#66 | "Tastefully Yours" wraps, vertical dramas and 'cozy' content growing

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Charting globally: ”Tastefully Yours,” “Mercy For None,“ “Good Boy”

• Ad spending flows toward creator content

• Trending: vertical dramas, ‘cozy’ content

• More BTS members complete military service

PREMIERES

• June 11 “The First Night With The Duke” (KBS)(Viki)

Latest premieres Webtoon-turned-series ”The First Night with the Duke” pairs together pop stars-turned-actors Seohyun and Taecyeon that promises a light and fun ride as a modern day woman gets transported into a historically-set webtoon.

All seven eps of “Mercy For None” dropped last Friday, with So Ji-sub (“Alienoid,” “Oh My Venus”) as a former gangster out for revenge. If you’re watching it - comment if there’s something that stands out about it - the trailer was as forgettable as…what was that thing?

What I’m watching “Oh My Ghost Clients” is a lighter mash-up of “Move To Heaven” with a serving of a less criminal underworld-y “Taxi Driver.” Jung Kyung-ho (“Crash Course In Romance”) plays a labor attorney who sees ghosts - the ones with wrongful deaths involving industrial accidents.

“Our Unwritten Seoul” and “Good Boy” both have supersized eps (some clock in at over an hour) which feel overpacked at times, but are enjoyable so far.

“Good Boy” was marketed as a sports drama but is actually more of a buddy cop comedy (though the tone of the first two eps is all over the place).

“Our Unwritten Seoul” wastes no time in getting to the heavy drama of our lead characters’ gut-wrenching battles in the workplace and among family dynamics.

Wednesday-Thursday June 11-12
“Spring Of Youth” (SBS)(Viki)

Friday-Saturday June 13-14
“Oh My Ghost Clients” (MBC)(Viki)

Saturday-Sunday June 14-15
“For Eagle Brothers” (KBS)(Viki)
“Our Unwritten Seoul” (tvN)(Netflix)
“Good Boy” (JTBC)(Amazon Prime Video)

Monday-Tuesday June 16-17
“Second Shot At Love” (tvN)(Viki)

(*Streaming platforms shown are for U.S. only; distributors vary by country.)

KDRAMA/FILM/TV/ETC.

Among Top 10 Global Titles Today (6/12/25) 🌎 “Good Boy,” “Tastefully Yours,” “Our Unwritten Seoul.” FlixPatrol 

Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV (June 2-8) “Mercy For None,” (#2), “Tastefully Yours” (#3), “Our Unwritten Seoul” (#6), “Oh My Ghost Clients” (#8), “Good Boy” (#9).

Korea’s watching: 📺 (June 2-8) “For Eagle Brothers,” “The Haunted Palace,” “Good Boy,” “Our Unwritten Seoul.” dramabeans

🇰🇷 box office 🍿: “How To Train Your Dragon,” “Hi-Five,” “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.” Variety

More BTS members return Jimin, Jungkook, RM, and V join Jin and J-Hope in returning to civilian pop star life after completing military service this week. There was an attempted break-in at Jungkook’s house the day of his return. Suga is slated for military discharge later this month. NPR

KTO x Netflix The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is partnering with Netflix to promote Korea’s tourism industry, targeting the streamer’s users interested in Korean content. TKT

“Oldboy” writer pens new Kdrama Hwang Jo-yoon, who also wrote “Rampant” and “Confidential Assignment,” is the scribe behind the upcoming Park Bo-young thriller “Gold Land” headed for Disney+. Variety

OTT NEWS ETC.

More commercials pre-screening AMC is adding more pre-show commercials to generate revenue without adding costs to consumers. (Or: you’re welcome, habitually late friends.) NYT

Americans spend $1k a year on cable and internet, according to Doxo. TVTech

Ad spend is flowing towards creator content, in a continued shift away from pro content like cable and broadcast. THR

Re-order your IG grid Instagram is launching new features through its ‘Anyway’ campaign, including additional video editing tools, ‘trial’ reels, and the ability to reorganize user posts. THR

Strike ends A video game voice actors’ strike ended after a tentative deal was reached this week. NPR

Disney completes purchase of Hulu The mouse house bought out Comcast’s 33% stake in the platform. THR 

Studios sue AI Universal and the Disney are suing an AI company for copyright infringement.

More pink slips Paramount is cutting several hundred employees; the announcement follows Disney’s round of layoffs which hit the news last week.

WBD’s split The company is the latest splitting streaming from cable. Reuters

On the upside, vertical dramas aka microdramas 🐝 have the industry buzzing. The mini episode format made for mobile viewing (with roughly 60 seconds-long episodes) are widely popular in Asia already (esp. China), and picking up steam in the West. TheAnkler

Less heavy/sexual/graphic, more ‘cozy content Younger consumers are gravitating towards less heavy, violent, and sexually explicit content, opting for less anxiety-inducing entertainment. (I’m curious to see if this will have a ripple effect on Kdramas - especially in lieu of longtime fans.) LAT

New MPGs and RPGs unveiled, amid political and economic uncertainty Summer Game Fest concluded in LA, amid the city’s protests and nationwide uncertainty. The Guardian

SOUTH KOREA NEWS 🇰🇷

Korea’s new president took office on June 4, with a Democratic majority in the National Assembly. Among Pres. Lee Jae-myung’s most pressing challenges? The economy, foreign diplomacy, and a deeply divided nation. Korea’s new leader has not been without controversy in his career.

Mysterious Instagram ban Thousands of Korean users’ Instagram accounts were suspended, along with Facebook and Threads accounts; reasons are still unclear. (I hope small business users have backup B2C platforms.) TKT

Rainy days are here Monsoon season arrives a week early in Korea today, with heavy rainfall expected in Jeju. KJD

Jollibee is buying Korean chicken chain Norang Tongdak. Korean fried chicken continues to top the list of favorite foods for international visitors. KED Global

Mom’s Touch is outselling McDonald’s in Japan. ChosunBiz

Seattle to Seoul nonstop, with aloha ✈️ Hawaiian Airlines is offering a new direct route from Seattle to Incheon International Airport starting in September. TTW

And Seoul to Salt Lake City, with a side of Kdrama Delta’s nonstop route between Seoul and Salt Lake City launches today; in-flight entertainment will include Kdramas. KJD

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