Earth Arcade (tvN)

Jieun Choi (writer): As the week comes to an end on Friday night, the perfect variety show to help take your mind off everything begins. Starring comedian Lee Eun Ji, MIMI from OH MY GIRL, rapper Lee Young Ji and An Yujin from IVE, Earth Arcade is a reality variety show with producer Na Yeongseok’s signature combination of travel, game show, missions and mukbang as seen in his other shows like 2 Days & 1 Night and New Journey to the West. What makes this show fun and different despite its familiar format is the power of each cast member’s unique and adventurous personality and the way they leave the crew comically flustered. Viewers should pay special attention to the way An Yujin went from being totally taken aback by the hyperactive chemistry of the other cast and hesitant to jump in at first to progressively giving up all sense of reason and embracing the atmosphere of the group. The cast themselves have said their combination was as unlikely as kimpitang (kimchi, pizza and tangsuyuk)—but, like the dish, so tasty that they look forward to their future shenanigans together. But you’re not going to survive 100 minutes of laughter on an empty stomach, so make sure to eat a big dinner or late-night snack while you watch!

Decision to Leave

Sooyeon Im (CINE21 reporter): They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. The budding romance between Seorae (Tang Wei), a Chinese woman whose husband has fallen off a cliff, and Haejun (Park Hae-il), the detective who sees Seorae as a suspect, begins with tensions arising from the language barrier between them. The romance in Decision to Leave progresses through moments like when Haejun kindly explains things in simple language because of Seorae’s weak Korean, or when Seorae, who picked up Korean by watching historical dramas, uses awkward but accurate vocabulary, or when their translation app mistranslates “thoughts” as “heart” and suddenly leads to the unexpectedly emotional expression, “I want to get your heart,” or when concentrating on one another’s faces while waiting their words to be translated. Looking just at the setup, the film is reminiscent of older works by directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Claude Chabrol and Yasuzo Masumura, but the [presence of] smart devices constantly interrupting them because of the language difference and scenes shot from unique perspectives contribute to Decision to Leave’s one-of-a-kind atmosphere. The words “I love you” are never explicitly spoken at any time throughout the movie, but the film eventually captures the meaning of love in the two leads’ words, making for a brilliantly beautiful paradox in which eternity is seen as something unfinished.

“Classical Conditioning” (Park Soeun)

Doheon Kim (music critic): As the land around me dried and cracked, so too did my heart. Thankfully, the rainy season is finally upon us. But something about it is a little strange. The wind is so strong that it’s hard to walk against it. The scorching weather continues into tropical nights, making us feel as though we’re living in a fish tank. The rain suddenly pours down, and then, just as suddenly, ceases. It’s a fishy, dizzying, unpredictable season.

The song I’d like to recommend this time around sounds a lot like the rainy season we’re experiencing lately: extreme, empty, full of yearning, and then, despondent and, finally, coming apart at the seams. After careful consideration, I decided on “Classical Conditioning” off singer-songwriter Park Soeun’s second album, Recycle. As she says in the official album description, “It’s unfair and wrong that only beautiful things are used to create art.” With only her guitar, she sings in a mix of blues, country, folk and rock about people’s most uncomfortable feelings—those emotions they don’t want to confront and think make them losers.

“Classical Conditioning” was a particular standout to me when I listened to Recycle: “I dress my memories differently / But still remember you habitually.” Moderate anguish: You may have pushed it aside in the dullness of your everyday life, but that’s exactly what love is. It’s muddy and boring, like incessant rain or humid weather. And yet, still, I miss it. And I desperately want it.