Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Leave it to South Korea to make a romantic comedy that revolves around a character who suffers from prosopagnosia. Say what? The condition is more commonly known as face blindness, which prevents the person from recognizing family members, friends and — sometimes — themselves. But such is the plot for “The Secret Life of My Secretary.”
The “Running Man” cast members are characters. Literally. Since its debut on July 11, 2010, “Running Man” members have had a great time making fun of themselves and each other. Here, we’ll take a look at their nicknames and on-air personas.
One of the things I really enjoy about the Korean entertainment system is how idols are trained not just as singers, but also as actors. While most don’t pursue careers in television or film, almost all of them are comfortable promoting their groups on variety shows. Case in point: BTS!
Second lead syndrome is strong in “Love in the Moonlight.” And although it’s obvious from the beginning who will end up with the girl, I honestly would’ve been fine with either. Are you #TeamBoGum or #TeamJinYoung?!
BTS has figured out the most challenging aspect of stadium shows: how to make them feel intimate. Their boy-next-door charm, lively banter (in both English and Korean) and constant engagement with projected a warmth that reached the upper bleachers of Soldier Field. And even a language barrier doesn’t distract from the storytelling aspects of their songs: Most of the fans in the stadium tonight have long since translated the lyrics.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What does that have to do with K-Dramas? Plenty. There isn’t a K-Drama around that doesn’t have a storyline or plot twist that revolves around a mother.
“Secret Garden” is one of those K-Dramas that gets better as it progresses — even if that progression sometimes moves at a snail’s pace.
It has been a good week for BTS. On Wednesday (May 1), the South Korean group won two awards at the Billboard Music Awards (for top duo or group and best social artist). On Saturday (May 4), the septet kicked off its global “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” stadium tour at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. They will play the second of two consecutive sold-out nights on Sunday.
KOCOWA’s a streaming site that provides sub-titled Korean content within hours it airs in Korea. It’s perfect for K-Drama fans who hate waiting.
April 27, 2019. Mark that date in your calendar, because after having served 1 year, 8 months and 13 days in South Korea’s military, Ji Chang-Wook will be discharged on Saturday. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! After spending 1 year, 11 months and 13 days (but who’s counting?) serving mandatory military duty, Lee Min-Ho will be discharged on Thursday, April 25th. The A-list actor has chosen to re-enter civilian life without fanfare.
Five friends, four of them living together in one house. It becomes clear early on that the writers are setting up the premise for the roomies to pair off romantically. But because this is a K-Drama, there’s a hitch and, in this case, it’s the fifth friend who lives at home with his hard-working father. (Less of a storytelling inconvenience is a snooty rich girl who dates the male lead.)
Remember that last post when we wondered whether KBS — or KBS2 in this case — could have a hit with either “Doctor Prisoner” or “My Fellow Citizens!” It turns out that they could!
One of Japan’s most popular groups, Perfume became the first J-Pop act to ever take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with a performance last weekend. Formed in 2000, the electro-pop trio will do another set at the fest’s Gobi Tent on Sunday. That concert will conclude Perfume’s U.S. tour to promote their album, “Future Pop.” Nocchi (Ōmoto Ayano), Kashiyuka (Kashino Yuka) and A-chan (Nishiwaki Ayaka) made the most of their Coachella experience: The group caught a bit of Ariana Grande’s show and attended parties hosted by Interscope and Moschino. The experience, they said, was a dream.
Korean dramas are famous for asking viewers to believe that women — often the tiniest, daintiest actresses you could find — are going to be mistaken for men. But when they do it right, they do it so well.The best example I can think of is the gateway drama, “Coffee Prince,” starring Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun-Hye.
The success of Korean superstars BTS has paved the way for multiple K-pop acts to try their chances in the U.S. — but few will be making their U.S. concert debut with as much panache as Blackpink.
In 2013, BTS was just another Korean boy band signed to a small label that hardly anyone had heard of. Six years and a K-pop global explosion later, they are the most popular boy band in the world, which is why fans around the globe set their alarm clocks (or pulled all-nighters) to catch the global release of “Map of the Soul: Persona” at precisely 6 p.m. KST (2 a.m. PT/ 5 a.m. ET).
Since it’s 2010 premiere in South Korea, “Running Man” has been a weekly favorite. Though the ratings aren’t as high as it was during its heyday, the show still has a strong following of Korean and international fans. It also survived the departures of original cast members Song Joong-Ki and Gary. Though it’s difficult to narrow it down to just a few favorites, here are 5 episodes that I enjoyed very much!
It hasn’t even been a month since Lee Jong-Suk enrolled for his mandatory military duty on March 8. But there’s a ton of us fans who miss him already. Am I right? (That’s a rhetorical question, by the way.)
I finished watching the final episode of “Kill Me, Heal Me” early this morning, and I am left with a sense of melancholy — not because the ending was unhappy (it wasn’t), but because the series was so good I wanted to see more. This K-Drama unravels at a languid pace. As each new backstory is revealed, it felt like a jolt to my heart.