Author: Rahul M

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for drama actors! The rankings were determined through a data analysis of the media coverage, participation, interaction, and community indexes of 50 actors who appeared in dramas that aired between July 13 and August 13. Choo Young Woo, who recently starred in “Head Over Heels,” topped this month’s list with a brand reputation index of 4,701,043. High-ranking phrases in his keyword analysis included “Head Over Heels,” “fan meeting,” and “Netflix,” while his highest-ranking related terms included “act passionately,” “hold [organize],” and “end.” Choo Young Woo’s positivity-negativity analysis also…

JTBC’s upcoming drama “A Hundred Memories” has unveiled a new glimpse of Shin Ye Eun’s character! Set in the 1980s, “A Hundred Memories” is a nostalgic coming-of-age romance drama about the friendship between two young bus attendants, Go Young Rye (Kim Da Mi) and Seo Jong Hee (Shin Ye Eun), and their shared first love Han Jae Pil (Heo Nam Jun). Newly released stills from the upcoming drama capture Seo Jong Hee’s grand arrival as a new bus attendant at Cheong Ah Transport. A beautiful and witty teenager with a vivacious personality, Seo Jong Hee is confident, bold, and courageous.…

PREVIOUS RECAPS: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five I’m back… a few days late again! We’re continuing with the first round battles this episode but before that I must reiterate that the best thing about this season so far is the cute little dog that comes into the dorms to comfort and cheer up the guys. Dogs should always be part of this show. Plot Twist (TWS) Team 2 At one point during practice, one of the guys actually said: “but, I can’t sing live!” Um… seriously? That’s gonna be an issue.…

Before going their separate ways in November, PURPLE KISS will be releasing their first-ever English album at the end of the month. On August 14 at midnight KST, PURPLE KISS dropped the first teaser for their upcoming English-language album “OUR NOW,” which is due out on August 31. Earlier this month, RBW announced that PURPLE KISS would be disbanding in November after four years together. However, the agency also stated that in the months ahead of their official disbandment, the group would be releasing an English album, promoting in Japan, touring the United States, and holding a concert in Korea.…

I don’t know what’s happening over in YOUNITE world, but the promotion for Bomba is concerning. The song was released over a week ago to no fanfare and only now has a (performance) video. The group has yet to promote it on music shows. None of these developments bode well for the agency’s confidence in YOUNITE. As a longtime K-pop fan, I’ve been down this road many times before and I see warning signs popping up all over. This could just be an overreaction, and I hope so because YOUNITE have some decent hip-hop in their discography. I still hold…

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: ZOONIZINI is an awful sub-unit name. I’m sure it has some special meaning as all K-pop monikers do, but saying it out loud instantly makes me feel stupider. ZOONIZINI is Astro’s third sub-unit, made up of members MJ and JinJin. Previous units delivered mixed results, but this combination seems as if it could be a lot of fun. Let’s rephrase that with extra emphasis on “seems as if,” because Some Things Never Change is actively repelling me. It’s giving the most insipid version of early-2010’s radio pop fodder. Think: Train, B.o.B,…

Given TWS’s incredible success last year, there are worst song titles to debut with than “Plot Twist“! AtHeart have used the familiar title for their first foray into the industry, though they teased us with a pre-debut earlier this year. The group hails from Titan Content — an American based company that seems to have big ambitions for the future. I’m not sure how I feel about American companies getting into K-pop, but if the music’s good I won’t be able to complain too much. In this regard, Plot Twist isn’t memorable enough to sidestep concerns. Its sparse, atmospheric sound…

KBS2’s upcoming drama “Walking on Thin Ice” has unveiled new stills! “Walking on Thin Ice” will tell the story of the dangerous partnership between Kang Eun Soo (Lee Young Ae), a mother desperate to protect her family, and Lee Kyung (Kim Young Kwang), a teacher who secretly leads a double life. Lee Young Ae plays Kang Eun Soo, an ordinary housewife who enters a forbidden world. Kim Young Kwang stars as Lee Kyung, a popular after-school art teacher by day who secretly works as a drug dealer by night. Park Yong Woo plays Jang Tae Goo, the head of the…

The upcoming film “Nerd Rhapsody” (literal title) has finalized its starring cast! “Nerd Rhapsody” is a coming-of-age music romance film about a nerdy genius pianist who falls in love with a transfer student at first sight and winds up taking on the challenge of hip hop in order to win her heart. On August 13, production company STUDIO HIM announced the cast lineup for the upcoming film, which will be helmed by “Dear.M” and “to. Jenny” director Park Jin Woo. Ahn Ji Ho, who has appeared in dramas like “Night Has Come,” “Gyeongseong Creature,” and “The Defects,” will be starring…

The upcoming action drama “Twelve” has unveiled new stills highlighting the cast’s strong chemistry! Inspired by the 12 zodiac animals of the East, “Twelve” tells the story of 12 angels living in the human world in human form to protect the Korean Peninsula from evil spirits. Long ago, the angels barely managed to seal the forces of evil in the gates of hell through their sacrifice, bringing peace. However, with the evil spirits awakening, chaos returns. The newly released stills reveal the special connection among the 12 zodiac angels. To protect humans from evil forces, eight of the angels—Tae San…