I’m still not sure how I feel about this drama, and whether I want to recap it through the end. I enjoy watching it, and I will keep watching it, but… I was kind of bored this episode. After a nice beginning, this episode felt like a re-cobbling together of shows I’ve seen before. (I’ve seen Alias, I’ve seen 24.) For all the excitement of the plot — spies, plots, assassins, secret missions — it felt kind of ordinary, in a way. On the upside, it looked great and the plot unfolded smoothly. Which is why I think it’s interesting that I felt let down.

SONG OF THE DAY

IRIS OST – “잊지 말아요” (Don’t Forget) by Baek Ji-young [ Download ]

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Read the rest of IRIS: Episode 2 (4,214 words)

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Post tags: episode recaps, IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, TOP

Pretty badass, yo.

IRIS is an expensive drama, and it totally shows. I can’t say that the drama took my breath away, but it was very entertaining, and I can see why it burst on the scene with such a strong start. And then improved on it the following day.

I’m not surprised to see a lot of action, but I was a little surprised (in a nice way) to find that the first episode was actually pretty funny. I suspect that may fade as the story heads into more of its spy storylines, but it was a pleasant way to kick off the series — action mixed with beautiful cinematography, well-placed music, and oh yeah, Lee! Byung! Heon!

SONG OF THE DAY

LeeSsang – “Run” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of IRIS: Episode 1 (2,627 words)

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Post tags: episode recaps, IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon

Looks like each of the characters in the main cast of spy drama Iris [아이리스] is getting his/her moment in the spotlight. With a name like Lee Byung-heon in the cast, it’s no surprise he gets most of the attention, as does his CF queen leading lady Kim Tae-hee, but this is one solid supporting cast.

First up: Kim So-yeon (Gourmet). Kim cut off her long hair to play Kim Sun-hwa, a North Korean spy who shows off lots of fierce action skills.

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Read the rest of A look at Iris’s supporting cast (292 words)

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Post tags: IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon, TOP

Upcoming spy drama Iris has had the same poster forever (you know, this one) so it’s nice to see them come out with a new look, just a month before its October premiere on KBS. This image is a little more active than the first one (which was fairly static) and shows a little more personality for each cast member. They are, from left to right: Jung Jun-ho, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, Kim So-yeon, Kim Seung-woo, and TOP.

The action-, betrayal- and romance-packed new drama is set in the world of the NSS, or Korea’s national security agency, and the agents who work within it. With a lot of hype and a production budget of 20 billion won, hopefully this’ll be a better expression of the spy drama genre than, say, 2007’s tepid Air City, in which Lee Jung-jae played an NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent. (Hopefully Korea has learned their lesson about producing dramas around buildings.)

The 20-episode Iris takes the Wednesday-Thursday slot over from My Fair Lady beginning October 14.

Via Arts News

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• Iris gets a drama and a movie

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Post tags: IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, TOP

Aw, isn’t little Wang Seok-hyun cute?

September 5 saw the end of the 17th Chunsa Film Festival and its closing-night awards ceremony, which was held in Icheon, Kyunggi-do. The winners list was dominated by the popular, recently released sports film Take Off [국가대표, or National Athlete], although vampire film Thirst did well, as did lush period piece Portrait of a Beauty.

Full winners list below:

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Read the rest of 17th Chunsa Film Festival (595 words)

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Post tags: awards, Cha Seung-woo, Choi Jung-won, Choi Jung-yoon, film festivals, Go Eun-ah, Im Joo-eun, Jo Ahn, Jung Jun-ho, Jung Soo-young, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Ji-suk, Lee Mi-yeon, Park Chan-wook, Park Hee-soon, Shin Mina, Song Chang-eui, Song Kang-ho, Wang Seok-hyun

KBS’s “blockbuster action spy drama” IRIS [아이리스] is scheduled to premiere in October, but even before it unveils itself to the public, it has confirmed that it is producing another iteration: a manhwa by well-known manhwa-ka Lee Hyun-sae.

The decision to publish the new manhwa comes after negotiations between the drama’s production company, Taewon Entertainment, and writer Lee’s agency, Creek & River. The manhwa version will be set in the same world as the television series, but will follow different plotlines unique to the manhwa. The details of publication are still being worked out.

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Read the rest of Iris to be produced as a manhwa (207 words)

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Post tags: IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, manhwa adaptations, TOP

Who else thinks this is a bad — or very odd — idea?

Lee Byung-heon and Kim Tae-hee’s much-anticipated match-up in the upcoming action-spy drama, Iris, will also be producing — simultaneously — a film version.

Producers from Taewon Productions say, “The movie will be produced alongside with the drama, and be shown in theaters after the drama’s end, with a separate story.” The drama won’t merely be re-edited in film form, but rather, a different version will be made entirely — a first time for a project of this kind.
 
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Read the rest of Iris gets a drama and a movie (443 words)

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Post tags: drama production, IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, TOP