News bites: April 8, 2023

12 April 8, 2023April 8, 2023

by tccolb

Nam Joo-hyuk, Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Jun-hyuk, Kim So-jin

Disney+ announced their lineup for the upcoming crime-action Vigilante, which stars Nam Joo-hyuk (Twenty Five Twenty One), Yoo Ji-tae (Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area), Lee Jun-hyuk (Dark Hole), and Kim So-jin (Through the Darkness). The webtoon adaptation is slated to air later this year, with filmmaker Choi Jung-yeol (Start-Up, the 2019 film) at the helm. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Once Family finally airs, Jang Nara’s (Sell Your Haunted House) next reunion will be with Sohn Ho-joon (The First Responders) in the new TV Chosun series Happy End. In a contrast to their first pairing in Go Back Spouses, this time the two will be playing an ambitious couple who struggle to break free from the vicious cycle of chasing success. Planning to broadcast later this year, PD Jo Soo-won (Today’s Webtoon) is attached to direct. [Star News]

Sohn Ho-joon, Jang Nara

Speaking of Sohn Ho-joon, he along with Kim Rae-won (L.U.C.A.: The Beginning) and Gong Seung-yeon (Bulgasal: Immortal Souls) will be returning this August in SBS’s The First Responders 2. With production continuing under PD Shin Kyung-soo (Nokdu Flower) and writer Min Ji-eun (Investigation Couple 2), the new second season will be adding forensics into our action-thriller mix of police, firefighters, and paramedics. [SBS]
A cool, illustrated poster has dropped for tvN’s Stealer: The Treasure Keeper, featuring our title’s thieving hero Joo-won (Alice). As the elusive Skunk, he’ll be taking us on the search for the seven treasured Joseon coins, along with Lee Joo-woo (Why Her) and Jo Han-chul (Big Bet) among other cast. The action-caper begins next week on April 12. [JTBC]

Lee Moo-saeng (The Glory) is joining the growing cast for Maestra, playing opposite Lee Young-ae (Inspector Koo) as our story’s male lead. Adapted from the French series Philharmonia, the Korean remake is still in the planning stages with PD Kim Jung-kwon at the helm and scripts by Hong Jung-hee. [Dispatch]
New posters have been released for a new fantasy romance called Sound Candy (roughly translated), showcasing a fresh-faced cast with Weki Meki’s Choi Yoo-jung (Single & Ready to Mingle), former NU’EST member Kim Jong-hyun (a.k.a. JR) (Let Me Be Your Knight), n.SSign’s Lee Han-jun, and Baek Seo-hoo (Cafe Minamdang). Directed by PD Kang Hee-joo (Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist 2) with writing by Kim Eun-ye, the series is aiming to be an ASMR-style ~healing~ drama. [Newsen]

Over on JTBC, a slew of new promos have arrived for The Good Bad Mother, including character posters of our four leads, in addition to a new video teaser. Starring Ra Mi-ran (Dr. Park’s Clinic), Lee Do-hyun (The Glory), Ahn Eun-jin (The One and Only), and Yoo In-soo (Alchemy of Souls), the comedy will be bringing us both tears and cheers, premiering later this month on April 26. [JTBC]

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1 Midnight

April 8, 2023 at 5:27 PM

Lee Joon Hyuk! Sohn Ho Joon! Jang Nara and Sohn Ho Joon! Lee Moo Saeng! Is it my birthday today??

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2 Elinor is trapped in the timeslip

April 8, 2023 at 7:48 PM

1. YES! Nothing will stop me from watching this - but Disney+ (grrr!) means my sojourn on the dark side will be extended.

2. MDL still says Jang Na-ra and Sohn Ho-joon will "possibly reunite." Fingers crossed, 'cause it sounds like fun.

4. That poster is GREAT, even if it seems out of sync with previous promos. I'm still stuck on the Skunk concept, though. I remain convinced that whoever named this has never actually smelled actual skunk.

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Goyangi

April 9, 2023 at 8:34 AM

Yes! Watching Kdramas is getting more expensive as more streaming services add them!

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Unaspirated

April 10, 2023 at 5:18 AM

4. I KNOW. If I wasn't already incredibly excited, that poster would have gotten me there for sure. He's got kind of a Venom thing happening, but I'm here for it. So so cool.

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3 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️

April 8, 2023 at 9:15 PM

Happy end and Sound candy are the only two I am going to long list at this stage but I am not certain they will make it to the watchlist as a lot more info is needed. Looks like we are finally moving on from lawyer, hospital and fusion sageuks😊

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4 jerrykuvira

April 8, 2023 at 11:54 PM

2. Go Back Couple reunion 🥺🥺🥺🥺. I'll definitely watch this one no matter what.

3. Will adding forensics to the mix prevent the story from being a Jin Ho-gae-won-centric story? I don't trust this production one bit. I feel they should balance out the ensemble, not add in another when they can't let all the current main ensemble shine.

4. Cool poster. Will we perhaps have this display in episode 1? :)

5. I liked Lee Mu-saeng a lot in Thirty Nine. Lead actor alongside Lee Young-ae, very cool.

7. After finally understanding the bad in bad mother, I'm ready for this one.

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faithwithme

April 9, 2023 at 5:26 PM

agree about Jin Ho Gae centric in a drama touted to be ensemble drama. there is no way they will reduce his storyline to extend others. it will be Son Ho Joon storyline that will reduce again and again. too bad i like that they highlight another side of fire fighter with their experiment to determine cause of fire.

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5 PYC

April 9, 2023 at 12:23 AM

Go Back Couple reunion with a U-turn narrative?! I’m in.

Same excitement for Lee Mu-Saeng joining the Lee Young-ae’s drama. Hope it’s a meaty role. He’s been underutilized for far too long.

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6 ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min

April 9, 2023 at 12:34 AM

1. Lee Joon-hyuk? Say no more, I'm in.
...Everyone else is cool too, I guess.

2. Jang Nara reuniting with yet another costar? And the show is about them doing some vaguely anticapitalist/anti-consumerist things?? Oh god, maybe 2023 won't be utter shit after all.

3. Yet another drama with a second season... Can we please stop this. I'm begging all the execs and higher-ups to please stop. I don't even remember the first season being all that successful either so what the hell is going on?

4. This poster is beyond gorgeous. I love me some neat, illustrated artwork and Joo-won looks fantastic in that ripped black-shirt thing he has going on. However, I'm convinced the writer was on drugs when coming up with that vigilante name, because what other explanation could there possibly be for 'Skunk'? No judgment, but I need to know.

5. Dear drama gods, please please PLEASE DO NOT make Lee Moo-saeng into a terrible person or an adulterer again for the upteenth time. My heart cannot handle it. He has to play a good male lead at some point - please let this be the one. Lee Young-ae is an incredible actress and I'm so glad she's becoming more active in tv productions again.

6. That cast looks way too green for my confidence. Also, what the hell does an ASMR-style drama even mean??

7. Wait, wait, wait, nobody told me Yoo In-soo was gonna be in this? I was already interested in the drama with the cast I did know about, but this amps up my anticipation level ever more - despite still being more than a little confused about the premise.