Author: Rahul M

ENA’s “Salon de Holmes” is on the rise! On June 26, the new drama starring Lee Si Young achieved its highest viewership ratings yet. According to Nielsen Korea, the fourth episode of “Salon de Holmes” scored an average nationwide rating of 2.5 percent, marking a new personal record for the show. Meanwhile, KBS2’s “The First Night with the Duke” enjoyed its own jump in viewership ahead of the second half of its run. The fantasy romance drama starring Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun and 2PM’s Taecyeon wrapped up its first half on an average nationwide rating of 3.3 percent. Watch full episodes…

Upcoming drama “S LINE” has unveiled new stills of Lee Da Hee! Based on the webtoon of the same name, “S LINE” is a fantasy thriller in which red lines suddenly appear above people’s heads, connecting them to people with whom they have had physical relationships and thus revealing sensitive personal information overnight. This red line is called the “S LINE” and can only be seen but not physically touched. Lee Da Hee, known for her broad acting range across a variety of genres, is set to make another striking transformation in the series. She will play Gyu Jin, a…

JTBC’s upcoming drama “The Nice Guy” has unveiled its first teaser video ahead of its premiere! The noir drama “The Nice Guy” will tell the story of Park Seok Chul (Lee Dong Wook), the eldest grandson of a third-generation gangster family with an unexpectedly pure heart, and his first love Kang Mi Young (Lee Sung Kyung), who dreams of becoming a singer. The newly released teaser offers a glimpse into Park Seok Chul’s precarious life and inner conflict. Though he never wanted the gangster life, he rose through the ranks due to his dedication, eventually becoming the organization’s ace. Now…

Get ready to see Kim Hee Sun, Han Hye Jin, and Jin Seo Yeon together in TV Chosun’s upcoming drama! On June 26 KST, TV Chosun confirmed the main cast of its new drama “Because There Is No Next Life” (literal title) including Kim Hee Sun, Han Hye Jin, and Jin Seo Yeon. Yoon Bak is also reportedly joining the cast, playing the husband of Kim Hee Sun’s character. “Because There Is No Next Life” follows the story of three 41-year-old women who are worn out from parenting and work. As they each set out on new challenges, the drama…

Netflix’s upcoming film “Wall to Wall” has unveiled suspense-filled new stills ahead of its premiere! “Wall to Wall” is an unpredictable thriller film that follows the story of Woo Sung (Kang Ha Neul), a young man who succeeded in buying his own home in an 84-square meter apartment but is plagued by unidentifiable noise between floors. The newly released images capture the rising tension between Woo Sung, Eun Hwa (Yeom Hye Ran), the president of the residents’ association, and Jin Ho (Seo Hyun Woo), a suspicious neighbor living directly above Woo Sung. Having bought the apartment through a massive loan,…

While they initially (pre) debuted with a promising pop/rock sound, rookie group POW’s music has become more subdued and forgettable since. They seem to have tons of promise, but the music just isn’t doing it for me. This regrettable trend continues with Being Tender (다정해지는 법) — a plonky mid-tempo that feels almost designed to fade into the backdrop. There are some quirky elements to POW’s sound and I can hear their direct influences, but a track like Being Tender lacks the kind of hook necessary to make this muted sound stand out. Without a memorable melody, the song spins…

Since returning from the military, Wonho’s music seems targeted toward an international market with English-language lyrics and an overall trendy sound. For about two years from 2020 to 2022 he stood as one of the industry’s most reliable artists, releasing a string of bangers. I wish he’d return to that pattern. There’s something deflating about a subpar track built around the lyric “no one does it better than me.” If you’re going to repeat that statement multiple times, you better have the goods to back it up. Better Than Me is a threadbare, 2:24 song that becomes the latest in…

Sometimes summer highlights emerge from the most unexpected places. Over the past few days, we’ve had a flurry of strong seasonal offerings from some of K-pop’s girl groups, but with My Summer Manual (나의 여름 설명서), the variety show spawned co-ed group JAESSBEE confidently throw their hat in the ring. They’ve got some major firepower behind them, with producers like Bumzu and Shannon Bae behind the song’s creation. The swaggy ALLDAY PROJECT may currently hold Korea’s chart glory, but I’ll take this fun little bop any day. JAESSBEE put comedy at the forefront but bolster it with a loving nod…

When it comes to K-idol bands, it takes a lot to capture my attention. I’d consider myself a fan of rock music, but it’s not what I flock to the Korean music scene for because I can get my rock fix pretty much anywhere. With that said, Catch The Young have had my attention since the beginning due to their bright, youthful concept. Plus they feature a keytar, which is the coolest instrument ever invented. But even with these assets, no song has yet connected with me in the way I’d hope. New single Ideal Type (이상형) might come the…

In my corner of the world, the first few days of this summer have been mired in showers and a cool breeze, but in K-pop we’re witnessing the beginning of a battle between girl group summer tracks. From where I stand now, Hearts2Hearts’ Style has only grown in stature while I’m worried I might have slightly overrated fromis_9’s Like You Better. However, it will take time (and a surplus of actual sunny days) to determine the ultimate victor. Today, H1-KEY offers their bid for summer ubiquity with their long-awaited comeback Summer Was You (여름이었다). This might be the most explicitly…