A Clean Sweep, season three (JTBC/Netflix)
Jeong Dana: It’s win or nothing. Chang Siwon, general manager of the baseball team the Monsters and producer of the JTBC series A Clean Sweep, placed a special condition on whether the show will continue on to another season each year: The team has to win at least 70% of their games—that’s 21 wins out of 30 games per season. And that’s why the Monsters have to compete with such team spirit and determination. Their lineup features such legendary figures as the 83-year-old “baseball god,” manager Kim Sung-keun, as well as Park Yong-taik—a player with LG who holds the KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) League record for most career hits—and Lotte’s legendary cleanup hitter Lee Dae-ho, alongside several other icons of Korean baseball’s golden history. Included in the mix are players on university baseball teams who have never played professionally before. In this way, the Monsters blend the past and future of professional baseball and learn from both well-earned experience and youthful energy while competing against various amateur teams, including those associated with high schools, universities, independent leagues, and the KBO minor league.
The team kicked off season three with an impressive 10-game winning streak, but they still found themselves in a rut here and there. They endured grueling five-hour battles in the summer, only to suffer three consecutive defeats with fans watching from the stands, leaving the Monsters in shambles. Then, with a magic number of one, the Monsters needed only one more victory to secure their required 21st win. The game, shown in episode 114, was against Kyungnam University, who scored the first run, with the Monsters struggling to pick up the pace with bases loaded twice, consecutive double plays, and throwing errors. But then, after earning three consecutive walks during the bottom of the eighth inning, Jung Eui-yoon’s clutch hit earned the team two runs, Kim Moon-ho made a game-changing sacrifice fly, and Kyungnam threw out a wild pitch*, all of which allowed the Monsters to come ahead seven to five in a dramatic reversal. Topped off with Dustin Nippert’s pitching preventing any runs in the top of the ninth, it all added up to the team clinching their pivotal 21st victory, setting them down the path to a fourth season. Producer Chang then put forward a new goal: If the team could remain undefeated until the close of the season, they’d hold spring training in Hawaii. From then on, the Monsters carefully analyzed their past flubs and gave their all in every game. The team went on to defeat the all-stars of University Baseball, wrapping the season up with an astounding 80% victory rate. It was the perfect finish for a season that had viewers laughing and crying all year long. Win or lose, seeing retired players who dedicated their younger years to baseball and aspiring professionals with ambitious dreams come together to encourage and support one another has resulted in a compelling story of luster where the past and future of baseball collide. In baseball, as in life, you can’t be sure who’s going to win until the very last inning, and whether fueled by seasoned experience or the passion of youth, it’s an alluring adventure every step of the way. Perhaps it’s this very same allure that brought 10 million excited fans out for KBO games in 2024.
*Wild pitch: A throw so high, low, or wide that the catcher can’t catch it as expected, allowing runners to advance.
EVERYBODY GOES (James Keys)
Kang Ilkwon (music critic): Let’s get straight to the point: James Keys should be receiving the recognition he deserves—better late than never. I use the phrase “better late than never” because both his clear talent for music and his output have received far too little attention to date. James Keys has a better understanding and makes more creative use of modern R&B/soul than just about anyone in Korea today. His latest solo album, EVERYBODY GOES, is absolute proof of that, seamlessly blending neo soul, alternative R&B, psychedelic soul, soul blues, and funk. There’s “NEO,” where psychedelic energy, instrumentation, and funk collide; the alternative track “Can’t believe,” with its exciting rock take on video game music; “The fate,” with its quintessentially soul vocals and production style; a return to psychedelic vibes in “ENDING,” with sugary vocals in a laid-back atmosphere; and “Weird Idealism,” a track that cranks up the fire and experimentation. The album alternates constantly between leaving you tranquil and awestruck. The name James Keys might not be familiar to enough people yet, but he’s been consistently pumping out new material since the 2010s. He released singles and EPs as part of the duo Monkey Bars with rapper Skinny Chase and performed as part of the supergroup Slowdance alongside members of the Hagyun Song Trio, hyangni, and BULGOGIDISCO creating music that owes its inspiration to Black musicians. He’s even written songs for K-pop artists like TOMORROW X TOGETHER. His versatility has seen him write in a wide range of genres, but among all the gems, EVERYBODY GOES stands out as a particular testament to James Keys’ genius.
If the first track draws you in, rest assured that the entire album lives up to its promise.
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
Kim Boksung (writer): When the Cranes Fly South, the award-winning debut novel from Swedish author Lisa Ridzén, pulls readers into the life of Bo, a man in his late 80s grappling with his past regrets and the struggle to keep control over his last days.
Not much happens on the surface. Bo lives alone, sometimes interacting with caregivers or his son, and his loyal dog Sixten when he can. Yet beneath that quiet routine is a powerful meditation on life, love, and redemption, told as if Bo is talking with his wife, from whom he’s separated because of her dementia. The novel brims with raw emotion and the less-than-perfect ways Bo has expressed his love throughout his lifetime. His son Hans’s desire to make things right between them, set against Bo’s frustrations and sense of loss, throws the story into emotional turmoil when he tries to take Sixten away from his father, but conversely sheds light on the importance of family.
With its quiet portrayal of generational trauma, forgiveness, and the difficulty of expressing love—especially for men of Bo’s generation—When the Cranes Fly South whispers an important truth: Time may wear us down, but love, forgiveness, and connection can leave the right kind of impression. This is a must-read for fans of emotional, character-driven stories.