The Joy of Light Entertainment with Sana

S1 E12 / Kdrama fan Sana joins me to talk about her unique Kdrama origin story as well as why they appeal to viewers around the world.

🖼️ Sana shares how she found Kdramas through a museum visit, and then we discuss favorite shows.

✅ Sana also gives us a fantastic list of recommendations, broken down by genre.

🚫 Spoiler warning! Our wide-ranging conversation touches on the following shows: 

• Crash Landing on You
• Twenty-Five Twenty-One
• Reply 1988
• Sky Castle
• Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
• Our Blues
• Mr. Sunshine
• Game of Thrones
• Goblin
• Descendents of the Sun
• Alchemy of Souls
• Itaewon Class
• Love Next Door
• Queen of Tears
• The Trunk
• My Mister

Sana’s Recommendations

Quintessential Kdramas:

• Her Private Life
• Business Proposal 
• Love Scout

Serious Period Pieces:

• Pachinko
• Under the Queen’s Umbrella

Love Stories:

• Our Beloved Summer
• Because This is my First Life

Medical Show:

• Dr. Romantic (all three seasons)

Slice of Life

• Twenty-five Twenty-one
• Reply 1988

Zombies:

• Kingdom

Time Travel:

• Lovely Runner
• Atypical Family

Thriller:

• Squid Game

Superhero:

• Moving

Currently Watching/Planning to Watch:

Sana: My Dearest Nemesis, Buried Hearts, Undercover High School, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Flex X Cop   

Sara: Quartet

Sana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdramasaysmama/

Transcript

Sara Rosett 0:17

This is the How I Met My K-Drama podcast, and it's all about K-drama origin stories and recommendations. I'm Sarah Rosette, and today Sana is here with me. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Hi, Sarah. Thank you for having me on How I Met My K-Drama. I'm extremely excited to be here. Well, I'm thrilled to talk to you. Thank you. Um, you were asking me a little bit about myself. Yeah. Um, it's interesting because um when I when I listen to your podcast, you have um writers and and and you know fellow authors with you. So um I was thinking, how do I make guys how do I make this sound interesting? And so uh I'm Sana. I'm a home and people manager. If you know, you know. If you know, you know. Um but uh you know, more than anything, I have a little world of my own, apart from uh everyone else, and that's the world of K dramas. And when you asked me to share my um thoughts about it or my opinions, etc., I was I was happy to do so. I think it's a it's a fun little community to be in.

Sara Rosett 1:25

So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Yeah, you're welcome.

Sara Rosett 1:27

I'm so glad you're here. And it is a fun community. It's um it's very welcoming and it's very easy to find your group of people who like the same shows you do. I think it's great. Yeah. Well, how did you get into K-drama? Do you remember your first K drama that you ever watched?

SPEAKER_02 1:47

I actually um I I like my origin story. It's it's a good story. I yeah. So, you know, um it I wasn't I wasn't a very avid TV watcher. Um, I wasn't doing much TV watching, I think, over and and over the last like several years with with habits changing and just so much content available with growing children who were pretty much taking over this the screen, and you know, and then and then you know they migrated to their own devices. Family TV watching was was not really happening much. Um, you know, uh my husband was uh was this uh content monster, like taking in so much, and I couldn't keep up. So so we just sort of drifted. I watched a lot of um what we call dramas in my native language, and um and and I really enjoyed uh, you know, I wouldn't watch too many, but I would watch a few, and and that was my sort of my space. Um and and you know, and and so the and so time went on. And and then um uh on a separate note, I was one day um at at the Victoria and Albert Museum here in London where I live. And uh let me tell you that they put on amazing, amazing exhibits. Yeah and I just um and and and this is I think twenty March 2023, so not very long ago, um I had gone to the museum and I had no intention of walking into an exhibit, but I did. And this exhibit was I I'd gonna see something else. So this exhibit was called Hey You Hey Hey You the Korean Wave. Oh and I went in and the first screen in front of me was this uh you know, the Gangam style, the song. Yes, yeah, and so that was familiar. So I was like, okay, I can do this. This is interesting. I'm like all these amazing lights and the music, and you know, it was then I walked in and um and it it was a you know, the exhibit was like it it explored the makings of the Korean wave through cinema, drama, music, fandoms, and it's and it's sort of cultural and and and and its cultural impact on the beauty and fashion industries. So, you know, it it it it had the obviously the history in it, you know, in its background, and and it's a compelling story, right? Because this evolution of of um of Korea happened, well, not exactly in my lifetime, but during my lifetime, like uh so you know it it became this sort of war-ravaged country to a c cultural powerhouse um by the early 2000s, you know. So all of that.

Sara Rosett 4:44

Yeah, that's when everything seemed to surge, right? And kind of go worldwide. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

But you know, we knew about uh LG and Samsung and you know Hyundai and all that. We didn't know I didn't know I didn't know much about what was happening um on the drama. So this exhibit goes on to um, you know, there's a room which has all these um costumes of the um K-pop star, some K-pop stars and bands, and I'm like, hmm, okay, you know, where do these pixie like girls exist? Yeah, they were so like fascinating, and then there was um a lot about um the webtoons and you know, things like that, and and and a lot of it was about the fandoms, especially of these K-pop stars. I knew a bit about K-pop because my niece was a fan of you know BPS, so not much more than that. Right then, I'm you know, then you walked into the room which was about um cinema and TV, and they had these costumes of uh the Squid Game uh guards and the green track suits, and uh so that was familiar again because I know that the the son had at some point watched Squid Game and so had my husband. So, you know, like there was familiarity, and then of course there was this you know Parasite which we got which won the Oscar, and they had a they had a recreation of the uh Parasite uh famous bathroom in you know in Parasite, there's that little cramped space, and they had some stuff from Kingdom, the show, they had some stuff from other um you know other areas, and it was uh I I was involved, but yeah, what they had and what stayed with me was a poster of none other than crash landing on you, a classic, classic, right? So I go back quite happy from this exhibition. I'm like, I'm glad I did that. That was really interesting. Um, you know, um and and um I went back and I said, you know what, I'm gonna give this a try. And I opened, of course, Netflix um helped you out, right? Yes, right. That Netflix was like not it was not too difficult where which platform I was gonna go to. And of course, when I go to Netflix, I see Crash landing on you. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Sara Rosett 7:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

So that's how I got into it.

Sara Rosett 7:17

Oh, that is a great story. And I don't know that there are many people who have had that story as how they found K-dramas. I'm sure lots of people went to the exhibit and discovered it that way. But I mean, I think that's just interesting. And I love museums and exhibits, so I totally am jealous.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

I I would assume a lot of people would have gone to see the exhibit because they wanted or because they were familiar with the cinema, but I think because it happened the other way around for me. Um, it was it was interesting.

Sara Rosett 7:48

Well, I love that. And so you obviously enjoyed Crash Landing on you and just went on from there, right? Yes, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

But um, yeah, I'd like to add something here. Uh so you know, the reason I mentioned previously, um, that you know, I wasn't much into watching television and you know, it's not really happening. And and uh one of the things that that I was was constantly thrown at me by my um my my daughter then, who was you know probably like maybe 12, 13 at that time, um, she's like, Mama, you're not watching properly. Mama, you're not paying attention, mama, you're not looking, you know. I was so um attention deficient, you know, that I was like getting um, you know, I just not absorbing anything. But when I started watching Crash Landing on You, and I had to read the subtitles, I realized that I was actually enjoying the viewing experience all over again in life because I was focusing on it. So, you know, I think it was a bit of an age thing, it's a bit of a situation, and it was also the fact that it just worked out really well. Uh, and the fact that Crash Landing on You is a good show, and it's a very complex, it's a very complete gay drama.

Sara Rosett 9:03

Um, it's it's got everything. It does more, it does, and it's got all sorts of different elements to it that maybe if you don't enjoy, you know, I can't imagine not enjoying the the soldier crew. But if you don't like that, it's not all about them. There's other characters. So if you're not if you're interested in the romance but you want more than that, there's other things going on too. There's a reason it's so popular, you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Exactly. And you know, um, one of the things that I realized um is that when you uh when you watch a cave drama, um, it might be very good, but if you're not very familiar with the with the landscape or with the way it works, it might not be, you know, as interesting as as it for me as it was for you initially. You know what I mean? Like uh so so but this because it had, as you said, all the elements, it was easier to um to get into it because of that particular reason.

Sara Rosett 10:00

And I think too, having to read the subtitles, that does mean you have to give it your attention. And I know a lot of people, that's uh downside for them. They don't want to try it because of the subtitles. But I I was talking to another friend about this thing they call it second screen syndrome, where people are watching, like they're watching Netflix, but they're doing other things.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Oh, that's it. Blah blah blah. Yeah.

Sara Rosett 10:26

And so they and they said they tell the showrunners to include things like to catch people up and give them a little recap every so often. So that's why they'll be like, oh, as you know, Bob, Tuesday we went to the store and you're thinking, but we just saw that. Why are they so that's why they kind of reiterate things? But with subtitles, you really have to give it your total attention. And I can't do anything. Like if I'm watching a K drama, that's what I'm doing. I'm watching a K drama.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

And and I think that I mean, as I said, I think that was game-changing for me because I needed that. I needed to focus on something, I needed to have something that was uh truly relaxing rather than uh you know, perceived relaxation, you know. Um, because you're not really relaxing if you're looking at two or three things at the same time.

Sara Rosett 11:13

Yeah, yeah. I'm not my kids can do it, but I can't do it. So yeah. Well, tell us about five of your favorite K dramas, like uh just what they are and a little bit about why you like each one. And it can be your top five, it can be a themed list, whatever you want to do.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Hmm, okay.

Sara Rosett 11:33

Let me see. Where did that?

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Um, so I I think this this is probably the most difficult question, right? I know it is to narrow it down. It is a dynamic list, right? Yes. It's a that yeah, yeah, but and and and I'm not uh and I'm not um one of those who sort of take down things and like you know, I don't for so for me it's very much about what what resonated with me at that point in time and and what is stuck. So those were the those are important criteria. Uh of course, each of them stuck for a reason, and you know, I I could go into that as well, but I'll just sort of read off a list and then if you want to talk about anyone in particular. Um so um very much uh 2521. Okay, um reply 1988, um Sky Castle. Oh, okay. That's a new one.

Sara Rosett 12:29

Yeah, some of these come up often. That's a new one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Uh Weightlifting Fairy, Kimbukju.

Sara Rosett 12:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Um R Blues.

Sara Rosett 12:39

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

I don't know whether I've gone five or not, but I could give you my whole sort of top list. And then, yeah, then Mr. Sunshine. Yeah. That's it. I have I have a few more top like ones that I like, but you know, this is if you asked me, I would say these again and again for you know whichever reason I chose them. Yeah.

Sara Rosett 12:57

Yeah, a lot of the ones that are my top dramas, I continue to think about them even after they're done. They kind of resonate and and I think they have an impact longer than just when you're watching them. Um, do you feel that way as well with with these?

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Absolutely, because they also I think they also sort of set the tone for what you like. They also set a my sort of threshold of like this is a minimum acceptable level of of good uh drama for me, you know. I mean, I I might enjoy others for many, many reasons, and I've enjoyed many others, but these have stuck with me for for you know all the qualities that they had. Um, you know.

Sara Rosett 13:41

Yeah. Well, tell me about um reply 1988. Now I haven't gotten into the reply series. You know, so yeah, so why did you like it and what is it about it that kind of stands out to you? Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

Um, so well, first I'll tell you as as of how I found it, right? Okay. Um, it's because when you when I started watching the shows that you know, then uh you you watch a few, and then the first sort of um natural thing to do is kind of figure out uh uh research a little bit about you know what's in the past his. And that's what got me to reply 1988. And I I think it's very much to do with the fact that it is uh a period of my childhood. I'm not I'm essentially uh I was quite young in the 80s, but a lot of the things of that era carried on to the 90s as well. So but I was very much a child at the 80s, and then I was very much a you know um a teen and a child going on routine in the you know the early nineties. So so obviously it resonates with me a lot more than it would with say a younger audience, you know, the jokes, the sort of like a bit of the you know, the very the basic element of um simplicity, you know. Um a lot of it uh is so so so that background really sort of resonated with me because um I could relate to it. Yeah, yeah. A lot of nostalgia absolutely. Yeah. And then and then you know, it's like with every other good play, like with any any other every other good book, it's also the narrative, right? It's how the story is woven together. So you could have a set of these um amazing variables, but not a good narrative. And I think these these this had everything. And um, and and I realized that I love slice of life, you know, me too, yeah. And and that's why, you know, 1980 guess the reply 1988, coming of age, slice of life, and I think the K-dramas do that very well.

Sara Rosett 15:56

I do too, yeah. Yeah, there's something about just the being able to capture a either uh lifestyle or a work life type environment that just it's unique and interesting that I think that K dramas do that really well. I think that's that's one of the the the things that I picked up.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

They do slice of life, um you know, relationships, um, all these things. I think that they do it well. And I think, you know, if you ask me as to why I like it, I like the K dramas as well, is because and I'm sorry, I might be digressing but yeah, but like um you know, one of the re another reason why the K drama sort of stuck with me and I like Slice of Life is that I could relate to it because um it it was not culturally very different from from my culture, right? Uh so um so for example when they show uh young people here and and sort of very restrained romance, I could relate to it because you know when I grew up that was the that is how it is, you know, on my culture. You could say it's still like that, it's still a very sort of you know, guarded, restrained relationship. Um so um, you know, and the same for uh relationship family, uh the family unit. It was it was very easy for me to relate to that and and and very likable as well. Because yes, you are interested in in, for example, um the a Western culture and that that sort of form of entertainment is very easy because you see so much of it. Right. But uh, you know, I guess it's nice to see what's familiar as well, you know.

Sara Rosett 17:42

Yes, even in even on the other side of the world from where we are, the the culture can it's different, but it's similar to right. The and that's one thing I like about the slice of life and a lot of the K dramas, not necessarily the slice of life only, but you get the whole family dynamic usually, whereas a lot of Western shows you they're much more compact either in time or in the storytelling, and so you don't get the relationships with the parents and the grandparents, and these you get the whole, you know, the whole family. And I love that too, especially in the slice of life.

SPEAKER_02 18:15

And and and you know, don't be surprised by it because as I said, where we come from, uh the east uh the east, it is like that. I mean, you know, the grandma's rule. Um and and and interest, you know, you would have noticed that in the West, the it's the the the man and his wife's mother who have the the thing, and in our part of the world, it's it's the woman and her and her husband's uh mother who have that little tussle. So the mom-in-law is the mother-in-law, yes. The mother-in-law is the is the is is is uh is the husband's mom, you know, who's the sort of beloved character. Yeah. And and uh yeah, so and so don't be surprised when you see all this interference and you know and ever-present um uh family members because it really is like that. At the same time, it's interesting for me to watch because it's it's it's it's familiar, but in a different setting. Yeah, yeah, but you so you get to see new faces and new new places, and that's that's fun.

Sara Rosett 19:19

Yeah, that is fun. I like that too. Well, is there a K-drama trope that you just love that if you see it you're going to watch it no matter what, you don't even need to read the description.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Um I have to say no, no, I I don't have a f I don't have a favorite trope. Um, but if you ask me what is a k-drama without a trope. Oh my god. Oh my goodness, yeah. It's almost as if like if the lead couple has not connected when they were five years old and actually remembered everything they said to each other when they were five years old and actually kept that close to the heart till they're like in their 30s, then I I'm so disappointed if that doesn't happen. It's almost as if I'm like waiting for it to happen and check that box. What is a good K-drama without a good troll?

Sara Rosett 20:15

Mm-hmm. Yep. Um it's like that's essential. And then I think like the umbrella scene, they have to have an um some sort of umbrella scene interaction somehow. There's a couple that save you from the motorbike, you know, it's it's a list, it's a list.

SPEAKER_02 20:30

You know, you have to admit it makes you smile when you see it, and that's good enough, you know.

Sara Rosett 20:36

For me, that's good enough. Yeah, and since I've watched not as many as some people, but I've kind of I've watched, I've consumed a lot because I'm really enjoying them. So now I'm like, oh, it's the piggyback scene, or oh, it's the umbrella scene. And I like it when they do it, but do it in a sort of a new way or give it a little twist that you're not expecting. I think um in one of them I watched No Gain, No Love, they had the guy. Well, I think, oh yeah, she fell and he caught her. But just the way it was done, it was she asked him a little question, like, are you doing a trestfall here? Or what you know, it's like like kind of making fun of it, like you know, like getting the little inside joke, like they know that it's in there. I think that's fun too.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

Yeah, when they kind of give it exactly you ex you know what it is, and and and and you're really right in saying that many of them do it and you're just like, okay, whatever. But yeah, if it's done well, it's always nice to see. It makes it more fun, it always brings a smile to your face. And I think for me, the entertainment is just about being happy when you watch something. And happy doesn't always necessarily mean, oh, you know, it's because you're watching a happy show, but you're watching it. It's how you're happy because you're watching that something that's done well.

Sara Rosett 21:50

Yes, I get a lot of joy out of a well constructed plot, which sounds really funny, but I love that. Yeah. Well, so you said you really enjoy Slice of Life. It seems like your interest. Are kind of varied, like you're very so you're not I don't have a type. Yeah. So do you check like what's coming out, or do you just and wait for certain shows, or are you more like, I'll just see what shows up? Um and just kind of see how it goes.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

A little bit of everything. So I was not very familiar with this whole um uh you know, the the fact that key dramas are very followed and people do a lot of it what's coming out, and there's a lot of waiting and there's a lot of advertising. I wasn't aware of that, so it was very much um, you know, take it, take what's being thrown at you. I initially only had Netflix, and then I realized that Netflix was a lot of like uh rubbish out there as well. So um then I I found wiki. Oh, okay. So that was another word. I have my little wiki account going, and then uh I realized that Disney does some decent shows as well, and then you have some on Prime as well. So I do like go through a bit of the you know the the the trailers, and um now I will try to find good reviews um or what I consider uh a good review, um, you know, because I don't I don't want to hear a long story, I just want to hear some succinct points about it.

Sara Rosett 23:20

I don't want any spoilers, and I just want to know just a couple little nuggets. I'm okay with spoilers.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

One of the joys of watching is that I know I don't want to make I don't want it to be too deep, you know. I'm okay. I'm happy with just having light entertainment, and then once in a while when you watch something very profound, it's it you know it it makes it. There's plenty there, yeah. Yeah, but you know, coming back to your question about how I how how I find it so yes, I will look and search, and there are days when I'm actually not watching anything and actually just looking for my next show. Um, yeah, so I would I would also like I did uh initially uh when I started watching them uh a couple of years ago, I I did do the whole sort of back kind of what were the top, and and I went through some of them.

Sara Rosett 24:08

Um you talked a little bit about K-dramas, like how they've impacted you. Is there anything else you want to add about how K-dramas impacted you or your life?

SPEAKER_02 24:17

Well, as I said, um and I think that was an important point for for people like uh myself who they find themselves struggling with attention spans and um you know getting joy out of watching something just because uh there's so much going on, then give it a try because as I said, it is nice to focus and it's nice to you know like uh read and and be involved in it. Um, you know, so uh I mean, so that's that's one thing that it did, of course. Like every uh person who watches Korean um shows, I uh made a little uh pilgrimage to the Korean skincare uh to check it all out, right? I was like, okay, this is something that I have to you know, I have to see this. Um we don't have a very big one, uh at least at least the one I I went to um was not huge, but it was enough to confuse the hell out of me. I was like, okay, um maybe not. Uh then I was like, okay, this is like maybe this is just wishful thinking. I'm I'm at the wrong age bracket, I'm in the wrong weather zone, I'm in the wrong race. Let me not let me not try to look like that. It's fine. But that was a very interesting little voyage of discovery. The whole Korean skincare, I was like, oh my god. Um, that was you know, that was something that impacted me. I thought it was interesting, it was interesting to go and um see. And the other thing that um let's see, food not so much. Um I mean that's that's that was a question, right? Like, what did I go and see? You know, what did it make me do? Uh yeah, yeah. So food, uh a bit. Um the palate is too different, right? I mean, yeah, a lot of things we don't, yeah, we don't eat and and and things like that. It's very, very strong flavors. Um, maybe not for me. Uh I don't I don't consume alcohol, but I think uh the one thing that I feel like, oh my god, I'm really missing out on life is that if I don't drink soju, I feel like, oh my god. Really? I I really should take it up because this seems to be so central.

Sara Rosett 26:29

It is, it's very central. It is. I know. I don't drink either. Little K-drama regret that's funny.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

Yeah, I think I think that's it. I mean, yeah, you know, as I as I keep seeing, you know, entertainment should be for just that entertainment. I don't want it to become, I mean, all consuming in my life. But but I did go to Instagram after this is like after the two years, and I'm like, you know, what am I doing? All this for nobody, everybody is so like irritated in the house with my whole oh mama, Korean. Oh, oh, what are you watching? Oh Korean, you know, like they would be like hop up and like walk off, and then you know, this or sometimes they would ask me, Why are you watching this? You go away, guys. Yeah, um, so then I took to Instagram, which was um, you know, which is where I found you actually. And um, I think the next natural progression was also podcasts, uh, just to find out about what people are talking about, what people are thinking. And and and honestly, that's just because you know, you need some kind of stimulation other than visuals, so it was nice to kind of get in little nuggets on Instagram. It is I have to I have to admit that it is a world that I don't want to go too deep into either. Um, because it could go every way, and there's so much um you know, there's so much happening in that world that you don't necessarily want to be consumed by it. Which I think is an important message uh for a lot of people who who could have that tendency. Um I find it a bit uh almost scary when I see that some of these um stars have like millions, literally the followers in millions, and a a picture has comments in hundreds of thousands. Yeah. That is for me, that's scary. Yeah, for me too. It's it's almost like you know, do you really want to be out there that much? It is it's so so you you you see all sides of the whole industry, and I'm not really sure whether I want to. So I'm doing little cautious steps over there. I just follow people who have really nice, cute little posts and cute little reviews, and that's good enough for me.

Sara Rosett 28:51

Sometimes that's all you need. Sometimes you just need a little just to keep up with what's out there, what's new. Well, why do you think K-dramas are so addictive? I just like to hear why people think that they're so compelling. Because it seems that if you like them, you people really, really like them. It's not like a halfway, like, eh, I kinda watch. I it's like most people are are in, you know.

SPEAKER_02 29:14

Yeah, I did think about that, and I'm like, okay, you know, like why have I not turned back? I mean, it's just been more and more and more, and like just kept watching. I mean, I can only speak for myself. Right. Or I'll speak myself, and then you could maybe it could it could apply to other people. I'm a simple person. I don't like a lot of complicated, um, you know, um overdramatized, uh, very, very uh deep or dark or difficult scenes. You know. So one of the reasons why K dramas would would I would be happy to continue watching is that some of them are fairly simple.

unknown 30:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

Uh some of them are so simple that you don't want to continue watching them because they just don't make any sense. I mean, do you understand what I'm saying? I think that's that does that make sense that you know I don't need to every show I watch does not have to be um you know an earth-shattering discovery for me, it just has to be a nice piece of entertainment. Um and and and I think k-dramas do that well. Um and also I'm forgiving. I think that's another reason why I can continue watching them because as a writer you would probably realize they have plot holes that are the size of like the building, you know, can you size, yes. Yeah, they're they're huge. I mean, um and I'm forgiving. So if you're forgiving, if you don't want to, uh you know, so then it's easy to continue. So I like that. I mean, I'm I'm happy to kind of just breeze through it and and and I and I feel like a lot of people would be, right? Because after a day, uh, you know, a heavy day at work, every things like that, it's it's okay, you know, you're you're okay to um, but then it depends on how your your you know mind is wired. Some people would get that stimulation from a good book, or some people would, you know, like uh read um read the newspaper and and get it from like you know extreme world politics and things like that. Um it depends. So I think I think for me it's the simplicity, sometimes it's just the simplicity, it's it's also it's also the brevity. Um, I think this is something that all your guests have mentioned that um I can't do the season on season on season thing. Um it's not for me, for sure. Um, and and I think uh the last time I remember doing this was when the Game of Thrones came.

Sara Rosett 31:49

Right.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

And and this is that was the last show I actually watched along with my husband. We both we made an effort to kind of watch it together. And I was like, what the hell? I mean, you know, we waited for John's, you know, to together. This is what we get. This is what we get. I mean, where did it start and where did we go? What happened? I don't remember.

Sara Rosett 32:11

Right.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

All I saw is that my children grew up in the whole process. Like that, you know, I my five-year-old was now like 10 or 12 years old. I was like, what's good? No.

Sara Rosett 32:19

And when you can't remember what happened in season two, and it's really important in season five or whatever, is uh I think our world now is everything is so quick and fast-paced that when you have to wait years, you know, between series, and then maybe it's not that satisfying, it's just not worth it. But you did make an interesting point earlier that k-dramas are really like long-form content. Um, in our world of like TikToks and, you know, things that we want really quick. K-drama is a thing where you can kind of slow down. And I think that probably has an appeal too for people that they're like, I will slow down and watch this, but I know it's going to end, it's gonna have an ending point. Is they're not gonna drag it out for the next seven years or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Yeah. Not not till I'm getting retired, yes. Um yeah, I think uh, you know, let's not uh uh these are the sort of more serious parts about it, but let me be very honest. But a lot of people are also there, and and myself included is because they all like beautiful people and and these people, you know, wow, okay. Um sometimes it's a bit disconcerting how beautiful it is intimidating, yeah. Yeah, and so in my list you'll see a lot of very sort of real the shows in which the a lot of the actors look very real and you know, hence the slice of light. And uh it may not be your favorite thing, but it's definitely a thing that you go in for when you when you start with with uh the K dramas. Everybody likes the Sunni hero, everybody likes the little sort of uh uh the the damsel being like uh saved by him or whatever, you know. Um not necessarily, but for sure, a majority would. They do it well, they do all these things really well. They do. So why not? So why not? I I I think it's I I like I like the fact that the the K-drama fan embraces all this with such open arms.

Sara Rosett 34:26

It's fun. Yeah. Well, do you have any dramas that were disappointments or were just not for you that you were like, eh, I'll pass on that, and just not that the dramas themselves were bad, but maybe they just didn't appeal to you. Uh for sure.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

I was trying to think about, you know, disappointment versus just not like. Right. And I think for me, I mean, there's so many shows that I've dropped. Um, I've started doing that a lot more recently. Previously, I felt like I was obligated to like, you know, compelled to kill myself to finish it. Like have to go through this. But for me, disappointments were very much the shows that were very hyped. Oh, yeah, you know, but did not live up to the expectation. As I said, you know, when I started watching, I did sort of Google and check things that, oh, you know, which are must watch, top deck, this, that, and the other. So um, in that list, what I did not like are what for me were the disappointments. And um uh of course, the famous goblin. I I I thought I must mention it first because so many people in your show have had um very uh definitive views about it, and I definitely could not uh I definitely thought it disappointing. I just did not think it brought everything together the way it should have. So no uh Goblin was my disappointment um from that from that top list. Uh then there was another show that was very, very popular, um, and I decided to give it a watch because um it was popular for so many reasons. Uh Descenders of the Sun. I did not like it at all. I mean, it was uh and when I say I did not like it, I'd like to give reasons as well because I feel like not liking is just not good enough. So the reason I did not like it is because I thought the story was all over the place. There was too many bits happening in them. And I think people were trying to sell the romance of this couple as the thing, but you know, that cannot do it for you, right? It has to be you know the setting has to be great, the story has to be good as well. Um, for me it was too messy and just not interesting enough. Um, it had too many things going on. It was ambitious in in all the wrong ways.

Sara Rosett 36:54

Yeah. Well, I think that's true with a you might be able to get away with a romance being all you need in, say, a movie or something much shorter, but when you have 16 episodes, that's a lot to carry for 16 episodes. If that's you know, you do have to have all the other some other layers and things going on to make it interesting.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

I mean, how much are you going to see this? How much are you gonna see the guy all swoon, swoon, this, that, yeah?

Sara Rosett 37:24

Yeah, and you can a a story needs that rhythm where you have a little this, a little that, and it kind of keeps it going if it's not all one thing. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

I think what you what you writers would call the narrative. Is that what the narrative is to that's important? Um, the other disappointment, which is also another um very big on the on the the top shade drama shows alchemy of souls. So, so again, you know, for a show to be a disappointment, it had to be big, and this was quite considered to be quite big, and I watched it because the the the the girl in it. Sorry, I'm not very good with the the names because you know, and I feel it's disrespectful to just say it wrong. So, you know, I feel like the girl who's the the female lead in Alchemy of Soul is the one who was in my because this is my first life, and I loved her. Yeah, I loved her in that, but that's the thing. I loved her in that, and this I thought she was overacting, and the story is just again. Um, a fantasy can be interesting. This is not an interesting fantasy. I drive no. Uh the other disappointment for me, which was again a very big show, and I really like um uh this this actor, um Pak So-Joon. Um he I really liked him in Fight for My Way and G Gung Sung creature.

SPEAKER_01 38:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

Um, but um this the show that that was disappointing because again it was so hyped up was Etivan Class. Okay. Yeah. Uh no, um the reason I did not like it uh is because I thought that it was a bit unreasonable, you know, like when he was trying to achieve too much, the whole sort of revenge and and you know, just the way sometimes the way they go about it is just not believable or it's not um sharp enough, the storytelling, and so it loses the thread. Sometimes it's just too long as well, right? Yeah. And then you know you've made a point, now you need to move on.

Sara Rosett 39:27

I think that happens too, and I think that may be that they don't have enough story to fill ever X number of episodes, 16 or whatever. So I've noticed I enjoyed the ones that are a little bit shorter, maybe 12 episodes. Those seem to hit really well for me. I some people are disappointed, they're like, oh, it's only 12 episodes. I'm like, but if it's a good 12 episodes, that's plenty, right? Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 39:50

Yeah, we did we wrapped up the story on a high. Yeah, there's nothing better than that. Yeah. Um, and then of course there was a list of the of 2024 disappointments. I know, yeah, which seemed to be a lot of people just because just because we want to make sure that every episode of yours has got a mention of this, we have to say that Queen of Tears and Love Next Door were oh yeah. Um and Queen of Tears was simply boring. And I tried to, I mean, I love Kim Ji-won, and if you've not watched uh My Liberation Notes, I think you would like it. It's a very sort of deep, serious story. But and and I think she's such a good actor and had she looks so good as the CEO, but it was such a disappointing uh play because it had such a lousy story. And uh Love Next Door was just boring.

Sara Rosett 40:47

Yeah, yeah, and I think that those are coming up because they're more recent and people remember them, they're like, Oh, those are my most recent disappointments.

SPEAKER_02 40:55

Yeah, so that's why I said I must mention it just to carry the thing. Keep the thing going. Yeah, so my other 22, 20, 2024 serious disappointment was uh, you know, because these were the sort of uh you know, you have to say it because it's just there. Yeah, was the trunk. Oh, okay. I love thr I like thrillers. I do like thrillers, and I was expecting this to be a thriller with mature um cost, and uh it seemed to have all the right uh tones and and visuals, but when I when the story started, it was not a thriller, it was a it was a story about you know human beings and relationships and and and and healing and and that kind. Um I don't know, maybe if I go and watch it from that perspective, I I might not be different, yeah.

Sara Rosett 41:50

But your expectation going in has a lot to do with whether or not you're happy with a show, right?

SPEAKER_02 41:56

Because that's what they that even even as the show was going on, they kept trying to reinforce, you know, that's some the the thriller part of it. But what stood out every time was the fact that these two actors had such amazing chemistry, you know, like they when they were on screen, you wanted to watch them. When everybody else else was on screen, you were like, what's going on? Why? Yeah. Let's get back to the other storyline, right? So so that was my sort of sort of serious disappointment because I had expectations of that show. Right.

Sara Rosett 42:27

Well, if you had a friend who had never watched K drama, would there be a show that you would recommend to them? Um, or is do you have like a go-to recommendation?

SPEAKER_02 42:37

I uh I have to say that, you know, because I do my whole book, I made a list of this. And and this is because I made that list because I did mention um that I no, sorry, I did recommend shows to friends, and I realized that out of my excitement of what I'd found for myself, yeah, I was throwing things out at them, and it's not necessarily the way to do it. Right, because it might not match up with what they wanted to and this and this l list is I I thought about it very much because it's also to do with the fact that a lot of the shows which are really amazing, which I liked, as I said, it was it was after you started watching K dramas and knowing how they work. So you have to you have to keep in mind that somebody's watching it the first time and so they can only absorb that much.

SPEAKER_01 43:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 43:25

Um so if you like um key dramas, quintessential key dramas, then I would suggest you start with um if you want to, you know, um this is her private life um light, funny romance, a bit of story, just enough to absorb so much humor in that one, yeah. Business proposal, same or recently more. Recently uh Love Scout. Yes. And uh if you like very serious period pieces, very good period pieces, then I would suggest pachinko.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 44:17

It may not be everybody's first choice, but if you as I said if you're a serious drama watcher, you like PV pieces, uh you want to go in for a very good production, good acting, good story. Pachinko is the store, it's the one for you. Something a little lighter in a period piece, go for under the Queen's Umbrella. Oh, okay. Yeah. I'm writing these down. Yeah. If you like um a good love story, just a good love story. And when I say love, I don't mean just uh you know, uh uh a little ipsy romance. I mean love. Then our beloved summer. Uh-huh. And because this is my first life. Yeah, yeah. Very nice. I like the nice my absolute uh recommendation for a medical show that you have to watch. Um, if you're a first-time K-drama watcher, you will like it. It's a great medical show, all three seasons, Dr. Romantic.

Sara Rosett 45:16

Alright.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

Again, I like to give the reason why you like it if you're watching it for the first time, but it a it's a it's a proper K-drama, so it's got your, you know, like little tropes, and it's got your um uh, you know, the the the the good people, the bad guys, everything. But uh the medical drama is of course always a little far-fetched, if you can forgive that. Um, the characters are great, the setting is great.

Sara Rosett 45:43

How much surgery is in it? Because that's the reason I don't watch a whole lot of medical dramas, is sometimes it's too much of the surgery. Yeah, yeah, you you you can do a little forward forward. Okay. Okay, be prepared, have the have the remote ready.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

Yes, it is um, I think you like it as somebody if you're if you're new to K dramas, because it's not that typical glitzy Seoul, massive uh hospital in Seoul, you know, with everybody running back and forth, and and it's it's it's set in a rural, uh kind of a small place, which I which I in a hospital that is um out of sight, out of mind, but uh has this very interesting cast of characters. Um if you like uh Slice of Life, as I said, 2521 or Reply 1988. If you like the zombie kind of story, yeah. Kingdom. Okay. Yes. Um if you like okay, so this is a this is a genre it took me time to get get to was um time travel um then either Lovely Runner or typical family. Yeah, if you like a thriller, go for Squid Game.

SPEAKER_01 47:06

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 47:08

And if you like, you know, again, it's not really a superhero genre, but uh more of the sort of that kind of you know thing, then you go for moving. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

Alright.

SPEAKER_02 47:19

So I a lot of people are arguing with me that the the list is a bit heavy, like you know, these are more than but I feel like if you're putting somebody out, you know, if you're introducing something to somebody, you gotta give them the best to watch. Others don't, you know.

Sara Rosett 47:34

Yeah, it's not it's not worth yeah. Right. Part of the reason I like K drama is it's it's a little different and it's a little some of the emotional beats are heavier than we would see in other entertainment. And I I like that. I like the the depth that you get.

SPEAKER_02 47:51

If you like emotions, I'm going to recommend something to you is what I'm watching from what I'm watching right now.

Sara Rosett 47:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 47:57

You have to see how that comes, how how that stands out. Yeah.

Sara Rosett 48:01

Maybe hold out. You want to hold out and see how it goes the whole way. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, what are you currently watching right now?

SPEAKER_02 48:08

If you haven't yes, I I would love to talk about what I'm watching. The first time actually I realized the first time I'm watching ongoing shows. Normally I would wait to uh watch a show that's already finished, get some kind of like, you know, an idea, suss it out, and then see. But this time I actually started a few shows and I was very excited to do that because it was a very different way of doing things. Uh-huh. Also, I feel like not binging and giving it a break makes it more interesting. Um, sometimes you just lose thread uh also when you're binging, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

Um, so um the the drama that I was watching um but I dropped was my dearest nemesis. Okay. I it is a CEO co-worker uh kind of trope, and I watch I dropped it because I thought it was very tedious. I was watching too much of the same and I was very bored of the storyline. It was just not um it was too repetitive, and it had one thing which which absolutely uh nailed it for me, you know, and I said I'm definitely dropping it is the fact that they had some really long scenes, okay, and that can really kill you. Very, very extended, extended scenes. So boring, yeah. Um this the the the show that I'm watching that I'm really loving is called Buried Hearts. Oh yeah, and it is your I watched I think it's about eight episodes, probably it comes out around around the weekends, or big weekends are very busy. Oh my god. Yeah. And it is your classic revenge theme thriller.

Sara Rosett 49:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

Okay. Yeah.

Sara Rosett 49:51

I've heard people talking about that one, and I that's what I want to check out.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

I think you would like it because it's just uh it's a slick plot. It's on Disney. Um, it's uh Bar Kung Chic from Dr. Slum, okay. Um, as I said, I I like it because it's slick. The fact that it's a thriller, they stick to the the genre of it. You know, yes, there's the family troupe, yes, there's the J Ball thing, yes, there's the you know the love story, but it's all um it all adds to the the thriller aspect of it, and and that's I feel like that's well done. And in the next episodes, if it doesn't do an argon on us, right, then then and then then and if it doesn't derail, I think it'll be a good one. Okay, that'll be good.

unknown 50:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:46

Yeah. Uh so uh shall I go on? Yeah, yeah, keep going. Okay, so um another one which I'm watching, and this is I had fun dissecting this, okay, because um it's called Undercover High School on Wiki. And it's I think it's quite trending these days, and it's a mystery show. Okay, um, as the name suggests, it's about an agent undercover at a high school, and the mystery element, of course, is is well protected uh here, but as a writer, when you watch it, you will laugh, it is so loosely constructed, it has such ridiculous characters, like what is it, such a B-grade production, but there's a but if you want to watch a show that is solely carried by one face, and that face is this boy called So So Kang Jun, then you have to watch this. Okay, because oh my god, with that face, you know when I mean say face, you have to know what kind of face, he carries that show with I I don't know how he does it, but he's doing a fine job. And I and and I think that is that is uh uh that is an art in itself. Because if I start dissecting this show, it will be beyond rubbish, as I said. You know, if you look at each element separately, but altogether, yeah. There are some shows that just can pull it off. And he's doing it, he's doing his own job. Yeah, yeah, absolutely amazing. But I've left the best for love, well, best no, but I've left the the most interesting one for the for the end. And I'm watching this show on Netflix called When Life Gives You Tangerades. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I have not started that one yet. And and because I was talking to an author, I had to think about uh how I would describe this show. So I'm I'm not a person of words, but I tried. How I would word this show is that it is a show about the circle of life from the perspective of one woman who was born on Juju Island in the 50s, and you know, from her perspective as a daughter, her perspective as a mother, her perspective as a wife, and overarching in this whole thing in this whole story is love. She is um the object of this one man's love, and he loves her so unconditionally and so wholly, you know, and how that impacts her. Her love for her mother and her children, and for this man, and how it impacts her, and it is all woven together in such an emotional way, it is so heartbreaking and so emotional and so um gripping and engaging that um I I would say that uh you know if if you love this kind of you know story, then I would say this is probably going to be the best one I've watched in a long time. But I think the other thing that I have to mention here is that you know, sometimes one person or a few actors do you know, when they act with a lot of heart, you know, everybody sort of puts in their best, and that's what it shows in. Yeah, and and then that's what I feel is happening in this show. Everybody has put in their best, you know, and like so it just shines, and I love it, and and the it's the the setting is lovely, the photography, the cinematography, the the scenes, the way they capture the drama, the colors, the costumes, and I know I don't know where this girl, I you, I you she's supposed to be a pop star. I don't know where she was all this time because I think she's done shows which I'd never watched. But wow, I mean I I was blown away.

Sara Rosett 55:15

She's amazing, yeah. I I loved her in My Mistress. I don't know if you've seen that. It's so it's just sad. The setup of it is very sad and it's very dark, and and a lot of it is about like how you survive basically, and things are terrible, but she was so good in it, and the show ultimately has a more life-affirming ending, like it had a very satisfying ending, but it is very, very dark. But she was so good in it, and just I was like, wow, she is quite the actress, and so I have I've held off on this one because I got a little burnt by a couple of shows. Maybe I'll just wait and make sure it's all good because it's especially the ones that are very heavy emotionally, but it sounds like it's very well made. So far, so good, yes.

SPEAKER_02 56:06

Yeah, um, you know, um what what one of the things that I and that you mentioned my missed her, so I'd probably go and watch it because of this this actress. Um, I think what I it seems that she seems to be a star of like like a singer or something and has already made her place, you know? And I feel like a lot of the uh in in the Korean in the Korean shows, a lot of the the actresses don't let go of their image, you know, the way they look. Um I don't know whether that's the debot of of or of just bad direction or or it's always just too shiny and they're always just too you know perfect. But you know, over here it feels like this girl has nothing to prove. She doesn't have to she has to just prove herself as an actress, and so she's in it, you know. She's in it, she's in it for the role. She's not in it for anything else, you know. And and and I love that.

SPEAKER_01 56:54

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:54

Great. I'm watching, I'm I'm loving pretty much all the shows that I'm watching these days.

Sara Rosett 56:59

That's great. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:01

In between in in between, I'm watch okay. In between, I even have I don't have time in between usually, but if I do, I watch one of your recommendations because that it's a nice uh it's a great filler uh to watch because it's you know you don't you don't lose the thread of the story, and that's flex X Cop. Yes. Also I like the pace. I like I and I said I have to mention why I like it. I like the pace. It's very well it's very well casted. And you know, they close the loop on things.

Sara Rosett 57:32

Yes, they do.

SPEAKER_02 57:33

Even though sometimes it's very simplified, it's just that they close the loop and I like the fact that they close the loop on things.

Sara Rosett 57:37

Yes, yeah, and because it's more episodic, you can drop in, watch something, and get the there is a thread that continues throughout, but it's good for intermittent drama code.

SPEAKER_01 57:48

Yes.

Sara Rosett 57:49

Yeah. Yeah. Oh well, good. I'm glad you're enjoying it. That makes me happy because I feel like that one kind of didn't really get a whole lot of attention. It did really well in Korea, I think, but didn't get the international audience as much. I'm watching one that you might be interested in. It's um it's a Japanese drama and it's called Quartet. I don't know if you've seen it, but it's very Japanese show. Oh, I haven't either until like the last couple of weeks. I've kind of delved into that and I'm it's only just yeah, it's only 10 episodes. It's on Netflix, and it's about these four people who form a string quartet, and they share a house and become friends, and it's just very, they're very, it's very quirky and it's got a lot of humor to it, but then it has really like they have these conversations and you think, oh, this is just kind of random. Then something comes through, like, oh, that was actually foreshadowing this plot point, or there's a deeper thing going on here that you don't see at first, and then there's like a little mystery in it. I loved it. Very much flesh of life, but other mystery elements to it as well.

SPEAKER_02 58:51

I like a good mystery. I like a good mystery.

Sara Rosett 58:54

Well, this has been so much fun. Thank you for sharing your recommendations and telling us about how you found K drama. I loved your origin story.

SPEAKER_02 59:01

I like my origin story too. Yeah, it's great.

Sara Rosett 59:05

So, do you want to share your Instagram account?

SPEAKER_02 59:08

The only reason I mean I I uh I created this uh Instagram handle only out of out of sheer boredom, and it's also a little nod to my status in this house. Uh the it's called um K drama says mama, because I think um uh yeah, that's that's my role there. My what mama who's watching the K dramas. Um I mean, as I said, it's it was more the the I use that more to discover things rather than say things to myself, but sometimes I feel very strongly about it and I just say it. Um I try not to put spoilers on it and I try to give um two or three good reasons for you to watch a show without trying to actually give the story of the show, um which is perfect.

Sara Rosett 59:49

I love it. And thank you for being here. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 59:52

Thank you. It was just nice to talk. Yeah, about something that you like. Thank you for your time as well. And yeah, I hope to keep listening. I like the I have to I have to give you a little shout out to you as well. Thanks for having the podcast. I like the fact that they're really um they're not too long, you know, so they keep their interest. Um your guests come and say what they have to um without going into a very long narrative, which is great. Yeah, because you know, um there there's reviews and then there's critiques and then there are rambles. So you've got to choose what you no. I mean, everybody's gonna know what they like, yeah. So I have to choose, you know, what I like, and I like my little opinion piece, and that's that's yeah, and that's enough.

Sara Rosett 1:00:36

Thank you. Thank you. So if you enjoy this episode, please take a few minutes to write or review it wherever you listen to podcasts, and that will help K Drum and fans find the podcast. Thanks to everybody. See you next time.