Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
The American Music Awards sweep was a vindication for BTS’ fans, who were shocked the group was shutout at the People’s Choice Awards earlier this month, where the band was nominated for Music Video, Favorite Group and Concert Tour.
Born and raised in Chicago, NCT 127’s John Suh got his first taste of concerts thanks to his mother, who worked for a local radio station. “I was too young to remember who I saw, but I remember myself having a lot of fun,” says Suh, who goes by the stage name of simply Johnny. “(One day), I would love to see Coldplay at Soldier Field. That would be very awesome.” Johnny and some of his band mates took a breather from promoting their EP “We Are Superhuman” to participate in this interview.
One of the reasons that K-Dramas have such universal appeal is that most have a strong emphasis on friendships. The character may fight and even break their friendships at a certain point, but they almost always resolve it and return to each other.
BTS topped the Jonas Brothers, Panic! At the Disco, Pink and Ariana Grande at Sunday’s American Music Awards to win all three of the categories in which they were nominated: Favorite Duo or Group (the first time an Asian group has received the honor), Tour of the Year and Favorite Social Artist (for the second consecutive year).
Of course, there are some K-Dramas that are better than others. But K-Dramas to me are like pizza. Even a bad one is still better than most other shows.
“Chicago Typewriter” takes place in modern-day Seoul, but some of the best storytelling occurs during flashbacks to the 1930s, when Korea was under Japanese occupation. There, we learn about three resistance fighters whose lives and friendship will set the tone for the 21st Century arc.
There are some K-Drama fans who will watch each new episode as they are released and patiently go about their lives. Then there’s me, who promises to watch just two episodes and then gets overly worked up that I have to wait a few days for the next episode. So here’s the question: Do you watch new dramas as they air? Or do you wait until the series is almost over so you can watch the entire series within a few days?
“When the Camellia Blooms” starts off with so many things happening at once that it’s initially difficult to focus on all the different story arcs: a serial killer, small-town pettiness, marital issues and the possibility of romance. But as the series progressed, each consecutive episode found its focus and finished with a sweet and satisfying finale that felt true to the characters. There is death and sadness dotted throughout the series. But at its core, “Camellia” is a story of love — not just between a man and a woman, but between parents and their children.
If you’re like me, you may feel a tinge of sadness after your favorite K-Drama airs its last episode. One of the ways I deal with this is by checking out other dramas starring some of the actors I fell in love with.
Raised by a single mom, “Supernatural” actor, philanthropist and author Misha Collins remembers how hard his mother worked to make sure there was food on the dinner table, even when they were homeless and living off food stamps. “My mom always found a way for us to eat meals together,” says Collins, who resides with his own family in the Pacific Northwest. “We were poor enough that my little brother and I understood how lucky we were to have the food we had and appreciated it accordingly.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Journalist, author and adoptee, Seth Berkman, got a taste of his birth country when the New York Times sent him to report on the United Korean women’s hockey team. Consisting of players from both North and South Korea, select players trained and competed together as teammates at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Omar J. Dorsey has had parts in critically acclaimed films such as “Selma,” “Django Unchained” and “The Blind Side.” The actor’s latest role is in the Harriet Tubman biopic, “Harriet,” where he plays Bigger Long, a free black man who captures runaway slaves for their white owners.
Just weeks after the Korean boy band SuperM held a showcase in Los Angeles, their management company, SM Entertainment, announced that it has signed with CAA for representation in all areas. Founded in 1995 by Soo-Man Lee — one of Variety’s 2019 International Power Players — SM Entertainment’s roster also includes K-pop luminaries NCT 127 (pictured above), EXO, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior and Red Velvet.
The K-pop group SuperM kicks off its North American tour on November 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. If you live in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, you’ll have the opportunity to see them perform live. But because they have many fans who don’t live in the cities they’ll be visiting, the group made the decision to shoot “SuperM the Beginning.” The hour-long episodes give fans a taste of their whirlwind debut.