Recycled content alert: I am going to repost a thread about K-dramas that I originally made in December 2024.
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The competition and hierarchy at Chaehwa Girls' High School in Seoul is cut throat, and the "bumpkin" Seulgi is bullied as soon as she arrives. The top student is Yoo Jae-yi (Lee Hyeri), the daughter of a hospital director. Somewhat mysteriously Jae-yi takes the bumpkin under her wing, and shields Seulgi from the other girls. Seulgi is understandably suspicious of Jae-yi's intentions, and indeed we are kept in suspense until the end what each of the girls' motives are.
40/N
#kdramaSeulgi is quickly drawn into a dangerous world of violence, drugs and (suggested) sex. Jae-yi's father casts a long shadow over the action, as he subjects Jae-yi and her friends to mysterious performance enhancing medical procedures, and turns a blind eye to the fact that they are swiping drugs from the hospital. We also learn surprising details about Seulgi's father, a former teacher at Chaehwa Girls' High who died under mysterious circumstances.
41/N
#kdrama -
Seulgi is quickly drawn into a dangerous world of violence, drugs and (suggested) sex. Jae-yi's father casts a long shadow over the action, as he subjects Jae-yi and her friends to mysterious performance enhancing medical procedures, and turns a blind eye to the fact that they are swiping drugs from the hospital. We also learn surprising details about Seulgi's father, a former teacher at Chaehwa Girls' High who died under mysterious circumstances.
41/N
#kdramaThere are a few sympathetic adults, notably Seulgi's step-mother, Kwon Hee-yoon (Kang Jin-ah), but the best part of this series is the portrayal of the rivalries, affections and struggles of our young female characters. Of course I would probably love anything starring Lee Hyeri (of Reply 1988 fame) but my wife and I were both riveted through this short, stylish drama with a killer soundtrack and arty, cinema noir aesthetics. Five stars.
42/N
#kdrama -
There are a few sympathetic adults, notably Seulgi's step-mother, Kwon Hee-yoon (Kang Jin-ah), but the best part of this series is the portrayal of the rivalries, affections and struggles of our young female characters. Of course I would probably love anything starring Lee Hyeri (of Reply 1988 fame) but my wife and I were both riveted through this short, stylish drama with a killer soundtrack and arty, cinema noir aesthetics. Five stars.
42/N
#kdramaQueen of Tears is a mega-popular drama from 2024 which, at times, threatens to overwhelm the viewer with a nutrient-dense stew of high-stakes romance, moral dilemmas, intrigue and seemingly every trope in the book. Nevertheless, the creators have pulled off a tour de force, with every character and nuance somehow working together to create a powerful and memorable blockbuster of a drama.
43/N
#QueenOfTears
#kdrama
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Queen of Tears is a mega-popular drama from 2024 which, at times, threatens to overwhelm the viewer with a nutrient-dense stew of high-stakes romance, moral dilemmas, intrigue and seemingly every trope in the book. Nevertheless, the creators have pulled off a tour de force, with every character and nuance somehow working together to create a powerful and memorable blockbuster of a drama.
43/N
#QueenOfTears
#kdramaWe have a romance between the dazzling, successful CEO of a huge conglomerate called The Queens Group, Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) and her dashing husband, Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), an executive/legal eagle at the same company. However, things are not all rosy with the attractive and successful couple. Marrying in to the Queens group has been more than Hyun-woo, the son of hard-working farmers in Yongdu-ri, bargained for.
44/N
#kdrama -
We have a romance between the dazzling, successful CEO of a huge conglomerate called The Queens Group, Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) and her dashing husband, Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), an executive/legal eagle at the same company. However, things are not all rosy with the attractive and successful couple. Marrying in to the Queens group has been more than Hyun-woo, the son of hard-working farmers in Yongdu-ri, bargained for.
44/N
#kdramaHae-in is extremely competitive, and focused on growing her company, while their home life is sterile and cold. The two sleep in separate rooms, and Hyun-woo secretly prepares divorce papers to serve on Hae-in. However, just as Hyun-woo is about to tell Hae-in that he wants a divorce, she informs him that - suprise - she has an inoperable brain tumor, and has been given 3 months to live.
45/N -
Hae-in is extremely competitive, and focused on growing her company, while their home life is sterile and cold. The two sleep in separate rooms, and Hyun-woo secretly prepares divorce papers to serve on Hae-in. However, just as Hyun-woo is about to tell Hae-in that he wants a divorce, she informs him that - suprise - she has an inoperable brain tumor, and has been given 3 months to live.
45/NHyun-woo immediately hides the divorce papers, since he would be better off as a widower than an ex-husband. This sets up a clever romance wrinkle, of how our two lovers can re-kindle the love they once shared and walk back from the brink of divorce, even as Hae-in seeks treatment for her life-threatening illness.
46/N
#kdrama -
Hyun-woo immediately hides the divorce papers, since he would be better off as a widower than an ex-husband. This sets up a clever romance wrinkle, of how our two lovers can re-kindle the love they once shared and walk back from the brink of divorce, even as Hae-in seeks treatment for her life-threatening illness.
46/N
#kdramaThe romance plot plays off against an elaborate web of skullduggery, as Hae-in's friend from university Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon) has returned from America, ostensibly eager to partner with The Queens Group, and possibly even woo Hae-in away from the apparently estranged husband. We are soon made aware of an extremely elaborate plot on the part of Eun-sung and a network of collaborators to wrest control of Queens away from Hae-in and her family.
47/N
#kdrama -
The romance plot plays off against an elaborate web of skullduggery, as Hae-in's friend from university Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon) has returned from America, ostensibly eager to partner with The Queens Group, and possibly even woo Hae-in away from the apparently estranged husband. We are soon made aware of an extremely elaborate plot on the part of Eun-sung and a network of collaborators to wrest control of Queens away from Hae-in and her family.
47/N
#kdramaRelief from the snakes nest of power and money hungry schemers, as well as Hae-in's illness, is provided by Hyun-woo's stolid and earthy family in the country. We have the somewhat familiar trope of the simple and loving working-class characters demonstrating common sense and a wholesome way of life, in contrast to the power-hungry rich characters. And we get some schadenfreude and comedy when circumstances force the two families to unite against a common threat.
48/N
#kdrama -
Relief from the snakes nest of power and money hungry schemers, as well as Hae-in's illness, is provided by Hyun-woo's stolid and earthy family in the country. We have the somewhat familiar trope of the simple and loving working-class characters demonstrating common sense and a wholesome way of life, in contrast to the power-hungry rich characters. And we get some schadenfreude and comedy when circumstances force the two families to unite against a common threat.
48/N
#kdramaThe writers have done a great job of weaving several complex storylines into a coherent whole. The cast is fabulous including many truly hateful villains, along with many good-hearted characters who are there to save the day at key moments. They really pack in a lot of story in 16 episodes, but the direction and acting are top-notch. The story never loses its impact or coherence as it unfolds, and you'll be on the edge of your seat for every episode. Five stars.
49/N
#kdrama
#QueenOfTears -
The writers have done a great job of weaving several complex storylines into a coherent whole. The cast is fabulous including many truly hateful villains, along with many good-hearted characters who are there to save the day at key moments. They really pack in a lot of story in 16 episodes, but the direction and acting are top-notch. The story never loses its impact or coherence as it unfolds, and you'll be on the edge of your seat for every episode. Five stars.
49/N
#kdrama
#QueenOfTearsMy wife and I were still on our road trip when we finished Queen of Tears, and I wanted to watch a more low-stakes romance for a change of pace. Somebody on this site had mentioned "Run On," which is notionally a cute and lighthearted opposites attract story. Our ML is Ki Seon-gyeom (played by Im Si-wan), a national track star and a child of wealthy parents who seems to daydream through his life.
50/N
#kdrama
#RunOn
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My wife and I were still on our road trip when we finished Queen of Tears, and I wanted to watch a more low-stakes romance for a change of pace. Somebody on this site had mentioned "Run On," which is notionally a cute and lighthearted opposites attract story. Our ML is Ki Seon-gyeom (played by Im Si-wan), a national track star and a child of wealthy parents who seems to daydream through his life.
50/N
#kdrama
#RunOnSeon-gyeom has a simple and good-hearted personality, in spite of his father being a scheming politician, and his mother a popular actress "the Queen of Cannes". Enter our FL, Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung), a worldly wise and scrappy translator of cinema subtitles. Mi-joo, an orphan, loves film, collects handgun replicas and is always on the hustle for her next gig.
51/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
Seon-gyeom has a simple and good-hearted personality, in spite of his father being a scheming politician, and his mother a popular actress "the Queen of Cannes". Enter our FL, Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung), a worldly wise and scrappy translator of cinema subtitles. Mi-joo, an orphan, loves film, collects handgun replicas and is always on the hustle for her next gig.
51/N
#kdrama
#RunOnWhen Mi-joo is ripped off by a shady guy over a handgun deal, Seon-gyeom happens to be running by and helps apprehend the baddie. Their first meeting winds up with the two of them at the police station. They meet a second time when Mi-joo is hired to serve as Seon-gyeom's translator at an international meet and it seems that fate has brought them together.
52/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
When Mi-joo is ripped off by a shady guy over a handgun deal, Seon-gyeom happens to be running by and helps apprehend the baddie. Their first meeting winds up with the two of them at the police station. They meet a second time when Mi-joo is hired to serve as Seon-gyeom's translator at an international meet and it seems that fate has brought them together.
52/N
#kdrama
#RunOnThere is a compelling secondary/parallel romance, involving Seon-gyeom's agent Seo Dan-ah (played by Choi Soo-young of Girls Generation!). Dan-ah, like Seon-gyeom, comes from money, and her high-powered career representing athletes does not seem to leave time for dating. Dan-ah is also very brusque and seemingly inconsiderate of others. She does love art, and finds herself getting lost in a painting that hangs in the cafe where she gets her morning coffee.
53/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
There is a compelling secondary/parallel romance, involving Seon-gyeom's agent Seo Dan-ah (played by Choi Soo-young of Girls Generation!). Dan-ah, like Seon-gyeom, comes from money, and her high-powered career representing athletes does not seem to leave time for dating. Dan-ah is also very brusque and seemingly inconsiderate of others. She does love art, and finds herself getting lost in a painting that hangs in the cafe where she gets her morning coffee.
53/N
#kdrama
#RunOnThis leads her to track down the artist, a struggling but fun-loving art student named Lee Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh). Yeong-hwa falls pretty quickly for the dazzling Dan-ah, but she keeps him at arms length. She just wants to him to make her a painting, and has no time for frivolity. Dan-ah plays up the fact that she is older, and from a completely different economic strata than the student Yeong-hwa.
54/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
This leads her to track down the artist, a struggling but fun-loving art student named Lee Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh). Yeong-hwa falls pretty quickly for the dazzling Dan-ah, but she keeps him at arms length. She just wants to him to make her a painting, and has no time for frivolity. Dan-ah plays up the fact that she is older, and from a completely different economic strata than the student Yeong-hwa.
54/N
#kdrama
#RunOnYeong-hwa is nothing if not persistent, and eventually Dan-ah does reveal feelings for him. I confess that this drama made wish I had a better understanding of Korean language and manners. Much of the humor plays off a native understanding of Korean formalities, and modes of address. Dan-ah would frequently act (fake) shocked at Yeong-hwa addressing her informally.
55/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
Yeong-hwa is nothing if not persistent, and eventually Dan-ah does reveal feelings for him. I confess that this drama made wish I had a better understanding of Korean language and manners. Much of the humor plays off a native understanding of Korean formalities, and modes of address. Dan-ah would frequently act (fake) shocked at Yeong-hwa addressing her informally.
55/N
#kdrama
#RunOnAt various times characters would pause to debate whether or not to use honorifics, and I couldn't help but feel that I was missing some of the humor. Another way the characters' emotions are revealed is through elaborate dream sequences, styled as movie scenes based on whatever film Mi-joo is working on. These were cute and comical, with the soft-spoken Seon-gyeom appearing as a gangster, and Mi-joo and Dan-ah as runaways or street urchins.
56/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
At various times characters would pause to debate whether or not to use honorifics, and I couldn't help but feel that I was missing some of the humor. Another way the characters' emotions are revealed is through elaborate dream sequences, styled as movie scenes based on whatever film Mi-joo is working on. These were cute and comical, with the soft-spoken Seon-gyeom appearing as a gangster, and Mi-joo and Dan-ah as runaways or street urchins.
56/N
#kdrama
#RunOnI understood that the director was making some kind of meta commentary with these sequences, but I will conceed I frequently felt like I was missing something. On one level, we have a completely enjoyable romcom with two very appealing couples being cute on screen, and let's be honest that's what many of us are here for. We've got some societal and cultural commentary, and some bossy patriarchs who get their comeupance.
57/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
I understood that the director was making some kind of meta commentary with these sequences, but I will conceed I frequently felt like I was missing something. On one level, we have a completely enjoyable romcom with two very appealing couples being cute on screen, and let's be honest that's what many of us are here for. We've got some societal and cultural commentary, and some bossy patriarchs who get their comeupance.
57/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
When Life Gives You Tangerines is perhaps my favorite genre of k-drama - an emotional and intimate examination of the lives of working class Koreans. The Netflix thumbnail for this drama - a smiling young couple standing in a field of flowers - suggests the series will be a romance. And there is a great love weaving through the series, but that is only one thread among many.
59/N -
When Life Gives You Tangerines is perhaps my favorite genre of k-drama - an emotional and intimate examination of the lives of working class Koreans. The Netflix thumbnail for this drama - a smiling young couple standing in a field of flowers - suggests the series will be a romance. And there is a great love weaving through the series, but that is only one thread among many.
59/NThis is an epic and often tragic story that in a way mirrors Korea's own metamophosis from a poor, traditional society to a prosperous and modern one. Our story follows the life of Oh Ae-Sun, born in the 1950's on Jeju Island in Korea. Ae-Sun's mother Gwang-rye is a haenyeo, a woman who dives in the chilly depths every day for abalone to support her family.
60/N
