Browse Tag

KajoPicks - Page 7

KajoPicks: 5 Asian pandemic movies you should watch

Published on

On March 11, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

This was after there were over 118,000 cases of the coronavirus illness in over 110 countries.

WHO defines a pandemic as the worldwide spread of a new disease. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges and spreads around the world and most people do not have immunity.

Looking at the past, the viruses that have caused past pandemics originated from animal influenza viruses.

Pandemics have been an inspiration for many disaster movies out there. One of the popular ones is Hollywood movie Contagion (2011).

The real-life epidemics such as the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak and the 2009 flu pandemic have been inspirations and influences in Contagion.

Meanwhile, the chain of contagion in the movie is similar to the trail of Nipah virus that originated in Malaysia in 1997.

Another Hollywood movie that went viral during this Covid-19 virus pandemic was Outbreak (1995).

The movie’s screenwriter, Scott Z. Burns actually conducted months of in-depth research studying pandemics.

Besides that, he recruited several well-established epidemiologists to develop a realistic plot.

The result? A medical disaster film focusing on an outbreak of a fictional Ebola-like Motaba virus.

It also speculates how far military and civilian agencies might go to contain the spread of a deadly and contagious disease.

If you are looking for Asian pandemic movies, check out this list:

virus 4928021 1280

1.The Flu (2013)

This Korean pandemic movie explores the realistic response of humankind in the face of a pandemic.

The main character Kim In-hae (Soo Ae) is a single mother who works as a doctor in the infectious diseases.

When there is an outbreak of a mutated strain of H5N1 that kills its victims within 36 hours, the district of Bundang which has a population of nearly half a million people goes into chaos.

It also explores the worst case scenarios of what happens when rumours and fake news spread during a pandemic.

At the same time, The Flu also showcases how the lack of competency in governance could worsen the situation.

While most outbreaks start from an animal, the fictional outbreak in this movie derived from a group of illegal immigrants who died in a shipping container.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Infection (2004)

When a disaster movie meets a horror film, we have ourselves a Japanese flick called Infection (2004).

It was adapted from director Masayuki Ochiai’s earlier screenplay from the Tales of the Unusual.

Infection (2014) is set at a run-down and understaffed hospital.

When a patient with a strange black rash shows up, Dr Akiba (Koichi Sato) refuses to admit him.

The patient is left in the hallway. Then Dr Kiyoshi Akai (Shiro Sano) comes along to study his symptoms.

Things get creepy when that patient’s body mass starts to liquefy into green goo.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Pandemic (2009)

When the Covid-19 virus first started to break out in China, the doctors there dismissed it as pneumonia.

In this Japanese pandemic movie, Dr Tsuyoshi Matsuoka (Satoshi Tsumabuki) misdiagnoses a patient’s disease as a common flu.

Only after the patient’s sudden death, then he realises the disease is way more serious than he initially thought.

When he finds out that the newfound disease could possibly make a population extinct, Dr Tsuyoshi tries to find the cause of it.

4.Virus (2019)

Set against the backdrop of the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, this Indian medical thriller was a major box office success.

It follows a man named Zakariya Mohammed who is infected and is brought to the Government Medical College, Kozhikode.

There he is diagnosed to be infected with an unknown virus and dies a few hours later.

Before he dies, Zakariya passes on the virus to 18 other people.

Critics mostly sung praise of this movie, saying it “a well-crafted movie,” and a compassionate, gripping medical thriller.”

Watch the trailer here.

5.Deranged (2012)

What could be the reason for people to jump into a river in a strange epidemic of drownings?

Jae Hyuk (Kim Myung-min) has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and is a former professor.

Now, he works as a pharmaceutical sales representative after losing his life savings in bad stock investments arranged by his brother, police detective Jae Pil (Kim Dong-wan).

Suddenly, the country is in shock as a series of dead bodies are found floating in the Han River.

Jae Hyuk is caught up in a wave of fear that grips the country after a series of dead bodies are found floating in the Han River.

Subsequently, it is found that the deaths are caused by an outbreak of virus-infected mutant parasitic horsehair worms known as yeongasi.

Once the worms infect the human brain, the infected people start to develop excessive hunger that turns to excessive thirst.

This results In the patient jumping into the river to quench their thirst.

When Jae Hyuk’s own family starts to exhibit symptoms of the infection, can he or Jae Pil save them?

Basically, Deranged (2012) plays around the conspiracy theory of what if the pharmaceutical industry purposely create a pandemic in order to gain profits.

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 10 movies inspired by the Korean war to watch

Published on

The Korean war began on June 25, 1950 when about 75,000 North Korean soldiers headed south to begin their invasion on South Korea.

The invasion was the first military action of the Cold War.

North Korea had its support from China and the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the United Nations, principally the United States, was supporting South Korea.

Overall, the Korean War was among the most destructive conflicts of the modern era. It was estimated about three million people died and that there were massacres by both sides.

The North Koreans were accused of torturing and starving their prisoners of war (POW). North Korea also became among the most heavily-bombed countries in history.

In popular culture, the Korean War has beenthe source of inspiration for many movies, especially by South Korea. As expected, the course of events in these movies have been heavily disputed by North Korea.

Here are 10 South Korean movies inspired by the Korean war to watch:

Korean war movie 3
The Battle of Jangsari (2019). Credits: Youtube.

1.The Last Witness (2001)

The movie follows Hwang-seok (Ahn Sung-ki), a political prisoner who is released after 50 years of solitary confinement. He is imprisoned as a communist sympathiser in the Korean war.

A day after he is released, a body with stab wounds is found near a harbour. Detective Oh (Lee Jung-jae) investigates the death and finds the deceased is named Yang, a former soldier.

Following the evidence, the detective comes across a blind antique dealer named Ji-hye.

As it turns out the murder victim Yang was responsible for the imprisonment of Hwang-seok.

This makes Hwang-seok a suspect for Yang’s murder. The plot unravels with a series of flashbacks to the Korean War and the infamous Geoje POW Camp.

Located on Geoje island, the camp was a UN POW camp which held North Korean and Chinese prisoners.

So what happened at the camp which connects with Yang’s murder?

Watch the trailer here.

2.Taegukgi (2004)

Directed by highly-acclaimed director Kang Je-gyu, this wartime action film stars Jang Dong-gun and Won Bin.

It explorers the story of what happens when two brothers fight each other from opposite sides of the war zone.

Brothers Jin-tae (Jang Dong-gun) and Jin-seok (Won Bin) are unwillingly drafted into the South Korean army during the Korean War.

A superior tellS Jin-tae if he can earn the highest award for a South Korean soldier, his younger brother can be sent home.

His heroism during the urban Battle of Pyongyang (Oct 17-19, 1950) when the UN forces recaptured Seoul finally earns Jin-tae’s nomination for the medal.

As things sometimes don’t turn the way we planned, both in movies and in real life, the brothers somehow have to face each other in a battle field.

This tragic war film is one of biggest successes in the South Korean film history, attracting up to 11.74 million people to the theatre.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005)

Tucked away on a remote mountain and untouched by the ongoing Korean War, there is a village called Dongmakgol.

In a twisted fate, three fighting forces come together in that village.

First is a US fighter pilot whose plane crashed in the mountains, then there are three retreating North Korean soldiers and two lost South Korean soldiers.

When the North and South Korean soldiers want to fight against each other, the villagers of Dongmakgol have them agree to a temporary truce.

After a grenade destroys the village’s food storage, the soldiers decide to stay and help the villagers.

Meanwhile, the US believesthere is a major North Korean military presence in the village area and plan an air strike.

In order to spare the village from being destroyed, the soldiers decide to work together to divert the attack.

The movie is actually based on the same-titled long-running stage play by Jang Jin. Although it was director Park Kwang-hyun’s debut film, the film was a commercial and critical success.

Moreover, it was South Korea’s official entry for the foreign language film category of the Academy Awards in 2005.

Watch the trailer here.

4.A Little Pond (2009)

Noguen-ri (also known as No Gun Ri) is a village in North Chungcheong Province in central South Korea.

It is the closest site of the No Gun Ri massacre which took place during the Korean War.

The massacre saw the US military kill South Korean civilians who were fleeing their nearby villages.

A South Korean government committee in 2005 certified the names of 163 dead and missing and 55 wounded with many other victims that were never reported.

After reading the Korean translation of The Bridge of No Gun Ri by Associated Press journalists, executive producer Lee Eun of Myung Films was determined to tell the story on the screen.

Because the story is controversial, not many investors wanted to invest into the films. Many of the cast and crew involved in the movie did it pro bono with some even bringing their family members to play the roles of villagers.

5.71: Into the Fire (2010)

From June 1950 to March 1951, students were recruited to fight for South Korea during the Korean War. They called them student soldiers.

These students volunteered or were conscripted in the Republic of Korea Army as emergency troops to fight against the North Korea.

71: Into the Fire is based on a true-story of a group of 71 student soldiers during the Battle of P’ohang-dong on Aug 11, 1950.

Despite being undertrained, underarmed and outgunned by the North Korean forces, they managed to defend the local P’ohang girls’ middle school.

In the end, 48 of the student soldiers died defending the school. Directed by John H. Lee, the movie stars Cha Seong-won, Choi Seung-hyun and Kim Seung-woo.

The film was made in commemoration of those who fought during the Korean War. Moreover, the movie is to raise awareness of the existence and importance of the student soldiers at that time.

Watch the trailer here.

6.In Love and War (2011)

Inspired by the a true story of her grandmother, screenwriter Bae Se-young decided to write the movie In Love and War (2011).

A group of North Korean soldiers stayed for a couple of days at the grandmother’s home because her father was the village leader). Touched by the villagers’ hospitality, one young soldier said that he wanted to stay.

This movie, however, follows a group of North Korean soldiers who enter a small South Korean village who come to “liberate” them.

In fact, the troop’s officer actually wants to find the charming young girl he met 12 years ago when Korea was one country.

As the villagers offer them heartfelt hospitality, strong friendship forms between the soldiers and the villagers.

7.The Front Line (2011)

Set during the 1953 ceasefire of the Korean War, this movies follows the final battle in determining the border between north and south Korean peninsular.

On the Eastern front line of the Aerok Hills, the fight continues in securing a small piece of land.

Those who have watched this movie would agree; there is no villain in The Front Line (2011). Both sides are as guilty and ruthless as the other.

Moreover, there are scenes of camaraderie from both sides as well.

Like any other war films, this movie depicts the horror and sadness of wars whereby there is no “winning” side. When a war breaks, both sides are already losing as both suffer losses and casualties.

The movie stars Shin Ha-kyun, Go Soo and Lee Je-hoon. It was selected as South Korea’s submission to the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. However, it did not make the final shortlist.

Watch the trailer here.

8.The Long Way Home (2015)

Set three days before a truce takes place during the Korean War, here is another about the unlikely friendship between North and South Korea.

It follows Nam-bok (Sol Kyung-gu), a simple farmer before his conscription into the army.

He then receives an order to deliver a top secret document but an attack by the North Korean army leads him to lose the document.

In the meantime, Young-gawang (Yeo Jin-goo) is a teenage North Korean soldier. While his team is heading to the South, they are bombed and he is the only one left.

As he is about to return home, he comes across a top secret document.

What happen to both of them when their paths cross?

Watch the trailer here.

9.Operation Chromite (2016)

Here, Liam Neeson plays American General Douglas MacArthur who sends eight members of the Korean Liaison Office on a secret mission behind North Korean lines.

The team is led by a South Korean Navy Lieutenant Jang Hak-soo (Lee Jung-jae). They are tasked to carry out a covert operation called Operation “X-ray”.

Their mission is to determine the placement of North Korean defenses (such as mines and artillery) and the tactical characteristics of the Incheon harbour.

The success of the mission will allow MacArthur to launch the Incheon Landing Operation.

The event in the movie is a fictionalised version of the real-life CIA and US military intelligence operation “Trudy Jackson”.

Watch the trailer here.

10.The Battle of Jangsari (2019)

Starring Kim Myung-min and Choi Min-ho, this movie is the second installment in a trilogy following Operation Chromite (2016).

It tells the true story of a group of 772 student soldiers who staged a small diversionary operation at Jangsari beach in Yeongdeok village.

By doing so, they hope to distract North Korean attention from Incheon where the Incheon Landing Operation is about to take place.

Meanwhile, an American reporter and war correspondent Maggie (Megan Fox) who covers the Korean War is trying to to get help from the international community.

Help is definitely needed as the student soldiers struggle to accomplish their mission due to lack of proper training, weapons and food supplies.

The fictional character Maggie is actually based on American war correspondent Marguerite Higgins and photographer Margaret Bourke-White. Both Higgins and Bourke-White were covering the Korean War for New York Herald Tribune and Life respectively.

One critic said the film started out as something like Saving Private Ryan and ended up on the same lines as Pearl Harbour.

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

#KajoPicks: 10 Korean action dramas you must watch

Published on

If you are looking for Korean action dramas to watch, here are 10 of KajoMag’s favourites:

1.Criminal Minds (2017)

Inspired by the American television series Criminal Minds, this Korean action drama stars Lee Joon-gi, Son Hyun-joo, Moon Chae-won, Yoo Sun and Lee Sun-bin.

It follows a group of highly trained profilers in the fictional National Criminal Investigation (NCI Team).

How much action can you expect from this series? Well, first of all it stars Lee Joon-gi who is widely known as for his skills in martial arts.

In this drama, he plays Kim Hyun-joon, a character equivalent to Derek Morgan portrayed by Shemar Moore.

Meanwhile, Son Hyun-joo plays Kang Ki-hyung, the equivalent of Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson).

For those who love Emily Prentiss, don’t worry, Ha Sun-woo (Moon Chae-won) will play the equivalent of this character.

The freakishly ageless JJ or Jennifer Jareau is portrayed by, the Korean remake has Lee Sun-bin as Yoo Min-young.

The team’s genius is Lee Han (Go Yoon) who is similar to Spencer Reid in the American series.

Just like how the American version Criminal Minds cannot live without its Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), this Korean version has its equivalent character named Nana Hwang (Yoo Sun).

If the crime cases feels familiar, that is because they have been adopted by from the American series.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Two Weeks (2013)

In this Korean action drama, Lee Joon-gi uses his martial art skills to play a small-time gangster Jang Tae-san.

Eight years after going to prison to take the fall for his gang boss, Tae-san is now running a small pawnshop.

One day, his former lover shows up telling that their daughter has been diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant.

Tae-san sees it as an opportunity for him to do something good in his criminal life.

However, things get hard for him when he is framed for the murder of an undercover agent.

While being transported in the police car, it gets into an accident. Tae-san takes the opportunity to escape.

Now, he has to run away from the police and an assassin who is being hired to kill him. Tae-san needs to stay alive and prove his innocence before the bone marrow transplant surgery in two weeks time.

Watch the trailer here.

3.The K2 (2016)

The main character of this Korean action drama is Kim Je-ha (Ji Chang-wook). He is a former military operative stationed in Iraq until he returns to South Korea after being framed for the murder of his lover.

When his skills get noticed by Choi Yoo-jin, Je-ha is hired to work for security agency JSS Security under the codename K2.

His first task? To guard Go Anna (Im Yoon-ah) who is the secret illegitimate daughter of Choi Yoo-jin’s husband, Jang Se-joon.

Je-ha and Anna slowly develop feelings toward each other.

Anna might be the main female character but Song Yoon-ah’s portrayal as Choi Yoo-jin is really convincing.

She is ambitious and ruthless in her plan to have her husband become the President of South Korea so that she can become the First Lady.

During the press conference for the drama, Chang-wook said that The K2 would be his last action drama.

He said, “Among all the projects I have done so far, this was by far the hardest. It was so hard it made me resolve to never do another action drama.”

“I worked out so much for this drama. I practiced a lot of martial arts at action school, and because my character is a former mercenary, I wanted to build muscle too, for a masculine look.”

So if you want to watch a shirtless Chang-wook and him fighting bad guys for the last time, this drama is definitely worth-watching.

4.Healer (2014)

Before Chang-wook starred in The K2, he was in another Korean action drama called Healer (2014).

In this drama, he plays the role of an illegal night courier named Seo Jung-hoo who works under the alias “Healer”.

His goal is to save enough money to buy an uninhabited island off the coast of Panama and to live there alone. It is like every introvert’s dream.

Things change for him when he receives an order to find and protect a girl named Young-shin from being killed.

Viewers can expect it is one of those Korean action dramas in which male lead falls in love with the person he supposed to protect.

In an interview back in 2015, Chang-wook admitted that the action scenes in Healer truly challenged his mental strength.

He said, “Honestly, it is scary. Before jumping off high places, various thoughts run through my mind. What if the cord snaps or how much would I get hurt if I fell down.”

At the same time, he was thankful for his stunt double for the action scenes.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Heartless City (2013)

Yoon Soo-min (Nam Gyu-ri) grew up in an orphanage with Lee Kyung-mi where they treat each other like real sisters.

When Kyung-mi is murdered while undercover, Yoon Soo-min (Nam Gyu-ri) is driven to pick up when she has left.

While searching for Kyung-mi’s murderer in the criminal world, Soo-min falls for the drug lord Jung Shi-hyun (Jung Kyung-ho).

Not a good idea for a undercover agent especially when Shi-hyun is a suspect in Kyung-mi’s murder.

Watch the trailer here.

6.City Hunter (2011)

Want a story that lives by the motto “revenge is a dish best served cold”?

Based on the Japanese manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo, City Hunter (2011) starts with a real-life event called the Rangoon bombing. It took place on Oct 9, 1983 when there was an assassination attempt against the fifth president of South Korea Chun Doo-hwan.

In the actual Rangoon incident, the president survived while 21 were killed, and 46 injured. Three with links to North Korea were hunted down and arrested in connection.

The events that happen in this Korean action drama are fictionalised events following the bombing.

In retaliation for the loss during the bombing, five high ranking South Korean officials plan a covert operation to go into North Korea and kill North Korean agents without the president’s knowledge.

Bodyguards Lee Jin-Pyo and Park Moo-Yul are instructed to gather men to take part in the dangerous mission.

The men are dropped near the North Korean coastline to enter North Korea to carry out their assassinations and are told that a submarine will be waiting for them to take them back to South Korea when they’re done.

So how many ways can you screw up this operation? The five high ranking South Korean public officers, who initiated the covert operation, change their minds while the operation is taking place.

They decide to give up on the 21 special force members taking part in the covert operation.

So when the special force members complete their tasks, they swim into the ocean looking for the submarine to take them back to South Korea.

They spot the submarine waiting for them and attempt to board the submarine.

Instead, a sniper on the submarine kills all of the special forces members except Lee Jin-Pyo – who survives and swims back to South Korea.

Jin-pyo kidnaps Moo-Yul’s baby and raises the baby Lee Yun-seong (Lee Min-ho) in Thailand while training him into an elite soldier.

After many years, he returns to South Korea to avenge his father’s death.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Bad Guys (2014)

This is the Korean version of The Suicide Squad.

When there is a rising number of violent crimes in the area, Detective Oh Gu-tak (Kim Sang-joong) decides to release three convicts from jail to form his crime-fighting team.

In the team, there is Lee Jung-moon (Park Hae-jin), the youngest member of Mensa with a genius IQ of 165 and doctorate degrees in math and philosophy.

But behind his boyish look, Jung-moon is in fact a psychopathic serial killer.

Then there is Pak Un-cheol (Ma Dong-seok), a mob boss who made his way to the top gangster chain in 25 days and is a top dog in prison.

The final member is Jung Tae-soo. He is once a hired hit man who never made a single mistake (in his career as an assassin) but suddenly turns himself in one day.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Last (2015)

Based on the webtoon of the same name by Kang Hyung-kyu, this Korean action drama stars Yoon Kye-sang and Lee Beom-soo.

Kye-sang plays Jang Tae-ho, a successful fund manager. Things turn upside down for him when a seemingly fool-proof financial deal goes horribly wrong, leading to a loss of 35 billion won and his business partner’s death.

While running from loan sharks, he discovers a secret society of homeless people living inside Seoul Station.

Tae-ho is determined to get his life back by finding out what went wrong with his financial deal.

9.Vagabond (2019)

Directed by Yoo In-sik, Vagabond (2019) is one of the highest rated dramas in 2019.

The plot follows the events after a mysterious plane crash kills over 211 civilians including Cha Dal-gun’s (Lee Seung-gi) nephew.

However, his investigation to search for the truth leads him to cases of corruption. That is when he meets Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy), a covert operative for the National Intelligence Service.

Most actors would go to an action school before starring in any Korean action dramas including Seung-gi and Suzy.

Speaking about the action scenes in the drama, the director revealed in an interview, “All the actors really went through a lot. The martial arts team took on the role of action coordinator. Dangerous stunts were done by stunt doubles. And the less dangerous ones were done by the actual actors themselves. But the scene in which the main character jumps off a building and the scene in which he is hanging off a car were actually done by Lee Seung-gi himself.”

Watch the trailer here.

Korean action dramas
Vagabond, one of the must-watch Korean action dramas.

10.Iris (2009)

We cannot talk about Korean action dramas without mentioning Iris (2009). It has a reported budget of over 20 billion won. This makes it one of the most expensive Korean dramas to make.

The drama follows two elite National Security System (NSS) agents, Hyun-jun (Lee Byung-hun) and Sa-woo (Jeong Jun-ho) falling for fellow agent Seung-hee (Kim Tae-hee).

Hyun-jun is sent on a solo mission to Hungary where he is betrayed by another fellow agent. Seung-hee comes to his rescue but they both are involved in a car explosion.

In the midst of the chaos, they both got separated and are misled to believe that other person is dead.

Meanwhile, Hyun-jun is saved by an unknown voice and from there he learns about the secret society of “IRIS”.

One year later, Hyun-jun returns to South Korea to seek revenge. During this time, the Korean peninsular is set to reunify.

In the same time, the group “IRIS” is going all the way to stop the reunification.

Watch the trailer here.

Do you have any other Korean action dramas that should be on this list? Let us know in the comment box.

You might be interested in

Top 18 Hollywood movies to watch in 2020

Published on

Following KajoMag’s past new year tradition, we are coming up with our top 18 Hollywood movie to watch this 2020.

Before we get down to our list, we have to warn you that our list is full of sequels and remakes.

Here our Top 18 Hollywood movies to watch in the year 2020:

1.Bad Boys For Life (January 17, 2020)

As much as we are looking forward to this third and final installment in the Bad Boys trilogy, we are a little worried about how it might turn out as the original director Michael Bay is no longer on board.

Looking on the bright side, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back to reprise their roles as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett respectively.

They both reunite in this movie when a mob boss, whose brother they defeated years ago, sets on revenge against them.

2.Birds of Prey (February 7, 2020)

This superhero movie follows Harley Quinn as she joins forces with Black Canary, Helena Bertinelli and Ranee Montoya to save Cassandra Cain from Gotham City crime lord Black Mask.

After the events of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn left the Joker and became a vigilante.

When Black Mask places a hit on a young girl named Cassandra Cain, criminals in Gotham City turn the city upside down to look for her. And that is when Harley Quinn comes in to rescue the day.

3.A Quiet Place: Part II (March 20, 2020)

Paramount Pictures released this for the synopsis, “Following the deadly events at home, the Abbot family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realise that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.”

This sequel is written and directed by John Krasinki with Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe reprising their roles.

4.Mulan (March 27, 2020)

So what if there is no Mushu in this live action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 animated film of the same name? The original folklore “The Ballad of Mulan” which the movie is based on in the first place also did not have Mushu.

We are just thankful that Disney did not white-wash the movie as it boasts a host of heavyweight Chinese actors like Donny Yen, Jet Li, Gong Li besides its lead, Liu Yifei as Mulan.

5.No Time To Die (April 2020)

In this 25th installment of the James Bond Series, No Time To Die will have the world’s famous spy being forced out of retirement.

Daniel Craig as Bond retires to Jamaica after the events of Spectre. His retirement did not last long as Felix Leiter, his friend/CIA officer asks his help to look for a missing scientist.

Craig himself confirmed that this would be his final appearance as Bond.

6.The New Mutants (April 3, 2020)

Based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, this is an upcoming horror film in the superhero genre.

It circles around a group of young mutants held in a secret facility fight to save themselves.

So how many who are the main mutants in the movie? We have Illyana Rasputin/Magik who uses teleportation discs to travel, Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane who is able to turn into a wolf.

Additionally, there is Sam Guthrie/ Cannonball who can propel himself into the air and is invulnerable while doing so and Roberto da Costa/Sunspot who can manipulate solar energy.

7.Black Widow (May 1, 2020)

We all know that Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff died in the last Avengers movie, so what’s with this solo film?

This movie follows the Black Widow confronting her past following the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016).

However, what we all need to ask is how will this movie fit in with the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe?

8.Fast & Furious 9 (May 22, 2020)

Will there be enough Fast & Furious movies for the world to watch? Apparently not. This ninth installment of the movie will be starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron and Michael Rooker.

If you haven’t seen the trailer, that is because it will be released on Jan 31, 2020.

9.Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5, 2020)

After watching 2017’s amazing Wonder Woman movie (twice!), we really hoped there would be a sequel.

Thankfully our prayers were answered with Gal Gadot and Chris Pine returning to their roles and Patty Jenkins coming back as the director.

We have so many questions after watching Wonder Woman 1984’s trailer that we can’t wait to have them answered.

For now all we know is that Diana will be facing Maxwell Lord (played by Pedro Pascal of The Mandalorian and GOT fame) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) in this sequel.

10.Top Gun: Maverick (June 26, 2020)

How long does it take to have a sequel for an iconic movie? For Top Gun (1986), apparently it takes more than 30 years.

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Maverick, now one of the Navy’s top aviators. Even if you belong to the younger generation, we bet that you have heard about Top Gun from your parents or older siblings.

Now this is the year to see what is the buzz about. Will the sequel make so much waves that we will start seeing people rock the Aviator Ray-ban sunglasses again?

11.Ghostbusters: Afterlife (July 10, 2020)

Unlike the 2016 reboot, this movie is the direct sequel to Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989).

The plot goes that after being evicted from their home, two children and their single mother move to a farm in Summerville, Oklahoma inherited from their late grandfather.

The children then discover their family’s link to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy that their grandfather left behind.

12.Tenet (July 17, 2020)

We only have one reason looking forward to watch this movie and that is Christopher Nolan. No other reason but Christopher Nolan.

Directed by Nolan, the movie stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Dimple Kapadia.

The movie circles around a secret agent who is tasked with preventing World War III through time travel.

Nolan and another time travel movie (Think Memento and Interstellar)? Just prepare to crunch your brain again.

13.Jungle Cruise (July 24, 2020)

Based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name, Jungle Cruise is an adventure movie set during the early 20th century.

The story starts with a riverboat captain named Frank who takes a scientist and her brother on a mission into a jungle to find the Tree of Life which they believe possesses healing powers.

Their obstacles? Dangerous wild animals and a competing German expedition.

14.Morbius (July 31, 2020)

A lot of people were saying Jared Leto failed as the Joker in Suicide Squad (2016), will he fail again as Michael Morbius?

After trading DC Comics for Marvel, Leto in this movie plays a scientist suffering from a rare blood disease who attempts to cure himself.

Morbius will be the second film in Sony’s Marvel Universe after Venom.

15.The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (September 11, 2020)

Movies to watch in 2020 1

Some said the title of this third The Conjuring movie sounds like a comedic parody of the film and we kinda agree.

Unfortunately director James Wan could not return to direct the movie due to other work commitments, but he is co-producing it.

The Curse of La Llorona director Michael Chaves sits on the director’s chair for this one with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprising their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Instead of a haunted house, the couple turn their focus on a man on trial for murder who claimed he was possessed.

16.Venom 2 (October 2, 2020)

With Woody Harrelson making a brief appearance as the supervillain Cletus Kasady at the end of the first film, we knew that there would be a potential sequel.

Tom Hardy is confirmed to reprise his role as Eddie Brock/Venom, an investigative journalist who is the host of an alien symbiote.

Expect another sequel of this movie as Hardy had already confirmed to star in a third Venom movie.

17.The Eternals (November 6, 2020)

When you think Hollywood had already got over superheroes movies, here comes the 25th film in the MCU.

It is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name.

The movie follows the Eternals, an immortal alien race created by the Celestials, protect humanity from their evil counterparts called the Deviants.

Previously in MCU movies, the Celestials actually are the ones who utilized the Infinity Stones as a means of power against lesser life forms.

Memorably in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, Peter Quill aka Star-Lord’s father is actually a Celestial.

18.Godzilla versus Kong (November 20, 2020)

This is not the first time Godzilla encounters King Kong in a battle; it happened before in a Japanese movie way back in 1962.

Besides, this will be the fourth Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio.

What happen to Earth and humankind when these two legendary monsters collide in a battle?

You might be interested in

8 must-watch movies inspired by the Korean Independence Movement

Published on

The Korean Independence Movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan.

One of the earliest public displays of the resistance took place on March 1, 1919, widely known as The March 1st Movement.

On that day, 33 activists gathered to read out loud the Korean Declaration of Independence. The event subsequently brought together 2 million Koreans, participating in more than 1,500 demonstrations at various locations.

Historians believe The March 1st Movement provided a catalyst for the Korean Independence Movement.

Many Korean independence activists were executed during the resistance. It was only until the end of World War II that the Koreans gained their independence from the Japanese.

Known as Gwangbokjeol (literally translated as “the day the light returned”), the National Liberation Day of Korea is a public holiday celebrated annually on August 15.

It is notable, as it is the only Korean public holiday celebrated by both North and South Korea.

In North Korea, the day is known as Chogukhaebangui nal or “Liberation of the Fatherland Day”.

Over the years, South Korean movie makers have turned to Korean independence movement for inspiration.

Though they are not 100 per cent historically correct, the movies still manage to educate the younger generations about their history as well as to commemorate the sacrifices made by those before them.

For history buffs out there, here are 8 must-watch movies based on the Korean Independence Movement:
1.The Age of Shadows (2016)

Set in the late 1920s, this movie follows a group of Korean Independence Movement members trying to bring explosives into Shanghai to destroy key Japanese facilities in Seoul.

The key resistance figure is Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo) who uses his antique shop as a front to smuggle these explosives.

Meanwhile, Korean police captain Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho) has been charged by the residing Japanese government with rooting out resistance members as he is known to sell out his own people to gain favour from the Japanese.

After Jung-chool’s former classmate Kim Jang-ok (Park Hee-soon) who is also a resistance fighter dies, he begins to doubts his loyalty to the Japanese.

So a cat and mouse game begins between the resistance fighters and the Japanese agents who are out to get them.

Watch the trailer here.

Korean Independence movement
Gong Yoo as a resistance figher in The Age of Shadows. Credits: Youtube
2.Assassination (2015)

After The March 1st Movement, many Korean resistance fighters were forced into exile in China.

This movie is set in the year 1933. It was when the resistance fighters in China were trying to organise a fight from .

They find that the highest commander of the Japanese army is going to visit Korea. Hence, they plot an assassination attempt.

However, the only sniper capable to do the job is Ahn Ok-yun (Jun Ji-hyun). She is serving her time in Shanghai prison.

Resistance fighter Yem Sek-jin (Lee Jung-jae) is assigned to rescue her from the prison. Little that the rest of the resistance members know that Sek-jin is a mole who secretly reporting to the Japanese.

Watch the trailer here.

3.The Battle: Roar to Victory (2019)

From June 6 to 7, 1920, a confrontation occurred between a Korean independence militia of 1,300 under the command of Hong Beom-do and a Japanese battalion consisting of 500 troops.

The fight is known as the Battle of Fengwudong or Battle of Bongo-dong.

Inspired by this event, the movie centers around resistance fighter Hwang Hae-cheol (Yoo Hae-jin) and his subordinate Byeong-gu (Jo Woo-jin).

Their main operation is to deliver funds to the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai.

During this operation, they reunite with Jang-ha (Rye Jun-yeoul) who has a secret mission.

Jang-ha has been assigned to bait the Japanese forces into Bongo-dong mountains where the battle eventually takes place.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Dongju, the Portrait of Poet (2016)

This film biopic is based on Yun Dong-ju. He was a Korean poet, imprisoned by the Japanese for his involvement in Korean Independence Movement.

Throughout his life, he wrote lyric and resistance poetry. He even chose 19 poems to publish in a collection called “Sky, Wind, Star and Poem”.

However, he was arrested as a communist supporter in 1943 and detained in Kyoto.

The following year, he was sentenced to two years in prison for having participated in the Korean Independence Movement.

Unfortunately, Dong-ju died in imprisonment in February 1945.

His poems were published posthumously and later known as resistance poems of the late occupation period.

In the movie, Kang Ha-neul gives one of his most impressive performances yet as the late poet.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Anarchist from the Colony (2017)

Park Yeol is a self-proclaimed anarchist and revolutionary activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea.

He attended high school in Seoul. However, he was forced to leave in 1919 due to his suspected participation in the March 1st Movement.

Later, he was convicted of high treason in Japan for conspiring an attack against Crown Prince Hirohito.

In the movie, he is portrayed by Lee Je-hoon while his girlfriend Fumiko Kaneko is portrayed by Choi Hee-seo.

Watch the trailer here.

6.A Resistance (2019)

One of the key figures in the March 1st Movement was a woman named Ryu Gwan-sun (also known as Yu Gwansun).

She was the organiser for the peaceful protest in the province of South Chungcheong.

Together with her family, Gwan-sun went door-to-door to encourage the public to join in the Korean Independence Movement.

She was subsequently arrested while her parents were killed by the Japanese military police.

Unfortunately, Gwan-sun died on Sept 28, 1920 from injuries she suffered from torture by the Japanese prison officers.

The movie follows the story of Gwan-sun (Go Ah-sung) as she fights for Korean independence even while in prison.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Mal–Mo–E: The Secret Mission (2019)

When Korea was under Japanese rule, the Korean language was banned in 1938 in favour of the Japanese language.

The movie centers around the real-life members of Korean Language Society who are secretly trying to publish a Korean language dictionary.

Founded in 1908 by Ju Si-gyeong, the society is a hangul and Korean language research group.

In 1942, more than 30 of their members were arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese and two later died in prison.

It stars Yoo Hae-jin as Kim Pan-soo. He is an illiterate who meets representatives of the Korean Language Society. Later, he joins the secret mission to publish the dictionary.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Spirit’s Homecoming (2016)

While this is not exactly a movie based on Korean Independence Movement, it is a film that shines light on the dark side of a Japanese occupied country.

Korean director Cho Jung-rae was so inspired by a painting by Kang Il-chul, he made this movie, dedicating it to all Comfort Women.

Ill-chul was a Comfort Woman, who was abused and forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers especially during World War II.

Set in 1943, the story focuses on Jung-min (Kang Ha-na) who is separated from her family by Japanese soldiers. They were shipped off in wagons for livestock to Manchuria and used as Comfort Women.

Together with Young-hee (Son Sook) and other girls in the brothel, they try to cope with their situations while plotting their escape.

The second part of the movie is how Young-hee lives as an elderly woman who is trying to make peace with her dark past.

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 5 South Korean political movies to watch

Published on

When it comes to political movies, the storylines can often be intense and thought-provoking. Additionally when it comes to its characters, there is usually an idealistic one who does not understand the dirty rules of politics.

Unfortunately, there are not many Asian film industries daring enough to come out with political dramas on their own.

The South Koreans however, have a number of political movies worth paying attention to.

Regardless of where you come from, these Korean political movies portray stories that hit close to home.

So here are five South Korean political movies to watch:
1.1987: When the Day Comes (2017)

A Korean political movie based on a true story? Then it must be on our KajoMag list! Set in 1987, the film centers on the events leading up to the June Democratic Uprising in South Korea.

From June 10 to 29, 1987, the South Korean people from all walks of life held mass protests, forcing the ruling government to accede to the wishes of the people and hold direct elections for President, and institute other democratic reforms which led to the establishment of the Sixth Republic, the present day government of South Korea.

Instead of focusing on one particular character, the focus of the story shifts between several characters to tell the story of how the political resistance come about.

The main characters include an unscrupulous commissioner, a prosecutor who refuses to be intimidated by government corruption, a democracy activist who works as a prison guard, a journalist and a lieutenant.

Each of these characters eventually play an important role in the political change which happened in the country in 1987.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Anarchist from Colony (2017)

Here is another Korean political movie based on a true story, in this case a real person. Park Yol (1902-1974) was a Korean anarchist and independence activist in the 1920s who was convicted of high treason in Japan for conspiring to attack the Imperial House of Japan.

The movie follows Lee Je-hoon as Park Yol who organises the anarchist group Heukdohoe during the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Together with his lover Fumiko Kaneko (Choi Hee-seo), they plot a bomb attack upon Crown Prince Hirohito during his wedding.

Instead of focusing on plots and tactics, Anarchist from Colony (2017) gives viewers an idea of the differences of political beliefs during the Japanese occupation in South Korea which spanned from 1910 to 1945.

Back then, Park Yol was the poster boy for anarchism, an anti-authoritarian political philosophy that rejects hierarchies deemed unjust, and advocates their replacement with self-managed, self-governed societies based on voluntary, cooperative institutions.

Meanwhile, his lover Fumiko was a nihilist, a belief that rejected all authorities.

3.The King (2017)

In the world of politics, the one who silently holds a vital role is actually the prosecutor. In Malaysia, for example, the highest ranking public prosecutor is the Attorney General which is currently being held by Tan Sri Tommy Thomas. Besides being the principal legal adviser to the Malaysian government, the AG may institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence.

The King (2017) focuses on Tae-soo (Jo In-sung) who decides to become a prosecutor believing that power is the most important thing in life.

He works his way up, joining a group of powerful prosecutors with wealth and authority. Soon, he learns that the world he enters is a food chain made of politicians, law enforcement, the media and even gangsters. But who will be on top of the hierarchy?

While In-sung’s character as Tae-soo is a sure draw for viewers, Jung Woo-sing who plays the villain Han Kang-shik is the reason you will be glued to the whole movie.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Inside Men (2015)
Korean political movies to watch
Lee Byung-hun playing the role of a gangster in Inside Men. Credits: IMDB

Having the press eating from the palm of your hand is the biggest advantage you can have as a politician.

Inside Men (2015) shows how an editor Lee Kang-hee (Baek Yoon-sik) is able to raise congressman Jang Pil-woo (Lee Geung-young) to the position of a leading presidential candidate using the power of the media.

In this film, double crossing in the world of politics is as common as brushing your teeth every morning.

So when a politician double-crosses a gangster as well as an ambitious prosecutor yearning to prove himself, then you have a game of revenge at the expense of the people’s future.

This Korean political thriller film has an interesting take on the unholy alliances between politicians, Korean conglomerates (chaebols), the press, prosecutors and mafia that who knows, might be happening in real-life.

5.The Mayor (2017)

This Korean political movie gives you the glimpse of the dirty tricks that could be played behind the scenes of an election.

Blackmailing, wiretapping, corruption, murder are all just part of the game when it comes to an election campaign in this movie.

Viewers can watch how far a political candidate would go to protect his public image in order to stay in office.

It is thrilling, frustrating and hair-pulling tense but you can’t turn away as the political dramas unfold.

Plus, if veteran actor Choi Min-sik is playing the leading role? Then it is a must-watch movie.

He brilliantly plays the role of Byeon Jong-gu, the incumbent mayor of Seoul who seeks a third term which will set him up for a run at the presidency.

Then you have the naive advertisement specialist Park Kyeong (Shim Eun-kyung) who represents perhaps every idealistic person involved in the political world.

Before you start binge-watching, we warn you; most Korean political movies are as close to reality as you can get, so you won’t have a happy ending.

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 3 films based on the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong

Published on

When it comes to Thai folktales, one of the most famous stories is about the spirit of Nak, or Mae Nak Phra Khanong, which means Lady Nak of Phra Khanong.

Even after death, Nak tries to hold her family together. While her intention comes out of love and family loyalty, the villagers around her deem it unacceptable. You’re supposed to stay dead once you die, right?

About the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong

So the story goes that there was a beautiful young woman named Nak. Together with her husband Mak, they lived on the banks of Phra Khanong Canal.

Their blissful marriage was interrupted when Mak was called to war while Nak was pregnant.

During the war, Mak got himself wounded. As he was recovering in Bangkok, Nak and their child both died during childbirth.

When Mak returned home, however, he found his wife and child happily waiting for him.

In the meantime, the neighbours tried to warn Mak that he was living with a ghost. Eventually, those who tried to warn him turned up dead.

One day, as Nak was preparing a Thai spicy chilli sauce called nam phrik, one of the limes rolled away and dropped off the porch.

As she reached for it, Mak watched in disbelief as her arm grew and stretched to an unnatural length, opening Mak’s eyes to what she really was – a ghost.

Horrified, Mak left his ghost-wife.

After this are different accounts of what happened. But fundamentally, Nak ran amok, terrorising the villagers whom she believed caused her husband to leave her.

Regardless of how scary Nak could be, the thought of trying to live among the living due to the undying love for her husband has been romantized many times in popular culture.

Here are KajoMag’s picks of horror films based on the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong:
1.Nang Nak (1999)

This Thai horror classic is perhaps what made international fans take notice of the Thai movie industry. Additionally, it was the first Thai film to earn 100 million baht at the box office.

In this version of Mae Nak Phra Khanong, Mak was sent to fight in the real-life Siamese-Vietnamese War (1831-1834).

The movie also featured another real-life feature; a famous Buddhist monk named Somdet To (1788-1872).

In Nang Nak, the monk comes to exorcise Nak so that her soul can move on into the after-life.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Ghost of Mae Nak (2005)

Inspired by the legend Mae Nak Phra Khanong, this movie is set in modern Bangkok where the life of groom Mak is disturbed by a ghost woman named Mae Nak.

After protecting Mak and his fiancee Nak from a misfortune, Mae Nak now holds the soul of Mak.

Nak on the other hand, Is trying to release her fiance from the grip of Mae Nak.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Pee Mak (2013)

Instead of melodrama, Pee Mak (2013) took on a comedic angle of the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong.

This move worked out for the movie maker because it is currently Thailand’s highest grossing film of all time.

The story starts just like the legend with Mak not realizing that he is living with the ghost of his dead wife.

Mak’s four friends however know that Nak is a ghost and go to lengthy ways to tell him, even using a game of charades.

Since it is a horror-comedy film, expect an unconventional ending when watching Pee Mak (2013).

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 5 Korean dramas written by Hong sisters you should watch

Published on

Famously known as Hong sisters, Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran are two South Korean screenwriters who had several popular romantic comedies under their belts.

Before the sisters started to write TV drama scripts, they were writing for variety shows.

Their first drama was Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang (2005). Since then, they have made their names in the Korean entertainment industry and it is common to read about K-drama enthusiasts anticipating about the Hong sisters’ next project online.

With 12 projects to date, here are five of KajoMag’s favourite dramas written by the Hong sisters:
Hong sisters drama
Lee Ji-eun or IU in Hong sisters’ Hotel del Luna (2019). Credit: YouTube
1.Hotel del Luna (2019)

This Hong sister’s drama is one of the must-watch series for 2019. It is no surprise that this drama is also the eighth-highest rated Korean drama in cable television history.

It starS Lee Ji-eun as the owner and Yeo Jin-goo as the manager of a hotel that caters only to ghosts.

The story goes that during the Goguryeo era, a woman rebel named Jang Man-wol (Ji-eun) drank some liquor, unknowingly turning her into the hotel’s owner. She was then stuck running the hotel for the past 1,000 years before meeting Ku Chan-seong (Yeo Jin-goo).

This fantasy drama has drawn in viewers not just for its entertaining storyline but also for its cinematography.

Korean drama fans even went crazy for Ji-eun’s hair and makeup in the series.

Watch the trailer here.

2.A Korean Odyssey (2017)

This drama is like a mini-reunion for the Hong sisters, reuniting them with the stars they worked with prior to this.

Cha Seung-won, Lee Seung-gi and Lee Hong-gi have worked with the Hong sisters in The Greatest Love (2011), My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox (2010) and You’re Beautiful (2009) respectively.

Additionally, the director Park Hong-kyun has also worked with the Hong sisters in Warm and Cozy (2015) and The Greatest Love (2011).

The drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West”. The story follows Jin Sun-mi (Oh Yeon-seo) who can see evil spirits. When she was a girl, she meet two supernatural creatures Woo Hwi-chul (Cha Seung-won) and Son Oh-Gong (Lee Seung-ki). Twenty five years later, fate brings the three together again.

If you have watched A Korean Odyssey and you are not happy with the ending, then you are not the only one.

Apparently, there is an ongoing online petition to TvN and Netflix to continue the drama with a second season.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Master’s Sun (2013)

Korean actor So Ji-sub is famous for his melodramatic role. When he made an acting transformation in Master’s Sun playing a charming character who provides occasional comic relief, Ji-sub instantly reached a new height of popularity.

In this Hong sisters’ drama, he takes up the role of cold and distant CEO Joong-won. He meets the clingy and gloomy Tae Gong-shil (Gong Hyo-jin) who can see ghosts.

Together, they solve supernatural events around them as Joong-won continues to solve a mystery from his past.

The drama is another commercial hit for the Hong sisters. It also reunited the sisters with Gong Hyo-jin whom they worked with in The Greatest Love (2011).

Watch the trailer here.

4.The Greatest Love (2011)

Speaking of the drama The Greatest Love (2011), this is the project that earned the Hong sisters the Writer of the Year Award in 2011 MBC Drama Awards.

Additionally, the drama won Drama of the Year, Top Excellence Award Actor in a Miniseries for Cha Seung-won, Top Excellence Award Actress in a Miniseries for Gong Hyo-jin and Best Young Actor for Yang Han-yeol.

On the international level, The Greatest Love (2011) won the Silver Prize in 8th New York Television Festival’s International TV & Films Awards.

Set amidst the image-conscious world of the South Korean entertainment industry, the story follows a famous star falling for a washed-out pop singer.

Watch the trailer here.

5.My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010)

Here is another award-winning series by the Hong sisters. It centers around Cha Dae-woong (Lee Seung-gi) a college student who accidentally releases a nine-tailed fox or gumiho (Shin Min-ah).

The drama proved Shin Min-ah’s acting ability as it is one of her memorable roles yet. Otherwise, she was previously better known as just a advertisement model who happened to be acting.

Before there was Kim Eun-sook’s Goblin, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho was the best known fantasy Korean drama.

Watch the trailer here.

It reinvented and romanticized characters from Korean folklore such as gumiho.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 8 dramas starring Gong Hyo-jin you should watch

Published on

Korean lead actresses are commonly divided into three types. The first one is the innocent, conventional beauty type like Song Hye-kyo followed by the sexy ones such as Uhm Jung-hwa.

Finally, the third group do not follow the typical Korean standard of beauty and are more well-known for their eccentricities such as Gong Hyo-jin.

Since being pretty and sexy are not part of their public image, they are known to take more daring roles compared to their colleagues.

For example, Hyo-jin even takes up a female lead role with (gasp!) unshaven armpits in movie Love Fiction (2012). (It’s not just South Korea, even Hollywood is afraid of female body hair.)

Born in 1980, the actress began her career working as a model. Her acting debut was a supporting role in Memento Mori, a horror flick in 1999.

Over the years, she has become known as the Korean queen of romantic comedies due to her series of successful rom-com dramas.

She has starred in more than 15 television series but here are eight of KajoMag’s favourite dramas of hers:
Gong Hye jin 2019
Gong Hyo-jin in her latest drama When the Camellia Blooms. Credits: Youtube.
1.Gong Hyo-jin as a single mother with her HIV-positive daughter in Thank You (2007)

There are two reasons the drama Thank You made a lot of buzz in 2007; firstly it was actor Jang Hyuk’s successful comeback after his mandatory military service and draft-dodging scandal. Secondly, Hyo-jin made a bold move playing the non-glamorous role of a single mother with a daughter who is HIV-positive.

Several actresses had turned down the role mostly because it was Jang Hyuk’s redemption from scandal. The drama could have turned out to be a hit or a miss. Thankfully, it was a hit for Hyo-jin, as most viewers regarded the drama as heartwarming.

The story follows Jang Hyuk as Doctor Min Gi-seo who is an arrogant, wealthy surgeon. As his girlfriend lays dying, she confesses that she inadvertently gave a young girl HIV via a contaminated blood transfusion.

In order to make amends on his girlfriend’s behalf, Gi-seo finds the girl living happily with her mother Young-shin (Gong Hyo-jin), unaware of her sickness.

The drama manages to deal well with the sensitive topic of HIV, educating the Korean audience about how to treat and respect HIV patients.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Gong Hyo-jin as an aspiring Italian cuisine chef in Pasta (2010)

The drama that really catapulted Hyo-jin’s career, marking her name in Korean rom-com drama is Pasta (2010).

She plays a sly and relentless celebrity chef wannabe named Seo Yoo-kyung who is stuck in a love triangle. Her chemistry with her co-star Lee Sun Kyun who plays the celebrity chef Choi Hyun-wook makes this drama even more entertaining to watch.

Hyun-wook believes that there is no place for a woman in his kitchen so when he starts to work at La Sfera he makes sure all the women there are fired, including Yoo-kyung who is just a kitchen assistant.

However, she is then rehired and starts to work with Hyun-wook. Love starts to simmer between them, in comes Kim San (Alex Chu) who is secretly taking care of Yoo-kyung.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Gong Hyo-jin as a famous celebrity who falls from grace in The Greatest Love (2011)

The Greatest Love (2011) gives a glimpses of what might be the true side of the Korean entertainment scene where entertainers hide behind their public image.

It follows Hyo-jin as Gu Ae-jung who was the most popular member of girl group Kukbo Sonyeo before she became embroiled in a series of scandals costing her career.

Ten years later, the washed up star takes up any TV or radio programmes that will hire her.

Meanwhile, Do Ko-jin (Cha Seung-won) is the public favourite action star known for his looks and humility. Behind camera, he is actually mean and arrogant to people around him.

Their fates collide and they begin an up and down relationship throughout the drama.

Hyo-jin’s natural talent to make the audience laugh and cry with her is obvious in The Greatest Love. So it is no surprise that she won Best Actress title in 48th Baeksang Arts Awards for her role in the drama.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Gong Hyo-jin plays the girl who can see ghosts in Master’s Sun (2013)

Hyo-jin’s role as ghost-seeing Tae Gong-shil may starts off annoying and clingy in Master’s Sun but as the drama progresses, you can slowly sympathise with her.

Since she can see things that people cannot see in the story, there are many scenes showcasing Hyo-jin seemingly speaking to herself. It is quite convincing to watch as she talks to ‘ghosts’ but actually doing the monologue on her own.

With So Ji-sub as the cold and distant CEO Joo Joong-won, the pair makes quite a funny and entertaining couple.

When some of these ghosts possesses her body, you cannot help but to be impressed by Hyo-jin acting skills as you watch her switching from one character to another.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Gong Hyo-jin as a psychiatrist in It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014)

As a psychiatrist, Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin) self-diagnoses her self as having anxiety issues, a fear of commitment and sex phobia. All of these due to an incident where she saw her mum cheating on her dad with another guy.

What happens when she meets Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung) a mystery novelist/radio DJ who is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder?

The romance between Hae-soon and Jae-yeol is classic tale of hate turns to love relationship. As they finally fall in love, the pair later come to grips with Jae-yeol’s undiagnosed schizophrenia.

While Thank You (2007) highlights the issue surrounding HIV, this drama shines the light on those surrounding mental illnesses.

Watch the trailer here.

6.Gong Hyo-jin as a meteorologist in Don’t Dare to Dream (2016)

Lee Hwa-shin (Jo Jung-suk) is a handsome, impressive anchor who comes from a well-to-do family.

Hyo-jin plays his competitor, a meteorologist named Pyo Na-ri. Unlike Hwa-shin, Na-ri does not have a shining resume or good family background.

As both of them fight to become the broadcasting station’s most valued employee, they start to fall in love with each other.

When a rich man Go Jung-won (Go Kyung-pyo) comes into picture and falls for Na-ri at first sight, will her heart quiver?

Watch the trailer here.

7.Gong Hyo-jin as a television producer in The Producers (2015)

Here, Hyo-jin is PD Ye-jin an experienced PD who works on a long-time music programme. Her long time friend is Joon-mo (Cha Tae-hyun) who has been working in the entertainment industry for 10 years.

The overall drama is amusing to watch as it features real-life TV programs such as Music Bank and 2 Days & 1 Night.

Though the work that goes behind these shows might be real, the love stories and drama are too good to be true.

For example, Seung-chan (Kim Soo-hyun) is a rich chaebol who decides to work at a television network just to follow his secret crush. Which rich dude in the world is willing to do that?

Watch the trailer here.

8.Gong Hyo-jin as a single mother in When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

Dong-baek (Gong Hyo-jin) is a single mother of one living in the small town of Ongsan. There she runs a bar-restaurant called Camellia.

Due to her status as a single mother and being the owner of a bar where men are the main patrons, Dong-baek becomes the subject of the town gossip.

Regardless of what gossip keeps on spinning in the rumour mill, local police officer Hwang Yong-sik (Kang Ha-neul) is in love with her.

Things get complicated when Dong-Baek’s ex-boyfriend Kang Jong-reol (Kim Ji-suk) suddenly shows up in her life.

Things get further complicated as there is a serial killer in Ongsan and Dong-baek might be on his kill list.

Watch the trailer here.

You might be interested in

KajoPicks: 10 South Korean time-travel romance dramas to watch

Published on

If you think long distance relationships are hard, wait until you fall in love with someone from another century!

A time-travel romance usually starts with how the two leading roles find love in each other despite the differences (coming from a different time is definitely a huge difference) and how reality strikes eventually and they are forced to decide whether they need to part and go back to their own lives.

Delve into unrealistic love stories with these 10 South Korean time-travel romance dramas:
1.Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is more than just a time-travel romance drama; It is about the power struggle and survival of the mentally fittest as they fight for the throne.

Based on the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua, the story starts with Go Ha-jin (Lee Ji-eun) being transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty from 21st century woman.

She wakes up in the year 941 in the body of Hae Soo where she initially falls in love with the 8th Prince Wang Wook (Kang Ha-neul).

Later, her love interest is the fearsome 4th Prince Wang So (Lee Joon-gi) who has hideously scarred and hides it behind a mask.

The drama, overall is like a reverse harlem story with more than two of the characters falling in love with the leading woman.

As the princes fight for their places in the palace, more than two deaths occur along the way. So get ready with your tissues as some deaths are truly sorrowful to watch.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Rooftop Prince (2012)

How far would you go to marry the guy of your dream? Would you scar your own sister for life just to get what you want?

The story follows Lee Kak, a Joseon prince who is ready to marry Boo Yong (Han Ji-min). But her sister Hwa Yong (Jung Yoo-mi) wants to marry the prince so she accidentally-on-purpose burns her sister’s face.

As the old tradition goes, the bride of the king or future king must be without any blemishes or scars, so Hwa Yong ends up marrying the prince.

Years pass and the connection or attraction between Lee Kak and Boo Yong remains undeniably strong to Hwa Yong’s dismay. Suddenly, one day Lee Kak finds his wife has mysteriously died.

While he investigates into his wife’s death, Lee Kak and his men are chased by a group of assassins to the edge of a cliff.

The group jumps off the cliff and then later find themselves transported to the 21st century.

In present day Seoul, Lee Kak finds Park Ha who has an uncanny resemblance to Boo Yong.

3.Tomorrow, With You (2017)

This Korean time-travel romance drama kinda reminds you of Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 novel The Time Traveler’s Wife.

The story centers around Yoo So-joon (Lee Je-hoon), a CEO of a real estate company.

He has the ability to travel through time via a subway. The more So-joon tries to change the future that he foresees, the more it changes his present.

He saves a woman named Song Ma-rin (Shin Min-a) and eventually decides to marry her to prevent her death that he foresees during his time travel.

In the end, can he truly change the future? Overall, the CGI is nicely done while the cinematography is impressive.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Queen In Hyun’s Man (2012)

Before Yoo In-na went on to star in Kim Eun-sook’s Goblin, she had her first leading role in Queen In Hyun’s Man (2012).

Here, she plays the role of Choi Hee-jin, an unsuccessful actress who lands her big break when she is cast as Queen In-hyun in the the drama “New Jang Heebin”. She crosses paths with Kim Bung-do (Ji Hyun-woo) and eventually falls in love.

Meanwhile, Bung-do is a time-traveler and a noble-born scholar from 1694 whose family was massacred in a conspiracy.

Bung-do supports the reinstatement of Queen In-hyun a real-life Joseon queen (1667-1701) who was the second queen consort of King Sukjong.

The queen was deposed by the infamous royal concubine Jang Hui-bin who is historically known for her greed for power.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Go Back Couple (2017)

Also known as Confession Couple, this time-travel romance drama is based on the Naver webtoon Do it One More Time by Hong Seung-pyo and Kim Hye-yeon.

It is about a pair of married couple who is unhappy with their lives as they both struggling to find their purposes in life.

After reaching a breaking point of their relationship, they both find themselves as 20-year-old university students.

What happen when they decide to make different choices than they did the first time around? One of thing for sure, their decisions impact their friends and families more than themselves.

The drama stars Son Ho-jun as Choi Ban-do and Jang Na-ra as Ma Jin-joo.

Watch the trailer here.

6.Faith (2012)

In 2012, Eun-soo (Kim Hee-sun) is a 33-year-old plastic surgeon who was originally a general surgeon. One day a strange man whom she thinks is a drama extra kidnaps her and takes her back to the Goryeo era.

The man turns out to be Choi Young (Lee Min-ho), a royal bodyguard to King Gongmin of the Goryeo Dynasty from the mid-1300s.

There is a handful of time jumping in this drama that makes you want to scream, “Why can’t they just stick to one century at a a time?!”

Meanwhile, behind the camera, the drama was embroiled with casting conflicts and embezzlement scandals.

The writer Song Ji-na uploaded the original script on her website and showed that there were some obvious differences from the final product.

One could not help but wander if the drama could have turned out better if they stuck to Song Ji-na’s original script and if they did not have financial problems.

7.Somehow 18 (2017)

When it comes to K-pop group Shinee, you can’t be sure who is the better actor of the group; Onew or Minho.

In this time-travel romance drama, Minho acts as Gyung Hwi, a 28-year-old resident at a university hospital.

He was bullied in high school and even tried to commit suicide. Thankfully, a new student transfer Han Na-bi (Lee Yoo-bi) stops him.

To his shock however, she later took her own life. For 10 years, Gyung Hwi cannot let go of his past.

One day, he finds himself back in high school 10 years prior before Na-bi’s death. Now he has to find out why she killed herself, but most importantly, can he stop her?

Watch the trailer here.

8.Marry Him if You Dare (2013)

While this storyline and plot is good and entertaining, the final episode of this time-travel romance drama might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

It depicts the love stories and the lives of people working in a broadcasting station.

Na Mi-rae (Yoon Eun-hye) travels back in time to prevent her 32-year-old self from marrying news anchor Kim Shin.

This sets her onto a different path in life, enabling her to do the things she really wanted.

Watch the trailer here.

9.Splash Splash Love (2015)

Dan-Bi (Kim Seul-gi) is a senior high school student who has an irrational fear of mathematics.

For her university entrance exam, Dan-Bi can’t deal with the pressure and runs off to a playground.

There, she falls into a puddle and finds herself transported to the Joseon period.

In Joseon she is mistaken for a eunuch. She then serves as a confidante of King Lee Do (Yoon Doo-joon).

Interestingly, Danbi’s high school level of math and science makes her the greatest scientist in the entire kingdom.

Watch the trailer here.

10.Bing Goo (2017)
Korean time travel romance drama
Kim Jung-hyun and Han Sun-hwa in Bing Goo. Credits: Asianwiki

When Man Soo (Kim Jung-hyun) meets Jang Ha-da (Han Sun-hwa), he is shocked to see she looks exactly like the woman he was in love with back in 1979.

While other time-travel romance dramas on this list have fancy portals or ways to make their time jumps, Bing Goo is about a man who was frozen for 37 years.

So it is basically a melodramatic version of Captain America without the superpower or the Avengers and there is another woman who looks like Peggy in the future.

You might be interested in

1 … 5 6 7 8 9