Asian Drama

This drama is about a genius doctor who has “Cinderella Memory Syndrome” and falls in love with a has-been actress.

Gong Ma Sung (Choi Jin Hyuk) is a successor to the Sunwoo company. Life seems to be going well until he gets into a car accident while trying to help a woman. Since then, he suffers from memory loss where his memory lasts only a day. Every night before bed, he writes notes about what happened to him that day and the next morning he memorizes everything that happened. Gong Ma Sung then meets Joo Gi BBeum (Song Ha Yoon), a formerly well known actress, and falls in love.

"Actress is not just the story that charts the rise of Kinuyo Tanaka, played brilliantly by Sayuri Yoshinaga, who mesmerized and illuminated the screen with her charismatic performance of a legend, from her naively youthful days in pigtails, to coiffed professional veteran of the industry. We see how she started off in the studio system being one of many potential talents available, having her family's economical hopes all pinned on her, and down to having a sugar daddy of sorts in Hiroshi Shimizu (Toru Watanabe) looking over her shoulder, whom she would get into and out of an unhappy secret marriage. Sayuri Yoshinaga provided that spark to endear herself to the audience, and needless to say, made me sit up and wonder just how the real actress was like in person, with her steely guts and perseverance in an industry that saw its brightest and darkest days during militarism and WWII." From IMDB By Dick Steel, Singapore In Actress, Kon Ichikawa shows us much of the life of Kinuyo Tanaka from the time she started as a hopeful in the Studio System until her work with Mizoguchi in Life of Oharu in 1952. The biography is good in itself, but it is cut with documentary footage detailing the state of Japanese cinema at the time in question. This gives us a very enlightening look at the development of the industry as a backdrop to the actress's career as it progresses. In the dramatic/biographic part we meet Shimizu, Gosho, Ozu and Mizuguchi to name some of the significant directors Tanaka worked with and in most cases had emotional relationships with as well. I've been watching Japanese cinema for a long time and this film was a real eye-opener in that it made the whole history of Japanese film come alive while showing a large part of Tanaka's career. It's unfortunate this film only covers her career until 1952. She had so many great roles, but to take on her role in Sandakan No.8 three years before her death in 1977 was impressive. It is surely one of the most impressive displays of acting I have ever seen. Interestingly enough, Sayuri Yoshinaga, who plays Tanaka brilliantly in this film in 1987, went on to have her own tour de force in Nagasaki Bura Bura Bushi in 2000 in another biography, that of the famous geisha, Aihachi. Mind you, in her case she is still doing critically acclaimed work in major productions to this day.

Can five single, independent career women who live in the Ode to Joy apartment building find fulfillment on their own terms? An Di (Liu Tao) is a successful business woman who has returned to China after studying in New York to find her younger brother. Qu Xiao Xiao (Wang Zi Wen) is only 25 but already owns her own small business. Fang Sheng Mei (Jiang Xin) grew up in poverty but has shed her “Princess of the Streets” background to work for a multinational company. Qiu Ying Ying (Andy Yang Zi) is a 20-year-old small-town girl who is trying to make it in the big city. Guan Ju Er (Bridgette Qiao Xin) is a 20-year-old from a highly educated family, but she must discover what she wants out of life when enters the workforce for the first time. For these women, there is a man (or two) who is trying to get their attention. Dr. Zhao (Wang Kai) is a flirtatious, handsome doctor. Qi Dian (Zu Feng) is the stoic businessman. Wang Bai Chuan (Zhang Lu) is Sheng Mei’s steadfast friend who has always carried a torch for her. Yao Bin (Zhang Xiao Qian) is a second-generation chaebol. Tan Zong Ming (Jin Dong) is An Di’s boss who has been friend-zoned by her despite knowing her since their school days. Can the women find the personal happiness they seek? “Ode to Joy” is a 2016 Chinese drama series directed by Sheng Kong. It is based on a novel by the same name.

Adapted from the novel "Ode to Joy" (欢乐颂) by A Nai (阿耐).

Episodes: 42

Duration: 45 min.

Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Cinematographer: Wang Yi Wei [王逸伟] and Wang Dong [王栋]

Fan Xian is born in the ancient empire of Southern Qing with memories of the 21st century. He lives in a rural town as the illegitimate son of the Minister of Finance, raised by his grandmother. His mother, Ye Qing Mei, was once a celebrated inventor and the founder of the Overwatch Department, the country's spy network but was killed shortly after her son was born. Fan Xian has since been protected by a blind martial arts expert, Wu Zhu, his mother's bodyguard. He learned martial arts and the art of poison as a child, also assisted by his knowledge from the 21st century.

After an assassination attempt, he decides to venture into the capital to find out more about his mysterious mother and why anyone would want to kill him, as he perceives himself to be an unimportant person. He also wants to know why he has memories of a sharply different era. In the capital, he accidentally meets Lin Wan Er, the sickly illegitimate daughter of Princess Royal, and falls in love with her. Unbeknownst to him, she is the woman the emperor chose for him to marry so that he would be the new overseer of the Royal Treasury, an institute Fan Xian's mother established in the palace and currently handled by Princess Royal.

In the capital, however, he gets entangled in the intrigues of the Emperor and the two Princes, as well as the Overwatch Department, leading to him questioning his whole identity and inducing him to find his true life goals, abandoning his original intention to just "enjoy life".

(Source: Wikipedia)

Adapted from the web novel “Qing Yu Nian” (庆余年) by Mao Ni (猫腻).

Episodes: 46

The reality show follows a new idol group JBJ’s transformation from trainees to an official idol group while showing each member’s daily life as an ordinary young adult taking an important step towards their dream.

'Love & Joy' is a new concept of love observation reality that contains the process of finding an answer to the question, "Is it possible to be friends between a man and a woman?

kshow

Famous actresses Takeuchi Yuko, Maki Yoko, Mizukawa Asami briskly come through the entrance of a studio. Although they have glittering acting careers, when they enter a dressing room, they find themselves in a parallel universe. In this world, Yoko did not pass the audition for a production that would be the turning point for her as an actress, and goes on to work part-time at a bar while she plays minor roles as an extra. She has been keeping a diary because she cannot forget the embarrassment of being left behind by the people around her. Asami lost out on an audition for a production too. She feels insecure and jealous that Nanao, a friend of the same age who also aspires to be an actress, has scored a significant role. On the other hand, Takeuchi Yuko is scouted in Harajuku, but turns down the offer that would have been the turning point for her as an actress. She is now busy with her magazine editorial job at a publishing company, but leads a fulfilling life with her boyfriend. One day, Yuko is instructed by her boss to turn the manga which an acquaintance has drawn into a book. In an unexpected turn of events, the lives of these three women strangely start to have common ground and eventually get intertwined … …

Zhang Hong Xin is a man surrounded by women who have their motives whether it comes to his personal life or the workplace.

Zhang Hong Xing is the creative director of a small advertising firm. Because his ex-wife Zhang Xiao Ling wants to remarry, she sends her daughter back to live with him. Seeing that her son is not getting any younger, Lin Feng Ying resorts to every trick in the book to find her son a wife. Meanwhile, Guan Mei Yang is a seasoned head hunter who intends to pirate Zhang Hong Xing for a big firm. Perfectly content with his stable job, Hong Xing is not interested to face the challenges of a high-pressure job. However, Guan Mei Yang is a woman who won't take no for an answer. When Zhang Hong Xing agrees to take her offer on the condition that she pretends to be his girlfriend, she actually says yes. It starts Zhang Hong Xing on a new journey in the workplace.

It’s the first variety show in an omnibus format. Six corners about art, science, travel, cooking, sports, and labor will be ready for the viewers to enjoy every Friday night! Lee Seung Gi will work at factories, Eun Ji Won, MINO, and Jang Do Yeon will learn about science and arts. Lee Seo Jin goes to New York, and Hong Jin Kyung visits her friends to learn about their family’s secret recipe. Meanwhile, Han Junhee and Park Ji Yoon cheer for people who work hard for their dreams. Each corner will be aired only for 15 minutes, and there will be endless fun, information, and laughter.

Some of the questions to be answered in the upcoming season: Who will Andy end up with? Will Fang Shengmei finally be happy? Will Qu Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qiping end uptogether? Will Qiu Yingying and Yi Qing be in a relationship? One thing is sure: these questions will be answered in season 2!

Episodes: 55

Duration: 45 min.

Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Cinematographer: Yang Dong [杨栋] and Ji Bai Chao [季佰超]

The five ladies on the 22nd floor of the Ode to Joy community face new challenges and opportunities in their careers, lives and relationships.

Ye Zhen Zhen and Dai Wei really hit it off but given how devoted she is to scientific research, she is inevitably caught in all kinds of criticism at work and the tug-of-war between the two families. Fang Zhi Heng gradually walks out of the shadows of her past thanks to her lovely group of friends. Zhu Zhe may have a difficult boss, but she believes there is no road that is forever blocked and there will be opportunities for ordinary people to shine. He Min Hong experiences more setbacks and under the influence of her boyfriend, she drifts away from the girls. Yu Chu Hui focuses on work and she's no longer as confused as she once was after graduation. The 22nd floor is like a safe haven. Although there will be disputes and doubts among the five ladies, they have each other's backs.

(Source: ChineseDrama.info)

Episodes: 37

Duration: 45 min.

Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Cinematographer: Sun Shao Hua [孙少华]

Five ladies have moved in to the neighborhood to live on the same floor. Among them, hotel manager Zhu Zhe, Yu Chu Hui who's only been working for a few years and He Min Hong share a flat together. The mysterious Fang Zhi Heng and Ye Zhen Zhen who engages in life science research live in the other two units.

Five women from different backgrounds have unsatisfactory experiences when it comes to their career, family and love life. Fang Zhi Heng is a suspicious character due to her actions. Ye Zhen Zhen who got used to having special privileges finds that the workplace is inexplicably hostile. Yu Chu Hui is too smart for her own good. She'll resort to little tricks to get ahead only to learn her lesson after taking a fall. Work seems to be going smoothly for Zhu Zhe, yet her opportunities to move up is limited by her weak academic qualifications. He Min Hong who is quite naive finds herself doing the wrong things in her attempts to do good. Faced with all kinds of challenges, they go from putting up defences to opening their hearts. In the city of Shanghai, they have each other to rely on in their journey of growth.

(Source: ChineseDrama.info)

Episodes: 33

Duration: 45 min.

Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Cinematographer: Sun Shao Hua [孙少华]

N/A

Episodes: 34

Duration: 45 min.

Airs On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

The drama continues from the first season of the Joy of Life trilogy, following the story of Fan Xian as he gains a stronghold in the court.

Episodes: 36

Duration: 45 min.

Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Ratings: 8.7

Shin Nam is a 20-something graduate of a shaman school, and so called fake shaman. While on the other hand, Chung Dam is the kind of a real deal shaman, who is possessed by a child god. Along comes also Song Joon, as the middle-aged swindling shaman, whose prime, along with the ghost inside him, have all but left.

The three men battle with their skills to seize the redevelopment district and compete to be the best shaman.

When Zhao Zhen discovers his biological mother is not the Empress Dowager Liu E, but her maid Li Lanhui, he arranges a marriage between his beloved daughter Princess Fukang and the Li family’s son Li Wei as compensation for his lack of filial piety. In the political arena, Zhao Zhen strives to maintain a balance of power between the conservative and progressive factions after the Qingli reforms experiences a significant backlash from the former.

Inside the palace, Emperor Renzong faces the dutiful Empress Cao, the troublesome Zhang Mihan, and the gentle Lady Miao.

A comedic, historical period drama that centers around an intelligent but lazy secret agent, and a divorcee woman who holds beliefs ahead of her times while searching for her happiness.

Ra Yi Eon is a grade 6 civil servant agent. Despite having goals to spend his days selling dumplings in a small shop set up within the territories outside of palace grounds, his sharp intelligence leads him to be offered a high position as a civil servant agent, where he is immediately given a mission to tackle. One trait of him is that after leaving his work right on time every day, he likes to roll around in his house while snacking on steamed dumplings.

Kim Jo Yi is a passionate woman who is ahead of her time. She is a realist who believes that people can get divorced. She lives in an era when women can’t even be part of the family registry, but she dreams of getting divorced and having a fresh start in life.

Zhang Qing, a student majoring in Literary History at university, has read classic masterpieces extensively. However, his thesis, which applies modern perspectives to analyze ancient literary history, is not approved by Professor Ye. In order to have Professor Ye become his graduate advisor, Zhang Qing decides to elaborate on his viewpoints by writing a novel. In his novel, the story revolves around Fan Xian, a young man with a mysterious background, who had been living with his grandmother in the small coastal town of Danzhou. With an unexpected visit from a teacher, Fan Xian’s seemingly tranquil life began to face a series of crises and challenges. Guided by the enigmatic teacher and a blindfolded guardian, Fan Xian became versed in the properties and principles of medicines, cultivated overpowering Qi, and refined his martial arts skills. He subsequently overcame numerous dangerous situations. Driven by curiosity about his own origins, Fan Xian left Danzhou and went to the imperial capital. In the capital, Fan Xian experienced the vicissitudes of life and remained committed to justice and goodness, enduring and thriving through various tests and tempering from family, the martial world, and the political arena, ultimately crafting an illustrious legend of his life.

Two slackers put on their superhero suits to save Hong Kong from a zombie invasion. This hybrid directorial debut packs one hell of an emotional punch.

If actresses Hirosue Ryoko, Igawa Haruka and Saito Yuki chose different paths at the turning point in their lives, what kind of life would they be leading? In this world, Hirosue did not appear in the big 1997 drama hit, Beach Boys, with Sorimachi Takashi and Takenouchi Yutaka and suddenly rise to fame. She is a struggling actress in her mid 30s who gets by on part-time housekeeping work and cannot bear to give up being an actress. Hirosue fantasises about newly married life with a handsome guy and is jealous of successful actress Takeuchi Yuko who is the same age. Although she struggles alone, she works hard at her housekeeping job every day. On the other hand, Igawa did not put out the photo book ‘Good Vibrations’ at that time and has been completely forgotten now after the end of the boom of “soothing” models. She dates actor Fujiki Naohito in an unexpected turn of events. Even though she has a taste of this little happiness, she starts to grow impatient when the relationship fails to progress toward marriage. Igawa impulsively tries to make a transition to acting despite being over 40 but... Saito was afraid to spoil her pure idol image and did not star in Sukeban Deka in 1985. She ended up a one-hit wonder and faded away. To regain her teenage years, she attends university and majors in physics with the aspiration to graduate as a female scientist. She mixes with youth around 20 and joins matchmaking parties, making the most of student life. At night, Saito runs a popular bar that even the actress Kaho patronises.

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of WOWOW, Matsuo Suzuki, the artistic director of Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon and the leader of Otona Keikaku in Tokyo, will write, direct, and perform in an original omnibus comedy drama. Each episode is 30 minutes long and is performed with an actress (Yoshida Yo, Kuroki Haru, Aso Kumiko, and Tabe Mikako).

Ten and YangYang from WayV try new things with fun and exciting challenges.

The drama is based on a book that depicts a strange and mysterious world of work between dreams, self-realization and means of maintaining a livelihood.