“Thirty-Nine” (서른, 아홉)
“Thirty-nine” is a reminder that while we’ve all made mistakes in our lives, we can’t continue to punish ourselves forever. Life is short. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow. Be honest and live your best life.
Author: Jae-Ha Kim
Go Away With … Aria Brooks
For 15-year-old actress Aria Brooks, playing Libby in the Disney+ film “Better Nate Than Ever” was like being with a good friend. “I think Libby and I are similar in a lot of ways. We stand for a lot of the same things, like feminism and Black power. I feel like my self-confidence developed more after playing Libby.”
Go Away With … Will Ropp
“When I was 12, I went on a trip with my mom to Disney World,” said “The Fallout” actor Will Ropp. “Her health was failing and it ended up being the last trip we would take together. And in that way, it was both the best and worst (vacation).”
“Pachinko”
In this review, writer Jae-Ha Kim unpacks the Apple TV+ series Pachinko, its faithfulness to the book by Min Jin Lee, and why unnecessary plot changes can serve an adverse purpose.
Go Away With … Rain Perry
“My husband and I plan to visit Krakow and make the trip to Auschwitz (this May),” said singer/songwriter Rain Perry. “It’s almost too awful to conceive that our visit to a site of such atrocities depends on the status of a war with many similarities raging just a few hours away (in Ukraine).”
Go Away With … Indi Star
“Vermont is one of my favorite places ever,” said “The Hyperions” actress Indi Star. “I was born in and lived on the East Coast in Massachusetts for eight years. We had an amazing ski house at Mount Snow in Vermont. It always feels like home whenever I think of it. I miss visiting there.”
Angad Arts Hotel
The Angad Arts Hotel is one of the more unique properties I’ve stayed at. Located in a vibrant theatre and arts district, it’s equal parts art gallery and trendy hotel. It’s also the first hotel of its kind where guests select their rooms not just by the number of beds they’ll need, but by the color and emotion they want to feel during their stay. No, for real!
Go Away With … Johanna Liauw
“I was flying from Los Angeles to Florida a couple of years back and they had to make an emergency landing at an airport in Lubbock, Texas,” said “Tall Girl 2” actress Johanna Liauw. “The plane was nose-diving and it was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had on a flight.”
Go Away With … Martin Yan
“The United States is an immigrant country,” said chef Martin Yan. “Only native Americans were here first. We all came over to fulfill a dream and maybe get away from political or religious persecution. Basically, America is a melting pot. I think of it as a hot pot, where you can put anything in it and the more you put into it, the better it is.”
“Twenty-Five Twenty-One” (스물다섯 스물하나)
The burgeoning romance in “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” is based on a strong friendship. But some viewers have pointed out that the story would’ve been more effective if the female lead character hadn’t been underage when they met.
Go Away With … Tasha Franken
“I’m biased, but I love going to Spain for a vacation,” said model Tasha Franken. “I grew up there. Ever since I left, I realized how amazing it is and wish I appreciated it more while living there.”
“Hello, Me!” (안녕? 나야!)
“Hello, Me!” is about Ha-Ni, a high school beauty who seemed destined for success. Instead, she grows up to become a mouse-of-a woman who has lost her drive, popularity and — seemingly most importantly — her looks. Through some miraculous force, 16-year-old Ha-Ni appears in modern day Ha-Ni’s life, causing confusion for everyone concerned.
Go Away With … Woosung
“I want to fly to somewhere that I’ve never been before like Greece,” said The Rose frontman Woosung. “The pictures (I’ve seen) are beautiful. I like nature. I don’t like hiking, but I like the fresh air. Greece has a lot of cool architecture. Yeah, I want to go there.”
“The King: Eternal Monarch” (더 킹: 영원의 군주)
“The King: Eternal Monarch” was Lee Min-Ho’s comeback drama after finishing his mandatory military service in 2019. Beautifully shot and well acted by the lead actors, the series nonetheless is a bit of a hot mess when it comes to the meandering plot.
“Uncle” (엉클)
“Uncle” is a sweet, if at times silly, series about a family that struggles to stay together. This K-drama essentially is about how familial love may be rooted in genetics. But there’s work to be done to truly be a family.
“Juvenile Justice” (소년 심판)
There has been much debate in South Korea about how to punish and rehabilitate underage criminals. “Juvenile Justice” deals with these issues in a taut manner, using the law to mete out judicial revenge.
“Mouse” (마우스)
If there was a test that determined whether your unborn child carried a psychopath gene, would you trust it enough to terminate your pregnancy? Or would you believe that regardless of your child’s genetic makeup, you could raise him to be a good person who wouldn’t grow up to be a killer? Would you trust nurture or nature?
“Juror 8” (배심원들)
In 2008, South Korea held its first ever trial by jury in Dageu. In that trial, jurors deliberated for two hours before deciding that the 27-year-old man accused of robbing and assaulting a 70-year-old woman in her home was guilty. “Juror 8” is not a fictionalized version of those events. Rather, it’s a story about a man who plead guilty to murdering his mother and the first Korean jury that will determine his sentence.
Go Away With … Nicole Kang
“I’m an only child, so I have a lot of memories of being very solitary and entertaining myself,” said “Batwoman” star Nicole Kang. “I liked doing anything creative to entertain myself. I liked to lose myself in my imagination.”
“Hard Hit” (발신제한)
Seung-Gyu is an upper middle class bank manager who’s driving his children to school. While the kids bicker in the backseat, he answers a phone he doesn’t recognize. At first, he assumes it’s his wife’s phone and that the caller is trolling. But when the calls don’t stop, he worries about the what ifs. What if the caller isn’t lying? What if a bomb really will explode if he gets out of his car? What if?