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.)
World
Bollywood Day is celebrated every year on September
24
to honor the vibrant world of Hindi-language cinema—its music,
storytelling, dance, and global cultural impact. Though not
officially declared by any government, it's a fan-driven observance
that has gained traction across popular culture calendars and online
communities. This blog has eleven (11) posts highlighting Indian cinema. Enjoy!
(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]
2024 was a very good year for Korean dramas, both series and movies. A lot of movies are still on my watch list because they are not yet available to the US audience. It be like that sometimes. LOL. Have you watched any of these films?
(1)
Harbin
A
dramatization of the real-life story of Korean independence activist
Ahn Jung-geun, who assassinated Itō Hirobumi, the first Prime
Minister of Japan, in 1909.
The
fiancée of an orchestra conductor disappears but left behind a
video message. His fiancée was a cellist in the orchestra and she
is replaced by another woman. As he searches for her, he becomes
involved with the new cellist. Rather than solving the mystery of
his fiancée's disappearance, he finds himself caught up in a
complicated web of secrets, desires, and deception with the other
woman. But what about his fiancée?
A
serial killer is on the loose and a veteran detective in the Violent
Crimes Unit is assisted by a rookie detective who has just joined the
team. The serial killer fancies himself a vigilante who
is simply ensuring
that justice
is served. The media has nick-named him “Haechi” (a mythical
creature who
maintains law and order). This movie is a sequel to “Veteran”
(2015).
(4)
Handsome Guys
(a remake of 2010 Canadian film "Tucker and Dale vs Evil")
Don't
you just love it when the life you have always dreamed of finally
becomes reality? Two guys, carpenters by vocation, who always wanted
to live a quiet and simple life in the country moved to their new
home. But as soon as they get to town they are mistaken for being
kidnappers. It's bad enough when your good intentions are mistaken
for evil. It's even worse when you awaken an evil spirit ~ a goat
demon ~ that was trapped in the basement of your dream house. Oh!
It's just a demonic spirit capable of destroying the world.
Thousands of years ago there was one carpenter who was known for
casting out demons. A couple of carpenters living in the countryside
ought to be able to handle a goat demon ~ easy, peasy.
The
backdrop for this film is South Korea's political turmoil in 1979.
In
real history,
during that year President Park Chung-hee was assassinated. On
December 12, 1979, Major General Chun Doo-hwan led a military coup,
declared martial law and took control of the country (“12.12:
The Day”).
“This
period was characterized by political repression, human rights
abuses, and the suppression of pro-democracy movements.”
(REF: South
Korea marks 45 years since 1979 coup and military dictatorship | CNA)
According
to the real historical record, Kim Jae-gyu, the director of the
Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), shot the president and he
as convicted and executed. In
this film,
a secretary is implicated in the President's assassination and a
lawyer, who must defend the accused, is not sure if there can be a
fair trial amidst predetermined military justice.
Main
Characters:
Lawyer
Jung In-Hoo (played by Cho Jung-Seok)
Accused
Secretary Park Tae-Joo (played
by Lee Sun-Kyun)
TRAILER: Kdrama
Princess. “LAND OF HAPPINESS Movie Trailer 1-2(2024) New Korean
Movie Jo Jung Suk, Lee Sun Kyun & Yoo Jae Myung.” YouTube,
Video, 21 July 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOq8jL2D4Yw.
♦
(6)
Pilot
A
pilot who
is
an ace pilot that the Red Baron would
be proud of, somehow
managed to lose
his
job.
He wasn't
just
fired. He was
blacklisted and couldn't get a job with
any airline. But there's
no reason
to let his
flying skills
go to waste.
He takes
his
sister's
identity, applies
for a pilot job using
her name, and gets
hired. Who's
gonna know?
Flying high again! Genius!
A
contract killer gets
paid to commit murders,
cleverly disguising
the deaths
as
accidental. He's
a highly skilled professional
and never leaves
any evidence behind. This
particular “job” involves
an influential figure in politics
that everybody iswatching.
It will
be dangerous
and difficult, but not impossible.
He has
teammateswho
work
with
him and is
confident he can get the job done. No fuss.
No mess. Besides … nothing has ever gone wrong before with his
murder-for-hire contracts. Why
should this one be any different? Uh oh. You know what they say?
Never say NEVER.
A
North Korean soldier
tries
to defect and make it across
the DMZ border. But an officer in North Korea's
State Security Department tries
to stop
him. To paraphrase
the script:
NK
Officer: “Get
real, soldier!
You know
escape
is
not allowed.”
NK
Soldier: “Yeah.
That's
why
I didn't ask
permission.”
A
teenager is
faced with
a difficult decision.
He enduresschool
bullying by day and domestic
violence at home. His
father is
violent and his
mother leaves
because
she
can't take it anymore. He wants
to stay
with
his
father but he has
to choose
which
parent to live with.
It should
be an easy
choice. Why
isn't
it?
A
young woman
walking
down
the street
is
approached by a strange
young man who
tells
her that she
will
die in 6 hours.
He knows
this
because
he can see
the future. On the plusside:
At least
he doesn't
know
it because
he plans
to kill her! (O.o)
