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 ]

IRIS Episode 2 >>

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If you’re following KBS’s spy drama Iris, you’ll know that the romance between main characters played by Lee Byung-heon and Kim Tae-hee, who are fellow spies for the NSS, has been heating up. In particular, this week’s Episode 3 featured a love scene between them, and with spoilers teasing the big moment ahead of time, interest leading up to the episode was high. However, apparently what was shown in the broadcast was not the entirety of what was originally intended. There were concerns for the appropriateness of the content given the drama’s age-15-and-up rating, so in the end parts were edited out.

Fans will get a chance to see the full uncut version, however, albeit on cable. The channel OCN, which has the exclusive rights to re-air the episodes, will feature the scene with additional footage. The moment comes when the two spies steal away to Japan for a low-key vacation together to keep away from the eyes of their colleagues.

OCN will rebroadcast Episodes 3 and 4 on October 24.

Via Sports Chosun

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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 ]

IRIS Episode 1 >>

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I’ve heard of a lot of Korean dramas getting sold to other countries (most often to Japan) prior to the drama’s television premiere, but Iris has just upped the ante by selling to seven.

The action-spy-thriller series begins this Wednesday on KBS, but even before anyone gets to sample a full episode, it has sold to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan solely on the basis of its promotional clips. (Er, I suppose the technical way to phrase it would be that it has sold to seven overseas countries and/or states.) The monetary value of the sales was not disclosed.

Three more days to the premiere, all you Iris fans!

Via E Daily

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• Iris gets explosive
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• Iris’s profiler Kim Tae-hee
• Iris releases its newest poster
• Iris to be produced as a manhwa

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Now that we’ve gotten those pesky character introductions out of the way, let’s turn our attention to what Iris is really about: explosions!

Apparently, lots of them, judging from the fresh batch of stills of KBS’s action thriller drama, which hits airwaves in (finally!) two weeks. The drama production boasts a budget of 20 billion won, and it looks like they’re putting that to good use with all the large-scale shoots and special effects. (That converts to just under $17 million, or $0.85 million per episode.) Iris began filming in March, and for the past seven months has shot in Japan, Hungary, and China, as well as at home in Korea.

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