Streaming Services for Korean Dramas: Netflix versus Viki

In the USA, the most popular streaming sites for Korean dramas are Netflix and Viki. Maybe I shouldd say, the most popular streaming sites that I know of.  I have been a long-time Netflix subscriber and even though I give Netflix credit for introducing me to the wonderful world of Korean drama, I am a loyal Viki viewer. I became a loyal Viki viewer because Netflix didn't have enough TV series and movies to satisfy my appetite.  Especially not enough sageuk or historical period K-dramas.

These days, Netflix has added lots more K-dramas to their database; and their Netflix Original Series are very entertaining.  The Viki Original Series are equally entertaining.

• If you want to watch a Netflix Original Series, I highly recommend: Mr. Sunshine (2018); My Country: The New Age (2019); and The King's Affection (2021).  

• If you want to watch a Viki Original Series, I highly recommend:  Lovers of the Red Sky (2021); and The King Loves (2017).  Viki has lots more original series that I could suggest but I prefer to finish them and write reviews first, before telling others to dd to their watch list.

Rakuten Viki ~ The Heart of Asian Entertainment

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐬?

Who knows what else I might find if I check different streaming sites. Thanks!!

My Sageuk Addiction – Medium

Under the Queen's Umbrella: Korean Drama TV Series on Netfilx Released in 2022

Under the Queen's Umbrella is a Korean historical period drama series, released in 2022, that is currently streaming on Netflix. 

16 intense episodes. Viewers gave this series 4.9 out of 5 stars. I totally agree.  Kim Hye-Soo's performance as Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong is award-worthy. But giving credit where credit is due, quite frankly, all of the actors and actresses in this series gave exemplary performances. They played their roles as if they were real historical figures in the Joseon Era.

The worth of the flowers in the palace, i.e. the king's women, is judged by how many sons they bare the king. 

 Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong (played by Kim Hye-Soo) has been very fortunate. She bore five (5) sons for the king. Her oldest son is the crown prince, but he is suffering from a life-threatening illness. He could die any day! If he were to die, who would take his place? The crown prince already has a son of his own, so according to the line of succession, his son, her grandson, should be heir to the throne. Then as alternatives, one of his brothers, her four other sons who are grand princes, could be chosen. But her sons are perfectly content to never be king. She would have been content to allow them not to pursue the throne EXCEPT … the deposed queen (i.e. the queen before her) also had many sons.  When she realized the lives of her sons were in jeopardy, she immediately made up her mind that her sons would not suffer the same fate as Queen Yoon and her sons.

Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong now understands that THIS IS WAR!

Read full review at My Sageuk Addiction on Medium.com.

Original source

THE UNJUST (2010) ~ Korean Drama Movie Gem

Netflix suggested Unjust (2010) as a gem and I agree. The IMDb Rating: 6.6 out of 10 stars. But my rating for this movie is 9 out of 10 stars. This movie painted a very realistic picture of unjust acts that corrupt civil servants commit in their official line of duty. It was a chilling eye-opener.

The Unjust is an Intense Crime Drama!

The viewer is immediately drawn into the storyline when it starts with televised news reports about a serial killer on the loose, killing young children and mutilating their bodies. The public is justifiably outraged and wants to know why the police have not yet captured this menace to society. Choi Cheol-Gi is assigned to head up the task force and bring this brutal murderer to justice. But instead of finding the real killer, he picks a guy who has served time in prison for sexual assault against a child and presents him to the public as the culprit. WHY? The public will be relieved, the case will be closed, he will be painted as a HERO, and will finally get that promotion.

Not so fast! Prosecutor Joo-Yang eats and plays golf with a wealthy corrupt businessman. When that businessman is arrested for crimes, the prosecutor bends the law to get the charges dropped. He is not exactly a saint. But when he finds out that Choi Cheol-Gi did not catch the real killer, he makes it his mission to expose him. There's bd blood between the two of them.

The truth is these guys abuse their positions of public trust in order to advance their careers. They're both corrupt and unjust. But one of them is … The Unjust. Which one? 

Captivating the King Will Become One of the Best K-dramas of 2024

“CAPTIVATING THE KING” (2024), K-DRAMA SERIES

March has just begun and 2024 Korean dramas are still being released. Even so, I do not doubt that "Captivating the King" will make many lists as one of the Best K-Dramas of 2024. It may even appear on lists as one of the Best K-Dramas of All Time. From the first episode, as a viewer, I was completely captivated.

This series is historical, set during the Joseon Era, loaded with political intrigue, and it's a love story. The king is suspected of being a homosexual because of his closeness to a baduk (Go) player. However, the baduk player ultimately reveals herself to him and also confesses her love for him.

A man, especially a king, who is surrounded by so many treacherous and traitorous people must have at least one person he can trust and rely on; a confidant who will stay beside him through thick and then, and comfort and love him. The burden the king carries is heavy because, among the people who seek his life, one of them is his one and only kinsman. That kinsmen killed his brother and planned to kill him also. Even worse, his mother, the Queen Dowager, did nothing to stop him, It is indeed a cruel world when your mother won't even try to rescue you.

♦ “Captivating the King” is loosely based on the historical events about the time when Joseon was “between” the Qing and the Ming. In the history of Korea (formerly called Joseon), the date of the Manchu Victory is 1636. With this victory, the Qing defeated the Ming and the Emperor forced Joseon into a tributary relationship with the Empire.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

• Grand Prince Jinhan / Lee In (played by Cho Jung-Seok, “The Face Reader”, “The Nokdu Flower”)
• Kang Hee-Soo / The Baduk Gambler (played by Shin Se-Kyung, “Rookie Historian”)

Before he became king, people plotted against the Grand Prince Jinhan and accused him of treason. On the night he went before his brother, the king, to plead his innocence, his brother gave him “his last words” and died in his arms. The treacherous plans of his enemies BACKFIRED. He had the upper hand because he and a court maid were the only ones in the king's quarters when he received his dying words. The grand prince took the throne and became king. Although that was not his brother, the king, had willed. Nevertheless, to carry out his brother's dying wishes, Grand Prince Jinhan has to make himself king so that he has the authority to do so.

But what were his brother's last words? The grand prince was to:

• Ensure that the king's son was placed on the throne; and
• Find out who poisoned the king.

The king did not die a natural death. He was murdered.

The storyline for “Captivating the King” is rife with treachery and deceit, betrayal, psychological manipulation, and all of the tools power-mongers use to take control and satisfy their greed and lust for wealth and power.

When the grand prince was taken hostage by the Qing, he learned the value of playing baduk because it was a game that helped the player develop a military strategy to defeat his enemy.

When the grand prince returned to the palace, certain court officials convinced his brother, the king, to view the grand prince with suspicion and painted him as a spy for Qing. But even without the efforts of those within, the king had been threatened by those without. He was told that if something should happen to him, the Qing would place the grand prince on the throne, and not his son, the crown prince. This threat was already in the king’s mind and the Joseon court officials had simply added fuel to the fire.

One day the grand prince was out and about and came across a group of people playing baduk. He wondered if he could get into the game. That is how he met the baduk gambler. She was a noble lady, disguised as a man, who used the money she earned from gambling for charitable works.

Their relationship almost did not happen. The baduk player, along with several other people, were used as scapegoats to take the blame for the people who had plotted treason against the king. They were sentenced to death. The prince, who became king, thought she died. But several years later, the baduk player showed up. Not knowing how or why she/he survived, he made a way for her/him to stay by his side. Perhaps he had been given a second chance by the heavens to right his wrong against an innocent person. The baduk player, initially had plans to destroy him. But she had a change of heart once she learned “the rest of his story”.

The story of the prince and the gambler is truly captivating.

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Netflix K-Content. “Captivating the King | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB].” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 9, 2024. Captivating the King | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB]

Original source

K-Drama Series: See You in My 19th Life (Based on a Webtoon)

See You in My 19th Life is a K-drama series based on a webtoon of the same name; has 12 episodes; was released in 2023; and is currently streaming on Netflix.

The main character, Ban Ji-Eum, remembers her past lives: people and places. In her 18^th life, her name was Yoon Ju-Won, and her life was cut short because she was involved in a tragic car accident. She was in the car with the boy who was her first love, in that life, Mun Seo-Ha. She was reborn as Ban Ji-Eum and remembered him, but did not know if he had survived the accident. Since she remembered where he lived, she went to visit. From the gate, she looked into the yard and could see that he had survived. But of course, she could not approach him because he would not recognize her. She then hatched a plan to reunite with him and continue their love relationship. Before she died as Ju-won, she had promised she would come back to him. In other words, she would see him in her 19^th life. She fully intended to keep that promise.

Ban Ji-Eum's ability to remember her past lives was not how reincarnation is supposed to be. Others don't remember their past lives. They start each rebirth with a brand new life.

This series poses several questions:

• Why does Ban Ji-Eum remember her past lives?

• Is she the only one who can remember their past lives?

• Is there a way to erase these memories?

• If you had the choice, would you want to keep your memories from your past lives, or erase them?

As the story unfolds, these questions will be answered.  Although, if it were you, you might have come up with different answers.

Main Characters:

• Ban Ji-Eum (played by Shin Hye-sun)

• Mun Seo-Ha (played by Ahn Bo-Hyun)

See You in My 19th Life | WEBTOON

Original source

WATCH TRAILER

Korean Drama TV Series: Destined With You (2023)

Destined With You is a Korean drama a fantasy rom-com series, with 16 episodes, released in 2023.  

This K-drama series is a love story between Lee Hong Jo, a lowly civil servant at Onju City Hall and Jang Shin Yu, a successful lawyer who was hired to work for the city's Mayor.

• Jang Shin Yu suffers from an illness and when he tries to sleep he is tormented by a bloody hand that caresses his face. His illness is actually a centuries-old curse.

• Lee Hong Jo discovers that she is the owner of a box that contains a book of magic spells. Is there is a spell that can lift his curse?

These two people have a past-life connection. During the Joseon Era, Jang Shin Yu was Jang Mu Jin, a wealthy young nobleman who fell in love with a shaman named Aeng Cho. Lee Hong Jo was Aeng Cho, the shaman. It was a forbidden union that ended tragically. They meet again in modern times. Will their love survive this time? They are both told that whether tragedy or happiness, their destinies could not be severed. They are destined to be with each other.

Main Characters:

• Jang Shin Yu | Jang Mu Jin (played by Ro Woon, “The Kings' Affection”; “Tomorrow”)

• Lee Hong Jo | Aeng Cho (played by Jo Bo Ah)

• Rowoon’s New Drama ‘Destined With You’: Cast, Plot, Review, Episode Schedule, And More | TheBeauLife

• Enjoying Destined With You? Top 4 K-Dramas You Need To Add To Your Watchlist Starring Rowoon | Filmfare.com

• 'Destined With You' on Netflix Review: Stream It Or Skip It? | Decider

K-Drama Series: King the Land (2023)

King the Land is a modernized Korean version of Cinderella, a fairy tale written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697.

• Cinderella is Cheon Sa-Rang (played by Im Yoon-ah)

• Prince Charming is Gu Won (played by Lee Jun-ho)

Revisions to the Old Cinderella Fairy Tale

• Instead of Cinderella having 2 wicked stepsisters, she had 2 BFFs (best friends forever) who always had her back. It was Prince Charming who had a wicked half-sister.

• Instead of a fairy godmother, Cinderella has a wise, industrious, and generous grandmother who teaches her valuable work and life skills, raises her to be independent, gives her good advice, and supports her endeavors.

• It turns out that Cinderella and her 2 best friends all work for businesses owned by the King Group. The supervisors where the friends work, don't do anything to help them achieve success. Each supervisor acts like a wicked stepmother.

• Initially, Cinderella has a jerk for a boyfriend, but Prince Charming replaces him.

These changes or revisions do not make the love story of this Cinderella and her Prince Charmin any less enchanting.

My personal rating for this K-drama series is 8.4 out of 10 stars.

K-Drama Review: Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Crash Course in Romance is categorized as a romantic comedy, which is why the murder mystery woven into the plot was so surprising. Face it! Math teachers are boring! How could a writer possibly make their life exciting and interesting? 

This Korean drama series has 16 episodes and is streaming on Netflix. Where to Watch.

Image credit: Netflix.com

The main characters are:

• Choi Chi-yeol (played by Jung Kyung-ho) is a star math teacher at a prestigious private academy, The Pride; and
• Nam Haeng-seon (played by Jeon Do-yeon), is the owner of “Nation’s Best Banchan”, a side dish store in Seoul.

Choi Chi-yeol is a brilliant teacher who knows all about math but zero about romance. He needs someone with a generous heart like Nam Haeng-seon to teach him. He could benefit from a crash course in romance.

The first time they meet is crazy! Choi Chi-yeol guards his privacy and thinks someone is trying to take his photo without his permission. The photographer is Nam Haeng-seon's brother. But he wasn't trying to photograph Choi Chi-yeol. He only wanted a picture of the tiger that was on the jacket that Choi Chi-yeol was wearing. It leads to a misunderstanding and he tries to take the camera and run with it. Nam Haeng-seon sees this and chases after him. That's how they meet and this encounter leads the both of them to think that the other person is INSANE!

For years, Choi Chi-yeol has had a problem when he eats food. For some reason his stomach gets upset and he can not digest the food. But one day his personal assistant buys food for him from Nam Haeng-seon's Banchan restaurant. To his surprise, he enjoys the dishes. But when he realizes that the lady who owns the restaurant is the same lady who chased after him, he tries to disguise himself so that he can enter her place of business as a “regular old ordinary customer”. She eventually recognizes him.

The final encounter is what really connects them. The lives of the two main characters intersect because Nam Haeng-seon's daughter is one of Choi Chi-yeol's math students. She is so good that even when the ruthless moms connive and scheme to get her thrown out of The Pride academy, he is willing to tutor her privately. The time he spends tutoring the daughter spills over into time spent with the mother and them getting to know each other. A romance develops between the two of them, but there are many complications that occur in their lives that threaten their relationship.

“Crash Course in Romance” was exciting, interesting, and very entertaining. My personal rating for the K-drama series is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Original source

Space Sweepers (2021): Sci-Fi Korean Drama Movie

Space Sweepers is a sci-fi K-drama film, released in 2021, currently streaming on Netflix. 

You do not need much imagination to figure out that it's about people who sweep space collecting junk and debris. There are junkyards on Earth. Why wouldn't there be junkyards in Space?

• PLOT SUMMARY: “The year is 2092, and Earth is borderline uninhabitable, overrun by arid deserts and the dry orange color grading of Blade Runner 2049. Everyone who can afford it has moved off the ruined planet to live in orbit on a seemingly utopian colony named Eden, built and ruled by a megacorporation.” (Quote Source: Space Sweepers review: Netflix sci-fi movie feels like Cowboy Bebop | Polygon)

***

Meet the Victory Team

Tae-ho, Captain Jang, Tiger Park, and an android named Bubs are the crew of space sweepers who find Dorothy. The name of their spaceship is Victory.

In 2092 space debris is like gold or currency. Space sweepers explore space collecting junk and selling it. While exploring some debris to see what they could salvage to sell, a team of space sweepers finds a little girl in the wreckage. They figure she's a missing child and somebody will probably pay handsomely for her to be returned. Seems like a logical deduction.  Only ... 

A Little Girl is Not Debris, But She Can Be a Bomb!

***

Song Joong Ki’s Movie ‘Space Sweepers’ to Possibly Return with Two More Sequels | KDramaStars

K-Drama Review: The Sound of Magic | Music. Magic, and Murder?

The Sound of Magic is a Korean drama based on the webtoon titled “Annarasumanara”; streaming on Netflix, released in 2022. It's only 6 episodes and is categorized in the Musical genre.

One does not usually expect a murder mystery to start with a song and dance routine. For this reason, my initial impression of episode 1 was confusion. (O.o)  Nevertheless, I decided to watch the series from start to finish and was pleasantly surprised. 

Yoon Ah-yi (played by Choi Sung-eun) is a high school student who is going to school, works part-time, and takes care of her little sister. She and her younger sibling were deserted by both parents. This young lady is having a hard-knock life.

Ri Eul / Ryu Min-hyuk (played by Ji Chang-wook) is … a young man who wears a top hat and insists that he is “a real magician”. He lives in an abandoned amusement park. When you first meet this character, you might think he's a bit weird. But you certainly don't think he's a murderer.

QUESTION: Is it possible that this “real magician” can really make real problems disappear?

She was hoping he could make her real problems go away.  But when he is arrested for the murder of one of her classmates she is in disbelief.  His real problem compared to her problems is HUGE!

♦ I gave this Netflix series 4 out of 5 stars. The story and the soundtrack were “magical”.

Read the full review on PopGeeks.com

♦

LINKS OF INTEREST:

4 Things We Loved And 1 Thing We Hated About The Premiere Of “The Sound Of Magic” | Soompi

Series Review: Why The Sound of Magic is Saving K-Dramas in 2022 | PopMachine

Netflix's 'The Sound of Magic' sets new records as it is garnering much popularity overseas | allkpop

'The Sound of Magic' Netflix Review: Stream It or Skip It?

♦

Narco Saints (2022) | Korean Drama Based on a True Story

Beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Narco-Saints is a Netflix series released September 2022, and based on the true story based on the true story of a drug lord named Jo Bong-haeing.  This criminal creep is definitely not the hero of the story.  The hero is an honest businessman from South Korea who traveled to Suriname to set up an honest exporting business with his dear friend.  

• Kang In-gu (played by Ha Jung-woo) is the business and Pastor Jeon Yo-hwan (played by Hwang Jung-min). is the wolf in sheep's clothing; a drug lord pretending to be a servant of the Lord.

Watch and stream Narco-Saints

Kamg In-gu'ss friend is brutally murdered and he gets falsely accused and thrown into prison for drug smuggling.  While in prison he is visited by someone from the National Intelligence Service and is recruited to participate in a secret operation.  The goal of the operation is to capture the drug lord who deceived him and murdered his friend.  Uh oh!  The wolf has grabbed a tiger by the tail.  HE'S GOING DOWN!!

Read full review:  Narco Saints | Korean Drama Based on a True Story | popgeeks.com

Business Proposal (2022): Korean Drama Netflix Series

Business Proposal is a Netflix Series released in 2022.

What is the best way to avoid going on blind dates?  There are two different answers to that question. 

1) Get your friend to show up for the date in your place and have her put on an act that will make the blind date run away and never look back!

-OR- 

2) Propose marriage to your blind date.  For real??  No!  Of course, it is not a real marriage proposal.  But it is a real business proposal.

• Shin Ha-ri (played by Kim Se-jeong) works as part of Go Food's Food Development Team One. 

She not only comes up with great recipes but creative ideas of how to turn the company's food products into best sellers. Her parents run a restaurant that sells great fried chicken. Her family, which also includes a younger brother, is not rich but they live comfortably and are happy. Her BFF (best friend forever) is Jin Young-seo.

Jin Young-seo hates the idea of arranged marriages and wants to marry for love. The problem is she keeps getting set up to go on blind dates to meet her “future husband”. But it's not really a “problem” because she has found the perfect way to get out of going on these dates. She sends her BFF instead.

• Kang Tae-moo (played by Ahn Hyo-seop) is the president of Go Food. 

He did not work his way up the corporate ladder. His grandfather put him in charge. But nobody can accuse him of not doing his job. He runs the business operations successfully, not just in South Korea, but in foreign markets as well.

Kang Tae-moo's grandfather wants him to marry so that hopefully he will see his grandchild before he departs this life. But Tae-moo has “issues” and does his best to avoid marriage. Kang Tae-moo's grandfather orders him to go on blind dates until he finds the woman who will become his mate for life. OR ELSE!!

Shin Ha-ri shows up pretending to be Young-seo, not realizing that the blind date is HER BOSS!  Shin Ha-ri does everything she can to discourage him and make him dislike her, not realizing that Tae-moo didn't want to be on the date either.

Tae-moo thinks her behavior is strange but he is distracted by his own thoughts. He's thinking of how to avoid the remaining blind dates his grandfather set up for him. He comes up with the perfect way to get out of going on these dates. He proposes marriage to Shin Ha-ri.

WHAT???!!!!

No worries. It's not a marriage proposal. It's a business proposal.

Shin Ha-ri signs a contract pretending to be his future wife. She goes FROM pretending for her best friend TO pretending for her best friend's blind date.  That way Kang Tae-moo's grandfather can stop pestering him and he can keep being married to his work.

Why do the best-laid plans always seem to backfire?

Read full review at PopGeeks.com:  Business Proposal | Netflix Korean Drama Series Based on Webtoon

  

Korean Sci-Fi Movie Review: JUNG_E (2023)

JUNG_E is a Korean sci-fi movie, released in 2023, and currently streaming on Netflix. It is set in the post-apocalyptic world in the 22^nd century (the year is 2194) and an institute is working on a special project to create the ultimate soldier who will always win!

JUNG_E is a robot who has been built to resemble “Captain Yun Jung-yi is a legendary mercenary of Allied Forces who led her team to countless successful missions against the Adrian Republic”.

The real soldier, Captain Yun Jung-yi, was injured during a battle and ended up in a coma. Her “consciousness” has been kept alive and a team of scientific researchers have been trying to recreate her by copying her brain data and putting it into android bodies. 

The research team is led by Yun Seo-hyun, the daughter of Captain Yun Jung-yi.  Yun Seo-hyun found out that Kronoid, the institute she worked for, had changed the mission of her project. Instead of creating the perfect soldier for combat, her mother's consciousness was going to be placed into androids who would perform “other tasks”, such as serving as a porn toy to fulfill a person's sexual fantasies.

Yun Seo-hyun is horrified at the thought of her mother being demeaned and comes up with a daring plan to rescue her. 

Read full review on Popgeeks.com.

Kismat Konnection (2008) is a Delightful Bollywood Movie

Are you a fan of Shahid Kapoor?  

When people say “Kismet” or “Kismat”, they mean it's your fate or destiny. The word is derived from the Arabic qisma, meaning "portion" or "lot." I first heard this word watching a Bollywood movie, “Kismat Konnection” (2008) which starred Shahid Kapoor. 

The female lead is Vidya Balan.  As of September 2022, it was still streaming on Netflix.  "A man finds his lucky charm in the form of a woman whom he had once clashed with on every level, but on whose presence he must now rely to succeed."

When I did some research I found out this film was a remake of an American movie, “Just My Luck” which starred Lindsay Lohan. Since I'm not a Lohan fan, I didn't know anything about that movie. Since I am a huge Shahid Kapoor, I would highly recommend watching this movie. You'll love it! It's delightful!  Totally PG!

Kismat Konnection - Official Trailer 

Thanks for visiting my entertainment blog. While you're here, check out some of the other posts tagged "Bollywood".  It is a wide variety of films, drama, romance, and comedy.

My Two (2) Favorite Aamir Khan Movies

Bollywood Movie: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

Movie: Bollywood: What's Your Raashee? (2009)

Movie: Bollywood: Mission Kashmir (2000)

Movie: Bollywood: Chandni Bar (2001)

Movie: Bollywood Films That Address September 11th

Movie: Bollywood: Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)

Movie: Bollywood: Mary Kom (2014)

Korean Drama TV Series: Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019)

Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019) is streaming on Netflix.

I watched the American version of this TV series, Designated Survivor (2016–2019); also on Netflix. So I was curious to watch the Korean version. Another reason for this series being added to my watch list is that the main character, Park Mu-jin, the South Korean Minister of Environment, is played by Ji Jin-hee. The first time I saw this actor, he was the king in the series “Dong Yi”. I have been a loyal fan ever since. I knew he would not disappoint. 

We know that in a monarchy there's a line of succession for who will become the next king or queen when the current monarch is no longer with us. In a democracy, there is also a line of succession for who will step into the shoes of the president should the nation's leader become unable to fulfill his or her duties. In episode 1 of this political thriller, the president and ALL of the people in the line of succession, are killed in a massive explosion. Park Mu-jin (Ji Jin-hee) had done something earlier during the day which resulted in him being terminated. Because he had lost his job, he was not at work when the explosion occurred. Also, even though the president had fired him, the “official walking papers” had not been processed by the personnel office. That means that … “technically” … he was still employed. That also meant that … “technically” … he was the “designated survivor”, i.e. the person who had to step into the shoes of the president and take charge.

He is officially sworn in as Acting President for 60 days, and … after excusing himself from the meeting to go throw up in the bathroom … he returns and starts performing his official duties, which includes finding out who was responsible for the bombing.

16 episodes.
Most viewers gave this series a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. I agree.

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR: 60 DAYS (2019) - TRAILER

Original Source

Korean Drama TV Series: The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) is streaming on Netflix.

This series is a romantic-fantasy with an interesting twist. The fictional place is the Kingdom of Corea. Parallel worlds exist and the king from one world ~ his world (let's call the Kingdom of Corea, World #1) ~ finds the portal that takes him to the other world, the Republic of Korea (let's call it World #2) where he finds the same people that exists in his world (World #1), only their lives are completely different in the other world (World #2). Why did he need to go into the parallel world? Because he has a rotten uncle who is a ruthless murderer. In World #1, that uncle killed his own brother, who was the king's father, because he wanted to be The King! The uncle went over to the “other world” (World #2) for the purpose of finding “the twin” of the people who are having a hard knock life. He shows them how the person who looks exactly like them is living a wonderful life. He tells them: “You can have their life. Just go kill them and take their place.” You can't have two of the same people living in the same world. One of them has to be eliminated. Otherwise, the balance of both worlds will be thrown into chaos. Basically, what the uncle is doing is recruiting loyal subjects who will serve him in his eternal kingdom, once he gains power.

Lee Gon, The King, the Eternal Monarch (played by Lee Mon-Oh) needs to hunt down his uncle and stop him! In the process, of course, he falls in love with Jeong Tae-Eul (played by Kim Go-eun). She's a lieutenant in the police force. Somehow the two worlds got criss-crossed. She ended up in World #1 where she saved the life of Lee Gon, when he was a young prince (who became king after his father's murder). During the scuffle of fighting with the bad guys and saving his life, the young prince grabbed her police identification badge and kept it. When he grew up, he began searching for the woman who had saved his life. He found her in World #2. The murder of the king and the attempted murder of the prince occurred in 1994; however, the police badge which the lieutenant wore was issued in 2019. When they meet, they are both about the same age. Yes. She should have been a much older woman but she wasn't. Hey! It's a romantic-fanasy and age differences can easily be eliminated. In addition to searching for and finding the female lieutenant, he is also chasing after “a rabbit with a clock”. It's complicated.

16 episodes 
Most viewers gave this series a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. I agree.

• 'The King: Eternal Monarch' to 'Start-Up': List of K-dramas popular on Netflix in 2020 | Web Series
• Review: "The King: Eternal Monarch" Stars Lee Min-ho In A Ritzy Cross-Universe Fantasy | Cinema Escapist
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The King : Eternal Monarch Season 1 | Official Trailer | Netflix

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Korean Drama TV Series: My Country: The New Age (2019)

My Country: The New Age (2019) is streaming on Netflix. 

This Korean drama is set in the time during the transitional period between the end of the Goryeo dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon era, which is why it is called “The New Age”. A king, the king's wife, princes (sons of the king), and military leaders, are all engaged in a power struggle to build a new country.

Seo Hwi (played by Yang Se-Jong) and Nam Seon-ho (played by Woo Do-hwan) are two childhood friends who have the power of their friendship “tested”. Various events occur in their lives which result in them getting separated, and they become enemies due to a misunderstanding about "my country." One of them decides his country is “the country of the abandoned”. There is no reason for him to loyal to Goryeo, the old country, or Joseon, the new country. What did the country's leaders ever do for him, his sister or his father? He especially, owes them no loyalty for what they did to his father. He father was falsely accused of treason and unjustly received the death penalty, leaving him and his sister to struggle in the cruel world all by themselves. The wrongful execution of his father was just the beginning of the unfair unjust treatment that he received.

NOTE: I don't want to spoil it for those who have not watched it; but this series made me so sad and not just at The End. There were lots of sad serious solemn moments. Nevertheless, I persevered and watched it all the way through.

16 episodes.
Most viewers gave this series a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. I agree.

• 'My Country: The New Age' Netflix Review: Stream It Or Skip It?
• My Country: The New Age - streaming online | JustWatch
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My Country: The New Age - Season 1 (2019) HD Trailer

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Korean Drama TV Series: Live Up to Your Name (2017)

Hello to all my K-Drama fans out there!

I watched “Live Up to Your Name”, a series is on Netflix, but it is NOT a Netflix Original. So you might be able to find it at other streaming sites. 

Medical dramas seems to be gaining popularity. Time-travel dramas have already become popular. Romantic comedy has always been popular. This TV series is a romantic comedy time-travel medical drama. It's clear that the purpose is to show both Eastern and Western medical practices are good, but combining techniques used in Eastern and Western medicine could be even better. Well! That's my takeaway. Although … I'm still scared of needles. So if someone were to perform acupuncture on me, I would have to be totally passed out or in such a state where my body was paralyzed and I couldn't move. There's no way I would see a needle coming towards me and stay still. To this day, when I have to get shots, I always close my eyes.

OK. Back to the show! The two main characters are Heo Im (played by Kim Nam-Gil) and Choi Yeon-Kyung (played by Kim A-Joong). Even though this series is historical fiction, Heo Im is a real life historical figure. Heo Im is an acupuncturist from Joseon who fell off of a bridge into the water, and when he comes up from the water to breathe, he finds himself in modern day Seoul, South Korea. The first person he crosses paths with is a female doctor who is a skilled surgeon and her speciality is heart surgery. Both medical practictioners are “the best” in their fields. Although when they first meet, Choi Yeon-Kyung thinks Heo Im is a crazy quack pretending to be a doctor of oriental medicine, and Heo Im is shocked to learn that females can actually become doctors.

What makes this series different from other shows that I have watched is that they cross the time barriers several times. First, Heo Im comes to the modern-day Republic of Korea. Then Heo Im and Choi Yeon-Kyung pass through the time portal and they both end up in Joseon. Then they pass through again and end back up in Seoul. This happens a number of times.

During the course of their time-travel adventures together, they fall in love. However, because they are from different time periods, the questions that must be answered are:

~ Are these lovers destined to be together OR must they choose to live separate lives because they are from different time periods?

~ If they choose to be together, will they live in Joseon, 400 years in the past OR in modern-day Seoul South Korea?

The main characters and the supporting cast worked well together and created a very believable unbelievable story.

Additionally, I learned an interesting tidbit about the history of Korea. Usually when I watch historical period dramas, I latch on to an interesting person or place and do a little research to find out more. “More” meaning “did this person really exist” or “is this place for real”? In a few of the episodes, a character was introduced name Sayaka.

For contrast: nobody disputed that Heo Im is a real historical figure. However, regard the man named Sayaka, some say that there is no historical proof that such a man ever existed. There is a story or maybe you would call it a “legend” or “tradition” or “myth” that during the Japanese invasions of Joseon that occurred from 1592 to 1598, there was a Japanese general named Sayaka who defected and served in the Joseon army. It is said that he helped defeat the Japanese forces and was given the name Kim Chung-seon. He continued his miltary service and even fought against the Qing troops during the Manchu invasion of Korea.

One of the reasons given as to why there is a dispute over the existence of this general because they claim there is no name for such a commander in the Japanese historical materials.

To me, there is an easy explanation for that. The Japanese got pissed, considered him a traitor, and erased him from their records. Please! Erasing records happens a lot in various countries. There is no record in Egyptian history that a Jewish man named Joseph served as second in command to Pharoah either! Just sayin'.

As far as Korean historical records, if I were a Korean historian, and I was going to create a hero of the people who fought against foreign invaders, why would I make up a story about the country's military victories and give the credit to one of the foreigners who betrayed his own countrymen and helped us defeat the enemy invaders? If I were going to create mythical hero, I wouldn't write the “history” that way. I'm just thinking, this dude must be real! Why make that story up? That's all I'm sayin'.

Anyway! I give Live Up to Your Name (2017), 5 out of 5 stars.

Star 1: All the characters played their parts well.

Star 2: Heo Im (played by Kim Nam-Gil) and Choi Yeon-Kyung (played by Kim A-Joong) made a perfect couple.

Star 3: The scenery in both Joseon and Seoul was beautiful.

Star 4: Watching acupuncture being performed was very educational.

Star 5: If that guy named Sayaka was not real, you sure wanted him to be! 

Here are a couple of related links to reviews by others of this TV series:

** K-Drama Review: 'Live Up to Your Name' A Medical Melodrama Combine with Romantic Presence by Kim Nam-gil | Channel-K

** K-Drama Review: Live Up To Your Name, Dr. Heo (2017) by Kim Eun-hee

Original Source: Medium.com