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KfoodSGunited Nationwide Event for Korean Food Lovers

Tuesday, June 02, 2020

I-LAND

Interact with SEVENTEEN, NU'EST, ONF & VERIVERY on JOOX's Idol Station

Sunday, May 31, 2020

K-drama

'Mystic Pop-Up Bar', Fantasy Drama That Makes You Laugh and Cry

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Life can bring a variety of problems your way and it’s not always easy to share your struggles. Experience cathartic healing through the characters of Mystic Pop-up Bar healing customers and enjoy some laughs along the way! Mystic Pop-up Bar starring Hwang Jung Eum, Choi Won-young and BTOB's Sung-jae is based on popular webtoon and tells the story of a mysterious pop-up bar where the owner Wol-ju has to solve the problems for 10,000 people to avoid going to hell.

Director Jeon Chang-geun, Hwang Jung-eum, Choi Won-young, Lee Jun-hyeok, and Jeong Da-eun gathered for a press conference and dished on how the drama will be different from the webtoon, the drama being Yook Sung-jae’s last project before military, and how the healing drama offers a refreshing take on societal issues. Since Yook Sung-jae is busy serving in the military, they included a cute paper cut-out of the actor to join.

How the Drama Compares to the Original Webtoon?

Director: The drama is quite different from the original webtoon. There are some differences with the characters. The webtoon focuses on individual customer's stories a lot but the drama focuses moe on the characters helping the customers.

Hwang Jung Eum: I cried alot while looking at the original [webtoon]. There's more comedy than I had expected, but the drama balances comedy and serious point well.

Message to BTOB's Yook Sung-Jae Who Enlisted in the Military

Choi Won-young: We knew he had to go to the military, but not the exact date. He received notice and had to quickly go, so I couldn’t see him before he left. I messaged him and said I was sorry I couldn’t buy him a meal before he enlisted.

Hwang Jung-eum: You worked so hard and I was worried about you enlisting. However, you look healthy, so that makes me feel relieved. Be sure to watch the drama!

Lee Jun-hyeok: Eat well and listen to your superiors. It will end soon. Time flies. Really. Hurry and come out. Let’s go get a drink then.

Jeong Da-eun also cheered him on and expressed hopes to catch up after he completes his service.

About Mystic Pop-Up Bar

500-year-old mysterious pop-up bar owner Wol-ju (starring Hwang Jung-eum) has to solve problems for 10,000 people in order to avoid hell. She teams up with Kang-bae (starring Yook Sung-jae)who has a special power that leads people to share their deepest wounds and worries when they touch him. Wol-Ju, Kang-bae and Gui (starring Choi Won-young), who is an assistant of Wol-ju, jump into people’s dreams and try to resolve their worries. Mystic Pop-up Bar is a healing fantasy counseling drama in which the pop-up bar team enters the dreams of their guests and relieves their troubles.

Mystic Pop-up Bar is available on Netflix with weekly episodes every Wednesday and Thursday, 10PM (MYT).

Trailer:

photo by Netflix

Hospital Playlist

6 Reasons Why 'Hospital Playlist' Is A Must-Watch

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Hospital Playlist is stealthily gaining popularity, but is anybody really surprised? With a hit writer-director team and a stellar cast, everything is a recipe for success. There are only 12 episodes which is shorter than the average K-drama, but every episode is just SO worth your time. Not convinced to start right away? Check out some reasons why you should watch Hospital Playlist below!

1. The Characters

via GIPHY

These five friends are the core of the drama and every single one of them is utterly lovable. While they are all good doctors who care about their patients, their personalities are distinctly different.

● Lee Ik-jun (played by Jo Jung-suk) is the life of the party and super hilarious.

● Ahn Jeong-won (played by Yoo Yeon-seok) is an angel, but he’s surprisingly petty.

● Chae Song-hwa (played by Jeon Mi-do) is level-headed and a camping geek.

● Kim Jun-wan (Jung Kyung-ho) is very blunt, but is actually pretty sweet.

● Yang Seok-hyeong (Kim Dae-myung) is awkward, but quite considerate.

Outside of these five, there are many endearing characters inside and outside of the hospital. You can’t help but love them!

2. The Friendship

The friendship between our main crew is going on for 20 years and counting! Some have known each other for even longer as they are childhood friends (Ik-jun and Jun-wan, Jeong-won and Seok-hyeong). While some, or maybe all, of the guys have had crushes on Song-hwa, their friendship goes beyond that. The friends are always there for each other whether a friend experiences a cancer scare, goes through a divorce, or has a sick family member. Each friend has a different method of showing they care, but you know they have each other’s backs.

3. It's Not Your Typical Medical Drama

Maybe you’re not a fan of medical dramas because they can be a bit overdramatic. Well, you’ll be happy to know that Hospital Playlist will be different from any medical drama you have seen thus far. First of all, there’s no headache-inducing hospital politics and no bad guy hospital director. The medical emergencies are not over the top and there’s no unnecessary panic in the hospital. Patient storylines don’t extend for too long, and the characters have lives outside of the hospital.

4. There's Also A Band

The five friends re-start their band which means new songs every episode. The actors actually play the instruments themselves with a few of them learning because of the drama. There’s a lot of nostalgia as they perform songs they enjoyed in their youth. While the music is great on its own, the band is especially meaningful as the friends carve out time to spend with each other.

5. The Humour

If you couldn’t tell from the Darth Vader helmet glue incident, Hospital Playlist is pretty funny. Since the setting is a hospital, there are frequent life-or-death situations. However, the show does a great job of balancing heavy moments with light comedy. Humour comes from the characters, circumstances, and interactions. Cameos also offer some comedic opportunities. There are so many cute, funny moments to enjoy in the series!

6. Unpredictable Storyline

Hospital Playlist allows viewers to get to know the characters and their lives with each episode. While you guess that some characters might be interested in someone, the show surprises with different love lines. Similarly, the show catches viewers off guard with events that feel sudden since the whole picture isn’t laid out. It’s fun to guess as you watch and find out which of your guesses turn out to be accurate.

Hospital Playlist is available on Netflix and don’t miss the season finale on May 28 at 10.30pm MYT!

About Hospital Playlist:

via GIPHY

The medical drama explores the chemistry among five friends who have stayed close with each other since they attended medical school together 20 years ago. They can practically read each other's minds just by looking into their eyes. The day-to-day lives of the people living, dying, and just passing through the hospital where they all work is a microcosm of the world beyond.

photo by Netflix