'Moon Lovers' and “King2Hearts” absolutely yes! Really perfect and extremely functional even for the development of the plot, “Goblin” for sure, but that's a perfect drama in every way... Personally, I can think of several but of my much-loved super classics such as I'd add “Descendants Of The Sun” (Kim Ji Won and Jin Goo) and “Secret Garden” (the wonderful Kim Sa Rang and Yoon Sang Hyun), I think many people will point them out! As always a lovely article, excellently presented Editing efforts paid off big time!
Truly a beautiful interview, this is really an article to frame -thanks Lily Alice! - IU is simply fabulous, moreover here she argues about style and immediacy like a veteran, despite being still quite young in age; Total adherence to the characters portrayed, personally I loved how she gave heart and soul to the role of the young version of Ae Soon, in a classic old-school style of cinema, very ‘European’ in some ways, especially in the ‘ start of maturity’ phase after marriage; It would have been nice to ask her if she watched certain movies to get into the part more deeply...
I really hope to see her more often in such strong and engaging performances, she has a versatility of style that really makes her a force of nature and which - I really hope! - can open up so many doors for her with the best directors, as well as perhaps make some sceptics reconsider, who apparently are never lacking... BRAVA!
Oh! This drama ‘drains the hell out of you’ just watching it, imagine those who had to perform it!
Happy birthday Ye Jin! 💖 Always one of my favourite actresses and you always will be but another year has gone by and nothing yet, no new work on the horizon, we always look forward to some nice surprises soon All the best to You! 🌺🎉
He He, Great! Happy birthday Tae Hyun 🎉 if I love Korean cinema so much it's also thanks to you, I also watch your hilarious appearances in ‘Family Outing’ from time to time...
Him is extraordinary in ‘Midnight Romance’, her you can't even argue with, you just love her! Great premise for the drama I've read a few hints about the original series and I have a lot of interest!
Happy Happy Birthday Na Ra! 💗 The least "Ajumma" imaginable, but, perhaps, you don't have a hidden ‘’picture‘’ that ages for you!? Absolutely gorgeous!🥰
In the meantime, I congratulate you for your editorial, which deals with an extremely complex and variegated subject that at the same time offers so many possibilities for analysis. Personally, I too love this theme, it is something that has always accompanied me, in a discourse not only linked to Asian cinematography but open to a more ‘generalist’ vision, let's say, regarding cinema in its entirety...
Implicitly, rereading your article, it occurs to me that you have already provided a good key to reading it, speaking of themes that are today perhaps a little too overused and perhaps considered ‘old fashioned’ in the contemporary context, possibly with less appeal to viewers more immersed in the contemporary, but melodrama that flows into the fantastic, often linked to the ‘gothic’ genre, which in itself inevitably integrates supernatural connotations - ghosts in primis - is something that has always attracted legions of fans;
There was a time - quite a large one, especially in the 1940s and 1950s - when not only in Hollywood but also in much European film industry - France, Great Britain and Italy as well - many directors drank from this source, often using the theme of psychoanalysis, which was very much in fashion, or of surrealism - not only in the pictorial field - for complex, but decidedly involving interpretations...
When I think of movies such as ‘Pandora and The Flying Dutchman’, ‘Marianne de Ma Jeunesse’ ‘Juliette ou La clef des songes’ or ‘Peter Ibbetson’ just to name a few of my favourites from memory, I think that any lover of dramas and Asian cinematography would end up finding themes dear to their passion in the Dramaverse, due to the universality of the subject matter...
In my opinion, in certain cases there is nothing more enchanting than that dreamlike, fairy-tale dimension, where dream and reality come to overlap and where the characters slowly become aware that ‘something’ or ‘someone’ has already crossed/encountered their destiny with the other character...
Predestination is undoubtedly a message of hope, of reassurance that one day we will meet the other half of the sky, or finally be reunited with her, in another world, dimension or what any of us can imagine for an ‘after’ ...
Melodrama is in principle something pushed to excess, it is extreme love, over the top (‘Amour Fou’, in the French definition), it is something that overcomes many barriers, in certain dramas even temporal ones; how many times has it happened to be fond of dramas where the main characters make almost supernatural efforts to reach and conquer the coveted object of their desire?
Every now and then I ask myself: I wonder if for some users here on MDL even their life resembles a drama!? (maybe, if there isn't already a thread on the subject, someone can take a cue for one in the future)
Banally I am not able to provide any sufficiently explicative answer on the theme of the thread, I am an incurable romantic who, perhaps, seeks in this kind of works the antidote to live well in spite of life's dramatic events; among the series listed here I adore ‘Goblin’ (which is one of the few 10 I have in my list) which, perhaps precisely in its ending, renders well the idea of predestination that I have tried to summarise
Not too long ago I posted here on MDL my own review of ‘Next’, an excellent drama from a few years ago, perfectly pertinent to the subject matter, and then I would like to point out ‘Rouge’ by Stanley Kwan (an extraordinary director, ‘Center Stage’ would be enough to define his stylistic character) which perhaps could fall into the genre...
P.S. Kim Hee Soon in the hanbok is truly a beauty out of category!
Happy Birthday, Min Young! ❤️ Our beautiful goddess, who never lets us down and who never lets too much time pass without cheering us up with her extraordinary talent, practically the perfect woman of the dramaverse!
I think Zo In-sung has the best body language among all the Korean actors I have observed. The way he carries…
Absolutely! For me since he was young he's been extraordinary in ‘Piano’ as in ‘That Winter’ and ‘Bali’ (which have some of my favourite casts ever in the Dramaverse!) I love ‘Shoot for the Stars’ and even in ‘It's OK’ which is not among my favourite dramas he's really good... ‘Escape from Mogadishu’ is also occasionally shown here in Italy (it's always curious to hear Asian actors dubbed!) because of its very blockbuster cinematographic cut, but it enhances his acting versatility, definitely... Great actor, a guarantee!
Happy Birthday, dear Yu-ri, of course you could give us the best present, but as they have written before, I too have lost hope and we all live on memories... Look at how many of your peers are making waves right now, maybe they could inspire you to make a comeback!? No!? Happy Birthday, Yu-ri! ❤️
Happy Birthday to our fantastic Ha Neul! There don't seem to be any upcoming shows this year, I'll take the opportunity to catch up on ‘Nothing Uncovered’ which I haven't seen yet. Best wishes to you! ❤️
She is always adorable, as they say ‘she alone is worth the price of the ticket’; I hope for a rom-com of depth, with appropriate partners and adequate development of the characters portrayed, the problem of marriage in Korea seems decidedly extended, as well as the denatality with decidedly high percentages (0.72 children per woman, in Italy, for example, it is 1.23), I often think about how much the national series attempt to ‘influence’ the new generations towards a family future rather than single lives dedicated to the most blatant careerism ...and here ‘Love Scouts’ let's see how it ends! Love You so much Ji Min, fighting! ❤️
Happy Birthday Hee Soon! Really perfect in the excellent ‘Trolley’ and also extremely functional in ‘The Bequeathed’, recently; I see you have a busy 2025, lots of curiosity for the project with Park Min Young, it's nice since you're a really versatile and talented actor Ah, while you're blowing out the candles on the cake🎂, maybe you can remind your wife to get back in action, we haven't seen her in a while!? Thanks! 😉 All the best and happy birthday again!
I have yet to catch up on your very latest work but I will be sure to catch up soon!
Happy Birthday! 💖🎉
Always magnificent actress and so gorgeus!
(Beautiful profile picture too!)
Really perfect and extremely functional even for the development of the plot,
“Goblin” for sure, but that's a perfect drama in every way...
Personally, I can think of several but of my much-loved super classics such as I'd add “Descendants Of The Sun” (Kim Ji Won and Jin Goo) and “Secret Garden” (the wonderful Kim Sa Rang and Yoon Sang Hyun), I think many people will point them out!
As always a lovely article, excellently presented
Editing efforts paid off big time!
It would have been nice to ask her if she watched certain movies to get into the part more deeply...
I really hope to see her more often in such strong and engaging performances, she has a versatility of style that really makes her a force of nature and which - I really hope! - can open up so many doors for her with the best directors, as well as perhaps make some sceptics reconsider, who apparently are never lacking... BRAVA!
Oh! This drama ‘drains the hell out of you’ just watching it, imagine those who had to perform it!
Always one of my favourite actresses and you always will be
but another year has gone by and nothing yet, no new work on the horizon,
we always look forward to some nice surprises soon
All the best to You! 🌺🎉
Happy birthday Tae Hyun 🎉
if I love Korean cinema so much it's also thanks to you,
I also watch your hilarious appearances in ‘Family Outing’ from time to time...
Great premise for the drama I've read a few hints about the original series and I have a lot of interest!
The least "Ajumma" imaginable,
but, perhaps, you don't have a hidden ‘’picture‘’ that ages for you!?
Absolutely gorgeous!🥰
You are absolutely fantastic ❤️
Implicitly, rereading your article, it occurs to me that you have already provided a good key to reading it, speaking of themes that are today perhaps a little too overused and perhaps considered ‘old fashioned’ in the contemporary context, possibly with less appeal to viewers more immersed in the contemporary, but melodrama that flows into the fantastic, often linked to the ‘gothic’ genre, which in itself inevitably integrates supernatural connotations - ghosts in primis - is something that has always attracted legions of fans;
There was a time - quite a large one, especially in the 1940s and 1950s - when not only in Hollywood but also in much European film industry - France, Great Britain and Italy as well - many directors drank from this source, often using the theme of psychoanalysis, which was very much in fashion, or of surrealism - not only in the pictorial field - for complex, but decidedly involving interpretations...
When I think of movies such as ‘Pandora and The Flying Dutchman’, ‘Marianne de Ma Jeunesse’ ‘Juliette ou La clef des songes’ or ‘Peter Ibbetson’ just to name a few of my favourites from memory, I think that any lover of dramas and Asian cinematography would end up finding themes dear to their passion in the Dramaverse, due to the universality of the subject matter...
In my opinion, in certain cases there is nothing more enchanting than that dreamlike, fairy-tale dimension, where dream and reality come to overlap and where the characters slowly become aware that ‘something’ or ‘someone’ has already crossed/encountered their destiny with the other character...
Predestination is undoubtedly a message of hope, of reassurance that one day we will meet the other half of the sky, or finally be reunited with her, in another world, dimension or what any of us can imagine for an ‘after’ ...
Melodrama is in principle something pushed to excess, it is extreme love, over the top (‘Amour Fou’, in the French definition), it is something that overcomes many barriers, in certain dramas even temporal ones; how many times has it happened to be fond of dramas where the main characters make almost supernatural efforts to reach and conquer the coveted object of their desire?
Every now and then I ask myself: I wonder if for some users here on MDL even their life resembles a drama!?
(maybe, if there isn't already a thread on the subject, someone can take a cue for one in the future)
Banally I am not able to provide any sufficiently explicative answer on the theme of the thread, I am an incurable romantic who, perhaps, seeks in this kind of works the antidote to live well in spite of life's dramatic events; among the series listed here I adore ‘Goblin’ (which is one of the few 10 I have in my list) which, perhaps precisely in its ending, renders well the idea of predestination that I have tried to summarise
Not too long ago I posted here on MDL my own review of ‘Next’, an excellent drama from a few years ago, perfectly pertinent to the subject matter, and then I would like to point out ‘Rouge’ by Stanley Kwan (an extraordinary director, ‘Center Stage’ would be enough to define his stylistic character) which perhaps could fall into the genre...
P.S. Kim Hee Soon in the hanbok is truly a beauty out of category!
Our beautiful goddess, who never lets us down
and who never lets too much time pass without cheering us up with her extraordinary talent,
practically the perfect woman of the dramaverse!
For me since he was young he's been extraordinary in ‘Piano’ as in ‘That Winter’ and ‘Bali’ (which have some of my favourite casts ever in the Dramaverse!)
I love ‘Shoot for the Stars’ and even in ‘It's OK’ which is not among my favourite dramas he's really good...
‘Escape from Mogadishu’ is also occasionally shown here in Italy
(it's always curious to hear Asian actors dubbed!) because of its very blockbuster cinematographic cut, but it enhances his acting versatility, definitely...
Great actor, a guarantee!
Come back soon in a leading role, mind you!? ❤️
but as they have written before, I too have lost hope and we all live on memories...
Look at how many of your peers are making waves right now,
maybe they could inspire you to make a comeback!? No!?
Happy Birthday, Yu-ri! ❤️
There don't seem to be any upcoming shows this year, I'll take the opportunity to catch up on ‘Nothing Uncovered’ which I haven't seen yet.
Best wishes to you! ❤️
Absolutely amazing actress -"Achiara" drama very underrated- and truly beautiful woman!💖
I hope for a rom-com of depth, with appropriate partners and adequate development of the characters portrayed, the problem of marriage in Korea seems decidedly extended,
as well as the denatality with decidedly high percentages
(0.72 children per woman, in Italy, for example, it is 1.23),
I often think about how much the national series attempt to ‘influence’ the new generations towards a family future rather than single lives dedicated to the most blatant careerism
...and here ‘Love Scouts’ let's see how it ends!
Love You so much Ji Min, fighting! ❤️
Really perfect in the excellent ‘Trolley’ and also extremely functional in ‘The Bequeathed’, recently;
I see you have a busy 2025, lots of curiosity for the project with Park Min Young,
it's nice since you're a really versatile and talented actor
Ah, while you're blowing out the candles on the cake🎂, maybe you can remind your wife to get back in action, we haven't seen her in a while!? Thanks! 😉
All the best and happy birthday again!