The new posters for the jTBC cable drama Fermentation Family aren’t the most exciting bunch around, but they do convey a tastefulness (ha, pun!) in their presentation of the drama’s family- and kimchi-centric premise.

Fermentation Family stars Song Il-kook (A Man Called God) and Park Jin-hee (Giant) as the main couple who falls into a bickering relationship, as you can see in the stills below. He’s the restaurant owner and she’s the part-time employee, and together they argue and nitpick the tiniest details as they develop their “upbeat, cute romance.”

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Read the rest of Fermentation Family’s posters and character stills (160 words)

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Post tags: Park Jin-hee, Song Il-kook

Fermentation Family (aka Balhyo Gajok), starring Song Il-kook and Park Jin-hee, may have an awkward-sounding title (at least in English), but the stills from the upcoming cable drama are quite easy on the eyes.

Pictured together here are series stars Song Il-kook (A Man Called God) and Park Jin-hee (Giant) from the drama’s open set day, and already the chemistry is crackling between them. Take the above shot: They look like they’re either about to bite each other’s heads off or start making out, or maybe both.

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Read the rest of Song Il-kook and Park Jin-hee in Fermentation Family (294 words)

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Post tags: cable programs, Park Jin-hee, Song Il-kook

Yay, Park Jin-hee is coming back to dramaland! The star of Giant and The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry has signed on to headline a new cable drama opposite Song Il-kook (Crime Squad). Song has been considering the role and other names have been bandied about for the lead actress, but both are now confirmed to star.

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Read the rest of Park Jin-hee and Song Il-kook headline new drama (357 words)

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Post tags: Park Jin-hee, Song Il-kook

Song Il-kook is reportedly in contention as the leading man in a new drama with an interestingly uninteresting title: It’s 발효가족, which means literally Fermentation Family. It’s a horrible sounding name, so for now I’m going to call it by its phonetic Korean name, Balhyo Gajok. Phew, that sounds better to my ear, strangely, though it means the same thing.

There’s barely any information about the project in official news reports, but from the dribs and drabs I’ve been able to pick up, the fermentation part of the title likely comes from the drama’s involvement with kimchi, although it also deals with gangsters. Now there’s a title for you: Kimchi and Gangsters. True, that would make it sound much more comedic, but then again, it’s not like fermentation conjures up images of badass gangsters either.

But before you mentally check out of the show before it’s even begun, there’s one key consideration: Directing it is PD Park Chan-hong, who did Rebirth (aka Resurrection) and Mawang (aka The Devil) — two dark thriller dramas oft-noted for their high-quality storytelling and acting (and, as it happens, both starring Uhm Tae-woong). That track record right there is enough to make me sit up and take notice, because it’s rare that we get dark K-drama thrillers that work well, and here’s a guy with two standouts on his resumé.

A rep confirmed that Song has received the script and is considering the role, but cautioned that it’s too early to make casting statements. (There are wee little rumors that Kim Jung-eun — I Am Legend, Forever the Moment — is in contention for the female lead, but those are not yet substantiated.) Song had a modest success last year with the weekend action drama A Man Called God, but fared less well this year with Crime Squad. Balhyo Gajok will be produced by Olive Nine, but currently doesn’t have broadcaster commitment.

Via NTN Seoul

RELATED POSTS

• Crime Squad: Episode 1
• Preview clip for KBS drama Crime Squad
• More scenes from Crime Squad
• Meet the cops of KBS’s Crime Squad
• More stills as Man Called God winds up for weekend premiere
• Press conference for A Man Called God
• Posters revealed for A Man Called God

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Post tags: Song Il-kook

I actually really like the tone and feel of this show, which is a nice changeup in the current k-drama landscape. It starts out light and goofy, but it’s well-acted, so the dramatic turns don’t feel weightless. I’m a fan of cop procedurals to begin with, but I’ve honestly never seen a solid one in kdramaland. This might actually be the first time I stick with one. We’ll see how it goes.

The first two episodes premiered to low ratings (7-8% range), which isn’t surprising given that The Duo just got its adult cast going, and has had a few weeks’ head start. I think Crime Squad isn’t the type of show to be a breakout hit anyway, but so far I like it best out the current Monday-Tuesday lineup.

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Read the rest of Crime Squad: Episode 1 (3,216 words)

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Post tags: Crime Squad, featured, first episodes, Kim Joon, Lee Jong-hyuk, Song Il-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Sung Ji-ru

Crime Squad preview is out!

I’m a little ashamed to say that my main takeaway from the trailer is supremely shallow: OMG Lee Jong-hyuk, why so hot? I’m even a little sorry, as I don’t even care that Kim Seung-woo dropped out, paving the way for Lee Jong-hyuk’s inclusion as the cold-hearted police chief.

My second response is a little more substantive: The drama is, to my surprise, going for a much lighter, almost outright comedic tone than I’d suppose of a crime-procedural. I was anticipating something more along the lines of 2007′s cop drama H.I.T starring Go Hyun-jung, and instead it’s more like 2009′s comedy-melodrama Hero. (Given that H.I.T was (pardon the pun) a hit and Hero a huge flop, I’m not sure that’s the most promising comparison, but there ya have it.)

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Read the rest of Preview clip for KBS drama Crime Squad (170 words)

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Post tags: Kim Joon, Lee Jong-hyuk, Song Il-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Sunwoo Sun

With Crime Squad premiering next month, we have a couple new batches of stills from the procedural cop drama. Frankly, it bums me out a little that I like the cast so much, and yet find the plot so humdrum. (Kangnam police station + criminals + investigations. Eh.) Well, here’s to hoping that the story surprises with some added interest. It could happen.

Looks like Lee Jong-hyuk is now fully onboard and incorporated into the cast as well, after being a late replacement for Kim Seung-woo, who dropped out due to personal reasons. And…I think a lot of fans are happy about him, to put it mildly. I think if anyone were to match Kim Seung-woo as the cold-hearted (yet totally hot) bastard police chief, it would be him.

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Read the rest of More scenes from police drama Crime Squad (197 words)

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Post tags: Kim Joon, Lee Jong-hyuk, Song Il-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Sunwoo Sun

Song Il-kook (A Man Called God) and Song Ji-hyo (Goong) were first paired in the 2006 sageuk blockbuster Jumong, and now they find themselves paired again in the upcoming KBS drama Crime Squad.

Not having watched much of Jumong, I can’t tell you what their chemistry was like then, but they sure look playful and winsome here (which makes me see Song Il-kook in a different light, actually, since he’s always played such intense characters). And, yeah, a bickering couple cuffed together (the less intentional, the better) always makes me laugh. (It’s for that reason only that I got suckered into watching Three Brothers for waaaay too long, I think.)

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Read the rest of Jumong couple back together for Crime Squad (222 words)

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Post tags: Song Il-kook, Song Ji-hyo

Following teen idol drama Dream High, we have the more serious crime drama titled, appropriately enough, Crime Squad. Below are shots from the drama’s poster shoot earlier this week, featuring its cast of cops.

The drama stars Kim Seung-woo (IRIS) and Song Il-kook (A Man Called God), each of whom embody two very differing working styles. Kim Seung-woo plays a cold, clean-cut, buttoned-up police chief, while Song Il-kook is decidedly scruffier as the hotheaded cop. (After seeing the latter playing sageuk kings and sleek modern badasses, I have to say I really like him rumpled-up and sporting some ‘tude.)

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Read the rest of Meet the cops of KBS’s Crime Squad (248 words)

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Post tags: Kim Joon, Kim Seung-woo, Song Il-kook, Sunwoo Sun

Woot! I freaking LOVE Kim Seung-woo. Seeing him for three seconds a week on Athena just isn’t cutting it for me. Ye drama gods must be kind, because they sensed our need and put him front and center in a new drama headed our way. The drama is called [강력반] so I’m going with Serious Crime Squad, although a fancier title like Seoul PD: Homicide Investigation Unit or some such might end up being the actual title. You know, I’m just now thinking up a good drinking game involving the naming of cop procedurals…

As you can tell from the title, it’s about a detective unit in the serious crimes division. Kim Seung-woo will be playing the squad’s leader, Bossy McHotterson. Okay, I made that up. But it could TOTALLY be his name. You never know. His character is described as a live-in-his-suit type, who commands trust and has unparalleled verbal skills. He’s described as having a “trustworthy voice.” Hm. I would go with “sexy voice,” but no one asked me.

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Read the rest of Kim Seung-woo to headline new drama (268 words)

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Post tags: Kim Seung-woo, Park Sun-young, Song Il-kook, Sunwoo Sun