TV Picks: Women are champs in Tempest, Legend Of The Female General and A Hundred Memories
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Gianna Jun plays presidential candidate Seo Mun-ju in spy thriller Tempest.
PHOTO: DISNEY+
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Tempest (NC16)
Disney+
★★★★☆
Actress Gianna Jun, also known as Jun Ji-hyun, has come in for flak from Chinese netizens, who accused the popular K-star of being anti-China.
The outcry started because of an offensive line in Episode 4 of Tempest, in which Jun’s character, presidential candidate Seo Mun-ju, asked: “Why does China favour war?”
Netizens also accused the spy series of portraying the Chinese city of Dalian in a bad light.
Setting all controversies aside, Tempest is a riveting watch right off the bat. Released on Sept 10, the nine-episode K-drama has a fast-paced plot full of twists and turns.
According to Disney+, the spy thriller is the most-viewed South Korean original premiere of 2025 on the streaming platform globally, based on five days of streaming.
South Korean thriller Tempest, starring (from left) Gang Dong-won and Gianna Jun.
PHOTO: DISNEY+
It follows Seo’s discovery of a conspiracy involving the Korean peninsula and the United States. Racing against time, she tries to expose the plot to start a war, all the while dodging the several assassination attempts on her life. Gang Dong-wan plays her enigmatic bodyguard Baek San-ho.
The cast is a who’s who of K-drama, but all eyes are on Jun – and she is outstanding. In Episode 5, when she learns the bitter truth of her husband and her in-laws’ betrayal, the quiet fury Jun displays is sheer artistry. The message is obvious: Don’t mess with this woman.
Legend Of The Female General (PG13)
Netflix
★★★★☆
Chinese actress Zhou Ye takes charge in Legend Of The Female General.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
Popular Chinese actress Zhou Ye plays He Yan, who disguises herself as a man to enlist in the army. She climbs the ranks to become the well-respected General Feihong, only to find herself poisoned and left for dead at the hands of her treacherous step-brother, He Rufei (Bai Shu).
After surviving the ordeal, He Yan rejoins the military, still under the guise of a man, but with a different identity. Her goal is to become a general again so she can take down Rufei for good.
The story is much like that of the legendary Chinese heroine Hua Mulan, with a plot revolving around revenge and scheming, power-hungry officials.
Zhou is a standout as the stoic warrior, and her chemistry with actor Ryan Cheng, who plays love interest Xiao Jue, is magnetic. She has many fight scenes in the 36-part C-drama and the petite actress handles them adequately.
For a TV series, the production value is incredibly high, with elaborate sets, intricate costumes and realistic battle sequences.
A Hundred Memories
Viu
★★★☆☆
Kim Da-mi (left) and Shin Ye-eun play bus attendants in A Hundred Memories.
PHOTO: VIU
Set in 1980s Seoul, the 12-part series revolves around the lives of bus attendants, a female-only profession, who help people get on and off buses, announce the stops and collect fares.
Kim Da-mi plays bright, hard-working and tomboyish Young-rye, who spends any downtime reading, hoping to one day become a teacher. Shin Ye-eun is the pretty and confident Jong-hee, who dreams of becoming Miss Korea so she can become a well-known actress.
They become an inseparable pair as they help and encourage each other, until they cross paths with student Jae-pil (Heo Nam-jun), who aspires to be a boxer.
The love triangle plot is cliched, but thankfully, the friendship between the female leads remains the focus.
Both Kim and Shin are the stars, putting on strong performances in this character-driven drama.
