Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
A sweeping dramatic series set in Korea’s Joseon era, the “Moon That Embraces the Sun” is a love story that at times is painfully heartbreaking. But, it’s also filled with hope and humor. That combination makes for an addictive series that will leave viewers hungering for more.
“Producer” is Kim Soo Hyun’s followup to the phenomenally popular series, “My Love From Another Star.” A light, romantic comedy, this K-Drama series touches on how ruthless Korea’s netizens can be over what they perceive to be an unforgivable lie.
“Dream High” is one of those series that starts off with a ridiculous premise. But, if you stick with it, you’ll be amused, angered and (at times) deeply touched. Yes, this is a glossy high school musical with a love triangle. But it also deals with child abandonment, sexual assault and the abuse of children by the system set in place to manufacture “idols.” This isn’t just a Korea thing. Think about all the American boy band members who have revealed how they were abused by their predatory management.
Sold as a romantic comedy, “My Love From Another Star” definitely delivers on that front. But it’s also a wonderful story about true love, alienation and sacrifice.
On the surface, “Coffee Prince” is your standard boy-meets-girl romantic comedy with a few roadblocks thrown in for good measure. Thanks to the chemistry shared by the attractive leads (Gong Yoo and Yoo Eun Hye), the series is highly watchable and I understand why so many fans are repeat viewers. But beneath the cute exterior, the series deals with issues such as sexual confusion, gender roles and poverty.
One of the things that I really enjoy about the “Answer Me” trilogy is the lifelong friendships that that characters share. Whereas the first two series focused primarily on the teenagers, “Answer Me 1988” delves into the backstories of their parents as well. And that, to me, made this chapter a standout. The parents’ storylines were as interesting–if not more–than the who-will-she-marry premise that is predominant in each of the “Answer Me” installments.
“Answer Me 1994” aims to leave viewers guessing as to which man Na Jung will marry. But more interesting is the lifelong friendship that these seven college roommates share.
Everything that “How I Met Your Mother” did wrong (including its series finale), “Answer Me 1997” does right. Funny and poignant with superb acting by the entire cast, the series tells the story of 6 childhood friends whose lives are intertwined through adulthood. Kudos to K-pop Hoya (of the group Infinite) for his thoughtful (and unstereotypical) portrayal of a gay teenager who is in love with his best friend; and to the writers for not portraying it as “weird.”
This 2015 Korean rom com is very pleasant on the eyes. The leads — Bang Sung Hoon (“Oh My Venus”) and Kim Jae Kyung — both have model good looks and share some really fun scenes. Though you know going in that the poor-nice-girl-meets-rich-cold-boy storyline will end with a wedding, I was happy to be on board. But, the main problem I had with this short series was the insufferable control issues that were played off as cute, rather than creepy.
“My motto is, ‘Don’t believe anything with a mouth.'” That’s sound advice, coming from Kwon Hyuk Joo (aka Crazy Cow), the head of the cyber unit. And that’s also good advice when trying to figure out who’s telling the truth in this 2012 police procedural.