American melancholy: The real loss in “Past Lives” isn’t love

In the Academy Award-nominated film โ€œPast Lives,โ€ the Korean concept of inyeon is used to lead viewers into believing that Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae-sung (Teo Yoo) are destined to be together โ€“ if not in this lifetime, then in the future. Or perhaps they were together in a distant past that neither can recall. The introduction of the word leaves moviegoers hoping that these two can have a happily-ever-after ending, despite his living in Seoul, 7,000 miles from her apartment in New York City.

IU’s Evocative “Love Wins All” Music Video (featuring V) is Thought-Provoking

Itโ€™s not easy for two well-known celebrities to immerse themselves in their roles so well that we donโ€™t seeย them, but rather their characters. But watching IU’s music video for “Love Wins All,” I didnโ€™t see pop stars IU and V, but rather a pair of anguished characters who were trying desperately to survive in this post-apocalyptic inferno.

“Gyeongseong Creature” (๊ฒฝ์„ฑํฌ๋ฆฌ์ฒ˜)

The gore in this K-drama is intense and unrelenting โ€” so much so that it ironically begins to lose impact. But amidst all the violence are well-developed stories of families, love and patriotism โ€” and thatโ€™s what prevents this series from being just another horror show.

The Best K-Dramas of 2023, From “The Glory 2” to “Queenmaker”

What a year for great K-dramas. With so many choices, it was difficult leaving out some of my favorites from this best K-dramas list. As for my top selections, I chose them because each is binge-worthy and features superb acting, well developed storylines that inform and celebrate, and explorations of real-life issues that may be specific to South Korea, but also share universal relevance.