Korean Drama: TV Series: Shine or Go Crazy (2015)

"Shine or Go Crazy" (alternate title:  "Shine or Be Mad") was released in 2015 and it is a "gem".  If you have not already watched, then add this Korean drama series to your watch list. It has 24 episodes and is available on Viki.com. 

Image credit: https://asianwiki.com/File:Shine_or_Go_Crazy-p1.jpg

Talk about palace intrigue. It's loaded with murder by poison, spies who spy on the spies, and warriors on different sides. The good guy warriors or the "Righteous" wear BLACK. The bad guy warriors wear RED. It is set during the period BEFORE the Joseon era when the country was called Goryeo. The main character is Wang So (played by Jang Hyuk) and he is the cursed Prince of Goryeo who is destined to become the emperor. But!  Will he be a good emperor or a bad emperor?

The reason the series is called “Shine or Go Crazy” is because when his future or fate was read, it was determined that he was born with both a light and fire. That means he will either shine bright like a star OR he'll be a madman. We won't know until the last episode. LOL. 

Is there a love triangle? Of course! It's a Korean drama! There is more than one love triangle and some interesting family ties. I love all of those complicated relationships.

I have a silly complaint though. I don't really like the costumes from the Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918-1392). I like the clothes they wore during the Joseon historical period. But hey! It's history. If that was the fashion back then, I'll just have to accept it.

Rakuten Viki is Truly the Heart of Asian Entertainment

Rakuten Viki is an OTT video streaming website and there is no question that it is LEGIT. This media streaming service boasts that it is the “heart of Asian entertainment” and that is not brag, it's fact. I mainly go to the platform for Korean dramas but they have movies and TV shows that are Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, etc.

Image credit:  Amazon.com Download App

The parent corporation, Rakuten Group, Inc., is a Japanese technology conglomerate based in Tokyo, in business since 1997. Rakuten Viki is a subsidiary founded in 2007, and headquartered in California USA.

• FUN FACT: In 2011, this streaming service won the Crunchie award for best international start-up company.

When Rakuten acquired Viki (during 2013) it was a signal that Rakuten is positioning its $16 billion Internet services ecosystem as a competitor to Amazon and Netflix.

BEST FEATURES:

• Viki provides subtitles for 200 different languages. I love the English subtitles because the translation is very accurate. So far I have not seen any English-dubbed content like on Netflix. But I'm OK with reading the subtitles.

• Viki offers a wide range of content ~ films, series, etc. in various genres ~ released more than a decade ago up to the present; plus it produces its own original content. Their database is constantly updated. The company signed distribution deals with Hulu, Netflix, and others. So do not be surprised if you find Viki original content on other streaming platforms.

You can watch some content with ads. But they also have a subscription service which is very inexpensive. Based on my personal experience:

• I started with the Standard subscription for $4.99 per month; then

• Upgraded to Viki Plus for $9.99 a month.

I enjoy watching content on my Amazon Fire TV; but it can be viewed on desktops, laptops, or mobile devices. The app is available on Google Play. I have NO complaints about this streaming service and would definitely recommend it to others. 

Visit the official website: Viki.com

Subscribe to Viki Global TV on YouTube

Have you tried the Rakuten Viki streaming platform?

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Tubi TV is One of My Favorite Go-to Ad-Supported Streaming Service

I am old school and grew up watching television with commercials.  So ad-supported streaming platforms that offer free movies and TV shows are OK with me.  It is just like how I used to watch TV! (LOL)  Besides, once they started putting those ad blockers in browsers, I figured the advertisers would come up with a viable solution to get past the block.  That being said, there are so many of these platforms out there that it might be hard for you to choose.  

Tubi TV is one of my choices.

Tubi is one of my favorite Go-to ad-supported streaming sites for FREE entertainment. It is an OTT platform owned by Fox Corporation and was launched in 2014. As of January 2023, Tubi has 64 million monthly active users and I am one of those happy users. 

It offers a wide range of movies and TV shows in different genres. My favorite genres are classic movies, old black-and-white TV shows, and Korean dramas. It also has LIVE channels to watch the news and other programs.

It is LEGIT. No credit cards. No subscription. The app is available on Google Play. However, if you own an AmazonFire TV, simply download the app, activate your account, and start watching. They also have a separate part of the platform that is kid-friendly. I have been using this service for years and would definitely recommend it to others.

• Visit the official website: Tubi TV. Follow on Twitter: @Tubi.

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