Korean stars crossover to Chinese ent

Rather than bore you with a spiel on hallyu; here is a compilation of Koreans in Chinese films proving that the Korean wave is here to stay.

The trend reminds me of Hollywood stars shooting Japanese commercials and I bet they're paid handsomely too. Due to language barriers, actors usually run lines in Korean that is then dubbed in Chinese. 

#1 Lee Min Ho in Bounty Hunters 一諾千金 (premieres Jul 1, 2016). After City Hunter comes Bounty Hunter, a Chinese action flick led by Lee Min Ho, Wallace Chung and Tiffany Tang Yan (Princess Weiyoung). Both the romance and the bromance look promising in this one.

#2. Im Yoona from SNSD Girls Generation in God of War Zhao Yun 武神赵子龙 (2016). She is the sword wielding heroine to Zhao Yun played by Lin Gengxin.

#3 Kim Jeong Hoon from Princess Hours is also in God of War Zhao Yun. So Yoona can have a friend or two because I swear there is one other Korean actress also in the series.

#4 Park Min Young in Braveness of the Ming 锦衣夜行 (2016). Always stunning even in ancient garb.

#5 Park Chan Yeol from EXO in So I Married the Anti-Fan 所以，我和黑粉结婚了 (premieres Jun 30, 2016). A movie based on a Korean manhwa about a top star and his biggest anti-fan.

#6 SNSD Girls Generation Seohyun in So I Married the Anti-Fan as the hot and successful other woman that is bound to lose against Plain Jane.

#7 Lee Min Ho in One Line Romance 一线钟情 (2014). A cross-cultural drama where Lee Min Ho plays a Korean musical producer who meets an ordinary Chinese girl. Brought to us by LINE at 3 episodes and 16 minutes each, it's like a very long advertisement for the messaging app.

#8 Lee Jong Suk in Jade Lovers 翡翠恋人 (upcoming). From the producers of Diamond Lovers, comes Jade Lovers following a similar Cinderella story set in the 1930s. Lee Jong Suk stars opposite Zheng Shuang (Chronicle of Life).

#9 Rain in Diamond Lovers 克拉恋人 (2015). Rain Jung Ji Hoon's first foray into c-drama is in the form of a highly-accomplished executive who meets the ugly duckling played by Tiffany Tang Yan (Princess Weiyoung), that is until she gets a makeover. Rain lends his voice for the opening song, in Chinese!

He also ventured into his first c-movie For Love or Money (2014) where he stars opposite Crystal Liu Yi Fei.

#10 Kim Tae Hee in Famous Calligrapher Wang Xi Zhi 书圣王羲之 (upcoming). It is a 40-episode historical drama following the life of Wang Xi Zhi. Sadly, this is barely on anyone's radar, which is weird since it is Kim Tae Hee, begging the question as to why she took on such a nondescript project in the first place.

#11 Former Super Junior member Kim Ki Bum in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils 天龙八部 (2013) and Lucky Tianbao 吉祥天宝 (2016). Netizens are mixed about casting a foreigner into such an iconic role from one of the most popularized wuxia nonetheless. I actually liked him in this but it's a shame the series wasn't nearly as good. And then, he goes on to star opposite Zhao Li Ying, nice move.

#12 Choi Si Won from Super Junior in Dragon Blade 天将雄师 (2015). You won't often hear the names Jackie Chan, Adrien Brody, John Cusack and Choi Si Won together in a movie and a historical film at that. 

Choi Si Won is also in a number of other c-dramas and movies so it's no surprise that his popularity is skyrocketing in China.

#13 Nichkhun from 2PM in One And A Half Summer 一又二分之一的夏天 (2014). Why did I know that the title would have the word summer in it? Nichkhun has always had such a bright and sunny personality it kind of fits though.

#14 Lee Da Hae in Love Actually 爱的蜜方 (2012). With Joe Cheng (Chinese Paladin 5) and Li Yi Feng (Legend of Chusen) as the two leading men, who needs the plot.

#15 Jang Nara in My Bratty Princess 刁蛮公主 (2005). Did every k-actress back in the day partner up with Alec Su. First Chae Rim, then Jang Nara? Props to Jang Nara for her performance in My Bratty Princess, a quirky drama beloved by many to this day. She sang the opening too, in Chinese!

#16 Chae Rim in Warriors of the Yang Clan 杨门虎将 (2004). One of the first k-actresses to venture into the land of c-dramas.

#17 Cha In Pyo in one of the earlier c-drama adaptations of The Four 四大名捕会京师 (2004).

Given that You From Another Star and Descendants of the Sun has done wonders for Kim Soo Hyun and Song Joong Ki, catapulting them to top star status worldwide, I wonder if and when they will make the leap to c-ent. 

If you know any more, comment below and I'll add it whenever I can. For a couple more k-celeb crossovers that include Park Shin Hye, Choi Si Won and Goo Hye Sun, click here.

First Look: Please Come Back Mister

A story about second chances, Please Come Back Mister allows two people with unfinished business to return to present life.

A middle-aged family man Kim Young Soo (Kim In Kwon) and a former gangster turned chef Han Gi Tak (Kim Soo Ro) both find themselves in the afterlife. The journey takes them from gathering document stamps for heaven or hell to the train express bound for their final destination.

heaven bound train express, Please Come Back Mister

Episode 1 is devoted to showing events leading to Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak's death. Although the episode narrates two days of the protagonists' past life, it only takes one scene to paint Kim Young Soo as an extremely hardworking assistant manager of Sunjin Department Store, loving father to Kim Han-Na and lucky husband of beautiful Shin Da-Hye (given that he is only an average looking middle-aged man).

Similarly, only a scene is needed to convey Han Gi Tak's character - tough boss with a big heart. He considers subordinates as brothers and he has a soft spot for first love Song Yi-Yeon. These two characters may have nothing in common except for dying on the same day, but they are also determined to protect their loved ones, setting them on a journey back to present life.

afterlife colleagues, Please Come Back Mister

With rules and consequences unknown to them, they signed the contract that would take them back to earth. Succeeding episodes show Kim Young Soo in a new body (Rain) and Han Gi Tak surprisingly in a woman's body (Oh Yeon Seo). Funny scenes await these two characters but they are also compelled to finish their business on earth in two months.                                                      

First impressions: Although the theme is quite common, the series commands attention by painting a vivid picture of the afterlife. It is a good wake up call, seeing how a devoted assistant manager like Kim Young Soo can end up with a ticket to hell while former gangster Han Gi Tak passed for heaven. Like Kim Young Soo, many lose sight of their real purpose in life, prioritizing work and neglecting family. On the other hand, Han Gi Tak had a good balance of work and personal life, thereby earning a place in heaven.

The protagonists are not your typical leading men with the usual romantic comedy stories. Rather, Kim Young Soo represents the average salary man working to support his family while Han Gi Tak is a feared but well-loved. Nonetheless, the first few minutes of the series does not fail in getting votes for these characters.

Kim Young Soo may have mixed up priorities, but his diligence, sincerity and humility are worth admiring that it is simply easy to root for his character. Han Gi Tak's courage is also striking as he is willing to protect his first love Song Yi-Yeon. These two contradictory characters have numerous things to learn from each other and perhaps it is one of the reasons their paths have crossed.

As Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak are given new identities, the series adds more laughter and action to the mix. With the appearance of main characters Rain and Oh Yeon Seo, it is impossible not to get admiring looks from followers.

Although looks can be deceiving, these two characters stay true to themselves and I look forward to see these good looking 'undercovers' in action.

You can rate now rate this drama in our 2016 k-drama recommendations.

New identities, Please Come Back Mister

Similarly-Themed Asian Dramas: Lies, Revenge & Gumihos

Do you ever get that feeling where dramas invoke a sense of deja vu? Oftentimes, I find this happening more so with dramas airing on the same time slots.

I wonder if the production team purposely leaks information to copy off of each other or whether they really just happen to come up with the same idea. Needless to say, I'm all for it. After all, it's much easier to group together dramas based on individual taste.

Recently, I've been watching dramas all about lies. Some similarities might not be so apparent but I guess it depends on the eye of the beholder.

Pinocchio - about a girl who can't lie and a boy who has a secret

Liar Game - a reality TV show where participants lie to win

The Game of Lies - about a struggling author who resorts to forgery.

Miss Ripley - about a young woman who pretends to be someone she's not

That Winter, the Wind Blows - Oh Soo, a swindler trying to lie his way into Oh Young's life

Baby-Faced Beauty - 34 yr old Lee So Young has to keep up the ruse of being 25 years old

Inline with the idea of characters pretending to be someone they're not, there are also plenty of revenge dramas in Drama Land and they usually end in tragedy. After all, what better way to ruin a revenge plot than to realize that the object of their revenge is actually dun dun dun dun....

Nice Guy

A Love to Kill

 Bad Guy

There was nary a time when I did not like dramas about gumihos (nine-tailed fox). They are mythical creatures which seem to be prevalent in Easter Asian cultures. As an avid fantasy action fan, I really enjoy dramas like the following:

Gumiho Family Book (action-romance)

Gumiho: Tale of the Fox's Child (thriller)

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (romantic-comedy)

Nine-Tailed Fox (action romance drama)

After transforming.

See here for a complete list of Top Korean Dramas and Korean Historical Dramas.