Yay, new shows! It’s not that we don’t have enough right now, but new ones are always welcome, and this week’s array has something for everyone. Cute, breezy music-themed romance? Slick tale of stylish swindlers? Darkish fantasy drama with room to be a huge hit? That’s the week we have ahead of us, ladies and gentleman.
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
Time slot: Wednesday & Thursday
Broadcaster: KBS
Genre: Rom-com
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: It’s finally here! It feels like we’ve been waiting forever for our dose of cute Go Ara + Lee Jae-wook drama to premiere. In fact, I’m almost feeling a little sorry for this drama, which missed its timing due to pandemic delays, and also has its fair share of drama competition out there right now (especially in the music + romance department). While everyone might be tuning in mainly for Lee Jae-wook’s first leading role (myself included), let us not forgot that this drama is penned by the same writer of the hilarious, heartfelt mayhem that was Shopping King Louis. So, I’m rooting for this show. Be zany, wacky, and ridiculous — just don’t be boring.
Private Lives
Time slot: Wednesday & Thursday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Crime
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: Definitely the sleeper on this week’s premiere list, Private Lives just might be a lot of fun, with its focus on con artists, identity theft, and catfishing. I can’t put my finger on the exact sort of drama we’ll get yet, but with the writer of Heartless City behind it, I’m hoping for something with emotional depth to balance all the snazzy caper vibes I’m getting. The cast is also interesting and low-key, with Go Kyung-pyo, SNSD’s Seohyun, Kim Young-min (who everyone knows as Rat from Crash Landing on You but was actually even better in A Couple’s World), and Kim Hyo-jin, who hasn’t been seen on the small screen in a while. I’ll definitely be checking this out just for curiosity’s sake, with the hopes that it will be a cool balance of style + substance.
Tale of the Nine Tailed
Time slot: Wednesday & Thursday
Broadcaster: tvN
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the drama that just possibly could be the hit of the fall drama season. Tale of the Nine Tailed is being promoted as equal parts action, fantasy, and romance, and it has the delicious-sounding premise of a gumiho who’s living in luxury in Seoul, pestered by the PD that’s determined to uncover him. There’s something about this whole drama that feels sumptuous, gothic, and fun. While there’s always the potential for it to fall flat and crush us with disappointment, I’m hoping for the smash hit outcome instead. The cast is also exciting, with Lee Dong-wook in a role that looks awesome on him so far, and Jo Boa hopefully going back to her Shut Up Flower Boy Band era so I can finally forgive her for Forest. More than our leads, though, it’s Kim Bum I’m most excited for. He plays an excellently impish and sexy bad guy, and I might tune in just for his performance alone.