“Dr. Romantic” (낭만닥터 김사부): Season 1
“Dr. Romantic” focuses on genius doctor Boo Yong-joo (Han Suk-kyu), who had been set up to take the fall for a patient’s death. Because he refused to play the kiss-ass game at work, he loses his job.
Month: September 2023
“My Magic Closet” (Além Do Guarda-Roupa)
The first episode of “My Magic Closet” accomplishes what “XO, Kitty” failed to deliver. It deftly tackles identity and what it’s like living as diaspora.
“Moving” (무빙)
There is a lot going on in “Moving,” Disney’s most-watched K-drama to date. Initially, it appears the series will center on heroic teenagers. But as intriguing as the storylines are for the children, it’s the parents’ arcs that really piqued my interest.
Go Away With … Jinkwon
It is a stiflingly hot day in Seoul. But when Kim Jin-kwon – known professionally as Jinkwon – arrives for an interview at the Somerset Palace in the heart of the city, he appears cool in every sense of the word. The college student, 22, has a lot on his plate. Besides being the leader of the K-pop group Newkidd, he’s an actor who’s currently filming a new series.
“A Time Called You” (너의 시간 속으로)
A remake of the Taiwanese series “Someday or One Day,” the Korean version of this time-travel drama isn’t always easy to follow. But if you suspend your belief in reality and just go with the flow, you will find yourself immersed in a compelling plot that centers on love, while it also navigates story arcs about guilt, gaslighting and a, erm, serial killer.
“Doctor Prisoner” (닥터 프리즈너)
One reason for the popularity of “Doctor Prisoner” may be that it has incorporated some real-life news into its story arcs, similar to how American shows such as “Law & Order” draw ideas from sensational headlines.
“Mask Girl” (마스크걸)
On the surface, it appears that “Mask Girl” is about beauty standards and how our looks are a catalyst for who we will become. But by the end of the series, viewers will have been taken on a wild ride where subterfuge and revenge are the norm, rather than the exception, and everyone’s moral compass has been broken.
“My Heart Puppy” (멍뭉이)
After learning that his long-time girlfriend is deathly allergic to dogs, Min-soo sets out on a journey to to find a new home for his beloved golden retriever. In the end, he realizes that the solution to his problem was nearby the whole time.
“King the Land” (킹더랜드)
You’ve seen the cold male chaebol/warm, hardworking female combo before in many popular K-dramas (including “Business Proposal” and “Oh My Venus”). But Im Yoon-ah and Lee Jun-ho are so charismatic and easy to watch in “King the Land” that they add a fresh touch to an old concept.
Go Away With … Jock Bartley
After touring and playing guitar for Firefall for just shy of 50 years, founding member Jock Bartley knows a thing or two about making travel more pleasant: “Don’t fight what’s going on, accept and deal with whatever comes on the road and be polite and mild-mannered – but have good boundaries.”
“Rebound” (리바운드)
“Rebound” is based on the true story of Busan’s Jungang High School basketball team. Long past its glory years, the team isn’t a priority for the school’s administration. They hire a young and inexperienced basketball coach, Yang-hyun (Ahn Jae-hong), who during his own Jungang school days was a champion athlete.
Go Away With … Eric Nam
Eric Nam graduated from Boston College, worked as a business analyst at Deloitte Consulting in New York, co-founded the platforms DIVE Studios and Mindset … and is set to embark on a 7-month world tour to promote his latest album “House on a Hill.”
“The Uncanny Counter 2” (경이로운 소문 2)
This second season of “The Uncanny Counter” is good enough. But it is also a reminder that K-dramas are traditionally made to finish after one season. With the influx of Western streaming sites that have figured out how lucrative Korean shows can be, there have been more shows going into their second (or even third seasons). And while I was one of the viewers who had hoped for a second season of this series, I acknowledge that it may have been best to just leave things as they were.
Go Away With … Nischelle Turner
“Entertainment Tonight” co-host Nischelle Turner said, “I don’t consider anywhere I go for work a vacation. When I’m off, I’m off!”