Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Chicago Typewriter” takes place in modern-day Seoul, but some of the best storytelling occurs during flashbacks to the 1930s, when Korea was under Japanese occupation. There, we learn about three resistance fighters whose lives and friendship will set the tone for the 21st Century arc.
There are some K-Drama fans who will watch each new episode as they are released and patiently go about their lives. Then there’s me, who promises to watch just two episodes and then gets overly worked up that I have to wait a few days for the next episode. So here’s the question: Do you watch new dramas as they air? Or do you wait until the series is almost over so you can watch the entire series within a few days?
“When the Camellia Blooms” starts off with so many things happening at once that it’s initially difficult to focus on all the different story arcs: a serial killer, small-town pettiness, marital issues and the possibility of romance. But as the series progressed, each consecutive episode found its focus and finished with a sweet and satisfying finale that felt true to the characters. There is death and sadness dotted throughout the series. But at its core, “Camellia” is a story of love — not just between a man and a woman, but between parents and their children.
If you’re like me, you may feel a tinge of sadness after your favorite K-Drama airs its last episode. One of the ways I deal with this is by checking out other dramas starring some of the actors I fell in love with.
Just weeks after the Korean boy band SuperM held a showcase in Los Angeles, their management company, SM Entertainment, announced that it has signed with CAA for representation in all areas. Founded in 1995 by Soo-Man Lee — one of Variety’s 2019 International Power Players — SM Entertainment’s roster also includes K-pop luminaries NCT 127 (pictured above), EXO, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior and Red Velvet.
The K-pop group SuperM kicks off its North American tour on November 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. If you live in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, you’ll have the opportunity to see them perform live. But because they have many fans who don’t live in the cities they’ll be visiting, the group made the decision to shoot “SuperM the Beginning.” The hour-long episodes give fans a taste of their whirlwind debut.
Fans of SF9 already knew all about Kim Seok-woo and his extra-ordinary talent. But it wasn’t until recently that television viewers took notice. Thanks to the popularity of the MBC series “Extra-ordinary You,” the idol — who goes by Rowoon — has become a bonafide leading man.
“Parasite” currently is one of the most-talked about films at the box office. Directed by Bong Joon-ho (“Snowpiercer,” “The Host, “Okja”), the international hit has already won the coveted Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. There’s a strong Oscar buzz, too, with industry experts predicting that the movie may bypass a nomination for the Best Foreign Film for more prestigious nominations (Best Picture, Best Director etc.) at the 2020 Academy Awards.
Advocates for promoting the awareness of mental health – especially in young people – BTS obliquely addresses this issue with the music video for their reworked version of “Make It Right.” It includes concert footage along with an animated story line. The animation gives off a strong “Le Petit Prince” vibe. Like the imagery depicted in the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel, the video delves into the delicate nature of human behavior.
There’s never a guarantee that a successful child actor will grow up to be a famous leading man or leading woman. For every Natalie Portman who matures into an Academy Award-winning actress, you have a slew of performers like Macaulay Culkin, who were beloved as children, but didn’t fare as well in their 20s and 30s.
“Signal” makes you ponder the consequences of altering life. Is it fate for a person to die at a certain time, no matter how horrific that death might be? And knowing that saving someone’s life in the past could create catastrophic results in the future, would you still take that chance?
One of the minor complaints that international fans have is they don’t like waiting to see their favorite Korean shows. Seeing overseas content in real-time can be a rarity for any regular series, regardless of what country it originates. But KOCOWA has a new feature to unveil and it should make international K-pop fans very happy: K-pop LIVE. Viewers can watch three of South Korea’s most popular music shows (“Music Bank K-Chart,” “Show! Music Core” and “SBS Inkigayo”) at the exact same time as their Korean counterparts in Korea!
Web series have always been popular with K-Drama fans. The short formats are attractive to viewers who want something fun to watch without investing a lot of time. Have you checked out “Here Comes Robo KDI-109!” and “Yellow” yet?
You can always watch plenty of K-Dramas for free on KOCOWA, but one of the perks of a subscription is getting to watch your shows straight through without annoying ads. KOCOWA also offers premium content that’s uploaded quicker and more accurately than on other legal streaming services.
The finale of “Bring the Soul” coincides with the end of the European leg of BTS’ 2018 “Love Yourself” world tour. Each member is given his moment in the spotlight, but this episode was almost a coming-of-age tribute to Jungkook (who had just turned 21 on tour).
When Yoo Ji-Tae was doing press interviews to promote”Healer,” he said he was confident about signing onto the project when he heard that Park Min-Young was the female lead. Why? Because Park is one of those actresses who has the magic touch when it comes to picking projects that will become hits. He wasn’t wrong. That got us wondering: Who else has the golden touch when it comes to K-Dramas?
The saving grace of “Come and Hug Me” is that it drives home the point that bloodlines don’t define who you are or who you will become — and that just because you passed your DNA onto a child, that doesn’t make you a good parent.
Ever since Ji Chang-Wook’s discharge from South Korea’s mandatory military duty on April 27, 2019, fans have been biting their fingernails waiting for his comeback. They won’t have to wait much longer, because the popular actor’s latest series, “Melting Me Softly,” will premiere on South Korean television on September 28.
Just days after they ended their brief vacation, BTS is back at it. Early Wednesday morning, the Korean pop group’s management company — Big Hit Entertainment — simply tweeted: “#BTS TikTok Channel Open!” That was all it took for ARMY (BTS’ loyal fans) to follow suit.
“Someone said seeing BTS was like seeing a unicorn,” RM says in this fifth episode of “Bring the Soul.” “When you think about it, no matter what’s happening behind the stage, just showing our faces is a remarkable experience for some people.” In other words, the group is well aware that there are fans all over the world who will never get the chance to attend a BTS concert. They know that the ones who did manage to snare a ticket often had to go through a Hunger Games-like ordeal to purchase it. For that reason, the group strives to be perfect, to give each show 110% and to perform through their injuries when possible, even when they’re advised not to.