Browse Tag

KajoPicks - Page 5

KajoPicks: 10 South Korean campus romance dramas to watch

Published on

If you are looking for South Korean campus romance dramas to watch, here are KajoMag’s suggestions:

1.My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

Campus romance drama

The time you spend on your tertiary education is also the perfect time to discover more about yourself. And this drama offers a lot of lessons on self-discovery and staying true to oneself.

Based on the webtoon of the same name published in 2016 by Naver Webtoon, it centers around Kang Mi-rae (Im Soo-hyang) who grew up with low self-esteem due to be being bullied for being ‘ugly’.

Before she enters university, she decides to undergo plastic surgery to become ‘beautiful’.

However, her campus life turns complicated when some people find out about her surgery and ridicule her as a ‘plastic surgery monster’.

In the same time, Mi-rae begins to build her self-esteem when she befriends her former schoolmate Do Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo).

Romance starts to unfold between the two as Kyung-seok proves to Mi-rae that he doesn’t care about looks since he knew how she looked like before her plastic surgery.

The ‘villain’ of this Korean campus romance drama is Hyun Soo-ah (Joo Woo-ri). She masks her own insecurity by using her beauty and innocent persona to manipulate others into liking her.

Overall, My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) is entertaining to watch with realistic conflicts and no exaggerating plots.

Well, except for Eun-woo whose look is unrealistically handsome (and it is his natural look btw).

Watch the trailer here.

2.Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016)

Inspired by the life of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran, this Korean campus romance drama is set in a sport college.

Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) is a naturally gifted weightlifter whose father was also a former weightlifter.

She develops a crush on her friend Jung Joon-hyung’s (Nam Joo-hyuk) older brother, Jung Jae-yi (Lee Jae-young).

Joon-hyung, who is a competitive swimmer and Bok-joo are both childhood friend from they were in elementary schools.

They enjoy teasing each other and he eventually falls in love with her.

Generally, the drama focuses on the ups and downs of young athletes in achieving their dreams while finding love along the way.

Watch the trailer here.

3.What’s Up (2011)

This drama circles around a Korean campus romance going around in a university musical department.

Jae-Hun (Lim Ju-hwan) is a high school dropout who roams the streets at night with his two best friends.

After some struggles, he decides to go to university to study acting.

In the meantime, Park Tae-yii (Kim Ji-won) comes to Seoul to take an audition for entry into in the university.

She lives in the countryside with her grandfather, and inherited her musical talents from her father.

The third main character is Ha Do-sung (Daesung) who is the famous rock star Hades who presents himself by hiding his identity through a mask.

Due to his secret family background, Do-sung can’t reveal his real identity. So, he tries to live quietly without drawing attention to himself and joins the university.

Fourthly, Kim Byeong-gun (Jo Jung-suk) is the odd one out in his family of businessmen. He wishes to pursue a career in musicals, despite his fear of performing in front of others.

Meanwhile, Eun Chae-young (Jang Hee-jin) is the experienced actress who wants to prove that she has talent and not just a pretty face.

Finally, Oh Doo-ri (Lim Ju-eun), is an talented actress who prefers to spend her time playing first-person shooting computer games than rehearsing.

This group of young adults end up together in Haneul Arts University’s musical department.

Together, they learn what does it need to be successful in the musical world.

4.Love Story in Harvard (2004)

By the title of this drama, you can guess the campus romance takes place at Harvard University.

The first half of the drama set in the Ivy League university following the relationship between a law student Kim Hyun-woo (Kim Rae-won) and a medical student Lee Soo-in (Kim Tae-hee).

Things get complicated when Hyun-woo’s coursemate Alex Hong (Lee Jung-jin) also falls for Soo-in.

Hyun-woo and Soo-in eventually starts dating but their romance was short-lived.

Soo-in leaves Hyun-woo to work in South America and never contact him again.

Then the second part of the drama sets in Seoul when everyone graduated and living their own lives.

An unexpected circumstance brought all three together again and just like what happened in college, the trio involves in another round of love triangle.

5.Love Rain (2012)

Korean campus romance drama 2

If you are into mellow, cinematic love stories, this is definitely the Korean campus romance drama for you.

Set in the ’70s and in the present day, it has Jang Keun-suk and Im Yoon-ah playing dual roles.

When Seo In-ha (Jang Keun-suk) and Kim Yoon-hee (Im Yoon-ah) first meet during their university students in the ’70s, they fall in love almost immediately.

However, life hits hard on them and circumstances brought them down different roads.

Fast forward to 2012, old In-ha (Jung Jin-young) is now unhappily married to Baek Hye-jung, one of Yoon-hee’s former best friends.

Fate brings the couple back together and they decide to make up for lost time.

But wait, since this is a Korean drama we are talking about, things can never be as easy as that.

In-ha’s son Seo-joon (Jang Keun-suk) meets Yoon-hee’s daughter Ha-na (Im Yoon-ah) by chance.

Despite arguing so much at first, the two gradually fall in love.

What happens to the young couple when their parents announce that they are getting married?

6.Age of Youth (2016)

Remember during your university days when you get to live under one roof with people from different backgrounds? This Korean campus romance drama will remind you of those days.

Also known as Hello, My Twenties!, this drama stars Han Ye-ri, Han Seung-yeon, Park Eun-bi, Ryu Hwa-young, Park Hye-su, Ji Woo and Choi Ara.

The story follows five girls who live together in a sharehouse called ‘Belle Epoque’ while studying in a university.

First we have Yoon Jin-myung, a business major who carries a complicated family problem on her shoulders.

Then Jung Ye-eun, a religious culinary art major and Song Ji-won, the supernatural believer who majors in journalism.

To add in the diversity in this group, we have Kang Yi-na, the sugar baby who has eyes for expensive things and Yoon Eun-jae who is the typical girl from the countryside.

Typically, it is a slice-of-life drama focusing on the struggles of college students nowadays.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Go Back Couple (2017)

If you had a chance to go back to the time when you are studying in university, what would you change?

For divorced couple Choi Ban-do and Ma Jin-joo (Jang Na-ra) who first met on campus, they vow not to fall in love with each other again.

Putting aside the fantasy aspect of the drama with all the time-travelling going on, Go Back Couple (2017) offers a handful of real-life lessons.

Some people might have a clear idea on what they going to do with the career, but the reality is not everyone can get their dream job. In fact, an architecture graduate might end up working as an insurance agent or a medical sales representative.

The drama shows that is okay as long as you are happy and living a fulfilling life.

When going back to the past, both Ban-do and Jin-joo have the opportunity to make good on their biggest regrets like appreciating the people around them.

Watch the trailer here

8.Naeil’s Cantabile (2014)

Adapted from the Japanese manga Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya, this drama sets in a music school.

It stars Joo Won and Shim Eun-kyung with Park Bo-gum, Go Kyung-pyo and Baek Yoon-sik.

The story follows of Cha Yoo-jin, a third year music student who majors in piano and dreams of being a world renowned conductor.

While he is undeniably talented in music, Yoo-jin’s fear of flying has become a hurdle in achieving his dream.

What happens when Yoo-jin meets a fellow genius pianist who is a free spirit and a bit of an odd character?

Watching this drama now would definitely give a sense of blast from the past, because two of South Korea’s leading actors today, Park Bo-gum and Go Kyung-pyo, are just playing supporting roles in this drama.

9.Reply 1994 (2013)

This second installment of the Reply series is set in 1994, and circles around six university students.

They come from different provinces of South Korea and live together at a boarding house in Seoul.

If you are familiar with the Reply series, this drama follows a nonlinear story-telling where it shifts between the past in 1994 and the present in 2013.

It keeps the viewers guessing which male character will be the husband of Sung Na-jung (Go Ara).

Imagine the American series How I Met Your Mother set among college students in the ’90s South Korea.

Speaking of the ’90s, the drama also depicts the historical events as well as pop culture that took place from 1994 and the years that follow.

Reply 1994 (2013) is one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history, so you have to watch it to understand the buzz around it.

10.Love Playlist (2017)

Still want a dose of Korean campus romance dramas, but don’t have the time? Here is the series for you.

Love Playlist is a South Korean web series that spanned over four seasons from March 9, 2017 to August 8, 2019.

One episode is about 15-25 minutes, hence it is a perfect drama to watch for a quick break.

Moreover, you can watch it for free on Youtube.

The story revolves around a group of college students as they fall in love and break up while trying to get a degree.

Watch the trailer here.

Do not forget to check out our recommendation of Chinese campus dramas and coming-of-age dramas to watch!

You might be interested in

#KajoPicks: 5 YouTube channels for people who hate working out

Published on

Do you have an ever-revolving resolutions list that includes ‘exercise’ on it? Have you ditched a workout routine because you don’t have the stamina or the mental strength?

If you have come to accept that you will never have the staying power to work up to a 6-pack, that’s where YouTube comes in.

It seems you’re not the only one who hates the gym or working out in public. There’s tons of exercise channels you can follow which include ‘quiet’, ‘low-impact’ or even ‘knee-friendly’, which is how I found the ones in this list. They are perfect for the uncoordinated, the rusty and the sedentary.

stretching 498256 1280
Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

For those who hate working out, the YouTube channels listed below, ranked from easy to more intense (they might include high-knees!) may be your gateway to a more active lifestyle.

1. Pahla B Fitness

“Welcome to my home” is the name of one of Pahla Bowers’ warmup moves, which sums up the warmth you’ll be getting when you start following this Functional Fitness Specialist and Boston-qualifying marathon runner.

Always cheerful, never judgmental, Pahla gives out tons of advice during her workouts, and some that stand out to me are that consistence is key; gentle exercise is more important to achieving your fitness goals in the long-term; and (unfortunately) good nutrition still matters when it comes to weight loss.

Sounds common sense, but when you’ve been absorbing body-fitness magazines or beating yourself up for never being consistent with exercise, her advice feels like a gentle release. Like her exercises.

This lady is at the top of my list because her target audience is 50 year olds. For that reason, she will highlight during her videos that you won’t have to get down on the floor and that there will be no jumping. Her discussions throughout her workout will educate you a more about the importance of healthy habit-building and be comforting for women who are moving into their menopausal years.

Watch the channel here.

2. JessicaSmithTV

Only Jessica Smith of this fitness channel can entice sedentary, exercise-averse people to try out HIIT. You’ll hear her say “Do what works for you” a lot throughout her videos, because her emphasis is on getting viewers to enjoy exercise.

Another fitness instructor who emphasises on movement and consistency more than back-breaking intensity, she has more than 450 exercise videos across a wide range of exercise disciplines like pilates, yoga, cardio, kickboxing, dance, barre workouts, or (my favourite) knee-friendly exercises on her channel. You will have so many videos to choose from that will suit your mood or overall fitness.

If you’re feeling depressed or under the weather, her 1-Mile Walk and Talk series is just a walking workout video where she discusses certain themes and topics like stress-relieving tips and self-care. It’s like going on a walk with a friend within the comfort of your home.

Oh, and a mention of JessicaSmithTV isn’t complete without mentioning her French bulldog, Peanut. Think of him as your spirit animal as he occasionally takes naps or plays with a toy while he waits for Jessica to finish up her routine.

Watch the channel here.

3. HASfit (Heart and Soul Fitness)

When you join HASfit, you will be working out with Coach Kozak and his wife Claudia in a combination of bodyweight and dumbbell exercises. Coach Kozak performs the more advanced versions of the exercises while Claudia does the modified ones, perfect for noobs, beginners and everybody in between.

If you’re recovering from an injury, limited mobility or are an elderly person, they even have a playlist which incorporates chair exercises.

If you’re expecting a bun in the oven, you can try out Claudia’s Prenatal workouts (make sure you check with your doctor first).

Meanwhile, if you’re somebody who just can’t stand the repetition of exercise routines, they even have a playlist for beginners and people who get bored easily.

Whatever your level, if you’ve been consistent with exercise so far, you can redo these routines and challenge yourself by following Coach Kozak instead.

Watch the channel here.

4. Bodyfit by Amy

Speaking of buns in the oven, I first found Bodyfit by Amy while I was looking for postnatal workouts to help recover from the weakness, aches and pains you never expect if you’ve only learnt about pregnancy and childbirth from TV (hello lower back pains and diastasis recti). She even has videos to help strengthen muscles you’ll need as you cope with carrying around a newborn.

But if you’re getting ready for your wedding, you can follow her Wedding Workout series instead.

Outside of the pre- and postnatal workout videos, her pace in her other videos are still easy to follow and really focus on form. She has beginner and low-impact workouts, and for those who are looking for a step up, you can follow her kettlebell workouts and TRX workouts.

Watch the channel here.

5. Melissa Bender

Melissa Bender’s slogan on her website is ‘Fitness should be Free’ and she is totally generous with her workout programmes, starting with her #BFBODYFIT 6-month home workout programme.

If you want to start smaller, she has 30 day fitness challenges. If you’re still intimidated, she has a Low Impact Workout playlist which promises no jumping. (Check out where her grey and white cat Gambit makes appearances.)

For those recovering from childbirth and looking to get into fighting fit form, Melissa Bender has a 6-week Postnatal programme, which is still challenging for people who don’t jog or do interval training on a regular basis, so you might have to work up to this programme.

Watch the channel here.

You might be interested in

#KajoPicks: 10 South Korean legal dramas you must watch

Published on
gavel 2492011 1280

If you enjoy a few doses of courtroom dramas, here are 10 Korean legal series for you to check out:

1.While You Were Sleeping (2017)

This South Korean legal drama has a dose of fantasy in it.

Hong-joo (Bae Suzy) lives with her single mother and helps her run a pork restaurant.

She looks like any other woman of her age working as a reporter, but Hong-Joo is haunted by seeing the future deaths of others in her dreams.

However, she does not know when the deaths will happen. She tries to stop her dreams from becoming reality.

Things took a different turn when Hong-joo dreams about the death of her own mother. Can she prevent it from happening?

Meanwhile, Jae-chan (Lee Jong-suk) is a rookie prosecutor. Jae-chan and his younger brother move to new house and they become neighbours with Hong-joo.

One thing leads to another, Jae-chan and police officer Han Woo-tak (Jung Hae-in) together with Hong-joo all have the ability to see the future through their dreams.

Putting aside the trio fantasy adventure, the drama also highlights the corruption and office politics which goes behind a prosecution office.

Watch the trailer here.

2.I Can Hear Your Voice (2013)

When Jang Hye-sung (Lee Bo-young) was in high school, she testified as a witness and her statement caused the murderer of Park Soo-ha’s father to be convicted and imprisoned.

Ten years later, she becomes an apathetic public defender who does her job only for the salary.

In the meantime, Soo-ha (Lee Jong-suk) gains the supernatural ability to read people’s minds by looking at their eyes after witnessing the murder of his father.

After meeting Hye-sung during the trial of his father’s murder, he develops a crush on her.

However, when he meets her again after ten years, Soo-ha finds her completely different from what he has expected.

Things turn deadly when the murderer is released from jail and now is holding grudges on both Hye-sung and Soo-ha for getting him convicted of murder.

In a previous article, we picked this drama one of our favourite ‘noona’ romance. The chemistry between Lee Jong-suk and Park Bo-young in this drama is undeniably compatible.

Originally set for 16 episodes, due to its successful ratings, the series was extended by two more episodes.

3.The Good Wife (2016)

By the title, you can tell that this is a Korean legal drama based on the famous American series The Good Wife starring Julianna Margulies.

The Korean remake of the drama has only 16 episodes and stars Jeon Do-yeon. The drama marked Do-yeon’s first comeback to the small screen after 11 years.

Her last role on television was in the famous 2005 Lovers In Prague.

Do-yeon’s return as it turned out worth the buzz as her performance as Kim Hye-kyung was impressive.

She plays the role of a housewife who is forced to return to her job as a lawyer after her husband is put behind bars.

There are differences between The Good Wife and its original plot in the American series. For example, the sex scandal scene has been shortened to accommodate the storyline into 16 episodes.

While the American series, Margulies’s character Alicia Florrick, works with her tech-savvy son to discover the truth together, the Korean version, Hye-kyung does not involve her children in the criminal cases.

If you enjoy the drama and scandal in the American The Good Wife, this Korean legal drama is definitely worth watching.

4.Suits (2018)

Here is another Korean legal drama based on an American television series.

It follows the story of a distinguished lawyer Choi Kang-seok who recruits a young man Go Yeon-woo. Yeon-woo has a retentive memory but not a law degree.

Kang-seok (Jang Dong-gun) is the equivalent of Harvey Spector in the American version while Yeon-woo (Park Hyung-sik) is the equivalent of Michael Ross.

The Korean equivalent of Jessica Pearson is Kang Ha-yeon (Jin Hee-kyung). Before Megan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, she was known for her character Rachel Zone in Suits.

Her equivalent character is Kim Ji-na (Ko Sung-hee), a paralegal who is perfect in what she does.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Lawless Lawyer (2018)

Who doesn’t love a bad boy lawyer?

Lawless Lawyer (2018) is set in the fictional city of Kisung which is known to be lawless and corrupt.

The plot follows Bong Sang-pil, a former gangster who has a career change to become a lawyer. On top of using his skill and knowledge as a lawyer, he uses his fists and old gang connection to win a case.

Meanwhile, Ha Hae-yi is an idealist lawyer full of integrity but ends up being temporarily disbarred after after attacking a corrupt judge.

The villain of this story is Cha Moon-sook. She appears to be a caring, noble judge but it is all just a facade. Little the public knows, she orders murder to be carried out, conducts rigged trials and run a corrupt charity.

While fighting against Moon-sook, Sang-pil and Hae-yi falls in love with each other.

The drama is a commercial hit and became one of the most highly rated Korean dramas in cable television history.

It stars Lee Joon-gi, Seo Yea-ji, Lee Hye-young and Choi Min-soo.

Watch the trailer here.

6.Innocent Defendant (2017)

You are the top prosecutor at your office, then one day you wake up and find yourself on death row. What would you do?

Park Jung-woo (Ji Sung) is a prosecutor of the violent crimes investigative division who never loses a case. One day, he finds himself in a prison without any memory of what happen.

His hope lies in Seo Eun-hye (Kwon Yu-ri), a public defender who always lose her court case every single time.

Uhm Ki-joon plays the antagonist, a psychotic killer who kills his own twin brother.

The drama was a hit, all thanks to its plot and impressive performance by Ji Sung.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Ms Hammurabi (2018)

How about a Korean legal drama that was written by a real-life judge?

Ms Hammurabi is written by Moon Yoo-seok, the chief judge of Seoul Eastern District Court who also wrote the book version of this story.

It stars Go Ara, Kim Myung- soo and Sung Dong-il.

The drama circles around the life of judges and the various disputes that they have to settle.

While Moon is known for his novels, Ms. Hammurabi is his first script writing work.

Due to its new perspective on the role of a judge and its real-life depiction of people daily struggles, the series was well-received by Korean viewers.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Witch At Court (2017)

Ma Yi-deum (Jung Ryeo-won) is the ace prosecutor who walks a fine line between legal and illegal investigation.

Using personal attacks, evidence fabrication and inciting perjury, she goes all the way to win her case.

In the same time, she is hot-tempered. One day, she is assigned to the special task force for child sex crimes against women and children.

Joining her on the team is Yeo Jin-wook (Yoon Hyun-min), he is a newbie prosecutor who graduated from law school at the top of his class.

He does not like how Yi-deum carries her job. However after he learns about her painful past, Jin-wook comes forward to protect her.

Thanks to the chemistry of the two main leads, Ryeo-won and Hyun-min won the Best Couple Award in the 31st KBS Drama Awards.

Watch the trailer here.

9.Suspicious Partner (2017)

The Korean drama industry has a gift of throwing in an almost random serial killer in the middle of a seemingly normal storyline.

Suspicious Partner (2017) follows the story of prosecutor Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook) and prosecutor trainee Eun Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun).

Like most main characters in a K-drama world, Ji-wook has a tragic past in which his parents died in a fire.

Then the tragic past somehow get entangles with his present when he finds out. After love starts to blossom between Ji-wook and Bong-hee, Ji-wook learns that it was Bong-hee’s father who set the fire causing his parents’ death.

When the drama was aired, it was famous among the 20-49 demographic. So if you fall into this age group, you might enjoy this drama.

10.Diary of a Prosecutor (2019)

While Ms Hammurabi is written by a real judge, Diary of Prosecutor is based on the essay written by a real-life prosecutor Kim Woong.

Set in the fictional city of Jinyoung, it explores the competitiveness and over-working lives of prosecutors.

Lee Sung-jae plays the role of Jo Min-ho, the Chief of Jinyoung District Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Unit 2.

Unhappy that his team always comes in second when comes to work performance, he brings in a prosecutor from the city, Seoul with hope that it will raise his team’s results.

The prosecutor from Seoul is Cha Myung-joo (Jung Ryeo-won). Her working style is straight forward without spending any extra time on cases, hence her colleagues think she is to careless in her work.

However, the person that Myung-joo unhappy the most in the group is Lee Sun-kyun (Lee Sun-woong).

He was Myung-joo’s senior back in university but entered the prosecution one year later than her. The duo often fight in disagreement when comes to work.

The actual filming scene of the drama took place in a small city of Tongyeong with a population of 139, 869.

There, more than 150 members of the cast and crew actually stay during the five months of filming.

Watch the trailer for this Korean legal drama here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 10 serial killers from Korean dramas who terrify us

Published on

There is one thing you should know about serial killers in Korean dramas; they do not usually appear in thrillers or crime dramas.

Sometimes, they appear in romance or even comedy dramas.

Regardless of which genre they appear in, some of these serial killers from Korean dramas are terrifying to watch.

Here are 10 serial killers from Korean dramas who terrify us:

1. The Painter Killer in Born Again (2020)

The main theme of this drama is reincarnation; about three people who remain entangled in a love triangle and murder even after being reincarnated.

In the 1980s, Gong Ji-chul (Jang Ki-young) was a lone wolf living under a controlling father.

Meanwhile, Jung Ha-eun (Jin Se-yeon) and Cha Hyung-bin (Lee Soo-hyuk) are a couple very much in love with each other.

Ha-eun is the owner of a secondhand bookstore called ‘Old Future’ and Hyung-bin works as a detective.

While chasing the true perpetrator behind a string of murders, the three of them get caught in between the cases and eventually died.

30 years later, the three of them are reincarnated. Gong Ji-chul becomes Cheon Jong-bum, a medical student. Hae-eun is reborn as an archaeologist named Jung Sa-bin while Hyung-bin is a prosecutor named Kim Soo-hyuk.

What happens when the string of murders that took place in the 80s repeat themselves? Did the original killer die, get reincarnated and start murdering again? Was the real killer never caught in the first place? Or did the murderer find a protege to carry on the murderous torch?

As for the terrifying serial killer in this drama, the culprit kills in the name of ‘art’. He paints his victims after laying them down in their graves the way he wants.

While this serial killer is terrifying, what is more disgusting are his cult followers who love his ‘works’. They even have secret chat group to talk about their ‘fandom’.

This reminds of us serial killers such as Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer and Aileen Wuornos who have secret online groups for fans on social media platforms such as Facebook.

Watch the trailer here.

2. The Genius Killer in Gap-dong (2014)

Speaking of real-life serial killers, here is a drama inspired by one.

Set in 1986 in fictional Iltan city, a young girl is found brutally murdered. Since then, a series of murders has been found committed in the area.

The police nicknamed the suspect “Gap-dong”. The authorities also mistakenly identify the killer, causing the wrong suspect to commit suicide to prove his innocence. His death inspires his son Moo-yeom to become a police officer to clear his father’s name.

Seventeen years later, a new victim shows up sharing a similar pattern with the victims of Gap-dong. Are they the works of Gap-dong or a copycat killer?

These cases were evoked by the Hwaseong serial murders, a series of rapes and murders that occurred in the rural city of Hwaseong in Geonggi Province between Sept 15, 1986 and Apr 3, 1991.

The victims – all women – were found bound, gagged raped, and strangled to death with their own clothes.

The cases remained unsolved for 30 years until Lee Choon-jae was identified as the suspect in 2019.

Watch the trailer here.

Serial killer korean drama
Lee Joon in Gap-dong (2014)

3. The Psychopath Killer in Hello Monster (2015)

The drama circles around genius profiler Lee Hyun (Seo In-guk) who returns home to South Korea after receiving an anonymous email.

The email comes from a serial killer who purposely sends him clues about a series of murders targeting women with similar appearances.

Apparently, it is somehow related to Lee Hyun as his father was murdered and his brother disappeared.

The culprit behind the past is a teenage serial killer named Lee Joon-young, perfectly played by Do Kyung-so.

Working with him on these cases is Cha Ji-an (Jang Na-ra), a police officer whose father mysteriously disappeared together with Lee Joon-young.

This drama gained wide praise for its performance particularly Park Bo-gum’s performance.

4. The sexy CEO Killer in Voice Season 1 (2017)

While Kim Jae-wook’s portrayal in this drama is sexy and dangerous, it also took a toll on the actor’s mental and physical health.

He plays the role of Mo Tae-goo, a CEO by day, and a serial killer by night. Tae-goo not only enjoys killing people, but also flaunting the bodies of his victims.

In an interview, Jae-wook revealed “After shooting the gory scenes in which I had to torture and murder a person, I had breathing problems and I couldn’t stop shaking.” He also couldn’t bear to look himself in the mirror after shooting this drama.

This police procedural series centers around Kang Kwon-jo (Lee Ha-na) who works at an emergency 112 call center. Together with police detective Moo Jin-Hyuk (Jang Hyuk), the duo try to catch Tae-goo.

“Merciless” is the perfect word to describe Jae-wook’s portrayals of Tae-goo in the drama. Imagine a killer who treats his victim like a cat playing with a barely alive rat – that is how Tae-goo kills his victims.  

Watch the trailer here.

5. The manipulative killer in Voice Season 2 (2018)

Voice was so good that it was renewed for a second season. In the second season, Kwon Yul appears as Bang Je-soo who is a serial killer that goes around collecting body parts of his dead victims.

Using his intelligence, Je-soo manipulated others to kill too.

Overall, the drama sets record for the highest premiere rating of an OCN drama.

It also surpassed the first season’s ratings.

The drama has Lee Ha-na reprise her role as Kang Kwon-jo while Lee Jin-woo plays the role of a new team leader Do Kang-woo.

Watch the trailer here.

6. The Don’t-Act-Up Killer in When The Camellia Blooms (2019)

The main focus of this drama is Oh Dong-baek (Gong Hyo-jin), a single mother who moves to the fictional town of Ongsan and opens a bar named Camellia.

She captured the heart of a young, playful detective named Hwang Yong-sik (Kang Ha-neul).

In the same time, Kang Jong-ryul (Kim Ji-seok) who is the father of Dong-baek’s son is trying to win her back.

This seems to be a normal love triangle until it is interrupted by a serial killer targeting Dong-baek.

His signature move? Writing the word ‘Don’t Act Up’ on a wall to scare his victim.

Putting aside the dead bodies lying around in the drama, When the Camellia Blooms is one of funniest and highest rated dramas in 2019.

Watch the trailer here.

7. The bar code killer in A Girl Who Can See Smells (2015)

Adapted from the webtoon of the same title, this drama stars Park Yoo-chun, Shin Se-kyung, Min Nam-goong and Yoon Jin-seo.

When Choi Eun-seol (Shin Se-kyung) arrives home, she finds her parents murdered.

They are found with a bar code carved into their skin, all indicative of the work of the ‘bar code’ serial killer.

On the same night, Choi Moo-gak (Park Yoo-chun) is at the hospital visiting his younger sister. To his horror, he finds her dead with her throat slit.

How are these murders connected?

As for the title, it refers to Choi Eun-seol who wake up with the ability to see smells as visible colours and shapes after the deaths of her parents.

Using her unique ability, Eun-seol tries to find the bar code killer.

8. The serial killer who still kills after his death in Possessed (2019)

How committed are you to your job? Would you possess someone just to continue your ‘life’s work’ even after death?

The serial killer in Possessed (2019) is so committed to killing people that he even possessed others to kill after he died.

The story focuses on Kang Pil-sung (Song Sae-byeok), a police officer who was abandoned by his family.

Just like Pil-sung, Hong Seo-jung (Go Joon-hee) was also abandoned by her mother at a young age.

Besides their sad past, the duo also shares a supernatural ability. Seo-jung is able to read people’s minds and see ghosts while Pil-sung can see ghosts too.

Using their supernatural traits, they try to catch the serial killer who possessed others to kill.

9. The Evil Twin Killer in Innocent Defendant (2017)

First of all, all applause to Uhm Ki-joon who plays two complete characters in this legal drama. He takes up the role as Cha Sun-ho and Cha Min-ho, identical twins who are heads to a major company.

Min-ho is the evil one who suffered from abuse as a child and constantly being compared to his twin.

The end result is he becomes a psychopathic maniac who kills people without mercy.

Overall, the drama is about a prosecutor who is wrongly convicted for murder and now is on death row.

Despite his knowledge in laws and prosecution, Park Jung-woo (Ji Sung) is having a hard time proving his innocence because he is inconveniently suffering from amnesia.

The story continues as he struggles to clear his name and catch the real killer.

Watch the trailer here.

10. The Masked Kidnapper in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017)

Althoufh this drama is not about a serial killer per se, the villain in this series is just pure creepy.

Strong Woman is inspired by a French folktale about Bluebeard and his seven wives, a wealthy man who has the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors.

In this drama, Kim Jang-hyun (Jang Mi-kwan) is the psychotic kidnapper who keeps on targeting young women.

Mi-kwan revealed in an interview that he was inspired by Christian Bale in the movie American Psycho for his role as Jang-hyun.

After capturing a number of helpless women, Jang-hyun finally meets his match in Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) who was born with superhuman strength.  

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 10 classic Korean dramas you should watch

Published on

If you are new to Korean dramas and you have no idea which drama to start with, we highly suggest watching the classics.

The obsession for Korean dramas would not be here today, if it were not for these series which introduce K-dramas to audience outside of South Korea.

You can say, these classic Korean dramas are responsible for the start of Korean wave which is the increase in global popularity of South Korean culture.

Here are 10 classic Korean dramas that somehow never gets old:

1.Full House (2004)

This classic Korean series is considered the romantic comedy genre in Korean drama.

Ji-eun, an aspiring scriptwriter, lives in a house called “Full House” built by her late father.

One day, her two best friends trick her into believing that she has won a free vacation.

While she is away, they sell her house. On the plane, she meets a famous actor named Young-jae.

They get acquainted during her vacation and when she returns, she discovers that her house has been sold to him.

Although they do not get along with each other due to their contrasting habits, they agree to live with each other.

At first, Ji-eun works as his maid in order to buy her house back.

However, they enter into a contract marriage as Young-jae wanted to make his crush, Kang Hye-won, jealous.

Rain, who plays the role of Young-jae, won the Best Actor Award at the KBS Drama Awards for this drama.

The main filming site of this drama, the Full House, was especially built for the series.

It cost approximately USD1 million to build. The house was a tourist attraction until it was torn down in April 2013 due to irreparable damage from a typhoon.

2.Coffee Prince (2007)

Who knew Gong Yoo in his pre-Goblin days? The current generation was introduced to Gong Yoo through Goblin or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) or Train to Busan (2016).

The older Korean drama fans still remember him and his 2000s hairstyle from Coffee Prince (2007).

He plays the role of Choi Han-kyul, who is the grandson of chairwoman Bang (Kim Young-ok) of Dong-in Foods. It is a company that has a thriving coffee business.

Acting like a stuck-up chaebol, he has never had a job and does not care for responsibility.

In the meantime, Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye) is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy.

Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family.

When Han-kyul and Eun-chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother.

Wanting to prove himself, Han-kyul takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed “Coffee Prince”.

To attract more female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees.

Eun-chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.

Soon, Han-kyul starts to develop feelings for Eun-chan. Believing that Eun-chan is a man, Han-kyul starts to question his sexuality.

This series was remade in different countries including Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia.

In 2020, the cast of Coffee Prince returns to the cafe of their drama for a documentary called “My Dear Youth – Coffee Prince”.

3.Secret Garden (2010)

Taking a typical Cinderella story to a different twist, Secret Garden (2010) follows the love story between stuntwoman Gil Ra-im and CEO Kim Joo-won.

The pair are from two different worlds. One is a poor orphan and the other is a rich man with a secret phobia. As their worlds collide, Ra-im and Joo-won begin to understand each other’s lives.

And what better way to do that other than magically swapping with each other’s bodies?

The drama was purchased by numerous countries after its release including Peru and United States, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

4.Autumn in My Heart (2000)

If Full House is the pioneer of romantic comedy in Korean dramas, Autumn in My Heart is the pioneer of Korean melodramatic series.

It follows the story of two girls who share the same birthday, are raised in the same village and going to the same class.

One leads a happy life with loving parents and a brother. Her name is Eun-suh (Song Hye-Kyo).

Meanwhile, the other girl named Shin-ae (Han Chae-young) is raised by a single parent and is living in poverty.

One day, Eun-suh has a car accident and a blood test finds hat Eun-suh and Shin-ae were swapped at birth.

The girls are then returned to their biological families. Eun-suh’s brother Jun-suh (Song Seung-Heon) is especially saddened by this.

The two girls meet years later by twist of fate. What happens when Jun-suh sees his long lost ‘sister’ again?

The series has been broadcast in Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and many more.

5.Winter Sonata (2002)

We cannot talk about classic Korean drama without mentioning Winter Sonata (2002).

The story begins with Joon-sang (Bae Yong-joon), who moves to a small town. There, he meets Yoo-Jin (Choi Ji-woo) in the local high school.

They fall in love, but Jun-Sang gets killed in a car accident.

Ten years later, Yoo-Jin meets a guy who looks just like her Jun-Sang.

Yoo-Jin has to choose between her current boyfriend and a person who reminds her of her dead sweetheart.

Winter Sonata is credited for improving the image of South Korea among the Japanese. It also sets fashion trends throughout East Asia.

6.Princess Hours (2006)

This classic Korean drama is also known for contributing to the Korean Wave.

In an alternate reality of 21st century South Korea, the country is ruled by a monarchy.

The crown prince, Lee Shin (Ju Ji-hoon) is a smug and insensitive high school kid.

After getting rejected by his girlfriend Min Hyo-rin (Song Ji-hyo), he decides to proceed with his arranged marriage to Shin Chae-kyeong (Yoon Eun-hye).

Though he was initially annoyed by her naivete and enthusiasm, he gradually begins to open his heart to her.

First of all, can you believe how young Running Man’s Song Ji-hyo in this drama? And Ju Ji-hoon’s acting definitely improves since this drama. His later performances in Along With the God series and Kingdom are just amazing.

7.Temptation of Wife (2008)

In this revenge drama, Jang Seo-hee plays Ku Eun-jae, a lady that was nearly killed by her husband Jung Kyo-bin (Byeon Woo-min).

Kyo-bin believes that Goo Eun-Jae did indeed die. However, he is astonished to meet this woman who looks identical to his former wife but with a completely different personality.

Despite the many controversies concerning the questionable plot, the series is one of the most viewed dramas to date.

The series eventually had two remakes by China and Philippines.

8.Stairway to Heaven (2003)

Han Jung-suh (Choi Ji-woo) and Cha Song-joo (Kwon Sang-woo) grew up together. They were always there for each other.

One day, Jung-suh’s father (Ha Jae-young) marries an actress named Tae Mi-ra (Lee Hui-hyang).

Mi-ra takes in her two children from a previous marriage, Tae-hwa (Lee Wan) and Yoo-ri (Kim Tae-hee).

Yoo-ri is envious of the life that Jung-suh leads and is determined to take everything away from her, including Song-joo.

Meanwhile, Tae-hwa (disturbingly) begins to develop feelings for his stepsister.

Five years later, Jung-suh gets into a car accident causing her to lose her memory. Song-joo is led to believe that she is dead.

Stairway to Heaven was so famous that some of its filming sites are now tourist attractions. This include the carousel where Song-joo and Jung-suh rode as children at Lotte World.

Like many of the classic Korean dramas on this list, Stairway to Heaven was remake in Philippine, Indonesia, Cambodia and Russia.

9.Lovers in Paris (2004)

Today, South Korean screenwriter Kim Eun-sook is known to be her works such as Descendants of the Sun (2016), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2017) and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020).

Her work which catapulted her into a household name is actually Lovers in Paris (2004).

It follows the story of the chairman of GD Motors, Han Gi-ju (Park Shin-yang) who is a divorced man working in Paris.

He has a housekeeper named Kang Tae-young (Kim Jung-eun), who is a poor international student.

In the meantime, Han Gi-ju’s nephew, Yu Soo-hyeok (Lee Dong-geon) meets Tae-young by chance, and falls for her.

Tae-young ends up returning to Seoul, soon after, Gi-ju and Soo-hyeok also return to Seoul separately.

When they return, Tae-young asks Gi-ju for a job and in time, the two fall in love.

As the family secret involving Gi-ju and Soo-hyeok is disclosed, the relationship between Tae-young and Gi-ju is in crisis.

To this day, Lovers in Paris is one of the most highly rated Korean dramas of all time.

10.Dae Jang Geum (2003)

This is the only historical drama on this list and its based on a true story of Jang-geum.

She is the first female royal physician of the Josean Dynasty.

Despite her poor background in the male-dominated society, Jang-geum overcomes social and gender discrimination and becomes a royal cook.
From there, she works her way to become the physician in charge of the king.

Thanks to this drama, the Korean public renewed their interest in traditional Korean culture especially royal court cuisine and traditional medicine.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 8 Chinese coming-of-age dramas you need to watch

Published on

A coming-of-age story is a genre of film and literature which focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood.

In Chinese dramas, a typical coming-of-age story starts when the characters are in their secondary school, then during university, and ends when they become working adults.

While in real-life it is rare to have the same body size from your teenage years into adulthood, some of these Chinese drama characters even have the same hairstyles throughout the years.

Nonetheless, most Chinese coming-of-age dramas manage to capture the real essence of growing up from their teenage years to adulthood in an Asian country.

Although these dramas are set in China, some of the conflicts and inner struggles that these characters experience are relatable, especially if you are from a typical conservative Asian household.

One example is how some of the characters are advised to get “real jobs” like becoming a doctor or lawyer.

While the main storyline is typically about the love story between two main characters, these Chinese coming-of-age dramas also showcase how good friendships can grow over the years.

In real life, some of us still do keep in touch with our high school friends.

If you are looking for heartwarming Chinese coming-of-age dramas, here are eight of them that made it to our list:

1.A Love So Beautiful (2017)

Based on the novel To Our Pure Little Beauty by Zhao Qianqian, this Chinese coming-of-age drama stars Hu Yitian and Shen Yue.

It circles around Chen Xiaoxi and Jiang Chen who are classmates in high school and neighbours since they were in kindergarten.

Their characters are polar opposites. Chen Xiaoxi has a cheerful personality but does not study much, while Jiang Chen is the popular kid known for his good looks and high grades.

After losing his father at an early age, Jiang Chen becomes very distant towards people.

Despite this, Xiaoxi still expresses her crush towards Jiang Chen.

The story also follows their friends, a swimmer Wu Bosong, a tomboy Lin Jingxiao and Lu Yang, who has heart disease.

Even until when they are in university, Xiaoxi still crushes on Jiang Chen. Will Jiang Chen’s heart finally soften?

What happen to them when they finally made it into adulthood?

Like many other coming-of-age, A Love is So Beautiful focuses about these characters discovering themselves and their places in the world.

2.Rush to The Dead Summer (2017)

Starring Chen Xuedong, Zheng Shuang and Bai Jingting, the drama is based on Guo Jingming’s novel of the same name.

After winning a scholarship, Li Xia earns her place at Qian Chuan secondary school. There, she meets the two popular boys Fu Xiaosi and Lu Zhiang.

She also befriends a boyish girl named Yu Jian and the rich girl in school, Cheng Qiqi.

After they graduate, things seem to go fine, at least for some of them. Li Xia starts to date Xiaosi who is now a famous artist. Meanwhile, Qiqi becomes a celebrity after winning a singing competition.

Then, comes death, and betrayal after betrayal. Can their friendships survive all these hardships?

This Chinese coming-of-age drama was praised for its realistic life of youth and on campus as well as beautiful cinematography. Hence, it is definitely worth watching.

Watch the trailer here.

You can watch this drama on Youtube here.

3.With You (2016)

Speaking of realistic portrayal of youth, here is another Chinese coming-of-age drama that received high reviews.

Hailed as ‘best youth drama’ by critics in recent years, the drama tackles issues relatable to viewers such as family problems, school struggles as well as the ups and downs of friendships.

One of the most realistic scenes in the drama is when the students draw lots to answer objective questions during the exam. (Raise your hand if you did that in your high school years.)

It follows the story of Geng Geng (Seven Tan) who just move into Zhen Hua High School and is seated next to top student Yu Huai (Liu Haoran).

Unlike her who struggles in her studies, Yu Huai is the smart kid in class.

At first, the duo fights a lot but soon become friends. They also become close friends with the rest of their classmates, each of whom has their own interesting background stories.

However, things start to change after graduation when Yu Huai ghosts everyone in the group.

This drama gives a great reminder that even though high school memories might be sweet to look back on but there is not much to it other than memories. Sometimes, you just need to let go of your past in order to enjoy the present.

With You (2016) is based on the novel The Best of Us by Ba Yue Chang An.

Watch the trailer here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTThM21J4Y

4.My Huckleberry Friends (2017)

Here is another Chinese coming-of-age drama based on a novel by Ba Yue Chang An entitled Hello, Old Times.

The story starts when Yu Zhou Zhou starts her first day of primary school and becomes friend with a boy named Lin Yang.

Something happens and the two start to drift apart.

They meet up again during high school. At first there is an obvious awkwardness between them but soon they begin to reconcile.

It starts Li Landi and Zhang Xincheng as Zhou Zhou and Lin Yang respectively.

Watch the trailer here.

5.When We Were Young (2018)

If you spent your high school days in the 90s, you might enjoy this drama.

It is a story that revolves around high school students in the year 1996.

While chasing down a bike thief during the summer break, Yang Xi gets injured after a nearby lab explosion. This caused her unable to compete in a long-distance run.

When her school opens, she finds out that the culprit behind the lab explosion has transferred to her class. His name is Hua Biao and he even takes Yang Xi’s position as the class president.

Hua Biao is also known to be a hot-blooded genius.

Since the drama is set in the 90s, expect a lot of retro vibes in it from the hairstyle to 90s furniture and appliances.

Watch the trailer here.

6.Just An Encore (2019)

Yan Ze and Xi Ye are two best friends. Yan Ze does not see herself as beautiful and her grades are just okay. Meanwhile, Xi Ye is known in school for her beauty and grades.

Yan Ze has a secret crush on Ji Xiao who is the top student in school and unfairly handsome too.

She grows jealous of Xi Ye when she discovers that Ji Xiao might like Xi Ye. Then, another person comes into the love triangle, He Xin Liang.

He is the transfer student who always appears by Yan Ze’s side whenever she needs help.

Xi Ye, however, has a crush on Xin Liang.

Little that Yan Ze knows that her best friend Xi Ye is secretly jealous of her for her friendliness and how easy she gets along with everyone.

Remember those days when you do not have to worry about work or bill but only crushes and fights with your best friend?

Watch the trailer here.

7.All I want For Love is You (2019)

Gu Xiao Man is nothing like your average high school girl. She is a sanda (Chinese kickboxing) fighter. While she excels in sports, Xiao Man struggles with her grades.

Lucky for her, her crush, who also happens to be the school’s top student Zuo An (Liu Yu Han), is willing to tutor her.

To impress her crush (and improve her grades), Xiao Man is willing to study hard.

Thanks to Zuo An’s help, Xiao Man not only manage to graduate but she gets into the same university as Zuo An.

Their story continues in university as the duo adjusts to campus life together.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Le Coup De Foudre (2019)

This Chinese coming-of-age drama is based on the novel I Don’t Like This World, I Only Like You by Qiao Yi.

It has uplifting life lessons and a heartwarming storyline. In 35 episodes, it manages to cover various themes such as the impact of divorce on the children, the preference for sons in China, domestic violence, and the real struggles of startups.

Do not expect perfect main characters who could never go wrong in this drama as they rise and fall throughout this story.

It follows the story of Zhao Qiaoyi, a kind-hearted but timid girl and Yan Mo, a quiet and extremely disciplined boy who excels in his studies.

Qiaoyi has a twin brother, Zhao Guanchao who is an easygoing person but hides a secret pain from his past. Their circle of friends is joined by Hao Wuyi, a tomboyish girl who loves to write and Fei Dachuan, a tough-looking but kind guy.

There are plenty of realistic and relatable moments in the drama. Wuyi, for instance, is told off by her class teacher, Teacher Gao to let go of writing and focus to find ‘a real job that actually pays the bills’. As it turns out, Teacher Gao himself let go of his dream to become a musician and chose to become a teacher instead.

If we were to pick our must-watch drama from this list, it has to be Le Coup de Foudre (2019).

Watch the trailer here.

Chinese coming of age drama

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 12 Korean silent vloggers you should subscribe to on YouTube

Published on

Raise your hand if you love watching vlogs but cannot stand loud vloggers.

As much as it is interesting to watch strangers living their normal lives, some vloggers out there really go all out with the TMI (Too Much Information).

Besides showing their daily activities, they talk about their ex-boyfriends, sex lives and family issues. For some, it may be cathartic or even therapeutic to hear that other people are having the same, or even more, problems than you.

Then we have the silent vloggers. Unlike other vloggers who unload their lives in front of the camera, these vloggers remain silent.

They do not talk to the camera but communicate with their audience through subtitles.

The country which offers so many silent vloggers on YouTube is none other than South Korea.

Most of these Korean silent vloggers are freelancers, stay-at-home mums and college students.

They document their lives doing normal activities such as grocery shopping, cooking and going to class.

At the same time, they promote slow living and minimalist lifestyle.

hutomo abrianto 9ZvuWg8deho unsplash
Most of these Korean silent vloggers have similar concept of living in a minimalist home.

If you are looking into a change of scenery on your YouTube channel subscription, here are 12 South Korean silent vloggers you should watch:

1.Sueddu

Sueddu is a freelance videographer and writer. Expect nothing but aesthetic vlogs from her.

The cinematography and colour tone that she uses are a whole other level from most vlogs.

Living alone with her pet dog Bebe, she enjoys cooking and painting.

With 772,000 subscribers, Sueddu is one of the most followed Korean silent vloggers on YouTube.

2.Hamimommy

This YouTuber is one of many Korean silent vloggers who proves that being a stay-at-home mom doesn’t have to be boring.

She spends her time doing the usual household chores like any other stay-at-home mom, except she does it in front a camera.

This housewife, who is in her 30s, is taking leave of absence from work to take care of her 4-year-old son.

Besides showing her 378,000 subscribers how she cleans, gardens and organises, Hamimommy also share useful tips on living a zero waste life.

3.Heejo

Before her career as a vlogger, this fashion design graduate worked as a designer.

Now, she juggles between running a bedding brand, producing videos and writing.

Her videos are mainly about her daily activity, minimalist lifestyle and recipes.

4.Jihyunkkung

We bet that when you were a campus student, the last thing you would thought is to have 1 million people watching you living your normal life.

Most of her videos are of her preparing meal in between her classes.

This business administration student started her Youtube channel with cafe vlogs when she was working as a part-timer.

Now, her channel has grown to have 1.18 million subscribers.

Jihyunkkung is signed under CJ&EM DIA TV, a company in-charge online content creators.

5.Suzlnne

Here is another Korean vlogger who is a college student. With 480,000 subscribers, Suzlnne started her channel with Gongbang. It is where people broadcast themselves studying in almost total silence.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, she shows how she goes through her daily life as a university student.

Her days mostly circle around cooking, eating, doing assignments and attending online lectures during the South Korea lockdown.

6.Haegreendal

The most popular video of this Korean silent vlogger has 7.7 million views. Interestingly, it is a video about her trying 11 different egg dishes she has tried for the first time.

The second most viewed video is a video entitled “Vlog that makes you want to clean” and it has 4.5 million views.

She spices up her life as a stay-at-home mum by filming aesthetic videos of her cooking and doing chores.

7.Eyol

Eyol proves that one can be funny even without uttering a single word as she is cute and hilarious in her subtitles.

Like many South Korean silent vloggers, her vlogs are ‘food diary’ entries, what she eats in a day.

Her most popular video is of her going to a BTS concert with 2.9 million views. That particular video really attracts other BTS’ fans out there.

Other than that, her 265,000 subscribers just enjoy her daily vlogs as a university student.

8.Nebom

Most of these Korean silent vloggers rely on their foreign subscribers to help in the translation of their subtitles.

While it is a good thing since it is a free service, but an error in translation can go very wrong.In one of Nebom’s video which supposed to be about ‘Delicious food with boyfriend’ was translated as ‘delicious boyfriend’.

Anyway, who are we to say if her boyfriend is delicious or not. Nonetheless, the wrong translation on the video’s title turned out to be a good thing for her as it gathered 1.4 million views.

Her daily vlogs circle around her cooking at delicious-looking food at home and enjoying them at the end of her videos.

By doing that alone, she has gathered 221,000 subscribers with a total of 11,947,287 views since May 3, 2018.

9.Hyonyeo

Are you curious about the life of a cafe owner when she is not in her cafe? Hyonyeo give her 157,000 subscribers a glimpse of her daily life working in cafe and her off days through her Youtube channel.

From learning how to play the piano to a play session with her cat, Hyonyeo seems to live a fairy tale life.

Plus, her apron collection which is part of her working attire is just too adorable.

10.Cardsu

Here is another aesthetic silent vlog channel with soothing background music for you to subscribe.

Cardsu lives with her husband and two sons (one of them is away for college). The former interior designer promotes minimalist lifestyle through her vlogs.

She also shares recipes, interior designing tips and her life with minimal waste as possible.

11.Seungahne

With only 28 videos, Seungahne has already gathered 269,000 subscribers.

Similar to other Korean silent vloggers, she focuses on home-cooking videos and decorating her room.

Her most popular video is about her making over her home for winter with 1.7 million views.

12.With Anna

This YouTube is perhaps the most popular figure on this list. She is not exactly a South Korean but of Swiss nationality. Her children Na-eun, Gun-hoo and Jin-woo are perhaps among the most famous toddlers in South Korea.

Anna is the wife of professional footballer Park Joo-hoo. Joo-hoo and his children are the cast of The Return of Superman, a variety show about celebrity fathers spending times with their children.

She just started her YouTube channel last Sept 19, 2020 but her content already looks promising.

Anyway, do not forget to subscribe To KajoMag’s YouTube channel for our silent vlogs.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 8 Korean dramas about second chance romance to watch

Published on

One commonly seen theme in South Korean dramas is second chance romance. It is when a divorced couple gives their relationship a second chance and finding themselves falling in love all over again.

While in reality, most divorced couples do not rekindle their relationship. These South Korean dramas offers hope in second chance romance.

Here are our picks for 8 South Korean dramas about second chance romance you need to watch:

1.Alone in Love (2006)

Kicking off the list is a Korean series that won critically acclaim for its subtle and realistic portrayal of love, marriage and divorce.

Eun-ho (Son Ye-jin) and Dong-jin (Kam Woo-sung) meet one day at the bookstore where Dong-jin works.

Sparks fly between them and they immediately fall in love after a series of dates.

They eventually married but two years later are divorced.

Even so, the divorced couple still meet up for breakfast and have dinner on their wedding anniversary.

This makes them wonder if the fingering feelings they have are love. They both are too afraid to start over and even more afraid to get their hearts broken for the second time.

2.Go Back Couple (2017)

To all married couples out there, if you had the chance to go back in time, would you marry the same person all over again?

Go Back Couple or also known asConfession Couple explores the possibility of this question in which the two main characters have the opportunity to go back in time when they first met after their nasty divorce.

Based on the Naver Webtoon called Do it One More Time, the drama stars Son Ho-jun and Jang Na-ra.

Choi Ban-do (Ho-jun) and Ma Jin-joo (Jang Na-ra) are both 38 years old, married with a young son.

Their daily lives leave them both unhappy and exhausted. After a series of fights and argument, the couple decides to get a divorce.

On the day after their official divorce, they wake up to find themselves as 20 year old university students.

They then decide to make different choices than they did the first time around by firstly trying not to fall in love with each other.

While it has a tiny dose of fantasy in it, the drama successfully portrays the reality of some marriages.

The couple were head over heels with each other in the beginning of their marriage. They began to drift apart as they slowly not communicate with each other and taking each other for granted.

Anyway, how much changes could they make in their pasts that could impact on their futures? Or everything was meant to be in the first place?

Watch the trailer here.

3.Cunning Single Lady (2014)

Na Ae-ra (Lee Min-jung) grew up believing she was born to be only pretty and not smart.

While working at her family’s restaurant, she falls in love with Cha Jung-woo (Joo Sang-wook).
After her marriage to Jung-woo, she thought she finally achieved her dreams of becoming a housewife.

Suddenly Jung-woo announced that he wanted to quit his job and start his own company.

Although she disagrees with her husband’s decision, she still supports him with by taking odd jobs.

After suffering from the stress of being the sole breadwinner, Ae-ra divorces Jung-woo four years into their marriage.

Three years after their divorce, Jung-woo is now a wealthy CEO while Aera is still paying for the debt she took during their marriage.

Ae-ra takes up an intern job at her ex-husband’s company. Jung-woo believes that Ae-ra wants him back for his money but all she wants from his a belated apology.

Beside the classic old flame being fanned all over again, the drama also touches on the stigma a woman has to go through after a divorce. In one scene, Ae-ra is harassed and referred as ‘used good’ just because she is a divorcee.

4.Emergency Couple (2014)

This medical drama circles about divorced couple who rekindled their love when they become reunited years later as interns at the same hospital.

Oh Jin-hee (Song Ji-hyo), a dietitian falls in love and marries Oh Chang-min (Choi Jin-hyuk) despite his family’s opposition.

This results to Chang-min being cut off financially by his family after his marriage.

He also gives up his dream of becoming a doctor and becomes a pharmaceutical salesman instead.

The couple begins to fight constantly and eventually get a divorce.

Six years later, they both find themselves as interns at the same hospital where they will have to work in the emergency room together for three months.

Although it was initially set for 20 episodes, it was extended by one episode due to its popularity.

Watch the trailer here.

5.18 vs 29 (2005)

What happen if you ended up losing 11 years of your memories inconveniently on the day you supposed to file for divorce?

Park Sun-young plays Yoo Hye-chan a 29-year-old housewife who is unhappily married to a famous actor Kang Sang-young (Ryu Soo-young).

While on her way to court to file for divorce, a car accident drastically changes her life. It causes her to mentally revert to her 18-year-old self.

Sang-young wants to reconcile and tries to help her recover her memory. Meanwhile, Hye-chan finds herself falling in love with her husband all over again.

6.Can’t Lose (2011)

This Korean second chance romance drama is a remake of the 2008 Japanese drama The Sasaki Couple’s Merciless Battle.

It is circles around two bickering, married divorce lawyers who lash out on each other in and out of the courtroom.

The drama stars Choi Ji-woo, Yoon Sang-hyun and Kim Jung-tae.

7.Single Wife (2017)

When Ra-hee (Uhm Hyun-kyung) is about to marry Jae-min (Kwak Hee-sung), she finds out that her divorce with her ex-husband Min-hong (Sung Hyuk) has not been finalised by law.

Ra-hee tries to fix the hiccup so that she can marry again.

‘Conveniently’, Min-hong gets into an accident and develops amnesia, forgetting that he and Ra-hee are already divorced.

What would Ra-hee do now?

maxresdefault 3

8.My Secret Hotel (2005)

Nam Sang-hyo (Yoo In-na) is the head of the wedding planning division of The Secret Hotel.

Everything seems go smoothly until she finds out her next client is Gu Hae-young (Jin Yi-han), her ex-husband.

Meanwhile, Sang-hyo has caught the eye of her boss Jo Sung-gyeom (Min Nam-koong Min), the hotel managing director who has all the female employees swooning.

To make things interesting between the former couple, a murder takes place in the hotel.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 10 South Korean mystery movies you need to watch

Published on

If you need a dose of whodunit or what-on-earth-is-going-on type of entertainment, here are 10 South Korean mystery movies to watch:

1.Helpless (2012)

Imagine David Fincher’s Gone Girl (2014) but with an even darker approach.

Based on the bestselling novel All She Was Worth by Japanese writer Miyabe Miyuki, this South Korean mystery/psychological thriller is written and directed by Byun Young-joo.

One month before their wedding, Moon-ho (Lee Sun-kyun) and Sun-young (Kim Min-hee) decides to take a road trip to Andong.

Moon-ho plans to formally introduce his fiancee to his parents.

On their way to Andong, they pull over at a highway rest stop.

While Moon-ho goes inside the rest stop to get coffee, Sun-young stays in the car.

But when Moon-ho returns, he is shocked to discover that his fiancée is missing.

After looking all over the rest stop, Moon-ho file a police report. One thing after one another, Moon-ho begins to realise that his fiancée is not the person he thinks she is.

For starters, her name is not even Sun-young.

Helpless (2012) was the twelfth most-watched Korean film in 2012.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Moss (2010)

A remote village with villagers acting all suspicious always makes a good background story for a mystery movie.

Ryu Hae-kook (Park Hae-il) arrives at a village to attend his father’s funeral.

After the funeral, Hae-kook decides to stay to investigate as he suspects his father is a murder victim.

From there, Hae-kook finds himself entangled in murder attempt, arson, real estate fraud and corruption.

Can he discover the truth behind his father’s death?

This Korean mystery movie is based on the popular webtoon of the same title by Yoon Tae-ho.

Watch the trailer here.

3.The Wailing (2016)

Speaking of remote villages, here is a Korean horror film centering around mysterious killings and illnesses.

In the small village of Goksung, police officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) investigates a series of bizarre murders allegedly caused by a mysterious disease.

Rumour has it that a Japanese stranger, who lives in a secluded house in the mountains, is responsible for the illness.

Additionally, the stranger is reportedly to be a spirit.

Jong-goo decides to visit the stranger along with his partner and a young priest who speaks Japanese.

There, they find an altar with a goat head, pictures on the walls of the infected people that died.

Among the items, Jong-goo finds his daughter Hyo-jin’s shoe. Soon after that, she becomes sick.

Is the stranger really responsible for the illness falls upon Gokseong?

The film was both a commercial and critical success.

Watch the trailer here.

4.The Silenced (2015)

Set in Gyeongseong in 1938 during the Japanese occupation, the film centers on Ju-ran/Shizuko (Park Bo-young).

She is a sickly young girl who gets transferred to a sanatorium to recover her health.

Her physical condition improves thanks to her new friend Yeon-deok (Park So-dam) and the headmistress (Uhm Ji-won)’s special treatment program.

However, she soon notices that students are disappearing one by one.

Adding on the weird thing around her, her own body is undergoing abnormal changes.

Determined to uncover the truth, Ju-ran starts to investigate the mysterious happenings around her.

Where do her schoolmates go? Who is behind it? Additonally, what is happening to her body?

5.M (2007)

After the success of his first novel, the pressure is high on young author Min-woo (Kang Dong-won) to write another best-selling book.

He is struggle with writer’s block, nightmares and hallucinations. Hence, all of these end up affecting his career and personal life.

Slowly, Min-woo finds himself unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality.

In the meantime, a charming young woman named Mimi (Lee Yeon-hee) shows up. He seems to have a history with her, but what?

The movie had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and Pusan International Film Festival.

6.White Night (2009)

When a pawnbroker is found dead in a remote town in a derelict building, the police are divided on whether it was a murder or a suicide.

Detective Han Dong-su (Han Suk-kyu) investigates the case and it leads him to a homicide case that took place 14 years ago.

The prime suspect of that case, is a woman who suspected to be the dead man’s lover. Soon afterwards, the woman is also found dead leaving behind her daughter Lee Ji-ah (Son Ye-jin).

After the death of her mother, Lee Ji-ah changes her name to Yoo Mi-ho.

Now, fourteen years later, Mi-ho is set to marry a rich CEO. Is there any connection between Mi-ho and these deaths?

White Night (2009) is based on the Japanese novel Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino, who is mainly known for his mystery novels.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Forgotten (2017)

Jin-seok (Kang Ha-neul) moves into a new home with his older brother Yoo-seok (Kim Moo-yul), mother (Na Young-hee) and father (Moon Sung-geun).

One rainy evening, Jin-seok sees Yoo-seok being thrown into a van by a group of men.

After 19 days, Yoo-seok returns home but he doesn’t remember anything from his disappearance.

Jin-seok though notices enough changes in his older brother’s personality and behavior that he begins to suspect that the person who has returned is not Yoo-seok.

What if the one who lost his memories is Jin-seok and not Yoo-seok? And that even his memory fools him of what happened.

The director Jang Hang-jun said he is inspired from a story told to him by a friend whose cousin left home for about a month and returned with a drastic changes in personality.

8.Perfect Number (2012)

Here is another Korean film based on the work of mystery writer Keigo Higashino’s 2005 novel Yogisha X no Kenshin.

Kim Seok-go (Ryoo Seung-bum) is an ordinary high school math teacher who was a brilliant mathematician as a child.

He lives a normal, introverted life which includes a morning exchange with Baek Hwa-sun (Lee Yo-won).

She is a cafe employee with whom he buys lunch from.

When Hwa-sun’s ex-husband mercilessly beats Hwa-sun and her niece, Hwa-sun kills him.

Meanwhile, Seok-go overhears the fight from his house next door and decides to cover up the killing and protect her from the police.

He uses his genius in meticulously planning the perfect alibi for her, and thanks to his efforts, Hwa-sun is cleared in the case.

But is she completely cleared from the murder?

Watch the trailer here.

9.Blood Rain (2005)

This Korean mystery movie is set in 1808, touching on historical discrimination against the Roman Catholics during the Joseon dynasty.

On Donghwa Island, there is technologically advanced paper mill allowing its townspeople a certain degree of wealth.

Suddenly, this peaceful and isolated island is shaken by a string of gruesome murders.

Even more, the victims were killed the most sadistic way.

With the killer still on the loose, the government sends in special investigator Wonkyu (Cha Seung-won) to crack the case.

His investigation leads him to an incident that takes place seven years earlier, in which the former owner of the paper mill was executed for practicing Catholicism.

In the meantime, the residents are convinced that the dead man’s is back for revenge.

Can the ghost of a dead man bring so much trouble into the land of the living?

10.Intruder (2020)

After the lost of his wife in a hit and run accident, architect Kang Seo-jin (Kim Mu-yeol) is a mess.

He is struggles to manage his work and taking care of his daughter as well as finding the driver who kills his wife.

One day, he receives a call from an orphanage claiming that his long lost sister was found.

Kang Yoo-jin (Song Ji-hyo) was abducted 25 years ago and now she finally comes home.

Soon, Yoo-jin gets close to the whole family including with Seo-jin’s daughter who follows everything her aunt tells her to do.

After a series on incident, Seo-jin begins to realise that Yoo-jin might not be his sister but an intruder.

Although the film was originally scheduled for a release in March 2020, its premiere was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After its premiere on June 5, it breaks the records of highest number of first-day moviegoers achieved by any film in South Korea since the pandemic.

Watch the trailer here.

Korean mystery movie
Watch Song Ji-hyo’s unbelievable acting in this Korean mystery movie called Intruder (2020). Credit: Youtube.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 10 juicy Korean dramas about adultery to watch

Published on

Do you know that committing adultery was a crime up until a few years ago in South Korea?

This law was overturned in 2015 by South Korea’s Constitutional Court.

The court ruled that one’s sex life was private and it was the right of an individual ‘to pursue happiness’.

Before that, anyone who cheated on their spouse could be charged and if convicted, could spend up to two years in prison.

In Korean drama-land, having the main characters as cheaters or being cheated on is a juicy, salacious plot idea.

And viewers actually enjoy these blood-boiling dramas circling around adultery.

So here are KajoMag’s favourite Korean dramas about adultery that you should watch:

1.World of the Married (2020)

Korean drama about adultery 2 1
Would you kill your spouse for committing adultery? Credits: Youtube

This list of dramas about adultery can never be complete without World of the Married (2020).

It created so much hype and invoked so much hatred that the actress who played as the mistress in the drama received hateful comments on her Instagram.

Some viewers could not even differentiate between reality and fantasy in this drama because that is how good the acting was.

Based on BBC One’s drama series Doctor Foster, it tells the story of a married couple whose betrayal leads to a back-and-forth revenge.

To date, it is the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history.

The story focuses on Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae), a respected doctor and the associate director of a hospital.

She has been married to Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon) for more than a decade.

Tae-oh works as a struggling film director who is feeling insecure and inferior for having a successful wife.

So what does an insecure man do? They got into affairs with much younger women who think highly of them.

Tae-oh’s mistress Han So-hee (Yeo Da-kyung) is the only child of rich parents and used to getting what she wants.

And of all the things she could have, she wants another woman’s husband.

While most viewers are drawn to the juicy revenge and scandalous plots of this drama, the story’s actual message the impact of divorce on children.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Secret Affair (2014)

Oh yes, you can tell this drama is about adultery and infidelity based on the title itself.

While Kim Hee-ae gets cheated on in World of the Married (2020), here is Secret Affair (2014) where she does all the cheating as Oh Hye-won.

At the age 40, she seems like a woman who is living a fulfilling life. She carries herself elegantly and full of sophistication as the director of planning for the Seohan Arts Foundation.

One day, she comes across Lee Sun-jae (Yoo Ah-in). A genius pianist, Sun-jae is 20 years Hye-won’s junior.

They begin a scandalous, passionate affair together which they have to keep as a secret no matter what.

3.VIP (2019)

Jung-sun (Jang Na-ra) comes from an affluent family and graduated from a prestigious university. She lands a high-level job at Sung Un Department Store without much difficulty.

Her work as the department store’s VIP management team is to serve their top one percent of customers who are special VIPs and VVIPs.

Her husband Park Seong-joon (Lee Sang-yoon) is her team leader at work.

One day, she receives an anonymous text telling her about Seong-joon’s adultery.

Jeong-soon begins to dig up the truth about her husband and ends up finding out more than she can bargain for.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Temptation of Wife (2008)

In this revenge thriller drama, the husband Jung Kyo-bin (Byeon Woo-min) is a world-class jackass.

He cheats on his wife Goo Eun-jae (Jang Seo-hee), divorces her, forces her to abort their baby and leaves her to die.

Eun-jae then suddenly makes a surprise comeback from the dead showing up with a complete different attitude, a mole and brand new identity as So-hee.

Due to this, the drama gained much criticism when nobody seemed to recognise Eun-jae just by virtue of a single mole on her cheek.

Ridiculous? Maybe. The drama, however, remains one of the most viewed dramas of all time. It even had two remakes in China and the Philippines.

5.I Have a Lover (2015)

Speaking of two people who look alike, I Have a Lover (2015) is about a pair of twins Hae-kang and Yong-ki (Kim Hyun-joo) who were separated 30 years ago.

Hae-kang is living her life as an ambitious and successful lawyer with her husband Choi Jin-eon (Ji Jin-hee).

After they lose their daughter, their marriage is pretty much loveless and dysfunctional.

Jin-eon goes on to start an affair with a younger girl Seol-ri (Park Han-byul). Later on, the couple divorces.

Hae-kang gets into a mysterious car accident and loses her memory. Baek-seok (Lee Kyu-han) mistaking Hae-kang as Yong-gi and saves her life.

From there, Hae-kang continues her life believing herself to be Yong-gi and falls in love with Bae-seok.

But what happen when her adulterous former husband shows up? Will she falls for him all over again?

6.My Wife’s Having An Affair This Week (2016)

Also known as Listen to Love, this Korean drama is based on the 2007 Japanese series by the same title.

What if you find you find out your wife is having an affair? Who do you turn to?

Hyun-woo (Lee Sun-kyun) fell in love with Soo-yeon (Song Ji-hyo) when they were in college.

After eight years of marriage, he thought he had the perfect family. His wife is beautiful and devoted to their son.

His world comes crashing down on him when he sees a hotel reservation message sent by a male stranger on Soo-yeon’s phone.

At first, he does not think much about it. However, Hyun-woo slowly start to realise that his wife is having an affair.

He starts to question everything in his life including how he is like as a husband and father. To seek advice, he begins to talk to strangers online to figure out how to save his marriage.

7.My Husband’s Woman (2007)

Before Kim Hee-ae played the dutiful wife in World of the Married (2020), she was the mistress Hwa-young in My Husband’s Woman (2007).

After graduating from college, she meets a Korean-American man whom she later marries. She then moved to the US to live with her husband.

Years of marriage, Hwa-young and her husband are unable to conceive. Later due to a failed business, her husband falls into deep depression and commits suicide.

After the loss of her husband Hwa-young returns to South Korea.

There, her best friend Ji-soo (Bae Chong-ok) helps her build a new life.

She also meets Joon-pyo (Kim Sang-joong), Ji-soo’s husband.

So how does Hwa-young repay her best-friend’s kindness after all she has done? She falls in love with Joon-pyo and starts an affair with him.

In the meantime, Ji-soo eventually finds out and the psychological warfare begins.

8.Misty (2018)

Twisted, intense and a very intriguing whodunnit storyline; Misty (2018) marks Kim Nam-joo’s return to the small screen after six years.

She plays the role of Go Hye-ran, an ambitious anchorwoman for the popular news show News 9.

One day, she needs to interview a famous golfer named Kevin. As it turns out, the man is her former lover.

The sexual tension between them is high and both of them have various rendezvous together. It should not been a problem if they both were not married.

Hye-ran’s husband is Kang Tae-wook (Ji Jin-hee), a public defender whom she married for his powerful family background.

Kevin is married to Hye-ran’s friend from school Eun-joo (Jeon Hye-jin). The affair turns deadly as Kevin is found dead and Hye-ran is the prime suspect.

For some unknown reason, Hye-ran’s estranged husband steps in to be her lawyer. Is it out of love and their marriage or is there something else going on?

The first four episodes are rated 19 by the Korea Communications Commission due to violence and sexual content so you know things are steamy in the beginning.

Watch the trailer here.

9.Woman of Dignity (2017)

What is worse than a woman who is proud of ruining someone else’s marriage? A mother who encourages her daughter to do so.

Woo Ah-jin (Kim Hee-sun) is an elegant and charismatic woman who marries into a rich family.

Thanks to her character and wisdom, she gains the favour of her father-in-law and a president of a multi-millionaire company.

Ah-jin is entrusted to find a caregiver for her father-in-law. She find Bok-ja (Kim Sun-ah) whom she thought was a simple woman from the village.

Things turn upside down in that household when Bok-ja manages to convince the president to transfer his money and company to her.

Making it worse for Ah-jin, she finds out her husband is cheating on her.

The story continues with Ah-jin trying to gain back her father-in-law’s wealth as well as making the unapologetic mistress and husband pay for their betrayals.

10.The Hymn of Death (2018)

Here is a Korean drama based on a real-life adultery.

Yun Sim-deok (1897-1926) is Korea’s first professional soprano. In 1921, she met Kim U-jin, an English literature student.

They both fell in love with each other but there are two problems, U-jin is married and divorce is out of the question.

Starring Lee Jong-suk and Shin Hye-sun, the drama is based on the real-life romance of U-jin and Sim-deok.

Since it is based on true story, viewers who know the story beforehand can already predict the ending.

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 9