K-Drama Report: Anna (2022)

Every now and then, I’m stricken with the pang of something – maybe dread, even embarrassment – over the readability of this blog, and especially its “K-drama reports,” for one simple reason: spoilers. As much as I might decry being spoiled on things myself, I’m never so considerate in turn. Maybe I provide a spoiler warning or suggest that the coverage will be comprehensive, so to speak, but at that point, it’s not a recommendation. It’s like a diary entry, and while I’ve always enjoyed the relaxed, indulgent nature of these posts, again, to whose use are they? Because the element of surprise is important to today’s subject, the 2022 Bae Suzy drama Anna, I will begin with a recommendation section before the report proper, if such a thing can be. And it’s important to the overall discussion because I’m not even sure I was supposed to be surprised by half the reveals, or if the reveals were merely “developments.” Part of my confusion may stem from this show having gone under the radar – translation: it wasn’t on Netflix or Viki – and so, what I knew going in was half-inferred. Amazon Prime’s summary is this: “The story of a woman who ends up living a completely different life due to a petty lie.” That life belongs to Jung Eun-chae’s character, and based on the trailer, I assumed that these two actresses were going to war. Come to think of it, perhaps it’s a spoiler to even raise these questions. … More K-Drama Report: Anna (2022)

K-Drama Report: Ms. Incognito (2025)

Oh, this show is delicious. Intrigue, secrets, betrayals; all the ingredients of a howling melodrama, but arranged neatly in an understated package. Ms. Incognito is a rare sort of genre mash-up: the cozy thriller? Even before we move to the idyllic small town, where a mountain range sits in each kitchen window like a painting, there’s such a comfortable atmosphere that pulls ever so gently inward. Even the old abrasive favorites like a deadbeat mom and flashbacks to an abusive father only pause the warm feelings. It’s the product of at least two things: the lush, cinematic style, and the story premise, which is just about my favorite thing in the world – a badass woman who’s pretending to not be a badass. She carries the aura of violence, an unheeded threat or even an invitation to instant karma. … More K-Drama Report: Ms. Incognito (2025)