Latest news with #Viki.com
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Some Exorcism Is Needed In The K-Drama ‘The Haunted Palace'
Former BTOB member Yook Sung-jae and WSJN member Bona star in 'The Haunted Palace.' The Haunted Palace begins with the story of a dragon, Gang Cheol, who tries for a thousand years to ascend to heaven, only to have his careful plan foiled by a human child. When he inhabits a human form he walks through green fields dressed in black veils destroying every living thing in his path. The bringer of bad luck, he's also a threat to shamans, the only defense most humans have against his wrath. When a young Yeo-ri tells her shaman grandmother she will dispose of Gang Cheol once and for all, her grandmother warns her to avoid him, to run whenever she sees him. Although Yeo-ri, played by Bona (Pyramid Game) rejects her destiny as a shaman, she still sometimes confronts evil spirits and Gang Cheol continues to stalk her. If Gang Cheol, played by Kim Young-kwang (Hello Me) can recruit this talented shaman, he's sure that he can change his destiny. If he becomes Yeo-ri's guardian and she prays for him, he might be able to resume his ascent to heaven. However, she's not interested in helping him and repeatedly ignores both his promises and threats. She's lonely because he might hurt anyone who befriends her. Still she resists, until he takes the form of Yoon-gab, a childhood friend. Yoon-gab invites her to the palace, but under false pretenses. He wants to use her shamanistic skills to exorcize a demon. Yoon-gab, played by Yook Sung-jae (Mystic Pop-Up Bar, Guardian: The Great and Lonely God), reports to the king, played by Kim Ji-hoon (Death's Game, Love To Hate You). The royal palace is infested with evil spirits and one of them has taken hold of the young prince. And it's not the only vengeful spirit in the palace. A shaman with special skills is sorely needed to protect the royal family. So, Yoon-gab decides to enlist Yeo-ri, even if it means lying to her. Things get even more complicated when Yoon-gab's possession by Gang Cheol prompts some paranormal surprises and romantic confusion. Most of the ghosts in the royal residence are female spirits. So, when Yeo-ri arrives she will need to find out why life in the palace has created so many vengeful spirits and also why so many of them are women. The Haunted Palace is directed by Yun Seong-sik, who is quite familiar with historical drama sets having directed Mr. Queen, Hwarang and The King's screenplay is written by Yoon Soo-jung, who wrote Cheer Up and The Fugitive of Joseon. The drama airs on in the U.S.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
In ‘Way Back Love' The Grim Reaper Calls On An Old Friend
Kim Min-ha and Gong Myeong play classmates in 'Way Back Love.' High school student Jung Hee-won bubbles with enthusiasm. She loves life, delicious food and April Fools Day pranks. Hee-won, a character in the k-drama Way Back Love, stands up to bullies by drawing not-so-intimidating tattoos on her arms with sharpies but somehow they are still no match for her spirited attitude. She also intimidates her classmate, transfer student Kim Ram-woo. Their first interaction involves her asking him to change names for a day. That will confuse their new teacher who is not yet familiar with students' names. But the name switching somehow lasts longer than April Fools Day, which does not make Ram-woo happy. His name embarrassingly comes up when Hee-won asks to go to the nurse's office for cramps and when the Boys Love novels she ordered at the library are ready for pick-up. Ram-woo, played by Gong Myeong (Lovers of the Red Sky, Be Melodramatic), is mortified by her behavior but also intrigued. Hee-won is certainly different from anyone he's ever known. Hee-won, played by Kim Min-ha (Pachinko, Light Shop), asks him to permanently switch names because using his name has improved her luck. He refuses yet the joke continues for so long he starts to respond to people calling her name. He doesn't have many friends, having moved a lot, and they grow close enough to develop feelings for each other. Years later, when she's practically a hermit, he shows up at her door. Having someone from your past unexpectedly turn up is surprising enough, but in this case it defies explanation. Ram-woo died years ago. And yet he shows up at her door with a mission. As he's now the Grim Reaper it's his duty to tell her that she has just one week to live. He suggests she come up with a bucket list and he has a few suggestions. He still has some experiences left on his own bucket list. Is there any chance that Ram-Woo dying and Hee-won's iminent death is some kind of supernatural prank? To find out how they ended up this way, the characters will have to remember what happened way back then, when they first fell in love. The fantasy romance is directed by Choi Ha-na, who directed More Than Family, and is based on the novel A Week Before I Die written by Seo Eun-Chae. Way Back Love, which also stars Jung Gun-woo (Check in Hanyang, Extraordinary You), airs on in the U.S.
