not black and white, and Dong-eun is most definitely that grey area where she balances on the edge of both. She never did anything wrong - she is 100% the victim in this scenario - but by choosing revenge, she suddenly becomes a vigilante in a sense, and that requires some morally bad actions.

The people who help her in the end (and the people she ends up helping along the way, even though she has a hard time seeing that herself) are all victims too, with their own trauma and their own ghosts to deal with. They do not care that they have to join her in the grey zone, because they too have suffered and felt trapped in their own selves as victims. They want to take back their power.

Idk, I just really love dramas that have you rooting for a character who is morally grey, because it makes you think - how far would you go?

And while it is a drama about revenge, it is also a drama about healing - about allowing people to break down your walls and help you move forward to better places. About learning to love and accept yourself for who you are without the trauma casting a shadow over every part of your future.

The actors are phenomenal, absolutely blew me away with their raw emotions all around. Especially the younger actors were absolutely amazing, they must have worked so hard, and I hope they are okay after having to do the very graphic bullying scenes.

In the end, I just want to mention that - in case you didn’t already know - this series is loosely based on actual bullying cases from South Korea. Bullying in their schools really do get this bad, and it is wild to me that kids are capable of this evil. Bullying should absolutely never be allowed. If you see something, say something. Don’t ever be a bystander.

#the glory #kdrama #kdrama review #kdrama rec #you can come ask if you want me to elaborate more on the triggers in this if you are unsure about wanting to watch it or not #i just don't want to spoil too much either #cause i really do think the shock factor of it all is part of the experience too

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rye-views · 1 year

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Single's Inferno. 솔로지옥. Season 2. 7.6/10

I would recommend this show/season to my friends. I wouldn't rewatch this show/season.

I literally didn't realize I would like this show. This is more interesting than American reality in terms of like having to do DIY living and that the hosts comment on what's going on. It's also way more wholesome and respectful.

I like the editing and set design for all this. The shipwrecked zone in the beginning was lovely. The bedrooms look so lovelyyy. This is glamping.

Kyu Hyun, my man, is who I'm looking at. Has relatable reactions. Tug of war between Yoong Jae and Dong Woo is so hot. Han Bin giving a rendition of Nam Joo Hyuk looks.

It literally feels like my first time witnessing men with manners, good bods, thoughtfulness, honesty, and care all in one. This is so wholesome to watch. I didn't know a girl saying, "I'll wait for you" would be so powerful and heart-exhilarating. The Jong Woo versus Jin Young wrestling was so intense. On the edge of my seat.

I eat a sweet potato without the skin. Seo Eun's art is so my style. My prize would be french toast and iced americanos? I'll take a pass. Why were the guys' shirtless for the girl's game if they weren't even participating. Goodness.

lmao at how they call the campfire, hell fire. LOL at this B-roll for their careers.

My first impressions: Han Bin, I like, but him wanting someone positive doesn't work with me. Dong Woo, my physical type. Can you believe your doctor is that? Yoong Jae, I would most likely end up liking. So Ee and Seo Eun would be my friends. So Ee is very self-aware, mature, and honest. Seo Eun is a vibe that I get along with.

Ending impressions: I would def go for Han Bin. An honest, kind, and supportive cook. If Se Jun liked me, I'd like him too. I knewwww Jong Woo would succeed in the end. If Selul Ki chose Jin Young, I thought she'd be making a mistake and is thinking with more emotion versus logic. If she ended up choosing Jong Woo, I felt that she would be choosing him because she decided to commit and saw what's good. I stopped caring for Seo Eun and Yoong Jae's interactions, but they're good together. Yoong Jae kinda lost me after he failed to communicate well with So Ee, but he tried. I really thought Se Jeong would come in as a villain, and here I am just wanting her to have fun. Jong Woo's super sweet corn coffee is probably super sweet because he's super sweet. Can you believe all this happens in a week? The men wrestling was soo hard to watch. It was so intense , but I was def watching.

Memorable Quotes: "좋은게 좋은거지."

#single's inferno #솔로지옥 #season 2 #reality #korean #kreality #television #show #series #review #commentary #rye-views #7.6

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jasonblaze72 · 2 years

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drivingsideways · 3 years

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k-drama rec list

Prior to 2020 I’d maybe watched 2 k-dramas in my entire life, but this year I got sucked in, thanks to some great recs, and y’know, *gestures * everything.

I think I’d held off watching kdramas because my impression of them was limited to romances that I didn’t enjoy at all. But this was the year I discovered the equivalent of “gen fic” kdrama- dramas that had wonderful ensemble casts, strong story lines that weren’t entirely romance focused and also a variety in terms of themes and styles. A big plus was that I found so many of these dramas had women leading the writers’ room, and seeing the effect of that in the story telling. (Notable exceptions: a certain “star” writer who should please stop inflicting her badly written, formulaic crap on the world, yes Kim Eun-Sook, I mean you, and whoever wrote that trashfire Flower of Evil)

So here I am with my own rec list! Caveat- these are mostly not the dramas released in 2020, I’m still playing catch up! :)

Under the cut for length

My Mister/ My Ahjussi (2018, Written by Park Hae-Young, Directed by Kim Won-Seok, starring Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ji-eun aka IU)

This was definitely my absolute favourite of the shows I watched this year across western/ asian media. It’s a story about the thread that binds us all and the ineffability of human connection. It’s also a story that deconstructs ideas of masculinity and honour and shame in a non-western context, but with an extremely compassionate touch. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from showing the consequences of material and spiritual poverty; and how one can so easily feed into the other. It’s a love story that isn’t a romance, except that it’s a Romance. It’s about finding salvation in one another and in the kindness of strangers. It’s about choosing life, and picking yourself up off the floor to take that one last step and then the next and then the next. The one quibble I have with the series is that it could have been better paced, it does get extremely slow after the half way mark. But god, do they land the ending. Both Lee Sun-kyun and IU turn in absolutely heartbreaking performances, and fair warning, be prepared to go through an entire box of tissues watching this series.

Life (2018, written by Lee Soo-yeon and directed by Hong Jong-chan, starring Lee Dong-wook, Cho Seung-woo, Won Jin-ah, Lee Kyu-hyung, Yoo Jae-myung and Moon So-ri.)

Medical dramas are very much not my thing, and I wouldn’t have taken a chance on it except that @michyeosseo said I should, and she was right! It’s a medical drama in the sense that it’s set in a hospital, but rather than a “case-fic” format, this is actually a sharp commentary on the corporatization of health care, and the business of mixing, well, money and what should be a fundamental human right. Writer Lee Soo-yeon was coming off the global success of Stranger/Secret Forest S1 when this aired, so I understand that expectations were probably sky-high, and people were disappointed when this show didn’t give them the adrenaline rush that they wanted. On the other hand, I thought that this outing was really much more nuanced in terms of the politics and also how the ending doesn’t allow you the luxury of easy-fixes. This show has a great ensemble cast, and while it took me a while to get used to Lee Dong-wook’s woodenness (i ended up calling him mr.cadaver after watching this and was surprised to learn that he’s very popular?), in the end I was quite sold on his version of angry angst-bucket elder-sibling Dr.Ye Jin-woo. His best scenes were with Lee Kyu-hyung who turns in a lovely, achy performance as the paraplegic Dr. Ye Seon-woo who just wants to live a normal life. The love story between the two brothers is actually the emotional backbone of the story, and I think they landed that perfectly.

My one quibble with writer-nim is that she ended up writing in a forgettable and somewhat (for me at least) uncomfortable romance between the characters played by Won Jin-ah and Cho Seung-Woo. I think part of my uncomfortable-feeling was that I got the strong sense that the writer herself didn’t want to write this romance, it was as if she was being made to shoe-horn it in for Studio Reasons, and she basically grit her teeth and did the worst possible job of it. I do wish we could have absolutely had the OT3 of my dreams: Moon So-ri/Cho Seung-woo/Yoo Jae-myung like, c’mon TV gods MAKE IT HAPPEN, just...look at them!!!!

Anyway, that apart, I think this was a very engaging series, and by engaging, I also mean thirst-enabling, see below.

Stranger (aka Secret Forest or Forest of Secrets) S1 & 2 : (2017-, Written by Lee Soo-yeon, directed by

2017′s smash hit aired a much anticipated second season in 2020, and I managed to catch up just in time to watch that live, so that was thrilling :D . Writer Lee Soo-yeon mixes up thriller/office comedy/political commentary in an ambitious series. I think S1 is more “exciting” than S2 in terms of the mystery and pacing, but S2 is far more dense and interesting in terms of political commentary because it takes a long hard look at institutional corruption and in true writer-nim fashion doesn’t prescribe any easy solutions. Anyway, please enjoy public prosecutor Cho Seung-woo and police officer Bae Doona as partners/soulmates kicking ass and taking names in pursuit of Truth, Justice and just a goddamn peaceful meal, along with a stunningly competent ensemble cast. Also yes, Han Yeo Jin is a lesbian, sorry, I don’t make the rules.

Search: WWW (2019, Written by Kwon Do-Eun, directed by Jung Ji-hyun & Kwon Young-il, starring Im Soo-jung, Lee Da-hee, Jeon Hye-jin)

GOD. Where do I start? +1000 for writer Kwon Do-Eun saying “fuck the patriarchy” in the most grandiose way possible, i.e. absolutely refusing to acknowledge that it exists. Yes, this is that power fantasy, and it’s also a fun, slice-of-life tale about three women navigating their way through work, romance, national politics and everything in between. It’s true that I wasn’t entirely sold on the amount of time spent on the romance, and I really wish they’d actually had a textual wlw romance, though the subtext through the entire series is PRACTICALLY TEXT. But still, it maintains that veneer of plausible deniability and I think queer fans who are sick of that kind of treatment in media have a very valid grouse against the show. On the other hand, personally I felt that the queer-platonic vibe of the show is very wonderful and true to real life, and it was only reinforced by the ending. This is a show written by a woman for women (like me), and it shows.

Hyena (2020, Written by Kim Roo-Ri, directed by Jang Tae-yoo & Lee Chang Woo, starring Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon )

Those of you who’ve been watching hit zombie epic Kingdom are probably familiar with Ju Ji-hoon’s brand of sexiness already. I had not watched Kingdom and got hit in the face by Mr.Sexy McSexyPants’ turn as a brash, privileged-by-birth, up and coming lawyer who gets completely runover by the smoking hot and incredibly dangerous fellow lawyer/competitor from the other side of the tracks in the person of Kim Hye-Soo. When I say they set the room on fire, I mean it, ok. Every single scene between these two is an actual bonfire of sexual attraction and emotional hand grenades, and they’re both absolutely riveting to watch. “Flower of Evil” wishes they had what this show has- an actual grown up romance as opposed to a thirteen year old twilight fan’s idea of an adult romance.

The “lawyer” shenanigans and the “cases” are hit or miss, and I think the occasional comedy fell flat for me. But that’s not why I mainlined like 6 episodes of this series overnight like a coke addict, and that’s not why you’re going to do it either. It’s so RARE, even in these enlightened days to find a female character like Jung Geum-ja: hard as nails, unapologetic about it, and not punished by the narrative for it. The best part for me is that she feels like a woman’s woman, not a man’s idea of what a Strong Female Character should be. Anyways, when I grow up I want to have what Kim Hye-soo has ok?

Other dramas that I watched this year, quickly rated:

The King: Eternal Monarch (3/10 and those 3 points are only for the combined goodness of second leads who deserved better- Jung Eun Chae, Woo Do Hwan and Kim Kyung Nam. Please head over to my AO3 and read my attempts to fix this garbage fire and rescue their characters from canon)

Flower of Evil (-10/100, dont @ me)

Tale of the Nine Tailed (5/10, I think it succeeds at what it set out to do, which is a light hearted, sweet fantasy-romance-melodrama, plus “second lead” Kim Beom will make you cry as the hot mess of a half human/ half fox spirit ALL TEARS character. I think if you’re into kdrama romances as a genre, this is probably a good bet?)

Signal (7/10, This was the first full kdrama I watched this year and would definitely recommend. It’s a police procedural with time travel shenanigans and has an engaging plot, good pacing, texture and compelling performances. My one disappointment with it was the way they wrote Kim Hye-soo’s character. As literally the only female character to survive in any way, she was given short shrift, and toward the end it really began to grate on me.)

Six Flying Dragons - (7/10, also would recommend if you’re interested in Korean historicals. It definitely already feels a bit dated in terms of styling and production values, and even scripting and acting choices. But it has a good balance of fantasy and history and political commentary. I was not a fan of Yoo In-Ah’s performance in this series, but it’s not anything that would make you want to nope out of the series. It’s GoT , if GoT was thoughtful about politics and characters and not the misogynist, racist trashfire that it became.)

My Country: The New Age - (3.5/10, and that’s 3 points to Jang Hyuk’s fan and 0.5.points to Woo Do Hwan’s heaving bosom. If you like your historical drama/fantasy with very pretty men, very gay subtext -seriously RIP to show makers who thought they could hetero it but didn’t account for Woo Do Hwan’s Tragic Face- lots of blood and tears and very nonsense plot, this is right up your alley. I probably would have enjoyed it more in other circumstances, I think? But this one just annoyed me too much at the time!

I have a couple of more dramas to watch on my list, that’ll probably carry me over into 2021, so see ya on the other side! :D

#k-drama #kdrama rec list #2020: A YEAR #i'm a queue for you

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365days365movies · 3 years

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May 4, 2021: The Host (2006) (Recap)

NO NOT THAT ONE

Stephanie Meyer goddamn sucks. I realize that I’m not exactly the first person to say that, but she’s terrible. Not only is she not a good writer, but she also has some very disparaging views about science fiction and its fans, which led her to make her own science fiction book and film. ANd yeah...it’s terrible! No surprise there.

So, no, not the 2013 critical and commercial flop known as The Host. No, this post is about 2006′s The Host, AKA Gwoemul, AKA 괴물. I haven’t ventured to far into the world of Korean cinema, and with this film, my repertoire includes only the films of director Bong Joon-Ho. And if that name sounds familiar...it should.

Bong Joon-ho DESERVEDLY made headlines last year when his film became the first non-English language film to win for Best Picture, and the first time Asian writers won for best screenplay! His Oscar speech in accepting best director is genuinely one of the best and most sincere speeches I’ve ever heard from a director, and I love the dude.

Oh, and if you’re wondering which film it was, then, like me, you also really need to watch Parasite. And because I’m terrified of spoilers, I’m not gonna look for GIFs of that movie. Instead, I’ll put in a GIF of one of my favorite sci-fi films, and the only other Bong Joon-ho film I’ve seen.

God, I love Snowpiercer. And if this is anything like that, I’m probably going to love this movie. Now, I don’t really know much about this film, other than the fact that it’s a monster film. And if there’s any science-fiction subgenre more iconic than monster films, I don’t know it. Well...OK, aliens, robots, and more, but monster films are still a big part of the genre. But where does that begin? Is it here?

Definitely an argument you can make, since Frankenstein’s Monster is a creation of science gone wrong, from the book to the movie. Fun fact, Mary Shelley based it on a real-world experiment by Italian physiologist Giovanni Aldini, who used a corpse to illustrate the connection between electricity and muscles. Neat, huh? So, yeah, that’s a solid launching point.

But that’s more of a horror story. What about something a little more monster-y? Well, from the UK to Japan we go!

OHHHHHH YEAH, THAT’S THE GOOD STUFF

Toho’s 1954 film Gojira is one of the most classic monster films ever made, and singlehandedly launched the kaiju genre in Japan. And it’s really well-known that it was made as a response to post-World War II tensions about nuclear warfare. Which, in Japan, is kind of understandable, no? But nothing demonstrated the destructive power of science more than that moment in history.

So, Godzilla arrives. And the US also makes more monster movies, most of which take place in contemporary settings, making many of them lo-fi sci-fi. Now, some dipped into horror or fantasy, but the science fiction roots were there. Which eventually would bring us full circle to films where monsters were made and go loose. You know, like this:

It’s a franchise that defines the ‘90s, and lab-grown monster movies exploded around that time as well. At the same time, environmental concerns REALLY started to build by this point, and those concerns leaked profusely into film all over the world. And by the time we get to 2006...well, let’s get into it, huh?

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

In a mortuary, a U.S. military doctor (Scott Wilson) instructs his assistant (Brian Lee) to dump bottles of formaldehyde down the drain of the facility, which goes directly into the Han River. The assistant protests, but the doctor insists, despite the risk of polluting the river. AAAAAmericans.

In the river about two years later, two fisherman see something strange looking in the river. Then, four years later, in 2006, a suicidal man is about to jump into the river, when he sees something dark in the water below.

Later that year, we meet Park Hee-bong (Byun Hee-Bong) and his son Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho), who run a food truck and snack bar near the river. Gang-du’s not exactly a hard worker, to his father’s chagrin. His daughter, Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung), is a student who comes home from school, where her drunken uncle Nam-il (Park Hae-il) comes to her chagrin. She and her father watch TV, where his sister Nam-joo (Bar Doona) can be seen competing in archery.

As he’s bringing food out to customers, he joins them in observing something strange and massive hanging off of the bridge. And at this point, I would be running the fuck away. Literally, the news just said that there was a body found with the legs missing, and these people are throing cans at it after it plunges into the water. One girl asks if it’s a dolphin. Mother...HAVE YOU SEEN A DOLPHIN BEFORE?

NOT THIS

Yeah, this thing just comes bounding along the shore, slapping people into the water with its tail, and batting aside others. Doesn’t look like its actively killing anybody yet, but it’s definitely hurting people at least. That is, until it goes into a trailer where a bunch of people have gathered, and appears to eat a bunch of them. So, yeah, dangerous.

Gang-du, to his infinite credit, actually attempts to confront and hurt the creature, with the help of Donald White (David Joseph Anselmo). And it works, but at the cost of the creature aggro-ing onto him. Back at the snack truck, his sister’s lost the title, much to the chagrin of Gang-du’s daughter and father. She goes outside in frustration, only to be thrown into the midst of the chaos with her dad. He grabs a girls hand in the chaos, only to find that it’s a different child entirely. And...unfortunately...

The creature grabs her with its tail, and leaps back into the river, disappearing. Fuck. Poor Hyun-seo, and poor Gang-du. Gang-du IMMEDIATELY goes to get her back, jumping into the river, but the creature takes her across to an island, out of reach. That night, an impromptu funeral is held for the victims, at which Hyun-seo is being honored as well. There, both Gang-du’s sister and brother also attend, and all four of the break down dramatically and publicly.

Nam-il blames his brother for letting her die, which is unfair, but understandable. The family eventually calms down and discusses the circumstances of Hyun-Seo’s birth and death, both of which were accidental. As they do, a man in a protective suit comes out, and asks who was at the river incident. Nam-il protests this, and asks what’s going on. The man doesn’t explain, and the room is instead gassed, as everyone is ushered towards the entrance.

In the process, Gang-du (stupidly) reveals that he was hit by some blood splatter. He’s immediately stuffed in a bag and kidnapped by the authorities. Meanwhile, the news reveals that the creature is carrying a virus, and anyone who has been in contact with it has been infected. Because of this, the entire family is taken to a quarantine hospital, which oddly has very few actual quarantine procedures in place. And additionally, Gang-du is feeling a bit itchy.

That night, in the hospital, Gang-du gets a call on his cell phone! It’s Hyun-seo! She’s alive! And she’s trapped, in a sewer somewhere near the river. Meanwhile, a group of men in protectve suits are outside patrolling the river. One man finds money on the side of the road, and goes to pick it up, only for the men to be attacked by the creature. But it’s then that we discover that the creature is not killing or eating people, but simply taking them own to its lair. Also in said lair is Hyun-seo, trapped and with a now dead phone.

The next day, the family tries to get an officer to look into the call, only for the officer to be, frankly, an absolute piece of shit to this grieving family. Gang-du tries to explain, and his explanation is ENTIRELY RATIONAL, but the officer and doctors are absolutely terrible about it.

Because nobody’s listening, the family manages to escape from the hospital in order to try and save Hyun-Seo, and they hop into a van, taking it and running. This is a good place to mention that, despite this being a monster movie, it's also...weirly funny sometimes. Like, that whole scene is pretty great. After bartering with a group of gangsters for supplies (and after Hee-bong basically gives away all of his credit cards), the group manages to get a map and a new car. But they pretty quickly get stopped at a checkpoint into the city, and are nearly caught, but manage to escape and get to the riverfront. Once there, they begin searching the sewers to find Hyun-seo. And I gotta say; this may be an extremely dysfunctional family, but they’re a devoted family all the same.

Of course, that eventually gives way to arguments within the sewer itself, but that’s interrupted by a noise heard somewhere around them. They fire at it, using weapons obtained from the gangster but conclude that it was nothing. What it actually is is two brothers, older Se-jin (Lee Jae-eung) and younger Se-joo (Lee Dong-ho), homeless kids who are foraging the sewers in the abandoned city. But, of course, they eventually run into the creature, which attacks them. Meanwhile, an asleep Hyun-Seo dreams of dinner with her family, only to be woken up by the arrival of the creature, who deposits the bodies of the two boys in the sewer with her. Se-joo has survived, but Se-jin hasn’t, sadly.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family is gathered at their snack bar for the night, and prepares to set out or the morning. The to younger siblings appear to not give a single shit about Gang-du, but Hee-bong attempts to set them straight, talking about how he blames himself for the way Gang-du is now. However, the two just fall asleep during his speech. Poor Hee-bong. Also, he can apparently identify Gang-du’s health condition based on his farts because they spend so much time together, it’s dumb, and funny.

Also, poor the rest of them, because Gang-du wakes up to see the creature just waiting outside, watching them. Hee-bong fires at it, but the creature attacks and knocks over the bar. However, Hee-bong manages to hit it directly in the head, knocking it off, but not killing it. The family goes out to finish the job, but it runs away before they can kill it. They run after it, and are almost completely out of bullets. Hee-bong volunteers to go after it himself, but in the process...

Hee-bong doesn’t make it. The creature kills him, and the commotion attracts the military to their location. Gang-du is again captured, while Nam-il and Nam-joo escape, only to later be separated regardless. Meanwhile, the virus kills Donald White, the sergeant from earlier, and it continues to spread across Korea. To kill the creature, the government plans to release a chemical into the river called Agent Yellow, which feels...controversial.

Nam-il meats a colleague, “Fat Guevara” (Yam Pil-sung), who is easily able to provide a location for Hyun-seo using the number, which the cop earlier insisted was nearly impossible to do. Plus, both the sergeant and Gang-du encountered the creature together, and he seems to be just fine. Which probably means that something very wrong is happening now. Even worse, though, is the fact that Guevara’s appeared to trap Nam-il, as a massive reward is sought for his arrest. A gang of people surround hi, with the plan to capture him, but he VERY cleverly escapes by causing an electrical short, and AFTER having found Hyun-seo’s location! Nice, man! He takes off, now knowing exactly where his niece is.

Nam-joo, meanwhile, is literally living inside of the snack bar, and she gets a text from Nam-il with her location. He tags out, and she tags in, running to the location where the call came from. But she immediately runs into the creature, which knocks her down and unconscious. She manages to call Gang-du, who is currently about to be sedated. Now knowing where his daughter is, he tries to escape, only to be tackled by the doctors. He tells them where she is, but they don’t appear to listen. More importantly, the anesthetic doesn’t appear to work, much to the confusion of the doctors. Something is verrrrrrrry wrong here.

An American doctor (Paul Lazar) comes, and asks what’s wrong, and he tells him exactly what’s wrong. However, despite his words SEEMING to be heard, they once again call him crazy and delusional, and decide to give him a lobotomy to isolate the virus once and for all, like FUCKING ASSHOLES. Turns out that the virus? Yeah, it doesn’t exist whatsoever! It doesn’t exist even a little bit! Which means that this entire thing is a wild goddamn goose chase for a virus that DOESN’T FUCKING EXIST!!!

And the best thing is that Gang-du, despite not actually knowing English, still understands the words “no virus”, and know he fucking knows! However, because he knows, they now have to give him a lobotomy. Fuck me, man. Panicking, he cries for them to stop, and cries for his daughter, who’s still alive in the sewer.

Speaking of, Hyun-seo and Se-joo are bonding in the sewer, as they work to make a rope from things they find there. But in the process, they’re attacked by the creature, who know is actively eating the bodies, and presumably other people. Whoof. They manage to escape, but barely.

Back with Gang-du, who’s just gone through the lobotomy, which...hasn’t worked at all. Holy SHIT. Not sure what the hel is UP with this dude, but that’s a question in and of itself. He escapes by taking a nurse hostage, threatening them with a syringe of his blood, full of a virus that doesn’t exist!

Nam-il wakes up at the same time, not accompanied by a homeless man (Yoon Je-moon), who agrees to take him to the bridge to find Hyun-seo. In the sewer, the two kids have survived, and the creature appears to be asleep. Like a GODDAMN BOSS, she runs up the creatures back, and jumps onto a rope that she had made, and that was hanging far out of her reach. Unfortunately...the creature catches her with its tail. Fuck. It sets her down, and...lets her go? But as soon as she runs, it attacks bother her and Se-joo.

Just then, Gang-du gets to the lair, and uses the rope to climb down. Below him is a pile of bones, and no kids to be seen. The creature goes by, and Hyun-seo’s hand is dangling out of its mouth. And once again by coincidence, that’s when Nam-joo wakes up and reunites with her brother. The creature runs to the waterfront, only to be greeted by...a crowd? They’re gathered there to protest the release of the dangerous chemical into the river.

It all collides at once. The creature swims towards the crowd, Gang-du runs towards the creature, Agent Yellow is released over them both, causing the creature to faint. Gan-du runs up and grabs the bodies of his daughter and See-joo from its mouth, apparently too fucking late. Shit, man. This would’ve been avoided if they just HELPED him. Fuck. He carries her body away as more chemical is released onto the flailing creature, and the chemical causes everyone else in the area to violently hemorrhage as well. Meanwhile, Nam-il and Nam-joo arrive to see their deceased niece, grieving all over again. It’s...fuck, man, it sucks.

And Gang-du is fucking PISSED NOW. He grabs a street sign and attacks the injured creature, fueled by pure rage. Nam-il joins in with Molotov cocktails as it runs away. The homeless man douses it with gasoline, and that makes it easier for Nam-il to set it on fire...until he drops the bottle. And then, Nam-joo uses it to light an arrow on fire, hitting the creature with it, and setting it ablaze. It runs to the water, only for Gang-du to stab it through the head with the street sign, finally killing it in revenge for his father and his daughter. Fucking bad-ASS. And also quite tragic, given the circumstances.

And despite the tragedy, there is one happy circumstance: Se-joo lives! In fact, Hyun-seo died saving his life, like the real goddamn hero of this story that she is. Fuck. That’s terrible, but I’m happy that her sacrifice wasn’t in vain. From here, we fast-forward to the winter, where a clean-shaven and well-kept Gang-du is is now caring for Se-joo. The news is on in the background, but the two ignore it, happily eating together after the ordeal they’ve been through.

Whoof. That’s The Host, or Gwoemul! And yeah, that’s one hell of a movie, I tell you what. For a monster movie, it’s quite dramatic, and they don’t try to humanize the monster AT ALL. And honestly, I really like it! A Pyrrhic victory at the end, but nothing wrong with that! I’ll elaorate a bit in the review! See you there!

#the host 2005 #bong joon-ho #song kang-ho #byun hee-bong #park hae-il #bae doona #go ah-sung #gwoemul #괴물 #science fiction may #sci-fi may #user365 #365 movie challenge #365 movies 365 days #365 Days 365 Movies #365 movies a year #korean cinema

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koreandragon · 3 years

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what are the best or top5 kdramas you would recommend?

omg haha, thank you for asking me that even though idk how reliable my recommendations are haha

extracurricular

this drama is dark as hell. it’s about high schooler ji soo who’s providing security for sex workers through an app to make money because he moved out of his home. then he meets this girl, yuri, who realizes what he’s doing and wants in on the business and turns his life upside down. kim dong hee and park joo hyun are *chef’s kiss* in this and just the whole drama is so well done and keeps you on edge. i binged it in one afternoon

365 repeat the year

simply because i was listening to the soundtrack of this last night and just generally being out of my mind, i will have to put this on the list. 10 people get the opportunity to travel back one year and fix their mistakes. but then they start dying one by one and our two protagonists need to figure out why. i would recommend this because there are many plot twists that are so good and unexpected, you will be engaged every step. nam ji hyun and lee joon hyuk’s chemistry is off the charts, it’s just a really good thriller drama with fantasy elements

into the ring

this is really just like a slice of life drama about people who work in a small town’s governing office. the humor is hilarious, the main couple is one of the best i have ever seen and the acting is amazing. it’s just about sera’s “fake it til you make it” and gong myung being her secretary twink

hospital playlist

another slice of life drama. there is no plot essentially, it’s just about the lives of these 5 doctos that work in the same hospital and have been friends since college. it’s very endearing and very funny. another one like this from the same writer is prison playbook which is the same but it takes place in prison.

strangers from hell

oh my god for one dollar name a really good romance kdrama....i can’t so here’s another horror thriller. im siwan moves into a studio apartment full of serial killers led by lee dong wook. that’s it. 10/10. also the rose soundtrack

save me

some people say they didn’t like this but honestly it’s one of my favorites. the characters are incredibly smart and the whole cult stuff is terrifying. seo yeji gets dragged into a cult with her family and taecyeon and woo do hwan try to break her out. also you can just look at woo do hwan’s face which is always a bonus.

fight for my way

wow the first real romance drama. this is the best romance drama i’ve seen really. friends to lovers trope. park seo joon. what more do you want

school 2017

i’ll admit i haven’t seen the other school shows but this one is my favorite simply because there is no love triangle and kim jung hyun. all the characters are really interesting and explores the injustice and pressures students face in korea.

designated survivor 60 days

korean remake of the american tv show. i loved every single character. the casting was amazing. the writing was amazing. even though it’s a political drama it’s just so engaging and interesting and not hard to follow at all. basically the minister of environment gets appointed as prime minister of korea because well...everyone else died. and he has no idea what he’s doing.

dinner mate

woman and man have meals together without knowing or asking who the other is. without any attachments. they fall in love. it’s verrrry cute.

hot stove league

baseball club. nam goong min is a snarky bitch who fixes baseball club. eunbi is a badass. it’s really just about baseball but it’s so good, it rated very high in korea when it aired

just between lovers

angst. broken man and woman find each other. they heal. i love it. junho i miss you.

terius behind me

secret agent is a nanny. it’s adorable.

extraordinary you

you probably heard of this or even watched it. rowoon and kim hye yoon realize they are characters in a manhwa. they try to break out of their characters. they fall in love. rowoon is extremely handsome.

flower of evil

lee joon gi is a serial killer....or is he? find out while you learn about the greatest love story through him and his wife

i realize most of these are thriller/action dramas but i love violence and unhinged characters. the list is also quite long but these are absolutely my favorite dramas. also honorable mention to a drama that’s just started airing

the uncanny counter

grim reapers in tracksuits fight demons and they also run a noodle restaurant

#ask #idk what type of kdramas you were looking for but these are my recommendations #Anonymous

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ohsharethekmusic · 3 months

Audio

Song : Retro Love (Instrumental)

Artist : Nam Dong Hyun

Album {Single} : Retro Love

#Retro Love #Instrumental #Retro Love (Instrumental)#Nam Dong Hyun #BOYHOOD #Single #Nam Dong Hyun Single #BOYHOOD Single #kmusic

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unsaltedbutterandwheatbread · 4 years

Text

Say goodbye to first half of 2020, say your warmest hello to second half of 2020! The first half was kinda hard for us, wasn’t it? Because of pandemic we had to stay in home and did everything from home. Well, it seems nothing will change much in second half of 2020 so stay strong and stay healthy, guys!

One positive thing about being at home all the time is I have plenty of time to watch many k-dramas and I guess you too. So, I want to share my first half of 2020 k-dramas and I’ll divide it into some sections:

Drama’s Ending in 2020:

1. Crash Landing on You

Typical romance-genre drama but I really love Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s chemistry a LOT! But on the other hand I still believe our second lead couple deserves better. Yes.

2. Stove League

I’m all the trash for sport-genre drama although this drama showed us more of the management and the system on how a baseball club’s work. Baek Seung-soo’s character himself is unique and really caught my attention and I fall in love in Lee Se-young’s character a lot!

3. Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life

My first 100-episode family dramas I watched ongoing (What Happens to My Family is my first family drama). Kim Cheong-ah’s past stories and family really caught my attention although I still dislike the ending of Kim Seol-ah and Mun Tae-rang. Just, why..... T.T

2020 Dramas:

1. Tell Me What You Saw

Well, nothing new about thriller-detective genre but it always catch my attention. I was surprise-not-surprise after they revealed the killer but still, how can he???

2. Hi Bye, Mama!

If you’re looking for a heart-warming and sad-melo drama, this drama serves them all. I cried in every single episode and even I cried during the last episode from minute 1 to the last minute of the drama but honestly I like the ending.

3. 365: Repeat The Year

Well, I recommend you this drama. A lot. This drama is really gave me a major trust-issue! The plot is super interesting and you can’t help theorizing about what will happen next or what was happened. And you’ll find yourself shipping the leads, a lot, even though you know this type of genre didn’t provide you a romance at all. Yes, I never thought Nam Ji-hyun and Lee Joon-hyuk would be a perfect pair AND PLEASE CAST NAM JI-HYUN AS DETECTIVE OR POLICE. Just, please.

4. A Piece of Your Mind

I have to say this drama is the most underrated drama in the first half of 2020. Because of its low rating the drama has to cut to 12 eps instead of 16 eps. This drama is perfect choice for you who need a healing, slow-burn romance, meaningful, and aesthetically pleasing drama.

5. Find Me In Your Memory

You can easily guess about what will happen next because of the plot is a typical romance-genre but you wouldn’t stop watching this because the leads’ chemistry. I watched this just because my friend told so but ended up loving this drama. Kim Dong-wook and Mun Ga-young are just beautiful :*

6. Hospital Playlist

My most favorite drama for the first half of 2020. I waited for this drama since last year and it really worth of waiting. I never a fan of medical drama but it’s okay because most of our doctors do here is eat and eat. If you need a nice slice-of-life, meaningful, and comedy drama, this is perfect for you and let’s wait for season 2 together! :”

7. Good Casting

This drama caught my attention for the badass NIS ahjummas and their comedic action. I never expect we’ll get a season 2 and after Lee Sang-yeob spilled us in his instagram post, the ending finally made sense and let me wait for season 2 patiently :”

8. Mystic Pop-up Bar

Oh I really love this drama! This is a meaningful drama wrapped nicely in comedic drama and you’ll find yourself cried and laugh with the leads. Well, I miss them so much :(

9. Oh My Baby

I really am into a kind of drama like this: the leads are both late 20s or in 30s even in 40s, struggling in their office, career, and daily life, and you know those of all relate to your life. This drama gave me some new insights regarding choosing career or marriage life, career or children, or having children and career, and how to befriend our hardship and try to overcome it.

There are still some completed dramas I finished: Signal, Marriage Contract, and A Poem A Day and some web-dramas and short dramas but I just shared to you dramas in 2020. So, I’m ready for all the 2020′s second-half k-dramas!

#crash landing on you #stove league #beautiful love wonderful life #tell me what you saw #hi bye mama #365 repeat the year #a piece of your mind #Find me in your memory #hospital playlist #good casting #mystic pop up bar #oh my baby

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starfire-s · 3 years

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Ok I need to know your top 5 fave each of kdramas, fave female characters and fave couples (from whichever show/drama)

hey! sorry for the late reply i was thinking 🤔

my 5 fave kdramas have to be -

flower of evil - dilf lee joon ki… do i have to say more lmao

run on - best show of the year i loved every single character and the vibes are unbeatable!

crash landing on you - call me basic but you give me star crossed lovers with extra drama… i’m sold

still 17 - aka 30 but 17 one of my faves i love shin hye sun so much and this show made me cry at times so

the secret life of my secretary - a fave of mine i enjoyed watching it so much despite the mediocre writing but as long as i had fun lmao

my five fave female characters are -

do bong soon from strong woman bong soon, moon young from pbio (love me a good unhinged female character), deok mi from her private life (i relate to her i feel like she’s representing me in the future lmao), eun bong hee from suspicious partner (nam ji hyun did so well playing this character her character just made me laugh so much that’s why she’s one of my faves), song ah from do you like brahms (that character was literally me… introverted? check! can’t speak up for herself? check! confused about her future? check! i related too much the representation ahsjjs)

fave couples (i’m doing more than 5 just because i have too many and will focus on just kdramas) -

do san and dal mi from start up, bong soon and min hyuk from strong woman bong soon, dong man and ae ra from fight for my way, se ri and jeong hyeok from cloy, seon gyeom and mi joo from run on, seo jun and happiness from true beauty (lmao sorry i had to)

#my fave couples… i can sense a type can everyone else lmao #thank you for asking me!!#i need any excuse to just talk about my kdramas #ask #amruta1009 #also i haven’t seen many older kdramas i’ll be honest so

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smylealong · 3 years

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Year in review - 2020

2020 has been a mixed bag of an year. Where on one hand it has been a raging dumpster fire with a global pandemic, lockdowns, social distancing, online schools, politics, forest fires, Karens and the general sense of ennui that the year brought. On the other hand, the year gave us all time. Time to reflect on ourselves. Time to teach ourselves new things. Time to binge watch. And boy did the streaming platforms make full use of it. Listed below are the best things I saw in 2020. (Across languages and in no specific order.) IT IS A LONG POST. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

HINDI Thappad: Dir: Anubhav Sinha. Starring: Tapasee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Diya Mirza, Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah. On surface level, the premise seems frivolous. After all, it was just a slap. Just. One. Slap. Yet, with that one slap, the protagonist’s neatly organized world comes apart at the seams. From there begins Amruta’s (Tapsee Pannu) journey into exploring the micro-aggressions and tiny slights that she has turned a blind eye to, for the sake of keeping peace. The film never veers into a glorification of violence nor does it get overly preachy. It is a mirror to the patriarchal society and raises pertinent questions about the things that the society as normalized. Things that shouldn’t be normalized.

Bulbbul: Dir: Anvita Dutt. Starring: Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwari, Rahul Bose, Parambrata Chatterjee and Paoli Dam.

Horror does not always lie in the things that go bump at night. Sometimes, horror is what society expects of you. Horror is the consequence of not fitting into the role that has been written for you. Sometimes, it is terrifying to be a woman in a male-dominated society. That is what Bulbbul explores. Wrapped in a beautiful package, Bulbbul tells the raw story of a child-bride who is punished, harshly, inhumanly, for acting her age. If you haven’t seen it yet, drop everything and watch it. It’s on Netflix.

Lootcase: Dir: Rajesh Krishnan. Starring: Kunal Khemu, Rasika Duggal, Vijay Raaz, Gajraj Rao.

This was a charming little movie that had me in splits. A story of a simple man who chances upon a bag full of money. What follows is a hilarious tale of lies, deception and comedy of errors. Kunal Khemu proves that Bollywood does not realize just how talented he is. Vijay Raaz’s deadpan comedy and Gajraj Rao’s evil smiling desperation are a delight to behold. I’m smiling even as I am writing this. This was fun!

Raat Akeli Hai: Dir: Honey Tehran. Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Ila Arun, Shweta Tripathi, Tigmanshu Dhulia.

This was India’s answer to Knives Out. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is at his finest as the honest and frustrated (in more ways than one) police officer who finds himself attracted to the mistress of the murdered man. What follows is a tale so full of twists and turns that I could not predict where it is going. When you have Siddiqui at the helm, you are almost certain to get a good film. But when he is backed by stellar performance from the able cast, that takes the film to another level altogether.

Patal Lok: Dir: Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy. Starring: Jaideep Alhawat, Niraj Kabi, Abhishek Bannerjee, Swastika Mukherjee, Gul Panang, Ishvaak Singh.

Wow. Just. Wow. This is arguably the BEST thing that I have seen all year. On the surface this is an attempted murder case. But what it actually is, is a mirror to our society. It is a human story. A story of greed, corruption, power, violence, misogyny, depravity and true evil. It is a story of love, hope, support, kindness and humanity. It is a story of us. My hats off to the entire cast and crew for coming up with something truly special.

ENGLISH

Haunting of Bly Manor: Created by: Mike Flannagan. Starring: Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Amelia Eve, T’Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli.

Based on Henry Jame’s Turn of the Screw, this was a poignant tale of love, loss and pain. While it pales in comparison to its brilliant predecessor, Haunting of the Hill House, and the 1961 screen adaptation of the novel, The Innocents, Bly Manor still manages to be a worthy watch. In Mike Flannagan’s deft hands, we get to see a completely different perspective of the Haunting. I won’t say more, for spoilers, but this was definitely one of the better things I watched this year. Especially since I almost eschewed English movies/series this year. (I did watch some forgettable movies like Extraction and Mulan, but even mentioning them here feels sacrilegious.)

Korean

This year, I returned to Korean Dramas after a long time. My last Korean Drama before this year was Faith that I saw in 2014. Since Boys Over Flowers (Read Kim Bum) is my guilty pleasure watch, I decided to have it on in the background sometime in March or April this year. (Honestly, in 2020, who knows?). BOF took me to The King: Eternal Monarch. And TKEM introduced me to Woo Do Hwan who gave me some of the best times in this year. Three of his dramas feature here.

Save Me:- Dir: Kim Sung-soo. Starring: Ok Taec-yeon, Seo Yea-ji, Woo Do Hwan, Jo Sung-ha, Jo Jae-yoon.

Do you fancy a kick to your teeth? Because that is what this series is. What starts a simple story of a regular family’s struggles upon moving to a new town, quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare in which you are simply the viewer. The story delves into cults and the insidious power they hold. Through Seo Yea-ji’s brilliant performance as Im Sang-mi, we see a K drama heroine who is not a damsel in distress. She isn’t the one throwing the punches, that is done by Ok Taec-yeon and Woo Do Hwan. Still she is the one that leads the fight. If that wasn’t enough, Woo Do Hwan, plays Seok Dong-chul. Arguably one of the best male leads I have seen.

Mad Dog:- Dir: Hwang Ui-kyung Starring: Yoo Ji-tae, Woo Do Hwan, Jo Jae-joon, Ryu Hwa-young, Kim Hye-sung.

What a treat this show is! Smart protagonists pitted against equally intelligent antagonists and a taut plot that rarely sags (It does sag just a wee bit in the middle but it picks up pace very quickly). Woo Do Hwan is fantastic as the ever changing, tough to pin down, Kim Min Joon. The layers in this character! This show will keep you guessing. Every cast member is stellar and no one has a single misstep. A must watch!

My Country: Dir: Kim Jin-won Starring: Yang Se Jong, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Seol-hyun, Jang Hyuk.

This series brings a set of very complex emotions in me. Don’t get me wrong. I love the series. Its story, characterization, costumes, cinematography, acting, action scenes, OST. They are top notch. A+. But... and this is a big one, this series is also a glaring display of what happens when a writer falls in love with one of their characters. As a writer, I can say that we love all our characters. But it is very dangerous for a writer to move from simply loving the character to falling in love with the character. When that happens, the writer becomes afraid of letting that particular character make mistakes. Or glosses over their flaws. Often at the expense of the other character. Which is what happened here. The writer fell in love with Seo Hwi and Nam Seon ho paid the price. Hwi could literally assassinate people in front of Hui Jae and still be forgiven for it, while Nam Seon-ho gets demonized for trying to save Hwi by telling lies. I could go on and on about how unfair this series was to Seon-ho, but that would be a separate post altogether.

Tale of a Gumiho: Dir: Kang Shin-hyo Starring: Lee Dong Wook, Jo Bo-ah, Kim Bum.

I started this series for Kim Bum (I LOVE THE GUY). I was prepared for some cheesy, goofy fun with some good looking people. But soon, I was watching it for the story. A smart Urban Fantasy with elements of Korean Mythology, this was UF done right! This series made me do research. I am so tired of seeing the same old myths in fantasy that this came as a breath of fresh air. Intelligent protagonists who communicate well (gasp! what? That happens?). A flip-flopping anti-hero. A truly psychopathic villain and a bunch of other well-fleshed characters make for one entertaining watch. I highly recommend it.

Chinese:

K-dramas made me revive the Tumblr account that I had created sometime in 2017 and which lay dormant since then. Soon, my Tumblr feed was filled with gifs and metas of a show with pretty men. I did not pay much attention to it, till a post about Jin Ling’s Uncle made me snort. Even though I didn’t understand what it was talking about, it was still funny. Realizing that the show is on Netflix, I saw the trailer and wasn’t impressed. Then there was the length. 50 episodes! Holee-moleee. “No. I ain’t got that much time,” I said and moved on. But then, I saw a gif of a man smiling. I had never seen a smile that dazzling. There was something about that smile that made me go back and click on the first episode. And in less than ten minutes of the episode, they killed the man whose smile drew me to the show. WTF? But I had seen gifs of him. There had to be more. Then, the show began and I had no idea what was happening. I decided no smile could be worth the brain-cells I am having to expend for this. Chuck it. But people in Tumblr said, hold on. You will understand it. Episode 2, and I still wasn’t sold. I gave it till episode 5. Then, before I knew it, I finished the 50 episodes and currently reside in the rabbit hole that is The Untamed.

Dir: Zheng Weiwen and Chen Jialin Starring: Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, and a host of others. I can’t write the name of the entire cast, even though I want to.

PS: In case you don’t know, the man with the pretty smile is Xiao Zhan.

#2020 year in review #long post warning

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thenotsosecretbits · 4 years

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what were your favorite kdramas of the year? or what kdramas did you watch?

A few weeks ago I decided to make a list of all the kdramas I've ever watched. One reason is because I was super bored at work (much like I am now) and the other is that my daughter wanted to know exactly how many kdramas I've watched and I needed an accurate list.

I watched 11 kdramas that aired in 2019, and although one began in 2018, it ended in 2019 so it counts. I watched 2 dramas this year that originally aired in 2017, so they do not count on my 2019 list.

They are in order of favorite to least favorite and with commentary, because knowing my fave dramas means nothing if you don't know why I liked them:

My Country: The New Age - My favorite drama of 2019. The acting was stellar. This drama made me feel things. Mostly overwhelming love for Nam Seon-ho, my favorite character in a drama ever. This drama moved me to tears. I knew that ending was coming and I was still not prepared for how much it gutted me. Will recommend this show to everyone. I will not warn them about the ending. I want them to hurt just like I did.

Leverage: Con Artists - My only complaint about Leverage is that there are only 16 episodes. I loved this crew. I loved the cons. Hopefully there will be a season two and if there is I will be watching. I miss this show a lot.

Memories of the Alhambra - The ending is the only thing I disliked about this drama. Everything else was great. MotA made me a fan of Hyun Bin. This show was all about his character and he delivered. Jin-woo deserved better than that ending, though.

Watcher - Really great drama. Everyone should watch it. This drama was good at showing you that sometimes good people do bad things for what they think are the right reasons and the way those things can change you, sometimes for the better, but mostly for the worse.

I liked the next four dramas equally, so 4-way tie.

Hotel Del Luna - This drama is worth watching for IU's wardrobe alone. Was not a fan of Captain Firefly, was a fan of everyone else. They really should not have given us that last scene if they weren’t going to deliver.

Her Private Life - Cutest couple ever. Ryan and Deok-Mi were great. I loved that he accepted her and all her wacky fangirl ways. I loved that, for all her wacky fangirl ways, you knew that he was the one she loved the most. Great kisses, which are important in kdramas.

The Tale of Nokdu - Got really heavy towards the end, but I didn't mind that, though some people did. I like that it ended on a lighthearted note, but still maintained a bit of that seriousness, which is important.

Romance is a Bonus Book - Good show. I happen to like Lee Jong Suk (he was in one of my other favorite dramas W: Two Worlds) and I like that he picked this as his last show before enlistment. I liked Dan-i, because I could identify with her a lot. At one point I was also a single mom trying to get back into the job market (not for the same reasons) and realizing how hard that is when you see how different things are. I loved the publishing company, they were wonderful. And the love of books. As an avid reader I really liked that.

Kill It - This drama made me so mad. This drama would have been higher on the list but I hated the ending. HATED IT!!! Other than that, it was a good drama that tackled a pretty horrible topic. But the ending. *deep sigh* The ending. (I just realised Kill It was on OCN and now I'm mad at myself for expecting a different ending. My dissatisfaction with the ending is my own fault. )

Melting Me Softly - Lots of people hated this drama. I didn't mind it much. The main couple were cute and that was pretty much all I cared about. Could it have been better? Absolutely. Ji Chang Wook continues to deliver stellar on screen kisses.

My Absolute Boyfriend - I will say this was very bingeable. I finished it in a weekend. Ending could have been a bit less ambiguous. Yeo Jin Goo is always adorable.

I also watched Mad Dog and Save Me (both starring my new fave Woo Do Hwan) in 2019. Of those, I liked Mad Dog the most. Would definitely have watched a second season of that. Save Me was a very close second, but I was not a fan of Sang Hwan, who diminished my like of the show a bit, since he was the lead and therefor never went away. I'd watch it again though. Dong-cheol and Sang-mi were great. All the villains were horrible and deserved everything that happened to them.

And that is my list. 2019 wasn’t a bad year for good dramas. 2018 was definitely worse. I started a bunch of dramas in 2018 I still haven’t finished yet. I should probably do that.

#asked and answered #my kdramas of 2019 #my country #my country the new age #memories of the alhambra #leverage: con artists #ocn watcher #hotel del luna #tale of nokdu #romance is a bonus book #ocn kill it #melting me softly #my absolute boyfriend #her private life

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