Ji Chang Wook and Kim Yoo Jung partner up for the first time in SBS's upcoming webtoon-turned-drama Backstreet Rookie. Less than a year after Melting Me Softly, Ji Chang Wook stars in another romantic comedy while Kim Yoo Jung last appeared in JTBC's Clean with Passion for Now in 2018.

Directed by Lee Myoung Woo (The Fiery Priest) and written by Son Geun Joo (Sweet, Savage Family), Backstreet Rookie revolves around the love story between Choi Dae Hyun (played by Ji Chang Wook) and Jung Saet Byul (played by Kim Yoo Jung), who met in a convenience store by chance four years ago. Once a bad student, Saet Byul now lives a diligent life studying in university while working night shifts at a store managed by the warm and clumsy Dae Hyun.

Besides the two leads, Han Sun Hwa (Save Me), Do Sang Woo (My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol), Kim Sun Young (Crash Landing on You), Sol Bin (Itaewon Class) and Woo Hyun (Dazzling) also co-star in Backstreet Rookie. The workplace romantic comedy will premiere on June 12.

Text / Violet

The Chinese period fantasy series Ancient Love Poetry starring Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai has begun filming in late May. Based on Xing Lu's fantasy romance novel Shang Gu, Ancient Love Poetry is about the heartwrenching love between Shang Gu and Bai Ju, who are among the four true gods of the ancient world. In order to protect the three realms, the two experience great challenges and calamities while staying true to their love.

Ancient Love Poetry marks the first collaboration between Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai, the rising star from Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain and Story of Yanxi Palace. It is also the first ancient costume series for Zhou Dongyu, who just recently won Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Better Days.

Ancient Love Poetry boasts a strong production team that includes Under the Power and The Glory of Tang Dynasty director Yin Tao and Yang Xiaopei, the producer of the trendy period hits Fighter of the Destiny and Legend of Fuyao.

Text / Sanwei

Director Kurosawa Kiyoshi's new drama Spy no Tsuma ("Spy's Wife") will be aired on NHK BS8K on June 6. Shot in 8K Super Hi-Vision, the suspense drama is set in 1940s Kobe, and stars Takahashi Issey and Aoi Yu as a married couple.

Takahashi Issey plays Fukuhara Yusaku, a trader who wants to inform the world about the horrific events he witnessed in Manchuria. Working with Kurosawa for the third time, Aoi Yu plays Yusaku's wife Satoko, who tries to stop his actions in order to preserve their happiness.

Spy no Tsuma is co-written by Kurosawa with Asako I & II director Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Nohara Tadashi. The drama also co-stars Higashide Masahiro as a military officer who is Satoko's childhood friend and Bando Ryota as Yusaku's nephew.

Text / Sanwei

Following the record-breaking sales of his 2019 solo debut album City Lights, Baek Hyun reigns over K-pop album and digital music charts again with his second mini-album Delight. The album featuring the title track Candy was released in three versions on May 25.

Though first week sales for Delight are still counting, Baek Hyun has already achieved #1 in both first-day and first-week sales among soloists. According to the Hanteo Chart, Baek Hyun's Delight sold a record-setting 626,779 copies on the first day of release, surpassing the record previously held by Kang Daniel's Color on Me. The album ranks third in first-day sales for all artists after BTS's Map of the Soul: 7 and Map of the Soul: Persona.

Baek Hyun's Delight is now the best-selling solo album in Hanteo history, dethroning Wheesung's It's Real which had held the record for the past 17 years. Baek Hyun is also the only solo act to rank in Korea's top ten highest first-week album sales.

Text / Violet

Nominations for the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards have been revealed. Parasite leads among films with a total of 12 nominations, while When the Camellia Blooms received the most nominations in the TV drama categories. This year marks the first time that Netflix productions (mini-series Kingdom 2 and film Time to Hunt) received nominations.

Parasite was nominated in nearly all categories, including Best Film, Best Director (Bong Joon Ho), Best Screenplay (Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won), Best Actor (Song Kang Ho), Best Actress (Jo Yeo Jeong), Best Supporting Actor (Park Myung Hoon), Best Supporting Actress (Park So Dam and Lee Jung Eun), Best New Actor (Park Myung Hoon), Best New Actress (Jang Hye Jin), Technical Award (Lee Ha Jun for Art and Hong Kyung Pyo for Filming). The Man Standing Next and indie film House of Hummingbird follow with six nominations each, and both will compete for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. The rest of the nominations for Best Film are EXIT and Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, while Best Director nods include Birthday's Lee Jung Eon and Black Money's Chung Ji Young. EXIT (Lee Sang Geun) and Moonlit Winter (Lim Dae Hyung) are also shortlisted for Best Screenplay.

Song Kang Ho (Parasite), Lee Byung Hun (The Man Standing Next) and Han Suk Kyu (Forbidden Dream) seek another Best Actor trophy against EXIT's Jo Jung Suk and Time to Hunt's Lee Je Hoon, who is nominated for the first time. Following last year's nomination, this year Kim Hee Ae (Moonlit Winter) goes up against Jo Yeo Jeong, Jeon Do Yeon (Birthday), Jung Yoo Mi (Kim Ji-young, Born 1982) and Kim So Jin (Another Child) for Best Actress. Best Supporting Actor and Actress nominations go to Kim Young Min (Lucky Chan-sil), Won Hyun Joon (The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful), Lee Kwang Soo (Inseparable Bros), Lee Hee Joon (The Man Standing Next), Kim Guk Hee (Tune in for Love), Kim Mi Kyung (Kim Ji-young, Born 1982) and Kim Sae Byuk (House of Hummingbird).

Apart from the Parasite cast, nominees for Best New Actor and Best New Actress also include Park Hae Soo (Time to Hunt), Park Hyung Sik (Juror 8), Ahn Ji Ho (A Boy and Sungreen), Jung Hae In (Tune in for Love), Kang Mal Geum (Lucky Chan-sil), Kim So Hye (Moonlit Winter), Kim Hye Jun (Another Child) and Park Ji Hoo (House of Hummingbird). Besides being nominated for Best Director, first-time writer-director Kim Bo Ra (House of Hummingbird) is naturally also nominated in the Best New Director category along with the directors of EXIT, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, Lucky Chan-sil and Kim-gun.

In the TV drama section, When the Camellia Blooms dominates with nine nominations, including Best Drama, Best Director (Cha Yeong Hoon), Best Screenplay (Lim Sang Choon), Best Actor (Kang Ha Neul), Best Actress (Gong Hyo Jin), Best Supporting Actor (Oh Jung Se), Best Supporting Actress (Son Dam Bi and Yeom Hye Ran) and Best New Actor (Kim Kang Hoon). High-rating cable TV dramas Crash Landing on You and Itaewon Class received eight and seven nominations respectively. Both are up for Best Director (Lee Jung Hyo and Kim Sung Yoon), Best Actor (Hyun Bin and Park Seo Joon), Best Supporting Actor (Yang Kyung Won and Yoo Jae Myung) and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Sun Young, Seo Ji Hye and Kwon Nara).

For Best Drama, When the Camellia Blooms and Crash Landing on You will compete against SBS's Hot Stove League and Hyena as well as the Netflix original series Kingdom 2. All of the aforementioned dramas, except Kingdom 2, are also shortlisted in the Best Screenplay category with Hospital Playlist (Lee Woo Jung). The directors of Hot Stove League (Jeong Dong Yoon) and The World of the Married (Mo Wan Il) are also in the Best Director race alongside the frontrunners.

Hyun Bin (Crash Landing on You), Park Seo Joon (Itaewon Class) and Nam Gung Min (Hot Stove League) are joined by first-time nominees Ju Ji Hoon (Hyena) and Kang Ha Neul as contenders for the Best Actor trophy. Kim Hee Ae (The World of the Married), Son Ye Jin (Crash Landing on You), Kim Hye Su (Hyena) and Gong Hyo Jin are again up for Best Actress along with IU (Hotel Del Luna), who was also a nominee last year. Besides being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the Film section, Kim Young Min (The World of the Married) is up for the same award in the Drama section against Oh Jung Se, Yang Kyung Won, Yoo Jae Myung, and Jeon Seok Ho (Hyena).

With ten breakout stars from nine popular dramas, this year's Best New Actor and Actress races are very competitive. Nominations for the two awards go to Kim Kang Hoon, Itaewon Class' Kim Da Mi and Ahn Bo Hyun, Hospital Playlist's Jeon Mi Do, The World of the Married's Han So Hee, At Eighteen's Ong Seong Wu, Dr. Romantic 2's Ahn Hyo Seop, Be Melodramatic's Jeon Yeo Been, Extraordinary You's Lee Jae Wook and The Cursed's Jung Ji So.

This year's Baeksang Arts Awards will take place at KINTEX on June 5. It will again be hosted by Shin Dong Yup, Park Bo Gum and Bae Suzy.

Text / Garden
Translation / Violet

The results of the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards were announced online on May 6. Derek Tsang's youth drama Better Days, which had led with 12 nominations, swept eight prizes including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress for Zhou Dongyu, Best New Performer for Jackson Yee, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume & Makeup Design, and Best Original Film Song.

Following his win at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, veteran actor Tai Bo was crowned Best Actor again for his role in Ray Yeung's gay drama Suk Suk, which also garnered Best Supporting Actress for Patra Au. I'm Livin' It's Cheung Tat Ming won Best Supporting Actor.

Norris Wong was named Best New Director for My Prince Edward, which also won Best Original Film Score. Ip Man 4: The Finale picked up two awards: Best Editing and Best Action Choreography for Yuen Woo Ping. Technical awards were also given to Fagara (Best Art Direction) and The White Storm 2 - Drug Lords (Best Visual Effects). Golden Horse Best Picture winner An Elephant Sitting Still was awarded the Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was cancelled this year. Winners were instead announced by director Derek Yee, the chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, in a video recording via live streaming on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Text / Sanwei

JTBC's The World of the Married has become the highest-rated cable TV drama ever in South Korea. According to AGB Nielsen Rating, the megahit revenge drama hit a nationwide rating of 24.332% for its 12th episode aired on May 2, surpassing the previous record held by JTBC's Sky Castle in 2019. tvN's 2020 romantic drama Crash Landing on You follows in third place.

Adapted from the British drama Doctor Foster, The World of the Married recounts the dark side of marriage with a plot centering around the life of doctor Ji Sun Woo (played by Kim Hee Ae, Secret Affair) after she is betrayed by husband Lee Tae Oh (played by Park Hae Joon, My Mister). Besides the two leads, the cast of the popular drama also includes Han So Hee (100 Days My Prince), Park Sun Young (Marry Me Now), Kim Young Min (Crash Landing on You), Jeon Jin Seo (Mr. Sunshine), Lee Moo Saeng (One Spring Night) and Shim Eun Woo (Arthdal Chronicles).

The World of the Married is scheduled to air 16 episodes in total. The final episode will be broadcasted on May 16.

Text / Violet

Rising actor Jang Dong Yoon and Krystal Jung collaborate for the first time in the military thriller Search. Krystal makes her small screen comeback two years after Player, while The Tale of Nokdu star Jang Dong Yoon quickly returns in less than a year.

Following Trap, Strangers From Hell and Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation, Search is the fourth release in OCN's Dramatic Cinema project. The series revolves around mysterious murders and missing person cases in the DMZ. Jang Dong Yoon takes the role of sergeant Yong Dong Jin who will soon be discharged from the military. Krystal plays elite First Lieutenant Son Ye Rim who is capable of tackling a multitude of problems in the army.

Search also co-stars Moon Jeong Hee (Vagabond), Yoon Park (Radio Romance) and Lee Hyun Wook (Strangers From Hell). The drama is scheduled to air in the second half of 2020.

Text / Violet

Intruder starring Song Ji Hyo (Unstoppable) and Kim Moo Yeol (The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil) is scheduled to be released in Korean cinemas on May 21. Kim Moo Yeol leads a mystery thriller again three years after Forgotten, while Song Ji Hyo takes on the genre for the first time on the silver screen.

Written and directed by Son Won Pyung (A Two-Way Monologue), Intruder depicts the mystery of a missing person returning home after 25 years. Kim Moo Yeol plays Seo Jin, who just lost his wife in an accident not long ago, and then receives a call from his long-lost sister Yoo Jin (played by Song Ji Hyo). While the whole family feels happy about her return, Seo Jin becomes suspicious about Yoo Jin's existence and finds out the secret behind these happenings.

Intruder is produced by B.A. Entertainment whose previous works include The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, Unstoppable and The Outlaws. The cast of Intruder also includes Ye Soo Jung (Herstory), Choi Sang Hoon (The Twins), Lee Hae Woon (Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982) and Choi Young Woo (Juror 8).

Text / Violet

Tiny Times writer-director Guo Jingming recently announced that he has completed filming for his live-action feature adaptation of Yumemakura Baku's novel series Onmyoji. This marks the best-selling Chinese author's first directorial work that's not based on his own novel.

First published in 1988, Yumemakura Baku's long-running Onmyoji series about a divination master has encompassed short stories, picture books and novels, the most recent of which was published in 2019. The period fantasy stories have been adapted into manga as well as multiple live-action films and television dramas in Japan. Onmyoji is Yumemakura Baku's second work to get a Chinese adaptation following Chen Kaige's Legend of the Demon Cat based on Samon Kukai Tou no Kuni nite Oni to Utagesu.

Guo Jingming's Onmyoji will be divided into two films titled Qing Ya Ji and Long Ye Qu. Popular actors Mark Chao (Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings) and Deng Lun (Ashes of Love) star as Qing Ming and Bo Ya, who team up to solve strange mysteries and uncover a century-old secret. The film's cast also includes Olivia Wang (Ode to Joy), Jessie Li (Port of Call), Wang Duo (L.O.R.D - Legend of the Ravaging Dynasties) and Huang Jue (A City Called Macau).

Text / Sanwei

Following 2017's The 8-Year Engagement, director Zeze Takahisa and actor Satoh Takeru will collaborate again for the film adaptation of Nakayama Shichiri's suspense novel Mamorarenakatta Monotachi e ("To Those Who Were Not Protected"). Set in Sendai after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the crime mystery also addresses social problems of poverty and inequality.

Satoh Takeru will play the protagonist Tone Yasuhisam, who served time for arson and assault before. He becomes the suspect of a mysterious serial murder case in which the victims were tied up and starved to death. Abe Hiroshi will take the role of Tomashino Seiichiro, a detective in the Miyagi police department who is investigating the case. Satoh and Abe last collaborated in Trick The Movie: Psychic Battle Royale ten years ago.

Other announced cast members include Kiyohara Kaya, Baisho Mitsuko, Yoshioka Hidetaka and Hayashi Kento. Hayashi Tamio, who worked on The Snow White Murder Case, The Eternal Zero and Shield of Straw, will serve as screenwriter.

Shooting begins in April, and the film is slated for release in 2020.

Text / Sanwei

Mnet's boy group survival program Road to Kingdom is scheduled to air its first episode on April 30. Following Queendom, actress Lee Da Hee and TV personality Jang Sung Kyu will partner up again as the hosts of the show.

On March 30, Mnet officially announced the Road to Kingdom lineup with Pentagon from Cube Entertainment, ONF from WM Entertainment, Golden Child from Woollim Entertainment, The Boyz from Cre.Ker Entertainment, VERIVERY from Jellyfish Entertainment, ONEUS from RBW and TOO from n. CH Entertainment. Teasers of each group's performance have been released online, and pre-show voting is being conducted on the Genie music website until April 5.

The winner of Road to Kingdom will be given priority to join Kingdom in late 2020.

Text / Violet

Yoshinaga Fumi's popular manga What Did You Eat Yesterday? about the daily lives and dinner table of a middle-aged gay couple was first adapted into a TV series in spring 2019. Aired on TV Tokyo, the foodie slice-of-life series starred Nishijima Hidetoshi as meticulous and frugal lawyer Kakei Shiro who is good at cooking. Uchino Seiyo played his cohabiting partner Yabuki Kenji, who is a hair stylist. The couple returned earlier this year in a one-episode TV special aired on January 1. Now, it has been announced that Shiro and Kenji's story and cooking will continue in a feature film.

TV series director Nakae Kazuhito and writer Adachi Naoko will continue to helm the feature version of What Did You Eat Yesterday? Besides leads Nishijima Hidetoshi and Uchino Seiyo, other cast members of the series, including Yamamoto Koji, Isomura Hayato, Tanaka Misako, Makita Sports and Kaji Meiko, will also reprise their characters in the film.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? The Movie will be released in Japan in 2021.

Text / Sanwei

Tencent's idol survival program Produce Camp 2020 has officially announced its mentor lineup of Lu Han, Victoria Song, Z. Tao, Show Lo and Mao Buyi. Preceded by Produce 101 China and Produce Camp 2019, Produce Camp 2020 is the third season of the Chinese Produce 101 series.

All five mentors have experience in survival shows or the idol industry, with Victoria, Lu Han and Z. Tao all being former artists of SM Entertainment. Show Lo and Z. Tao both took part as hosts/mentors on Produce 101 China and Street Dance of China before, while Victoria and Lu Han were on Hot-Blood Dance Crew together two years ago. Singer Mao Buyi, the winner of The Coming One, has also participated in the survival shows I Am CZR, The Coming One Girls and Singer 2020.

Produce Camp 2020 will gather 101 female trainees to participate in four months of training and competition. Following Rocket Girls 101 and R1SE from the first two seasons, the seven top finalists will be selected to debut as a new idol project group.

Text / Violet

The 43rd Japan Academy Prize was held on March 6. Fujii Michihito's investigative drama The Journalist won Best Film, and its leads Matsuzaka Tori and Shim Eun Kyung took home the Best Actor and Actress prizes. Shim Eun Kyung's win marks the first time a Korean actress has won the Japan Academy Prize's top acting award.

Fantasy comedy Fly Me to the Saitama snagged Best Director for Takeuchi Hideki as well as Best Screenplay and Best Editing. Warring States epic Kingdom picked up a leading five awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Actress for Yoshizawa Ryo and Nagasawa Masami, and the technical categories of Cinematography, Lighting Direction and Art Direction. Piano-centered film Listen to the Universe won for Best Sound Recording.

Shinkai Makoto, whose Your Name missed out on Animation of the Year three years ago, won the top animation prize this time for Weathering With You. Band Radwimps repeated their achievement in Music.

As previously announced, Newcomer prizes were awarded to Kishii Yukino, Kuroshima Yuina, Yoshikoa Riho, Suzuka Oji, Morisaki Win and Yokohama Ryusei.

Text / Sanwei

Infinite member L (Kim Myung Soo) and rising actress Shin Ye Eun star in the new KBS drama Meow, the Secret Boy, which starts airing on March 25. L and Shin Ye Eun, who appeared in the dramas Angel's Last Mission: Love and He is Psychometric respectively last year, take on the fantasy romance genre again in this webtoon adaptation.

Shin Ye Eun plays passionate aspiring graphic designer Sol Ah, who is in her mid-20s. One day, she takes a cat home without knowing it occasionally turns into a human. Loyal and faithful, Hong Jo the cat lives his dual life while wishing to become human in order to stay by Sol Ah's side.

Meow, the Secret Boy is directed by Ji Byung Hyun (Big) and written by Joo Hwa Mi (Introverted Boss). The drama also co-stars Seo Ji Hoon (Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency), Kang Hoon (Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung), Yoon Ye Joo (Cheese in the Trap) and Kim Yeo Jin (My Secret Terrius).

Text / Violet

Kim Woo Seok, who is a member of the K-pop groups UP10TION and X1, will make his acting debut in the new drama series Twenty-Twenty. Following Kim Yo Han, Kim Woo Seok is the second X1 member to take a drama leading role after the project group's disbandment.

Directed by Han Su Ji (A-Teen), Twenty-Twenty follows a group of youths and their coming-of-age stories of love and chasing dreams. Through new challenges and experiences, they learn to live, love and take responsibility for their lives. Kim Woo Seok portrays leading character Hyun Jin who is an independent 20-year-old man.

Twenty-Twenty will be produced by Playlist Studio, the production house of well-known web drama series like A-Teen, Love Playlist, Seventeen and XX. The teen drama is scheduled to start filming in April.

Text / Violet

Former Keyakizaka46 member Hirate Yurina has been cast in the live-action film adaptation of Yamashita Tomoko's manga Sankaka Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru ("The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window"). This is her second film after 2018's Hibiki and her first solo activity since the shocking announcement of her withdrawal from Keyakizaka46 in January 2020.

Hirate Yurina joins the previously announced Okada Masaki and Shison Jun in the horror mystery. Okada Masaki stars as exorcist Hiyakawa Rihito while Shison Jun plays Mikado Kosuke, who has been troubled since a young age with the ability to see ghosts. The two work together to exorcise spirits, and they begin investigating a serial murder case at the request of a detective. Hirate Yurina plays Hiura Erika, a seemingly normal high school girl who actually wields a powerful curse.

Sankaka Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru is directed by Morigaki Yukihiro (Goodbye, Grandpa) and features a script by Aizawa Tomoko, the screenwriter of mysteries like Honnoji Hotel and Gravity's Clown. The film will be released in japan on October 30.

Text / Sanwei

Former X1 member Kim Yo Han will make his acting debut in the KBS teen drama School 2020. Following the disbandment of X1, Kim Yo Han officially resumes activities by debuting as a solo artist in the eighth installment of the well-known School series.

Directed by Han Sang Woo (My Lawyer, Mr. Jo 2: Crime and Punishment), School 2020 is based on the popular novel Oh My Boys released in 2011. Kim Yo Han takes the role of taekwondo athlete Kim Tae Jin who won a medal as a junior representative in the national sports league. However, he has to enter high school because of his father's business failure, and ankle pain puts his sports life on hold. Though he acts and talks like an adult, he always feels shy when he is around his crush.

School 2020 is slated to air in August this year.

Text / Violet

Jang Na Ra, whose last drama VIP ended two months ago, will swiftly return to TV screens in tvN's new drama Oh My Baby alongside Go Joon, who last appeared in the award-winning series The Fiery Priest. Park Byung Eun (Arthdal Chronicles) and rookie star Jung Gun Joo (Extraordinary You) also take main roles in the romantic comedy.

Oh My Baby centers around a 39-year-old woman who only wants a baby but not marriage, and her romantic story with three men. Jang Na Ra plays parenting magazine editor Jang Ha Ri, who has given up on dating for more than ten years, but she decides to cross the line in order to have a baby. Go Joon plays freelance photographer Han Yi Sang, who always finds new hobbies that make him happy. Park Byung Eun takes the role of pediatrician Yoon Jae Young, while Jung Gun Joo's role is rookie writer Choi Kang Eu Ddeum, a newcomer at Jang Ha Ri's company.

Directed by Nam Ki Hoon (Voice 3) and written by Noh Sun Jae (Secret Healer), Oh My Baby is scheduled to air in the first half of 2020.

Text / Violet