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Korean drama reviews

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Kim So-yeon as former beauty queen Han Jeong-suk in a still from Netflix K-drama A Virtuous Business. Yeon Woo-jin and Kim Sung-ryung co-star.

Review | Comedy K-drama A Virtuous Business sidesteps its cheeky premise

The Korean series on Netflix, which follows women who sell lingerie and adult toys, forgets its original message but is still a good watch.

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Review | In Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, soaring performances save the show

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Recap | Squid Game back for season 2, shows stir up alcohol controversy: 5 K-drama stories

Recap | Gladiator II, Love in the Big City, Cesium Fallout: our latest film reviews

We review six diverse films, from Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator II and the empowering tale of The Last Dance, to the stellar Love in the Big City and Hong Kong blockbuster Cesium Fallout.

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Paul Mescal as Lucius in a still from Gladiator II (category III), directed by Ridley Scott. Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen co-star. Photo: Paramount Pictures

The Fiery Priest season 2: Kim Nam-gil beats up sinners in action K-drama

Korea’s most temperamental priest returns for a second outing, this time delivering his unique brand of divine justice to criminals in Busan.

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Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born midseason recap – Kim Tae-ri’s musical triumph

Kim Tae-ri’s troubled stage singer outshines her rival, played by Shin Ye-eun, in stunning performances. There is the odd far-fetched moment.

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Review | In K-drama Mr. Plankton, Woo Do-hwan, Lee Yoo-mi take a road trip

A confusing start to this Korean series and a lack of chemistry between the leads makes Mr. Plankton on Netflix a far from riveting watch.

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Lee You-mi (left) as Jae-mi and Woo Do-hwan as Hae-jo in a still from Mr. Plankton. Photo: Netflix

A Virtuous Business midseason recap: Korean sexual mores challenged

Kim So-yeon’s rural adult-toys seller overcomes personal struggles to make inroads in conservative 1990s Korea. But what is her endgame?

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Review | The Judge from Hell: Park Shin-hye can’t save demonic K-drama

Park Shin-hye’s spirited turn as a demon who develops human feelings is failed by unconvincing characters and inconsequential twists.

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Review | What Comes After Love: cross-cultural K-drama is just too slow

Starring Lee Se-young and Kentaro Sakaguchi, this Korean romantic drama isn’t terrible but suffers from languid pacing and repetitive themes.

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Lee Se-young as Korean student Choi Hong in a still from What Comes After Love, a romantic K-drama co-starring Kentaro Sakaguchi.

Review | In Hellbound season 2, Yeon Sang-ho’s worthy dystopia returns

Yeon Sang-ho’s second season of Hellbound is a fun, pulpy ride that reminds us why we got excited about Korean dystopias in the first place.

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Kim Sung-cheol as Jung Jin-su in a still from Hellbound season two. Photo: Netflix

Doubt: Han Suk-kyu leads immersive murder mystery K-drama

An aloof criminal profiler finds out his daughter is involved in a case he is investigating in this immersive, psychological Korean series.

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Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born – Kim Tae-ri shines in period music K-drama

Kim Tae-ri stars as talented young singer Yoon Jeong-nyeon whose mother (Moon So-ri) tries to stop her singing, in this Disney+ period drama.

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The Judge from Hell midseason recap: Park Shin-hye’s demonic resolve wavers

As demon Kang Bit-na, Park Shin-hye struggles to control her body and emotions in The Judge from Hell as she sends murderers’ souls to hell.

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Park Shin-hye as demon Kang Bit-na in a still from The Judge from Hell.

A Virtuous Business: Kim So-yeon brings adult toys to a Korean rural town

This 1990s-set drama sees a group of women begin selling racy lingerie and adult toys door to door, shaking up their quiet rural town.

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Kim So-yeon as housewife Jeong-suk in a still from A Virtuous Business.

Gangnam B-Side: Ji Chang-wook in gritty thriller K-drama on Disney+

The seedy underbelly of Seoul’s most glam neighbourhood is laid bare in this stylish thriller starring Ji Chang-wook as a pimp on the run.

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Review | Love Next Door: love and food in undercooked Netflix romantic K-drama

High-flyer Baek Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) disappoints her parents by becoming a chef and falling for the boy next door in this meandering tale.

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Review | Spice Up Our Love: No Gain No Love spin-off deconstructs romantic dramas

This fantasy drama follows an erotic-novel author who turns into the lead character from one of her web stories, both played by Han Ji-hyun.

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Han Ji-hyun as web-novel author Nam Ja-yeon in a still from Spice Up Our Love.

High-school romcom K-drama Way Back Love is an instant classic

With stand-out performances and strong direction, Way Back Love is in the running to be one of the best Korean high-school romcoms ever.

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Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard: bouncy Stranger spin-off K-drama

Lee Joon-hyuk stars as prosecutor Seo Dong-jae, repeatedly looked over for promotion and given drudge work, who stumbles upon a big case.

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Hellbound season 2: Yeon Sang-ho’s demonic dystopia returns

The cult-horror thriller is back, and some of those who were dragged to hell in season 1 are starting to return, as Korean society fragments.

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Kim Hyun-joo as lawyer Min Hye-jin in a still from Hellbound season 2. Kim Sung-cheol, Moon So-ri, Moon Geun-young and Yang Ik-june co-star. Photo: Won-jin Jo/Netflix

Review | No Gain No Love: emotional but faltering end to K-drama romcom

There are big emotions and charming lead performances from Shin Min-a and Kim Young-dae, but No Gain No Love stumbles somewhat in its finale.

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Shin Min-a in a still from No Gain No Love.

What Comes After Love: tender cross-cultural romance K-drama

Lee Se-young plays a South Korean student who has a romance in Tokyo with Kentaro Sakaguchi’s aspiring writer. They part, then reconnect.

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Review | Gyeongseong Creature season 2: awful Netflix K-drama follow-up

Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon return in season two of Gyeongseong Creature, but Netflix’s new Korean drama series fails in many ways.

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Dear Hyeri: Shin Hye-sun has her hands full in romcom K-drama

Shin plays two roles – Joo Eun-ho, who has multiple-personality disorder, and Joo Hye-ri, her alter ego – in a complex but watchable K-drama.

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Shin Hye-sun as Joo Eun-ho in a still from Korean drama series Dear Hyeri, in which she also plays her doppelgänger Joo Hye-ri. Lee Jin-wook and Kang Hoon co-star.

The Judge from Hell: Park Shin-hye lords over court in Disney+ K-drama

Park is formidable as a judge from hell sent to Earth in the body of a slain judge on a quest to kill 10 murderers and return to Hades.

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Park Shin-hye as Kang Bit-na in a still from The Judge from Hell, a Korean drama series streaming on Disney+.

No Gain No Love midseason recap: Shin Min-a, Kim Young-dae get closer

This office romance K-drama is heating up as the leads’ sham marriage turns into more. Can they be honest with each other and everyone else?

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Love Next Door midseason recap: Jung So-min, Jung Hae-in outshone

Jung So-min and Jung Hae-in play the romantic leads in this Netflix drama, but the supporting characters’ stories are more interesting.

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Korean drama reviews
In-depth reviews of the latest and hottest South Korean television series, also known as K-dramas, on cable and streaming services.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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