Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
A remake of the 2002 Japanese TV series, “Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi,” “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” wasn’t nearly as subversive as the original, which had almost no moral compass (incest, murder, underage sex). A Korean film could’ve tackled those topics. But I knew there was no way a primetime Korean drama would delve too much into the seamier aspects of society.
Everything that “How I Met Your Mother” did wrong (including its series finale), “Answer Me 1997” does right. Funny and poignant with superb acting by the entire cast, the series tells the story of 6 childhood friends whose lives are intertwined through adulthood. Kudos to K-pop Hoya (of the group Infinite) for his thoughtful (and unstereotypical) portrayal of a gay teenager who is in love with his best friend; and to the writers for not portraying it as “weird.”
I really like this video, “Please Don’t,” by K.Will. The first time I saw it, I thought it was going to have a “Sixth Sense” kind of ending. The plot twist surprised me! You don’t have to understand Korean to follow the plot line. If you’ve got about 4 minutes to spare, watch this and let me know if you guessed the ending. But don’t spoil it for the others. 😉