Slow and Steady

A Twist That Shatters Stereotypes of North Korean Movies, Gospel Ringing in Pyongyang When I first saw the trailer for the movie The Divine Band (also known as God's Orchestra), I simply assumed it would be another espionage or comic action film set in North Korea. However, upon opening the lid, the identity of this movie was quite unusual. It turned out to be a "musical film" where upbeat gospel music and hymns resonate in the frozen land of North Korea, a place where religious freedom is thoroughly deprived. The shock that comes when the most incongruous genre meets the most heterogeneous space was substantial. The sight of people in North Korean military uniforms singing praises and reciting the Bible with rigid movements creates a bizarre dissonance in itself, strongly stimulating the audience's curiosity. The unique cinematic experience that starts with the doubt "Does this make sense?" and changes to the surprise "This actually works?" is the...

The Glaring Shadow of 'Taxi Driver 3': Is it a Crisis or an Opportunity for the SBS Friday-Saturday Universe? A new work, I'm Human From Today, has taken the mound in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama lineup, often called the pride of the network. Since it aired immediately after its predecessor, Taxi Driver Season 3, left after hitting the nation hard with tremendous viewership ratings and buzz, the weight of the crown the successor had to bear must have been heavier than ever. Was the expectation too high, or was it the genre gap? The first broadcast received a somewhat shocking report card of 3.7%. This corresponds to the lowest record among recent premieres of SBS Friday-Saturday dramas. To the existing audience who expected the cool action and satisfying plot of the previous work, the genre of fantasy romance might have felt unfamiliar, or the initial build-up process might have felt somewhat loose. However, it is too early to discuss the success or failure of this drama s...

Pouring Joint Projects, Borderless Dramas Becoming the 'New Normal' Another interesting Korea-Japan collaboration drama has been released. Looking at the recent trends in the drama market, it is not an exaggeration to say that works created by South Korea and Japan joining hands are pouring out at a rate of almost one per month. In the past, the title "Korea-Japan Collaboration" was considered a huge event or a one-time project, but now it seems to have established itself as a massive trend and a "New Normal." Love at First Bite is also a work born within this flow, serving as evidence of how active cultural exchange has become beyond simply mixing capital from both countries. In an era where cross-border content production has become a daily routine, the new synergy this drama will show is anticipated. Crossover of Actors and Crew, A Landscape That Changed Rapidly in Two Years These forms of collaboration are appearing in various ways. Korean actors star in...

The First OTT Outing of Korea's Representative Handsome Actors, The Weight is Different Disney+'s ambitious original series Made in Korea has finally been unveiled. The biggest reason this work garnered tremendous buzz even before its release is undoubtedly the casting. Two pillars supporting the Korean film industry, Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung, have stepped up as protagonists, heralding a sparking acting showdown. An interesting point is that for both actors, this work marks their first OTT drama appearance since their debut. The fact that actors with overwhelming auras, who could usually only be seen on the silver screen, have entered the small screen of the home theater provides a fresh and exciting experience for viewers. Just the weight of what kind of charm this first OTT series chosen by these tycoons holds seems reason enough to binge-watch. Historical Summoning Intertwined with Netflix's 'Good News', Reinterpretation of the Yodogo Hijacking Incident The mos...