Latest news with #NinePuzzles:Decoded
Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
TV & Film Picks: Nine Puzzles, Our Unwritten Seoul, Lost In Starlight
(Clockwise from left) Park Bo-young in Our Unwritten Seoul, Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku in Nine Puzzles, and Lost In Starlight features the voices of Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung. PHOTOS: NETFLIX, DISNEY+ Nine Puzzles Disney+ Those who love solving puzzles will enjoy this cerebral crime thriller, which has become Disney+'s most-viewed South Korean title globally in 2025 – just nine days after the show's May 21 premiere. Kim Da-mi is Yoon E-na, a kooky crime profiler on the trail of a serial killer who leaves behind puzzle pieces at the crime scenes. Joining her in the cat-and-mouse game is Son Suk-ku's cynical detective Kim Han-saem. They may butt heads, but both are determined to catch the potential mastermind behind a decade-old cold murder case. If bingeing on Nine Puzzles is not enough, viewers can try their hand at solving crimes inspired by the series at the Nine Puzzles: Decoded interactive escape room experience. Find hidden clues and crack codes, and receive a personalised keepsake at the end of the nine challenges. The Nine Puzzles: Decoded pop-up is at Plaza Singapura (B2-17/18) until June 10. Entry is free, from 3 to 9pm on weekdays and 11am to 10pm on weekends. Our Unwritten Seoul Netflix With only four episodes in since its debut on May 24, Our Unwritten Seoul has already claimed the third spot on Netflix's global top 10 non-English shows chart. In the coming-of-age K-drama, South Korean actress Park Bo-young plays identical twins Yu Mi-ji and Yu Mi-jae, who happen to be polar opposites. Portraying two unique characters is already a challenge. Yet, the premise sees the sisters swopping identities, so Park is technically tasked to bring four distinctive personas to life. Elder twin Mi-jae works in a government agency in Seoul. Eager to please and always striving to be the best, the submissive woman falls from grace after a workplace incident and becomes a victim of office bullying. Meanwhile, bubbly and assertive Mi-ji lives in the countryside with their single mother and ailing grandmother. The over-achieving Mi-jae is favoured over the aimless Mi-ji, but the younger twin is the quiet pillar of strength in the family. Our Unwritten Seoul also stars K-idol Jinyoung from boy band Got7 as the twins' neighbour and Mi-ji's love interest. The 12-episode series about finding oneself is a slow-burner, and it works purely because of Park's versatile performance. Lost In Starlight 98 minutes, Netflix Lost In Starlight features the voices of Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung. PHOTO: NETFLIX Set in a futuristic Seoul, Lost In Starlight follows astro-scientist Nan-young and musician Jay's budding romance. Their relationship is put to the test when Nan-young gets accepted into a space programme that will take her to Mars. Can the star-crossed lovers make it through space and time, and achieve their dreams? These are some questions raised by South Korean film-maker Han Ji-won in this animated film. Oscar-winning South Korean director Bong Joon-ho praised Lost In Starlight as 'a visual masterpiece that takes you around the universe' in a statement accompanying the film's global release on May 30. Lost In Starlight is Netflix's first South Korean animation, and features the voices of award-winning actress Kim Tae-ri as Nan-young and actor Hong Kyung as Jay. Incidentally, both Kim and Hong first starred together in the acclaimed K-horror series Revenant (2023). Joanne Soh is a lifestyle correspondent at The Straits Times, with a special interest in entertainment and pop culture. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Murder mystery pop-up inspired by K-drama Nine Puzzles lets you take a shot at playing detective , Entertainment News
When it comes to dealing with logic and puzzle-solving, I like to think I'm not the most proficient — evidenced by how I've never successfully completed those tricky escape-room missions. So when I got the invitation to go investigate a whole 'crime scene', I thought, "No way, the murder's going to go unsolved". But perhaps with teamwork, I might have a better shot at this 'detective' gig. Today (May 23), my colleague Jeng Jee and I visited the free Nine Puzzles: Decoded pop-up experience located at Plaza Singapura, before it opens to the public, to solve a string of riddles that follows an intriguing crime storyline. Inspired by Disney+'s new K-drama Nine Puzzles starring Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku, the 'investigation' begins when a 'murder' is discovered. Answer a series of questions and you'll receive the first puzzle piece. There are a total of nine zones where you'd have to scrutinise crime scene photos, look for clues, decipher codes and analyse the suspects. Walking to the pop-up, we were greeted by an ominous red curtain that leads into a dark room with a TV playing video clips of the drama Nine Puzzles. Jeng Jee and I were bathed in red light and could barely see each other, until we were handed nifty mini flashlights by the event crew. They also gave us a bulky case file each filled with papers of the puzzles we had to solve, along with a pen and puzzle frame. After solving each, we would be given a puzzle piece and there are eight to collect. Thereafter, we were on our own. In the zones, we were to complete tasks like spot the differences, memorise variables as fast as possible, match and organise cards, and shine UV torchlights on objects to look for fingerprints. Our observation and memory skills were really put to the test, forcing me and Jeng Jee to put our answers together to get through some of the puzzles. But what's a pop-up without a photo op? We were drawn to the section What Happens Next which was pretty crowded as it had a little TV set everyone was trying to peek at for clues and a dainty little chair to sit and take pictures on. Anyway, if you're anything like me (bad at puzzles), you'll be pleased to know that this zone gives you a mental break and you don't actually need to decode anything to get your puzzle piece — just soak in the good acting on screen! After getting all eight puzzle pieces, we submitted it to a crew member dressed in an officer jacket. Afterwards, he directed us to another 'officer' who instructed us to get our complimentary mugshot or profiler photo taken. Overall, had it not been for my teamwork with Jeng Jee, I'm confident I would've given up halfway. I highly recommend you visit this pop-up with a friend and laugh at each other's intellectual blunders like we did and have an immersive taste of the detective life for the day. To try your shot at being a sleuth, head down to the pop-up located at Plaza Singapura B2-17/18. It runs from May 24 to June 10, and is open from 3pm - 9pm on weekdays and 11am - 10pm on weekends. Mystery thriller Nine Puzzles follows Yoon E-na (Da-mi), who discovers the body of her murdered uncle next to a single puzzle piece and is deemed the sole witness to the murder case. The case remains unsolved. A decade later, detective Kim Han-saem (Suk-ku) who had initially suspected E-na as the murderer, is surprised when she shows up as a criminal profiler in his unit. Together, they try to uncover the secrets behind a series of murders. Nine Puzzles, which also stars Kim Sung-kyun and Hyun Bong-sik, is now available for streaming exclusively on Disney+. It also features cameo appearances from Park Sung-woong, Lee Sung-min, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Hee-joon as well as Ji Jin-hee. [[nid:717998]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
