Substack: K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim
SUBSTACK is the space where I curate my reviews and views about Korean-centric things happening in the pop culture realm (and beyond) that pique my interest…and I hope yours, too.
Tag: Substack
“Vigilante” (비질란테)
As with “The Killing Vote,” this K-drama centers on the intersection of criminals and their corrupt police counterparts — all of whom benefit from the quid pro quo exchange.
“Twinkling Watermelon” (반짝이는 워터멜론)
If you could go back in time and make your parents’ lives better, would you? Eun-gyeol (Ryeoun) doesn’t exactly make this choice. Rather, he’s mysteriously thrust into a bygone era where he meets his high school-age parents.
“The Killing Vote” (국민사형투표)
Based on the webtoon of the same name, the premise revolves around a masked man who uses the pseudonym Gaetal/게탈 — which translates into dog mask — to mete out justice for those who they feel deserved stronger punishment for their crimes.
“Daily Dose of Sunshine” (정신병동에도 아침이 와요)
Based on the novel by former psychiatric nurse Lee Ra-ha and helmed by “All of Us Are Dead” director Lee Jae-gyu, “Daily Dose of Sunshine” tackles the very real world problems of how unkind society can be to people suffering from mental health issues.
“CEO-dol Mart” (사장돌마트)
If you’re looking for a light K-drama where the plot is not really the point, “CEO-dol Mart” is the show to watch. The premise of this series is that after the death of a member, the idol group the Thunder Boys broke up and went their separate ways before they had a chance at getting recognition.
“The Worst of Evil” (최악의 악)
Playing undercover police officer Jun-mo — who hopes that his gig will lead to a promotion — Ji Chang-wook is in his element as an eager cop who infiltrates a drug cartel with ties to China and Japan.
“Doona!” (이두나!)
There is a recurring dream sequence in “Doona!” A young woman is submerged in water. From below, she can see the glitz and glamour of her life as a top star. But when our protagonist startles herself awake, we see her living a mundane life, waking up sweaty in a small apartment and taking long drags of cigarettes in the courtyard. This is how we meet Lee Doo-na, a famous K-pop idol who is hiding away in a shared house for college students.
AT&T, a Factory Job and Me
She saw me as a dark-skinned minority, like herself. Aligning herself to me wouldn’t help her step up in social status. To her — and probably to many people — I was just another immigrant working in a factory, and that’s all that I would ever be. To her, she saw no value in me. Maybe my ethnic otherness reminded her too much of herself.
“If You Wish Upon Me” (당신이 소원을 말하면)
Set in a hospice, the point of “If You Wish Upon Me” isn’t that the dying can only leave this world if they have a wish fulfilled. Rather, sometimes they need peace of mind before they’ll allow themselves to go.