The songs featured during the recap: “A Rock that never erodes in the sea of my heart” and “Just be a good son, that’s all,” both by Park Seong-il, whose work captures the sad, wistful tone of the episode.
Our guest Kim Soomin from Virginialicious shares her passion for Korean food and the stories behind her food tours.
How Eun Myeong’s storyline takes center stage, highlighting the painful dynamics of favoritism, ambition, and parental regret.
The cultural and historical context of buncheong stoneware, how Eun Myeong’s life was turned upside by a single buncheon statue.
Pawnshops, especially during the IMF crisis in Korea.
The heartbreaking reasons Eun Myeong started his business, and his desperate need to be seen and loved by his parents.
The shocking confrontation between Ae Sun and Cheol Yong’s mom, culminating in a dramatic takedown and a contribution toward bail.
Gwan Sik’s emotional decision to sell his beloved fishing boat to save his son—an act that strips him of pride but is rich in sacrifice.
The importance of Gwan Sik’s fishing logbooks as both historical records and personal mementos.
Ae Sun’s rediscovery of her poetic voice, inspired by the poem she once wrote to Gwan Sik.
Eun Myeong’s silent struggle as he tries to earn money by selling buckwheat jelly and rice cakes, with his father secretly helping behind the scenes.
Bu Sang Gil’s evolving character arc, revealing regrets, realizations, and attempts at redemption through quiet acts of support.
Yeong Ran’s announcement that she passed her real estate exam, signaling a new chapter of independence and purpose.
References
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Out of the choices you provided for next drama to visit ... hands down: My Mister. Besides being considered the best K-drama (perhaps best drama period) ever there are some great connections to When Life Gives You Tangerines. Same director. I think same director of photography. Same co-star: IU. And 3-4 others in Tangerines were also in My Mister. Besides being a great show, the amazing part is how this same power duo of IU and Kim Won Seok create two different dramas that were indeed very different. (Both won for Baeksang Drama of the Year awards in 2019 and 2025).
ReplyDeleteHello Julian! Thanks so much for your recommendation. I agree that My Mister is one of the greatest dramas of all time, not just Kdramas. It is always on my short list for future shows to discuss. These types of shows, that delve into the characters' personal lives and relationships are always my favorite.
DeleteMy Mister is my favourite drama period.
DeleteIt has an impressive team, but I would say the corner stone of that sucess is the writer.
Seven Seas Drama: Yes, that script was definitely something special. Apparently the writer had the foundation and a few episodes writen in 2013, but no one wanted to front the money for a show about middle aged men (and one young woman). It took a few years to get there, but I'm so glad Park Hae Young stuck with it!
DeleteI wasn't aware of that tidbit.
DeleteI know the series faced strong criticism when people just read the premise and passed judgment and filled the blank on their own.
If you haven't seen her other works, start with "Another Miss Oh". You can see the seed of her style. I liked the series, but didn't love it, because it has tons of "humour", which I found super cringy, and often unwatchable. But, when it veered towards seriousness, it was very good.
Park Hae Young mentioned that she was struggling finding her style, and even admitted that she didn't know what really make people laugh. Eventually, one of her seniors advised her to stop writing what she think will be popular, and write what she wants.
..and Voila: we got "My Mister", where she essentially ditched the cringness. Of course, she was also fortunate with the director and the leads (Best IU performance, including Tangerine, by miles in my opinion), and the late Lee Sun-Kyun (everytime I see him, or his name I get so sad, and angry).
..and then "My Liberation Notes". Not quite the level of My Mister, but still, amongst the best.
Unfortunately, she took an administrative job, so it is unlikely to see a work by her soon, if ever.
Seven Sceas Drama: Whoa, you scared me for a moment regarding admin job. No, it looks like she has written a script and it will soon be shot. Apparently the title translates to: Everyone is fighting against their own worthlessness. Stars two actors with roles in Tangerines too. More here: https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/05/02/AV3I6EHV2FFYDL6CWO3PQLGNO4/
DeleteWhen I first visited Seoul 3 years ago, unbeknownst to me at the time, Park Hae Young was giving a talk about My Mister to invited guests/clients of a prestigious financial instituation. It was given 3 blocks from where I was staying! But even if I had known, I don't speak more than 10 words of Korean. Still I would have liked to tell her personally what a great show My Mister was even if it was with sign language and gestures!
Julian..Thanks for this information. This is going to be my most anticipated Kdrama. I am worried about the director though. I dropped both "camellia" and "Samldari". But, hopefully with PHY writing things will turn out fine.
DeleteI don't know why I thought she called it a day. I thought maybe she has already proved herself. And, she looked like someone who doesn't look for spotlight.
Joanna and Sung Hee, you should flag this a potential in real time future season based on the cast and the writer.
DeleteOh my goodness, I'm so late to the party! Loving all these comments. We promise to do My Mister in a future season. It is a masterpiece but we need a break from unremitting sadness, especially since my personal life is so full of sadness right now. More on that during the podcast.
DeleteI LOVE the idea of doing a real time show with "Everyone is fighting against their own worthlessness." Goodness, what a title. It already sounds dramatic and sad, but I'm here for it. The writer and cast sound amazing.
Could you make an episode about boys over flowers?
ReplyDeleteDear anynomous, I could not finish Boys Over Flowers. I did finish The Heirs, but I could not get through Boys Over Flowers. I may come back to it because it spawned so many versions and I know that it did so much to popularize K Dramas. Let me discuss with Sung Hee. Maybe we'll do a one-off episode on this show sometime. Thank you for your recommendation.
DeleteI really enjoyed this week’s episode of Parenting Chat Weekly! Lol. I did really like that quote “You are only as unhappy as your least happy child.” I’d never heard that before. I’ll have to remind my mother of this…..
ReplyDeleteAnd while I did feel bad for Eun Myeong, he had a lot of balls blaming his parents while HE WAS SITTING IN JAIL! Maybe Ae Son and Gwan Sik should have thought twice about naming the first kid Gold and the second kid Silver…..
I would like to propose a new K Drama element which is “meat.” Specifically, Koreans in K Dramas getting super excited about the idea of eating meat, especially if its Korean Beef. I can imagine several decades ago meat being much more uncommon and reserved for special occasions, but you would think nowadays its pretty common. But if someone mentions a company team dinner with BEEF, everyone goes crazy like they just won the lottery! That’s my weekly K Drama Element submission.
I used to drink OB at karaoke in NYC’s K Town. They would literally just keep bringing OBs to the room until you told them to stop. OBs and puffed cheese balls for some reason. I have not seen OB much since then.
So a couple thoughts on your choices for next season. Our Blues is amazing, but I think it would be far to similar to Tangerines if you do them back-to-back. Same with Reply 1988, as it covers a lot of the same time period. As for My Mister, it is one of the all-time best K Dramas, but its more IU (not that that should be an issue). I did NOT hear you mention The Glory, which seemed to get a lot of love in the comments. What happened?! I’ll also throw one more wild card out there for you: Castaway Diva. I don’t think either of you have seen this show, but it has a great cast and lots of plot twists! Lots to speculate about!
And now WMW:
Our Unwritten Seoul – Still absolutely loving this show!
Tastefully Yours – Finally finished this complete dud of a show. What a disappointment.
First Night with the Duke on Viki – A modern day girl is transported into her favorite Josean era graphic novel and becomes a main character. I’ve only watched the first two episodes. It’s got Mr. Queen vibes, but frankly, not quite as well done. I’ll give it a few more episodes.
That’s all for this week – gotta type up my resignation letter and apply for that open position at Virginialicious!
Malcolm, thanks for this. Meat? Interesting idea. I agree that when a boss recommends going out to dinner and having meat, everyone goes nuts. I took my husband out for steak for his birthday and we went to a nice steakhouse. At the end of the evening, he said, "maybe next time, let's go to a Korean BBQ place instead." So he's been won over by Korean meat!
DeleteI LOVED Reply 1988. And that's sort of an understatement. I've already watched it twice. But I have to admit to being confused by watching Reply and Tangerines at the same time. Same time period (mostly), Park Bo Gum in both shows - it was fun but confusing.
I'm cringing coz I referred to Our Unwritten Seoul(s) in the episode dropping tomorrow. Sigh. Oh well. I watched the first episode btw and love it so far. It's a candidate for season 12 for sure.
I have not watched The Glory. Sung Hee asked me to watch a couple of episodes. I couldn't finish the first episode. Yeah, I know, I'm the lady who loved Gyeongseong Creature, but I couldn't finish a single episode of The Glory. It's still a candidate but it will crush my heart to do it. We shall see.
Thanks for always sharing what you're watching.
Chiming in with your podcast convo~
ReplyDeleteHangul – I started learning it in high school when I got into K-pop. What helped me the most was writing Tagalog words using Hangul characters (e.g., kain tayo = 가인 다요 (means let's eat)). As a native Tagalog speaker, this approach worked really well as Tagalog is phonetic - how a word sounds is usually how it’s spelled. Since Hangul is also a syllabic and phonetic writing system, it felt like a natural match. Hard to do in English tho.
Pawnshop - Everything You Need store in Mr. Sunshine!
I AM SO HAPPY YOU'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THIS OMG!!!! Gonna rewatch it (for the Nth time), and then finally watch Past Lives. Really hoping you check out some of the other Miss Granny adaptations too!
Campaigning hard here for The Glory - the side stories are just so juicy, the acting was sooooo amazing, the child actor was so cute, the high school students were such believable bullies, and the revenge was so crunchy. I barely noticed the plot conveniences or deus ex machina moments others pointed out — it’s not like everything worked out in Dong-eun’s (FL) favor anyway. Also, the OST? So good.
If you're going with historical for this season - i would vote for something high energy or action packed (like Alchemy of Souls), just to balance the new one with the previous seasons. My Mister would be nice, but it's another IU (let's give chance to others please haha) In any case, whatever you choose, I support!
Tina, thank you for reminding us of the pawn shop in Mr. Sunshine! Yes, yes, yes!
DeleteThe Glory was so hard to watch. I can't get past the first episode. And I wasn't even bullied as a kid! Let us ponder this show. We may have to do it at some point coz it was so popular worldwide and it's boksu!
I agree about doing something really different for the next season. Thanks for the recommendations.
And thanks for the hot tip to write hangeul for Tagalog words. Wow!
I thoroughly enjoy your in depth discussions of so many excellent k dramas. I' ve started watching k dramas about a year ago und my gateway drama was Cloy, which is still my absolute favourite. On searchig for more Information I found your podcast,it's a real gem!(I tried some other kdrama related podcast, but they struck me as to shallow)Your selection is superb and I watched almost all your discussed dramas.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm a great fan of Our Blues / My Mister and Reply 1988 I fully agree with Malcom, they are too similar to When life gives you tangerines.
I suggest Itaewon Class, an awsome drama about revenge, social classes, resilience,discrimination, friendship, betrayal and love with a great OST
Thanks a lot Joanna and Sung Hee for your dedication, it' a joy to listen to you!
* About the episode: I agree with Malcolm that Eun Myeong deserves sympathy, but he can’t really blame his parents for his failure. At the end of the day, they might not treated him as well as his sister, but they didn’t treat him badly, neglected him, or abused him. There is personal responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI also liked that saying “You are only as unhappy as your least happy child.”
From the episode I liked what Bu Hyeon Suk told her father about the different treatments. The whole scene was really acted.
Bu Hyeon Suk had to really swallow her pride. That was painful. But, maybe even more was Gwan Sik begging for loan. The sight of middle aged/old person begging is very hard.
*I am like SungHee, I can watch “Mr Queen” anytime. I probably have watched the first 2 episodes gazillion times. It never fails to lift my mood. And I really like to shout along with Shin hye Sun when things dawn on him/her “eeeeeh!” lol
*On the issue of what to watch next. My favourite genre is slice of life, but it seems that there is a desire to have something different.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am happy to discuss “The Glory”, but I think the detailed knowledge of a story that heavily relies on plot is big hindrance.
Personally, I would go for “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”. This is a discussion heaven in my opinion. It is episodic with an arching plot. So, there are many, many different subjects to discuss.
Park Eun-bin is marvellous in it.
Technically, it could also be classified as slice of life though.
For a wild-card, there is also “Oh! My Ghost!” (2015) This is one of my personal favourites . Park Bo Young plays essentially two roles. It also has Shin Hye Sun in supporting role. It was one of the earlier Kdramas I have seen back in 2021.
* I have caught up with “Our Unwritten Seoul”: I really like this series. Maybe even loving it. It pains me to say though that the device of switching places (not big spoilers, the decision is made in 1st episode) is not executed in a believable way. I won’t say more so not to spoil. This could have been achieved in simpler way, because at heart this is an introspective and heartfelt series.
Seven Season, thank you for this.
DeleteI agree with your comments about the acting in this episode. Hyeon Suk and Gwan Sik swallowing their pride to beg was heartbreaking.
I LOVE Mr. Queen as well. Sung Hee really won me over. I still go back and watch episodes and scenes from time to time. I thought it was only me, but I guess it's a thing. Sometimes, when I need a quick pick me up, I rewatch some scenes. Someday, I'll share my favorite scenes. I was about to list them, but realized it would be spoiling the show for others who haven't watched the show.
I like Slice of Life myself. Tangerines has been terrific. 25 21 was a masterpiece. My Mister and Our Beloved Summer are favorites as well. For Season 12, we want something different. But you know me, I also love my magic and grim reapers. I still want to do a grim reaper show!
I'm loving Our Unwritten Seoul, which I called Our Unwritten Souls in this next episode. Ooops, silly me. It's a candidate for season 12. So many shows, so little time.
Joanna and Sunghee, you have done an amazing job of growing this podcast and especially this community of K-drama lovers! As an early follower, it has been amazing to listen along as the flow of each podcast episode has gotten smoother. I also love hearing all the cool insights from other listeners, especially Malcolm - he is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion for a future season is to cover “Twinkling Watermelon.” Even though you have covered time travel in “See You in My 19th Life,” Twinkling Watermelon is different because of the period it is set in. I even asked ChatGpt to propose some areas and themes that you can cover (haha!)
🎙️ Core Themes to Analyze
1. Time Travel as a Healing Tool
• How the show uses time travel to mend intergenerational trauma.
• Comparisons to other time-travel K-dramas (e.g. 18 Again, Signal, Tomorrow).
2. Parent-Child Dynamics
• How Ha Eun-gyeol’s journey helps him understand and accept his father.
• A deeper look at the depiction of disabilities (his dad being deaf) and familial miscommunication.
3. Music as Emotional Language
• Analysis of music as a bridge between characters and timelines.
• Discuss specific performances/songs and their emotional impact.
⸻
💡 Character Deep Dives
4. Ha Eun-gyeol
• His growth arc: from resentment to understanding.
• His dual life—model student by day, rock guitarist by night.
5. Ha Yi-chan (young dad)
• His dreams, quirks, and how they shaped future relationships.
• How K-drama often portrays young parents with depth and flaws.
6. Se-kyung and Chung-ah
• Analysis of dual love interests, identity reveals, and their agency.
⸻
🎸 Pop Culture and Aesthetic Analysis
7. ’90s Nostalgia
• Costumes, props, and soundtrack that capture the 1995 vibe.
• How K-dramas tap into nostalgia to attract multi-gen audiences.
8. Band Culture and Youth Identity
• The formation of “Watermelon Sugar” as a metaphor for youth dreams.
• K-dramas and the romanticism of forming a band.
⸻
🎭 Genre and Storytelling Mechanics
9. Coming-of-Age Meets Sci-Fi
• How the drama balances grounded emotional arcs with fantastical elements.
• Pacing, plot twists, and “rules” of time travel within the story.
10. Parallel Universes or Fixed Timeline?
• Debate: Did he change the past or fulfill a destiny that was always set?
• Invite a guest to break this down.
⸻
🧑🤝🧑 Discussion & Engagement
11. Fan Theories & Alternate Endings
• Speculate on what could’ve been.
• Explore what viewers hoped would happen vs. what did.
12. Listener Mailbag: ‘What Would You Change?’
• Ask listeners: Would you go back in time to meet your parents as teens?
13. Cameos and Casting
• Talk about the actor selection and real-life musical backgrounds (if any).
• How casting contributed to the believability of dual timelines.
Wow, way to go! Using ChatGPT to make your case and it's a good case, too! We are still pondering Season 12. The biggest problem with Twinkling Watermelon is that it's on Viki only. And while Viki is available everywhere now, we have so many listeners in the US, where Viki is less popular. Heck, my cousin Linda is still only on the free version!
DeleteYou are SO WONDERFUL to comment on the podcast and for being a longtime and loyal listener. I can't actually believe that we have over 160 episodes. It's a labor of love for sure AND hearing from listeners is one of the best things about this journey. Thank you!!! 💜💜💜💜