20 years and still going for 1st-gen idol kpop group G.O.D

First generation kpop idols- i believe most of you would have heard of H.O.T, Sechs Kies, Shinhwa, NRG, S.E.S, Fin KL and g.o.d. They were mostly popular in the late 1990s and debuting straight to 2000. I am proud to say they were my generation and I am not shame to say I am old...whatnot..age is just a number, it's okay.

I listened to many of their songs.. well mostly H.O.T, Sechs Kies and g.o.d. Of course the lead singers of the kpop groups were outstanding. But one I had to point out was g.o.d as their main vocalist Kim Tae Woo was a bit of an ugly duckling. Haha! He even admitted in many interviews when the group debuted in 1999, they shocked the nation and broadcasted their first song 'To Mother' on the TV stations. His eyes were small and creepy whereby he looked nothing like H.O.T's Kang Ta, Sechs Kies' Sung Hoon or Shinhwa's Hye Sung. But the group slowly gains its fame and momentum when JYPark became their mentor and producer. They were like the beggars of kpop group as they were so poor and often starving (this was mentioned a lot in interviews).

Of course the two main members Son Ho Young and Yoon Kye Sang shined the brightest in the group with their visuals and singing skills. They became popular after starring in the variety show g.o.d's baby diaries whereby they were babysitting a 11 month baby boy Jae Min. Nevertheless with JYP producing their songs such as Lies, Road, One Candle- they quickly shot to stardom. Just when everything went well, in 2004 Yoon Kye Sang decided to leave the group- he entered military and ventured into acting. The eldest member Park Jun Hyung went back to US for acting, Danny Ahn went into acting and radio DJ as well, Son Ho Young and Tae Woo remained as singers. And so the group just went to hiatus.

Aww...aren't they cute with adorable baby Jae Min?

Of course in 2014, the group members were reunited and held their concerts. Yoon was already by then established himself as a great actor. The group have been actively holding concerts until 2019. Park has his own channel Whassup Man which cracked viewers up with his antics. Ho Young and Tae Woo formed a subunit and continued singing till today.

And so far what has changed? Nothing really, an average age of these men are around 40 years. Hah! They are still the same, dorky as usual and often gone ballistic in many ways esp when they are together. Though Tae Woo and Jun Hyung are married with kids, they are still adults with a kiddy inside them. And you wonder why Yoon Kye Sang has ventured into acting, it was actually Cha Tae Hyung who told him to do so. LOL! I do feel it was a good thing Kye Sang went into acting as he has the best visual in the group. When he was younger, he definitely looked boyish and even dons the comical character. These men (ajusshi) aged like fine wine...I have no doubts they will grow old and well together. So as a fan- will support whatever they do.

g.o.d fighting! :D 

My thoughts of JTBC's drama Chocolate 초콜릿

JTBC has recently released its new melo-romance drama Chocolate 초콜릿  starring Ha Ji Won and Yoon Kye Sang. The 16 episode drama has been also released on Netflix. It might start off rather slow with a happy child Lee Kang (YKS) living with his mother by the sea and operating a seafood restaurant at Wando. He then meets a little girl Moon Chae Young (HJW) who was hungry and ate something wasn't for human. Kang decides to serve her the best food that made her so touched. He even promised to make some chocolate dessert. However she didn't return to see him and Kang suddenly moved straight to Seoul with his estranged family whom he has never seen before.

Many years later as everyone grew into adults- Chae Young is now a brilliant chef who has an annoying troublesome brother Tae Hyun who often got into debts. She is still trapped in a trauma where she was buried in a collapsed departmental store when she was a kid. As for Kang, he is now a skilled neurosurgeon in Geosung Hospital. He often looked sad and had to obey whatever his rich Grandma tells him to do. His half Aunt and Uncle were greedy to take over Geosung Group but felt threatened when Kang is excellent in his job. Their only son Lee Jun is brought up to always have nerve fights with Kang. Though Jun might not be as skilled as Kang, he is often compared with him. 

When Chae Young stumbles across Kang in the hospital, she is thrilled to know he is the little boy who fed her lunch and scalded his left arm from making the chocolate dessert. But Kang doesn't recognize her at all and thought she is just a typical stalker on rich handsome doctors. Things start to grow worse when Kang's bestie Min Seong is in love with Chae 
Young. 

When Min Seong started to date her, she was sadder learning the two are besties. She left for Greece with Kang demanding her reasons for leaving Min Seong. On one incident left Kang couldn't operate on patients anymore, he is transfered to Geosung Hospice Centre. Chae Young starts to work in the hospital cafeteria and bumps into Kang again who was rather spiteful towards her thinking she left Min Seong for another guy!

Some people might find this drama very slow paced, boring or non exciting at all. But this drama has lots of meaning behind it. Patients who are terminally ill are trying their best everyday to live to the fullest, meeting their family and friends and learning as they go.
The hot tempered Kang eventually tames down seeing the environment he's working with, gets along with the patients and understanding what life is. 

I kind of like the OST of this drama. They were sung in English and some were Korean as well. Ha Ji Wong and Yoon Kye Sang also contributed to the OST for a special song entitled You and I. It's a soft warming song on this couple who went through hardships, heartaches and to finally find happiness in their life. It might not be a strong character for Ha Ji Won's character as she is often seen as damsel in distress- waiting for the main lead to save her. It's been almost few years since I last seen Yoon Kye Sang in a drama. It's great to see him on small screen again after The Good Wife drama. And for those who are unaware, Yoon Kye Sang is a member from the 1st generation idol kpop group G.O.D. 
He is still currently active with the group members and even participated in G.O.D concerts. 

And to think both actor and actress are in their 40s, they still looked good and well maintained. Well done! :D 

To be honest, I was always looking forward for Fri-Sat night for this drama. Now that it has ended, I am glad I chose to watch it from beginning to the end.

Rate: 7.5/10 stars

KBS weekend drama Mother of Mine review

After the success of My One and Only One weekend drama with UEE and Choi Soo Jung, the TV station has prepared another 50-episodes heart wrenching family drama Mother of Mine but it has another meaning in Korean 세상에서 제일 예쁜 내 딸- which literally means My World's Prettiest Daughter. Mother of Mine has A-List actors starring Kim Hae Sook, Choi Myung Gil, Park Jung Soo, Kim So Yeon, Hong Jong Hyun, Yoo Sun, Kim Ha Kyung, Ki Tae Young and Han Ki Woong. 



Widow mother Park Sun Ja (Kim Hae Sook) works hard day and night bringing up 3 lovely daughters- Mi Sun (Yoo Sun), Mi Ri (Kim So Yeon) and Mi Hye (Kim Ha Kyung). Among three, Mi Ri is the most intelligent and works as the youngest GM Marketing in Hansung Group.
Mi Sun is married with a daughter Da Bin living with her useless husband Jin Soo under the grip of the meanest mother in law on earth (Ha Mi Ok). Mi Hye inspires to be a novelist but she has no talent until she meets Chief Editor Kim Woo Jin (Ki Tae Young)

Mi Ri is actually adopted into the Kang family when her biological mother Jeon In Sook (Choi Myung Gil) left her and married into a rich family. In Sook brings up the naive and obedient Han Tae Ju (Hong Jong Hyun) grooming him to become the next Chairman of Hansung Group. Often Mi Ri and Tae Ju have misunderstandings at work but he was very patient with the hot tempered Mi Ri. Mi Ri hates In Sook who is now the new CEO of the group who doesn't recognise her own daughter. Old Chairman Han is still well alive and dislikes In Sook but grits his teeth for the sake of his late son and Tae Ju.

I do have a love-hate thing on this drama. Hong Jong Hyun serves as an eye-candy in this drama (main reason I wanted to watch this drama) as his pure innocent relationship with Mi Ri - which is a "noona-dongsaeng" thing will be interesting to watch further. But meantime I dislike watching the nonsense from Mi Sun and Mi Hye's story lines. Their parts are mostly irritating where one can never understand how these two daughters can treat their mother after all she has helped them so much. And worst part why can't Ki Tae Young have a decent better hair cut- he looks awful in this drama...at first glance I thought he was the older version of 2AM's Im Seulong. LOL! 

And to make your blood boil further is the worst mother in law, Ha Mi Ok that Mi Sun has to put up with. What kind of mother in law demands her other side to do everything while she plays golf, lazes at home and pampers her good for nothing mama boy's son? Grrr...

However it's something to watch when you have nothing else to do during the weekend nights so it's good to pass time with it. After all weekend dramas are mostly popular with housewives and families watching at home. He he! 

BTS comeback sweeps global music charts

BTS has done it again by sweeping over all the global music charts with their latest comeback on new album Map of Soul: Persona. 

Their latest album has topped iTunes charts in many countries including US, Japan, Brazil, India, Canada. Their latest hit single 'Boy with Luv' featuring female vocalist Halsey has already garnered 100 million views after been released on YouTube within 2 days. 

The group was invited to perform at SNL (Saturday Night Live) NBC show and the boys did a little extra of their other song Mic Drop which they collaborated with Steve Aoki. 
The small gig has somehow received overwhelming response from audience and fans around the world. While SNL was hosted by Emma Stone and Michael Keaton, it was the army who were thrilled to the group once again on US stage.



Their fashion has somehow made another statement with audience wondering who are these Korean guys in bright coloured hair and clothes! New fans kept tweeting requesting for their  names as they do catch their attention with their new trends, dance moves and charms.

There were high expectations on BTS as everyone is focused on them since they have performed at Billboard Music Awards. But they have proven they were really Hallyu global group and slayed well with a non-English song.

BTS is scheduled to perform Boy with Luv together with Halsey on 1st May at BBMA.

BTS to appear 3rd time consecutive in Billboard Music Awards.

Global Hallyu K-Pop group, BTS will be performing on stage with world class female singer Halsey at the upcoming Billboard Music Awards in US.

        

It has been announced that the US Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 1st through the official website and SNS channels.
As a result group BTS will be participating for the 2nd time while it's their 3rd consecutive year the guys have attended the grand music event.

BBMA has announced that BTS will be performing their latest song "Boy With Luv" with sing-songwriter Halsey which has already taken a big toll on the music charts. The group has topped the top 10 on the Billboard single 'Hot 100' with the single- 'Fake Love' and won the 'Top Social Artist' award for two consecutive years at the Billboard Music Awards in 2017 and 2018. This year BTS is nominated in two categories- for Top Duo / Group and Top Social Artist. 
This is sending all the armies in the world go frenzy. 

Their albums Love Yourself: Her and Love Yourself; Tear was ranked top in the BBMA charts- many thanks to their love and support from fans all over the world. Their fandom has also send them straight on Social 50 artists for being on social media with strong influence in it.

Worldwide artists will be gathering in the BBMA including Mariah Carey, Sam Smith, Kelly Clarkson, DJ Khalid. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live through NBC.

'Billboard Music Awards' will select candidates and winners by compiling album and digital music sales volume, number of radio broadcasts, streaming, performance and social participation index over the past year. The 2019 Billboard Music Awards will announce winners based on charts from March 23, 2018 through March 7, 2019.

Will the group be aiming for the 3rd time in Top Social Artist award in 2019? We wish them all the best. Now Armies around the world- start tweeting and vote for BTS to win for the 3rd time!

SHINee Minho and INFINITE Dong Woo enlist.

What's in the news of K-pop world? 

Well, SHInee's Minho and INFINITE's Dong Woo bid farewell to fellow fans as they prepare to for their enlistment in the marine division. Minho will join the Marine Corps through the Gyeongbuk Pohang Marine Corps Educational Training Center. He has received support from the Marine Corps at the end of January and a final acceptance notice from the Military Manpower Administration. SHInee's leader Onew, who joined in last December while the 3rd member Key (Ki Bum) was also enlisted last month.

Minho made a statement to fans that he made his debut on May 2008. It was real good and happy times where he had unforgettable moments with fans. Meanwhile INFINITE's Dong Woo has also wishes his Inspirit fans for their lovely support. He was joyful with positive greetings to all that if he were to reborn, he'd be reborn as an INFINITE member.

We wish the two all the best and good health for safe return from army.

Cheers! 

Jung Il Woo's first drama after comeback from military

Jung Il Woo has returned to drama land with his first sageuk drama after completing military. Seriously he hasn't changed much before and after military. He appeared in SBS Running Man promoting his latest SBS drama "Haechi" and busy filming with his co-stars Go Ara, Kwon Yul and Park Hoon.

Haechi is considered a mystical legendary creature in those days and now it's a symbol whereby one can see the statue in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace and even on the taxis around Seoul. The drama entitled Haechi is about Prince Yeoning (Lee Geum) played by Jung Il Woo who has never been acknowledged as a royal member in the Palace due to his mother's low status. The other kind brother Prince Yeon Ryung often hangs out with him. Since Yeoning is never been loved by his family, he takes life easy and doesn't bother much about the court issues. Even his first wife is annoyed with him. 

                        

His father King Sukjong is looking frail and has illness. The Noron faction is supporting the violent Prince Mil Poong who is on a verge of killing everyone against him due to his anger issues. Queen Inwon looks disturbed is Mil Poong becomes the crown prince. A scholar Park Mun Su is determined to get a place in the state exams aiming to become a minister. However he is angered upon seeing Yeoning sitting as a substitute in the exams. He chases Yeoning around to find out how he could scoff out easily.

An investigation team in the palace is working hard to have justice in the public and court. However they are pissed out seeing the ministers corrupted to the end. One of the female investigator is Yeo Ji (Go Ara) who is skilful in martial arts and knowledge. She discovers that Mil Poong is harbouring a dark secret and Yeoning accidentally heard there is a death ledger recording the names of deceased people. There is no way they are allowing a dangerous ruler on the throne. Mun Su is shocked upon finding out Yeoning's true identity. Sukjong summons Yeoning and wishes to see his son lived up to his expectations. He knows there is no one else more suitable to be a King than Yeoning. 

Lurking in the market place is a clown Dal Moon who seems to be rough at the edge but he's pretty spot on. He knows there's something amiss in the royal court and appointment for future Crown Prince. Investigator Han Jung Suk (Lee Pil Mo) is very desperate to catch Mil Poong's evil deeds but without any higher ups, he can't move further. Surprisingly Yeoning steps into the court to prove that he is worth as a Prince and time to put a stop to corruption & discrimination.

I find a liking towards this drama...partly because it's Jung Il Woo's first drama comeback after military. Secondly the characters are very interesting and it reminded me a lot of his previous drama Diary of a Night Watchman. 

K-Movie review: Warriors of the Dawn (대립군)

As some might have seen this familiar character been played over and over in dramas and movies- yes indeed Prince Gwanghae is the famous role for a movie. In the 2017 sageuk period movie Warriors of the Dawn (대립군), the Japanese are invading Korea in 1592. The useless King Seonjo leaves his country and runs to China. He leaves his Crown Prince Gwanghae (Yeo Jin Goo) in charge of the country to fend off the invasion from Japanese.

Gwanghae is not used to face people and rather timid. He is often looked after by his Eunuchs and beloved maid Duk Yi (Esom). With the help of the proxy soldiers led by To Woo (Lee Jung Jae), the entourage went through deep across the mountains to Pyongyang. The Japanese soldiers came interrogate Prince Imhae requesting for Gwanghae's whereabouts. Gwanghae was lost for words when his close Eunuch turns out to be a spy and sending hints for soldiers to kill him. In fact they were orders from King Seonjo to kill his own son! The citizens and followers shook their heads realising Seonjo is hopeless and has abandoned the country for his own sake. 

          

Gwanhae learned everything through the hard way, fighting to survive and learning the real truth that his father despise him after his mother died during childbirth. He realised that he needs to stand up for his people and fight to the end. But he didn't want to put the proxy soldiers in danger. He told them to go after they escorted him safely to Pyongyang. The King suddenly sends a message instructing Gwanghae to abandon the city and leave for his safety.

The useless King is a big joke! First he sends assassins to kill his son, then when his son is safe he wants him to leave again and go somewhere else! The ministers want Gwanghae to leave his citizens behind but he refused. To Woo came back with his other buddies to help the Crown Prince and people. They escaped to a ruined fortress to shelter while the Japanese came to confront them. They are so determined to capture Gwanghae but he fought hard to the end. Many soldiers died and even Duk Yi was shot to death. Gwanghae's tears rolled down upon seeing his people have been sacrificed for the royal family. He changed his clothes to a commoner to avoid the enemies. 

The people and Gwanghae were about to board the boat to escape when the Japanese came to look for them. To Woo and his gang decided to remain- fight to the end. However the Japanese have guns so they have won the battle. But Gwanghae, his ministers managed to escape safely to another side of the region. He went to a nearby General camp battleground seeking for refuge. Nobody could recognise him as a Crown Prince but as soon as he handed the Royal Flag and letter from the King, everyone was shocked. Who would expect a Crown Prince dressed like a peasant with bruises and dirt, arrive at the battleground. 

Flash back when Gwanghae asked why there were 2 dragon motifs on the royal family flag. To Woo answered humbly that one dragon symbolise the King, another represents the people...
What a meaningful movie...

Choi Min Soo scares the butlers in Master in the House.

The four butlers arrived at the destination whereby there's a van waiting for them to transport them to somewhere to meet their new master. First of all, they teased each other on their clothing as Se Hyung wore a beanie, Sang Yun wore a long winter coat while Seung Gi and Sung Jae are in thick padded jackets. It was cold and it's Christmas Eve, the four men are excited to meet their master on the special day.

The first hint provided by them is via emcee Kang Ho Dong where he started screaming Seung Gi's name throughout the entire call. Of course the two worked together in 1N2D and Strong Heart, nevertheless Ho Dong was like Seung Gi's mentor in his youth days. Ho Dong was a chatterbox and he mentioned the new master is quite terrifying. Even Ho Dong turns into a meek lamb in front of him. Another hint is the 'watch'. Immediately the three faces froze except for Sung Jae who looked clueless. Seung Gi exchanged glances with Se Hyung if their guesses were correct, this master is definitely no joke. 

The bus arrived at a closed prison and the butlers didn't like the atmosphere. What a day to spend at a prison looking for their new master. Se Hyung complained he wanted to go home. 
Their task is stand in front of an ice block, break the ice block to find a hint card. The message says 'break it'. They didn't understand at all. Master instructed them to look for him around the prison grounds. In groups of two, they started searching for their master while grunting away.
Se Hyung screamed after bee captured by the master Choi Min Soo and then instructed to get the rest in front of the pile of sand. Se Hyung pretended not to remember anything while Choi laughed at them behind the door. Immediately they bowed upon seeing him. Se Hyung tatters about Seung Gi complaining to get him in trouble. While they worked hard to dig the treasure box in the pile of sand only to find a popping up clown. What the...the expression on the faces were priceless! 

Next Choi brought them into a room filled with scary gadgets while asking them to face their biggest fears. Four butlers were blindfolded while Choi pretends to cut their hair with razor with fake hair...etc. Se Hyung and Sung Jae opened their eyes so they failed the fear test. The two winners sat in another room watching Choi bringing the two losers for Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) gas test. Se Hyung and Sung Jae were horrified as Choi asked the rest of the staffs to leave with the gas coming in the room. He insisted he will not wear the mask while the two struggled to wear it. After a while, Choi started coughing and collapsed on the floor. Se Hyung panicked and immediately sprung up to his aid. Choi then laughed and said it was all a prank! The two just looked speechless. At another end, Seung Gi and Sang Yun laughed their hearts out. Se Hyung has proven to be very helpful and kind heart when he offered his mask to Choi. Choi mentioned it's their fear in their minds thinking it's real tear gas. In fact it's just normal smoke with his acting skills, the two feared for their lives! 

               

Another session with Choi is telling him truthfully about their biggest fears in life. Seung Gi started first but saying he's afraid of making wrong decisions in life resulting in failure. Choi nodded and poured 3 glasses of tea. One is green tea and another two is the bitter sumac tea. Seung Gi goes flustered when he's deciding which glass to drink. Sung Jae reckons all are green tea as Choi is just tricking them. Choi remained his poker face while asking Sung Jae to drink the last cup without any reaction. However Sung Jae lied that it was green tea while all of them drank the bitter sumac tea! Choi's lesson is life is all about choices- there is no right or wrong choice. Humans tend to perceive in a way that the other path is wrong. Next up was Se Hyung who poured out his biggest fear- Death. All were surprised. His father's side = most men tend to die early diagnosed mostly with cancer. Whether it's hereditary, Se Hyung fears his time is up soon. Choi hesitated for a while and then advised him to take the fear as an advantage. Choi was once diagnosed with a serious illness on 8th grade- his heart is like a time ticking bomb. He has never feared so much in life. However he accepted it as a gift to realise the joy of living life to the fullest. 

                               

Night was getting super chilly so Choi brought the butlers back to his home. They slowly crept to the attic where there is a nice fireplace with sofa..etc. Seung Gi whinged that this should be the place to spend Xmas eve, not at a prison playground! They started roasting marshmallows at the fireplace...not to mention they look like thieves at their own home. June Kang who is Choi's wife went up the attic; only to be shocked to see her guests been kept out in the cold! She reprimanded her husband for ill-treating their guests, immediately he stood firm like a kid in front of her. The butlers laughed as their scary master has a 180 deg change in personality. They knew June would be their protector so they continued feeding her information how Choi made them suffer so much at the prison. June acknowledged her husband is rather eccentric in attitude and dressing. So she carefully planned with the butlers to prank Choi back. She instructed Choi to cook ramyeon for the hungry guests and slowly she went to his wardrobe to start packing some flashy clothes and gears. 

Choi followed her orders and even washed up the dishes. June gets the butlers to pick whatever they like in the room- they belong to Choi. His flashy jackets, motorbike gears, sunglasses, hats...etc. Rather interesting to ruffle through the wardrobe! Ha ha! Seung Gi picked some of the unique clothing complementing himself looking like Bradley Cooper.
Sung Jae looked nice in a cap with studs while Sang Yun wore Choi's favourite helmet. It was like a fashion parade to them scaring the hell out of Choi. His eyes start wavering when June says it's Christmas-  a time for giving and sharing so she decided to give away these clothes, shoes and gear to the butlers. The shocked expression on Choi as he treasures those items though he is very eccentric. 

A good funny Christmas eve to spend with Choi Min Soo and June Kang... what an experience. 

tvN's The Crowned Clown drama proven a hit.

The remake of the 2012 film Masquerade, the new title The Crowned Clown (왕이 된 남자) is a period drama set in the Joseon dynasty where the characters are mostly fictional. It opens with a dying King (cameo by Jang Hyuk) is feeling relentless as he is passing down the throne to his Crown Prince Lee Hyeon (Yeo Jin Goo). The King knows that Lee Hyeon will not spare his younger brother's life when he takes over. 

                         

Indeed after the coronation, Lee Hyeon banishes those ministers against him and promotes the evil Minister Shin Chin Soo in the court. Shin is trying every means to please the new King and even pushes his niece Seon Hwa Dang as a concubine. The poor Queen Yoo So Woon (Lee Se Young) just looks unhappy in the palace while trying her best to upkeep her image. Shin frames Minister Yoo to beheaded. Meanwhile the Queen Dowager keeps her vengeance inside plotting to assassinate the Lee Hyeon too. 

Outside a bunch of clowns are performing on the street. One of them is the happy go lucky Ha Sun (Yeo Jin Goo) who lives earnestly with his saviours. They often mock the Royal Family members in their performance causing laughter among the public. One day Minister Lee Kyu (Kim Sang Kyung) is enraged hearing the performance mocking the Queen. To his surprise, he was taken back by Ha Sun's striking resemblance to the King! Immediately he brought Ha Sun by force to the palace showing his face to Lee Hyeon. The King laughed hysterically that he needs a replacement to die on behalf for him while he secretly recuperates in a temple as he's high on drugs. 

Poor Ha Sun takes the big responsibility as the puppet King as slowly he realises there are more to wealth, power, struggle and love behind the palace doors. He bears a deep grudge against Shin's son who brutally violated his adopted sister. 

I must say I like almost every drama that Yeo Jin Goo has starred in. He has grown up so well from a child actor to a brilliant lead role in most dramas and films. He's definitely portraying both roles very well in this drama. No regrets of watching this drama. 

Happy ending for tvN's 100 Days My Prince drama.

Since the first episode of tvN's 100 Days My Prince, i was totally sucked into this drama. While it can be totally common for one to be hooked into a drama but not when it's a drama starred by mostly young idols and actors. I don't mind a bit at all. 



The 16-episodes drama has ended on Tuesday 30th October with tears and laughter.
 Yul has finally remembered what happened to him, his 100 days memory living with Hong Shim and her adopted father and how his father in law Vice Premier Kim Cha Eon tried killing him.
Hong Shim is guilt ridden finding out the truth from her brother Moo Yeon that he is assigned by Kim to kill the Crown Prince. However Moo Yeon was killed while trying to rescue the pregnant Crown Princess So Hye out from the palace. 

Together with Governor Jung Je Yoon, his close bodyguard Hyuk they pretended to lure Kim into believing that they are coming to his trap. Kim was shot down to death by arrows as he passed a letter to Yul. The King was relieved to know the tyrant VP is dead for good while his Queen is still scheming against Yul. For once he told her off and wanted to step down from the throne. Hong Shim somehow didn't want to follow Yul as she knew her brother has done bad deeds in the past. So Hye left the palace and gave birth to a baby boy naming him Seok Ha.

For a year, everything was peaceful in the country and Songjoo Village. The palace ministers start questioning if the Crown Prince has changed his lifestyle and preference. He seems to be spending more time with Je Yoon and his Eunuch Yang is also worried for him. The King tries every noble lady and even to maids to flirt with Yul but the plan backfired! King hands down an order that every single man-woman must tie the knot before he goes to recuperate in the mountain...that order doesn't exclude any royals including Yul! Je Yoon came up with a plan tricking Yul that he is marrying Hong Shim from the royal order of the King. Yul comes in time to stop the match making event but was embarrassed when Hong Shim picked Je Yoon. Of course she was brought to tears reading Yul's daily journals how much he missed her, it was miracle for him to meet her...etc. He comes as an identity of Won Deuk asking his wife Hong Shim to follow him to the palace. 

Do Kyung Soo brings out the cold, lonely Crown Prince Yul along with his double character the sarcastic remarks and comical reaction of commoner Won Deuk. Nam Ji Hyun being a senior in the industry is nevertheless has polished character Hong Shim/ Yeon Yi Seo. I must say the supporting roles of Je Yoon, Goo Deol, Kkeut Nyeo, magistrates and villagers really brought out the story to life. Their friendship is so close and the villagers will do anything to help each other. As for So Hye and Moo Yeon for it's a typical Romeo-Juliet where they have to be separated. 

                      

The happy ending for Yul and Yi Seo has proven the statement from the King saying Yul is definitely different than the former rulers. His strong determination and action regardless of what others say has earned him the respect. We are going to miss the the cute couple Won Deuk and Hong Shim for time being...

Congrats to the writers, staff and cast for bringing such a great story for the viewers.
And I think I'm going to be a bit 'uncomfortable' on Mon-Tue without these bunch of casts... LOL! 

BTS makes their mark at UN and meets President Moon Jae In.

It's rather unusual for a K-pop Hallyu group to be performing in the arena in US, meeting famous talk show hosts, performing at American Music Awards and even giving a speech at the United Nations. But BTS has done it all. The quirky group started with no name and became an International name in their home country and in US. 

As their leader Nam Joon (RM) gave a motivating strong speech at the UN, he says love yourself, speak for yourself and find yourself. He admitted they were nothing at the start, with no sense of direction and even were told there was no hope for the group. However he hasn't given up, learn from mistakes and embraced whatever came to them. This has brought the 7 members across the globe marking their footsteps in US and EU. Their music videos in YouTube surpassed millions of viewers after the release within days! Concert tickets were sold out instantly and fans are camping in front of venue for days to catch a glimpse of them.

Fame was something else for the members. They are still the same ordinary guys from South Korea. During the recent Korea-France friendship tour, the members performed in front of many important and distinguished guests. The multicultural program has brought fans, visitors and guests know more about South Korea.  Of course the highlight was upon BTS. Guests were busy filming their performance via phone cameras...screaming and singing along with their songs. After the performance, South Korean President Moon Jae In and his First Lady personally came to greet the boys. He shook their hands, congratulating and had a little chat with them, photo shoot as well. Jin and Jung Kook even received autographs from the President himself. 

It is rather interesting the 7 members have made their country proud. They have also been featured in the Asia's TIME magazine as the front cover with their story. 
So where's the next stop after US, EU? Japan is their next place to mark their music...
Congrats to the guys for making the nation proud. 

100 Days My Prince kicks off strongly on first few episodes

tvN has been constantly churning out great dramas with strong two digit viewer ratings.
With Mr. Sunshine drama peaking at its most, nevertheless the newest baby drama 100 Days My Prince has started off smoothly with steady viewers ratings too. Everyone is anticipating highly on Mr. Sunshine since it has big veteran actors in the drama with famed writer Kim Eun Sook for its story line, but 100 Days My Prince is no stranger to viewers as well.

EXO's Do Kyung Soo (D.O) plays the lead role as Lee Yul, the Crown Prince leading a sad life behind the palace doors. He witnessed how his childhood friend's father was murdered by the current PM Kim Cha Eon played by Jo Sung Ha. His loving mother vanished from his childhood days, he is forced to marry the Crown Princess So Hye who is cunning and even pregnant with someone else' child. 

PM plotted every way to get rid of Yul. So Yul fell into a big accident and is suffering amnesia. He is saved by a gentleman Yoon. Yoon adopted the noble lady Hong Shim who happens to be Yul's childhood friend. 

Keeping her identity safe, she is trying hard to search for her long lost brother. Yul gets a new name Won Deuk living in the simple village and is forced to get married to Hong Shim due to an order from himself as a Crown Prince! Unable to work and live comfortably since he is a Royal family member, he bosses people around. He doesn't remember anything and Hong Shim is annoyed to the end that she married a useless bum. D.O has certainly played well in the character as meanie Lee Yul who holds a high IQ and strong demeanour. His tone of voice and actions are funny in every way when he plays the helpless Won Deuk. Nam Ji Hyun is plucky and courageous woman who doesn't stand idly been bullied by men. 

And as we see the romance blooming between Won Deuk and Hong Shim, it gets a bit messy. The current King wants to protect the new Crown Prince SeoWoon and tried to get rid of Vice Premier Kim. In order to protect his own sake and his daughter Crown Princess, he finds Won Deuk/Yul at the Seongjoo Village and kneels down pleading him to return to the Palace for good. Hah! How confusing...the one to get rid of him and the one to beg him to go back. 

Block B's ZICO goes solo.

It is not confirmed or yes as to where rapper Zico from idol group Block B is leaving the group.
He has not decided to leave the group or so.

However his contract with Seven Season agency is coming to an end. Zico is always prepared to stand alone and perform solo. He has not made up final decision to leave or stay with his fellow members. Zico, who made his debut in 2011, ended his contract with his agency in November. He is also the current Block B leader and hottest hip-hop singer. He has been focusing more on solo activities rather than team activities.

He has successfully produced many hit songs for newbie singers. And every song he has released has became a hit. Notable songs are Artist, Eureka, Yes or No and so forth. He has also produced the song entitled Kangaroo sung by Wanna One sub unit group.

He collaborated with female vocalist IU for the song Soulmate ranking first in the music chart.
Last November, the Mayor of Seoul held an interview regarding the program. It is included in the list of the special summit talks of the third inter-Korean summit scheduled for from 20th.

Jo In Sung, Nam Joo Hyuk promote in Radio Star program

It is definitely rare for actor Jo In Sung to appear in variety shows. The viewers ratings shot up tremendously when he appeared in 1 Night 2 Days as Cha Tae Hyun's guest friend. This time again Jo In Sung agrees to appear in Radio Star program due to his close friendship to Cha Tae Hyun who is co-hosting the program along with Kim Gu Ra, Yoon Jong Shin and Guk Jin. 

Jo In Sung along with his fellow casts- Bae Sung Woo, Park Byung Eun and Nam Joo Hyuk from the latest movie The Great Battle (Ansi Fortress) were guest stars for the latest episode. 

The historical movie is about the siege of Ansi Fortress of 88 days battle. Warrior and hero Yang Man Chun together with the Goguryeo troops fought against 500,000 Tang soldiers from invading the country.

During the session, Jo In Sung and Bae Sung Woo were like Tom and Jerry roles. They even dissed on each other while teasing on other cast members such as Park Sung Woong.

The movie is due to be released in cinemas on 19th September 2018.

Song Ji Hyo, Park Shi Hoo in rom-com ghostly drama.

Park Shi Hoo returns to the screen after his big success return of drama My Golden Life.
This time, he is paired with Song Ji Hyo in the new romantic-comedy ghostly drama Lovely Horribly under KBS production.

I must say the first 2 episodes caught my attention and now I am totally hooked to it.
Park Shi Hoo plays the famous actor Yoo Phillip who has everything a man wants. Fame, wealth, career and women. Oh Eul Soon is a struggling drama script writer who went through riches to rags. Both of them share the same birth date however their fate twists when something happens. If Phillip enjoys his life, Eul Soon suffers.

A rookie PD Lee Sung Jung played by Lee Ki Kwang is Eul Soon's neighbour childhood friend. After Eul Soon's family went down, his family bought over their house and he has been keeping the place in good state hoping to show to her. Many years later, she couldn't recognize him at all. He was devastated to see that Eul Soon suffered so much. He learned that Phillip and Eul Soon must be sharing the fate.

In fact Phillip's mother who is a shawoman took over Eul Soon's destiny and lucky, transfering to her son. She left her home and went to look after Eul Soon after feeling guilty. Phillip has always been wondering why his mother left him. He learns from PD Lee that a strange mysterious strong spirit is wondering between the two of them. 

The other characters such as Writer Ki, Ra Yun and Yoon Ah are bit mysterious to my end.
They are somewhat connected to Phillip via jealousy, revenge and weird surroundings.
Yoon Ah is very possessed with Phillip while Ra Yun- the ghost is acting strange as she haunts around the two main leads. Writer Ki is such a meanie towards Eul Soon too.
I must say Phillip's two followers- his manager and Dong Man cracked me up. They are scaredy cats and scene stealers. His big manager is funny in a way as he wore 2 bulletproof vests in the middle of summer afraid being shot after Phillip been ambushed. LOL!

Lee Ki Kwang is being cute in all ways as the young rookie PD. He being the 2nd lead has definitely got my approval. I wish he would get his girl but somehow that's not the ending seems to be... 

Tug at heartstrings with My ID is Gangnam Beauty.

As JTBC's drama My ID is Gangnam Beauty is reaching the end, it is leaving viewers wondering how the ending is going to be. Whether it's going to be similar to the webtoon and will the main characters get a happy ending?

 First of all, I'd say it's not an overly fantastic drama. It's mostly played by idol singers and young rookie actors/actresses. However with Im Soo Hyang being the most veteran actress in the cast, she is definitely holding the drama on her shoulders as the timid and shy University chemistry major student, Kang Mi Rae who was once shun off by the society due to her looks. By undergoing plastic surgery, she thought her life would be better however she meets more problems in University when her rude seniors called her plastic monster. 




Nevertheless she meets her high school friend, Do Kyung Suk who is a handsome and most popular student at the same field. Kyung Suk has never laughed or looked down on Mi Rae despite her looks. Instead he carries a strange cold demeanour. He hardly talks to anyone due to his parent's divorce. Coming from a strong family background, he often lives in his own world and ignoring others. Meanwhile there's a senior graduate and teaching assistant, Woo Young who is gentle and sweet. Woo Young is nice towards Mi Rae and harbors feelings for her. Mi Rae's bestie, Hyun Jung being a pscyhology major keeps her one sided love for Woo Young. 

The cunning, scheming Soo Ah is perfect in all ways on the front but is very superficial. She kept pursuing on Kyung Suk for popularity and fame. She is cynical and pretends to be nice to Mi Rae. After being rejected many times by Kyung Suk, she gets on Mi Rae's nerves. 

The storyline is rather simple. The ratings were around mid 4-5% due to the private TV station. It is true that Astro's Cha Eun Woo is the main visual in this drama. He typically looks as if he is cut out from a Manga webtoon. Indeed I have to admit this fact. He just looks stunning in everyway even without any conversation. *swoons*.

The romance is a bit slow in this drama but it shows that Kyung Suk is not a hasty person and is giving Mi Rae a chance to open up. I have to say Kyung Suk's mom - CEO of Kelun is the coolest mother on earth. She finds herself happier after Mi Rae managed to have both her children at her side due to a misunderstanding. 

The lesson to learn from the drama? No matter how much one fix their appearance, it doesn't bring much happiness. It's one's personality and character that matters the most. Everyone will age at the end of the day. Beauty doesn't last forever. True beauty lies deep in one's character. 

Yoon Do Jun up for enlistment services.

First it was BTOB's Seo Eun Kwang...now HIGHLIGHT member Yoon Do Jun has been called to enlist on 24th August.
                                                   


It spells trouble for the singer/actor since he has already delayed his enlistment due to knee injury and now he's in midst of shooting tvN's drama Let's Eat Season 3. And out of sudden the government has decided to call the actor for enlistment.

His fellow member Yang Yo Seob who has also been called for enlistment passed the exam to serve as a police officer but Yoon Do Jun failed in his test. 

Yoon is placed in the military base for basic military training for five weeks after entering the training camp. The place and time of admission were not disclosed. Due to the sudden notice without preparation, Yoon will be concentrating to finish up his filming and getting into the army. 

INFINITE Woo Hyun solo album on 3rd Sept.

Group INFINITE member Nam Woo Hyun will be releasing his 2nd solo album on 3rd September 2018. He has been hiatus for almost 2 years and 4 months,

Nam Woo Hyun won the first major mini-album title song "Nod Nod" released in 2016. Through this album, he is determined to establish himself as a solo singer.

He has been performing various music programs such Two Hearts as a sub-unit with SHINee member Key in 2016.


Recently, he has been acting as Barnum's associate 'Amos Skater' in the musical 'The Greatest Showman' performed at the Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater.

BTOB's Eun Kwang enlist.

BTOB's leader Seo Eun Kwang has enlisted for military on 21st August 2018.

On this day, the 27th Infantry Division of Gangwon Hwacheon will be admitting Eun Kwang as a recruit of troops. He said he wants to join quietly therefore is no fans or events held. After receiving basic military training for five weeks, he will serve as an active army officer.

Eun Kwang has written in social media, "For the past 7 years, I will remember beautiful precious memories. Till we meet again, fighting."


Seo Eun Kwang made his debut with his members in 2012 with  the single 'Secret', Missing You,' 'Prayer,' 'Without You'.

He has also showed a strong presence in musicals. Staring in 2013 for musicals 'Monte Cristo', 'The Bachelor's Vegetable Shop', 'Hamlet', 'Goddess is watching', 'Three Musketeers', Great Showman' and so on.

We wish him all the best and good health until he returns back.