Spend the jolliest time of the year by bonding with your family over these 7 shows on Viu for FREE this December!

This festive season, Viu has prepared something special to bring warmth and smiles to all Singaporeans. Enjoy the best of Asian dramas and variety shows, from highly anticipated titles like True Beauty and Mr. Queen to past fan favourites, such as Goblin and My Love from the Star.

True Beauty – one of the most anticipated webtoon adaptations this year, this lighthearted romantic comedy tells the story of a popular and beautiful high school student Lim Ju Gyeong (Moon Ga Young). Watch as she meets Lee Soo Ho (Cha Eun Woo), a charismatic boy with emotional wounds from his dark past. As they exchange secrets and fall in love with each other, can Soo Ho help Ju Gyeong overcome her insecurities and embrace her natural self? Be prepared for a case of the second lead syndrome as Ju Gyeong becomes acquainted with the handsome but tough-looking Han Seo Jun (Hwang In Yeop)! 

What happens when a man from the modern age finds himself waking up in the body of Queen Cheorin (Shin Hye Sun), in the Joseon dynasty? Queen Cheorin is married to King Cheoljong (Kim Jung Hyun), a figurehead who appears nonchalant but is in fact only hiding his true feelings in order to avoid conflict. Brace yourself for plenty of belly-aching laughter as you join Queen Cheorin in her unlikely shenanigans. How will her dynamics with King Cheoljong play out as she gets thrown into unexpected situations?

When the Weather Is Fine is a story about forgiveness, healing, and love taking place around a small bookstore in the countryside. Cellist Hae Won (Park Min Young) is an ordinary woman with good character who has closed the door to love after a few unhappy experiences. Feeling jaded about her life in Seoul, she decides to move back to her hometown – Bookhyun Village, where she meets Im Eun Seob (Seo Kang Joon) who runs a bookshop named "Goodnight Bookstore“. Little by little, the two find warmth in each other amidst the coldness of winter. Will the pair fall in love in the idyllic South Korean countryside?

Is it better to live forever or finally be able to die? A decorated military general during the Goryeo Dynasty who was cursed to remain immortal, a goblin (Gong Yoo) is condemned to a lonely existence. He longs to meet his prophesied bride who can set his soul free. Soon, he becomes accidental roommates with a grim reaper (Lee Dong Wook) and meets Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun), a high school student who is able to communicate with the dead. This holiday season, relive the romance, comedy and the adorable bromance between Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook in this fantasy drama – Goblin! 

My Love From the Star follows the romance between an alien and the biggest Hallyu star in Korea. Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun), who landed on Earth 400 years ago during the Joseon Dynasty, possesses a near-perfect appearance and enhanced physical abilities. Holding a cynical view of human beings, he meets Cheon Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun), a spunky, blunt and seemingly self-absorbed actress struggling with her career. Finding himself slowly entangled in Song Yi's crazy and unpredictable situations, Min Joon and Song Yi eventually fall in love. Be swept of your feet in one of the all-time best-loved Kdramas that also features beautiful wintry landscapes – just what we need to satisfy our wanderlust.

Based on a webtoon, Secret Zoo follows Kang Tae Soo (Ahn Jae Hong), a junior lawyer who is tasked to revitalise a failing zoo. Seeing this as a chance to make a name for himself in the company, Tae Soo is eager to prove his worth. The problem? The zoo does not actually have any animals, and he has only three months to turn its fortune around. With the zookeepers' help, he comes up with an unorthodox idea: to have the zookeepers dress up as animals and put on a show for guests. When a video of him drinking Coca-Cola while wearing a polar bear suit goes viral, the zoo’s popularity instantly skyrocketed. But how long can Tae Soo and the zookeepers maintain this charade? Let the goofy zookeepers lift your spirits in this feel-good holiday movie!

Mi Young (Uhm Jung Hwa) makes and sells twisted breadsticks while her husband Seok Hwan (Park Sung Woong) works as a computer repairman. One day, Seok Hwan wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii and the couple excitedly embarks on their first-ever overseas trip together. However, things take a turn for the worse when they find themselves sharing the same flight with terrorists and secret agents, during which they are taken hostages with the other passengers on the hijacked plane. Get ready for plenty of laughter in Okay! Madam as Mi Young and Seok Hwan save the day in the most unexpected way possible!

1) It's Okay to Not Be Okay

A fox never forgets its soulmate! A male nine-tailed fox, Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-Wook), has lived hundred of years while waiting for the woman he loved. Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah) is the PD of supernatural documentaries. Watch how fate and destiny bring Lee Yeon to his soulmate once again!

Check out our exclusive interview with the cast here!

New romance drama Lovestruck in the City depicts the real love stories of young people who love fiercely in the city. Starring Ji Chang-wook, Kim Ji-won, Kim Min-seok, So Joo-yeon, Han Ji-eun, and Ryu Gyeong-soo as three separate couples with different dynamics, the main cast and director discussed the series at a press conference today. Find out why you’ll fall in love with Lovestruck in the City below!

The series is directed by Park Shin-woo of It's Okay to Not Be Okay and Don't Dare to Dream fame. It’s also written by Jung Hyun-jung who wrote Romance Is a Bonus Book. The main cast is full of popular actors and up-and-coming actors as well. Kim Ji-won and Han Ji-eun both mentioned the director and writer as being the main reason for choosing their roles. Park Shin-woo had praise for each actor and mentioned, “So Joo-yeon is an especially interesting actor. I’m very curious about her future. She’s very lovable.” He also revealed that he chose Ryu Gyeong-soo through an audition after only a minute or two. There’s much to look forward to with such a solid team!

Lovestruck in the City offers a shorter runtime compared to some other series with 30 minutes per episode. While the episodes are shorter, you can be assured that they won’t be skimping on the story. Director Park Shin-woo said, “Although the run time is shorter, I didn’t feel like it was that different.” Kim Ji-won shared, “Since it’s a shorter drama, I felt like it was more addictive.” She also talked about how time flew by so quickly when she was reading the fun script. You can expect a highly addictive and easy to watch series.

Kim Min-seok spoke about a unique aspect of Lovestruck in the City and divulged, “There are interviews in the drama so it feels almost like a docu-drama. It was really fun and unconventional. I think our drama is very unique.” Park Shin-woo also shared that he took a different approach to direct this series and talked about trying to be more like a variety show director at times. Through individual interviews, viewers will be able to see how everyone has different perspectives and opinions.

With the premise of the story centring on young people in the city experiencing love, the series aims to be relatable and realistic. Director Park Shin-woo shared, “I hope that viewers can see their relationships, past or present, in the three relationships. I think they’ll be able to find a similar boyfriend amongst these characters as well as themselves amongst the characters.” So Joo-yeon also added, “There were a lot of scenes that were similar to real-life dating, so I could relate while filming with Min-seok.” While the six main characters are all different, you’ll definitely be able to discover relatable aspects.

Park Shin-woo revealed, “Ji Chang-wook and Kim Ji-won are really close. ” Then Ji Chang-wook shared, “From the moment we met, I felt that Kim Ji-won was reliable.” So Joo-yeon also talked about how she and Kim Min-seok called each other often in order to get close and pull off portraying their long-term relationship. In addition to couple chemistry, we can look forward to some chemistry between Ji Chang-wook and Kim Min-seok whose characters are cousins. Kim Min-seok said, “Ji Chang-wook and I are close in real life, so it was easier to show our bro chemistry.” There will be overflowing chemistry all around!

Don’t miss out when Lovestruck in the City premieres today at 6PM MYT, with new episodes every Tuesday and Friday, only on Netflix!

Catch your favourite K-dramas this December in the run-up to this year-end K-fest!

Oh!K (Astro Ch 394) brings fans the highly-anticipated MBC Drama Awards, live on 30 December, Wednesday at *8.05pm with an encore on 31 December, Thursday at *4.05pm. Save the date and tune in to see if your favourite K-stars win the various categories, from, Best Couple Award, Best New Actors/Actress Awards to the top Excellence Awards, Drama of the Year and the Grand Prize (Daesang) Award!

Close on its heels is the MBC Korean Music Festival the day after, on 31 December, Thursday at *8.05pm with an encore on 1 January at *5.30pm. Don’t miss this dazzling array of the biggest K-pop idols.

While fans in Malaysia eagerly await the official announcement of the K-drama award nominees and the list of K-music sensations, MBC has announced that Refund Sisters – the chart-topping female group consisting of Lee Hyo-ri, Jessi, MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, and Uhm Jung-hwa – will be appearing on both the entertainment Awards and the music festival events.

Actor Kim Seon-ho (Good Manager, Start-Up, 2 Days and 1 Night Season 4) has also been appointed the host, for the first time, for the 2020 MBC Music Festival.

It’s the perfect time to re-watch or catch on your favourite K-dramas on Oh!K for the holidays, and a great way to prepare yourself for the year-end award and music shows!

The best 2020 K-dramas put a spotlight on a suspenseful game of survival among those who ‘reset’ their lives in 365: Repeat the Year airing Saturdays at 6pm and an intense thriller that blurs the line between good and evil in The Game: Towards Zero airing Sundays at 6pm.

Also, don’t miss out on the high-tension thrillers in Kairos, new episodes premiering Wednesdays at 7,40pm with the finale on 16 December and Royal Family, Mondays at 7.40pm, with the finale episode on December 28! Will Kairos’ Im Seo-jin be able to change the past and prevent the kidnapping of his daughter, and will Kim Im-sook and Han Ji-hoon survive their dangerous battle with a powerful chaebol family in Royal Family?

This December, see sparks fly when two people destined for each other meet in some of MBC’s best romance stories ever told. The chemistry continues to sizzle between Seo Ji-sung and Jung Kook-hee in this AI-themed rom-com, Please Don’t Date Him – watch new episodes Tuesdays at 9.40pm; Bad Love, which airs Tuesdays to Fridays at 9.00pm, features the unconventional love between five men and women; also, catch how a couple overcome big differences in age, social status and life experiences in A Thousand Kisses, weekdays, 11.00pm.

For Christmas specials, fall in love all over again with a marathon of one of Korea’s most beloved K-dramas, Coffee Prince airing Thursdays and Fridays at 12.00pm from Thursday, 24 December. 

In a brand-new movie, Trade Your Love premiering on Friday, 25 December on Oh!K, Seong-Suk (Kim Dong-wook) is in line to inherit the family’s airline but there’s a catch – he needs to get married first. Meanwhile, Hae-Joo (Ko Sung-hee) wants to live her life on her terms but is constantly pressured by her mother and three older brothers to get married. When Seong-Suk and Hae-Joo meet on a blind date, they decide to enter into a marriage contract and pretend marriage for three years. It seems like a perfect arrangement but during their wedding preparations, they face unexpected difficulties.

There are many good actors, but an actor’s actor is on a different playing field. This type of actor can convincingly become a completely different character with each role. Like a true chameleon, their transformations are next level. Let’s take some time to shine a light on young film actors who are legends in the making.

At 26, Jun Jong-seo is the youngest actor on this list. She only has a few movies in her repertoire, but critics have been raving about her since her debut film Burning. Her magnetic portrayal of the free-spirited Hae-mi in Burning caught the attention of many, and she won the Best New Performer Award from the 2019 Asian Film Critics Association Awards. Sure enough, Jun Jong-seo’s acting in her second film The Call doesn’t disappoint. In The Call, she acts as the unhinged Young-sook who seeks to change her future.

Park Jeong-min is more known for his movie roles compared to dramas. His earlier films (including his debut feature film Bleak Night) helped him obtain the nickname “Blue Chip of Chungmuro” which signified that he’s a reliable investment in Korean cinema. This nickname proved to be true when he won 6 awards for his role in Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet. Since then, Park Jeong-min continues to impress in both acclaimed and commercial works. Some of his more recent movies include Svaha: The Sixth Finger and Time to Hunt.

Jung Yu-mi has been an award-winning actress from early on in her career. The talented actress has a very diverse filmography and acted in everything from indie films and blockbusters to dramas like Live. Jung Yu-mi has won many awards throughout her career, but 2020 is arguably her most successful year with her winning multiple awards for her nuanced acting in Kim Ji-young: Born 1982. While she is more well-known for her offbeat characters like the quirky heroine in The School Nurse Files, Jung Yu-mi is capable of portraying a wide range of characters.

After acting in a few short films, Kim Tae-ri made an explosive feature film debut through The Handmaiden. Beating out approximately 1,500 candidates, the actress was chosen for the role of maid Suk-hee. Her bold performance won her 10 awards from various film festivals. She successfully transformed with each following project and received more love for her portrayal of a Joseon aristocrat turned sniper in Mr. Sunshine. Kim Tae-ri effortlessly oozes charisma in each of her roles. Definitely looking forward to her spaceship captain character in Space Sweepers!

Yoo Ah-in made his debut at a young age and instantly became a teenage heartthrob. After being thrust into the spotlight, the young actor took a break which led him to realize his passion for acting. Since then, he has chosen a wide variety of works from dramas like Chicago Typewriter and zombie thriller #ALIVE. While it was clear that the actor would be a prominent star, he started to gather more acclaim through his acting in movies like Veteran and The Throne. He was also selected for The New York Times' "The Best Actors of 2018" feature due to his performance in Burning, making him the first Korean actor to be on the list.

Chun Woo-hee started gaining attention through her scene-stealing role as a drug-using student in the 2011 film Sunny. Her moving portrayal of a traumatized young woman trying to move on after tragedy in Han Gong-ju further proved her acting chops and won her an astounding 12 awards. Chun Woo-hee manages to make each of her characters distinctly different from each other. She also impresses in her drama roles in Argon and Be Melodramatic with her natural acting. 

Choi Woo-shik debuted in 2011 and was known for portraying brighter characters like a goofy eunuch in Rooftop Prince and a prosecutor with a cute side in Pride and Prejudice. However, his acting in Set Me Free as a desperate teenager in the foster care system received much praise from critics. His performance won him many awards and showed that there’s more to the actor than bubbly characters and comedic relief. These days he’s well known for his acting in the Academy Award-winning film Parasite. Don’t be quick to typecast Choi Woo-shik though, he’s pulled off darker and grittier characters in The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion and Time to Hunt.

Han Ji-min has been a popular actress since the mid-2000s and acted in many dramas like Cain and Abel, Rooftop Prince, and Hyde, Jekyll, Me. However, it wasn’t until her 2018 film Miss Baek that critics started to view her as an actress with serious acting potential. Her portrayal of a former convict who tries to save a child from abuse was lauded and she swept many film festivals. This watershed moment has led to further praised acting in dramas like Familiar Wife, The Light in Your Eyes, and One Spring Night. 

Ko A-sung started acting at a young age and impressed with her performance in Director Bong Joon-ho’s The Host. Due to the popularity of the film and her mature acting, she quickly became a young actor to look out for. Like the other actors on this list, Ko A-sung has pursued diverse roles and projects. Her portrayal of a pregnant teenager from a very wealthy and powerful family in Heard It Through the Grapevine showed depth and she tackled a romantic comedy with a spin through Radiant Office. Ko A-sung also doesn’t disappoint with her acting in her most recent films A Resistance and Samjin Company English Class.

Ju Ji-hoon started out his career as a model and after a few small roles, he made his formal acting debut through the hit drama Princess Hours. He gained immense popularity as a result and acted in a variety of dramas and movies afterwards. Starting with Dark Figure of Crime and The Spy Gone North, Ju Ji-hoon managed to change critics’ minds about his acting. The actor’s career has definitely moved forward with his recent series Hyena and Kingdom, with him winning the Best Actor award from the 2020 Asia Contents Awards for his acting in Kingdom S2.

Which of these actors has impressed you the most? See more of them and their acting on Netflix!

Image courtesy of Netflix

The exciting premiere of the long-anticipated series Sweet Home is finally here! The show tells the story of neighbours who fight to survive as humans suddenly become monsters. Get ready for the spine-tingling show by getting to know the main cast better and find out where you might have seen them before. 

Song Kang portrays the main character Hyun-su who experiences a personal tragedy before moving to Green Home apartment complex. Hyun-su is very reclusive and struggles with dark thoughts. It’s definitely a transformation for Song Kang who is well-known for his handsome model character Hwang Sun-oh in Love Alarm. Or maybe you have seen him in his debut drama The Liar and His Lover where he acted as the childhood friend with a one-sided crush.

Lee Jin-Wook also makes a transformation as the mysterious and scarred Pyeon Sang-wook. With humans suddenly becoming monsters, it’s hard to trust anyone let alone someone who looks rough around the edges like Sang-wook. On the other hand, Lee Jin-uk is known for having portrayed sharp detective Do Kang-woo in Voice S2. His character examined crime scenes from the viewpoint of a criminal in order to solve crimes. 

Lee Si-young was the first and only actress that Director Lee Eung-bok had in mind for the role of former firefighter Seo Yi-kyung. The actress is known for her action and boxing skills, so it’s no surprise that Yi-kyung is a key fighter against the monsters of Sweet Home. Lee Si-young also displayed some of her action chops in the revenge-crime drama The Guardians opposite Kim Young-kwang.

Lee Do-hyun takes on a different type of role as Lee Eun-hyeok. He’s a caring older brother who is also very smart and becomes a leader of the Green Home residents after the monsterization begins. Lee Do-hyun’s breakout role was the ever-loyal Go Cheong-myeong in Hotel Del Luna. He debuted through Prison Playbook and then acted in Still 17 and Clean with Passion for Now afterwards. 

Kim Nam-hee is most well-known for playing a bad guy in the acclaimed series Mr. Sunshine. This time around, he reunites with Director Lee Eung-bok and plays a good guy. Jung Jae-heon is a Korean language teacher who is guided by his faith and fights the monsters of Sweet Home with his sword. Kim Nam-hee also portrayed a dorky employee at Barro in Search WWW.

Ko Min-si reunites with Love Alarm co-star Song Kang in Sweet Home. She acts as Lee Eun-yu who is also Lee Eun-hyeok’s younger sister. Lee Eun-yu dreamt of becoming a ballerina, but she has all but given up on her dream. Prior to Love Alarm, she portrayed the daughter of two police officers in Live. 

Park Kyu-young has portrayed a diverse range of characters and her character Yoon Ji-su proves no different. Yoon Ji-su is a friendly bass player who wields a bat once monsters start terrorizing the apartment complex. You probably remember her as the nurse with a crush on Kim Soo-hyun’s character in It's Okay to Not Be Okay. She also portrayed a pure and innocent younger sister in The Nokdu Flower, an heiress with an overbearing mother in Romance Is a Bonus Book, and a peculiar and opinionated character in The Third Charm.

Go Youn-jung made her acting debut last year through He Is Psychometric. Prior to this, she had modelling experience and has filmed a number of commercials. The actress also appeared in The School Nurse Files as a student from another high school. Her Sweet Home character is Park Yu-ri, Mr. An’s caretaker. With her nursing background, she aids injured residents. 

Kim Gap-soo acts as An Gil-seop, an older man with an underlying condition who remains brave when having to deal with the monsters. He is kind to everyone, befriends young boy Yeong-su, and cares especially for Yu-ri. As a veteran actor, you might recognize him from several dramas. Some of his notable works include Hospital Playlist, Chief of Staff, Whisper, and The K2.

Kim Sang-ho is another actor you might have seen in a few other shows. Some of his previous roles include Kingdom, Missing 9, Bring It On, Ghost, Lucky Romance, and Doctor Stranger. As for his Sweet Home character, he portrays Han Du-sik who uses a wheelchair due to a previous accident. Du-sik helps create useful weapons for the residents to use to protect themselves against the monsters.

Now that you’re familiar with the main cast, you’re ready to enjoy the series. Don’t forget to check out Sweet Home, only on Netflix!

A new heart-warming drama to check out!

Run On, a romance drama about people coming together after living in different spheres of life, is finally here! The story focuses on track and field athlete Ki Seon-gyeom (Im Si-wan), film translator Oh Mi-joo (Shin See-kyung), accomplished heiress Seo Dan-ah (Choi Soo-young), an art student Lee Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh). Director Lee Jae-hun and the main cast got together to discuss the drama at a press conference. 

Check out some reasons to tune in to Run On below!

The lead actors revealed that their characters have zany sides to them. Choi Soo-young shared, “The characters are a bit crazy, but they have good intentions.” She added that her character Dan-ah who is very smart and ambitious, thinks she’s the most normal of the bunch. Choi Soo-young also complimented Shin Sae-kyeong’s character saying, “I fell in love with the characters enough to say that Oh Mi-joo is my favorite female lead.”

Shin Sae-kyeong explained more about her character saying, “She’s very confident, but she does encounter some embarrassing situations after coming to like someone. My character is a cute and wacky character.”Likewise, Yim Si-wan added, “Ki Seon-gyeom is not an ordinary character. Sometimes he’s very four-dimensional and unable to converse with the person next to him.” With such curious characters, we can look forward to many entertaining situations!

Gyeom-Mi is the cute couple nickname for Ki Seon-gyeom and Oh Mi-joo. The pair have a chance encounter and continue crossing paths. Seon-gyeom helps out Mi-joo during their first few meetings, and a delightful romance ensues. Shin Sae-kyeong said, “Seon-gyeom and Mi-joo’s conversations are really great. They’re quite long and you can see how their love blooms.” Yim Si-wan noted, “Seon-gyeom becomes disarmed when he speaks with Mi-joo. I want to cheer on Seon-gyeom and Mi-joo’s relationship, and I hope they can meet often.”

Similarly, Seo Dan-ah and Lee Yeong-hwa’s couple nickname is Dan-hwa. Kang Tae-oh shared, “Our couple is the opposite of the Gyeom-Mi couple. The Gyeom-Mi couple is sweet, but it feels like our couple is precariously walking on a tightline.” Choi Soo-young added, “He’s a university student and my character is older, so you would think Dan-ah would have the upper hand but somehow Yeong-hwa always wins. You’ll see an unexpected side of Tae-oh.” Director Lee Jae-hun also shared, “While the Gyeom-Mi couple is cute and lovely, the Dan-hwa couple is upbeat and refreshing.”

The director and cast were unanimously impressed by Writer Park Si-hyeon and shared some of their favorite lines from the script. Yim Si-wan commented, “The conversations and lines are really similar to what we say in the real world, and I found that really appealing.” Kang Tae-oh gave an interesting description saying, “When I first read the script it felt warm and sweet-and-sour.” We can get a glimpse of how strong and confident Dan-ah is through Choi Soo-young’s favorite line “The only thing I’m not good at is what I don’t do.” Shin Sae-kyeong shared a relatable quote from her character saying, “Do you believe in destiny? I believe in handsomeness.” It looks like we can look forward to some strong and very interesting characters!

Director Lee Jae-hun talked about his conversation with Writer Park Si-hyeon about how a drama should entertain and move viewers’ hearts. Choi Soo-young acknowledged this and said, “The drama has a good message for young people.” She added, “Each character has a different occupation, but they’re all able to meet as their lives cross paths. Their jobs are all very interesting and they have different chemistry with each character.” Kang Tae-oh asked viewers to look forward to “fun parodies you can enjoy'' as well. Lastly, Yim Si-wan noted that when he “monitored and watched the drama he felt his heart become more comfortable.” In conclusion, the director and cast relayed their hopes that Run On will provide a little bit of relief for viewers from these difficult times.

Don’t forget to check out Run On with new episodes every Wednesday and Thursday, only on Netflix!