Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Sang-eun (Park Min-young) is a stunning young woman who has carved out a niche for herself marrying men. Nope, she’s not a gold digger. Her relationships with her clients are platonic and are based on a meticulously-worded love contract. Well educated and discreet, she is the perfect girlfriend/bride for men who need a well-heeled partner to show off.
BTS’ Kim Seok-jin announced today that he is preparing to enlist in the Korean military, which is required of all able-bodied Korean males. There are exceptions for athletes, classical musicians, and some academics. So why didn’t the Korean government exempt BTS, whose global achievements are unparalleled?
The “Big Mouth” cast is perfect, especially the lead actors Lee Jong-suk (as a lawyer on a losing streak) and Girls’ Generation’s Im Yoon-ah as his pragmatic wife (who’s a skilled nurse). There was not a moment where I didn’t believe that this couple was besotted with each other. Even when they argued, it was obvious that they cared so very much about each other.
As Hyun-soo, Kim Soo-hyun is superb in a difficult role where he has to be sympathetic, but also could be a cold-blooded and manipulative killer. His role requires him to cry in a manner that allows viewers to feel his panic and fears. And Kim comes through again superbly, proving he is one of the best actors of his generation.
Two Korean men move to Suriname in the hopes of making some fast money. Their goal is to buy skate, which Surinamese don’t want, for pennies and resell them in South Korea at an inflated price. But when cocaine is found in one of their shipments, both men are arrested and jailed.
“My Liberation Notes” is very beautifully executed in presenting a slice of life that doesn’t offer a fairy-tale ending … or offer finite solutions to ease the characters’ lives. But what this K-drama does do is allow for growth. Who the characters are at the start of the series is not who they are by the finale, and that’s a good thing.
“Again My Life” stars Lee Joon-Gi as a prosecutor who gets a second chance at life … literally. He is smart, charming and (of course) ridiculously handsome. This series is a lot of fun to watch, especially if you like revenge dramas.
“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.
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.
“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.
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.
“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.
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.”
Based on Gong Ji-young’s 2009 novel, “Silenced” is a brutal look at the systematic torture of children at a facility for the hearing impaired. Though Gong’s book is fictional, the stories she tells are based on the decades of real-life abuse that handicapped students endured at the Gwangju Inhwa School for the Deaf.
Based on the 2016 K-drama, “Cheese in the Trap” — which was based on the webtoon of the same name — this film adaptation is a good primer, but it’s lacking in telling the characters’ full stories.
“The Way Home” is a bittersweet film about a young Seoul boy who is forced to spend the summer with his grandmother, who lives in the countryside. It’s not a quaint rural area that rich folks like to vacation in. Rather, it’s a small village where the bus comes on a irregular schedule and an angry cow chases little children.
“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.
Set in the 1990s, “Tune in for Love” is a beautiful slice-of-life film focused on a young couple who meet as teenagers, lose touch, and reunite on and off throughout their twenties.
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” 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.