My picks for entertainment ~ suggested movies, TV shows, music, and books ~ so you can enjoy some quality ME time! (ATTN Korean drama addicts! This blog has lots of K-drama love.)
When
it comes to keeping Korean drama addicts happy, Netflix and Viki continue to
duke it out. In my humble opinion, Viki is the GO-TO streaming
platform for all the Hallyu-ites and K-drama newbies. To be fair,
that's only because Rakuten Viki markets its platform as “The Heart
of Asian Entertainment”. Whereas Netflix has lots of other content
from all around the world. It's kind of like comparing apples to
oranges.
Even so, Netflix jumped in on the game, so it's kind of
fair to make comparisons. That
being said, below is a quick list of Korean dramas that can be found
ONLY ON VIKI. Many of them, but not ALL of them, are Viki Originals.
ALL of them have been reviewed right here on PopGeeks. To make it
easy for reference, the list is in alphabetical order.
A
top divorce lawyer needed a truly excellent divorce lawyer because
she was getting a divorce, and she and her husband both wanted the
same thing: custody of their child.
I
just liked the male lead because he was one of the mage in “Alchemy
of Souls”.
(The mages are people with special powers who can control the energy
of heaven and earth, and are the protectors of country. That was my
first time seeing the male lead and I've liked him ever since.)
This
K-drama shows that even men who are kings have an inflated ego and
can still be JERK! The queen was a kingmaker. She
did everything
within her power to make her husband king and how did he show his
thanks? By being a KING-SIZED
JERK!
OK.
Admittedly it is strange that every boy who likes you or tries to be
nice to you ends up getting in a tragic accident. That could make
guys want to steer clear of you. But the whole town labeling you a
witch? That's taking it too far. At least there was one guy who
didn't believe it!
If
you have watched any of these, do you have favorites?
Have you ever heard the term "Koreanovela"? It's a portmanteau (newly invented word or phrase) that combines "Korean" and "telenovela”.
A telenovela is a Latin American soap opera. Growing up in Miami, Florida, which has a large Cuban population, the Spanish-speaking channel often aired these TV shows. They are just like American soap operas, i.e. loaded with a bunch of catty people, unfaithful spouses, and unnecessary life drama, but the storyline is very addictive.
It turns out that "Koreanovela" is used for K-dramas that have gained popularity in Latin America and in the Philippines (Yes, this country is part of the part of the Asian continent). Having just recently discovered this word, it made me wonder if I had watched and reviewed any Koreanovelas. The answer is: Yes.
FUN TRIVIA: The Koreanovela that most K-drama addicts know about is “Boys Over Flowers”. No surprise. There are versions, remakes, or adaptations in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, and Thailand ~ movies and series.
Below are five (5) Koreanovelas reviewed on PopGeeks. NO, they do not have 100+ episodes. YES, they are available on either Viki or Netflix.
STORYLINE: Kim Sung-Ryong ((played by Namkoong Min) used to receive awards for being a math genius when he was a little boy. But when he became a man, he lost his way and ended up for gangsters managing money. In an attempt to find his way back onto the right path, he started siphoning money from the accounts of his gangsta boss. He got caught! He was a given choice. Get a job at a legitimate company, continue working for his gangsta boss, cook the books to make his boss look like an honest businessman OR … ??? DIE!
STORYLINE: Yoon Ji-Woo (played by Han So-Hee) never knew her father. But like a typical young adult she thinks her father is never there for her. Everyone and everything else in his life is more important to him than her. But on the one night he did show up, he was killed right outside the door of their apartment. She heard the gunshots, and tried to look through the keyhole, but couldn't see the killer. Someone told her that her father had been killed by a dirty cop. Yoon Ji-Woo changed her name to Oh Hye-Jin and got a job work undercover in law enforcement, hoping to find out who the killer was, and GET REVENGE.
STORYLINE: Lee Na-Mi (played by Chun Woo-hee) is intelligent, talented, hard-working, has excellent marketing skills, and holds down more than one job. She's smart but did something that was not smart. Got stupid drunk and lost her smartphone. A serial killer found it. When the serial killer wasn't killing people he had a regular job fixing phones. He contacted her and returned her phone AFTER installing spyware. That psycho trapped both Lee Na-Mi and her father in his murderous hellish nightmare. The End Game was MURDER. But he wanted to have fun before that.
STORYLINE: Im Sol (played by Kim Hye-Yoon) is a young girl involved in a tragic accident and must now use a wheelchair. Ryu Sun-Jae (played by Byeon Woo-Seok) is a top K-pop star and she is a huge fan. The K-pop members are being interviewed on a radio show making calls and talking to listeners. Fan or not, she would rather die than be in a cripple! While she was contemplating suicide, she received a phone call.
Im Sol answers the phone and releases all of her rage on the caller. Rather than hang up, Ryu Sun-Jae started talking to her and ultimately convinced her to live. But later she heard that Ryu Sun-Jae had committed suicide. WHAT? That's so unfair! He was in pain too? She lived. Why didn't he live? Now there's no way to bring him back. Or is there? As if it was an answer to a prayer, Im Sol miraculously traveled back in time. She wasn't in a wheelchair, and Ryu Sun-Jae wasn't a K-Pop member. He was a top athlete in high school and they both attended the same school. He was ALIVE! Could she prevent his suicide?
STORYLINE: Baek Hyun-Woo (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) fell in love with Hong Hae-In (played by Kim Ji-Won), but he didn't know she was a chaebol heiress. No matter because she agreed to get married and promised she would never leave him alone and would never make him cry. But he did make him cry. He became so miserable he decided to divorce her. On the night he planned to ask for a divorce, she told him she was dying. Whoa! Divorce? Death? He decided not to ask for a divorce. If only his wife's illness was the only thing he had to concern himself with. He didn't care about his wife's money. But other people did!
(6)
Mr. Queen (2020) A chef from modern-day Seoul falls off a hotel
balcony and into a pool. When he comes out of the water, he is in
the body of a queen during the Joseon Era. It seems that at that
moment a few hundred years ago, she had jumped into a lake because
she was trying to commit suicide. Somehow his soul entered her body.
He was in shock when he looked in the mirror and in even more shock
when he realized he had to sleep with the king! His first thought
was how to avoid the king's bed until he noticed the king didn't seem
to be interested in him … uuuhh? … her. So then he turned his
focus on how to get back to his time period and back in his own body.
Meanwhile
… he had to learn to live as the queen, which meant he was drawn
into all of the palace scheming, conniving, corruption, and
treachery. He had to learn the queen's friends and her enemies, and
how to get along with her father. The fun part of this
time-travel/body-swap misadventure was using his chef skills to
prepare dishes and win over the king’s enemies. Even though the
chef's identity and personality remain in her body, the queen’s
identity and personality gradually become dominant.
The
chef's memories get replaced with the queen's memories and the reason
she tried to commit suicide became clear. But by that time, the
romance between the king and the queen develops because the king also
understands her reason. The king was mistaken about her true
intention and her love for him. He believed she was part of her
family's corrupt plan for power. The queen learned the tragic story
of the king's childhood and that her father had knowledge of how his
family died. They became closer to each other and fell in love.
Their love story is beautiful and triumphant. Best time travel
romantic comedy ever!! [Where
to Watch]
Hong
Cheong-Gi is the main female character and also the name of a real
historical figure who was the only female painter accepted into the
Korean Royal Academy of Painting during the Joseon era. The leading
male character is Ha Ram. She is the divine painter and he is a
divine astrologer. They first meet as children; she is born blind
and he is a child with special power. The children get separated
because Ha Ram is chosen to participate in a rain ritual. On the day
he performs the ritual, he loses his eyesight and is possessed by a
demon. At the same exact
time, the blind girl gains her eyesight. When they grow up, they
meet again, and their bond of friendship is renewed and matures into
romantic love. However, their love and lives are endangered because
they are caught up in two webs: the political power games in the
human world AND the eternal power struggle of good versus evil in the
spirit world. This Viki Original series is a delightful historical
fantasy romance. [Where
to Watch]
(8)
Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist (2022) A royal physician who
works in
the palace and is called upon to treat members of the royal family
has such extraordinary medical skills, he is given the title “Divine
Acupuncturist”. But others hatched a plan to murder the king and
frame him. He is not aware that performing acupuncture would cause
the king's death. Consequently, he is accused of murder and thrown
into prison. The murderers hoped he would receive the death penalty
and their crime would be hidden. But the crown prince set him free
because he believed he was innocent and that he was also the only one
who could prove who had murdered the king.
He went
from working
as a royal physician to working in a village hospital. But he was
so traumatized that he could no longer perform acupuncture. He met a
young woman
and trained her to be an acupuncturist. When
she first saw him she had to talk him out of committing suicide.
When
he met her again, she a trying to commit suicide. Not only did he
have to treat her “heart”, he uncovered that she was a victim.
Her mother-in-law was trying to convince her to commit suicide so her
family would receive the Virtuous Widow
Honor.
The
royal physician who
was
no longer able to perform acupuncture started a new life and
developed a new
skill. The physician changed the way he treated patients by
diagnosing both their physical sickness and determining how to heal
their troubled minds. He became a “heart doctor” and he also
fell in love. This K-drama has 2 seasons. [Where
to Watch]
The
daughter of a nobleman owns
a guesthouse left to her by her father. In addition to being a
guesthouse, there are also secrets and romance. There are three
flower scholars are her guests.
One
is already paying for a room before the other two guests arrive. He
hopes to win the heart of the owner.
The
second guest came to town to take the civil service exam for martial
arts and hopes to become a member of the king's royal guard.
The
third guest has no money but he did try to help a damsel in
distress. Since the damsel is the owner
of the guesthouse, he arrives there and tells her she should repay
the debt by allowing him to stay there.
Two
of the scholars have a secret identity and are on a secret mission.
The owner
also has a secret and tells all of the guests they are not allowed to
go near the guestroom located at the back. It's haunted.
When
the owner was
a young girl, she protected a young boy who ran into her yard and hid
in the dog house. That boy was the crown prince but he did not tell
her his true identity. Thirteen years passed and one of the guests
is that prince and he' gong to fall in love with him. This is
a Viki Original series. [Where
to Watch]
(10)
Missing Crown Prince (2024)
A
royal physician was told that if his daughter married the crown
prince, he would die young and she would become a widow. His plan is
for his daughter to become the future crown princess so he kidnaps
the crown prince. They are both drugged and spend the night
together, lying side by side, technically making them a married
couple. He further plans to eliminate that crown prince and replace
him with another crown prince and get him to marry his daughter.
Before
he was kidnapped the crown prince was investigating her father. He
had information that proved he was having a secret affair with the
Queen Dowager and might be responsible for the death of a court maid
assigned to the queen dowager's palace.
The
best laid plan usually doesn't work out. The daughter wakes up and
helps the prince escape not knowing who he is. He also does not know
that she is the daughter of the royal physician he was investigating.
The other prince the father had hoped his daughter would marry was
very close to the crown prince. They grew up together and had a
strong bond. But that strong bond might be broken because both of
them fell in love with the royal physician's daughter. This K-drama
series is a spin-off of “Bossam:
Steal the Fate”,
another Viki Original which was released in 2021. This
is a Viki Original series. [Where
to Watch]
(1)
Dong Yi (2010) A true story: a real-life love story
between Dong Yi and King Sukjong. A concubine with a heart of gold,
who suggested to the king that there be a law preventing a concubine
from becoming queen (according to the TV series). She saw and
experienced the cruelty of the “palace flowers” toward each other
and the lengths they went to trying to eliminate their “competition”.
In the actual history of Joseon, the
strict Confucian social hierarchy and the established court protocols
did make it difficult for concubines to rise to the status of queen
consort. Dong Yi, who was the king's favorite concubine, was
elevated to the status of Royal Noble Consort Suk-bin and became the
mother of King Yeongjo. [Where
to Watch]
(2)
Shine or Go Crazy (2015)
Set
during the period BEFORE the Joseon Era when the country was called
Goryeo. Wang So is the Prince of Goryeo who is kicked out of the
palace because they believed he is cursed. When his future was read,
it was determined that he was born with both a light and fire,
meaning he will either shine bright like a star OR he'll be a crazy
man. Shin Yool is a princess from Balhae who survived her country's
destruction and is included in a prophecy concerning Wang So. The
prophecy said she would help a prince of Goryeo ascend to the throne
and become king. They met each other in a most unusual way. They
were both in a foreign country and she was trying to escape an
arranged marriage.
Wang So
was a random man she saw on the street and she persuaded him to
participate in a fake marriage. When they met she was living as a
successful businesswoman. She didn't know he was a prince and he
didn't know she was a princess. Separately, he returned to Goryeo
and she came to Goryeo later to do business. She recognizes him when
she sees him but he didn't recognize her. This time, not only did he
not know she was a princess; he didn't even know she was a woman.
Shin Yool disguised herself as a man because her gender would prevent
her from doing business in Goryeo. They met again and would fall in
love, neither realizing that their relationship a part of a prophecy.
“Shine or Go Crazy” is based on a novel of the same name.
[Where
to Watch]
(3)
100
Days My Prince (2018) Yul is a young prince befriends Yi
Seo, a nobleman's daughter and told her that he would marry her when
they grew up. Unfortunately, his weak-minded and wicked father
authorized the slaughter of her family because they were preventing
him from ascending to the throne. He bravely helped her and her
brother escape. His father became king and he became the crown
prince who forced into a loveless marriage because his father-in-law
wanted more power. His father-in-law even tried to assassinate him
because the crown prince was simply getting in the way of his power
plays. The assassination attempt failed but in the process Yul lost
his memories.
Yi Seo
had been adopted and raised by a loyal servant from her father;
household. There was a royal command that all of the spinsters in
the villages had to be married. Since her father knew that Yul had
amnesia, he told him that he a his daughter's fiancé and they were
to be married. Yi Seo was about to be flogged for disobeying the
royal command. Just like that! Yul had inadvertently married his
first love, the young girl he had promised to marry. Only they did
not recognize each other. This series is based on a webtoon. [Where
to Watch]
(4)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) During the Joseon era, women
were very limited in activities they could engage in freely. Goo
Hae-ryung's older brother who raised her had decided that it was time
for her to marry. He had out it off long enough. At the same time,
the king decided to authorize the hiring of female historians. It
was a first! There had never been female historians but there was a
critical need. It was not to ensure that history was properly
recorded. It was a way for the king and his corrupt officials to be
able to gain access to the areas in the palace where only women could
go.
The
king and one of his corrupt court officials wanted to snoop on the
queen, the queen dowager, the crown princess, the concubines, and any
and all women in the palace. They wanted a record of people who met
with the “flowers in the palace” and what they discussed.
Hiring female historians was the perfect solution to “their
problem”. Goo Hae-ryung believed being hired as a female historian
was the perfect solution to “her problem”, i.e. avoiding an
arranged marriage and remaining independent free-spirited woman. She
passed the test and became a part of the group of the first female
historians in Joseon. Once inside the palace she met and fell in
love with a prince. Their romantic relationship hit a few
roadblocks. There was no way to avoid the palace intrigue and
treacherous schemes. They had to find a way to overcome them.
[Where
to Watch]
Nok Du
is a prince who thought he was a commoner because his adopted father
kept his true identity a secret from him. Why? Because his own
father, the king, tried to kill him to thwart a shaman's prediction
of his future. Nok Du was content to be a commoner. He had a happy
home with his father and brother on a beautiful island with friendly
villagers. But one day female assassins showed up at his house. He
overpowered them so they tried to escape. Nok Du chased after them
and he was relentless in his pursuit. He followed the assassin into
a widows' village and … they beat him up and kicked him out!
Nok Du
needed to know why assassins showed up at his home and he knew the
assassin was in that village. There was only one way to get inside
that village. He dressed up like a woman and pretended to be a
widow. In the village, he met a young woman, Dong Dong Ju, who
dressed up like a man whenever she left the community. Dong Dong Ju
was not a widow, but the head of the village allowed her to stay
there. It was a safe haven for her because members of her noble
family had been killed. Dong Dong Ju was on a mission of revenge.
She
planned to kill the man responsible for the death of her family
members, i.e. king, Nok Du's father. They end up sharing a room
together in the village, and she learns he is a man. They fall in
love but it's gets complicated. [Where
to Watch]
Do you fancy BBC Masterpiece Contemporary Mystery movies or television series?
The BBC political thriller titled “Page Eight” is about a British intelligence analyst who refuses to compromise his integrity.
What happens to him is what usually happens when civil servants will not budge on their principles and ideals of Right versus Wrong, and their principles and ideals do not line up with their boss, i.e., the chief executive leader who says: I know what is best for our country and I am the one in charge, with the authority!
In his case, Mr. Worricker (the character masterfully played by Bill Nighy) butts heads with the British Prime Minister. He found some real information on page 8 of an intelligence report that points a finger in the direction of the Prime Minister and … Oh dear!
He has to leave his job? No. Rather he chooses that it is time for him to resign from the MI-5 service and move on. To spice up this not “atypical” political thriller plot, he meets a young woman (played by Rachel Weisz) that he has the power to help because of his access to confidential official government secrets. Does he help her? But of course! She helps him as well. In his line of work, it’s really hard to find someone you can trust.
I was
born in the 1950s. That means that I am from the first generation
that got to experience television in the home. What a marvelous
invention! I know my late mother never intended for the TV set to
become her babysitter but my sister, my brothers and I spent hours in
front of the television. There were so many wonderful programs to
watch that educated and entertained us. I especially loved to watch
movies with my big sister. The movies back in my day were memorable
and made a lasting impression on my young developing mind. Below are
three (3) films from my childhood that created indelible memories.
Heidi (1937) ~ This is a classic children's story written
by Swiss author, Johanna Louise Spyri, adapted to film. Famous child
star Shirley Temple played Heidi, the little orphan girl who was
taken to live with her grandfather. After she and her grandfather had
bonded and become close, she is tricked into leaving “the
grandfather” and sold to be a servant in a wealthy man's household.
If I tell you more and you have not seen the movie, that would spoil
everything. So I'll stop right here.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)~ I loved this movie!! It was a
musical but everything about it was magical. The Yellow Brick
Road, the Wizard, the Munchkins, the Wicked Witch, Glenda the Good
Witch, the ruby red shoes that Dorothy wore, and that song she said
that melted everybody's heart: “Somewhere
Over the Rainbow”. Judy Garland was cast as Dorothy. Yes,
it was also based on a book. L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy
novel titled “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”.
National Velvet (1944) ~ This is a film about a horse
race. Not just any race. England's Grand National Sweepstakes horse
race. There is a young girl who has a dream that she can win. It is
based on a story by Enid Bagnold. Famous child star Elizabeth Taylor
played the role of Velvet Brown. Did she win the race? You'll have
to watch the movie.
My preference is historical
romance, set in say the 16th to 19th century, in Europe, with
an intense plot that keeps you engaged, a passionate romance that
unfolds, and where you also learn little tidbits and trivia about
life during that period of history.
Here are four (4) romance novel you should add to your reading list:
- A
Rose in Winter - Set
in 1792 England. Erienne Fleming's father forces her into an arranged
marriage with the mysterious and disfigured Lord Saxton to settle his
gambling debts. It's almost like a beauty and the beast tale. She
begin to see the gentle side of her husband and is drawn to him,
although she's never seen him in the daylight. But Erienne also
meets Christopher Seton, a handsome American, and is attracted to
him. Can she be in love with another man and betray her husband?
She feels strongly toward both of them. But which one does she truly
love?
- Shanna - Shanna
Trahern, makes a desperate attempt to avoid an arranged marriage by
contracting a marriage with Ruark Beauchamp, a condemned prisoner,
facing the gallows. She reasons she’ll be a widow in a short time, and her father can not easily marry her off. As a widow, she has a
certain liberty. However, Ruark does not die. He manages to escape and decides to find Shanna and claim her as his wife. She is legally
his wife.
- Skye
O'Malley - Skye
O'Malley, is a beautiful and strong-willed Irish heiress, who is
forced into a marriage with a brutish lout. On her wedding night, the
lord claims the droit du seigneur ('right of the lord'), meaning he
can be the first to bed the virgin. The lord wanted to do more than
bed her, he wanted her for his own. But Skye's life is filled with
dramatic twists and turns. She encounters several lovers. At the
beginning of the novel, she was a young innocent teenager. By the end
of the novel, she was 28 years old and had lived quite an adventurous
life, pirates and all!
- The
Velvet Promise - Set
in 1502 England. A marriage is arranged between Judith Revedoune, a
noblewoman, and Gavin Montgomery, a powerful and handsome lord.
Their relationship does not get off to a good start, but once they
worked through their misunderstandings, they fall in love. Finding
their path to happiness is not easy, but once Judith and Gavin learn
to trust and love each other, they develop a heartfelt and enduring
romance.
"Queen
for Seven Days" is a Korean drama series released in 2017, with 20
episodes, categorized as Romance, historical period, sageuk, costume
and period; and streaming on Viki. It is based on a true Joseon
queen who only lasted on the throne for literally 7 days.
SUMMARY:
A dramatization of the life of Queen Dangyeong. TRUE STORY: Shin
Chae-kyung became Queen Dangyeong. She married Grand Prince Jinseong.
In 1506, when Prince Jinseong ascended to the throne, he became King
Jungjong and Shin Chae-kyung became the queen. Just seven days later,
she was deposed and expelled from the palace. Her father, Shin
Su-geun, was implicated in a coup against King Jungjong, which led to
her deposition. She remained deposed until her death in 1557. Her
title was posthumously restored, i.e. she was honored with the title
of Queen after her death.
♦
Based
on the True Story of Queen Dangyeong
In “Queen for Seven
Days”, Shin Chae-kyung is the daughter of the king's most
trusted official. That official is also a relative of the queen and
is well-connected in many ways. Even so, he did his best to hide his
daughter in the countryside and she doesn't know why. She thinks her
parents are ashamed of her. However, her parents were told a
prophecy. If their daughter married into the royal family, there
would be a bloodbath. Her mother and father believed that.
(Although, truth be told, during the Joseon Era, weren't there always
bloodbaths in the royal family?) Nevertheless, Shin Chae-kyung
overheard servants talking and saw that an important document was
supposed to be delivered to her father. She stole the document,
dressed up like a young boy, and traveled from the countryside to
Hangyang to visit her family's home. It would be a surprise!
Surprise? More like a SHOCK!
Before she finally
reached her home, she had a few misadventures.
First,
she accidentally met Grand
Prince Jinseong,
the boy who would become her husband and would also become the king and she would be his queen. Having never been to Hangyang or the palace, she was clueless and thought he was just a rude child of a nobleman who acted like a gangster.
Second, that important document that she was carrying to give to her father was stolen by a pickpocket. She wrongfully accused the grand prince of stealing it.
That misunderstanding led to more misunderstandings.
Third,
she thought she was chasing after the grand prince but crossed paths with the current king, the older brother of the grand prince instead. Once again, she was clueless, not realizing that she was interacting with her future brother-in-law.
By the time she finally
reached her home, her mother and father were meeting with the royal
family, discussing her marriage to the grand prince. She was
standing outside the door and could hear her parents making all kinds
of excuses
about why she was not a suitable match. The grand prince noticed
that someone was eavesdropping and when he pushed the door open, she
fell down. Her parents were shocked and yelled out her name in the
form of a question. “Chae-kyung????“ It was their turn
to be clueless. What
was their daughter doing in Hangyang? That was their question. Her
question was why were her parents saying such terrible things about
her? She was a suitable match for the grand prince and she was
going to prove it!
Shin Chae-kyung had no
idea about the prophecy. She also had no idea that the document she
was bringing to her father was the “secret order” of the late
king. It was that king's will that the grand prince ascend to the
throne. Grand Prince Jinseong was also clueless about these matters.
They were both innocents who had unintentionally walked directly
into a fire, a hotbed of treachery and treason, and a bloodbath. They
would eventually marry but Shin Chae-kyung would not survive?
If only that young innocent girl had remained hidden in the countryside and/or her parents had told her about the prophecy.
More importantly, if only the Joseon noblemen, government and court officials, and the royal family didn't always engage in politics based on treachery and treason!
Would
her history have been different? We
will never know.
Park
Min Young has had a loyal following
ever since “Healer”
but “Marry
My Huband” made her even more popular. Fans may want to visit or revisit some of her earlier work like “Queen for Seven
Days”.
Interior
Chinatown is a hilarious Hulu Original series, with 10 episodes,
adapted from a 2020
award-winning novel by Charles Yu; released November 19, 2024.
"Feel
like I'm a background character in someone else's story." - Willis
Wu
This
series pokes fun at Hollywood's stereotypes of Asians while making
you laugh and also get involved with the main character, Willis Wu,
who has always thought that nothing significant or important ever
happens in his life. Then a female detective asks for his help in
solving a crime and in the process, he learns things about his own
family that he never knew.
If
you liked Jimmy O. Yang as a stand-up comedian, you'll probably be
happy that he got the opportunity to spread his wings. Getting the
lead role in “Interior Chinatown” is definitely something
significant and important in his life. In an interview with The
Wrap, Yang indicated the his character was very much like him in that
he had similar experiences early in his career where he felt
invisible or not represented. (Interior
Chinatown: Jimmy O. Yang Talks Stepping Into Lead Role |The Wrap)
The
reviews on this Hulu Original series are mixed.
It figures. Asian-Americans rarely speak out about the racism and
discrimination they experience. So
when a TV show gets released pointing it out and poking fun at the
unfairness and inequality, and it's very IN YOUR FACE, that might
strike a nerve with some people. Me? I like Jimmy O. Yang and am happy for this major step he has taken with his career. All of the
actors in “Interior Chinatown” were an impressive cast.
FILMING
LOCATIONS: Filmed mainly in
Los Angeles, California (on-location shoots and studio spaces,
including the Fox Studio Lot and Universal Studios Lot). Certain
scenes were in the actual Chinatown neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Treathyl Fox aka Cmoneyspinner – Home Business Entrepreneur. Think. Dream. Focus. Believe in yourself? Hire yourself! Be your own boss! Do it! Self-employed and loving it! ♦ DISCLOSURE: In compliance with FTC rules and guidelines, be advised that some links shared via this websites might contain affiliate referral links which means commissions might be earned if product sales resulted from your click-through to the vendor’s website.
