Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Set in a hospice, the point of “If You Wish Upon Me” isn’t that the dying can only leave this world if they have a wish fulfilled. Rather, sometimes they need peace of mind before they’ll allow themselves to go.
A thoroughly entertaining cop-buddy film, “Midnight Runners” does a great job of blending comedy with action, while delving into the world of human trafficking and organ harvesting. The film is driven by the camaraderie between musclehead Ki-joon (Park Seo-joon) and nerdy by-the-book Hee-yeol (Kan Ha-neul).
You asked for more ajeossi actors and we’re here to deliver. Who do you think made it onto this list of six top actors of a certain age?
“Prison Playbook” is a dramedy I never wanted to watch. But I’m so glad I did, because it handled social injustice in a way that was palatable to digest, while offering a satisfying ending.
Like most Korean dramas, there is a love triangle in “Ms. Hammurabi.” The difference is that there are so many interesting plots developing here that I cared more about the human rights issues that the judges were fighting for than the romance.
“It’s Okay, That’s Love” is sold as a wacky K-Drama about a psychiatrist and a playboy celebrity author. And the first couple episodes did little to disprove that storyline. But as it progressed, the series laid out the plot in a beautiful, languid way that was full of love and heartbreak, before culminating in the kind of glorious truth that is both liberating and intoxicating.
“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.”