‘Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko’ review: Korean drama meets Filipino formula
There is undoubtedly a very huge swath of people in the Philippines who would agree with me that Korean entertainment, specifically K-dramas and K-pop, are practically indispensable in our current age of online content consumption, to the point that fantasizing about having a Korean trip with an cute oppa is probably a common pastime to escape the stress and monotony of work and school life.
The Hallyu wave has been such a cultural behemoth that even our senators are threatened by the thought of Korean actors being deemed as more “pogi” than Filipino ones. Recently, Netflix also released a hilariously acted ad starring Ruffa Mae Quinto recreating Kill Boksoon action scenes in a nondescript supermarket while referencing her most iconic lines from Philippine cinema history. It’s this bizarre and fascinating case of Korean and Filipino mishmash that has kept running circles in my head when watching Bela Padilla’s latest film – because Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko is practically a Filipino romantic fantasy tinted by the rose-colored lens of Korean dramas.
A writer named Lisa (Padilla) is inspired into writing a book after watching — you guessed it — a K-drama. At a book signing event, a very iconic meet-cute place for any romcom, she encounters Kim Gun Hoo (Yoo Min-gon), a big fan of her novel, who eventually invites her to come to South Korea with him to explore the iconic locations featured in her beloved drama. The two live out their own kind of romantic adventure as they eat in food markets, visit clubs, and have moments of reflection by the Han River, all set to the musical score of Kean Cipriano.