ktown konnection #43 | "Mr. Plankton," "Face Me" among slew of premieres

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Premieres aplenty: “Gangnam: B-Side,” “Face Me,” “Mr. Plankton,” “Fiery Priest 2,” “Brewing Love”

• The South Korean won (KRW) dropped to a 2-year low

• Korea-bound in 2025? A visa may be needed starting January 1

PREMIERES

• November 4 “Brewing Love” (ENA)(Viki)

• November 6

  • “Face Me” (KBS)(Viki)

  • “Gangnam B-Side” (Disney+)

• November 8 

  • “The Fiery Priest 2” (SBS)(tbd)

  • “Mr. Plankton” (Netflix)

This week’s premieres We’ve got 5 new shows and so, so many familiar faces!

Among the new stuff: ensemble police drama “Gangnam B-Side” with Ji Chang-wook (“Queen Woo”) and Ha Yoon-kyung (“See You In My 19th Life”); Woo Do-hwan (“Bloodhounds”) plays a character with a terminal illness in romance “Mr. Plankton” alongside Lee Yu-mi (“Strong Girl Nam-soon”), Oh Jung-se (“Sweet Home 3”).

Lee Min-ki (“Crash”), Han Ji-hyun (“No Gain No Love”), and Lee Yi-kyung (“Marry My Husband”) return in “Face Me,” a medical drama set at a cosmetic surgery office. And malty sugary-looking romcom “Brewing Love” stars Kim Se-jeong (“The Uncanny Counter 2”) as an employee at a brewery company.

What I’m watching I finally saw “Hellbound 2.” It’s not my usual cup of joe, what with all the post-apocalyptic gore, but I wanted to see what Yeon Sang-ho wanted to say in his latest - about anarchy, authority, humanity, and a polarized society.

Overall, I found the ending lacking - after I made it through the ride of doom-and-gloom, senseless riots and bloody fight scenes, the conclusion just wasn’t enough to justify the journey and all the sacrifices characters had made in such a bleak world. (Less blood, and more “but what does it all mean?”)

Now bingeable “What Comes After Love” (6 eps), “Dog Knows Everything” (12 eps), “The Judge From Hell” (14 eps), “Seoul Busters” (20 eps).

It’s been a tumultuous week stateside. Sigh. Regardless of political persuasion, election news (pandemonium) fatigue is rampant. If scripted escapism is part of your Rx, I hope this helps direct you to some post-election reprieve.

Wednesday-Thursday November 6-7
“Family By Choice” (JTBC)(Viki)
“Face Me” (KBS)(Viki)

Friday-Saturday November 8-9
“Doubt” (MBC)(Viki)
“Mr. Plankton” (Netflix)

Saturday-Sunday November 9-10
“Iron Family” (KBS)(Viki)
“A Virtuous Business” (JTBC)(Netflix)
“Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born” (tvN)(Hulu)

Monday-Tuesday November 11-12
“Brewing Love” (ENA)(Viki)

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

KDRAMA/FILM/TV/ETC.

Among Top 10 🌎 Global Titles Today (11/7/24) 🌎 “The Judge From Hell,” “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born,” “Pachinko 2,” “No Gain No Love.” FlixPatrol 

Netflix’s Top 10 Non-English TV (Oct 28-Nov 3): “Hellbound 2” (#6).

Korea’s watching (Oct 28-Nov 3): 📺 “Iron Family,” “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born,” “The Judge From Hell.” dramabeans