Thanks for the heads up. I was wondering if there might be a sequel. I’ll definitely be on the look out.
The whole theme of the show is perception and how we have so many of them. The ultimate is Park Seryoi (the main character) who doesn't "seem" to be in any way able to challenge the chairman of a major corporation. But yet it seems he can as episode after episode peels back the reality of what he is really capable, rather than the simple looking bot who often puts his hand over his head in a seemingly confused manner. Regarding To-ni... a couple things would include his name, which sure sounds American, certainly not French. And at least from the episode reveal, it is funny that no one else feels the need to learn English too. By the way I am only half way through
Saw a K-drama movie called “Time to Hunt,” which is kind of a goofy title, but I liked the movie it a lot. You know if this were a western production the title would be A Time to Hunt, or just plain, “Hunt.” It stars Choi Woo-Shik who played the tutor in Parasite. First K-drama I’v seen with NO romance, although Train to Busan had close to none. Movie is about a group of petty criminals who break the law to survive in a dystopian location. They decide to pull a major heist in order to get enough money to finally get out of their situation. They pull the robbery which puts them on the radar of a trained killer. Really likable cast saves the movie as it’s pretty predictable. I do recommend, however.
So I've been power watching quite a lot, thanks Covid! Everything here is on Netflix. The Last Empress: OMG where to even begin.. this is a a VERY addictive insane soap, lots of drama, comedy, and totally wtf things going on. The premise is that the Korean Royal family still exists in today's era, they have social-political power, they are also all scheming lunatics with a terrible family history. If you want a Dynasty style soap that moves at lightning pace and will take your breath away for sheer audacity.. this is it! I loved this. After watching a lot of dark and gritty ones it was an absolute pleasure. Reply 1997: The first of the three in the Reply series (all different cast and years) this would no doubt be intensely nostalgic for anyone growing up in that time in Korea. On the one hand you obviously had to be there but.. it does a great job of capturing a time and place so you feel like you were! Teenagers, the beginning of Kpop fandom, older generation parents.. it was enjoyable though some definitely challenging bullshit especially in the end. Spoiler: spoiler-esque but not about events The male leads become progressively more and more chauvinistic and repulsive as they get their girls and grow up, this is presented as just adorable. It's not an easy watch at that point. I intend to watch the next two in the reply series soon. EDIT: Reply 1988 is VASTLY superior to the other two. You don't need to watch them in any order, the only connection is that the adults in each series are played by the same actors. Hi, Bye Mama: WOW. This is a comedy drama about a ghost who is returned to life and tries to figure out where she fits with her husband remarried and her child not knowing her. It sounds like a cliched tv ghost story but it is SO much more. Alongside the light comedy and typical moments you'd expect from a show with this theme it deeply, bravely, unflinchingly confronts the process of grief that the dead woman's family and friends went through and are still going through three years after her sudden and tragic death. Korean shows often mix in tragedy and comedy in ways that seems jarring to non-Korean viewers. This show has so much raw honestly in it right alongside some of the wacky subplots. It found it quite moving and had to pause and think about it a few times. There's an interesting shaman storyline as well, and we see other ghosts flailing about at the edges of the lives they lost. It's really chock full of stories and odd bits. I hit play on Hi Bye Mama one night expecting to not make it through the first ep (Ghost/Angel type shows are one of my least favourite things) and .. well it was quite an experience. Stranger: @JRS originally recommended Stranger in this thread Season one was a very gripping detective drama. Again, detectives and cops are not my thing at all but this proceeded at a great pace and the plot was very interesting. Excellent acting with the female lead Doona Bae having been in Sense8 (and Kingdom, the Joseon era zombie series). Much of the focus is on corruption, a very hot topic in Korea. I'm now on Season two which is airing every week. I think I'm on the 4th episode and it hasn't really grabbed me yet but I'm still going to catch up and watch it as a new show. The Drug King: This is a movie that came out in 2018. The lead is Kang Ho-Don who played the father in Parasite and Doona Bae also has a part. Set in Busan in the 70's it follows the true story of the rise of a petty smuggler who goes on to become a drug kingpin. Kang Ho-Song is excellent. I very much enjoyed the recreation of Korea in the 70's, the fashions, fabrics, houses, nightclubs, dabangs.. from the poorest to the richest this is a movie wonderful in detail. The political upheavals of the time roll along in the background and have their hand in both the rise and fall of the main character. There's a lot going on and if you're unfamiliar with some of the movements and events you'll find them quite fascinating to read about. It's also a typical gangster movie and I enjoyed it immensely. I'll definitely rewatch this one. Some wonderfully dramatic scenes. *** What have you all been watching?
I'd love to watch more of these, their descriptions sound interesting and intriguing. Subtitled series require so much attention for me, you can't do anything else while viewing. One I enjoyed during the last 2 months on Netflix US was My Holo Love. It's only 12 episodes, but watching it meant I have to carve out time where I can avoid repeated interruptions, so I just took a leisurely pace. Its another genre mashup-sci fi drama crossed with romantic dramedy. And it was fun. A company invents a pair of glasses embedded with an AI that personalizes to the wearer, with a holographic avatar viewable in the lens. The prototype lands in the hands of a woman who thru her interactions, lead to the AI named Holo, evolving. And yes, she winds up falling for him, while chased by evil corporate rivals and dealing with the AI's creator.
My brain has honestly been reorganized by the internet and I'm a compulsive multi tasker, to my detriment, these days. I have to force myself when reading a book to read steadily and not "tab out" in some way. Watching shows with sub-titles absolutely highlights this for me. A lot of Kdramas took me a loooong time to watch because of all the looking things up, which satisfies my need to tab out mentally I was pleased that during The Drug King I didn't have to look a single thing up having familiarized myself with the movements, politics and events of that era during past Kdramas and Korean translated fiction which I've been reading steadily for some years now. Thanks for this suggestion! I see it is on Netflix and only 12 eps is a bonus. I think I'm hitting up the rest of the Reply series after I catch up on Stranger (which is called Secret Forest in Korean, I wonder if that has a stronger meaning in Korean). I still haven't watched Rugel which is I think scifi and was suggested here.
I'm watching this now. There is a raging wind and storm outside. This movie is SO STRESSFUl holy crap You got my attention at "dystopian", yeah it's good..
This sounds really interesting. What streaming service is it on? So true. It takes some getting used to, but now it’s something I’v grown to enjoy. Glad you’re enjoying it. The robber gang are some great characters and the killer is Terminator-like. I’m hoping for a sequel.
Everything I've posted about is on Neflix Aus. I don't know if the Kdrama library is different in other countries on Netflix. You should check out The Drug King, if you liked Time To Hunt I'm sure you'll be impressed! The ending of Time to Hunt: Spoiler: SPOINER FOR TIME TO HUNT Wow one of the few of these types of movies where someone actually gets to their dreamed about paradise.. but of course he can't stay because he got there alone. Very sad stuff, I just wanted all these guys to catch a break, have a future
Anyone watching anything? My daughter and I are up to episode 6 of Start Up, with new episodes this weekend. Its pretty fun, with lots of people to like
So Start-Up actually had its finale last week...but my daughter was busy with school, so we are only at episode 15 (finale is ep. 16). ANyone watched it? A lot of parallels to Itaewon Class -- the socially awkward male lead, rival romantic characaters, Gaho-sung songs. Definitely a lot of likeable characters, and a couple of unlikeable ones that actually become much more sympathetic by the (near) end. And @Fruitcake -- how about a summary?
Omg I am a baaad poster in this thread, thanks for the nudge @Morpheus 02 Did you enjoy Start-Up? Haven't watched that one myself. Okay time for the essay.. all of these dramas are on Netflix. Dear My Friends: This is the BEST Kdrama, or even television, I've ever watched. There is only one young couple in this drama, it is all middle aged and elderly people, starring some of the most well loved greats of Korean acting. A group of friends, all at different place in life and health, family relationships, marriages. Their lives, loves, hardships, personal histories, arguments, struggles with a changing Korea and changing place in the world. Aged parents, fractious children, facing their own failures, compromises made to enjoy life, brave new beginnings and deaths. An incredibly real drama. If you've ever watched a kdrama and wished the ajummas got more time well.. here it is! I laughed, I cried, I had to stop myself staying up all night watching this one and I will definitely be rewatching it more than once! The acting is .. amazing, I looked some of them up because I just knew watching them that they were highly respected actors with a long history. A lot of the posters etc.. for this show feature the one young couple in it, thankfully they are not at all dominant to the storyline. In fact their whole tale is hilariously tropey but it's a minor note in this ensemble masterpiece. * * * Reply 1988: This was the most popular of the Reply series and with good reason. Much more of an ensemble show than the other Reply's it has a fantastic pace and is entirely engaging. The focus isn't just on the teenagers of 1988 but their whole families, living together on the same block in Seoul. It's VERY funny and engaging with excellent storylines. The same actors play the parents in all 3 of the Reply series but they are given a lot more to work with in this one. In '97 they are mostly yelling. This is a great comedy and slice of life drama! Because there are no real trailers for this magnificent series I am encasing it in emoticons so no one misses it. Welcome to Waikiki: I'm still watching this one, it's basically a sitcom but surprisingly funny. It's lightweight and sometimes I just watch half an hour of it if I've ended up with too many heavier dramas on the playlist. A bunch of friends running a youth hostel in Seoul. The Uncanny Counter: This show is current with the next episodes released today I think, up to episode 8? Not sure. As the trailer says, Noodle shop owners by day, demon hunters by night! So far it's much better than the trailer, I've been enjoying it a lot. Hopefully it doesn't unravel with too much mystery upon mystery but so far it been a lot of fun and I'm enjoying the portrayal of a spiritual world and afterlife issues. Great pace. EDIT: SEASON 2 NOW OUT!! Stranger Season 2: Had to bail on this one. After seemingly endless scenes of prosecutors and police officers facing off in meetings over boardroom tables arguing the finer points of Korean law I was out. Season 1 Stranger was INTENSE and worth all the hype. Season 2 started off strong but then it just.. anyway if anyone finished it let me know if it improved. Season 1 is a stand alone so if you haven't seen it don't let my dislike of Season 2 put you off! * * * The Korean Film Festival in Australia had all their movies free and online this year which was great except 2/3 through they had technical difficulties which caused them to shut the whole thing down. Did see some epic films though! One of these is on the Australian platform https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movies which is free, but I don't know if you can watch this outside of Aus. Mother: This is a cult classic in Korea. Made in 2009 by Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer) it's a darkly unfolding drama about a woman and her adult intellectually disabled son who is accused of a terrible crime. It stars Kim Hye-Ja who also stars in Dear My Friends. It's a fantastic film, highly recommended (don't read too much, there be spoilers out there). This movie is on the Aus platform sbs linked above (hope you all can watch it). https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1793233475529/mother Kim Ji-young Born 1982: I was looking fwd to this one having just read the book. A feminist groundbreaking novel in Korea that explores the micro aggressions and societal expectations on women in a slow, layer building way. Was underwhelmed by the film though it was very true to the book. Maybe the quiet build up of the novel didn't work so well for me on screen, or maybe I would have liked it more if I hadn't just finished the novel. Acting was kind of flat which didn't help. The Man Standing Next: Based on the true story of a man in the inner circle of the last days of President Park Chung-hee before his assassination this political thriller is excellent. Historically interesting, gripping and great pace. You'll be off to Wikipedia to read all about these events from the 70's after you watch this movie! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uRNaKDS0gs Baseball Girl: Ooo a girl wants to play baseball. I hated this movie, it was just BORING. The main character is the trans girl in Itaewon Class but she has no personality in this movie other than sullenness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_lFVR-SMkE Our Body: A deeply bored young woman finds someone she admires who runs, she starts running, she is less bored, she starts taking on the personality traits of the woman she admires. The word "languor" features in some of the reviews for this film which is I assume is code for "you will die of boredom". Awful. Makes Baseball Girl look like a fun afternoon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9IBLrmiHZs A Boy and Sungreen: A boy discovers his dead father is alive and goes off on a search for him, finding some surprising friends and family along the way. Enjoyed this one! Just noticed full movie is on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1T79GgT7VY Bring Me Home: A very, very disturbing film. A mother searches for her lost child. Lots of EXTREMELY disturbing child abuse. Hard to watch. Intense. Good pace and also good example of how non-western films make different choices. Good ending. You have been warned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqygjcDFZF4 Family Affair: Adult siblings are contacted by their mother who long abandoned them. They go on a road trip to find her, everything is dysfunctional and at times amusing. Kind of a washed out version of what it could have been but still enjoyable. Korean only trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VAno2ACI_c Moving On: A teenage girl, her younger brother and dad moves to the countryside to live with her grandfather following financial disaster. Nice Korean countryside and house scenes as she tries to adjust, bonds with her grandfather and explores her adolescence. An enjoyable coming of age story. Fukuoka: This was like Lost in Translation (which I hated) only there's two middle aged men and reality gets a little warped and you're never sure why. Set in Japan a middle aged Korean reconnects with his old rival in love. Of course no one has ever ever ever gotten over this high school romance, a not uncommon plot point in Kdramas that never fails to irritate me. Nice little izakaya scenes but I can only take so much ennui posing as meaningful exchanges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3F2U07IY6o Me and Me: This one has some surprises.. a cop investigating a fire in the countryside experiences his entire life disappear. Why? Was it ever really his life? What exactly is going on? Intriguing film, quite trippy with good scenery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39aH47gtK-o An Old Lady: An elderly woman is raped by a health care worker. The aftermath. Strong film, good ending, well done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulyVrGcUFlE Tune in For Love: A romance over some decades in which two people meet each other at various stages in life, never able to fully connect because, circumstances. I'm not a romance person but this was an interesting movie, excellent Seoul scenes. Enjoyable watching their lives change. On Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2x8gaL5Omw
Uncanny Counter on Netflix is a whole lot of fun! Demon hunters. Good characters, excellent pace, story line is quite interesting. A kind of Korean SPN. Last two episodes of season 2 coming out in a few days. I've loved it, it is pitch perfect
Is Demon Hunters on Netflix? Is it an animated movie? The only movie I found on Netflix with this bane is animated.
Watched a Korean sci fi movie, Space Sweepers which I think came out this year and is on Netflix. Enjoyed it quite a bit, sure it's derivative blah blah but had some fun and interesting stuff. They have universal translators in their ears and you hear many different languages being spoken with subtitles. That was different. Also stars Kim Tae-ri who was the absolutely wonderful female lead in Mr. Sunshine. Here's she's a spaceship captain and she's fantastic given the not particularly fab writing. She just owns the role and looks amazing.
Watching Space Sweepers myself now. Enjoying it so far. Glad there’s not so much technobabble. For some reason that is harder for me to digest in subtitles.
A recent entry on Netflix US had me hooked after the 1st episode. ''Sisyphus The Myth'' is a sci fi action/drama focusing on a Tony Stark-esque inventor grappling with the ramifications of his latest breakthrough- time travel. All sorts of timey-wimey shenanigans crash his orderly, jet setting lifestyle. Bonus, it's not a rom-com with a sprinkling of genre dust on top. The premise drives the characters without forcing a love story (so far...). Five episodes, released weekly are now available, with the series set to run for a total of 16.