Topics / Aug. 14, 2020
As the early 21st century is partially defined by the rise of Korean pop culture, so is true for gay films. Despite that in Korea, anything related to gay is still considered a somewhat of a taboo subject and many works have been quietly labeled as simply “bromance”; there still are a handful of dramas that boldly distinguish brand themselves as BL. Long Time No See, from not so long ago, is one, and this year’s Where Your Eyes Linger, another. In addition, we have even been seeing period dramas exploring a queerer side of history such as The King and the Clown, A Frozen Flower, and The Diary of Heong Yeong-dang.
Watch The Diary of Heong Yeong-dang on GagaOOLala.
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The King and the Clown and The Diary of Heong Yeong-dang come with stories about incest. The former is based on true historical events, while the latter, well, is pure imagination. The story of The Diary of Heong Yeong-dang can even be described as campy, as it follows the son of a senior official, Kim Sang Yun (Im Joo Hwan), who falls in love with his younger step-brother Kim Hong Yeon (Lee Won-keu). Under the family pressure, however, Sang Yun is forced into a political marriage. The wife (Son Eun Seo) later learns about her husband’s incestuous relationship with her brother-in-law, and decides to take revenge…
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Lee, who plays the brother in The Diary of Heong Yeong-dang had also starred in another BL drama in 2016 called In Between Seasons, which follows Soo-hyun (Ji Yoon-ho), who is in a coma after suffering an accident while on a trip with Yong-joon (Lee Won-keun). His mother Mi-kyung (Bae Jong-ok) soon discovers that his close friend Yong-joon is actually his boyfriend. What is she to do?
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In addition to The Diary of Heong Yeong-dang and Between Seasons, it was said that Korea had plans on doing a remake of China’s famous BL drama Addicted. The lead role was set to be Lee, but we so far have not heard further news. Regardless, Lee’s fabulous looks along with his “smiley eyes” has already captured many young boys and girls’ hearts. With a height of 187 cm and a debut as a model, Lee started his acting career in the popular television show Moon Embracing The Sun, and had since gained recognition in other dramas such as Phantom, Pure Love, 12 Years Promise, and Hyde Jekyll, Me. He then starred as the lead role in the high school drama Cheer Up!, in which his performance was widely acclaimed and gained him even more fame.
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