K Drama Chat Weekly

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 1 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo, Kang Tae Oh as Lee Jun Ho, Ha Yoon Kyung as Choi Soo Yeon, Ju Hyun Young as Dong Geu Rami, Kang Ki Young as Jung Myung Seok, and Joo Jong Hyuk as Kwon Min Woo. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: “Brave” by Kim Jong Wan and “Beyond My Dreams” by Sunwoo Jung-a. Kim Jong Wan is the lead of alternative rock band Nell; Sunwoo Jung-a is a prolific indie artist and producer in South Korea. The episode title in Korean, 이상한 변호사 우영우 (“Strange Attorney Woo Young Woo”), and how the English title "Extraordinary" reflects her character more positively. Woo Young Woo’s first words: quoting the Korean criminal code after her father is attacked, marking both her autism diagnosis and her path toward becoming a lawyer. The careful, touching portrayal of autism spectrum disorder through Woo Young Woo’s sensitivity to stimuli, love of ord...

Today, we’ll be discussing Past Lives, the acclaimed 2023 film written and directed by Celine Song and starring Greta Lee as Nora Moon, Teo Yoo as Hae Sung, and John Magaro as Arthur. We discuss: How Past Lives explores the Asian diaspora experience, especially the tension and beauty of living between two cultures. The significance of Greta Lee’s performance and her fear of speaking Korean, being filmed in 35mm film. The childhood relationship between Na Young and Hae Sung and how their sweet bond sets the foundation for the rest of the story. The scene of their final childhood goodbye on the stairs—symbolic of diverging life paths and emotional separation. The realism of immigration—what is gained and lost when families move to another country, and how that move changes identity and aspirations. The film’s exploration of inyeon, the Korean concept of fate or connection, and how it plays out in both romantic and platonic relationships. The emotional Skype calls between Nora...

Today, we’ll be discussing the movie Miss Granny, the hit Korean film starring Shim Eun-kyung as Oh Doo-ri, Na Moon-hee as the older Oh Mal-soon, Park In-hwan as Mr. Park, Sung Dong-il as Ban Hyun-chul, and Lee Jin-wook as Han Seung-woo. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap, including One More Time and Raindrop, both performed by Shim Eun-kyung, as well as If You Go to Los Angeles by Rose Motel and Shim Eun-kyung, and nostalgic covers like White Butterfly and Crying in the Night. How the movie blends humor and poignancy, diving into themes of aging, regret, family sacrifice, and how older women become invisible in society. The magical photo studio where Oh Mal-soon transforms back into her 20-year-old self, adopting the name Oh Doo-ri after her favorite star, Audrey Hepburn. The generational conflicts and multigenerational living arrangements, especially the tension between Oh Mal-soon and her long-suffering daughter-in-law Ae-ja. The cultural commentary on Korean ...