Author: Gladys Yeo

NME

Romance is a popular theme in May’s upcoming K-dramas, starting with the premiere of romantic-comedy Frankly Speaking (starring Ko Kyung-pyo and Kang Han-na) on the first. Also airing later in the month is Dare to Love Me, another rom-com focused on the relationship between a strict Confucian scholar and his art teacher.

• READ MORE: Here’s where and when Waterbomb Festival will be held in 2024

Those who enjoy more mature love stories can look forward to The Midnight Romance at Hagwon starring Jung Ryeo-won (May It Please the Court) and Wi Ha-joon (Squid Game, Little Women). Helmed by Something in The Rain director Ahn Pan-seok, the series follows the romance between a cram school tutor and her former student, now back as a colleague.

Top actor Song Kang-ho (Parasite) leads his first-ever television role in the 1960s-set Uncle Samsik as its titular character, who winds up joining the cause to modernise Korea. Speaking of firsts, Jang Ki-yong is back with his first project since completing his military service in the upcoming The Atypical Family, a young man from a super-powered family who begin losing their unique abilities to the woes of modern life.

Also premiering this May is police procedural Crash, which focuses on a mathematically gifted but socially awkward policeman working in the traffic crimes unit, as well as the crime-comedy Not Strong, but Attractive Homicide Squad. Meanwhile, crime-thriller Connection sees Ji Sung in another action-packed role as a detective investigating the death of a former classmate.

Here’s all the upcoming K-dramas premiering in May 2024

Frankly Speaking

Upcoming romantic-comedy Frankly Speaking stars Ko Kyung-pyo as Song Ki-baek, a polite and well-mannered television announcer considered to be one of the best in the industry. One day, he suddenly becomes affected by a condition that causes him to verbalise all his unfiltered thoughts, wreaking havoc on his work life.

Meanwhile, On Woo-joo (Kang Han-na) is a writer for a variety TV show. Fascinated by Ki-baek’s sudden change and his harsh language, she invites him to appear on her show and the two begin to work together.

Episodes: 12
Cast: Ko Kyung-pyo, Kang Han-na
Director and Screenwriter: Jang Ji-yeon, Choi Kyung-sun
How to watch: Frankly Speaking premieres May 1 on JTBC, and will also be available to stream on Netflix

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The Atypical Family

In The Atypical Family, Jang Ki-yong stars as Bok Gwi-joo, a young man from a family who boasts a range of supernatural powers. Gwi-joo possesses the ability to time travel to happy moments in his life, but is unable to change anything in the past. Because of this, he develops depression and loses his powers.

Like him, Gwi-joo’s family also start losing their abilities because of mental health issues and modern day problems, from eating disorders, smartphone addiction and insomnia. The family later becomes involved with the mysterious Do Dae-hae, who boasts powers of her own.

Episodes: 12
Cast: Jang Ki-yong, Chun Woo-hee, Go Doo-shim and Claudia Kim
Director and Screenwriter: Jo Hyun-tak, Joo Hwa-mi
How to watch: The Atypical Family premieres May 4 on JTBC

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The Midnight Romance at Hagwon

The upcoming The Midnight Romance at Hagwon follows the romance between a pair of instructors at an after-school cram academy. Seo Hye-jin (Jung Ryeo-won) is a quiet and determined star tutor with over 14 years of experience. However, her life is shaken up after her former troublemaker student Lee Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) returns to the academy as a new tutor.

The romance series is directed by Ahn Pan-seok, who previously helmed series like One Spring Night (2019) and Something in the Rain (2018).

Episodes: 16
Cast: Jung Ryeo-won, Wi Ha-joon
Director and Screenwriter: Ahn Pan-seok, Park Hyung-hwa
How to watch: The Midnight Romance at Hagwon premieres May 11 on tvN, and will also be available to stream on TVING

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Dare to Love Me

Based on a 2021 webtoon Treat Me Carelessly, Dare to Love Me is a romantic-comedy series following the relationship between a Confucian scholar and his art teacher. A young man who lives by the strict Confucian principles of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith, Shin Yun-bok (Kim Myung-soo) becomes entangled with the reckless Kim Hong-do (Lee Yoo-young).

The complete opposite to her student, Hong-do has a straightforward personality with no connections or power. Despite being disrespected repeatedly, she is determined to make her breakthrough in the design industry.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Kim Myung-soo, Lee Yoo-young
Director and Screenwriter: Park Chul-hwan, Lee Soo-yeon
How to watch: Dare to Love Me premieres on May 13 via KBS2

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MZ선비와 직진녀의 극과 극 로맨스 21세기 선비 신윤복과, '직진 본능'김홍도의 무척 예의바른 로맨스하나부터 열까지 서로 다른 두 사람이 긴밀하게 얽힐 예정이라는데…그동안 K드라마에서는 볼 수…

Posted by KBS 드라마 on Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Crash

Policeman Cha Yeon-ho (Lee Min-ki) is a gifted mathematician and analyst who gets transferred to the Traffic Crime Investigation Team. Despite his sharp reasoning and ability to simulate accident scenes, he is unable to drive and lacks social skills, which affects his career progression.

Upon his transfer to the team, he starts working with the persistent Min So-hee (Kwak Sun-young), violent crimes veteran and TCI team founder Jung Chae-man (Heo Sung-tae) as well as car specialist Woo Dong-ki (Lee Ho-cheol). Together, the team investigate a sharp rise in traffic crimes.

Episodes: 12
Cast: Lee Min-ki, Kwak Sun-young, Heo Sung-tae and Lee Ho-cheol
Director and Screenwriter: Park Joon-woo, Oh Soo-jin
How to watch: Crash premieres May 13 on ENA

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Uncle Samsik

Set in the 1960s, Uncle Samsik sees Parasite‘s Song Kang-ho in his first-ever TV role as its titular character, a shady but resourceful “fixer” who achieves his goals by whatever means necessary. He crosses paths with Kim San, an idealistic and ambitious graduate of the Korean Military Academy who dreams of modernising the nation. Together, the pair form a shaky alliance to safely navigate and survive the political chaos of the time.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Yo-han, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jin Ki-joo, Seo Hyun-woo
Director and Screenwriter: Shin Yeon-shick
How to watch: Uncle Samsik premieres May 15 on Disney+

The 8 Show

Based on the webcomic Money Game written by Bae Jin-soo, The 8 Show follows eight people desperately in need of cash as they participate in a reality television programme where they are to live in bare studio surrounded only by concrete walls.

If they survive for a hundred days, the contestants get to split the winning prize of 44.8billion Won equally. However, the contestants have to cautiously plan their living expenses like electricity, food and water during this time, as they cost a thousand times more than in the outside world and is deducted directly from the prize pot.

Episodes: 8
Cast: Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min, Lee Yul-eum, Park Hae-joon, Lee Joo-young, Moon Jeong-hee and Bae Sung-woo
Director and Screenwriter: Han Jae-rim
How to watch: The 8 Show premieres May 17 on Netflix

Not Strong, but Attractive Homicide Squad

This upcoming comedic crime drama follows the lowest-performing homicide squad in the country as they team up with Dongbang Yoo-bin (Kim Dong-wook), the leader of the nation’s most elite squad, eventually forming a formidable team.

Originally the head of an elite homicide squad, Yoo-bin is offered a prestigious role at an overseas university. However, he later returns to Korea due to mysterious reasons, and volunteers to lead the worst-performing homicide squad at Songwon Police Station.

Episodes: TBA
Cast: Kim Dong-wook, Park Ji-hwan, Seo Hyun-woo, Park Se-wan and Lee Seung-woo
Director and Screenwriter: Lee Kwang-jae, Lee Young-chul
How to watch: Not Strong, but Attractive Homicide Squad premieres May 22 on SBS

Connection

Ji Sung leads upcoming crime-thriller Connection as Jang Jae-kyung, a talented detective on the drug crimes task force at Anhyeon Police Station. An upright and principled man, he distances himself from loved ones, believing that his personal connections will complicate his ability to perform at work.

Upon the sudden death of one of his high school friends, who leaves behind 5billiion won of insurance money, Jae-kyung uncovers a complex local network of corruption. Meanwhile, outspoken social affairs news reporter Oh Yoon-jin (Jeon Mi-do) returns to her hometown of Anhyeon after being dismissed from her job. Learning of Jae-kyung’s investigation, she soon makes the small town’s corrupt underbelly her new focus.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Ji Sung, Jeon Mi-do
Director and Screenwriter: Lee Hyun, Kim Moon-kyo
How to watch: Connection premieres May 24 on SBS

Dreaming of Cinde Fxxxing Rella

In Dreaming of Cinde Fxxxing Rella, Lee Jun-young stars as Moon Cha-min, the son of a wealthy conglomerate family and CEO of a social club. He has an arrogant personality, and looks down of women who dream of having a fairytale love story.

Meanwhile, the optimistic Shim Jae-rim (Pyo Ye-jin) is a newly hired manager of Cha-min’s social club. Having grown up in poverty, she hopes to escape her financial situation and find her Prince Charming. Despite their opposing personalities, Cha-min and Jae-rim begin to form a romantic relationship through which the former learns empathy, while the latter starts to become more independent.

Episodes: 10
Cast: Pyo Ye-jin, Lee Jun-young
Director and Screenwriter: Kim Min-kyung, Yoo Ja
How to watch: Dreaming of Cinde Fxxxing Rella premieres in May via TVING

The post 10 incredible K-dramas to check out in May 2024, starring Wi Ha-joon, Song Kang-ho and more appeared first on NME.

NME

This April, expect a few darker tales as K-dramas dive headfirst into the realm of sci-fi. Kicking things off is Netflix’s Parasyte: The Grey, a live-action retelling of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s dark manga series Parasyte, in which strange creatures fall from the sky and take over human bodies.

• READ MORE: ‘My Name is Loh Kiwan’ review: a devastating battle with survival

Later in the month, Disney+’s Blood Free explores a futuristic world where lab-engineered meat dominates the world – or so it seems. Also in the realm of sci-fi is Lovely Runner, a time-travel series in which a passionate fan of an idol who meets an untimely demise returns to their teenaged years and attempts to reverse his fate.

After weeks of delays, April will also finally see the premiere of Missing Crown Prince, a period romantic-comedy starring EXO‘s Suho and actress Hong Ye-ji. Meanwhile, MBC is set to premiere the prequel to hit drama Chief Inspector, in which its titular character navigates the political turmoil of 1950s Seoul in his youth.

Here’s all the upcoming K-dramas premiering in April 2024

Parasyte: The Grey

Based on the Hitoshi Iwaaki manga series Parasyte, this highly anticipated sci-fi thriller is helmed by Train to Busan and Hellbound director Yeon Sang-ho. Starring Jeon So-nee, Koo Gyo-hwan and Lee Jung-hyun, it follows the lives of three individuals after strange parasites start to fall from the sky, taking over human bodies.

Jung Su-in (Jeon) is a young woman infected by a parasite, However, because it is unable to take over her brain due to unknown reasons, she learns to co-exist with the creature. Meanwhile, Seol Gang-woo (Koo) and Choi Joon-kyung (Lee) hunt down parasites – the former in search of his missing sister, and the latter as part of an elite parasite task force.

Episodes: 6
Cast: Jeon So-nee, Koo Gyo-hwan, Lee Jung-hyun
Director and Screenwriter: Yeon Sang-ho
How to watch: Parasyte: The Grey premieres April 5 exclusively on Netflix

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Parasites are hidden amongst us.

Parasyte: The Grey, starring Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Lee Jung-hyun, is coming April 5, only on Netflix.

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho (Hellbound, Train to Busan).
Based on “Parasyte” by Hitoshi Iwaaki published by Kodansha. pic.twitter.com/XzABtBZANG

— Netflix K-Content (@netflixkcontent) February 28, 2024

Lovely Runner

Adapted from a webtoon titled Tomorrow’s Best, Kim Hye-yoon (Sky Castle, Extraordinary You) stars in Lovely Runner as Im Sol, a loveable woman who gave up on her dreams of becoming a director after sustaining an injury in the past. She is also an ardent fan of beloved top idol Ryu Sun-jae (Byun Woo-seok), who meets an untimely death due to an accident.

While mourning the star, Im Sol stumbles upon a pocket watch that transports her 15 years in the past, when both she and the idol were just 19 years old. Realising the opportunity she has been granted, Sol attempts to change her beloved idol’s fate, and gives her own long-forgotten dreams a second chance.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Kim Hye-yoon, Byun Woo-seok, Lee Seung-hyub, Song Geon-hee
Director and Screenwriter: Boo Sung-chul, Yoon Jong-ho, Kim Tae-yeong and Lee Shi-eun
How to watch: Lovely Runner premieres April 8 on tvN

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Missing Crown Prince

Starring EXO’s Suho, Missing Crown Prince is an upcoming romantic-comedy set in the Joseon era. Suho plays Yi Geon, the oldest son to King Haejeong and heir to the throne, while Hong Ye-ji stars as Choi Myung-yoon, the daughter of a prominent court physician who is skilled at horseback riding and medicine and, unbeknownst to the prince, his destined wife. One day, the crown prince is kidnapped by Myung-yoon. As the pair escape a series of life-threatening incidents together, romance begins to bloom between them.

Episodes: 20
Cast: Suho, Hong Ye-ji, Myung Se-bin, Kim Min-kyu, Kim Joo-heon
Director and Screenwriter: Kim Jin-man, Kim Ji-soo and Park Chul
How to watch: Missing Crown Prince premieres April 13 on MBN, and will also stream on Viki

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Chief Inspector 1958

In the highly anticipated prequel to MBC’s original hit 1971-1989 series Chief Inspector, Lee Je-hoon plays the younger version of the series’ titular character, detective Park Young-han. An idealist, the young Young-han is a strong believer in retribution, and is frustrated by the disrespect for human dignity he often witnesses from his peers, causing him to struggle with his job.

The series begins when the detective arrives in Seoul after a transfer, having earned one of the highest arrest rates of petty thieves in the province. However, his new chapter proves to be far more complicated, as the nation tumbles into a period of political unrest.

Episodes: 10
Cast: Lee Je-hoon, Lee Dong-hwi, Choi Woo-sung, Yoon Hyun-soo and Seo Eun-soo
Director and Screenwriter: Kim Sung-hoon
How to watch: Chief Inspector 1958 premieres April 19 on MBC, and will also be streamed on Disney+

Blood Free

Upcoming sci-fi series Blood Free is set in a future where humans no longer consume natural animal meat. The world is dominated by biotechnology company BF, which controls the market for artificially cultured meat. However, sceptics of the company – both internally and externally – begin to emerge, throwing it into turmoil.

Kingdom’s Ju Ji-hoon stars in the series as Woo Chae-woon, a former soldier-turned-bodyguard who graduated from the elite naval academy, while Han Hyo-joo (Happiness) plays Yoon Ja-yu, the CEO and co-founder of BF. She founded the company alongside On San (Lee Moo-saeng), a lead physiologist and general manager of culture media technology.

Episodes: 10
Cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Moo-saeng, Park Ji-yeon
Director and Screenwriter: Park Chul-hwan, Lee Soo-yeon
How to watch: Blood Free premieres in April on Disney+

The post 5 incredible K-dramas to watch in April 2024, featuring EXO’s Suho, Jeon So-nee and more appeared first on NME.

NME

AleXa’s story has been one of pure, unstoppable determination. Whether it was competing on the Mnet reality show Produce 48, to making her K-pop debut in 2019, to representing her home state of Oklahoma in the inaugural American Song Contest, the 27-year-old singer has never stopped moving. “As a Sagittarius, I have wanderlust, meaning I cannot stay in the same place,” she says during a video call with NME, a week ahead of her official US debut single ‘sick’.

• READ MORE: IU – ‘The Winning’ review: a free-spirited ode to a life unlimited

Even before its release, AleXa previewed the moody pop-rock number on some of the biggest stages in the US, first at the 2023 ‘iHeartRadio Jingle Ball’ tour and, more recently, on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “[It was] absolutely insane to me, because Kelly [Clarkson] is the goat,” she says, with the pair first meeting during the American Song Contest in 2022. “I’m forever grateful that she still has a place for me and her heart after two years, to actually invite me back onto her show for my American debut. She is Southern hospitality.”

For long-time fans, ‘sick’ might feel like a reversal from much of AleXa’s K-pop material, which were typically dance-pop tunes made to be performed with tight, powerful choreography, but the singer shares that this was intentional. “With this being my official American debut, we wanted to go with a sound, image and overall aesthetics that are kind of a 180 to what we’ve done so far with AleXa the K-pop artist,” she reveals, saying that she wanted to “give something new that my fans and potentially a new demographic has not yet seen”.

‘sick’ is also an outlier of sorts in AleXa’s discography because it is, as she puts it, “one of the few songs I didn’t have a hand in writing myself”, which leaves it “open for interpretation” to fans. Personally, though, the singer sees it as a story “about idealising someone so much” that it makes you sick. “Like maybe the person I’m in love with has like this god complex, and they think they’re so perfect and whatever, and seeing that, that’s what makes me sick,” she adds.

While AleXa is now turning her focus on the US for now, her experience as a K-pop artist has been fundamental to her identity, not only as a musician, but as the child of a Korean adoptee. “I was hoping that through my journey in Korea, if one day I see my name and lights in this country, hopefully somebody will look at me [and] look at my past because there are videos of me with my mom publicly online, and be like, ‘Oh my God, that’s our daughter’,” she explains. “I really want to help find my mom’s birth parents.” While her journey has yet to reap the results she hoped for, the singer cheerfully adds that DNA and ancestry tracing sites have helped them find a distant relative all the way in Norway.

Regardless, AleXa shares that her journey as a K-pop star has also been an opportunity to connect with her heritage as a Korean-American. “Living and breathing air in Korea for the past six years, I definitely feel like I’ve gotten a lot closer to the culture,” she says. “Especially now that I’ve learned the language, first and foremost, because I had no knowledge of that growing up.” The singer adds that she has surprised herself using and thinking in Korean expressions in America on more than one occasion. “I’ve become more culturally in touch with my roots now that I’ve lived here, and I’m grateful for that.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wanted to become an idol because I was also a K-pop fan,” she says playfully. “I am still a fan. You gotta love the work you do. I think that’s a really important guideline to live by, especially if you’re a creative type.” As the conversation shifts to some of her favourite artists and inspirations, her admiration for powerful, boundary-pushing performers – both in and out of the K-pop industry – becomes apparent.

“The first group I really fell in love with was SHINee. And so, I have long since admired Taemin because he is a god when it comes to dancing,” AleXa reveals, recounting an old interview where SHINee’s Taemin shared that he’d been told early in his career to “stick to dancing” instead of trying to sing. “Now he’s like, the Number One male soloist. He clearly works so hard, has an amazing work ethic and toolbox of talents. He’s just someone I admire.”

That infallible work ethic has become a standard AleXa holds herself to in her own career, no matter how tough it gets. “I’ll be transparent. Life [as a K-pop idol] is just how I imagined it would be. It’s as difficult as I thought it would be, and it’s as fun as I thought it would be,” she says frankly. Many of her struggles, she says, have revolved around injuries, recalling a particularly painful back injury she sustained while preparing for her first comeback in 2020 – ironically for a single titled ‘Do or Die’.

“I just had to push through and make sure that I did my best regardless. It [wasn’t] so much that ‘I’m hurt, so I can’t do this’, but there’s a whole staff of people that put aside their time to film these things, it’s not like we can always delay or postpone things,” she reveals. “I just had to get my shit together and get through it all. I feel like injuries for me have been the most difficult because it’s so upsetting when it’s like, I know I can do better than this. But because I’m hurt, it’s like a hindrance.”

Emphasising that she has more than recovered from her past injuries, AleXa is buzzing to talk about her upcoming 2024 ‘sick of you’ US tour, set to kick off this March in New York City. “To me, [touring] is very refreshing. Just seeing new faces, hearing new languages, trying new flavours and just smelling new smells,” she says. This wanderlust, as she puts it, extends to her own showmanship. “I never want to show the same thing twice. I don’t want to be known as a one trick pony.”

Although AleXa is reluctant to spoil what she has in store, the singer teases new choreography, song covers and unreleased tracks for her upcoming shows. “It’s not so much like, ‘Oh, the fans want something new’. It’s more or less my own greed [as a performer] to do it for myself, to be honest,” she adds, though she is still excited to see how fans will react to the covers she has prepared. “I feel like a good majority of my fans are within my similar age range. So I feel like the sense of nostalgia that I feel towards the songs will be shared amongst the audience.”

While the singer is grateful for all that she’s been able to achieve so far, she is manifesting four simple things in 2024: Health, wealth, success and happiness. “Life isn’t about money, but I want to be able to live and eat comfortably,” she explains with a laugh. “And success for me doesn’t mean winning a freaking Grammy or becoming the most famous person in the world. As long as I’m happy doing what I’m doing and that it makes a positive impact on people’s lives, I consider that success. And happiness overall, because what’s the point of living if you’re not happy?”

When asked what happiness means to her, AleXa takes a moment to ponder before saying: “If I think of what happiness is, it’s like, if I find myself walking down the street and smiling for no reason. Because there’s got to be a reason [I’m smiling], and that is just pure happiness. So, smiling without really knowing why.”

AleXa’s new single ‘sick’ is out now on all major streaming platforms.

The post AleXa talks new single ‘sick’: “It’s a 180 to what we’ve done so far” appeared first on NME.

NME

Since their triumphant return from hiatus in 2022, (G)I-DLE have been on a roll. Every release since, from the chart-topping ‘Tomboy’ to the empowering anthem ‘Nxde’, has continued to take them to greater and greater heights. And with all that success, the quintet have kicked off a brand-new era with their second studio album, ‘[2]’, which is their first release to drop the “I” naming convention they’ve used since debut.

• READ MORE: ‘Doctor Slump’ review: a heartwarming enemies to lovers tale

Last year, the group struck gold with the deliciously campy ‘Queencard’, and they channel that same energy on the bouncy, hyperbolic ‘Wife’. Here, they take playful but piercing shots at the male fantasy of a perfect wife through their caricature-esque delivery and thinly veiled sexual innuendo atop an unreasonably addictive dance beat. Censorship be damned, if there’s one K-pop group that can give us a cutting message in the form of an easy to swallow pill of infectious pop music, it’s (G)I-DLE.

On title track ‘Super Lady’, however, the girl group pivot to the more traditional female empowerment formula with a hard-hitting, anthemic EDM banger. Channelling the titans of second-generation K-pop, we see glimpses of 2NE1’s ‘I Am The Best’ and T-ARA’s iconic ‘Sugar Free’ in its haughty, confident rap verses and intense instrumental drop. While its spoken hook of “lady, lady, call me super lady” doesn’t quite pack the same punch, ‘Super Lady’ is still super catchy and kicks the record off at an energetic pace.

Good things often come in threes, and the triple-whammy of ‘Super Lady’, ‘Revenge’ and ‘Doll’ make for a euphoric first listen of ‘[2]’. Deliciously spiteful, the rock riffs of ‘Revenge’ will send you on a relentless warpath as Yuqi and Minnie declare: “Let’s run further to hell / Like a magnet, I’m looking for you again / Until you’re destroyed”. Meanwhile, the beautifully haunting ‘Doll’ – co-penned and produced by Yuqi – feels like a sequel to 2022’s ‘Sculpture’ as they enter their villain arc, no longer willing to contort themselves in the name of feeling worthy of love.

Though (G)I-DLE’s attention has shifted away from matters of the heart since their hiatus, the girl group still know their way around an immaculate love song. One of the album’s two standouts, ‘Vision’ is an alluring jersey club gem, curious and coy as it is urgent and seductive. Its instrumental lulls you into a dreamy, lovesick haze, and the group’s feather-light whispers only pull you deeper.

Another standout is the deceptively upbeat ‘Fate’. A mix of pop-rock guitars and jaunty piano flourishes lend it the bittersweet energy of the end credits track of a slice-of-life anime series. In its lyrics, they reckon with the exhausting, empty existence of refusing to deal with heartbreak, before Soyeon reluctantly resigns in the end: “No, I think it’s better to pass by / Because I just hate getting hurt”.

Yet, ‘[2]’ isn’t without its misses. While ‘7Days’ is a touching declaration of love to their fans, like many similar songs across the K-pop world, it doesn’t bring anything particularly interesting to the table. Far more authentic to the quintet’s sound and energy is the braggadocious hip-hop track ‘Rollie’, which feels like what their 2023 88rising collaboration ‘I Want That’ should have been.

More than ever, ‘[2]’ sees the members of (G)I-DLE fluidly switching roles, from Soyeon’s towering vocals in its lead single to the Minnie and Miyeon’s impressive dexterity in the rapid-fire rap verses in ‘Wife’. While not as sonically and thematically cohesive as their past releases, this record pulls its weight as an impressive, diverse show of just what they are capable of, both as performers and producers.

Details

• Release date: January 29, 2023
• Record label: CUBE Entertainment

The post (G)I-DLE – ‘[2]’ review: a fierce testament to their individuality appeared first on NME.

NME

Expect a whole new slate of brilliant K-dramas revolving around truth, justice and revenge in March 2024, featuring shows starring Cha Eun-woo, Kim Soo-hyun, Kwon Na-ra and more.

• READ MORE: 9 best K-dramas starring Park Seo-joon to watch on Netflix and more

Kicking off the month is Wonderful World, a revenge-thriller about a grieving mother who will stop at nothing to avenge her son’s unjust death. Meanwhile, Grabbed by the Collar follows a famous journalist hellbent on clearing her name after being falsely accused of a murder.

In Beauty and the Devoted, Im Soo-hyang stars as an actress down on her luck as a devoted producer fights to restore her reputation, while Lee Bo-young plays a wife in search of her missing husband in Hide. Last year’s Escape of the Seven is also set to air its second season, with all seven main cast members returning to uncover new mysteries.

For the romantics, Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won will star as a wealthy power couple in the highly anticipated Queen of Tears, where they overcome all odds together. Fans can also look forward to Midnight Photo Studio, which revolves around the stories of the departed as they take their final portraits. Meanwhile EXO’s Suho leads the period love story Missing Crown Prince.

Here’s all the upcoming K-dramas premiering in March 2024

Wonderful World

Upcoming mystery-thriller Wonderful World revolves around Eun Soo-hyun, a famed psychology professor and writer whose life is overturned by the unjust death of her young son. The grieving mother is pushed to her limits when the person responsible for his death goes unpunished by the law, causing her to lose all hope.

While she decides to take matters into her own hands, Soo-hyun finds that her life is still filled with despair. Over time, she comes across others who have wound up in similar situations and finds healing in helping to solve the mysteries behind what happened to their loved ones.

Episodes: 14
Cast: Kim Nam-joo, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Kang-woo and Im Se-mi
Director and Screenwriter: Lee Seung-young, Kim Ji-eun
How to watch: Wonderful World premieres March 1 on MBC, and will also be available to stream on Disney+

Grabbed by the Collar

Seo Jung-won (Kim Ha-neul) is a famous journalist and host of the current affairs television programme Let’s Get Grabbed by the Collar, which exposes the culprits behind different crimes. Besides being well-loved by viewers, she is married to the wealthy Seol Woo-jae (Jang Seung-jo) and her life seems to be perfect.

However, everything changes when her husband’s mistress sudden and mysterious passing. Heartbroken and distraught after finding out about her husband’s affair, Jung-won’s life only tailspins further when she becomes the prime suspect in the death. Finding an ally in detective Kim Tae-heon (Yeon Woo-jin), they work together to uncover the truth and clear her name.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Kim Ha-neul, Yeon Woo-jin, Jang Seung-jo
Director and Screenwriter: Lee Ho-jae, Bae Soo-young
How to watch: Grabbed by the Collar premieres March 4 on KBS2

Missing Crown Prince

Starring EXO’s Suho, Missing Crown Prince is a period K-drama set in the Joseon dynasty. Yi Geon (Suho) is the crown prince of the kingdom, who is kidnapped by the woman destined to be his wife. Hong Ye-ji plays Choi Myung-yoon, who is skilled in horseback riding and is a healer. While fleeing for their lives together, romance begins to bloom between the pair.

Episodes: 20
Cast: Suho, Hong Ye-ji, Myung Se-bin, Kim Min-kyu and Kim Joo-heon
Director and Screenwriter: Kim Jin-man, Kim Ji-soo, Park Chul
How to watch: Missing Crown Prince will premiere March 9 on MBN

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Midnight Photo Studio

Fantasy K-drama Midnight Photo Studio revolves around a small photo studio for ghosts run by photographer Seo Ki-joo (Joo Won). Aided by assistant manager Go (Yoo In-soo) and Baek Nam-gu (Eum Moon-suk), he takes portraits of the ghosts that come into the studio and listens to their stories.

Meanwhile, Han Bom (Kwon Na-ra) is a passionate lawyer who is unable to tolerate injustice. She winds up entering a partnership with Ki-joo’s photo studio and learns about its strange customers.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Joo Won, Kwon Na-ra, Yoo In-soo and Eum Moon-suk
Director and Screenwriter: Song Hyun-wook, Kim Yi-rang
How to watch: Midnight Photo Studio premieres March 13 on ENA

Queen of Tears

Starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, Queen of Tears follows a wealthy married couple as they face a crisis. Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun) is the pride of his rural village after graduating from a prestigious university and becoming a lawyer. Married to Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), he is now the legal director of the Queens Group conglomerate.

Meanwhile, Hae-in is the third-generation daughter of the conglomerate, and works as the director of Queens Department Store where she is notorious for her arrogance. The upcoming series will tell the love story of the couple as they stay together against all odds.

Episodes: 16
Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won, Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon and Lee Joo-bin
Director and Screenwriter: Kim Hee-won, Jang Young-woo, Park Ji-eun
How to watch: Queen of Tears premieres March 16 on tvN, and will be available to stream on Netflix in selected regions

The Escape of the Seven Season 2

After its successful first season last September, The Escape of the Seven will be returning this March with its second season. The mystery-thriller K-drama revolves around a group of seven people from all walks of life as they get pulled into a web of lies and revenge over the disappearance of a young girl.

Episodes: TBA
Cast: Uhm Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yoo-bi, Shin Eun-kyung, Yoon Jong-hoon and Jo Yoon-hee
Director and Screenwriter: Oh Joon-hyeok, Oh Song-hee, Kim Sun-ok
How to watch: The Escape of the Seven 2 will premiere March 22 on SBS

Hide

In this upcoming mystery-thriller, Lee Bo-young stars as a woman named Na Moon-young, whose husband Cha Sung-jae (Lee Moo-saeng) suddenly disappears. The series follows Moon-young as she desperately searches for her husband and the secret behind his disappearance.

However, her answers may lie much closer than expected, as her neighbour Ha Yeon-joo (Lee Chung-ah) and a mysterious man, Do Jin-woo (Lee Min-jae) seem to hold the key to Sung-jae’s disappearance.

Episodes: TBA
Cast: Lee Bo-young, Lee Moo-saeng, Lee Chung-ah and Lee Min-jae
Director and Screenwriter: Kim Dong-hwi, Yoo Bo-ra
How to watch: Hide premieres March 23 on Coupang Play

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Beauty and the Devoted

Beauty and the Devoted is a love story between an actress and a television producer when the former hits rock bottom because of an incident. Im Soo-hyang stars as Park Do-ra, a top actress who falls from grace overnight. Producer Go Pil-sung (Ji Hyun-woo), who has always been in love with her, chooses to stay by her side and help her back on her feet.

The series will follow the romance between the two as they eventually reveal the truth about Do-ra to the public and restore her reputation.

Episodes: TBA
Cast: Im Soo-hyang, Ji Hyun-woo and Go Yoon
Director and Screenwriter: Hong Seok-goo, Kim Sa-kyung
How to watch: Beauty and the Devoted premieres on March 23 via KBS2

The post 8 incredible K-dramas to check out in March 2024, featuring Cha Eun-woo, Kim Soo-hyun and more appeared first on NME.