The iQiyi Hallyu Season officially arrived and in the last quarter of the year, it is set to release a series of major Korean series and films.
Starting from September, the K-series lineup includes “Jirisan,” “Bad and Crazy,” “IDOL: The Coup,” “Yumi's Cells,” “Let Me Be Your Night,” “The Man’s Voice,” “Melancholía” and “Royal Secret Inspector Joy.”
Korean films include “Midnight” and “Shark: The Beginning.” Popular girl group reality show “Girls Planet 999” will conclude in October with nine members to debut. Viewers worldwide can enjoy these K-shows on iQiyi International app or iQ.com.
“Jirisan,” the long-awaited iQiyi original K-series stars Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon, and is created by director Lee Eung-bok and writer Kim Eun-hee. Jun and Ju team up with Sung Dong-il, Oh Jung-se, and Go Min-si to safeguard Korea’s highest peak. Nature’s tests will be revealed on October 23.
Following an afterlife messenger, serial killer and nine-tailed fox, Lee Dong-wook is delivering another great show. “Bad and Crazy” is a heroic series following a capable but bad guy (played by Lee Dong-wook) meeting a crazy but good guy (played by Wi Ha-jun). The director behind “The Uncanny Counter” produces this new drama with exciting and fascinating film-quality visuals, to debut in December.
In addition to “Bad and Crazy,” emerging actor Wi Ha-jun plays a serial killer in the new thriller “Midnight,” and targets a hearing-impaired girl played by Jin Ki-joo. The highjacking scene at the police station is inspired by a real incident in Korea in 2013. In “Shark: The Beginning” that is adapted from a webtoon series, Wi also plays a mixed-martial-arts champion to inspire Kim Min-seok, a school-bullying victim, to train himself up physically and confront internal fear.
In “IDOL: The Coup,” Kwak Si-yang plays the owner of an entertainment company, whose first female idol group has not gained traction after six years. Ahn Hee-yeon (or Hani of girl group EXID) is the lead member trying to save the idol group from termination.
Currently streaming and within the top favorites now is the Blue Dragon Film Award-winning “Yumi’s Cells,” which follows what goes on in the mind and life of Kim Go-eun. When she meets a game developer played by Ahn Bo-hyun, this 30-something office worker finally starts thinking about love. Look out for appearances of Park Jin Young from GOT7 and Choi Min-ho from SHINee.
“Let Me Be Your Night” follows the lead singer of a popular idol band (played by Lee Jun-young) trying to overcome his sleepwalking condition with the help of a physician (played by Jung In-sun). Cast members include current idols Lee Jun-young of U-KISS, Kim Jong-hyun of NU'EST, Yoon Ji-sung of Wanna One and Kim Dong-hyun from AB6IX.
Ok Taec-yeon stars in a period drama for the first time in “Inspector Joy” with emerging actress Kim Hye-yoon. An accidental royal inspector and a wife seeking divorce are put together on a mission.
In “Melancholía,” Lim Soo-jung and Lee Do-hyeon are in a forbidden relationship on campus and their 16-year age difference results in great societal pressure. Following the completion of his military service, Choi Tae-joon stars in The Man’s Voice. He plays a first officer who leaves his cat in the care of Song Ji-eun who is able to communicate with cats after a lightning strike. A romance full of fantasy blossoms between them.