Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Kairos” starts off promising and is reminiscent of the best elements of “Signal.” But where the latter kept the suspense going until the end, “Kairos” fizzles out midway, with redundant story arcs and some characters that are not only irredeemable, but highly unlikeable. And I’m not talking just about the villains.
Born in the U.S., K-pop star AleXa took time to chat with me about her music, love of Korean entertainment, and her loyal fandom, A.I Trooper.
“Better Days” singer Jesse Palter says all her travels have taught her “that there’s a great big world outside of my little bubble, that there’s value in getting lost and that all roads lead back home.”
What “Peninsula” lacks in humanity is made up with spectacular car chases and firearms. Is it as good as “Train to Busan”? No, but it’s good enough, in a Hollywood shoot-em-up kind of way.
“Start-Up” has a second male lead (Kim Seon-ho) who is so charismatic that his storyline often overshadows that of the very handsome lead (Nam Joo-hyuk). Ultimately, the K-Drama reinforces the idea that no matter how broken a family is, the ties remain – for better or worse.
“Voice” is a gory police procedural revolving around a police officer who can solve cases with her astute hearing and the “mad dog” detective who learns to trust her instincts. Their goal is to find the serial killer responsible for killing her father and his wife.
Teen Vogue asked 49 journalists to write about the best K-pop moments of 2020. I wrote about how BTS’ No. 1 hit single “Life Goes On” brought the Korean language to the forefront.
“I had planned to go to a wedding in Jamaica after completing all the work on ‘A New York Christmas Wedding,'” said Otoja Abit. “That was going to be a much-needed vacation. And also all the film festivals – Miami, Martha’s Vineyard, North Carolina, Wichita, Kansas! I missed a lot of opportunities to see our film play on a big screen with local audiences.”
Song Ji Hyo or Jeon So Min? Jessi or Hyori? William or Bentley? “The Penthouse” or “CHIP-IN”? Who’s your pick?
11 Best K-Dramas of 2020: Rivals, Lovers, and Slow Burning Intrigue. These shows are must-watch television. My latest for Teen Vogue.