News bites: February 11, 2025
by tccolb
Clockwise: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Sung-min, Ha Yoon-kyung, Soo-hyun
- JTBC has confirmed casting for the Goryeo-era sageuk God’s Beads (roughly translated), placing Ahn Bo-hyun (Flex x Cop), Lee Sung-min (The Queen Who Crowns), Soo-hyun (Gyeongseong Creature 2), and Ha Yoon-kyung (Gangnam B-Side) at the peak of a 30-year long war against the Mongol Empire. The action-melo has PD Jung Dae-yoon (Reborn Rich) at the helm with scripts penned by Jung Hyun-min (Nokdu Flower). [JTBC]
- KBS announced a new family sitcom called Villain’s Country (roughly translated), lining up Oh Nara (The Judge From Hell) and So Yoo-jin (My Dearest) to play our story’s central sisters, along with Seo Hyun-chul (A Virtuous Business), Song Jin-woo (Strong Girl Nam-soon), and Park Young-kyu (Run On). Premiering next month following Kick Kick Kick Kick in the Wednesday-Thursday slot, the team is being led by PD Kim Young-jo (9.9 Billion Won Woman) and PD Choi Jung-eun, as well as writers, Chae Woo and Park Kwang-yeon. [MBC]
- A new series called This Damned Love (roughly translated) is also in the works with offers currently out to Jung Hae-in (Love Next Door) and Ha Young (The Trauma Code – Heroes on Call). Aiming to release on an online streaming platform, production is being led by duo behind You Raise Me Up: PD Kim Jang-han (My Demon) and writer Mo Ji-hye. [Osen]
Ha Young, Jung Hae-in
- It’s a busy season for the drama overlords and SBS has updated their calendars for their 2025 dramas adding the following titles: Would You Marry Me (starring Choi Woo-shik, Jung So-min); We Shouldn’t Have Kissed (starring Jang Ki-yong, Ahn Eun-jin); and Taxi Driver 3 (starring Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung). [SBS]
- Similarly, tvN x TVING presented their new plans at a recent event, announcing the resurrection of their Wednesday-Thursday timeslot in the second half of 2025. Also looking ahead to the channel’s 20th anniversary next year, the long-awaited second season of Signal – titled The Second Signal – has been slated to premiere in 2026, bringing back leads Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo, and Jo Jin-woong. [KBS]
- In the meantime, tvN is preparing is for The Potato Lab to launch their research on March 1, sprouting love between Kang Tae-oh (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) and Lee Sun-bin (Boyhood) in the newest poster. Co-directed by PD Kang Il-soo (Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung) and PD Shim Jae-hyun, scripts for the office rom-com were penned by Kim Ho-soo (Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung). [MBC]
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Tags: Ahn Bo-hyun, Ahn Eun-jin, Choi Woo-shik, Ha Yoon-kyung, Jang Ki-yong, Jo Jin-woong, Jung Hae-in, Jung So-min, Kang Tae-oh, Kim Eui-sung, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Je-hoon, Lee Sun-bin, Lee Sung-min, news bites, Oh Nara, So Yoo-jin, Soo-hyun
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1 Babylilo
February 11, 2025 at 8:35 PM
🎉🎉🎉 The wait is over!!! 🎉🎉🎉 After eight years, I'd just about given up on a second season of Signal. Normally I'd have my doubts about picking up the story again after such a long time, but the presence of the three original cast members gives me hope that The Return of Signal won't disappoint. The addition to the cast of Ahn Jae Hong (LTNS, Chicken Nugget) is also a good sign. It looks like the original screenwriter, Kim Eun-Hee, will be back, too. I'm curious to see how she'll approach the fact that the actors' are nearly a decade older...are we perhaps looking at a time skip?
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PYC
February 12, 2025 at 4:36 AM
No point of a Signal 2 if not the same writer. Let’s hope for the best.
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Yew
February 13, 2025 at 5:26 PM
It’s written by the same writer and will be 8 episodes long. It’s a part of the TVn 20th anniversary celebration.
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2 Aunt Tim
February 11, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Strong move for tvN to air Signal 2 on Wed-Thu. I can't wait!
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3 Kurama
February 12, 2025 at 12:17 AM
SBS released a special drama Our Chocolate Moments. There are 2 episodes.
https://mydramalist.com/785754-our-chocolate-moment
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Babylilo
February 12, 2025 at 5:29 AM
I saw that. I can’t find a way to watch it here in the U.S., but I’ll keep looking.
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Kurama
February 12, 2025 at 5:41 AM
I think it's on Kocowa.
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Babylilo
February 12, 2025 at 6:54 AM
I don't have this service, so I'll have to keep my eye out for other portals. I can't resist anything with "chocolate" in the title! 🍫🤭
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Kurama
February 12, 2025 at 7:49 AM
The movie Chocolate with Juliette Binoche is one of my favorite. They filmed the chocolate so well, it's like I was smelling it!
Babylilo
February 12, 2025 at 9:04 AM
I was actually thinking of the Kdrama, Chocolate. Yoon Kye-Sang is absolutely delectable! The delicious assortment also includes Jang Seung-Jo and Yoo Teo. And if you prefer your chocolate with nuts, there’s Min Jin-Woong!
OldLawyer
February 12, 2025 at 11:06 AM
I also immediately thought of the movie CHOCOLATE with Juliette Binoche. We own a copy on DVD. It is a wonderful movie.
Kurama
February 12, 2025 at 11:25 AM
This drama was quite the melo.
@oldawyer I have the DVD too!
OldLawyer
February 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM
It is on Kocowa- which I recently subscribed to after dropping HULU.
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Babylilo
February 12, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Kocowa seems to have a lot of the same titles as Viki, which is why I'm not a subscriber. Keeping Hulu for the time being.
bong-soo
February 12, 2025 at 1:48 PM
In a way @babylilo I think it is the other way around. Viki carries what dramas Kocowa in the past deigned to toss Viki’s way which in recent years hasn’t been all that much imho. The whole basis for paying extra for Viki Plus was that Kocawa would pass the big 3 (KBS, SBS, MBC) dramas on to Viki. Not the case anymore. That is why I cancelled my Kocowa subscription awhile back.
Babylilo
February 12, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I have Viki Pass+, Netflix, and Hulu/Disney+. My watchlist (currently about 670 titles) has six shows that would require me to get a separate Kocowa subscription; I think in all those cases I managed to find those shows in one dark corner of the internet or the other.
BTW - In my search for Our Chocolate Moments, I came across a Japanese series from 2023 called Dr. Chocolate. (Has anyone seen it or heard anything about it?) The title character is apparently a 10-year-old "child surgical prodigy" who is part of a team of surgeons led by an ex-doctor with an artificial hand. With that premise, how could I NOT watch it?
Dylan [My Dearest Undercover Potato]
February 12, 2025 at 4:17 PM
@babylilo I've been meaning to watch Dr. Chocolate for a while, it got very good reviews. It's up on the usual 🏴☠️ sites.
4 Gikata
February 12, 2025 at 2:49 AM
1 looks tempting overall, but the only sageuk I've seen from ABH was 19's LIFE flashback portion, and that didn't leave any lasting impression. Was-setting historical epic is a tough call for any actor, can he really manage that? Surprised producers didn't go for more seasoned in the genre ML. Or am I underplaying generation shift and there's only so few actors in this age range willing to do action sageuk?
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Gikata
February 12, 2025 at 2:50 AM
*war-setting
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redfox
February 12, 2025 at 4:35 AM
I think the action was a big factor. I dunno he is good in modern action plus seems to like to play around with all sort of props it might be a case of man-child just getting sucked into it. children have no trouble playing ANY role yknow. it helps to imagine ypurself as a kid...
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bong-soo
February 12, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Some thoughts here @gikata:
1. Although the little I know of the plot (an expedition to find objects) really isn’t the most enticing for a sageuk imho the writer and director (whoever is cast) is probably enough for me to start JTBC’s GOD’s BEADS. Coming in at 12 episodes it probably won’t be an epic.
2. Speaking of writers, do you ever find it strange (because I do) when I notice a long gap between projects. GB’s writer is Jung Hyun-min who’s (according to MDL) last kdrama was SBS’s great THE NOKDU FLOWER (2019) (Viki US). Then before NF writer Hyun has a 2015 drama (ASSEMBLY) (Viki US) and then in 2014 the classic 50 episode sageuk from KBS’s JEONG DO JEON. Now unfortunately since 2018 I have been in a holding pattern with JEONG DO JEON having completed 41 of 50 episodes. While watching JDJ I took the pledge not to patronize the dark side so I am still waiting for JEONG DO JEON to appear on a legal site. (Offer to Kocowa: make JDJ available to US viewers and I will renew my subscription for a year (not just the intro offer)).
It seems with many writers gaps appear in production around 2020 and the pandemic year.
3. In the matter of ML casting. I wish Ahn Bo-hyun (age 36) luck. He looks like he can handle action. I could definitely recommend Kim Myung-soo (32) who always is in great shape. Why not Jung Il-woo (37), Yoon Shi-yoon (38) or the always in shape Lee Joon-gi (42)?
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Gikata
February 12, 2025 at 8:04 AM
12 episodes?! What a joke. Count my interest already halved.
I always thought it was because THE NOKDU FLOWER didn't do well enough ratings-wise? Must've been a big blow to writer's resume to have such an ambitious project not deliver the expected results. And with sageuks popularity fading since then...
I assume ML should be of a certain age? LJG, however youthful, can't really pass for 20-something anymore (and publicly claimed he's done with such roles in historicals after MOON LOVERS). ABH with the right styling probably could though. As for JIW and YSY, despite solid sageuk expertise of both, seems like their brand value hasn't been high enough lately. L could've work tho.
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kiara
February 12, 2025 at 10:48 AM
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bewitched
February 12, 2025 at 4:04 PM
3. Hong Jong-hyun would look really good. Wang Rin😭. Not sure if he can handle the action scenes tho. Lee Joon would have been nice as well, he does know how to dance so memorizing the action choreography would have been fine. He just cried way too much in Bloody Heart.
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Gikata
February 13, 2025 at 3:45 AM
It's been a while since I've last heard of Lee Joon, where's he now?
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bewitched
February 13, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I think he joined 2 Days 1 Night. Now that I think about it we have some idol actors that's actually old enough at the moment, is not terrible at acting, and can do the action scenes by themselves. Junho, Park Hyung-shik, Yoon Doo-joon, or Yook Seung-jae maybe.
Gikata
February 14, 2025 at 4:27 AM
@bewitched oh, I see. Good for him.
I'd LOVE for Hyungsik to finally star in decent-written sageuk, but it seems like he has no such luck(((
bong-soo
February 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Both Hong Jong-hyun and Lee Joon are basically dramatically blank slates for me believe it or not.
There is further casting news and I guess a title change to this thing.
According to MDL (2-13-25) Yoon Kyun-sang will be part of the cast of MARBLE OF GOD. I was pleased to see the news of the casting of Yoon Kyun-sang and not so much about the new title.
Maybe the late thirty-something guys are finally being brought in from the cold.
kiara
February 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
I'm glad we are getting more Goryeo sageuks, but I'm not feeling the ML or FL choice. I hope they'll prove me wrong.
I love the writer, and Lee Sung-min is a solid sageuk veteran. JTBC going back to conventional sageuks is good, too.
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bong-soo
February 14, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Further update @kiara. This MDL article announcing the addition of Yoon Kyun-sang to the cast of the now MARBLE OF GOD specifies a date when this story is supposed to take place: 1258.
Here is the MDL article:
https://mydramalist.com/article/yoon-kyun-sang-is-returning-to-historical-k-dramas-with-marble-of-god
The addition of Yoon Kyun-sang is a positive development imho.
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kiara
February 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Thank you! It's good to see him back. 😊
I have part of the Goryeosa somewhere in my storage. Time to read up on the Mongol invasions.
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5 Diana Hansen
February 12, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Getting excited for most of these, Signal being the most anticipated one. Good to see An Bo-hyun again. Hoping the Potato Lab is good.
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6 jerrykuvira
February 12, 2025 at 7:36 AM
1. It is a saguek 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉.
2. Is KBS diving into sitcom era?
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7 OldLawyer
February 12, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Interesting that we have a historical drama about the thirty-year war with the Mongols. It is actually something of a tribute to Goryeo that the Koreans were actually able to hold the Mongols off for an entire generation.
I am very much looking forward to THE POTATO LAB.
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8 Kurama
February 12, 2025 at 10:52 AM
1) I'm not sure for ABH in a sageuk. But I'm really excited to watch a goryeo sageuk! Soo-Hyun was Khutulun in Marco Polo, she changed sides :p
3) I like the casting! I dropped You Rise Me Up, I couldn't stand the FL.
4) Happy with the first pairing, for the second... I dont' specially like JKY.
5) I wish to see Chani as a flashback or as new character. His character's arc was too sad in the first season!
6) KTO is really handsome but I'm still waiting to be surprised by his acting.
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bewitched
February 12, 2025 at 4:09 PM
6. I think I get now why fans protest why Kang Tae-oh is not a bigger star than he is now. I personally find his acting good, but his face and screen presence nothing extraordinary (like he can be shoved to second lead just fine), the opposite of your opinion.
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Kurama
February 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Oh, I don't think he has ascreen presence neither. In EAW, he was very lucky with the success of the drama but his character wasn't really well developped and he couldn't compensate for it. And in the BTS, it looked more like he was told how to do things than a conversation between the actors and the PD.
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Neolttwigi
February 13, 2025 at 12:35 AM
ABH rocked hanbok in "See you in my 19th life"
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9 🌸 Seeker 🌸
February 13, 2025 at 7:19 AM
1. Lee Sung-min and sageuk!! 🥰
2. I love Oh Nara so yet better keep a watch on this one.
3. Hmm, title makes is sound like a melo.
4. SBS seems to have some aces up its sleeves.
5. The Second Signal!! 😱 Uh, er, erm, how unique *cough, cough*.
6. Sounds crunchy. 🥔🔥
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10 PakalanaPikake
February 17, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Sell my clothes, I'm going to heaven! THE SECOND SIGNAL will reverberate at last in 2026.
Here's hoping the OST is as memorable as the original production's, to wit:
[시그널 OST PART 4] 김윤아 (Kim Yuna) - 길 (THE ROAD) MV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3VZ78hWhQw
[시그널 OST Part 3] 정차식 - 나는 너를 (I will forget you)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZYSjUADrw
GOD'S BEADS had me at scriptwriter Jung Hyun-min (for the thoroughly excellent and devastating NOKDU FLOWER, my top Kdrama of 2019) and PD Jung Dae-yoon (THE KING 2HEARTS, ARANG AND THE MAGISTRATE -- two more favorites). Not to mention Lee Sung-min, whose performance in MISAENG made me a fan for life. Looking forward to a sojourn in Goryeo.
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kiara
February 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Oh my gosh, @pakalanapikake are you back? Miss you mucho.❤
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