“Around the Earth: Mediterranean” (tvN)
Oh Minji: In today’s information-overloaded world, is it more accurate to say that knowledge is power or that ignorance is bliss? “Around the Earth: Mediterranean” on tvN homes in on the gray area in between these two extremes. A group of panelists, all experts in their own fields, explores multiple cities across the Mediterranean by cruise ship, their views filtered through and colored by their own knowledge and interests. The show may not give its panelists facts they have an immediate use for, but it provides plenty of fodder for better understanding this planet we all share. For example, a conversation about bullfighting that starts out explaining how bulls can’t distinguish the color red might segue into criticism over killings carried out in the name of tradition, then ultimately reach the belief that coexistence with animals is more valuable than short-lived amusement. Taking in works at Museu de l’Art Prohibit in Barcelona that were once opposed or censored altogether leads the panelists to a discussion on having the courage to accept discomfort and how to confront emotions that have long been left ignored. At the Orange Vélodrome stadium, home to Olympique de Marseille, their talks extend beyond intercity soccer rivalries to stories of inclusivity across race and birthplace in a reflection of how individual societies embrace immigrants. As it takes viewers around the Earth on a journey of discovery, the show transforms travel into more than mere experiences or learning simple facts—it becomes an opportunity to interpret our world and reflect on how we can move forward to create a better future.
Musicians, actors, architects, physicists, astronomers, natural historians, humanities scholars, poets—panelists with a variety of different backgrounds find completely different meaning in the same places. While one might look at the details and grandeur of Fort Saint-Jean, another might read it as signs of a kingdom in crisis. In a cathedral that was lavishly decorated by millenarians (who believe the world will end after a thousand-year reign) as an offering to God, some of them discuss the kind of hope and desire that drive people, while others question whether such theories must be scrutinized if proven wrong. With unique experiences under their belts and entirely different frames of reference, the panelists travel, observe, and discuss together, gradually moving outside their personal knowledge to understand one another’s viewpoints better. The setting for “Around the Earth: Mediterranean,” the Mediterranean Sea, gets its name from the Latin “mediterraneus,” meaning “center of the Earth,” and therefore reflecting a Eurocentric view of where the heart of the world lies. But rather than merely projecting their own perspectives onto the Mediterranean, the show’s panelists expand their worldviews by gaining an understanding of others through dialog. It’s a place where you leave your own world behind, learn to understand someone else’s, and come to see that vastly different interpretations can arise in the same physical space. The things learned on “Around the Earth” may not have immediate practical applications, but they’re still good to know, and that shows how knowing more about our shared planet is intrinsically valuable.
“2025 OH MY GIRL CONCERT ‘Milky Way’”
Baek Seolhui (Writer, Columnist): On April 19 and 20, OH MY GIRL wrapped up their 10th-anniversary concert, “Milky Way,” at Olympic Hall in Seoul. The group debuted on April 20, 2015 with their self-titled mini album and has been at it for a decade now. Looking back, OH MY GIRL has always dutifully fulfilled their role as a steadfast girl group with a rich history. They’ve always held onto their dreamy, refreshing image while meeting, and even exceeding, people’s expectations. The members of the group have also individually pursued careers in radio, acting, and variety shows on the side. Thanks to all their dedication, OH MY GIRL has grown into a household name and an inimitable force, always there by my side as my girl and your side as yours.
The group put on their “Milky Way” concert to mark 10 years together—the first OH MY GIRL concert in roughly seven years. It was a deeply moving experience for both the group and their fans. Over the course of a pair of three-and-a-half-hour concerts spread over two days, the group performed an incredible and diverse set list. They opened with “CLOSER,” the song that heralded the dawn of their dreamy idol image, and followed it up with signature songs like “Secret Garden” and “The fifth season (SSFWL).” True to their reputation for stuffing their albums with memorable tracks, they made sure not to leave out deeper cuts like fan favorites “STEP BY STEP,” “Shower,” “Magic,” “I FOUND LOVE,” “Flower Tea,” “KNOCK KNOCK,” “Dirty Laundry,” and “Heavenly.” They further quenched their fans’ longstanding thirst for live performances with a medley of three tracks—“Destiny,” “Twilight (Queendom Ver.),” and “Guerilla”—that brought them even greater fame during their time on the show “Queendom.” OH MY GIRL wrapped up the event with unforgettable flair, closing the concert with an unreleased track, “Ilgi Yebo.”
The concert’s prerecorded videos featured a recurring image of a blue rose, which in the language of flowers represents miracles. This, of course, is a reference to OH MY GIRL’s fandom, Miracle. On their third mini album, “PINK OCEAN,” the group put out their first song for their fans, “B612,” which includes the lyrics, “Your love for me is nothing short of a miracle.” True to those words, OH MY GIRL and their fans have created a practically miraculous number of memories together over the past 10 years, with the “Milky Way” representing a new pinnacle.
On the last day of the concert, member SeungHee addressed the crowd. “They say there’s no such thing as forever,” she said. “Let’s make that first one together.” And as they hold that idea of forever in their dreams, the road OH MY GIRL chooses to walk down next will “surely be brighter than yesterday, brighter than today.”
“The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” (Silvia Moreno-Garcia)
Kim Boksung (Writer): Science fiction tends to be forward-looking, but how about historical sci-fi? “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by author Silvia Moreno-Garcia is almost both. It’s a retelling of “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” a proto-science fiction novel by HG Wells that’s both set in and was written during the late 19th century. While that book took a Frankenstein-like look at the doctor and his human-animal hybrid creations, “The Daughter” shifts perspectives to its titular character while keeping the setting of the much older book.
Carlota Moreau is chronically sick, but thanks to her doctor father, she’s on a regular medical regimen that keeps her well. She makes friends with the doctor’s creations, as well as his assistant, who acts as the secondary protagonist. But both main characters have major secrets—sometimes from themselves—and things start to fall apart when a young man arrives at their secretive home-on-an-island and a blossoming romance turns into an inter-family feud.
The novel is relatively light on plot and heavy on character, but unfortunately, to expand on either in this review would be to drop major spoilers (but if that doesn’t bother you, consider checking out a short summary—the twist is a strong hook). What can be said is that it makes an excellent entry on the shelf of classics reimagined from a different perspective—“Wide Sargasso Sea” being perhaps the closest cousin for its postcolonial themes, but very much like “Wicked” as well.