K-Drama School – Details, episodes & analysis

Grace will be performing stand-up in Milwaukee at Pomona Cider Company on September 13th! No K-drama coverage today. Grace is super tired after her first week of teaching. She went on a night hike for the first time in a very long time and saw some beautiful things. She is also adjusting to Wisconsin’s active scene. She hopes to make the most of it. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available everywhere as a hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grace-jung/k-drama-school/9780762485727/⁠⁠ Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreon page to support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.patreon.com/kdramaschool⁠⁠⁠. Visit the K-Drama School Store at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.kdramaschool/com/store⁠⁠⁠. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, and TikTok. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kdramaschool.com/⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. Email info@kdramaschool.com for any booking inquiries.

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show The Frog (2024, Netflix) starring Kim Yoon-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Go Min-si and Lee Jung-eun, directed by Mo Wan-il. This is part two of the series coverage. Grace wonders where the demented cruelty of the female antagonist comes from. She also wonders what the bigger overarching message of the show is. Perhaps the show ought to have been just a film or ended at a stranger point. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available everywhere as a hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grace-jung/k-drama-school/9780762485727/⁠⁠ Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreon page to support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.patreon.com/kdramaschool⁠⁠⁠. Visit the K-Drama School Store at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.kdramaschool/com/store⁠⁠⁠. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, and TikTok. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kdramaschool.com/⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. Email info@kdramaschool.com for any booking inquiries.

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show The Midnight Romance in Hagwon (2024, tvN) starring Jung Ryeo-won and Wi Ha-joon directed by Ahn Pan-seok who directed shows like Something in the Rain and One Spring Night. The show focuses on cram school teachers who are paid well for their work while teachers remain underpaid. Grace comments on the chemistry between the two lead actors. But Grace was blown away by Seo Jung-yeon’s performance and admires the show’s mise-en-scene whenever her character is in a scene. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available everywhere now: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grace-jung/k-drama-school/9780762485727/⁠⁠ Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreon page to support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.patreon.com/kdramaschool⁠⁠⁠. Visit the K-Drama School Store at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.kdramaschool/com/store⁠⁠⁠. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, and TikTok. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kdramaschool.com/⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Start-Up (2020, tvN) starring Bae Suzy of Miss A, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho and Kang Han-na. She discusses the unconvincing love triangle in the show, wonders what Dal-mi’s real dream is, and the show’s relatable illustration of imposter syndrome among young people trying to pursue their dream career despite their lack of resources and experiences. Grace’s guest is LA-based artist Joe Biel (@joebiel20 on Instagram) who originally hails from Iowa. They discuss Joe’s upbringing by two musicians, starting art classes as a young boy, the darkness and lightness of tough learning, grounding, channeling the spirit through creativity, overcoming addiction, coping with trauma, the artist’s imposter syndrome, and BTS fandom. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.

Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Another Miss Oh (AKA Another Oh Hae-young) written by Park Hae-young, who also wrote My Mister and My Liberation Notes. Grace sees a consistency in all three of Park’s shows in how they represent the patriarchy, three-sibling dynamics, and women in their 30s and 40s vulnerably expressing their need to be loved. Grace also talks about the chemistry between Seo Hyun-jin and Eric Mun, as well as Eric’s two-decade long K-pop career as a member of SM’s Shinhwa. Grace’s guest is Bruce Baek and they discuss how to get over hatred for auditions, how to cope with disappointment as an actor, how to remain optimistic and brave in the face of art, and spiritual practice for grounding. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.

[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses Extraordinary Attorney Woo written by Moon Ji-won, and how it weaves in multiple narratives related to politics including disability, misogyny, queerness, religion, childhood, liberation, and more. Grace’s guest is Kristen Cunningham (@kris10cc on Instagram) and they discuss mothers showing up at the house without invitation, negative self-talk, fashion, education, how to take notes, racism, and moving closer towards the things we want in life. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.

[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses season 1 of show Penthouse (2020, SBS) written by Kim Sook-ok, and how makjang dramas queer the moral boundary between a villain and a hero by allowing characters to change personas. Grace also compares makjang dramas’ excessiveness to German expressionist cinema. Grace’s guest is comedian Joe Wong (@joewongcomedy on Instagram). They discuss the writing process of his book Not This Shit Again!: A Comedian’s Guide to Tackling Anti-Asian Racism, comedy in China, being Asian in the American entertainment business, and more. Joe appeared on Ellen, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Joe hosted The Radio and TV Correspondents’ Dinner in 2010. Joe hosts a television show called Is It True? in China. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Jealousy Incarnate (2016, SBS) starring Gong Hyo-jin, Jo Jung-suk and Go Kyung-pyo and how the show is based on actual people who work at SBS in the news department. Grace also talks about trying to get closer to gratitude, how she’s working on trying not to lecture so much, and how much this podcast grounds her every single week. She’s grateful to her listeners. Grace’s guest is LA-based comedian and artist Killian McAssey (@killian_mcsassey). They talk about how struggling with a sense of self-worth gets in the way of one’s ability to charge full-price on their artwork, self-loathing, car loans, the average 25-year-old and what a mess they are in America, minding one’s own business, comforting the inner child, broken laptop, ex-girlfriends, and a deeply meditative presence one feels when drawing and skating. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show My Love from the Star (2014, SBS) starring Gianna Jun (Jun Ji-hyun) and Kim Soo-hyun. Berlin-based comedian Tobias Hauser (@hahahouser on Instagram) answers a few flashcard questions based on the show off the top with hilarious answers. Grace’s guest is veteran Korean American actor and comedian Steve Park (@stephenpark62) on Instagram) who is in Fargo, A Serious Man, The French Dispatch, In Living Color, and dozens of other films and shows over a span of 30 years. They discuss how one makes a choice to pursue the arts, self-placed pressure, how to navigate racism in Hollywood, the definition of “awakening,” Black and Asian oppression in America, improvising lines in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, being peace, and political enactment through performance. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.

Grace has no guest or K-drama to cover today. Instead, she does a short ASMR mukbang video with two cans of soda, talks about the state of academia today, and recommends making lists in the face of nothing mattering. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.