What Should I Watch to Make a Splash?~ Selected New Series to Anticipate in December

Originally, December is the time when theaters are bustling with blockbuster fights to match the year-end atmosphere. However, perhaps due to somewhat lackluster results this year, the December box office seems to already show signs of a one-sided battle as it approaches. For this reason, my attention is drawn to the numerous series on OTT platforms that will warm up our homes in December. Cineplay reporters reveal the series they have added to their watchlist for the upcoming December. 

Kim Ji-yeon - JTBC Drama 〈Love Me〉

When winter comes, I think of Seo Hyun-jin. Seo Hyun-jin is an actress who best expresses the various emotional amplitudes from the dry, rough, lonely, and chilly winter to the gradually warming spring. Recently, the Netflix series 〈Trunk〉 released last winter was an example of this. Following the drama 〈Trunk〉, which dealt with human loneliness, wounds, shadows, and love, Seo Hyun-jin returns to viewers with the drama 〈Love Me〉, which addresses 'the fair loneliness that is close to us.' The JTBC Friday drama 〈Love Me〉, which will premiere on the 19th, is based on a Swedish drama of the same name and depicts the loss, love, and connections of characters across generations. These days, the term 'endangered love' mentioned by Lee Chan-hyuk resonates particularly strongly, as it seems we will be able to witness the process of humans, who carry fundamental loneliness in an era where love has become extinct, loving and forming relationships, and understanding themselves through 〈Love Me〉. Another reason to look forward to 〈Love Me〉 is that it is directed by Jo Young-min, who also directed 〈In the Mood for Love〉 and 〈The Last Empress〉. Just like those works, the seemingly simple yet intuitive title 〈Love Me〉 is expected to delicately capture the layers of various relationships.

Choo Ah-young - Netflix Variety Show 〈Black and White Chef 2〉

The hit variety show 〈Black and White Chef〉, which stirred up South Korea last fall, is returning with Season 2. Set to premiere on December 16 on Netflix, 〈Black and White Chef 2〉 will showcase a fiery culinary class war aiming to overturn the hierarchy of 'famous' and 'unknown' based solely on taste, following Season 1. Season 1 captivated viewers with its creative missions, including the unforgettable 'Infinite Cooking Hell' mission featuring Chef Edward Lee's tofu hell. This time, producers Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji have mentioned, "Please look forward to the new rules, missions, and surprise elements that will be revealed in Season 2," raising anticipation for what missions will come next.

Meanwhile, the lineup of chefs from privileged backgrounds has been partially revealed, further heightening expectations. Following Michelin-starred Chef Son Jong-won, who gained popularity after appearing on 〈Please Take Care of My Refrigerator since 2014〉 and earned the nickname 'Chef with a Good Taste,' various renowned chefs are set to compete, including Hu Deok-juk, who introduced the dish Budojang to Korea, the first master of temple cuisine in South Korea, Monk Seon-jae, and Chef Lee Joon, who has received Michelin 2 stars at only nine locations in Korea. These famous chefs will fiercely compete against the underdog chefs from the shadows. Who will be the last one standing in this heated battlefield?

Joo Sung-cheol - Disney+ Series 〈Made in Korea〉

There is a drama that has boldly set its release date for Christmas Eve, December 24. It is Disney+'s original series 〈Made in Korea〉. This is also the first OTT challenge for actors Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung, as well as director Woo Min-ho. Set in South Korea during the 1970s, a time of chaos and leap, the story follows Baek Gi-tae (Hyun Bin), who aims to rise to the peak of wealth and power by using the country as a profit model, and prosecutor Jang Geon-young (Jung Woo-sung), who relentlessly pursues him with a terrifying obsession, as they face monumental events of the era. The most anticipated aspect is the presence of director Woo Min-ho. Given that it tells the story of an ambitious man and a prosecutor, it brings to mind the story of political gangster Ahn Sang-goo (Lee Byung-hun) and the 'nobody' prosecutor Woo Jang-hoon (Jo Seung-woo) depicted in 〈The Insider〉 (2015), as well as the story of drug lord Lee Doo-sam (Song Kang-ho) in the 1970s, who said, 'Exporting drugs is patriotic' in 〈Drug King〉 (2018). A decisive highlight is the phrase 'The Power of Dogs' found in the character poster centered around Jang Geon-young that was recently released.

Prosecutor Jang Geon-young, who belongs to the Busan District Prosecutor's Office, is a character who has become a prosecutor through sheer determination in a harsh environment, and while investigating Baek Gi-tae with a terrifying obsession hidden behind his hearty laughter, he encounters a massive crime cartel. The most striking copy phrase next to him in the poster was, "'Deliver us from the Power of Dogs.'" The novel 〈The Power of Dogs〉 by Don Winslow is an epic novel that chronicles the fierce history of the drug war between American and Mexican drug organizations, featuring nearly a hundred characters and spanning over 30 years. It is a novel praised by James Ellroy, known as the godfather of crime fiction, who said, "There has not been a work that has dealt with the drug war as well as this in the past 30 years," and was introduced by writer Kim Eun-hee as one of her 'life-changing books' in the book variety show 〈Nordic〉 aired in 2020, stating that it is a book that aspiring writers interested in genre fiction can gain great inspiration from. Thus, just with that one copy, expectations for 〈Made in Korea〉 have skyrocketed.

Sung Chan-eol - Netflix Original 〈The Master of Confession〉

TCG, or so-called card games like 'Yu-Gi-Oh,' have activation conditions for each card. Watching Kim Go-eun in 〈The Master of Confession〉, I had that thought. Did she sacrifice her hair to 'activate' her acting skills? It sounds like a joke, but 〈The Master of Confession〉 is truly a work that can be anticipated based solely on acting. What will the chemistry be like between the shaved-headed Kim Go-eun and 'Queen of Cannes' Jeon Do-yeon? Can 'Netflix civil servant' Park Hae-soo hit a home run again this time? Will Jin Seon-kyu succeed in another Netflix hit following 〈The Chaser〉? Of course, this is not the end (please read it as the master of life)! Although 〈Crash Landing on You〉 was so successful that he is known as a romance master, director Lee Jung-hyo, who has also shown excellent direction in genre works such as 〈City of the Dead〉 and 〈Life on Mars〉, is also involved. The conditions for success have been precisely activated. Will 〈The Master of Confession〉 achieve perfect success without trap cards, or will it present unexpected results while facing counter effects? Let's see on December 5, the day of the master of viewing (of course, the title's master refers to the cost).