52nd Baeksang Awards Predictions

June isn't exactly award season in South Korea (that would be winter during the end of the year) but Baeksang Arts Awards rolls around in the summer to shake things up a bit. Like last year, I will be posting my own personal predictions of who I think should win this year, with a little commentary on the works that premiered in the year past. Different to other awards show, Baeksang gives out awards to both cinema and television, so there are lots of nominees. The award ceremony will happen on June 3rd, which is tonight, depending on when and where you're reading this.

Things Got Stuck in 'Cheese in the Trap'

You know those dramas that started so great and then just decided to kill itself? There are many examples, but the latest one in the minds and mouths (or fingers?) of Korean drama watchers is Cheese in the Trap. It begun what was to be a perfect drama. I even had hopes of making it high up on the yearly recaps. Alas, some things are too good to be true and the drama that was supposed to be the opposite of dramatic bit itself in the ass and became a drama in real life.

Monthly Recap: March 2016

So I haven't been the best blogger once again but since my computer was broken for half of March I suppose that's a good enough reason for my absence? I have been watching some dramas last month, so worry not. I will rant away on this post. Full reviews of some of the finished dramas will come soon, as will several movie reviews since the Baeksang Awards are happening sooner or later and I'll be making a prediction post again like last year.

First Take: Please Come Back Mister

February 24th became the premiere date for two prime time Monday-Tuesday dramas. I wrote about Descendants of the Sun yesterday, which was the more melo choice. But today I'll be talking about a comedy in the form of Please Come Back Mister. This wasn't on my radar prior to watching the promos but after the first week, I'm starting to like it.

Monthly Recap: February 2016

I'm back with a second edition of Monthly Recap although, sadly, this month hasn't been all too good for me in the drama watching realm. Some unnecessary drama in the production room have been keeping me from watching what I thought was one excellent drama. Thankfully another is consistently keeping me on the edge of my seat in the best way possible.

First Take: Descendants of the Sun

Possibly one of the most highly anticipated dramas of the year, Descendants of the Sun came in with a slow burn. The premiere week of the show only teases what potential intensity will come in the future. I wasn't overly excited about it, but it has yet to disappoint me, which is a good enough start. If anything, I'm mostly excited that Song Joong-ki is back on screen again, and with him he brings a herd of beautifully muscular half naked men and that is always good in my book.

First Pics for 'Goodbye Mr. Black'

Wednesday-Thursday night is going to be a crowded, star-studded party. Please Come Back Mister and Descendants from the Sun is premiering tonight, alongside One More Happy Ending which has been airing for some time now. But when that drama will finish in a few weeks time, another possible strong contender is taking its place. MBC is coming with a revenge melodrama called Goodbye Mr. Black starring Lee Jin-wook, Moon Chae-won, and Kim Kang-woo. The drama that had its own backstage drama is finally airing in March 16 and the pics look pretty cool.

Previews for 'Please Come Back Mister' and 'Descendants of the Sun'

Two romantic dramas are taking up the Wednesday-Thursday time slot but they're on the opposite side of the spectrum of lightheartedness. SBS's Please Come Back Mister the comedic romcom and KBS's Descendants of the Sun is the more dramatic fare. I've talked about the latter in my upcoming 2016 dramas post, but after comparing the two promos, I think I'm more inclined to the former.

Movie Review: Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Monster? in 'The Host' (2006)

Bong Joon-ho's The Host (Korean title 괴물 or Monster) is one of those movies that you keep on hearing about when the people on the internet talk about really good Korean movies. For the longest time I didn't want to watch it mostly because it's a monster movie with lots of potential scares. But I didn't need to worry all that much. The Host does have a monster and is full of surprises, but it is ultimately a funny family drama and a smart satire with a special guest from a special creature.

Suzy Gorgeous as Ever for Didier Dubot

Idol-actress Suzy is undoubtedly one of the hottest young star in Korea at the moment. I can't say much for her acting, but the girl does have a presence. Plus she's one beautiful young lady. Her latest pictorial for jewelry company Didier Dubot has been doing its rounds and I must say, it looks great. It's quite simple, but Suzy looks simply stunning in it.

Movie Review: 'The Throne' (2015) is a Cautionary Tale of Unfortunate Parenting

The lives of royalty has been a subject of both admiration and pity for many and tales of tragedy has always gone hand in hand with the people living within the palace walls. None more so than Crown Prince Sado, the misunderstood crown prince of King Yeongjo whose life and death has become a sort of legend. His tragic tale has been inspiration for numerous adaptations. Among them is the 2015 movie Sado also known as The Throne, helmed by Lee Joon-ik returning to sageuk 10 years after the hit The King and the Clown and lead by magnificent performances of Song Kang-ho and Yoo Ah-in as the king and his crown prince respectively.

Song of the Day: WINNER's "Sentimental"

To a lot of K-pop fans, WINNER's comeback, or for the longest time the lack of it, has been something in the making for many, many months. They recently released EXIT:E after what seems think is forever (their last album was in August 2014, a century ago in K-pop terms). So it's a welcome to all the WINNER fans out there that not only are they releasing a full album but also not one, not two but three singles, one of which is "Sentimental" which I will talk about today.

A Return to 1 Night 2 Days

I have a confession to make. In the past week or so, I haven't really been watching any dramas aside from Cheese in the Trap and Signal (and 1 episode of Moorim School). The reason was that basically I didn't feel like watching any. But it was also because I really got into variety shows. I usually end up watching Running Man, which is a safe bet for me, but recently I've been really getting back into 1 Night 2 Days, something I haven't done in a long time. The reason is because this season (the third) is really good again.

Gong Hyo-jin and Jo Jeong-seok is a Potential OTP in KBS Rom-com 'Incarnation of Jealousy'

My ultimate girl crush Gong Hyo-jin might be coming back to dramaland doing her best genre than is romantic comedy. She's in talks to return to KBS after last year's The Producer and reuniting with Pasta writer Seo Sook-hyang in Incarnation of Jealousy. Her potential partner is Jo Jeong-seok. I'm cautiously excited for this.

Monthly Recap: January 2016

I've been watching and writing quite a lot this month so I thought what better way to cap it off the than with a recap. This may be a new monthly thing I'm trying out, so bear with me. These posts will be just like the name, a recap of the happenings of the month (Kdrama-wise at least) and a sort of update to the things I've been watching. And so we shall begin with January 2016.

Love for Maths and Kings in 'Splish Splash Love'

You know those moments at the end of a movie or drama where you can't help but grin all the way through the credits? It doesn't happen often, but this was what occurred to me after watching the two-episode drama Splish Splash Love. It may have to do with Kim Seul-gi, arguably one of the most adorable Korean actresses right now, and her equally cute chemistry with Yoon Doo-joon. It definitely wasn't the Pythagorean theorem Lee Do was so excited about.

First Take: Signal

What an intense 2 hours of television! I was on the edge of my seat for the premiere week of Signal, tvN's latest crime thriller offering. It may be because I don't often watch thriller shows, but it may also be because this is a great show. So a thriller will be among my watch list this season. I think I should get myself ready for all the spine chilling moments that will come in my future.

Park Yoo-chun's "How Much Love Do You Have in Your Wallet" MV Starring Seol Kyung-gu

What a long title right? Park Yoo-chun, whom we last saw as the wonderful Mu-gak in the great The Girl Who Sees Smells, enlisted in the military last August. But he has a few tricks up his sleeves and released a solo album just so that we don't miss him too much. While around this blog I talk about Yoo-chun mostly for his acting works, he's actually originally a singer. An idol specifically. And currently he's in the popular group JYJ. So as the singer that he is, he released his first ever solo album as a gift for his fans!

Drama Review: Reply 1988

After 35 hours (!), Reply 1988 is finally finished. And what a run it has been. Being the third installment of the Reply series, one might have doubts about the quality of this particular reason. But, having finished it, it was a great series still. Just a warning, this review is going to be long. Just like the series.

First Take: Moorim School

When I first saw the Moorim School poster, I could sense the potential fun that will come in our future. While last year I had a particular aversion to high school dramas, I think this particular one might be my re-entrance. How could it not? It features a magical school teaching martial arts. It's genius. Let's see if they will manage to keep the campy-ness till the end.

Pre-Finale Reply 1988 Thoughts

For a while I was contemplating on whether or not I should make a pre-finale post for Reply 1988 but after watching the penultimate week of episodes, I knew I needed to make it. I wrote one for the previous Reply series which was 2 years (!) ago, so might as well make one for this one. Let's make it a tradition. Since the pre-finale posts are supposed to be about who will end up with whom, we're sticking strictly on ships for this one. A review will come when time is due.

First Take: Cheese in the Trap

Webtoon adaptations has been the rage recently and it almost seems as if every other Korean drama is adapted from webtoons of various kinds. The most recent, most buzzed webtoon adaptation is probably Cheese in the Trap, currently airing on tvN. The crazy media coverage on its much argued casting by fervent fans made me perk up to the webtoon and subsequently the drama.

Drama Review: Because It's the First Time

Being 20* is an odd time to be in. You're not exactly a teenager who has the freedom without the responsibility, but you're not yet an adult who can live a (moderately) independent life. It's the odd transition between grade school days and work life. It's also a time that doesn't get too much spotlight in dramaland, oddly enough. We often see stories about teens and their angst or adults who have a difficult time being one. Not so much about the inbetweeners. Because It's the First Time attempts to do exactly like its title. A group of 20-year-olds who just graduated out of high school and dipping their toes in the cold, cruel world of adulthood for the first time.

*This is the Korean "20" which basically means 19 years old. But I suppose the sentiments are similar to actual 20 year olds.

Upcoming 2016 Dramas to Watch

The great thing about welcoming the new year is looking forward to new dramas. While there aren't really any particular dramas I'm absolutely ecstatic about, some did pique my interest. Maybe some of them might be added in your to-watch list too. I won't be able to write down every single new drama that's been announced to premiere in 2016 since that may be impossible. But the following selection are things that seem interesting to me.

2015 Drama Recap

Happy new year everyone!

Ah... it's that time of the year where we reminisce about the dramas that have gone past. This year wasn't terribly good for me as a drama watcher as I didn't really watch all too much. Nonetheless, I did watch a handful of dramas this year and as per what I did last year tradition, I will rank them in order from best to worst from my subjective point of view. The dramas on this list are the ones that ended in 2015, so no unfinished dramas here *cough*Baeksang*cough*.

Updated on January 6th. This is what happens when you make your list last minute.