Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
The finale of “Bring the Soul” coincides with the end of the European leg of BTS’ 2018 “Love Yourself” world tour. Each member is given his moment in the spotlight, but this episode was almost a coming-of-age tribute to Jungkook (who had just turned 21 on tour).
When Yoo Ji-Tae was doing press interviews to promote”Healer,” he said he was confident about signing onto the project when he heard that Park Min-Young was the female lead. Why? Because Park is one of those actresses who has the magic touch when it comes to picking projects that will become hits. He wasn’t wrong. That got us wondering: Who else has the golden touch when it comes to K-Dramas?
The saving grace of “Come and Hug Me” is that it drives home the point that bloodlines don’t define who you are or who you will become — and that just because you passed your DNA onto a child, that doesn’t make you a good parent.
Ever since Ji Chang-Wook’s discharge from South Korea’s mandatory military duty on April 27, 2019, fans have been biting their fingernails waiting for his comeback. They won’t have to wait much longer, because the popular actor’s latest series, “Melting Me Softly,” will premiere on South Korean television on September 28.
“Someone said seeing BTS was like seeing a unicorn,” RM says in this fifth episode of “Bring the Soul.” “When you think about it, no matter what’s happening behind the stage, just showing our faces is a remarkable experience for some people.” In other words, the group is well aware that there are fans all over the world who will never get the chance to attend a BTS concert. They know that the ones who did manage to snare a ticket often had to go through a Hunger Games-like ordeal to purchase it. For that reason, the group strives to be perfect, to give each show 110% and to perform through their injuries when possible, even when they’re advised not to.
“My Ahjussi” is a satisfying K-Drama focusing on Dong-Hoon, a mid-level engineer who lives a mundane life. He works hard, hangs out with his brothers every evening and goes home to a house where his wife is rarely there. And if she is, she holes away in her home office and ignores him. It can’t be a coincidence that the set designer chose an apartment complex that looks more like a prison than a home for their residence.
Do you ever watch a K-Drama (or any series, for that matter) where the character is supposed to be a high school student and the actor playing the part looks at least a decade older? (I’m looking at you, “Beverly Hills, 90210”!) Due to labor laws in which underage actors can’t work hours as long as adults, it’s understandable why showrunners would want older artists working on their set. But it’s also an interesting twist when younger actors and actresses play characters who are more mature.
There have been countless think pieces on who will be the next BTS or how someone could create the next BTS. This is an irrational concept, because what they essentially are saying is, “How do we conjure up another group that gets this much press and makes this much money?” If money was all BTS was after, they could retire now and be set for life. But what drives them is the relationship they have with each other and their knowledge of the influence they have on others, which can be channeled into a greater good.
“Search: WWW” is the only K-Drama I can think of where women had the kind of lead roles that ordinarily would’ve gone to men. The female characters not only were the rainmakers where they worked, they were the decision makers who the men followed.
More so than any episode from last year’s “Burn the Stage” (or the first episode of this series), viewers can see how lonely life on the road can be. The seven-man group may smile on stage and charm their interviewers with witty quips and soundbites. But touring can wear them down, even when they know they are in a privileged position that many are envious of.