Author: Kishor

KBS2’s “The First Night with the Duke” continues its run as the only Wednesday-Thursday drama! According to Nielsen Korea, episode 9 of KBS2’s “The First Night with the Duke” garnered an average nationwide viewership rating of 2.8 percent. This is a 0.1 percent increase from its previous episode’s rating of 2.7 percent. “The First Night with the Duke” tells the story of an ordinary college student whose soul is transferred into a minor character of a romance novel (played by Seohyun). After she wakes up inside the world of the novel, she winds up spending the night with the obsessive…

Byeon Woo Seok has been cast in Netflix’s upcoming live action adaptation of “Solo Leveling”! On July 10, Netflix confirmed the production of a Korean live action series adaptation of “Solo Leveling” with Byeon Woo Seok cast as the lead. Originally a web novel, “Solo Leveling” follows Sung Jin Woo, an E-rank Hunter—the lowest tier among those who protect the real world from monsters beyond the mysterious Gates. After a near-death experience, he gains extraordinary abilities, and as he levels up, he becomes humanity’s unexpected hope. The series was also adapted into an animation, sweeping nine major categories—including “Anime of…

ATEEZ is continuing their journey with KQ Entertainment! On July 10, the agency announced, “After in-depth discussion with the ATEEZ members, we have completed contract renewals with all eight members Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho for another seven years. We are happy to continue our relationship based on the loyalty we have built up over the past seven years.” KQ Entertainment continued, “We will not hold back on providing our full support for each of the members to express their infinite potential to their heart’s content and move on to bigger and greater stages.” ATEEZ debuted…

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for dramas! The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, community awareness, and viewership indexes of 20 popular dramas, using big data collected from June 8 to July 8. “Squid Game 3” topped this month’s list with a brand reputation index of 7,984,003. High-ranking phrases in the hit drama’s keyword analysis included “unprecedented and never to be repeated,” “Netflix,” and “global No. 1,” while its highest-ranking related terms included “record” and “dominate.” The show’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 94.55…

tvN’s upcoming drama “Love, Take Two” has unveiled a heartwarming new poster! “Love, Take Two” is a heartwarming comedy drama about a mismatched duo: a 43-year-old single mother and her 23-year-old medical student daughter. The pair moves to the countryside to start a new chapter in their lives, encountering various people and chaotic situations that teach them profound lessons about life. On July 9, the production team released a new mother-daughter poster highlighting the glowing chemistry between Lee Ji An (Yum Jung Ah) and Lee Hyo Ri (Choi Yoon Ji) by capturing the two characters in a joyful moment. The shimmering…

Choi Young Joon has shared his thoughts on his upcoming drama “The Defects”! Based on a popular webtoon, “The Defects” is an action thriller about children who have been abandoned by their adoptive parents—and their fight for survival and revenge. Choi Young Joon will play Woo Tae Sik, a subordinate in an illegal adoption trafficking ring, who secretly rescues and protects children who have been returned. After discovering the true nature of the organization, he becomes consumed by guilt and risks everything to protect the children and teach them how to survive. On why he chose to star in the…

tvN’s “Head Over Heels” has released a new poster! “Head Over Heels” is a fantasy romance drama about a boy who is fated to die and the young shaman who tries to rescue him from his fate. Cho Yi Hyun stars as Park Seong A, a high school student who leads a double life as a shaman by night. Choo Young Woo plays her first love Bae Gyeon U, who is plagued by bad luck and was born with the misfortune of a predestined death. Spoilers Previously on “Head Over Heels,” a vengeful spirit sealed away in an abandoned house…

Cube Entertainment’s NOWZ (formerly Nowadays) are in the middle of a reinvention. And while I initially dismissed last month’s pre-release Fly To The Youth as too lightweight, that song has dug its talons into my brain and emerged as a stealth summer highlight. The group’s new title track Everglow continues the rock soundscape from Fly To The Youth, placing it in more aggressive context. A rock sound has been one of the year’s most persistent trends, so while Everglow doesn’t give NOWZ the unique musical perspective they may need, it’s in good company. Those looking for an angsty, shout-along anthem…

One of the most surprising (and welcome) developments of the year has been the strong musical identities of a trio of survival series spawned boy groups. Close Your Eyes, AHOF and NouerA have all debuted with great material that feels unique to them. In Close Your Eyes’ case, the guys bucked expectations by emerging with a mid-00’s style mid-tempo that only grew more addictive with time. Now, it’s time to expand that sound with their first comeback Snowy Summer. It probably won’t surprise you that a person (me) who writes about and rates songs every day loves to classify things.…

Get ready for a special celebration for TWICE’s Jihyo! On July 9, JYP Entertainment released a teaser for its star-studded celebration of Jihyo’s 20th anniversary at the agency. The artists joining Jihyo for her “20 Years with JYP” party include her bandmates Nayeon and Jeongyeon, SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu and Seungkwan, GOT7’s BamBam, DAY6’s Sungjin, and gugudan’s Kim Sejeong and Kim Nayoung. The new teaser shows Jihyo’s idol friends congratulating her on spending two full decades with JYP Entertainment, along with Jihyo tearing up after getting emotional during the party. The video of Jihyo’s 20th anniversary celebration will be released on July…