Calling everyone (especially Pakistani guys, who need to learn from K-Dramas, yes?) The Current interviewed Actor Kubra Khan and discovered her secret obsession – Korean dramas. The actress, who is gearing up for her upcoming film release on Eid ul Azha alongside Gohar Mumtaz, revealed her love for the foreign shows.
When asked about her favorite shows, Kubra Khan shared, “I’ve seen Boys Over Flowers 23 times! It’s a classic, and I just can’t get enough of it.” She also talked about enjoying ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’, praising the show’s emotional depth.
But what caught our attention was her recommendation for two must-watch K-dramas – ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ and ‘Blood Hound’. “These shows are not only entertaining but also packed with emotions,” she said.If you’ve seen a K-Drama, you know they’re really good. One thing’s for sure, we’ll be adding Gyeongseong Creature and Blood Hound to our watchlist.
Actress Kubra Khan recently appeared as a guest on Fuchsia where she advised Pakistani men to watch Korean dramas. “Mard hazrat, Pakistan ke khuda ka wasta hai, ap Korean dramas dekh aay aur unn mardon sy seekh aay achay waly,” she said. “Pakistani men should learn from Korean dramas how to express emotions to their loved ones, how to love someone, and then how to express that love. They should learn how to show love and care in a beautiful way, like men in Korean dramas do.” Kubra added. Currently acting in the drama ‘Noor Jahan’ on ARY digital, Kubra is also in the movie, ‘Abhi’ along with Gohar Mumtaz. The movie will release on Eid ul Azha.
Popular Korean dramas ‘Reborn Rich’ and ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ have been nominated for the prestigious International Daytime Emmy awards. ‘Reborn Rich’ which starred Song Joong-Ki and Lee Sung-Min, was nominated for the category of Best TV Movie/ Mini-Series while the Netflix series ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ is nominated for the ‘Best Drama Series’ category.
‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ received critical acclaim for its exploration of autism and bullying. The series depicted the struggle of a woman Woo Young Woo (played by Park Eun-Bin), an aspiring lawyer with Asperger’s Syndrome, who applies for a job at Seoul’s prestigious law firm.
‘Reborn Rich’ centeres around Yoon Hyun-Woo (played by Joong-Ki), an employee working for the elite Soonyang Group, who is betrayed and murdered by a member of the Soonyang family to cover up a tax fraud. However, Hyun-Woo is re-born as the youngest grandson Jin Do-Jun, and plots his revenge to expel members of the family and take over the family company.
Meanwhile prominent Bollywood stars have also been included as the final nominees for the Emmy awards. Actor Jim Sarbh secured a nomination for ‘Best Performance by an Actor’ for his portrayal in the series ‘Rocket Boys’, while actress Shefali Shah was nominated for the category of ‘Best Performance By An Actress’ for her role in the Netflix series ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 2.
BTS fans will continue to go to all lengths to prove that they’re indeed the most wholesome and wonderful people to exist on the planet.
A BTS fan from Gujranwala, Syeda Binte Zainab, moved social media a few days ago when she celebrated the birthday’s of both BTS members Jung Kook and Namjoon’s by donating 125 boxes of food to patients suffering from thalassemia at Sundus Foundation, in an effort to spread awareness about providing blood donations to help children suffering from the disease.
Namjoon aka RM, is a popular rapper and song writer from the South Korean band BTS, which comprises of six other members including Jung Kook, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V and J-Hope. The band, declared by Time Magazine to be the ‘Princes Of Pop’, partnered with UNICEF in 2017 for their campaign to end violence against children, and have received 5 Grammy nominations.
Guyz I need your Prayers because I’m almost going to start Namkook Birthday Project Celebrations with Thalassemia patients and right now I’m packing food for them while streaming “Slow Dancing” Please drop your wishes or Purple heart pic.twitter.com/xkOkkCzpix
— Syeda BinteZainab⁷♥ #HBD_NAMJOON♥| ʟᴀʏᴏ(ꪜ)ᴇʀ ⍤⃝ (@BinteZainab33) September 9, 2023
The viral tweet received praise from fans and non-fans alike on social media, who appreciated the woman for undertaking such an amazing charity project on her own to celebrate her idol’s birthday.
감사합니다 아미 ♀️ You did a really really good Job Our boys will probably be so proud of you, and of course ARMY too… Fightingggg ♀️ https://t.co/GsnSyYMidC
Syeda Zainab also shared a link to her Youtube account which showed how she set up the project. She also included an interview with a doctor who spoke in detail about the disease and encouraged others to donate blood to patients and help save their lives.
Speaking to The Current, Syeda Zainab, who works as a teacher had previously collaborated with Sundas Foundation to organise 180 gifts food boxes, and this year had decided had collaborated with a student to bake a cake and a fellow BTS fan from Twitter, who baked cookies for the occasion.
“This year in collaboration with #BTS_Pk_Streaming , I thought of doing something different, so I texted the Director and asked for his permission to organise a little activity to which he instantly agreed. So I saved my 1 month salary and decided to arrange a special meal for Thalassemia fighters and their families. My student ‘Haider’ who is also BTS ARMY member, prepared the BTS Themed Cake to celebrate Namkook’s (Namjoon & Jungkook of BTS) birthday . A kind ARMY friend *Saira from Twitter specially prepared ‘Namjoon & Jungkook day special cookies’ for patients. I’ve Donated Blood before Starting the celebration because I know the importance of blood donations. My Blood can save 1 life so what’s better then this to celebrate this special month?”
Syeda Zainab told us she had been organising charity efforts for Sundas Foundation since 2021, when she donated blood to the patients and was in touch with the director whom she described as a ‘noble’ man. In 2022, she had celebrated Jung Kooks’ birthday with the rest of the patients by packing more than 180 gifts for the patients, and also brought along a cake to celebrate the occasion as shown from pictures she shared with us.
Speaking on the overwhelming praise her project received from social media, Zainab said she found it “over whelming and heart touching”. Several patients suffering from thalassemia exchanged phone numbers with her in order to see her vlog. “They literally longed for blood and happiness. I’m glad I was the reason behind their smile and happiness.”
“BTS is the reason behind spreading smiles all around the world and we ARMYs simply follow their footsteps. Alhumdulillah I feel incredibly happy to spread happiness around me just like my idols.”
Pakistani BTS fans have gone viral on several occasions for setting up extensive charity projects to celebrate birthdays of the band members, asking for nothing in return. “BTS and the ARMY fandom have been actively involved in social causes and have raised millions for charities. I remember back in June 6th 2020, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, and the ARMY fandom matched that amount within 24 hours.”
Continuing further, Zainab said “We organize projects like this because our icons inspire us every single day. Jungkook donated millions of won (Korean currency) to hospitals and universities on his birthday. When the severe earthquake disaster happened in turkey, it was BTS band members who donated millions of dollars to help the victims. The list is too extensive to share how many times they have contributed to help others.. We ARMYS do good things on BTS name all around the world so it doesn’t matter for us that our idols live in Korea or anywhere else. The thing which only matter is “THE MESSAGE”. The message BTS gives to ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ & ‘BE HUMAN’.”
Zainab told The Current that Pakistani BTS fans have done several projects in honor of their idols in the past, as last year they had celebrated Namjoon’s birthday by donating wheelchairs to Manawan Hospital Lahore. On September 1, which was Jungkook’s birthday, ARMY members donated 50 notebooks to schools in order to provide educational facilities for students from lower income backgrounds, along with Rs 7000 to Edhi Foundation, just proving how their fandom continues to do good and keep making their icons proud.
Social media users were over joyed when after seven long years, Korean stars Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-Wook reunited in a commercial for SK Enmove. The duo, who are known to be good friends and have publicly supported each other’s projects, rocked to stardom with their 2016 drama ‘Goblin’, one of the best K-dramas to come out so far. Gong Yoo plays the immortal guardian Kim Shin and Lee plays the Grim Reaper Wang Yeo, who agrees to help him.
The Korean heart-throbs broke social media a few days ago when they hinted at the collaboration with a polaroid shared on their Instagram accounts.
We have to agree with fans that after falling in love with ‘Goblin’, this was truly a treat to witness.
gong yoo and lee dong wook smiling and giggling at each other was not in my 2023 bingo card but i accept this wholeheartedly i love them so mcuh pic.twitter.com/b5982f0GSG
The weekend is here and we know you need to divert your attention from politician shenanigans. We get it, your brain is completely drained and you can’t make a decision on what show to watch. You need a change, a good distraction so we’re suggesting Korean dramas.
Yeah okay, you can’t watch shows with subtitles because its too distracting (but then how did you grow up watching Bollywood because their shows have different accents too, right?) It’s true that many of us are completely taken aback by how quickly and suddenly the Korean wave has gripped the entire world. But most importantly, how did Korean dramas suddenly become every woman’s comfort show?
I’ve been watching Korean dramas for the past three years and one of the things that drew me in was the gorgeous story telling, and how women in these shows were complex, well written, never shying away from reveling in their internal conflicts and desires to be the way they want to be. Coming from a lifetime of watching Bollywood or local television dramas where dramas written for women involved sexism, violence, or poorly, flat characters ending with happy marriages, changing my comfort watch seemed more like putting my mind at ease. Another thing, people commonly have shared as a token aspect they have come to adore about Korean dramas is how they offer an escape to a reality and culture completely different from their own. Quite commonly since the pandemic began and more people were locked up inside, Korean content offered a sense of ease with its architecture, the food or customs, and even how themes like building your own family offered a sense of relief for millennials bound by patriarchal customs of South Asian countries.
Give your doubts some ease, and take our advice that yes, there is a good reason why you won’t stop hearing Jung Kook’s ‘Seven’ on the radio. Take it from us and dedicate your Saturday night to one of these five recommendations we’re offering you, based on some of popular tropes loved by social media users.
If you love high school romances, then watch ‘True Beauty’
If high-school romances are what you love, then this is the drama you should watch. And also, if you’re completely into watching hot men, then yes Chan Eun-Woo is a good option. It follows an insecure teenager Lim Joo kyung, who was bullied for her looks and decides to change schools, as well as start wearing more makeup. As she navigates learning to be comfortable in her own skin, as well as her budding romance with the school’s resident hot boy Lee Su-hoo, you won’t help but get drawn into the wholesome storytelling, as well as how lovable and endearing Joo kyung is.
‘Fake dating but he falls harder for her’? Take ‘Her Private Life’
Deok Mi has a secret- she’s obsessed with the boyband White Ocean, like she’s obsessed OBSESSED. Watches all their concerts, runs a fan blog dedicated to Cha Si-An, even has posters all over her apartment. But when during a work assignment, she is snapped by paparazzi and mistaken to be Si-An’s girlfriend, quickly turns her into a target for hyper fan girls and makes her life even harder. When her boss, the uptight, stingy Ryan Gold steps into pretend to be her boyfriend to dispel the rumors, they agree to date until the rumors die down and everyone is convinced Si-An is taken. Ryan even has someone else, nothing will happen right…right?
Friends to lovers will make you wail, but not the way ‘Romance Is A Bonus Book’ will.
The worst day of Cha Eun-Ho’s life was when the longtime love of his life, and childhood best friend Dan-I married her high school sweetheart, completely sealing his heart to the possibility that anyone would suit him as he ascends the world of publishing. But the ground completely crumbles under his feet when he finds out that five years later after they cut off contact, Dan-I is homeless after her husband abandoned her and their daughter to make a new family. The two decide to live together, much to Eun-Ho’s dismay, as Dan-I takes on a job as an intern and obscures her CV to pretend she is a college dropout, not a marketing professional with years of experience. But as much as the two try to remain friends to keep their plot going, Eun-Ho realises he isn’t over Dan-i, and neither is she over him.
Enemies to lovers is *chef’s kiss*? ‘Shooting Stars’ will make you wish you had someone
Oh Han-Byul is the cranky, over-worked PR manager working for a leading celebrity agency, where she is directly responsible for handling Korea’s top celebrity, Gong Tae-Sun. His endless requests and hectic fanbase is the reason why Han Byul has a depleting dating life, no social skills, and a lifelong agenda to be the one to put Tae Sung in his grave. But as a scandal emerges which puts their relationship in a different light the two realised they are both heading towards a path that would be difficult to turn back from.
He’s a human, she’s an immortal being? ‘Legend of the blue sea’ is definitely for you
Forbidden love between an immortal being and a mortal will clench your heart, but this korean drama will become the reason why you cancel the last part of your social life. Heo Jung-Jae is a con-artist, a way to support himself after cutting off his father and supporting himself. He tricks billionaires into handing them their valuable assets to him, and escapes without a trace. But during a vacation to Spain, his accidental encounter with the mermaid Shim Cheong forces him to confide into his past life as a Joseon emperor who made the fatal mistake to fall in love with a mermaid and brought about his doom.
Ken-ergy king Ryan Gosling gave a shout out to BTS’s Jimin ahead of the Barbie release when he acknowledged that he had worn the same look the K-pop star had for his ‘Permission to dance’ music video.
“There’s an unspoken rule that if you bite another Ken’s style, you have to give them your prized possession,” Ryan said as he offered Jimin his guitar.
Ryan Gosling sends message to Jimin of BTS ahead of #Barbie release.
This wholesome crossover between two different worlds has taken over Twitter, because when two icons come together to slay you know magic is about to happen.
It warms our hearts to see kay aaj kal kay tidday kitnay jazbay say apnay shauq dikhatay hain. Particularly how popular Korean bands are among them.
A BTS fan Alina, took her love for the Korean musicians to the streets when she promoted Jung Kook’s single ‘Seven’ across the streets of Karachi by posting images everywhere, and we must say this is the kind of planning and task execution even senior officials cannot show!
Alina, whose Twitter account goes by kimtnam, shared pictures of the posters she had plastered in different areas of Karachi like Dar ul Sehat, Rufi Lake Drive Gate and Pedestal Bridge opposite Karachi University.
Jungkook’s SEVEN posters are up in Gulistan e Johar Karachi Pakistan Pedestal Bridge Opposite Karachi University Universal Medicos (behind one of the fridges) near Continental Bakery beside Stylo, Kamran Chowrangi Dar ul Sehat Rufi Lake Drive gate Perfume Chowk pic.twitter.com/gLwHIQCEkg
Among the recent stream of K-dramas that have arrived on Netflix, we highly recommend that you check out ‘See You In My 19th Life’. Based on the popular webtoon comic by the same name, the series follows Ban Ji Eum (played by Mr Queen’s Shin Hye Sun) as a woman who has a secret: she has had at least 19 past lives, remembering all of them even though she doesn’t know why and how it started. In her 18th life, she meets a young boy Moon Seo Ha (played by Yumi’s Cells Ahn Bo Hyun) when they are children, but her life is quickly cut off because of a horrifying car accident. Now reborn with a new face in her 19th life, Ji Eum is determined to trace down Seo Ha, and also meet others in her journey to understand her ability.
With its gorgeous story telling and moving performances of Hye Sun and Bo Hyun, we should give our followers a list of reasons why they must absolutely check out this drama.
1. Heart tugging and gorgeous story telling
The series really activates your tear ducts from the first episode when it touches upon themes like childhood abuse, trauma and loneliness, while exploring the lives of both Seo Ha and Ji Eum as they navigate dealing with adulthood while overcoming the abuses they suffered as children.
2. Perfect for all those who love Korean fantasy dramas, especially the mortal x immortal relationship
If you’re a fan of Korean fantasy dramas like ‘Goblin’, ‘The Legend Of The Blue Sea’ and ‘Doom At Your Service’, which all revolved around a relationship between an immortal being with magical powers who falls in love with a human being, then this is definately your kind of drama. The trope is reversed where this time, the woman is the one with magical powers, doing all in her power to make the mortal man, her long lost lover, come back to her and fix their torn relationship. With their undeniable chemistry and how they help each other heal from past wounds when they were tragically torn apart, will definitely keep you hooked to this drama.
3. Shin Hye Sun is captivating as a free-spirited and confident female lead
Hye Sun has outshined in several dramas in the past like Mr Queen but this is the drama where she proves that her talent is unmatchable. The female lead Ji Eum is a headstrong and fearless woman, whose many talents compel her to becoming a cash cow for her leecherous father, who keeps coming to her for money despite abandoning her. But most importantly, how Ji Eum connects and eventually consols the loved ones she had abandoned when she died in her past life, and how she unabashedly seeks to protect and heal Seo Ha, is what makes her a compelling female lead.
4. Ahn Bo Hyun moves audience with his heart tugging performance as the shy and lovable male protagonist.
Bo Hyun had previously played second leads in dramas like ‘Her Private Life’ and ‘Yumi’s Cells’ but it is with ‘See You In My 19th Life’ where he really makes the audience wail with how he plays Seo Ha. A troubled man who is dealing with the grief of losing his mother and later the love of his life, a disability that makes him the brunt of bullying by his father and step mother, it is how charming and versatile Bo Hyun is with the way he plays the character, and also how he matches the powerhouse Hye Shin, truly making this Netflix’s top rated Korean dramas.
After the release of ‘Crash Course in Romance’, there has been a slump in engrossing Korean dramas, especially rom coms that could keep you captivated from beginning to end. More thrillers and action pack series have been announced including ‘Bloodhounds’, ‘Squid Games Season 2’ and even ‘Alice in Borderland’ but the magic of Korean rom-coms is unlike any other. The way women are the ones leading the narrative, bringing forward complexities they face, and men do not belittle women, but empower and respect them.
With the arrival of Netflix’s ‘King The Land’, it seems like the K-romance is back. Set in the backdrop of an elite hotel, the story revolves around a hard working concierge who clashes with the grumpy chaebol whose family runs the hotel. It seems like this is the perfect serial every K-drama lover should watch.
Grumpy x sunshine trope
If fans were missing the magic of dramas like ‘A Business Proposal’ and ‘Crash Course In Romance’ which featured the much beloved grumpy x sunshine trope, where one half of the couple was a grouch, while the other one was the complete opposite by being the cheerful one, then they should certainly keep a lookout for this drama. Gu Won is the son from a chaebol family who is known to be a strict, business-only man. On his arrival back to Korea, he gets involved with his sister in a conflict over who should have control of the hotel, and has to encounter the memories of his mother. When he meets the cheerful and hard working Cheon Sa-Rang, who begins working as a lobby maid for the hotel, the two originally clash because Gu Won loathes fake smiles, and while Sa-Rang is critical of his lackluster attitude towards his family business, over time he begins falling for her even more.
Office romances FTW
What’s the secret to making a standout K-drama that will decades later be remembered as an iconic pop-culture moment? By making it into an office romance. Looking back at some of the best K-dramas like ‘What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’, ‘Her Private Life’ and even the critically acclaimed ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’, Korean creators know that the perfect formula that will keep creators hooked is setting up a workplace romance, and adding a mixture of enemies to lovers, it is chef’s kiss.
The female gaze is here to stay
Korean rom-coms have surged in popularity with their detailed attention the female gaze plays. Along side Sa-Rang’s experience of navigating life as a lowly hotel maid, are the experiences of her friends who work as shop manager and an air hostess, and how they tackle discrimination, discriminating bosses and long hours, but most importantly, how they stick with each other through thick and thin.
