4 KDramas and Movies

KDRAMA SPOTLIGHT

THE SOUND OF MAGIC – Premiered May 6, 2022 - 3.5/5 (based on episode 1)

Do you enjoy dramas that combine real life settings with fantasy and whimsy?

Do you like musicals with showy songs and dance numbers?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

Then, Netflix’s new show, The Sound of Magic, might just be for you. Based on a webtoon, the six-part drama follows high schooler Yoon Ah-Yi (Choi Seung-eun) who has to navigate some hard circumstances as she tries to take care of her younger sister in her parents’ absence. Her life takes a turn when she meets an eccentric magician living in an abandoned amusement park. Soon, she finds herself in a world where things aren’t always what they seem, magic might actually be real, and danger can be closer than you think.

While the travails of downtrodden teen characters aren’t exactly rare in kdrama, The Sound of Music attempts to set itself apart by combining several elements from disparate genres. Part fantasy, part crime-drama, and part musical, the show attempts to be a lot of different things. While the final product may not be as successful as intended, the Sound of Magic does have its charms. Ji Chan Wook (Melting Me Softly, Suspicious Partner) is engaging as the mysterious magician Ri Eul. His performance will make you want to believe. The imagery and cinematography is beautiful. Also, the songs are quite nice, even if they don’t always seem to fit into the flow of the scene. All in all, The Sound of Magic is worth a look, if only to hear Ji Chan Wook sing.

Netflix

Recently Released Ongoing Dramas

• Tomorrow – 16 episodes
  • Synopsis: Made half-human and half-spirit by accident, a young man is employed by a company of grim reapers in the underworld to carry out special missions.
  • Main Cast: Kim Hee Sun, Rowoon, Lee Soo Hyuk, Yun Ji On
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• Green Mother’s Club – 16 episodes
  • Synopsis: Five mothers lean on their friendship to help them get through life’s struggles.
  • Main Cast: Lee Yo Won, Choo Ja Hyun, Kim Gyu Ri, Jang Hye Jin, Joo Min Kyung
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• Our Blues – 20 episodes
  • Synopsis: Romance is sweet and bitter — and life riddled with ups and downs — in multiple stories about people who live and work on bustling Jeju Island.
  • Main Cast: Lee Byung Hun, Shin Min Ah, Cha Seung Won, Lee Jung Eun, Uhm Jung Hwa
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• My Liberation Notes – 16 episodes
  • Synopsis: A slice-of-life drama series that follows the lives of three siblings living in a quiet village.
  • Main Cast: Lee Min Ki, Kim Ji Won, Lee El, Son Seok Koo, Lee Ki Woo
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Disney+

Premiering

• Kiss Sixth Sense (May 25^th) - 12 episodes
  • Synopsis: Ye-sool can see a person’s future if her lips touch theirs. One day, she accidentally touches lips with her hated boss and is shocked to see a vision of them in bed.
  • Main Cast: Yoon Kye Sang, Seo Ji-Hye
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Viki Rakuten

Recently Released Ongoing Dramas

• Again My Life – 16 episodes
  • Synopsis: While investigating a potentially corrupt politician, prosecutor, Kim Hee Woo, is killed by an unidentified man, only to wake up fully alive.
  • Main Cast: Lee Joon Gi, Lee Kyoung Young
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• Shi**ting Stars – 16 episodes
  • Synopsis: A romance develops between a PR agent and one of the top stars she represents.
  • Main Cast: Lee Sung-kyung, Kim Young-dae
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• The Killer’s Shopping List – 8 episodes
  • Synopsis - When a murder takes place near her boyfriend’s family market, a policewoman investigates it with the help of him and his mother.
  • Main Cast: Kim Seol Hyun, Lee Kwang Soo, Jin Hee Kyung
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Dramas Coming Soon

• Eve (May 25^th) – 16 episodes
  • Synopsis – “Eve’s Scandal" is a romance drama dealing with the inside story of a chaebol’s 2 trillion won (approximately $1.7 billion) divorce lawsuit that shocks the entire nation.
  • Main Cast: Seo Ye Ji, Lee Sang Yeob, Park Byung Eun, Yoo Sun
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Recently Released and Upcoming Movies

• The Girl on the Bulldozer (2021) 1hr 52min
  • Synopsis – A rebellious girl becomes the head of her household after her father has an accident. She is tasked with caring for her younger sibling while also struggling to find the truth about her father’s accident.
  • Main Cast – Kim Hye Yoon, Ye Sung
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• The Labyrinth (2021)
  • Synopsis – High schooler, Hee Min, is the unknowing heir to the greatest exorcist in Korea. So Young is a girl who is a keeping a secret about a curse that is afflicting their school. Together, they struggle to save their friends from evil spirits.
  • Main Cast – Chani, Park Yoo Na, Jang Gwang
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• The Grotesque Mansion (2021)
  • Synopsis - A horror webtoon writer visits the grotesque mansion and hears spooky stories from the people around there.
  • Main Cast – Sung Joon, Kim Bo Ra
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• Oh! Boarding House (2022)
  • Synopsis – BL comedy series featuring a goofy landlord who becomes smitten with a handsome new tenant.
  • Main Cast – Im Sung Kyun, Shin Yong Seok, Shin Gi Hwan
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• Ocean Likes Me (2022)
  • Synopsis – A healing BL romance between a young entrepreneur who dreams of starting a restaurant and a failed musician.
  • Main Cast – Holland, Han Gi Chan
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• The Point Men (2021)
  • Synopsis - The film is based on true events of 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan, when 23 South Korean missionaries were captured and held hostage in Afghanistan. Hyun Bin playing a NIS agent conducts a rescue operation and negotiations with the help of diplomat played by Hwang Jung-min.
  • Main Cast – Hyun Bin, Hwang Jung Min
  • Trailer – not available
• Emergency Declaration (2021)
  • Synopsis - The passengers are on a verge of life and death and forced to evacuate as an unprecedented terror occurs mid-flight.
  • Main Cast – Kang Ho Song, Lee Byung Hun, Jeon Do Yeon
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• Love & Wish (2022)
  • Synopsis – A high schooler falls for a seemingly perfect boy, but discovers that he is hiding a painful secret
  • Main Cast – Choi Youngjae, Choi Ye Bin
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• Her Bucket List (2022)
  • Synopsis – Despondent after the death of her boyfriend, Cha Ra Ri decides to complete their shared bucket list and in doing so bonds with a kpop trainee.
  • Main Cast – Na In Woo, Kim So Hye
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• Pumpkin Time (2021)
  • Synopsis – After eagerly hoping to reunite with his childhood best friend, a young man is shocked to discover his friend is now a high school girl
  • Main Cast – Shin Hyun Seung, Lee Soo Min
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What We're Watching

Every month we'll be asking one person from staff or AKP users to tell us what drama (new or old) they are watching or that they are looking forward to and why. I'll start off the series with the 2017 time-travel, crime drama "Tunnel".

A police detective from 1986 suddenly finds himself transported 30 years into the present where he ends up investigating a strangely familiar case while trying to figure out a way to get home. Reminiscent of BBC's "Life on Mars", Tunnel is partly a fish-out-of-water story with main character, Detective Park Kwang Ho (Choi Jin Hyuk) having difficulty adapting to the the mores and expectations of the new time period he ends up in. I personally am a huge fan of time travel stories for this reason. I enjoy seeing just how much the world has changed over the years in stark relief through the eyes of characters like Park and think this scenario offers so many possibilities for character growth.

Along with the time travel set up, the main plot is one of the best draws of this drama. The show starts off with the investigation of a serial killer in 1986. Once in 2017, Detective Park finds himself once again investigating a serial killer with suspiciously similar clues to the thirty year old case. How are they connected? Could it be the same murderer? The chilling 1986 murder plot is inspired by the real life Hwaseong serial murders, which are widely regarded as the first serial killings identified in South Korea which only adds to the sense of seriousness and dread in that plotline. Be forewarned. The show does not shy away from the crimes.

The show is not without some humor though, mainly in the form of interactions between Park and his straight-laced, modern day partner, Kim Sun Jae (Yoon Hyun Min). There is also some sweetness in Park's love of his wife who he desperately wants to get back to.

I haven't finished the series yet, but I am loving it so far and recommend Tunnel to fans of police procedurals with a twist.

Quote from novemberrain

Oh they are movies??? I thought they were all dramas

Yes, some are movies. The dramas have episode counts listed.

Quote from elirvs

Why is it so bright

Lol the theme? We're being cute

Quote from novemberrain

The grotesque mansion looks interesting too

I wish I had someone who will watch with me

We should do a watch party!

Quote from novemberrain

oh the killer's shopping list looks interesting

Maybe I watch labyrinth too

if my heart can handle it

The killer's shopping list is definitely on my....uh.... list!

I also want to watch Tomorrow. I love supernatural beings. I might stay that today

Quote from elirvs

it will take me some time to read it all

I am used to darkness

Cuz it matches your soul lol

Quote from ul1ra

I'm plannin' 2 watch The Sound of Magic after I finish up the webtoon

Let us know how you like it and if there are differences :)

Quote from Pearl-Iris

Rowoon's drama, hope it is good

I hope so! It's one of the ones I'm excited about.

Quote from centen

For anyone interested, I'm only a few episodes in, but so far, it's a pretty cozy drama. The characters feel like people you would want to get a cup of tea with. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a chill vibe!

I love chill slice of life stuff so i might check it out. It's always interesting to see more realistic takes on like in SK

Quote from laleria

i've been waiting for this drama, but it's a little bit dissapointing from scenarion perspective

Oh, I'm disappointed to hear that. I was hoping for a fun romcom especially since I love the hate to love trope. It's hard to find really good ones though that aren't too sappy or saccharine or just dumb

Quote from the101

Ooo there’s some horror stuff too..

I'm not super into horror in general but i like how Korean movies delivery it.

Quote from quarkie

I can't believe I didn't know the Sound of Magic premiered and it even happened on my birthday

Hwang In Yeop wait for me to finish the other stuff I'm watching

Ooh! Happy belated birthday!!

Quote from elirvs

Did you notice Youngjae in the list?

Quote from veryberrys

i've been waiting for the sound of magic but i didn't know it was a musical, i really don't like musicals.

Omg, i didn't know either and was shocked the first time they broke into song and dance. If it helps, there were only a few songs in the hour long first episode. On the other hand though, the songs were very Broadway musical type, not kpop type and felt kinda shoved in. Granted i only watched the first epi so don't know if it status that way. I think you could safely fastforward through the songs though without it impacting the story.

Quote from lostatsea

I am watching Tomorrow and My Liberation Notes. So I didn't particularly enjoy the first few episodes of Tomorrow because for some reason the bits of humour didn't really click with me but halfway through the season the plot gets heavier and they drop the comedy altogether so I am enjoying it more.

The main downside is that I was expecting much more Lee Soo Hyuk screentime

One thing that i find kinda annoying about kdramas is how a lot of them will have a huge shift in tone and even genre after the first episode. Sounds like it worked in this case though.

Quote from novemberrain

ohohoho sounds good!

but I am not sure if others enjoy horror as well. I am afraid it will be just you and me

Hmmm maybe I'll ask if i could set something up through Buzz and we could open it up to all users.

Quote from lostatsea

My Liberation Notes on the other hand is so so good. It's slice of life but not exactly the wholesome, fluffy kind. It's very raw and the characters are so relatable to my introverted self. The way the dialogues hit close to home Even the side characters are nicely fleshed out and getting their screentime.

Ooh that's sounds right up my alley. I like more realistic stuff that deals with real issues. Have you ever watched One Spring Night? It was about a woman who was dissatisfied with her long term relationship and chafing against the expectations of it falling for a man who deals with the taboo of being a single father. I loved it.

Quote from veryberrys

that's a lot. i thought it would be one song.

i really wanted to watch it but i don't think i can, the singing and dancing kills the story for me. are you going to watch all episodes? if so, pls let me know if there's more singing in the future. i'm still hoping it's just for the first episode.

Lol you're really put off by the songs! Once i watch more of it, I'll be sure to let you know :)