“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.
Category: TV
“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?
How “All of Us Are Dead” Uses a Zombie Attack to Examine Korean & Global Issues
There’s a lot to unpack underneath the surface of Netflix’s hit zombie thriller. Here are six examples of how “All of Us Are Dead” utilizes the zombie genre to reflect on societal issues that are reflected around the world, with a focus on some issues unique to South Korea.
“The Hymn of Death” (사의 찬미)
“The Hymn of Death” is a bittersweet three-hour mini-series that tells the real-life story of Yum Sim-Deok — Joseon’s first soprano — and Kim Yoo-Jin, a renowned writer and playwright. Set during the period when Korea was under Japanese rule, the tragic story is familiar to many Koreans.
“The Hungry and the Hairy” (먹보와 털보)
During this pandemic when most of us can’t travel and are stuck at home, we can live vicariously through the delicious adventures of Rain and Noh Hong-chul in “The Hungry and the Hairy.”
“Melancholia” (멜랑꼴리아)
“Melancholia” is a nuanced series that depicts how a math teacher (Im Soo-jung) encourages her morose student (Lee Do-hyun) to live up to the potential he had as a child genius.
“Sisyphus: The Myth” (시지프스)
“Sisyphus: The Myth” has an intriguing premise, in which an inventor creates a time machine. And as with many time travel stories, you have to suspend your belief in reality to enjoy this production.
11 K-Dramas With Strong Women Characters & Empowering Storylines
Lately, there have been some compelling K-dramas where the female lead is more than just an object of desire. Rather, she is the capable one who is an integral part of the plot. Here are 11 K-dramas from recent years that exemplify female empowerment.
“The Silent Sea” (고요의 바다)
“The Silent Sea” is based on director Choi Hang-Yong’s short film of the same name. Starring Bae Doona and Gong Yoo, the eight-part series is set on the moon, where the astronauts have been tasked with recovering research from the previous mission.
11 Best K-Dramas of 2021
Narrowing down the best-of list to just 11 K-dramas was painstaking. But these shows from 2021 are must-sees that you will want to add to your watch list. Below, dive into the best K-dramas of 2021.
“Happiness” (해피니스)
There are still 18 days left until the end of the 2021 — and Gong Yoo’s “The Silent Sea” doesn’t even makes its premiere until December 24. But I don’t know that there will be a better K-drama this year than “Happiness.”
“Inspector Koo” (구경이)
“Inspector Koo” starts off strong, with a whip-smart teenage serial killer manipulating her victims, teachers and the police. She is as much a sociopath as a psychopath, which is explained away during a backstory that involves childhood trauma.
“Nevertheless” (알고있지만)
In many ways, “Nevertheless” is a primer for how women are manipulated into diminishing their own wants and desires for a man.
“Mystic Pop-up Bar” (쌍갑포차)
Hwang Jung-Eum is one of my absolute favorite actresses. I love everything about her, especially the forthright way she delivers her dialogue. Her chemistry with both leading men is on point and viewers can see the family-like dynamics shared by the trio. Choi Won-Young and Yook Sun-Jae are superb actors whose subtle (and overt) mannerisms speak to viewers without them having to utter a word.
“Hellbound” (지옥)
Director Yeon Sang-Ha (“Train to Busan”) adapted “Hellbound” from his own webtoon of the same name. He makes it clear that cults are the true sinners, which manipulate people’s lives with fear. And that hell isn’t necessarily a place foreign to us, because it’s where we may already be living.
“You Are My Spring” (너는 나의 봄)
“You Are My Spring” stresses the importance of mental health care and normalizing treatment for everyone, rather than as something that’s just for the clinically insane. And … There’s also a serial killer element.
“Chief of Staff” (보좌관): Season 1 & 2
Lee Jung-Jae and Shin Min-A star as a political dream team working for opposing candidates. He is a former police officer, whose goal it is to become an assemblyman. She was an attorney and on-air journalist before becoming an assemblywoman.
“Dr. Brain” (Dr. 브레인)
If you could tap into the brain of a dead person (or a cat, yes, a cat) in order to save a life, would you? That’s the premise behind “Dr. Brain,” the first original Korean series to make its debut on Apple TV+.
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” (갯마을 차차차)
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” is one of those slow-moving K-dramas that makes viewers wish they had the same kind of relationship as the characters do — not just with love interests, but with their friends.
“My Name” (마이 네임)
You know how in most action series, there is that one guy who can fight a team of gangsters, get stabbed and bounce back into action in no time? In “My Name,” that guy is a kickass woman.