Next on Omona's to-watch list: upcoming Kdramas in June 2022
Summer is coming (in the Northern hemisphere)!! And quite some new romance Kdramas and remakes as well (accessible globally via your usual Kdrama channels)! So be prepared to spend at least a few hours inside the upcoming months to watch some of the following shows...
Opinions are mine and should be taken lightly as they are just my first impressions. Other thoughts are welcomed!
Previous post: Kdramas in May
I marked trailers with English subtitles with an asterisk (*)
🚨Please note that Kdramas Eve (Seo Yea Ji's comeback drama) and Doctor Lawyer (with So Ji Sub) are released June 1 and June 3 respectively, unlike previously reported in my Kdramas in May post.🚨
Click to viewWhy Her?*
Release date: June 3, SBS, Viki, Viu
Runtime: Friday & Saturday
Cast: Seo Hyun Jin, Hwang In Yeop, Heo Joon Ho, Bae In HyukPlot: The youngest partner at one of the nation’s most prestigious law offices, Oh Soo Jae has already proven she has what it takes to be one of the country’s best lawyers. Driven by her self-righteous principles and a never-ending desire to win, Soo Jae is well on her way to becoming one of TK Law Firm’s top attorneys. But when one of her cases takes an unexpected turn, Soo Jae is forced to watch as all of her hard work comes crumbling down around her. Demoted at work, Soo Jae is forced to take on the role of adjunct professor at a local law school. Determined to win back her position within the firm, Soo Jae does her best to settle into her new role but the sting of demotion still lingers. Only after meeting Gong Chan, a university student whose path frequently crosses with Soo Jae, does that sting begin to lessen. Despite carrying the burdens of a painful past, Gong Chan’s warm heart remains strong, especially as his affection for Soo Jae grows.
Obviously smitten with Soo Jae, Gong Chan stays by her side, even as she struggles to find a way back into the firm’s good graces. Will her determination and Gong Chan’s support be enough to restore her position, or will the powers that be continue to push her down?Will I watch? I can be very short about this: no, since this drama seems to hint at a romance between a college student and a college professor. On a related note, Hwang In Yeop seems to have finally graduated high school at age 30 and is now finally playing college students!
Cleaning Up*
Release date: June 4, JTBC
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday
Cast: Yeom Jung Ah, Jeon So Min, Kim Jae Hwa
Plot: Tells the story about the struggle cleaners at a security firm have as they try to create a new destiny for themselves after overhearing about insider trading.
Will I watch? This show is apparently based on a British show of the same name, has anyone seen it? From the trailer and what I've read about it, this drama looks pretty fun, but although I love me some female scammers, I am not completely sure if I'll be in the mood for this type of drama. For Na In Woo fans, he plays a supporting role in this drama!
Link: Eat Love Kill*
Release date: June 6, TvN
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday
Cast: Yeo Jin Goo, Moon Ga Young
Plot: A fantasy mystery drama about a man and woman who share the same emotional state. Eun Gye Hoon is a chef who sets up a restaurant in the town where his twin sister went missing 20 years ago. He finds himself randomly experiencing emotions one day, spontaneously crying and laughing, and it turns out that they are the emotions of a woman named Noh Da Hyun.
Will I watch? It seems like the writers put every genre in one drama! Romance, fantasy, murder plot?? The drama seems more quirky than I first expected, but I'm still on the fence whether I'll pick it up - I love Moon Ga Young, but I am not the biggest fan of Yeo Jin Goo (only based on his Hotel del Luna role though).
Insider*
Release date: June 8, JTBC
Runtime: Wednesday & Thursday
Cast: Kang Ha Neul, Lee Yoo Young, Heo Sung Tae, Kim Sang Ho
Plot: Tells the story of a judicial trainee named Kim Yo Han. After going undercover for an investigation, Kim Yo Han experiences a crisis and ends up struggling to try to obtain a hand of cards that will change his fate as he gambles in prison. Kim Yo Han is prudent and always thinking a few moves ahead, and he keeps a poker face on. Although he gets into a dangerous situation when he becomes embroiled in an unexpected incident during the investigation, he’ll continue to fight to survive and manage to grow with his ability to turn a crisis into an opportunity.
Will I watch? I love Kang Haneul, I think he's a great actor and such a cutie! (Full disclosure, I was only half-biased choosing this Kang Haneul-centered trailer for this post - I couldn't find other trailers with English subtitles). I haven't really been in the mood for revenge Kdramas, which seem to come out every new drama cycle, but maybe for Kang Haneul I'll give it a go?
New Normal Zine
Release date: June 10, TVING
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Jung Hye Sung, Hwang Seung Eon, Jang Eui Soo
Plot: Cha Ji Min is a single woman who pursues a slow living lifestyle. She worked as a local news reporter for a current affairs magazine, but that magazine was shut down. She then starts work as an editor for digital magazine "New Normal Zine" under the same parent company.
There, her new boss is Chief Editor Song Ro Ji. Cha Ji Min and Song Ro Ji are familiar with each other, as they started to work for the parent company in the same year. Song Ro Ji is a workaholic and totally different from Cha Ji Min. Now, Cha Ji Min tries to survive there.Will I watch? The above teasers are the only teasers I could find on this Kdrama, so I can't really tell if this is a drama I would like! If the drama would focus on a blossoming friendship (or more 🥰) between the two leads instead of suffering and catfights, it might be worth to check out.
Yumi's Cells 2*
Release date: June 10, TVING
Runtime: Friday & Saturday
Cast: Kim Go Eun, Park Jin Young, Ahn Bo Hyun, Lee Yoo Bi, Park Ji Hyun
Plot: Yumi matured through her relationship and breakup with Goo Woong, and she took on a new challenge after gaining the courage to do so from her co-worker Yoo Babi. The new season will depict the story of Yumi’s love and dreams.
Will I watch? Ever since watching the first season of this show a few months ago I've been eagerly awaiting the second season! I loved Kim Go Eun in this role and how we got insight in the workings of her mind and cells! To be honest, I was not the biggest fan of Jin Young's character Babi, but hopefully we'll get to learn more about his character - most of all, I am looking forward to Yumi learning more about herself and standing on her own two feet. [Spoiler (click to open)]Ahn Bo Hyun is still listed as one of the actors in this drama, which I didn't expect since they broke up in season 1... Will he return in flashbacks or something?
Jinxed at First*
Release date: June 15, KBS2
Runtime: Wednesday & Thursday
Cast: Na In Woo, Seo Hyun,Plot: It revolves around a man who has come to terms with his unlucky fate and a goddess who has jumped into the real world to break her curse. Gong Soo Kwang, a brewmaster who runs a craft beer store. He is full of passion in his heart, but he always manages to keep calm and collected. Also equipped with a serious demeanor, he is a charming man who is popular among women wherever he goes. Lee Seul Bi is the goddess of fortune who meets Gong Soo Kwang and fights her own fate.
Will I watch? Na In Woo was offered this drama by the director after haphazerdly filling in Ji Soo's spot as lead for River Where the Moon Rises after his scandal. Like that director, I have had a soft spot for Na In Woo since River Where the Moon Rises and I am also liking how Seo Hyun sort of ditzily plays this goddess of fortune. I am lately very much in the mood for light romance dramas and this, together with Yumi's Cells 2, looks like a way to satisfy those needs!
Alchemy of Souls*
Release date: June 18, Netflix, TVN
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday
Cast: Lee Jae Wook, Jung So Min, Hwang Min Hyun, Shin Seung Ho, Yoo Yoon Sang, Oh Na Ra,Plot: The fate of these people become twisted due to "hwanhonsool" (the soul of the dead return to the living). In the country of Daeho, Jang Wook comes from the noble Jang family. He holds an unpleasant secret about his birth, which people all around the country talk about. He's a troublemaker. Jang Wook happens to meet Deok Yi. She is an elite warrior, but her soul is trapped in a physically weak body. She becomes Jang Wook’s servant, but she also secretly teaches him how to fight. Seo Yool comes from the noble Seo family. He seems perfect with good appearance, intelligence, and strong martial arts skills. Go Won is the crown prince of Daeho. He hopes to become a generous king.
Will I watch? This drama is written by the Hong Sisters, of Hotel del Luna, and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho fame. What's your verdict on Hong Sisters dramas? For me, they're often hit or miss. I'm kind of fascinated by the historical fantasy premise of this drama and I like some of the actors in it, but I suspect the plot of this drama can quickly turn messy...
Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area*
Release date: June 24, Netflix
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Joo Ji Tae, Kim Yoon Jin, Park Hae Soo, Jeon Jong Seo, Lee Won Jong, Kim Ji Hoon, Jang Yoon Ju, Lee Hyun Woo, Kim Ji Hoon, Lee Gyu Ho, Im Ji Yeon, Kim Sung Oh, Park Myung Hoon, Lee Yoo BinPlot: Thieves overtake the mint of a unified Korea. With hostages trapped inside, the police must stop them - as well as the shadowy mastermind behind it all.
Will I watch? Has anyone seen the original of this show, La Casa del Papel? Friends have been bugging me to watch it for ages when it came out, but I've heard that show dipped after a few seasons. For this show, the premise of an economically unified Korea is really interesting in my opinion, and we all know Korean shows often do criticism of capitalism well... I might give it a go somewhere over summer.
Ultimate Weapon Alice
Release date: June 24, Watcha
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Park Se Wan, Song Geon HeePlot: A youth action romance about the bloody high school lives of mysterious transfer student and killer Gyeo Wool and traumatized high school student Yeo Reum as they meet and get chased down by a criminal organization.
Will I watch? This isn't something I'd usually go for but if you're into youth action romance this will do it for you! And omg I've really seen Song Geon Hee grow up to become a lead actor 😱
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Release date: June 29 (?), Netflix, ENA
Runtime: Wednesday & Thursday
Cast: Park Eun Bin, Kang Tae OhPlot: About a 27-year-old lawyer with Asperger’s syndrome. Due to her high IQ of 164, impressive memory, and creative thought process, the brilliant Woo Young Woo graduated at the top of her class from the prestigious Seoul National University for both college and law school. However, she still finds herself struggling when it comes to social interactions.
Will I watch? I am generally not a fan of neurotypical actors playing neurodivergent characters; I just wish a neurodivergent actor could have played the role. Similarly, Asperger's syndrome and autism spectrum are often written quite one-dimensionally which does not do justice to its diversity. Nevertheless, I am curious about this drama and I do trust Park Eun Bin to portray her character empathetically. Will wait for the teasers.
Source: pinkmatters on tumblr | MyDramalist 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | Viki Global TV 1 | Kdrama Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | JTBC Drama 1 | TVING 1, 2 | Netflix 1
What are you currently watching, Omona? And which of these dramas are you planning to pick up?