Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Each of us has our own favorite K-dramas that are informed by our own personal experiences (and access). For instance, I was never able to get my hands on South Korea’s early dramas like “Death Row Prisoner,” which premiered in 1956. Therefore, my picks are influenced by what I’ve seen, which are primarily shows from 2000 onward.
“Bob [Saget] and I went to London, Paris and Sicily and it was all just spectacular,” on-air host Kelly Rizzo said of her late husband. “Thankfully, memories were made that would last a lifetime. He was so happy on that trip. It made me so happy to see him so happy. I’m so forever grateful for that trip. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.”
If you could go back in time and make your parents’ lives better, would you? Eun-gyeol (Ryeoun) doesn’t exactly make this choice. Rather, he’s mysteriously thrust into a bygone era where he meets his high school-age parents.
Based on the webtoon of the same name, the premise revolves around a masked man who uses the pseudonym Gaetal/게탈 — which translates into dog mask — to mete out justice for those who they feel deserved stronger punishment for their crimes.
“We wanted to convey a message of hope to girls all around the world that they are capable of achieving anything they want,” said EVERGLOW group leader SIHYEON. Her bandmate E:U added, “With [our single] ‘SLAY,’ we wanted to send an encouraging message for all girls who are stuck in their own boundaries to step forward with confidence.”
“I was actually orphaned at a very young age, just like most of the characters in both the source material of ‘Great Expectations’ and also our cheeky comedic companion piece of a film, ‘Expectations,’” said filmmaker Chris Robert Riegel. “Going through adolescence [and] knowing you don’t have a conventional background can have an effect on a sense of self, or identity. But I’ve found with my own circumstances, the start of the journey is something none of us can control.”
Based on the novel by former psychiatric nurse Lee Ra-ha and helmed by “All of Us Are Dead” director Lee Jae-gyu, “Daily Dose of Sunshine” tackles the very real world problems of how unkind society can be to people suffering from mental health issues.
Born in New York, Jessica Ho was 14 years old when she moved to South Korea by herself to jump-start her music career. Because of her young age, Jessi – as she’s known professionally – lived with her grandmother, attended school and signed with a Korean music company. “My father hadn’t wanted me to go, because I was so young,” said the singer, rapper and on-air personality
If you’re looking for a light K-drama where the plot is not really the point, “CEO-dol Mart” is the show to watch. The premise of this series is that after the death of a member, the idol group the Thunder Boys broke up and went their separate ways before they had a chance at getting recognition.
Playing undercover police officer Jun-mo — who hopes that his gig will lead to a promotion — Ji Chang-wook is in his element as an eager cop who infiltrates a drug cartel with ties to China and Japan.