Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast K Drama Chat
Plongez dans la liste complète des épisodes de K Drama Chat. Chaque épisode est catalogué accompagné de descriptions détaillées, ce qui facilite la recherche et l'exploration de sujets spécifiques. Suivez tous les épisodes de votre podcast préféré et ne manquez aucun contenu pertinent.
Rows per page:
50
1–50 of 183
Titre
Date
Durée
9.2.2 - Podcast Review of Season 2, Episode 2 of Kingdom
08 Nov 2024
01:17:02
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 2 of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:
How this episode is full of betrayal: someone betrayed the Crown Prince, Cho Hak ju betrays Lord Ahn, and the Queen Consort betrays her father and the rest of the Haewon Cho clan
How Seo-bi violated our rule of never opening mysterious chests without knowing that what’s inside is a friendly person or a cute, furry animal.
How the Crown Prince must kill his zombie father, thereby honoring his father’s words to him from so long ago: Stay alive!
We learn more about what happened three years ago and we learn that Lord Ahn has deeply regretted his decision to create zombies ever since.
Cho Hak ju had Lord Ahn killed, something that the soldiers do with hesitation, given that Lord Ahn is a national war hero. So now, the Crown Prince’s mentor and guide has left him.
Lord Ahn makes himself a weapon against Cho Hak ju when he asks the Crown Prince to turn him into a zombie.
Back at Hanyang, the Minister of War orders the queen’s residence searched and the soldiers discover the bodies of seven mothers and babies. Curiously, the baby boy died of natural causes, while the baby girls were strangled to death.
The court officials debate the line of succession in light of the king’s death when the head eunuch announces that the Queen Consort has gone into labor.
The Queen, of course, is not in labor, but waiting for a baby boy to be born.
The ID tags that all men over the age of 18 carried around during the Joseon dynasty.
The desire for revenge by Young shin and Lord Ahn’s men, which leads them to try and take down Cho Hak ju when they are taken out of their jail cell to be transported to Hanyang.
We wonder where Mu Yeong is.
The crazy ending where the zombie Lord Ahn takes a chunk out of Cho Hak ju’s left cheek!
The K Drama elements in this episode, including the Crown Prince sinking to the ground with great emotion, and the queen’s amazing abs in episode 1 of season 2.
The enduring popularity of zombies, from around the world!
How Korean zombies are different from Western dramas in that they often focus on the relationships between the humans and the zombies.
References
Worn Identity, or information about the ID tags worn by people during the Joseon dynasty
9.2.1 - Podcast Review of Season 2, Episode 1 of Kingdom
01 Nov 2024
01:07:30
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 1 of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:
The Kingdom wiki that Joanna discovered!
How we start to learn what happened in Sangju three years earlier and the roles that Cho Hak ju and Lord Ahn played. We wonder if Lord Ahn has regrets over his decisions at the time.
Deok Sung’s act of sacrifice and how Young shin gave him his dignity by killing him.
The Crown Prince’s suspicion that Mu Young is the traitor working for Cho Hak ju.
The moral dilemmas in this show that ask us just how far we’ll go to save our loved ones.
How Seo bi and Cho Beom Pal make it to Mungyeong Saejae and are given shelter because Cho Beom Pal is a member of the Haewo Cho clan. We also find out that Cho Beom Pal is now the heir to the clan.
The palace guards are on to the Queen’s evil plot to get a baby boy, but she’s counting on her baby boy to protect her.
How the Crown Prince has decided to travel to Mungyeong Saejae and kill Cho Hak ju. Cho Hak ju is in Sangju to kill the Crown Prince.
How extreme crisis can push people to do extreme things they didn’t know was possible.
The actress Kim Hye-jun, who plays the Queen Consort.
8.15 - Podcast Review of Episode 15 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
30 Aug 2024
01:15:14
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 15 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs we featured during the recap: Wind of the Day by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and Give You My Heart by IU.
The meaning of tsundere and how Captain Ri and Se-ri are tsundere who were transformed by the other.
The cruelty of Cho Cheol Gang’s words that made Captain Ri doubt his father’s love and intentions, took away his newfound happiness, and made him consider shooting himself.
How Captain Ri is arrested, at first refuses to eat, drink or talk, but then takes the blame for everything that has happened.
How Captain Ri’s men are likewise rounded up. They are worried they will be tortured, but instead, they are given clean clothes, medical exams, and as much food as they want.
Se-ri leaves her hospital bed to try and help Captain Ri’s men as they are being taken away, but the men think only of her and her health.
How heartbreaking it was when Captain Ri coldly rebuffed Se-ri and told her that the sight of her bothered him.
When Se-ri collapses and is taken to the ICU, Captain Ri is full of regret and allowed to visit her at the hospital.
We loved the loyalty and bravery of the village women who prevent Myeong Sun and her son from being taken away by Cho Cheol Gang’s men.
Gu Seung Jun is abducted by Mr. Cheon and his thugs, but Mr. Cheon allows Gu Seung Jun to escape back into the border village, where some orphans further assist him.
Gu Seung Jun confesses to Seo Dan that he has feelings for her and he will try to return and win her heart in the future. Is he setting her up for everlasting longing and pain?
Gu Seung Jun gives up his chance to leave the country to save Seo Dan and in the process, gets shot. He is at least happy that someone is crying over him.
While Se-ri lies unconscious in her hospital bed, she has a dream where she is transported back to the day she decided to go paragliding. Even knowing everything that happened to her, she makes the same decision to go paragliding, crash in North Korea, and meet Captain Ri.
Captain Ri, for his part, wishes he could go back in time and not meet Se-ri so that he could prevent her being so close to death.
The actors who play Captain Ri’s men: their backgrounds, acting careers, and shows.
How difficult it’s going to be to decide on the next show for Season 9 of K Drama Chat!
Joanna and Sung Hee introduce the show that K Drama Chat will cover during Season 3 - Mr. Sunshine. Mr. Sunshine is a hit show on Netflix from 2018. The show is about Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun), who was born into slavery in Joseon. After escaping to the United States at the time of the 1871 Shinmiyangyo, he becomes a Captain in the US Marine Corps. He gets sent to Joseon by President Roosevelt, under the guide of “taking care” of an American allegedly selling secrets to the Japanese. Captain Choi meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), an aristocrat’s granddaughter who refuses to sit quietly, marry, have children and embroider butterflies all day.
Jen is taking a couple of months off from the show so Joanna and Sung Hee are taking this opportunity to recap and review a historical (saeguk) K Drama, which Jen is not a fan of. Before diving into Mr. Sunshine, Joanna and Sung Hee are taking it easy for a couple of weeks. In this episode, they talk about Mr. Sunshine, and the shows they are currently watching.
Listeners, start watching or rewatching Mr. Sunshine now so you’re ready when we start analyzing the first two episodes in a couple of weeks!
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 16, the final episode of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the story is Find the Real, Real Faces by Meun Young. Sang Tae convinces Meun Young to publish her final book, which is about three friends (an emotionless princess, a boxed man, and a masked man) whose faces were stolen by an evil shadow witch. After a long journey and meeting many characters, the friends realize that what the shadow witch had stolen from them was not their real, real faces but their courage to find happiness.
This episode was ultimately about Gang Tae, Sang Tae and Meun Young finding the courage to be happy. Gang Tae learned to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to love and be loved, and to believe that he wasn’t born to take care of Sang Tae because Moon Gang Tae belongs to Moon Gang Tae. Meun Young was able to shed the narrative that she is an empty can, unable to care about others’ feelings. Meun Young came to care about the brothers, rejoin the community, love, be loved, and write again. Sang Tae was able to overcome his trauma, paint over the murderous butterfly and paint his own butterflies, and leave Gang Tae to pursue a career as an illustrator.
This episode also revisited the stories of some of the patients at the hospital, including A-reum and Jung-tae, who are finally together; the assemblyman’s song, Kwon Ki-do, who is studying for the national civil service exam; Pil won, who has a new pair of shoes and the courage to leave the hospital for good; and Eun-ja, who has accepted her daughter’s death and has opened up her own restaurant.
Even the second and third couples look like they’re going to make it. The publisher is opening up his new office in Seongjin City to be closer to Ju-ri, and Jae-soo appears to be getting closer to the art director.
At the end of the episode, Joanna, Jen and Sung Hee reveal the show they are going to recap and analyze in Season 3 of K Drama Chat – Mr. Sunshine! We wanted to do a historical show and decided Mr. Sunshine had a lot to discuss, including Korea during the Japanese occupation, how Japan and the US fought over Korea, the rebellion against the Japanese, the role of women during that period of time, gender identity, and Korean language.
We will have a few in between episodes before we start talking about Mr. Sunshine, so keep listening and start watching Mr. Sunshine!
2.15 - Episode 15 of It's Okay To Not Be Okay
13 Nov 2022
00:43:33
Jen is back, yay! In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 15 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the story is The Tale of the Two Brothers. We think this story is about how Gang Tae, Sang Tae and Meun Young all love each other and they just need to stop bickering, stop wasting time trying to stay apart, and decide to stay together.
This episode answers questions about Nurse Park and why she killed the Moon brothers’ mom and how she manipulated Park Ok-ran. Nurse Park tries to hurt Sang Tae, Gang Tae and Meun Young, but Sang Tae hits her over the head with a book. The police finally come and take Meun Young away.
Meun Young tells Gang Tae and Sang Tae to move out of the house because she doesn’t think any of them can get over her mom killing the brothers’ mom. But Sang Tae and Gang Tae are determined to stay. The show comes full circle when Gang Tae’s hand is cut again, and this time, it’s Gang Tae who tells Meun Young that he loves her, but she just walks away.
At the end of the episode, Joanna and Jen talk about the three shows they’re considering for Season 3 of K Drama Chat.
2.14 - Episode 14 of It's Okay to Not Be Okay
06 Nov 2022
00:48:07
Jen is sick, so Sung Hee is filling in. In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 14 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the story is The Hand, The Monkfish. We think this story is autobiographical for Meun Young, whose mom thought she was perfect and protected her and kept her in the cursed castle.
We learn that Nurse Park is Meun Young’s mom and turns out that she killed the Moon brothers’ mom. It also appears that she killed Meun Young’s dad by pulling the plug on the machines keeping him alive. Meun Young runs away when she learns who her mom is. We learn more about Meun Young’s mom, including her medical background and how she stayed at the hospital for 20 years to watch her husband suffer. At the end of the show, Do Hui Jae convinces Sang Tae to go with her and they end up at the cursed castle, with Sang Tae unconscious or dead.
We talk about how Gang Tae, Sang Tae and Meun Young are processing the fact that Nurse Park is Meun Young’s mom and how they are protecting each other. The publisher and Ju-ri are starting to show their feelings toward each other. We also get an update on some of the patients at the OK Hospital.
At the end of the show, Joanna and Jen discuss the shows they are considering for Season 3 of K Drama Chat.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 13 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the story is The Father of the Two Sisters. There are parallel stories here involving an abuser and someone who allowed the abuse to happen.
We learn that Meun Young’s dad knew that his wife was cruel to Meun Young, but he tolerated it, only reading a single book to Meun Young. There is also a side story about patient Sun-hae. Sun-hae was abused by her mother and her father stood by and did nothing, despite pleas from Sun-hae. We also learn that Meun Young witnessed her father throw her mother over the staircase and then dump her mother’s body in the lake. Similarly, Sang Tae witnessed the murder of his mother.
Meun Young’s dad dies. Before he died, he confessed that he killed his wife and tried to kill Meun Young because he worried that Meun Young would turn into a monster like his wife. At the end of the episode, we have a huge surprise: Nurse Park is Meun Young’s and the murderer of the Moon brothers’ mom.
In addition to analyzing this episode, Joanna, Jen and Sung Hee also talk about common and useful phrases to use when traveling in Korea or eating at a Korean restaurant.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 12 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the story is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Are Gang Tae and Meun Young fated for each other? Are they in an ill-fated relationship?
In this episode, Gang Tae and Meun Young get closers. Meun Young is happy to have the brothers in the house and she likes her house again. She and Sang Tae are working on her new book. But the episode turns dark when Gang Tae finds a family photo in Meun Young’s room. Meun Young’s mother is obscured in the photo, but Gang Tae realizes she is wearing a butterfly pin.
Later, when Sang Tae recounts to Gang Tae and the directory the story of how their mom died, Gang Tae realizes that Meun Young’s mom is very likely their mom’s murderer. He feels like he was just starting to live a normal life and now he just wants to run away. Worse, he found an envelope on Sang Tae’s desk with a butterfly and a note saying, “I’ll come for you soon.”
There are side stories involving a PTSD patient, Ju-ri and the publisher, Jae soo and Sang Tae, and Meun Young’s dad. We also talk about the low birthrate in Korea, the two numbering systems in Korea, and the BTS members going into the military.
2.11 - Episode 11 of It's Okay to Not Be Okay
13 Oct 2022
00:41:09
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 11 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the children’s story is The Ugly Duckling. Family comes up a lot in this episode. Jae-soo is upset that Sang Tae doesn’t consider him family, even though he’s been following the brothers around for ten years. Gang Tae wants Sang Tae to be the adult in the family, able to accept others, including and especially Meun Young, who he says is the loneliest person he’s ever known.
This episode opens with Park Ok-ran visiting Meun Young and the two of them getting into a confrontation, which leaves Meun Young with a cut on her hand. Gang Tae rushes to the cursed castle and is relieved to find that Meun Young is okay. When he tries to go after Park Ok-ran, Meun Young gets upset. Gang Tang tries to calm her down, tells her to count to three, then gives her a long, passionate kiss.
Gang Tae tells Meun Young the story of Sang Tae’s traumatic memory, tells her that he must stay by Sang Tae’s side, and she must stay by his side. Meung Young tries talking to Sang Tae, urges him to come home and be her illustrator, threatens him with breach of contract for moving out, and ultimately asks him to be her older brother. In the end, Sang Tae becomes the older brother to both Gang Tae and Meun Young.
At the end of this episode, a dark figure enters the cursed castle, sits at Meun Young’s dresser in the basement, and looms over the sleeping figures of Meun Young, Gang Tae and Sang Tae. Who is she? What is the butterfly pin that she pulled out of the dresser? Is it related to the butterfly that Sang Tae is so afraid of?
In this episode, we also talk about the Korean family register and the multi-balms that Korean women put on their faces and necks to make themselves look dewey and glow.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 10 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the children’s story is The Girl Who Cried Wolf, based on The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Meun Young says the boy was lonely up on the mountain, which is why he kept crying wolf. When the wolf did come, nobody believed him. Meun Young believes that if even one person had believed him, he would not have died.
The episode opens with Sang Tae announcing to the hospital that Gang Tae wanted him dead and that he pushed him (Sang Tae) into the river. He is eventually given sedatives and put into an isolation room. A devastated Gang Tae pushes Meun Young away, telling her that he has woken from a dream and he should have focused instead on his brother. Sang Tae eventually goes home with Ju-ri’s mom. Whe Gang Tae comes home, he apologizes for lying to Sang Tae, for saying that he wanted him dead, for wishing his brother was normal. Sang Tae comes out of his wardrobe and comforts a sobbing Gang Tae.
Meanwhile, Meun Young threatens Gang Tae, who has rejected him. She goes to Ju-ri’s house, asks Ju-ri’s mom for seaweed soup because it’s her birthday, and then gives the doll Mang Tae back to Sang Tae.
The episode also featured:
Ju-ri and Meun Young drinking together, and Ju-ri slapping Meun Young in a drunken state
The publisher and Jae-soo fighting over who is to blame for the debacle between Sang Tang, Gang Tae and Meun Young.
Meun Young’s dad tried to choke Park Ok-ran, whom he heard singing “Oh my darling Clementine” and reading The Murder of the Witch of the West
At the end of the episode, Park Ok-ran hits a caregiver on the head with a rock and then escapes from the hospital. Gang Tae figures out that she is headed to the cursed castle, so he races to Meun Young. Meun Young answers a knock on the door and finds Park Ok-ran standing on her front step, wishing her a happy birthday.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 9 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the children’s story is King Donkey Ears, the story about the King who had donkey ears and told his hairdresser to keep it a secret. After many years, the hairdresser could no longer hold the secret in, so he shouted to the forest that the king had donkey ears.
The show opens with Gang Tae and Meun Young arguing over going on a trip; they clearly have different ideas for this trip. They ultimately go up to the mountains, visit a spectacular suspension bridge, and spend the night at a guesthouse. They even run into A-reum and Jeoung-Tae, who have run away together, but ultimately decide to separate until they are both recovered enough to be together successfully. Before leaving the guesthouse, Gang Tae gives Meun Young a bouquet of flowers, the flowers he was never able to give her when they were kids.
So much happened in this episode, but the most important scene is when Sang Tae confronts Gang Tae and accuses him of lying because Gang Tae and Meun Young went away together without telling Sang Tae the truth. Sang Tae asks Gang Tae who likes more, him or Meun Young, and then shouts that Gang Tae told their mother every day that he wanted Sang Tae to die, and Gang Tae pushed him into the frozen river and left him to die.
This episode also featured:
The growing relationship between the publisher and Ju-ri Meun Young’s dad saying Meung Young’s just like “that woman,” who was a monster who killed someone and whom he killed. The mysterious patient Park Ok-ran taking her book “The Muder of the Witch of the West” from Nurse Park
Jen is on vacation, so this episode has Joanna and Sung Hee.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 8 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the children’s story is Beauty and the Beast. Joanna and Sung Hee disagree on the overall theme of this episode: Is it Stockholm Syndrome, where Gang Tae has become enamored of his captor, Meun Young? Or is it a story about how Gang Tae’s love is healing the monstrous Meun Young? We also argue that neither Meun Young nor Gang Tae can be the beast, since they are both so gorgeous!
We talk about how Meun Young and Gang Tae are loosening up, learning to smile, and starting to enjoy each other’s company. But trouble is brewing between Sang Tae and Meun Young. Sang Tae doesn’t like Meun Young’s shorter hair, he is angry that Gang Tae gave the nightmare catcher Mang Tae to Meun Young, and he doesn’t want to share Gang Tae. Meun Young, meanwhile, knows that Gang Tae and Sang Tae will never be separated and she wants to join the brothers under the metaphorical umbrella.
The poor publisher has become enamored of Ju-ri and he’s now living in Ju-ri’s house, in a bid to win back Meun Young’s favor, save his company, and win Ju-ri’s heart. We meet a mysterious patient at the hospital, who walks the halls at night, singing Oh My Darling Clementine. Finally, when a patient’s ex-husband punches Meun-Young, Gang Tae punches him back and is suspended without pay. He leaves the house, seemingly not upset, but smiling, as he runs to Meun Young and asks her to go on a trip. “Let’s go,” he says!
8.14 - Podcast Review of Episode 14 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
23 Aug 2024
01:14:34
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 14 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs we featured during the recap: Like a Wild Flower and When That Day Comes by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee.
We learn from Captain Ri himself how, after his brother died, he decided he would never love again, laugh again, have fun again, play the piano again. But everything changed when Se-ri crash landed into his life.
How Captain Ri keeps vigil at the hospital, hiding in the shadows and standing guard at her door.
How South Korea got rid of its gun problem. Today, gun homicides are statistically negligible!
How Captain Ri and Se-ri realize that they each took a bullet for the other. They hug and Captain Ri confesses his love.
How Jung Man Bok bugged Se-ri’s room and his recording proves really important. The recording captures Se-ri’s stepmom apologizing to Se-ri for abandoning her on the beach, and Yoo Se-yeong and Go Sang Ah admitting their collusion with Cho Cheol Gang.
The kiss we’ve been waiting for between Captain Ri and Se-ri!
The physician Heo Jun, referenced by Captain Ri when he’s taking care of Ser-ri.
The growing feelings between Seo Dan and Gu Seung Jun and their epic kiss!
The men in suits who go after Gu Seung Jun corner him on the roof and we don’t know who shows up.
How the former Chairman strips Yoon Se-hyeong of the Chairmanship of the Queens Group and disowns him as his son.
How Captain Ri tracks down Manager Oh and confronts Cho Cheol Gang.
Captain Ri is followed by South Korea authorities and they shoot when Cho Cheol Gang turns around and take a shot at Captain Ri
The five love languages and Captain Ri’s gifts of the recording and food in the pantry to Se-ri.
The K Dramas we’re considering for Season 9 of K Drama Chat. Please keep the suggestions coming!
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 7 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, the children’s story is The Cheerful Dog. Gang Tae takes care of Meun Young after her nightmare, then takes the day off to spend the day with her. Later, Meun Young’s class at the hospital is canceled and she decides to take Eun-ja’s mink wrap as compensation. When Gang Tae objects, Eun-ja lets Meun Young have it, saying her burden has finally lifted. Gang Tae drinks with Jae-soo and when he comes home to Sang Tae, he has a realization that his mother did love him after all, remembering times when his mother bought him jjampong and invited him under the umbrella with her and Sang Tae.
The publisher gets drunk at a convenience store and sees an equally drunk Ju-ri, who lashes out at the publisher and then ends up getting a piggyback ride home from him. At the end of the episode, Meun Young’s dad tells Meun Young that she is just like her mom, but Meun Young says no. At home, she cuts off hair, her burden, the hair that her mom would never let her cut. Gang Tae fixes her haircut and then tells her she’s pretty.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 6 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode Gang Tae and Meun Young admit to each other that they knew each other in childhood, Sang Tae moves in with Meun Young and becomes her exclusive illustrator, Gang Tae eventually moves in to the cursed castle as well, we learn more about the incident where Gang Tae and Sang Tae fell through the ice in the frozen lake, a hospital patient thinks she’s Meun Young’s mom and greatly upsets Meun Young, the hospital director has a clandestine meeting with one of his patients in a linen closet, the publisher and art director try unsuccessfully to convince Meun Young to come back to her old life, and Gang Tae promises Meun Young that he won’t leave her after witnessing her have a terrible nightmare.
Joanna and Jen recap the episode, discuss the show, and then talk about Korean BBQ.
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 5 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. In this episode, Gang Tae searches for Meun Young in the pouring rain and finds her. He tries to take her to a motel, but neither has any money, so they end up at Gang Tae’s apartment. Meun Young ends up staying the night, so Gang Tae has to fabricate an excuse to keep Sang Tae and Jae-soo away. When Joo-ri comes home the next day, she confronts Meun Young, who tells Joo-ri that she confessed her feelings to Gang Tae and he is her. They end up fighting and Gang Tae throws Meun Young out. Sang Tae realizes that Gang Tae lied to him to keep him out of the apartment and is once again upset with his brother. We learn more about Meun Young’s dad and Meun Young’s relationship with Joo-ri when they were kids. At the end of the episode, Meun Young convinces Sang Tae to live with her and be her illustrator. When Gang Tae goes looking for his brother, Meung Young invites him to come to the cursed castle. The episode ends with Gang Tae looking up at Meun Young, who is standing on her balcony, echoing the time when she was younger and Gang Tae came to her home’s gate to deliver her flowers, only to be rejected by Meun Young.
Jen is on vacation, so Sung Hee is filling in. In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 4 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix. The children’s story from this episode is Zombie Kid, the boy who couldn’t feel emotion and was only interested in eating. The assemblyman’s son causes havoc at his father’s political rally; he is chastised by his mom and his father tells the hospital director that his son will forever stay in psychiatric hospitals. Meun Young upsets Gang Tae with her talk of parents abandoning useless children, and children pushing away demented parents. But when her father tries to choke her, Gang Tae has a change of heart and goes to look for Meun Young in the rain. We have an important flashback of Meun Young as a young girl, her mom brushing her hair, and her mother lying face down in a pool of blood.
We do a recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
The song Hallelujah by Kim Feel
The Zombie Kid story and how we think this story is about a boy who ultimately was looking for warmth and love from his mom
How Gang Tae is going through a transformation; he’s showing more emotion
How Gang Tae and Meun Young are both childlike and childish in this episode
Gang Tae’s flashbacks of his mom prioritizing Sang Tae when the boys were younger
How Sang Tae is infatuated with Meun Young and he has another episode when Gang Tae yells at him
How this episode is about each character’s need to be seen
Our thoughts re: why Meun Young’s dad said “die” and “why are you still alive?” when he saw Meun Young
How we need to know more about Meun Young’s mother, the circumstances of her death, and her relationship with her daughter
Two characters who we think will become really important: Nurse Park and Ju-ri’s mom
The K Drama elements we see in this episode, namely:
Flowers
Food
Wrist grabs
Umbrellas
Lots of crying, especially by Gang Tae
How in Korean slang, telling someone “do you want to come over to my place for ramen” means “do you want to spend the night together.?”
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 3 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix from 2020. Meun Young shows up at OK Hospital because she misses Gang Tae. Her father is at the hospital, but she doesn’t seem to care about him. The hospital director asks Meun Young to teach a literature class and Sang Tae to paint a mural at the hospital. Meun Young kidnaps a manic patient at the hospital, who turns out to be the son of a famous assemblyman. They stop at a campaign event for the assemblyman. The son gets up on stage and tells the residents that he is the assemblyman's son, that he is mentally ill, and the ugly duckling of the family.
We do a recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
The song My Tale by Park Won
Our impressions of episode 3
How it’s clear that Meun Young and Gang Tae have known each other since they were kids
This episode’s children’s story of Sleeping Beauty and the theme of destiny
The many times that Gang Tae seems to have changed his mind about Meun Young and being with her
How we see another side of Meun Young, the vulnerable side
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 2 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix from 2020. Sang Tae attends a book signing by Meun Young and gets in trouble when he touches a kid wearing a dinosaur costume. Gang Tae comes to his rescue and Meun Young intervenes, causing a huge scene when she gets mad at the child’s parents. While waiting for Sang Tae to calm down, Meun Young asks Gang Tae to be her safety pin. She ends up pushing a book critic, further jeopardizing her career. We also find out that Gang Tae and Sang Tae’s mother was murdered and Sang Tae says it was the butterfly that killer her. Jae-soo and Gang Tae realize it’s time to move again, before the butterflies appear. Sung Hee comes back as our guest!
We do a recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We talk about our first impressions of the show and what we loved about the first episode. We discuss:
The song Breathe by Sam Kim, a Korean-American singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist.
What we thought of this episode.
The children’s story in this episode, namely the Girl with the Red Shoes by Hans Christian Anderson.
Obsession and what things in the show cannot be separated.
How we see the world through San Tae’s eyes as he is walking toward the book signing.
How Gang Tae, Sang Tae and Mun Yeoung are all distorted in their emotional reactions to the world around them.
What we think the butterflies mean.
What we know about the Moon brothers’ mom being murdered.
How we learn more about Meun Young, specifically about her parents.
How Meun Young seems to get herself in trouble when Gang Tae is around.
How Meun Young debated whether or not to help Gang Tae when they were little kids, and at the book signing.
The triangles forming between the characters.
The K Drama elements we see in this episode, and there are a lot of them.
Our favorite Meun Young outfit.
Our favorite lines from the episode.
Kim Soo Hyun, his career, his military service, and how he decided on It’s Okay to Not Be Okay as his comeback show.
How the South Korean parliament is considering a law that would allow internationally recognized K Pop stars to complete their military service in just three weeks.
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 1 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix from 2020. In this first episode, we get introduced to celebrity children’s book author Koo Meun Young (Seo Yea-ji), compassionate caregiver Moon Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun), the talented, autistic Moon Sang Tae (Oh Jung-se), and the long suffering nurse Nam Joo-ri (Park Gyu-young). The characters intersect when Meun Young does a book reading at the hospital where Moon Gang Tae works, and when Joo-ri travels to Seoul to get Meun Young’s signature for surgery that her father needs.
We do a recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We talk about our first impressions of the show and what we loved about the first episode. We discuss:
You’re Cold by Heize, one of the songs from the OST
The 18 elements that seem to exist in most K Dramas, specifically:
Beautiful actors
Crying, by both women and men
Gorgeous OSTs (original sound tracks)
Food; there's lot of eating in K Dramas
Alcohol; drinking by both men and women
The trip and catch
Piggyback rides
The back hug
Product placements
Holding hands
The wrist grab
Flowers
Love triangles
Umbrella scene
The quirky best friend
The Deep Lean
Beautiful or arresting clothing
The Arm Rest
Other possible K Drama elements, specifically:
A singing or karaoke scene
A gazing at some scenery standing side by side scene
A conversation about whether it’s okay to talk casually with each other
A grandfather or chairman character
The opening stop motion animation about the girl with no friends
What we know about Koo Meun Young
What we know about Moon Gang Tae
What we know about Moon Sang Tae
The K Drama Elements that show up in this episode
Our favorite Meun Young outfit
We close with a discussion about how to refer to older brother or older sister in Korean.
1.19 - Conversation with Professor Ernabel Demillo
16 Jul 2022
01:01:56
We’re still on break after wrapping up with Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, Joanna and Jen have a conversation with Professor Professor Ernabel Demillo, Department Chair of the Communication and Media Culture Department at Saint Peter's University and host of the Emmy-award winning "Asian American Life" show on CUNY-TV. Ernabel talks about:
Her K Drama journey
Why she thinks K Dramas are so addicting
Whether and how the popularity of K Dramas and KPop are affecting American perceptions Asian Americans and Asian culture
How Asian culture is not monolithic
How the colorful outfits in K Dramas make her think of bouquets of flowers
The high production value in K Dramas and how filmmakers and actors in Korea take their crafts very seriously
How Jokoy is about to release his new movie, “Easter Sunday”
The newly-designated Little Manila in Queens
The recurring theme of identity in her show Asian American Life, and so much more.
We laughed nearly the entire episode; come laugh with us! After this episode with Professor Demillo, we will begin Season 2 of K Drama Chat by recapping and analyzing Episode 1 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. If you haven’t started watching, please start now!
We’re taking a short break between seasons after wrapping up with Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, we have a conversation with a couple of friends: Sung Hee, who was our guest in Episode 6, and cousin Linda, who we have mentioned so many times! Be prepared to laugh with us as we discuss our love of K Dramas! We cover:
Our individual K Drama journeys
What makes K Dramas so addicting
How K Dramas are so wholesome
The invention of the Korean language, Hangeul, and our own languages journeys with Hangeul
Our favorite shows and actors
Our favorite K Drama OSTs
Are Korean really that wonderful?
What it’s like to be Asian-American and Korean-American at a time when KPop, K Dramas and Korean culture are so popular
What we thought about Hotel Del Luna
What we think about our choice of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay as the next K Drama that we will recap and analyze
Listeners, next week, we will have another special guest: Professor Ernabel Demillo is Department Chair of the Communication and Media Culture Department at Saint Peter's University and host of the Emmy-award winning "Asian American Life" show on CUNY-TV.
After the episode with Professor Demillo, we will begin Season 2 of K Drama Chat by recapping and analyzing Episode 1 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. If you haven’t started watching, please start now!
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 16, the finale, of Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, all of the staff resolve their grudges and move on to the afterlife. Bartender Kim overcomes his shame over being labeled a lewd scholar when Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung convince the author to write a novel about a fictional, but honorable, Kim Si-ik. Guest manager Seo hee learns that the daughter of the eldest grandson in her husband’s family will carry the mother’s name, thus ending the family line. Hyun joong’s sister dies and is reunited with her beloved brother.
Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung realize that they met nearly 1,300 years ago, when Man Wol became an orphan and Koo Chan Sung and his dad found her and adopted her into their family. Man Wol is able to muster her courage to go into the tunnel to the afterlife, but only after Mago grants their wish of seeing winter together. We see Man Wol, Chan Sung, Bartender Kim, Seo hee and Hyun joong reunite in what might have been a dream or the future. The final scene shows Mago introducing the new owner of the hotel to her sisters; Kim Soo Hyun makes an unforgettable cameo as the owner of Hotel Blue Moon.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
Another song from the OST - Happy Ending, written and performed by IU herself!
Bartender Kim’s story and how he might have been the Shakespeare of Joseon.
How Man Wol showed her love for Bartender Kim in her actions, but not when he was leaving for the afterlife.
What cranes represent in Korean culture and how Joanna is obsessed with them.
The scholar Brene Brown and her work on shame.
Hyeon mi’s death and her reunion with Hyun joong.
How forlorn Yuna became at the thought of Hyun joong leaving and the hotel .disappeared, but how she overcame her grief to give Hyun joong a proper sendoff and flowers from Mago.
How Seo hee overcame her grudge when she learned that her husband’s family line would come to an end.
How Seo hee came to the rescue of the pregnant woman and her baby in a way that nobody came to her rescue 200 years ago.
The benefits of curses.
The dream that let Man Wol and Chan Sung know they had met in the past.
Man Wol and Chan Sung’s goodbye at the tunnel to the afterlife.
How Man Wol walked alone into the tunnel, without assistance from the grip reaper or a limousine.
What we think will happen to Yuna and Chan Sung in the future.
The ending scene with the entire cast; is it a dream or the future?
How we learn that there are 12 Magos.
The ending scene where the new owner of Hotel Blue Moon is revealed.
8.13 - Podcast Review of Episode 13 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
16 Aug 2024
01:10:55
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 13 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs that we featured during the recap: Someday by Kim Jae Hwan and The Season of Us by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee.
How Se-ri knows that Captain Ri needs to go home; in fact, she’s worried about Captain Ri experiencing Bambi Syndrome.
How the ducklings realize that Se-ri is not a crier. She never cried during the many sad and terrible situations that happened to her while in North Korea, but she’s now crying over a surprise birthday party!
The adorable couple rings that Captain Ri bought for Se-ri and himself!
How “to bunk off” means to play hooky or take the day off. Captain Ri and Se-ri bunk off and go to the movies and visit a beautiful suspension bridge.
Captain Ri’s revelation to Se-ri that they had met on the Sigriswil bridge when she tried to kill herself.
How Gu Seung Jun and Seo Dan are getting closer. Gu Seung Jun has even confessed that he has a crush on her.
When Seo Dan realizes that Captain Ri went to Seoul to save Se-ri, she breaks down. Her engagement is broken and seven years of waiting have amounted to nothing.
The tough decision that Jung Man Bok faces when Cho Cheol Gang finds him and threatens his son.
Kim Ju Meok’s sweet, surprise lunch with the gorgeous Choi Ji-woo.
The former Chairman and his wife are furious with Yoon Se-hyeong and his wife, but the devious couple have one more trick up their sleeve. Se-ri is in real danger as she drives to her father’s house.
We are so glad that Jung Man Bok did not betray Captain Ri and instead collaborated with Captain Ri, Se-ri and the ducklings to protect Se-ri during her drive, and Captain Ri when he went to the warehouse.
The heartbreaking ending where Se-ri, in trying to protect Captain Ri, ends up getting shot by Cho Cheol Gang.
How we need to start thinking about the show to recap and analyze in Season 9 of K Drama Chat! Please send us suggestions on Instagram and the blog!
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 15 of Hotel Del Luna. While Man Wol was gone, Mago gives Chan Sung a task: go back in time to 200 years ago to pick some moon flowers needed to make the wine that will make someone the next owner of the hotel. Chan Sung meets Man Wol, who asks him to stay and become her 85th human manager, but he declines. When he comes back, Mago tells him that Man Wol has come back from the afterlife. Man Wol has a joyful reunion with Chan Sung and her staff. We finally learn Hyun Jung’s back story. He finally confronts Tae sok, who shot him and led his life as Hyun Jung. He also gets to graduate from school. We also learn just a little bit about Bartender Kim’s life. At the end, Man Wol refuses the wine that Yuna has stolen from potion Mago. Chan Sung and Man Wol declare their love for each other.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
Another song from the OST - Say Goodbye by Song Haye.
Mago asking Chan Sung to go back in time to retrieve the moon flowers
The mind-bending aspects of time travel.
How Mago has been engineering the whole story of Man Wol and Chan Sung, starting 1,300 years ago.
How we meet a new Mago, poverty Mago.
The Korean board game of baduk, or Go in Japan.
Why Chan Sung didn’t take the medicine that would remove his ability to see ghosts.
The story of Hyun Jung and how he was shot by his friend Tae sok, who then took Hyun Jung’s name and cared for Hyeon mi his whole life.
The confrontation between Hyun Jung and Tae sok.
How we learn a little about bartender Kim’s story.
How Man Wol decided not to drink the wine that Yuna stole, in effect rejecting the opportunity to remain the hotel manager and stay with Chan Sung.
The K Drama elements in this episode:
Flowers
Alcohol
The quirky best friend Sanchez
The umbrella scenes
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
Our favorite lines from the episode.
Second lead syndrome in K Dramas.
1.15 - Episode 14 of Hotel Del Luna
04 Jun 2022
00:42:55
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 14 of Hotel Del Luna. Man Wol is convinced that Koo Chan Sung is a reincarnated Chyung Myung. She knows she can’t kill Koo Chan Sung, so she gives the moon ornament to Ji-won to make him stronger, knowing Ji-won will try to kill Koo Chan Sung. Koo Chan Sung battles and tricks Ji-won and is saved by the hotel staff and the grim reaper. As a result, Koo Chan Sung saves Man Wol from being turned to ashes. Chyung Myung finally appears to Man Wol in human form, but instead of bringing him to hell and then vanishing, Man Wol is finally empty and will allow Chyung Myung to go to the afterlife. As a final punishment, Man Wol must accompany Chyung Myung to the bridge to the afterlife. At the end of the episode, Man Wol and Chyung Myung are on the bridge. Man stops, turns around and walks back to Koo Chan Sung.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST -Can You Hear Me by Ben.
How Man Wol is convinced that Koo Chan Sung is a reincarnated Chyung Myung because of things he’s done and said, including holding her head a certain way when Koo Chan Sung exited the tunnel.
How Man Wol betrayed Koo Chan Sung by giving Ji-won the moon ornament so that he would become stronger and be able to kill Koo Chan Sung.
How Koo Chan Sung battled and vanquished Ji-won by tricking him about the full moon; he was saved by the bartender, bellman, guest manager and grim reaper.
How Koon Chan Sung saved Man Wol from being turned to ashes by Mago.
How Joanna is Team Koo Chan Sung and Jen is Team Chyung Myung.
What it meant when Mago told Man Wol to empty herself
The meaning of 666 (the room where Seo-hee brought Ji-won) to Catholics; it’s from the book of Revelation.
Hyung Jun’s story and how he is waiting for his sister to die. He finally tells Yuna that he will be leaving the hotel soon.
How heartbreaking it was to see Koo Chan Sung sobbing at the bus stop after a month of waiting for Man Wol to come back.
The K Drama elements in this episode:
Crying (mostly by Koo Chan Sung)
Alcohol
Flowers
Triangles
Wrist grabs
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
Our favorite lines from the episode.
The many ways to say Thank You in Korean, including how to say it formally and casually.
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 13 of Hotel Del Luna. We learn the story of guest manager Seo-hee. 200 years ago, her husband’s family let her baby daughter die, in order to make room for a son to be born. At her death, Seo hee curses the family. When the eldest grandson of the family dies a bachelor and without children, Seo hee is happy. Her happiness is short lived when she finds out the grandson had a pregnant girlfriend. When the girlfriend and her baby are close to death, Seon hee cannot bring herself to let them die, even at the expense of her grudge. The ghost of serial killer Ji won is back and this time, he’s after Chan Sung’s friends: Sanchez, Lee Mi-ra and Yeon-soo. We also finally learn the story of the fateful night when Chyung Myung and Man Wol battle. Chyung Myung stabs himself with Man Wol’s sword and says that he will keep her in his heart and watch her from afar. At the end of the episode, Chan Sung runs into the tunnel to the afterlife (while looking for a lost boy), and is guided by the firefly who has been hanging out in the moon tree for 1,300 years!
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - Remember Me by Gummy.
How K Drama Chat has gone up in rank on Feedspot’s list of Top K Drama Podcasts!
We learn more about what happened between Man Wol and Chyung Myung on the wedding night of Chyung Myung and Song Hwa.
How Chyung Myung killed himself with Man Wo’s sword and pledged to watch her from afar.
How Chyung Myung is the firefly that has been hanging out in the moon tree for 1,300 years!
Mago #5 or wealth Mago who brings luck and fortune to people and businesses.
How we learn about Seo-hee and her backstory from 200 years ago. How her husband’s family left her baby girl to die and in her death, Seo hee cursed her husband’s death.
How Seo hee couldn’t let the pregnant girlfriend of the eldest grandson, and her baby, die.
The themes of remembering and forgetting in this episode.
The East Asian obsession with having sons, which we think is stupid.
The K Drama elements in this show:
The Tansan product placement
Beef short rib soup
Alcohol, in this case champagne and the Tears drink of Mr. Kim
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
Our favorite lines from the episode.
Tiki Taka in K Dramas, or the rapid fire dialogue between the actors
The K Dramas we're watching now. Joanna is watching The Crowned Clown, while Jen has been busy and not watching much.
A discussion of the K Drama that we should recap and analyze next season!
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 12 of Hotel Del Luna. The story of the serial killer plays out as Koo Chan Sung meets Ji-won at the wine bar and confirms that he is the murderer. They fight and Koo Chan Sung is saved by Detective Yeong-soo. An injured Ji-won later confronts Koo Chan Sung on the roof of the hospital and then jumps off the building. Man Wol meets Ji-won, who is now a vengeful ghost who is out to get Koo Chan Sung. There is a side story about a doctor and his wife who have been buying lifelines in order to save their sick son. We also see Sanchez, who has come home because he believes Veronica is still at the hotel. Man Wol tells Koo Chan Sung to let her go and not be sad, but Koo Chan Sung says he doesn’t want to let her go. The episode ends with a passionate kiss!
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - See the Stars by Red Velvet.
How we’re teaching our kids to be more formal with adults until given permission to speak more casually
How Man Wol is showing true vulnerability for the first time in 1,300 years
How to love is to be vulnerable
How we learn more about Man Wol’s life, including her love with Yeon-u, her love for Chyung Myung, and Yeon-u’s death
How Chyung Myung is the firefly that has been haunting the Moon Tree for 1,300 years!
How grudges are so damaging to your health
The side story with the doctor and his wife who are using their lifelines and purchasing lifelines from other people to keep their son alive
The themes of forgetting and not wanting to be forgotten in Hotel Del Luna
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 11 of Hotel Del Luna. We see the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung deepen, take a romantic turn, and become even playful. We revisit the story of the serial killer; Yuna is on Ji-won’s trail. We meet Hwang Moon-Suk, who was the human manager at Hotel Del Luna 30 years ago; she wants to ask Man Wol a favor for her son, who was conceived in Room 404 of Hotel Del Luna. We have the tragic story between Sanchez and Veronica. Veronica dies in a tragic car accident. Thankfully, she is able to say good-bye to Sanchez through the lunar eclipse and Hotel Del Luna. At the end of the episode, Mago visits Man Wol to tell her that her time to leave is coming near and the flowers of the tree will fail when she starts to be afraid.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - Only You by Yang Da-il, singer-songwriter and producer,
How the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung is changing.
How individuals by default speak formally to each other in South Korea. It’s the protocol to ask to speak informally before actually doing so.
The story with the serial killer and how Yuna is on his tail.
How Mago #4 tells Man Wol that the flowers on the tree will fall once she becomes afraid. Man Wol ends up realizing she is afraid because Chan Sung is in danger.
The story of the human manager, Hwang Moon-Suk. She wants Man Wol to allow her daughter and son-in-law to spend the night at Hotel Del Luna and hopefully conceive a child there.
The tragic story of Sanchez and Veronica.
How Hotel Del Luna has three couples that are not destined to work out: Man Wol and Chan Sung; Hyung Jung and Yuna; Sanchez and Veronica.
The sad and moving story of the father and son who were killed by the truck driver and how the father used his one dream call to contact the truck driver and ask for forgiveness.
How we learn a little more about the guest manager, Seo-hee, and how she is waiting for her husband’s family line to die.
The K Drama elements in this episode: flowers, alcohol, product placement, and second couples.
Naengmyeon and rice cake noodle soup.
Our favorite lines from the episode.
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
How to say thank you in Korean formally and informally.
What we’re watching now: 39 and Revolutionary Love
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 10 of Hotel Del Luna. The main storyline is about the hotel Chairman and the bartender trying to set up Koo Chan Sung with the Chairman’s granddaughter. While the granddaughter is interested, Koo Chan Sung says that his heart is already taken. And even though Man Wol tells him to leave the hotel, Koo Chan Sung decides to stay by her side. In the end, Man Wol allows Koo Chan Sung to take care of her and guide her to the afterlife., causing the Moon Tree to burst with flowers. The hotel moves back to the city, and Koo Chan Sung is reinstated as the manager. There are three important side stories: Yeon-wu has come back as a reincarnated Yeong-su. Yeong-su meets Lee Mi-ra and they start to date. Koo Chan Sung meets his mother, who is a ghost trapped in a library. And we see the serial killer set up a man for his many murders.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - So Long by Paul Kim, a South Korean singer and songwriter.
The firefly and the green, shadowy character from last week’s episode.
Whether or not we would make the choice to eat the medicine that would allow us to stop seeing ghosts.
The love triangle between Man Wol, Koo Chan Sung and the Chairman’s granddaughter.
Joanna’s grandmother’s visit to her in a dream when she was little.
The cameo by Sulli, the famous singer/actress and IU’s best friend; she committed suicie in 2019 after filming the cameo.
How Man Wol accepts that Chan Sung is there to take care of her, and that she will bloom beautifully and then die, like the Moon Tree.
The side story with Koo Chan Sung’s mom and how we both felt shortchanged by this story, we wanted to know more about his mom and the relationship to develop between them more.
The side story with the serial killer, and how he knows Sanchez and Koo Chan Sung.
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
How food comes up a lot in this episode, especially how Koo Chan Sung used food to save Sanchez’s life.
Our favorite lines from the episode.
Why we think K Dramas make us so emotional, from the music, to the beautiful dialogues, pacing, and character development.
References:
Sulli made a cameo in Episode 10. She played the granddaughter of the Chairman. Sulli is a singer, actor and model. She is a friend of IU. She was found dead in October 2019.
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 9 of Hotel Del Luna. At the beginning of the episode, Koo Chan Sung finds that he has been abandoned by Man Wol and her staff. The hotel has moved to the countryside. A good portion of the episode is devoted to Koo Chan Sung trying to get back to the hotel, which he does, after a visit to see Mago, and by accompanying the recently deceased hotel Chairman. There is a side story with a Guardian of the Well, who abandoned his well because he was drying out, and wanted to leave the villagers while they would still miss him. The second side story involves Yoona and Hyeung Jun, who unwittingly discover the mass grave of six victims. At the end of the episode, we see a reincarnated Yeon-woo, who turns out to be the detective in charge of the murders.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
Another beautiful song from the Hotel Del Luna OST. This time it’s “At the End” by Kim Chung Ha.
How Man Wol abandoned Koo Chan Sung because she didn’t want him to put him in any more danger.
Koo Chan Sung’s visit to Mago, where they argue about his role in Man Wol’s life.
How both Koo Chan Sung and Jang Man Wol are in conflict with themselves and their emotions.
How we learn a little more about Mr. Kim, the bartender.
Dan Pink’s World Regret Survey, where you can take the survey and read regrets from around the world.
How regrets and grudges are so bad for you because they consume you and keep you from moving on with your life.
How we weren’t crazy about the story about the Guardian of the Well.
The K Drama elements of the wrist grab and lots of alcohol.
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
The gorgeous cinematography of Hotel Del Luna.
The shows we’re watching now, specifically Selling Sunset and Memories of the Alhambra.
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 8 of Hotel Del Luna. This pivotal episode is devoted to the relationship between Man Wol and Lee Mi-ra. We learn through flashbacks that Lee Mi-ra is Princess Song Hwa from Man Wol’s past. Princess Song Hwa is the person who ordered all of Man Wol’s gang members killed. In retaliation, Man Wol kills Princess Song Hwa on her wedding night. In modern times, Lee Mi-ra is Koo Chan Sung’s ex-girlfriend from the US. Man Wol invites Lee Mi-ra to the carnival at Hotel Del Luna and tries to ruin Lee Mi-ra’s life through an evil grudge, which Koo Chan Sung blocks. There is also a side story about an old woman who has recently died and an imaginary ghost created by a lonely woman in a loveless marriage.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
Another beautiful song from the Hotel Del Luna OST. This time it’s “Can You See My Heart” by Heize.
What we loved about this episode.
How Man Wol forced Mago #1 to appear by stopping an old lady from going to the afterlife.
Man Wol’s grudges against Chyung Mung and Princess Song Hwa, who is Lee Mi-ra in modern times.
The show’s themes of grudges, regret and forgiveness.
How we are finally starting to realize the depth of Man Wol’s grudges and regrets.
The Power of Regret, the new book by Dan Pink, which explores our most common regrets and what we can learn from them.
Our favorite lines from the episode. Joanna’s favorite is from Mago: For a flower to blossom, she needs to feel the wind and face the rain, too. Jen’s favorite line is from Koo Chan Sung to Man Wol: I don’t care if this is your prison or your fence. I will stay here with you.
How Hotel Del Luna is both a prison and a fence for Man Wol. It both locks her in and keeps her safe.
Why Koo Chan Sung took the evil grudge intended for Lee Mi-ra.
How Man Wol decided to move the hotel and not tell Koo Chan Sung.
The side story with Gyeong-a, the made up ghost.
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
How episode 8 connects with, and brings clarity to, episode 1.
Korean terms of endearment and the use of “a” at the end of a name to make a name a term of endearment.
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 7 of Hotel Del Luna. The bulk of this episode is devoted to the story of the ghost from Room 13, who has escaped the hotel and is killing people. Mago 4 and the Grim Reaper ultimately deal with this ghost, but in the meantime, Man Wol, Koo Chan Sung and Yuna all get involved. There is also a side story about a husband and wife who find themselves at the hotel and discover they had different first loves. Finally, we see more flashbacks from Man Wol’s life and we now know that Lee Mi-ra, Koo Chan Sung’s ex-girlfriend, was the princess from Man Wol’s past.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
Another beautiful song from the Hotel Del Luna OST. This time it’s Lean On My Shoulder by 10cm.
The deepening relationship between Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung. One again, Man Wol saves Koo Chan Sung, this time from a grudge by the unhappy husband. Man Wol also seems to increasingly accept that her time at the hotel is coming to an end.
How Karma ultimately came back around for the men who circulated the illegal video of the ghost from Room 13.
How Man Wol tricked the CEO and showed the deities how evil he was. As a result, Mago 4 came for the ghost from Room 13 and the CEO.
The theme of forgiveness, especially in the story between the husband and wife.
How Man Wol is referred to as a thief several times in the episode.
How Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung now realize that Lee Mi-ra is the princess from Man Wol’s past.
The K Drama elements: Flowers, alcohol, the piggyback ride, and the wrist grab.
Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
The Korean hanbok, or traditional Korean dress for women and men.
The Filipiniana and the Barong Tagalog, the traditional dress for women and men in the Philippines.
We apologize for the echo issues in this episode. Jen was on vacation and not in her normal setup. In fact, she was in a gym in the Outer Banks because the beach house her family was renting was too noisy! So sorry! We will do better next week!
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung is further developing. Man Wol tells Chan Sung that her time to leave is coming but that Chan Sung should not be sad. When Chan Sung’s ex-girlfriend shows up, Man Wol abandons her plans to go eat webfoot octopus with Chan Sung and sits at the hotel beach by herself. We have two side stories. The first is about an actor who died while playing a king. He arrives at Hotel Del Luna, thinking he is still a king and it’s up to the staff to help fulfill his wishes. The second is about the ghost from Room 13 who is now killing men. Finally, we see three flashbacks from Man Wol’s life.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
Sung Hee, our guest on this show. Sung Hee went to college with Joanna and they studied in Paris during their junior year.
The growing friendship between Yuna and Hyeon-jung. We also learn more about Hyeon-jung’s life and little sister.
What hangover soup and webfoot octopus are.
The baby that brought the restaurant luck and Joanna’s son, who brought their favorite Japanese restaurant luck.
The K Drama elements in this episode: the back hug, food, alcohol, the wrist grab, flowers.
The side story with the actor who believed he was a Joseon king.
The side story with the ghost from Room 13 and how she’s now on a killing spree. Her victims get tricked into clicking a video of what they think will be a beautiful woman in her bedroom, but instead, they get murdered.
The Korean obsession with perfect skin.
Man Wol’s outfits and which ones we like best.
The actor Yeo Jin-goo: his background, his acting, and why we love him.
Jen and Sung Hee’s weddings (they are Korean-American).
8.12 - Podcast Review of Episode 12 of Crash Landing On You
09 Aug 2024
01:19:07
Sung Hee is back from her trip to London! Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 12 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong Hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs we feature during the recap: Seo Dan and Same Sky, Different World by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee
A few shout outs to our listeners who have commented on the blog and given us reviews.
The emotional scene when Captain Ri finds Se-ri in the parking garage. Once again, he’s found her!
Captain Ri and Se-ri clearly love each other but they know they can’t be together. Captain Ri doesn’t try to stay and Se-ri doesn’t ask him to stay.
Geum Eun Dong’s and Captain Ri’s hilarious screen names in the online game they played!
Captain Ri was a shell of himself, not believing he could or should ever be happy, until he met Se-ri. Captain Ri did the same for Se-ri.
How Captain Ri’s men must be absolutely overwhelmed by the wealth of South Korea.
How Yoon Se-hyeong will stop at nothing to become Chairman. It’s an act that he cares about what happens to Se-ri if Cho Cheol Gang takes her!
Why Se-ri’s father wrote his relationship to Se-ri in Chinese or Hanja, when he went to get her from the military.
We get the heartbreaking, soul crushing flashback from Se-ri’s youth when her stepmom left her on the beach. This is why Se-ri has always felt alone and unwanted, and why her stepmom is haunted by her relationship with Se-ri.
Why is the former Chairman, Se-ri’s dad not getting blamed for his extramarital affair with Se-ri’s mom, for conning Gu Seung Jun’s father, and for his financial wrongdoings at Queens Group?
The start of a romance between Seo Dan and Gu Seung Jun. She must be fascinated and intrigued by Gu Seung Jun!
The amazing friendships between the village women.
When Captain Ri found Se-ri’s voice recorder and listened to her confession and his own voice, he realized that they had met in Switzerland. It seems that he and Se-ri are fated to meet and keep finding each other.
1.05 - Episode 5 of Hotel Del Luna
01 Apr 2022
00:39:20
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 5 of Hotel Del Luna. At the end of Episode 4, Jang Man Wol has saved Koo Chan-Sung from the ghost in Room 13. In this episode, the hotel staff look for other ways to get rid of Koo Chan-Sung, but Man Wol says he’s staying by her side. We see two flashbacks from Man Wol’s earlier life: Man Wol and Yeon-wu under the big tree, and Man Wol in a wedding gown in a large bedchamber. We also have a side story with a ghost bride who doesn’t want to get married but an elderly couple has other plans for her.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
How our podcast made FeedSpot’s list of Top 40 Korean Drama podcasts
Our new website at https://www.KDramaChat.com
What Korean brides and grooms wear during weddings.
The significance of the red string ceremony in Korean weddings.
The flashback of Man Wol and Yeon-woo at the big tree and how Yeon-woo wants to take care of Man Wol in her old age.
The flashback of Man Wol in the bedchamber, and the mysterious person in white who enters the room.
The story of the ghost bride and who is ultimately responsible for trying to marry her to another man.
The K Drama elements that we see in this show: the Trip and Catch, the Swarovski product placement, and the triangle between Man Wol, Koo Chan-sung and the ghost bride.
We also talk about other potential K Drama elements: the Quirky Friend, the Deep Lean, and the Arm Rest.
Our favorite Man Wol outfits from this show.
Our favorite Korean dishes and where to get them in the DC area.
In Episode 4 of Hotel Del Luna, things are getting complicated between Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung. Chan Sung continues to dream about Man Wol, who is upset that Koo Chan Sung is learning about her past life. Through flashbacks, we learn more about Man Wol’s life and we have two side stories. We also learn that the hotel staff are plotting to have Koo Chan Sung removed as manager because they fear his arrival is making the tree come back to life and make time start flowing again for Man Wol.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
How Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung’s relationship is changing as he learns more about her past.
We see that Chung Myung once again saves Man Wol and is true to his word when he promises to save Yeon-wu.
How the side story with the blind ghost is not what we expected
The unexpectedly sweet story of the old man and his dog
The appearance of the grim reaper
How Mago is a deity in Korean, Chinese and Japanese mythology, especially as a protector of women
How the hotel staff try to trick Koo Chan Sung into losing his mind by visiting the ghost in Room 13
Man Wol’s many outfits and which ones are our favorites
The famous Korean skin care routine with its 10 steps
In Episode 3 of Hotel Del Luna, we learn more about Man Wol’s past life, we meet Mago, we learn more about the hotel’s main staff, and we meet Yoona. Through several flashbacks, we learn about two important men in her life, Yeon-Woo, a fellow gang member, and Go Chung Myung, the Captain of the Princess’ Guard. Mago tell Man Wol that she is tied to the tree but she must move on. After putting a blossom on Koo Chan Sung’s heart, Koo Chan Sung starts having dreams of Man Wol’s past life. We also have a new character: Yoona, whose body is inhabited by Soo-Jung, whom Yoona pushed off a bridge.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
The triangle between Man Wol, Yeon-Woo and Go Chung Myung, as well as the triangle between Man Wol, Koo Chan Sung and Go Chung Myung.
The potential for romance between Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung, whose dreams are now filled with Man Wol and her past life.
The flower element again
The amazing cameo by Lee Goon-Ji
How the hotel staff refer to Man Wol as Jang Man Wol and sajangnim.
In Episode 2 of Hotel Del Luna. we follow Koo Chan Sung as he navigates between his job at the fancy hotel and his (offered) job at Hotel Del Luna. Koo Chan Sung and Jan Man Wol work together to help a ghost tiger find peace and once again, they go out to eat. We learn that Manager Noh is ready to retire and he pays a visit to Koo Chan Sung, to try and convince the younger man to take his job. We also see the guest manager, Seo-hee, fulfilling the wishes of several guests, demonstrating that the hotel helps ghosts fulfill their wishes and overcome their grudges.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:
The ghosts who overcome their grudges or fulfill their wishes in order to move on to heaven
How ghosts travel to heaven via the bridge over the Samdo River
How Jang Man Wol is misunderstood; she comes across as materialistic and aloof, but she can also be very perceptive and caring
The food in this episode, namely red bean porridge and sashimi
The Baekdu mountain range and its connection to feng shui
Formal and informal greetings in the Korean language
Episode 1 of Hotel Del Luna introduces the main characters, Jang Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung, as well as some of the hotel staff, mainly the bellman, the guest manager, and the bartender. The episode flips back and forth between the past and the present, and between the main storyline and the side stories.
We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We talk about our first impressions of the show and what we loved about the first episode. We discuss:
What we know about Jang Man Wol
What we know about Koo Chan Sung
What we know about the hotel
How 3 of 14 K Drama Elements show up in this episode, mainly: flowers, alcohol and food.
We close with a few words about Korean names, including how you address someone formally, informally, and our new Korean nicknames.
This is the pilot episode for K Drama Chat. In this episode, we introduce ourselves, Joanna Pineda and Jen McWhorter, and talk about why we love K Dramas and why we decided to create this podcast.
Rather than just review our favorite K Dramas, we want to go deep and analyze each episode of our favorite series. For our first season, we have chosen Hotel Del Luna. This series is on Netflix, so it's easy for everyone to watch. This series features amazing actors, an amazing storyline, gorgeous cinematography, layers of myth and symbolism, and plenty of side stories and surprises.
But before delving in Hotel Del Luna, we talked about the 14 elements that, our experience, exist in every K Drama series. Some of our favorites are:
Gorgeous OSTs (original sound tracks)
Food; there's lot of eating in K Dramas
Crying; there's lots of crying, by both women and men
Love triangles
Umbrella scene
K Drama Chat is a weekly series, with new episodes dropping every Friday.
We welcome your comments about our shows, what we got right, what we got wrong, and what we missed. We also want to hear your insights into the episodes that we cover, and your suggestions for shows to cover in future seasons.
8.11a - Special Episode with Mars from the Moksori Podcast
02 Aug 2024
00:41:12
Today is a special episode. Sung Hee is on vacation so Joanna has a conversation with Mars from the Moksori podcast. We discuss:
Mars’ K Drama journey.
Her love of music, especially K Drama OSTs.
Why K Drama OSTs are so amazing and especially effective at evoking emotion.
Our favorite songs from the shows discussed in Season 1-8 of K Drama Chat.
8.11 - Podcast Review of Episode 11 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
26 Jul 2024
01:14:15
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 11 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs we feature during the recap: Here I Am Again by Baek Yerin and Let Us Go by Crush.
In the first half of the show, Se-ri is trying hard to adapt to North Korea. In this episode, Captain Ri and the ducklings are trying to get used to South Korea.
Cho Cheol Gang is now in South Korea and she’s clearly after Se-ri.
Se-ri can’t believe her eyes when she finds Captain Ri on the sidewalk. The hug they give each other makes it clear that they are home in each other’s arms. Now, Se-ri knows that Cho Cheol Gang is after her.
If Captain Ri has one talent, it’s his ability to find Se-ri. Knowing just her neighborhood, he found her in Seoul!
Although Se-ri lies to Captain Ri and tells him that everything is fine with her family, she has to eat her words when Yoon Se-Hyeong and his wife enter her apartment and threaten her if she tries to get in the way of him becoming Chairman.
Se-ri takes Captain Ri shopping for some amazing clothes and a hot haircut. He was so handsome before; now he’s downright debonair!
The reference to the Korean folk tale of Heungbu and Nolbu.
How the ducklings have been dropped into Seoul and they are exploring fried chicken and a South Korea spa.
With Cho Cheol Gang convicted, Mr. Cheon says he and Gu Seung Jun are in danger. Mr. Cheo gets taken by some men, leaving Gu Seung Jun alone and without a place to stay.
Gu Seung Jun gets a phone call from Seo Dan, whom he picks up and who offers him use of her apartment in the border village.
How both Captain Ri and Seo Dan’s mothers ultimately care about their children and want them to be with someone they actually love.
Yoon Se-Jun and his wife tell Se-ri’s mother that Se-ri was in North Korea. Even worse, Yoon Se-Hyeong knew about Se-ri and didn’t do anything about it!
The village ladies risk a lot to see a shaman, who tells the women that they are all in trouble because their husbands are in trouble.
Captain Ri’s battle with the thugs and his epic cat and mouse game with Cho Cheol Gang to save Se-ri.
In the epilogue, we realize that Se-ri and Seo Dan had also met while in Switzerland.
Our favorite K Drama elements, especially Captain Ri protecting Se-ri at personal cost to himself, the Subway product placement (finally!), and a new element: clamping a hand on someone’s mouth.
The actresses who play the village ladies; we love them!
8.10 - Podcast Review of Episode 10 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
19 Jul 2024
01:05:24
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 10 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs we feature in the recap: Se-ri’s Choice by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and The Hill of Yearning by April 2nd.
How Se-ri and Captain Ri have had 5 partings and 5 reunions.
In the end, it was easy enough to get Se-ri home since Captain Ri and his men were back at the DMZ.
Why Captain Ri asked Gu Seung Jun for help and why Gu Seung Jun decided to help Captain Ri get Se-ri back to Seoul.
The Grief Bowl and how the cracked and empty bowl outside the rundown house in the DMZ is a metaphor for how Captain Ri is feeling.
How Se-ri gets back to Seoul and takes back her company, but she is clearly a changed person.
The amnesia game that Se-ri is playing with her family, but Yoon Se-hyeong is not fooled since he and his wife knew that Se-ri was in North Korea.
How Captain Ri gets his brother’s watch from Jung Man Bok, who is guilt-ridden over his part in the killing of his only friend, the man who saved his son.
The trial that got Cho Cheol Gang convinced of multiple crimes, but he is rescued by two Kamaz trucks and is now threatening Se-ri back in Seoul.
How Gu Seung Jun and Seo Dan met at the Pyongyang Hotel and Gu Seung Jun explains how he helped send Se-ri home.
How Se-ri finds Captain Ri on the sidewalk outside her house. He had been looking for her!
How Captain Ri’s men and Jung Man Bok are kidnapped by General Ri and given the mission to find Captain Ri in Seoul and bring him back.
Kim Soo Hyun’s amazing cameo as a North Korea spy posing as a Chinese food delivery man. This is a role he played in Secretly Greatly.
The background and roles of the handsome and talented Ha Seok Jin, who plays Ri Mu Hyeok, Captain Ri’s brother.
8.9 - Podcast Review of Episode 9 of Crash Landing On You
12 Jul 2024
01:33:21
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 9 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong Hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. The amazing Ernabel Demillo is back to help us recap and analyze this episode! We discuss:
The songs we feature during the recap: My Companion by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and All Of My Days by Kim Sejeong.
Captain Ri didn’t believe Se-ri when she said she was going home. He was determined to find her!
When Captain Ri punched Cho Cheol Gang, it wasn’t very smart, but he was done and he was out of hope. He felt like once again, he had failed to protect someone he loved.
The language Se-ri uses when she speaks with Captain Ri’s father. She is very respectful and it’s hard to explain the levels of honorifics in Korean.
How Captain Ri’s parents are shocked to find out who Se-ri is, and that she and Captain Ri love each other.
How Captain Ri’s men spread the rumor about who Captain Ri’s father is, and this leads the Senior Colonel to release him from the detention center.
How Captain Ri works out that his father, General Ri, is probably the one who had Se-ri taken.
How Captain Ri and Se-ri discover that they encountered each other in Switzerland and Jeong Hyeok’s Song For My Brother gave Se-ri hope and he ultimately saved her life. This revelation scene was exquisitely filmed and edited.
How Cho Cheol Gang convinced the Military Director to have the Ri residence searched because he thinks Se-ri is hiding there. The search ultimately turns up nothing because Captain Ri and his men did an emergency switch at the DMZ.
Se-ri’s mom and sisters-in-law visit Se-ri’s apartment. Se-ri’s mom is full of worry and regret, while the sisters-in-law covet Se-ri’s things and her business, Se-ri’s Choice.
How our second leads, Gu Seung Jun and Seo Dan, encounter each other at the Pyongyang Hotel bar. They get really drunk and discover each other for the first time.
Captain Ri takes Se-ri to a point in the DMZ where she can easily cross over into South Korea. When Se-ri crosses over, Captain Ri decides to cross over and give Se-ri a big kiss!
In the epilogue, we see Se-ri organizing Captain Ri’s books so that the top lines say ‘I Love You, Ri Jeong Hyeok.”
The show we’re watching now, including Lovely Runner, Itaewon Class, and Red Sleeve.
Ernabel’s show, Asian American Life. In a recent segment, she shares that ube is the top flavor trends of 2024. She also interviewed Jeanie Chang, author of “How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health.”
8.8 - Podcast Review of Episode 8 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
05 Jul 2024
01:09:27
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 8 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The song we featured during the recap: Season of Us by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and Time of Jeong Hyeok for Se-ri by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee.
This is the pivotal episode 8 and it ended on such a cliffhanger!
How Captain Ri feels compelled to save Se-ri and help her get home. He made a promise to get her home AND this is his penance for failing to protect his brother, Ri Mu Hyeok.
He wants to save Se-ri, not so they can be happy together, but so SHE can be safe and happy back in Seoul.
Gu Seung jun and Seo Dan are making the same argument: Se-ri should stay away from Captain Ri to keep him safe.
Gu Seung jun asks Se-ri to marry him so he can keep her safe and bring her back to South Korea. Even if Se-ri would consider this a fake marriage, he would like to make it more than that.
But nothing can keep Captain Ri from Se-ri. He goes alone, unarmed and injured to save her.
How their eyes spoke volumes when they said goodby on Gu Seung jun’s balcony.
Se-ri makes another fateful choice when she takes the car and goes after Captain Ri.
Our new element 48 is talk of first loves.
Captain Ri is out to get Captain Ri, especially now that Gu Seung jun has let Se-ri escape. He wants to get Se-ri convicted as a South Korean spy and take down Captain Ri and his father.
Se-ri pawned Gu Seung jun’s engagement ring and gave everything in the pawn shop to the village ladies. She took the designer men’s watch she had spotted earlier; she intended to give it to Captain Ri as a Christmas present.
We have a double cliffhanger at the end of the episode.
The first was when Se-ri taken at gunpoint. She was asked to make a phone call to Captain Ri to say she was leaving North Korea. She says I love you, a gun goes off, and then the line goes dead.
The second was when Hong Chang sik, Se-ri’s assistant, and Park Su chan, the insurance agent, try to convince Se-ri’s father that she is still alive.
The K Drama elements we see in this episode, including the confession, talk of a first love, lots of crying, lots of wrist grabs, and protecting someone you love at personal cost to yourself.
The filming locations for Crash Landing On You, which includes Jeju Island, multiple locations in Switzerland, a department store in Incheon, and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.
The shows we’re watching now: Lovely Runner for Sung Hee and Itaewon Class for Joanna.
8.7 - Podcast Review of Episode 7 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
28 Jun 2024
01:07:33
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 7 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The song we feature during the recap: the regular and orchestral versions of Song For My Brother by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee.
What a joint lock is, in reference to Joanna talking about joint locks in episode 8.6.
Se-ri’s decision to drive to Sariwon Hospital instead of the hospital instead of the airport, and her decision to stay and donate blood to Captain Ri, instead of flying out of the country with the national track team.
Why Se-ri made these choices and what Captain Ri now means to her.
How Captain Ri, at first furious with Se-ri, softens, kisses Se-ri outside, and even confesses his feelings about Se-ri to Seo Dan.
North Korea’s health care system, which the government says is free, but in reality, is in sad shape, and not free. Patients often have to bribe doctors to receive care.
How Se-ri now needs another way out of North Korea, so she calls Gu Seung jun, who realizes that Se-ri is in danger, and comes to get her at the hospital. She goes willingly, not realizing where he’s taking her.
Gu Seung jun and Seo Dan’s meeting and Gu Seung jun’s dating and marriage advice to Seo Dan.
Cho Cheol Gang’s efforts to arrest Captain Ri, which are thwarted by the arrival of Captain Ri’s parents.
The arrival of Seo Dan and her mother. Seo Dan doesn’t accept Captain Ri’s feelings about Se-ri and tells him that he will forget Se-ri since she’s leaving anyway.
Se-ri’s father’s announcement during the shareholder meeting that Yoon Se-ri is dead and Yoon Se-hyeung is now Chairman.
Hong Chang sik and Park Su chan’s realization that the recording of Se-ri’s mayday call went nowhere because Yoon Se-hyeung wanted to be Chairman.
The back story behind the beautiful Song For My Brother, which Ri Jeong Hyeok played on the pier in Switzerland, just at the moment when Se-ri was on a boat nearby. The song gave her hope and a fresh willingness to live; she’s looked high and low for this song ever since.
Se-ri has just realized that she’s been kidnapped. Gu Seung jun tells her that she doesn’t need Captain Ri anyway and contacting him would only endanger him. Similarly, Seo Dan says going after Se-ri would only endanger him.
The beautiful Seo Ji-hye, the actress who plays Seo Dan.
9.1.6 - Podcast Review of Season 1, Episode 6 of Kingdom
25 Oct 2024
00:55:11
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryon as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:
How Season 2 of Kingdom dropped at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - crazy!
The power struggle between Chief State Councilor Cho Hak ju and the Queen Consort.
How Lord Ahn put himself squarely in the Crown Prince’s camp when his archers shot the palace guards.
How the Crown Prince seems like a new person. He’s determined and confident when he strikes down the chief palace guard.
Who might be the traitor among the Crown Prince’s companions?
The thousands of people amassing at the southern gates of Sangju. The magistrate doesn’t want to let them in, but the Crown Prince decides that the magistrate is NOT the person to make that decision.
The Crown Prince’s plan to protect Sangju by taking advantage of the bodies of water surrounding Sangju.
The Queen’s evil plan to have a baby boy by taking pregnant, peasant women and waiting for one of them to have a boy. The queen is not pregnant after all!
Joanna’s theory that the queen might have had a miscarriage or gotten her period the day she asked her head court lady to burn her clothes because they had blood on them.
How the queen punished the court lady who gossiped about her clothing.
Why Cho Hak ju left Hanyang to go to Mungyeong Saejae, why he’s traveling with a zombie, and what his plans might be regarding the Crown Prince.
How Seo bi finds the resurrection plant in the Frozen Valley close to Sangju. But while in the cave, she and Cheo Beom Pal are trapped by zombies, who have come out during the day! Seo bi realizes that it's the temperature, not the day and night, that controls when the zombies come out.
How the Crown Prince and the men have an uneventful evening, but come morning, when they think they have a day’s respite, they realize that a zombie horde is coming!
The versatile Kim Sung-kyu, the actor who plays Young shin
8.6 - Podcast Review of Episode 6 of Crash Landing On You (CLOY)
21 Jun 2024
01:04:09
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
The songs we heard during the recap: Here I Am Again by Yerin Baek and Picnic by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee
Our four leads have all met at this point and there are some interesting triangles forming.
Gu Seung jun, Se-ri and Captain Ri are each trying to figure out what’s going on, but each is missing key information.
Gu Seung jun is hoping to use the fact that Se-ri is in North Korea as his bargaining chip against Yoon Se-hyeung. Little does he realize that his asking Cho Cheol Gang to keep Se-ri in North Korea is putting her in real danger.
How all of our research has led us to believe that listening devices are commonplace all over North Korea, especially in places where foreigners congregate.
We’re not sure if Seo Dan loves Captain Ri but she is certainly not going to let another woman take him away from her.
Captain Ri is a man who keeps his promises. He promised to keep Se-ri safe, so he goes after the Kamaz trucks at the end of the episode. We also see that he intends to honor his promise to Seo Dan, a promise made seven years ago to marry her.
Captain Ri and Se-ri have basically confessed their feelings for each other. She does it through her words, while he expresses it through his actions.
Cho Cheol Gang shows Jung Man bok a photo of Se-ri, saying he needs to have her never leave North Korea. Jung Man bok is in agony because he will be party to another murder, this time of someone who has been kind to his wife and son.
We see that Cho Cheol Gang is untouchable because he’s done favors for, or given money to, all of the senior officers.
Captain Ri protects Se-ri at huge personal cost to himself when he goes after the Kamaz trucks and takes a bullet in the back.