Historical Period Viki Original K-drama Series: The Red Sleeve (2021-2022); 17 episodes

The Red Sleeve Cuff (2021-2022); 17 episodes

This historical K-drama is a Viki Original series based on a novel of the same name. It's a fictionalized account of the love story of King Jeongjo and his royal consort Ui-bin Seong, but they are real historical figures. King Jeongjo is the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty, and Ui-bin Seong (real name Seong Deok-im) was his royal consort. There were several pregnancies that resulted in miscarriages, one son lived, Crown Prince Munhyo.

This series focuses on the life of Seong Deok-im. She entered the palace at the age of ten (10) as a maid servant. Whereas all of the court ladies probably dreamed of being bedded by the king, Seong Deok-im rejected his advances. She did not want to become a concubine because she said she would no longer be able to have her own life. In other words, she would lose herself and only live for him.

Nevertheless, she fell in love with the king and became his favorite concubine, known as Royal Consort Sung Ui Bin. The series showed that she did give up her own life. When she was an ordinary court lady she could go out with friends, visit family, and enjoy the freedoms commoners enjoy. Once she became the king's concubine, her life was restricted to the palace. She spent the entire day just waiting for him to come to her chambers and rest his head in her lap. It was a life choice she made. Although she did not regret loving the king, she always knew she made a great sacrifice to live as the king's woman. She died in her early 30s and the king wrote on her epitaph about how much he had loved her.

P.S.  If you love Korean dramas, please visit my entertainment blog.  It has lots of K-Drama love.  Original source.

The Red Sleeve no.1, Korean Novel

Five (5) Korean Dramas That Are Less than 10 Episodes.

The popularity of Korean dramas continues to grow worldwide. Rakuten Viki does not only stream K-dramas but is investing in producing Viki Original content. Most fans of Korean drama have come to expect a series to be anywhere from 12 episodes to 50+ episodes. Believe it or not, there are some enjoyable series that are less than 10 episodes. Here is a list of five Korean dramas that are less than 10 episodes. All of these are streaming on the Viki platform.

Hyang Dan (2007) ~ 2 episodes

This is the story of how Hyang-dan (played by Seo Ji-hye), a beautiful servant girl, fell in love with the man who would become the hero of the people known as Il Ji Mae. 

Splash Splash Love (2015) ~ 2 episodes

A cute time-travel K-drama. Jang Danbi (played by Kim Seul-gi) is a high school student who wishes she could avoid a math test. She jumps on a puddle of water that turns out to be a portal. She time-travels back to the Joseon era and falls in love with the king. 

Must You Go? (2021) ~ 8 episodes

A time-travel drama based on a webtoon. Min Yoo Jung (played by Park Jung Yeon) dreams of becoming a successful pop musician. A talented musician from the Joseon Era ends up in modern-day Korea and crosses her path. Not sure how he got there or if he can return, he decides that he has the skills and talents to help her fulfill her dream. It turns out, however, that he is not the only time traveler. 

Strong Underdog (2023) ~ 6 episodes

Jung Woo (played by Lee Dae Hwi) is a high school student who is constantly bullied and has all kinds of bad luck. He just wants to persevere long enough to graduate. But he meets a transfer student who inspires him to stand up for himself. He decides to participate in a school's fighting tournament with the goal of taking down the school’s biggest bully. 

Finland Papa (2023) ~ 6 episodes

A Viki Original series. Yu Ri (played by Kim Bo Ra) is grieving over the loss of her grandmother. Depression is overwhelming her and she finds it difficult to carry on. A childhood friend encourages her to apply for a job at a restaurant called Finland Papa. It changes her life. 

Original source

Thanks for reading.

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A Few of My Favorite Things ... (such as Korean historical period dramas)

I believe you never stop learning. In fact, learning is one of my favorite things.  If I can combine my continuing education with enjoyable entertainment?  Even better!  I like to dabble in Asian studies, and watching Korean historical period dramas has become another one of my favorite things.  K-dramas are not only a form of entertainment and relaxation but a way to learn about the history of Korea AND pick up a few words and phrases to learn how to speak a little Korean.

Did not have either of those learning goals in mind when I signed into my Flickr account. I was just searching for some free images for my websites and blogs.  But one can often find “treasure” in unexpected places.

Upon logging in to Flickr one day, I was greeted with this message.

Bangawoyo, treathylfox!
Now you know how to greet people in Korean!

I yawned ( ) and thought to myself: “Oh that's just not gonna work!”


So I looked up how to translate: “coffee with milk”.

© Photographer: Mintymilk | Agency: Dreamstime.com


When I watch Korean dramas, I often write a review or recommendation.  You can find my content all over the web.

• Check out My Sageuk Addiction on Medium.com
• Check out my K-drama articles on Read.Cash
• Check out my Korean drama blog posts at My Entertainment Blog

Watch Asian Dramas ~ Free Online Streaming

My Medium Publications ~ The Year 2022 in Review

I began publishing content on Medium.com back in 2014, initially because this platform accepted republished content. But as my following grew I began to publish both original and republished content; and also created Medium publications. The publications give your content more exposure and are ret to meeting and collaborating with fellow writers. To day I am publishing 3 different publications: one fore general discussion topics, one for foodies, and one for sageuk lovers. (Sageuk movies and TV series are Korean historical period dramas.) Below are the links to articles that recap activity for the year 2022.

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Express Yourself! ~ Most Viewed Articles at the End of 2022

There are 10 articles listed. My favorite article on this list is the one about King David and Bathsheba.

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My Foodie Luv ~ Top 5 Stories for the Year 2022

A varied selection of topics: fruits, cakes, world cuisine/food history, and cooking terms explained for newbies in the kitchen.

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My Sageuk Addiction ~ Top 10 Stories for 2022

I am very much enjoying streaming historical period Korean dramas. Viki, Netflix, Tubi, and YouTube have quite a slection to choose from. One tip if you plan to watch K-dramas: make sure that all of the episodes are available. It is so frustrating to get wrapped up in a series only to realize that you may have to wait several weeks until all of the episodes have been uploaded and are fully translated with English subtitles.

♦♦

FINAL NOTE:

If you are also a Medium contributor OR you plan to become one and you are interested in sharing your content via my Medium publications, simply comment at this post OR at one of the Medium articles OR contact me via Twitter (@cmoneyspinner).

That’s it for 2022. It’s 2023. Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Addicted to Korean Drama Yet? Entertainment Recommendations to Get You Hooked!

Know why Korean dramas or K-dramas are ridiculously popular? They're addictive!

I got hooked on Korean dramas because of this one movie. “Commitment” is a 2013 South Korean spy thriller film starring Choi Seung-hyun, a teenage boy recruited by the government and trained as an assassin who is sent on a mission to kill an assassin. One word review for this movie? Intense!!!

So if you have never experienced a Korean drama, watch this movie first. You'll get hooked! (View trailer.)

Having been bitten by the K-drama bug, I started looking for more entertainment from South Korea and found a 2009 TV series titled “Tamra, the Island” and the main character, a young female diver, is played by Seo Woo. It is educational and entertaining. Paints a picture of life during the period of the Joseon (or Chosŏn) Dynasty in Korea and you really do get a very clear picture. Because of this program, I got hooked on Korean historical period dramas.

So if you never knew anything about Korean history, watch this series first. You'll get hooked! (View full 1^st episode.)

Just a bit of trivia. Not being familiar with Korean actors and actresses, I had not noticed it initially but once I began to learn Who's Who in SK entertainment, I realized that the same young lady who played the young man's younger sister in the movie (“Commitment”) was the same person who played the young lady's little sister in the TV show (“Tamra, the Island”).

Her name is Kim Yoo-jung. She's an adult now but she has been acting since she was a child and in fact, she was one of the best-known child actresses in South Korea. Her filmography and list of awards received for acting are impressive.

If you would like to join in on the K-drama addiction, the best sites in the USA to watch Korean dramas online is viki.com. Netflix also offers a limited selection.

Watch Asian Dramas ~ Free Online Streaming

Review : Dong Yi (2010) ~ Korean Drama : Historical : TV Series

An alternative title for this television series could be: Is It Really That Great to Be King? This is a tale about a king who didn't think it was t...

I Heart Korean Dramas and Art (It's My Obsession!)

The platform We Heart It is like a Pinterest alternative and it is know for the wonderful images that people share. But the site owners have taken a bold step and decided to expand their platform to encourage writers. I took a bold step and published my first article to tell everyone about my obsession for Korean drama. In particular, Korean historical period dramas.

Published my first article at We Heart It, titled “I Heart Korean Dramas and Art (It's My Obsession!)”.  

(Apologies. We Heart It site shut down. Link goes to my article which was saved on Medium.com.)

Watch Asian Dramas ~ Free Online Streaming