TV & Film Picks: Indulge in chocolates with sweet Japanese-Korean drama Romantics Anonymous
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
South Korean actress Han Hyo-joo plays a gifted chocolatier in Japanese series Romantics Anonymous.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
Romantics Anonymous
Netflix
Netflix’s recent hit K-drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, starring Lee Chae-min and Yoona, demonstrates that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
Romantics Anonymous is following suit, with dainty artisanal bonbons as the focus in the eight-episode Japanese series.
Set in fictional chocolate shop Le Sauveur, the story follows the relationship between two socially awkward individuals.
South Korean actress Han Hyo-joo plays Hana Lee, a gifted chocolatier who suffers from scopophobia, an extreme fear of being watched. Japanese actor Shun Oguri is germophobic Sosuke Fujiwara, heir of a confectionery conglomerate who is struggling with haphephobia – the fear of being touched.
Each episode revolves around a unique flavour in Le Sauveur’s signature seven-piece chocolate treat, the Rainbow Palette. For instance, in the episode titled Truffles Yuzu, Sosuke and Hana have to convince a yuzu farmer to continue to supply his citrus fruit to Le Sauveur.
In the series, based on the 2010 French-Belgian romantic comedy film Les Emotifs Anonymes, Han impresses with her command of the Japanese language.
Together with Oguri, they make a credible couple trying to overcome their issues by finding happiness through chocolate.
Would You Marry Me
Disney+
Choi Woo-shik (left) and Jung So-min in Would You Marry Me.
PHOTO: DISNEY+
This 12-episode romcom features the familiar K-drama theme of a contractual marriage, with Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min playing fake couple Kim Woo-joo and Yoo Me-ri.
Me-ri is a designer who discovers that her fiance, Kim Woo-joo (Seo Bum-june), is cheating on her. After their separation, Me-ri learns that she has won a luxurious townhouse. However, to claim the prize, she must prove that she is a newly-wed.
That is when Choi’s Woo-joo – who coincidentally has the same name as Me-ri’s ex – enters the story. Me-ri manages to convince Woo-joo to pretend to be her spouse so that she can keep the house.
While it is expected that the sham couple will develop real feelings for each other, the predictable storyline is given a big boost by the sizzling chemistry between Choi and Jung, both natural comedians.
According to FlixPatrol, a global streaming content ranking platform, Would You Marry Me, which premiered on Oct 10, is ranked third in Disney+ TV shows worldwide.
Hope On The Stage The Movie
90 minutes, exclusively at Shaw Theatres
BTS members Jin (left) and Jungkook (right) were J-Hope’s (centre) special guests at his Hope On The Stage concert in Goyang, Seoul, on June 13.
PHOTO: UARMYHOPE/INSTAGRAM
For J-Hope fans who missed the BTS member’s Hope On The Stage concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in April, this is a chance to catch the rock star in action.
J-Hope is the first member of the K-pop supergroup to stage a concert after completing his military service commitments in October 2024. His Hope On The Stage concerts started in February in Seoul and subsequently toured the United States and Asia, spanning 16 cities and 33 performances.
Hope On The Stage The Movie captures highlights from J-Hope’s two-night encore concerts at Goyang Stadium in Seoul, featuring his hit songs from albums Jack In The Box (2022) to Hope On The Street Vol. 1 (2024). There is also the 2025 dance track Killin’ It Girl.
In addition, the film offers exclusive behind-the-scenes moments and special stages featuring fellow BTS members Jin and Jungkook.
The concert movie will be screened at Shaw Theatres on Nov 12 and 13, with preview Imax screenings on Nov 3. Tickets are available via Shaw Theatres’ website (str.sg/6qVg) and app.
