Good News / Bad News

Good: I will be visiting Korea & Japan in April! I'm so excited!

Bad: I thought I'd clear out all my nearly done dramas before leaving on my trip or starting something new. BUT ... "Buried Hearts" aired today. I can't miss Park Hyung Sik, so I went to Disney+. What kind of torture is it that they can't air it on the release date! (This happened with "The Judge from Hell" too.)

Now I have no idea when it will drop....

https://mydramalist.com/766845-treasure-island

Dikabarkan Berpacaran dengan Park Bo Young, Park Hyung Sik Berikan Klarifikasi! https://www.koranmandala.com/hiburan/134950/dikabarkan-berpacaran-dengan-park-bo-young-park-hyung-sik-berikan-klarifikasi/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Hiburan #Drakor #Parkboyoung #Parkhyungsik

Trailer for "Treasure Island" !!!!!!!
- Coming Feb. 2025 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eif3EQGQQ6A

#kDrama
The Heirs (aka The Inheritors)
(2013 - 20 1:00 eps) REWATCH

A classic I 1st watched in early 2023. Knowledge of language & culture made it even better. The episodes flew by as the spoiled illegitimate 2nd son fell for the poor girl & had to fight to love her.

Phenomenal casting of 3 proven leads early in their careers & the supporting actors (see hashtags) who have all had stellar careers. A screenwriter with several other highly-rated dramas (The Glory, The King: EM, Goblin...) The 3 leads & the show won many awards.

It has a lot of wrist grabbing which was common at the time. But the depth that these young actors portrayed is astounding. Lots of character development & we come to understand their pain & the reasons for their actions. Excellent!

https://mydramalist.com/6640-the-heirs

#TheHeirs #TheInheritors #상속자들 #LeeMinHo #이민호 #ParkShinHye #박신혜 #KimWooBin #박신혜 #KimJiWon #김지원 #KangMinHyuk #강민혁 #ChoiJinHyuk #최진혁 #KangHaNeul #강하늘#KrystalJung #크리스탈정 #ParkHyungSik #박형식 #WhooshReview

https://www.magmoe.com/1695585/25ans/2024-07-24/ パク・ヒョンシクさんが25の質問にズバリ赤裸々に答えます！#shorts #25ans #25ansChannel #25ansJapan #PARKHYUNGSIK #パクヒョンシク #박형식

#kDrama
Doctor Slump
(2024 - Netflix, 16 1:05 eps)

High expectations resulted in disappointment. A very bland mystery could have either been finished quickly or gone crazy. The ML's parents were mentioned briefly, but that went nowhere. The writing was not well done.

Park Hyung Sik wasn't playing a character - it was just him - so some deep emotional scenes felt out of place. The chemistry was lacking. The FL's brother stole the show with his acting - he was terrific! And the 2nd couple was great.

It was a mental health service message: although the show didn't portray depression completely accurately, I felt the uplifting message of "It's okay to fail. You can try again." is a good one.

It's a cute, positive show in many ways. If you're looking for fluff, it's a nice, mostly-calm, watch. If you're expecting award-caliber stuff, you will be disappointed.

https://mydramalist.com/744311-doctor-slump

#kdrama #HighSociety #상류사회

Amazing cast, brilliantly portraying 4 love stories (including the parents too!).
I'm sure a lot of viewers get the second leads syndrome with this one, after all #ImJiYeon and #ParkHyungSik have outstanding chemistry and their romance is funny, but I am not one of them.
From a plot perspective I prefered the main couple romance development. It felt so real and quite relatable. Unfortunately the end was a bit rushed.

Vote: 9.5

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Society_(2015_TV_series)

I've started #HighSociety and I need to let you know that at the end of ep 2 and at the beginning of ep 3 #ParkHyungSik is magnificently shirtless

#kDrama
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
(2016 - Viki, 20 1:00 eps)

For a holiday treat, I rewatched Hwarang (1st watched in March '23 - just 6 months into my kDrama hobby).

I'll put the summary here & my thoughts in a comment because I ran into a character limit.

It's a story of political intrigue. The Queen Mother sends the crown prince into hiding for his safety. He never develops the relationships he needs to take power & doesn't have confidence in his ruling abilities. Through a new group of young warriors (the Hwarang), the future king discovers himself & his abilities. There is a lot of comedy, but the political story takes over the last 3 - 4 episodes. There's bromance & romance. Watching the friendships develop between the Hwarang is one of my favorite things.

https://mydramalist.com/15931-hwarang-the-poet-warrior-youth

#HwarangThePoetWarriorYouth #화랑

The revelation here is #ChoiMinHo (#최민호 ) in the role of Soo-ho. What a lovely character!
I haven't been very fond of this #kdrama tbh. If there's one trope I don't like, it's the flawless hero who always saves the day thanks to his exceptional qualities. Luckily the show redeems itself in the last episodes.

I haven't dropped it halfway through because I can't get enough of #ParkHyungSik (#박형식 ) as Jinheung. What a real talent this man!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwarang:_The_Poet_Warrior_Youth

End of the Year Drama Challenge
Day 17: Best Actor of 2023?

As @s1m0n4 did, I pick Park Hyung-Sik.

https://ohai.social/@s1m0n4/111595928944838738

He won a best actor award for his role in "Our Blooming Youth" this year.

He plays chaebols & royalty wonderfully, but he also plays genius lawyers & poor family's tofu maker son so well. He can be funny & he can tear your heart out. He does action, singing, & dancing.

This year I've rewatched "Happiness" & now "Hwarang" where he played the lead roles. He is amazing in historicals where he has to ride horses & do other stunts.

On many sets they also call him "Vitamin P" because he is so positive & supportive of crew & cast mates.

I'm really looking forward to "Dr. Slump" next year.

#kDrama #ParkHyungSik #박형식
#EYDC2023
#EndOfYearDramaChallenge

#endofyeardramachallenge #kdrama

#day17 : Best actor of 2023

#ParkHyungSik can nail a wide spectrum of different roles:
the rich guy determined to smartly conquer the heart of his beloved one #strongwomandobongsoon
the insecure yet strong policeman who's completely lost without the woman of his life #happiness
the mighty and proud crown prince troubled by a curse jeopardizing his future in #ourbloomingyouth

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hyung-sik

#kDrama
Happiness
(2021 - Viki, 12 1:05 eps)

The 9.6 rating on Viki & 8.9 on MDL are well-deserved. I rewatched for Halloween & it was even better than the 1st time. An apartment building is placed in lockdown when an illegal drug creates a contagious zombie-like disease. Caught in the building are a Special Ops & Police officer who have decided to be married to qualify for an apartment. The other building inhabitants work with & against the leads to showcase the best & worst of humanity during a crisis.

Greed is shown so well that you may yell at the screen. Does religion save you, or does it cover up problems? The power & money-hungry, classist neighbors have a lot to learn. There's mystery, action, a bit of horror, romance, & the leads are fantastic. This was an outstanding drama for PHS after his military service. I am surprised that it wasn't nominated for more awards.

https://mydramalist.com/690709-happiness