Author: Rahul M

PREVIOUS RECAPS: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight // Episode Nine // Episode Ten // Episode Eleven Are you guys still with me? Even as these recaps become mostly copy-and-paste from wikipedia? I always commit to seeing things through until the end, but that doesn’t mean I have to do a great job seeing them through! The truth is, I’ve mostly stopped watching this series in favor of simply familiarizing myself with highlights — probably similar to what most of you are doing…

When Taemin released his single Veil last week, I was surprised it wasn’t paired with a music or performance video. After all, he’s one of K-pop’s premiere visual artists, with choreography and sheer star presence often elevating the songs themselves. It turns out we just needed to wait a few days before that video materialized. Of course, this blog isn’t often concerned with the music videos. I watch them all and I watch some of them many times, but I’m much more liable to enjoy the music on its own merits. When it comes to Taemin’s solo work, I have…

Japanese girl group XG are gearing up for their first full-length album next January, and given J-pop’s extended promotional period its main single has dropped a few months early. Thus far, XG’s output can usually be slotted into three distinct categories: hip-hop, dance and r&b. GALA finds a way to combine these genres into something much more ambitious. I don’t think this song is perfect, and I’ll get into why later, but I’m heartened by the fact that the producers seemed to sit down and actually say “let’s make something cool and different a bit daring.” In a climate of…

Netflix has dropped a new teaser for its upcoming romantic comedy series “Romantics Anonymous”! Based on the French film of the same name, “Romantics Anonymous” follows the love story of a chocolatier who suffers from scoptophobia—an extreme fear of being stared at—after she gets hired at a small chocolate store. Han Hyo Joo stars as Lee Hana, a gifted chocolatier who hides behind anonymity due to her crippling fear of social interactions and eye contact. Oguri Shun plays Sosuke Fujiwara, the new owner of a renowned chocolate shop whose own traumatic past has left him unable to endure physical contact.…

The new season of tvN’s variety show “House on Wheels” has unveiled a new poster and teasers! “House on Wheels” is a healing reality program that follows cast members as they travel to quiet, scenic locations in a mobile home, inviting guests to spend a day living simply and meaningfully. The new season, titled “House on Wheels: Across the Sea – Hokkaido Edition,” takes this signature concept abroad for the very first time. Longtime cast members Sung Dong Il and Kim Hee Won return, with actress Jang Nara joining as the show’s first female cast member. The newly unveiled main…

NCT’s Haechan has won his first-ever music show trophy as a solo artist! On the September 12 episode of KBS 2TV’s “Music Bank,” the candidates for first place were NCT’s Haechan “CRZY” and aespa’s “Rich Man.” Haechan ultimately took the prize with a total of 6,808 points. Congratulations to Haechan! Watch the winner announcement and encore below: Performers on today’s show included NCT’s Haechan, i-dle’s Yuqi, WJSN’s Dayoung, 2PM’s Jang Wooyoung, CORTIS, IDID, CIX, Lim Young Woong, B.A.P’s Jung Daehyun, ALL(H)OURS, AxMxP, BADVILLAIN, LUN8, PRIMROSE, A.C.E’s Junhee, Soorin, Dahye, and Youngbin. Check out their performances below! NCT’s Haechan – “CRZY”…

SBS’s upcoming drama “Would You Marry Me” has introduced the colorful family behind Choi Woo Shik’s bakery empire! “Would You Marry Me” is a new romantic comedy about a man and a woman who enter a high-stakes, 90-day fake marriage in order to win a luxurious newlywed home. Choi Woo Shik stars as Kim Woo Joo, the heir to South Korea’s oldest bakery, while Jung So Min plays Yoo Mary, a small business owner who approaches him with an unusual proposal. Kim Woo Joo, the flawless fourth-generation heir of South Korea’s first bakery Myungsoondang, isn’t standing alone. The drama has…

TV CHOSUN’s drama “Confidence Queen” has unveiled a glimpse of our trio’s next con! A Korean adaptation of the 2018 Japanese drama “The Confidence Man JP,” “Confidence Queen” tells the story of three talented con artists who pull off elaborate scams targeting villains from all walks of life. Park Min Young stars in the drama as team leader Yoon Yi Rang, a genius con artist with an IQ of 165. Park Hee Soon plays James, a charming master of disguise, while Joo Jong Hyuk plays Myung Gu Ho, the youngest member of the team. In the upcoming episodes, Yoon Yi…

“Queen Mantis” has revealed four key points of interest ahead of its upcoming episodes! A remake of the French series “La Mante,” “Queen Mantis” is a new crime thriller starring Go Hyun Jung as Jung Yi Shin, a famous serial killer nicknamed “The Mantis” who brutally murdered five men 20 years ago and has been imprisoned ever since. When a new serial killer emerges, copying The Mantis’s distinctive style, the police approach Jung Yi Shin for her assistance in solving the case. Jang Dong Yoon stars as Jung Yi Shin’s estranged son Cha Soo Yeol, a detective who has hated…

ENA’s upcoming drama “Ms. Incognito” has offered a first look at the teamwork between Jeon Yeo Been and Seo Hyun Woo! “Ms. Incognito” is a romance crime drama starring Jeon Yeo Been as Kim Young Ran, a female bodyguard who enters a contract marriage with a terminally ill chaebol chairman in the hopes of turning her life around. But when those eyeing the chairman’s vast fortune close in on her, she is forced to live under the new identity of Boo Se Mi for three months—setting the stage for dangerous twists and turns. At the center of this high-stakes “life-reset…