TEEN TOP has kicked off the countdown to their next comeback!
On September 30 at midnight KST, TEEN TOP officially announced the date and details for their long-awaited return.
The group will be releasing their 11th mini album “DON’T STOP” on October 15 at 6 p.m. KST, and you can check out their schedule for the upcoming comeback below!
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Sun Qian’s turn as Flora has notched up the actress’s popularity quotient by a few notches. In “The Early Spring,” she plays the optimistic and hardworking rookie who steps into the world of advertising, only to get caught up in a steamy romance with her boss, Luke (Jing Bo Ran). However, beyond the drama, the actress has steadily been making her mark with performances that span romance, family drama, mystery, and crime. Whether she is playing a woman navigating complicated relationships, or stepping into darker, more suspenseful territory, Sun Qian has proven she is not afraid to explore different shades of a character.
If you are new to Sun Qian’s work or are simply looking for more dramas featuring the actress, here are five C-dramas which showcase her versatility.
Sun Qian’s Shang Zhi Tao or “Flora” is a bright-eyed graduate who may lack the credentials, but has the drive to push herself and excel at whatever is assigned to her. However, when she joins “Lime,” one of the most sought-after agencies in Beijing, Flora understands that she is at the lowest rung of the ladder. She lacks experience and is nowhere at par with her colleagues. To make her mark, she really needs to stand out. But the issue is Luan “Luke” Nian (Jing Bo Ran), Lime’s uber-cool creative head who takes an instant dislike to her, wanting her to quit.
The feisty Flora proves she is no quitter and works hard, earning the trust of all. But things get a tad complicated when Flora, who is attracted to Luke, succumbs to his seductive charm. What starts off as a one-night stand soon escalates into a torrid love affair but with a complicated emotional dependence between the two. The major issue between the couple is their inability to communicate honestly with each other, which leads to misunderstandings, heartbreak, and a separation.
“The Early Spring” struck a chord with fans for its realistic portrayal of messy and complex couple dynamics. Sun Qian’s Flora is a flawed character with her own strengths and shortcomings, with the actor showcasing the confusion, stubbornness, as well as the sensitivity with style. The chemistry between Sun Qian and Jing Bo Ran is also the highlight of the show, with both actors making their characters feel real and lived in.
Sun Qian’s Fei Ni in “Love Story in the 1970s” is a bit different from Flora. She is the one calling the shots in the relationship, being extremely confident in her abilities. But if there is one thing the two share in common, it is the stubbornness to excel and achieve their dreams no matter what. Fei Ni wants to go to college but ends up missing the opportunity since admissions are on the basis of recommendations rather than merit. She starts taking care of Fang Mu Yang (Arthur Chen), a wounded soldier, in the hope that the deed would win her points. Little does she realize that Fang Mu Yang is her middle-school classmate who has been secretly in love with her.
The two enter a marriage of convenience on Fei Ni’s suggestion since she wants to get housing. As they start living together, the two navigate the many challenges and grow as people, with Fang Mu Yang encouraging Fei Ni every step of the way.
A slow-burn romance between two very different people, it is an endearing and heartfelt tale of self-growth and love. Fei Ni is an independent and self-reliant person with a resilient spirit, and Sun Qian brings forth her character’s strong personality naturally. Once again, it’s the tender chemistry between her and Arthur Chen that makes you root for this endearing on-screen couple.
Start watching “Love Story in the 1970s”:
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Sun Qian’s Tao Shu Na in “The Islands” is the youngest of three generations of Meng women whose lives, relationships, and conflicts form the heart of the drama. Each woman has her own ideas about love, marriage, family, and independence. But living under the same roof brings their differences as well as long-held tensions to the fore. Tao Shu Na finds herself caught between the expectations of the older generations and her own desire to make her way in life, giving Sun Qian a more vulnerable and layered character to portray.
Her relationship with Zhang Xiao Yan (Chen Jing Ke) adds a sweet romantic thread to the story. Their chemistry is easy and understated, with their playful exchanges and affectionate moments giving the romance a natural quality. The relationship also offers a refreshing contrast to the more complicated dynamics within the Meng family.
“The Islands” is worth watching for its warm yet honest look at family relationships across generations. It explores how women from the same family can love each other deeply while having very different ideas about what makes a fulfilling life. And Sun Qian brings warmth and sincerity to Tao Shu Na.
Start watching “The Islands”:
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Lu Yan (Sun Qian) is an anesthesiologist whose carefully rebuilt life is disrupted when her former boyfriend unexpectedly returns. Jiang Cheng Yi (Johnny Huang) is now a detective, assigned to special cases. Having had his heart mercilessly broken by Lu Yan in college, her leaving him without any explanation has constantly hurt him.
After going their separate ways eight years earlier, their paths cross again when a mystery involving a series of deaths brings them together. As they investigate what happened, they are also forced to confront the unresolved emotions and secrets from their past.
Lu Yan is a professional woman with her own emotional history and gives Sun Qian room to explore both her character’s vulnerability and strength. The combination of romance, mystery, and suspense also keeps the story from becoming a straightforward love story. And her chemistry with Johnny Huang is another reason to tune in.
Chun Yu (Sun Qian) is a university student who wakes up after a school bus crash, only to find herself caught in a mysterious and terrifying survival game. She meets fellow player Gao Xuan (Wei Zhe Ming), and along with their schoolmates, they navigate a series of dangerous challenges while trying to uncover the truth behind what has happened to them.
The drama is a gripping mix of mystery, suspense, and survival-game elements. Sun Qian brings a natural vulnerability to Chun Yu, whose journey sees her confront her fears and gradually become more resilient. The plot keeps you invested as the characters work together to survive, while each challenge reveals new clues about the mysterious game and the people behind it.
Start watching “19th Floor”:
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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Jing Bo Ran and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
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New Thai BL “Match Point” is about the heated rivalry between a star tennis player and a talented art student. They’re on different paths, but their endless efforts to one-up each other eventually land them on the same tennis court, competing against each other.
Be ready to be the only one in the room who can actually read it—these two think they’re just rivals, but there’s so clearly something else going on. When rivals have this much chemistry, it usually means one thing.
Warning: spoilers from episodes 1 and 2!
The series starts by laying the groundwork for what’s likely to be another perfect enemies-to-lovers story: two students, Sun (Ping Krittanun Aunchananun) and Bay (Teshow Promsakha Na Sakonnakhon), have it out for each other almost 24/7.
Sun is a rising tennis star set for the big leagues, while Bay is a multi-talented student who excels at the arts. These two could easily just stick to their own lanes, but their rivalry seems like second nature at this point. It has truly reached silly proportions.
Sun and Bay actively keep the rivalry alive and strong. In fact, there are even traditions to their rivalry, like how they race every day after school to decide who gets to take the ferry versus the train home because they can’t fathom riding on the same public transportation together at the same time. Even a simple game of dodgeball turns into an intense battle, while onlooking students just watch and sigh, knowing this is entirely normal for them.
To make matters worse, they also live across the street from each other, so their rivalry isn’t limited to school. Their own fathers are also extreme rivals with competing businesses. It could very well be that the rivalry between Sun and Bay is not even originally their own, but rather something that was passed down to them.
There’s also more than just a silly rivalry going on here. There’s pressure from both their parents to be better than the other, and it seems like their own dreams have gotten confused with what their parents want for them.
When Sun questions Bay’s passion for art, Bay fires back, questioning if Sun even likes tennis, or if it’s just something he’s been doing because of his dad. As the two start to explore the truth behind their rivalry and what’s really going on between them, it looks like they’ll also be having some realizations about what they really want to be doing with their life.
By all means, they seem perfectly comfortable in their rivalry, but something unexpected jeopardizes their petty fighting that they love so much. Suddenly, Sun announces that he’s planning to leave school after the semester ends and join the national tennis team’s training camp. When Bay hears this, he not only seems surprised but also disappointed.
Sun, therefore, calls for a truce for his remaining time at school, but Bay has other plans. He sees their remaining time together as one final chance to mess with Sun, or so he says. While he makes it seem like he wants to give their rivalry one last hurrah, it also looks like he just wants to spend as much time as possible by Sun’s side before he disappears, but he’s definitely not ready to admit that yet.
Instead, Bay has a plan. He rummages through his closet and takes out an old, dusty tennis racket. As it happens, a tennis competition is taking place at school, and anyone can sign up. Can you guess what happens next? It’s time for their rivalry to go from the school hallways to the tennis court.
Ignoring Sun’s request for a truce, Bay signs up for the tennis competition. In a heated moment of annoyance, Sun signs up too, even though he had planned to sit this one out and let the other players have a chance (he’s really that good). So far, Sun has been the top tennis player at the school, and virtually no one has been able to beat him. However, Bay isn’t just some tennis rookie.
Bay might have his sights on pursuing art, but he’s actually not too shabby at tennis either. Though it’s been about 10 years, he used to play tennis too. It hasn’t been explained yet why he played and why he stopped, but given how Sun gets concerned when he sees Bay practicing, it’s clear that Bay is a formidable opponent.
But of course, something happens the night before their match and re-adjusts the odds. Sun coincidentally gets injured and hurts his shoulder. Unwilling to forfeit, he plays against Bay anyway, even though his friends and coach advise him not to.
Ultimately, Bay perseveres and wins against Sun. Granted, it wasn’t entirely an equal fight to begin with, but Bay certainly held his own and showed his abilities as a tennis player, despite being at a totally different level compared to Sun. It makes you wonder who would be on top if Bay were to seriously pursue tennis alongside Sun.
These two certainly act like rivals, but the longing glances and the secret thoughtfulness when no one is looking say otherwise. If you’re an expert on enemies-to-lovers, you’ll recognize the signs pretty quickly. There’s something suspicious going on here, even if the leads themselves don’t realize it yet. Chemistry doesn’t lie, and these two have loads of it.
Their dynamic is definitely “Bad Buddy” coded, but in this case, they’re in high school, and the rivalry feels even more ridiculous and funny because these two actively try to annoy each other rather than avoid interacting. Taking the high road simply isn’t in their vocabulary.
Odds are there’s a tennis rematch in their future when Sun has healed up and Bay has had more time to train, but now the clock is ticking for this rivalry. Hopefully, the idea of their impending separation gets them to rethink their relationship and consider the possibility that they can be something more.
Start watching “Match Point” now:
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Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!“
Currently watching: “After Moving Seats, The Boy Behind Me Has A Crush On Me,” “A Bona Fide Killer,” “Mr. Kill,” “Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me,” “Hold On, Harutora-Kun,” “Connecting to You,” “Match Point,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Be My Player Two,” “Nour,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “Summertime,” “Unlucky Bae,” and “Class Crush Crisis.”
Looking forward to: “Love Scandal,” “Magic Lover,” and “The Love Matter.”
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We’re more than halfway through 2026 already, so it’s time for a round-up. This list is all about appreciating the under-appreciated: B-sides! Title tracks get a lot of love, but you might miss the B-sides from an album unless you’re already a dedicated fan of the artist. This list will make sure you don’t miss out on some of the best B-sides from 2026 so far!
In no particular order.
With a light, disco-inspired bounce that plays with all of the best music styles that have been influencing K-pop in 2026, “iffy iffy” is right in line with the LE SSERAFIM vibe of albums past without being overdone or boring. This is a song that can go on every playlist—it vibes with just about any day or mood. It’s the perfect balance for the other songs on this album!
Known for their gritty, bass-heavy electronic sound, “NASA” serves up exactly the kind of sound that ATEEZ excels in. The backing isn’t too overwhelming, though, and the members’ voices really shine against the pared-back track. It’s the perfect song to introduce ATEEZ to friends who don’t know them yet. Just about anyone can groove to this one!
IVE has been producing some pure K-pop goodness this year, and “HOT COFFEE” is no exception. It’s K-pop in the purest sense, with strong vocals and an electronic track that adds texture and a beat without being completely overwhelming. This is the kind of song that makes you feel like you’re performing your own concert in your bedroom!
TXT is known for throwing a bit of a strange twist on the trends in the best way possible! Riding the house and disco wave with their latest album, “Bed of Thorns” lands quite a few curveballs with its haunting vocals and melancholic vocal melodies. It’s a departure from the light, bright house songs of late, but it’s totally addictive and keeps you listening!
The kind of song that everyone in the club would go crazy for, “Switchblade” has all the makings of a chart-topper packed into a B-side. The bass-heavy bounce and understated vocals from the aespa members are totally hypnotic, which makes the Ty Dolla $ign feature even more impactful. And once you hear it, the title totally makes sense!
“No Way Back” fits in just right with the EDM-heavy direction that ENHYPEN has been headed with their music lately, but it still stands for itself as a fantastic B-side! The slower pace and simplified melody lines keep the whole thing from getting too noisy, and you can really feel the emotion behind the vocals. The feature from So!YoON! is just the cherry on top!
It couldn’t have been easy to follow up the smash hit that was “Blue Valentine,” but NMIXX has done it! With so many amazing B-sides off of this album, it’s hard to choose just one, but once you listen to “LOUD,” you’ll get it. It plays with the idea of “mixx pop” without getting too jarring, and the vocals are top tier. Listen for the harmonies if you want goosebumps!
With BTS’s latest album naturally garnering a lot of attention, it’s hard to say that any of their B-sides are truly slept on. That said, “2.0” still deserves its flowers! It does a good job capturing the latest shift in BTS’s music style, but more than anything, it’s just fun to listen to. Plus, the performances of this song have been chef’s kiss—the vibes are immaculate!
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KARD has just hit the 100 million mark for the first time on YouTube!
On July 8 at around 2 p.m. KST, KARD’s music video for their 2017 pre-debut single “Don’t Recall” surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, making it the group’s first music video ever to reach the milestone.
KARD first released the music video for “Don’t Recall” on February 16, 2017 at midnight KST, meaning that it took approximately nine years, four months, and 22 days to hit the 100 million mark.
Congratulations to KARD!
Celebrate by watching the music video for “Don’t Recall” again below:
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Get ready for a fun episode of JTBC’s “Knowing Bros” (“Ask Us Anything”) with guests from four different girl groups!
The popular variety show has revealed a sneak peek of next week’s episode, which will feature Brown Eyed Girls’ Narsha and JeA, fromis_9’s Lee Chaeyoung and Baek Jiheon, RESCENE’s Woni and Minami, along with Baby DONT Cry’s Yihyun and Beni, as guests.
After the guests introduce themselves in pairs by dancing to their respective songs, Narsha playfully points out the generation gap between Brown Eyed Girls and the younger groups by saying, “I see that [idols] these days keep jumping throughout [their choreography].”
Next, Woni and Minami give their viral “Yaho” meme a “Knowing Bros” twist, with Narsha, JeA, and Kang Ho Dong attempting to imitate them. Meanwhile, Baek Jiheon shares that it’s been her dream since childhood to meet Kang Ho Dong and excitedly gives him a high five before exclaiming in surprise, “You’re really strong.”
The fromis_9 members also joke about the difference between the vibes Baek Jiheon and Lee Chaeyoung initially give off, suggesting that Baek Jiheon looks like the ideal daughter-in-law while Lee Chaeyoung looks like someone whose boyfriends’ moms might oppose them marrying.
Yihyun and Beni impress the “Knowing Bros” cast with displays of random talents, while Minami shows off her Korean language skills by quickly reciting tongue-twisters. Later, after facing off in various games, all of the idols come together for a joint dance performance.
Check out the full preview below!
The next episode of “Knowing Bros” will air on June 20 at 9 p.m. KST.
In the meantime, you can watch full episodes of “Knowing Bros” with subtitles on Viki below:
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