OCN, long the home of genre-bending and bold storytelling, premiered crime thriller Voice (보이스 ) in 2017. But my review is for the second and third seasons of the series. (I”ll have to go back and watch that original season in the future.)
OCN’s 2019 series Strangers from Hell (타인은 지옥이다 / Hell is Other People) is a psychological thriller to end all psychological thrillers. Ten fast-paced episodes explore the often-tumultuous depths of people’s minds and often-frightening depths of today’s society. It serves as a reminder about not ignoring those reaching out for help and how there may always be something lurking beneath an innocuous surface.
The 2018-2019 drama series My Strange Hero (복수가 돌아왔다) appears to try and bring a new take to a familiar theme and setting. But being unable to commit to ideas it offers up results in a talented cast being given material that lacks cohesion and weight to really leave a lasting impression.
The 2017 KBS drama Hit the Top (최고의 한방/The Best Hit) is a charming and fun slice-of-life look at youth at all ages. And the moments that help shape one’s self and one another.
That changed this week with the premiere of My Extraordinary on TV5. The AsterisK Digital Entertainment-produced series is the first original local BL drama to air on Philippine television. And for such a historic first, the series is so far able to rise to the occasion.
For a simple, thoroughly enjoyable romantic comedy, look no further than the 2016 series Something About 1 Percent (1%의 어떤 것). It isn’t groundbreaking nor does it push the envelope, and that’s perfectly fine. The Ha Seok Jin/Jeon So Min-starrer is a classic Korean romcom. It knows exactly what it is, what it wants to be and excels at it.
TV5 heralded its return to original local entertainment programming with the premieres of the APT Entertainment-produced game shows Fill In The Bank and Bawal Na Game Show. While neither show is going to drive a significant amount of new or returning viewers to TV5, they are both simple and accessible fresh programs during a time when such content is at a premium.
There is a lot of wasted potential in the 2019 tvN series Her Private Life (그녀의 사생활). A quirky, refreshing premise and a solid cast get shortchanged by a paint-by-the-numbers romcom plot that doesn’t seem to know where it wants to go or what it really wants to do. It’s a fluffy series that lacks the depth that could have elevated it to something more, even as the foundation was well-established in the beginning.
The tvN drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (사이코지만 괜찮아/Psycho But It’s Okay) may appear to be a cliché and predictable romantic dramedy, but beneath the surface it puts a timely and much needed spotlight on mental health.
TV5 and Cignal held a virtual mediacon Thursday on the eve of the arrival of new programming amid the network’s renewed focus on entertainment.