K-Drama School
188 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsK-Drama School is hosted by comedian, writer and media scholar Grace Jung who analyzes a new Korean TV drama every week and contextualizes it according to its social, cultural and historical significance. Let Grace school you in K-Dramas! Visit kdramaschool.com to learn more. Follow @kdramaschool on Instagram and TikTok!
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Episodes
K-Drama School - Ep 185: Maestra and the Gold Miss Era
July 15, 2024 05:01 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses an old-school show entitled Maestra (2024, tvN) starring Lee Young-ae. She compares it to Tár, Youth, and Mozart in the Jungle. She discusses the heroine Cha Se-eum’s character and what it means to be an ambitious modern Korean woman with no one to rely on or trust in a competitive society today. Grace problematizes the show’s unsympathetic portrayal of drug addicts. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is a...
K-Drama School - Ep 184: Summer Scent and Authentic Heartbeats
July 08, 2024 14:41 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses an old-school show entitled Summer Scent (2003, KBS) starring Song Seung-hun and Son Ye-jin directed by hallyu K-drama director Yoon Seok-ho of Autumn in My Heart (2000) and Winter Sonata (2002). Grace mentions the Coen brothers’ A Serious Man (2009) and compares its essential message to Zen Buddhism. Grace wonders what Indian saints who live with nothing would think of Grace’s materialist consumer lifestyle in America. Grace has relocated to Madison, WI and m...
K-Drama School - Ep 183: The Midnight Romance in Hagwon and Chemical Romance
July 01, 2024 04:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MB[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 charact...
K-Drama School - Ep 182: Shoot for the Stars and Location Identification
June 24, 2024 04:01 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Shoot for the Stars (2002, SBS) starring a young Jo In-sung, Jeon Do-yeon, and comedic actor Park Sang-myun. Grace appreciates the chemistry among these talented performers, especially the comedy brilliance between supporting actress Byun Jung-soo and Park Sang-myun. Grace also wonders why New York spends so much money on advertising how great it is when it’s not a city that requires such. Grace is also critical of Disney’s K-drama curation and how aw...
K-Drama School - Ep 181: Queer K-Dramas
June 17, 2024 04:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace lists some queer K-dramas to celebrate pride month, and some Korean actors who are queerly iconic in her book. 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 ...
K-Drama School - Ep 180: Sweet Proposal and the Y2K Aesthetic
June 10, 2024 04:00 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Sweet Proposal (AKA Delicious Proposal) starring Jung Joon, Son Ye-jin, So Ji-sub and So Yujin. Grace is at the last stop of her cross-country road trip. Grace celebrates pride month by declaring all K-dramas queer. 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 Pa...
K-Drama School - Ep 179: Hi, Bye Mama! And Glenwood Springs
June 03, 2024 07:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Hi, Bye Mama! starring Kim Tae-hee. Grace also gives an update on her road trip cross country back to New York. 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 Sch...
K-Drama School – Ep 178: No K-Drama and Grace’s Last Week in LA
May 27, 2024 07:01 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBNo K-drama today. Grace had a very hectic week. Her car got broken into and got her equipment stolen. She also wrote, directed, produced and starred in a short film. Grace is preparing for courses she will be teaching in the fall and spring, and discusses what she’ll be covering. 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 v...
K-Drama School – Ep 177: The 8 Show and the Gwangdae AKA Korean Clown
May 20, 2024 07:01 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the latest Netflix series The 8 Show starring Korean Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee and Bae Seong-woo as the clown. Grace explores the clown as an archetype and compares it to the Korean clown or “gwangdae” which dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty. 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...
K-Drama School – Ep 176: Lovestruck in the City and the LA Blues
May 13, 2024 07:01 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace is leaving Los Angeles and feels a little blue but she is excited for the next chapter ahead. She discusses the show Lovestruck in the City (2020) and the mockumentary format’s advantages and disadvantages. 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 sh...
K-Drama School - Ep 175: Live at the Hollywood Improv with Ruby Bockmeier, Zack Chapaloni and Josh Edelman
May 06, 2024 07:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace hosts a live recording of the K-Drama School podcast at the Hollywood Improv Comedy Club in Los Angeles to celebrate her new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television. She interviews her returning guests Ruby Bockmeier, Zack Chapaloni and Josh Edelman who play the flashcard game with her on shows like You Raise Me Up, Anna, and Queen of Tears. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is...
K-Drama School – Ep 174: Queen of Tears and Visible Class Discomforts
April 29, 2024 07:45 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Queen of Tears (Netflix, 2024) starring Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun. Grace applauds Kim Soo-hyun’s comedic performance and Kim Ji-won’s knack for melodrama. But there is the question of how shows like this tend to humanize and fetishize heteronormative chaebol families while vilifying those on the margins like orphans, single mothers, and those who come from poverty. Grace ties this into her critique of Korean chaebol groups and their econom...
K-Drama School – Ep 173: The Sound of Magic and Magical Thinking
April 22, 2024 07:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace has a show at the Hollywood Improv on April 29th to celebrate her book launch and record K-Drama School podcast live with very special returning comedian guests Ruby Bockmeier, Zack Chapaloni and Josh Edelman. Grace discusses the K-drama series The Sound of Magic (Netflix, 2022) starring Ji Chang-wook, Choi Sung-eun and Hwang In-youp. Grace is impressed by the layers of its production background and the performance by the lead actors. Grace is also struggling with depre...
K-Drama School – Ep 172: Welcome to Samdal-ri and Redefining Failure
April 15, 2024 07:01 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Welcome to Samdal-ri (JTBC, 2023-2024) and what failure means in the context of this current economy as well as how the show conceptualizes failure at life. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order with a 20% discount until April 23, 2024! Use code KDRAMA20 at checkout on the Hachette Book Group webpage: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grace-jung/k-drama-sch...
K-Drama School – Ep 171: Be Melodramatic and Spiraling Up
April 08, 2024 07:00 - 21 minutes - 20 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Be Melodramatic (JTBC, 2019) co-written and co-directed by filmmaker Lee Byeong-heon. The show is co-written by Kim Young-young and co-directed by Kim Hye-young. The series stars Han Gong-ju lead actress Chun Woo-hee, Vincenzo’s Jeon Yeo-been and Han Ji-eun alongside Reply 1988 series alum Ahn Jae-hong and Gong Myung. Grace thanks a long-time listener for the show recommendation and praises Be Melodramatic’s story, production and brilliant p...
K-Drama School – Ep 170: Chicken Nugget and Dogs Getting to the Bottom
April 01, 2024 07:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Chicken Nugget (2024, Netflix) starring Ryu Seong-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong and Kim Yoo-jung with cameo appearances by Jung Ho-yeon and Park Jin-young. Grace comments on filmmaker Lee Byeong-hun’s absurdist style on the show. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order with a 20% discount until April 23, 2024! Use code KDRAMA20 at checkout on the Hachette Book Group webpage: ...
K-Drama School – Ep 169: You Raise Me Up and Korean Broadcasters Unite
March 25, 2024 07:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series You Raise Me Up (2021, Wavve) starring Yoon Shi-yoon and Hani of the K-pop girl group EXID. You Raise Me Up impresses Grace with its brilliant premise, hilarious title, and excellent performers. She also wonders why Yoon Shi-yoon's career didn't flourish as much after winning a Best Actor Award for his role as Kim Tak-gu. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order with...
K-Drama School – Ep 168: Doctor Slump and South Korean Disillusionment
March 18, 2024 07:00 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Doctor Slump (2024, JTBC) starring Park Shin-hye and Park Hyung-sik, written by Baek Sun-woo. Grace also notes a pattern of disillusionment among K-drama yuppies that all have a nostalgic longing for the slow life in a rural or agrarian environment with earthy neighbors and lifestyles. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order with a 20% discount until April 23, 2024!...
K-Drama School – Ep 167: She Would Never Know and Grace’s Type
March 11, 2024 07:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series She Would Never Know (2021, JTBC) starring Won Jin-ah and Rowoon, observing similarities between this show and One Spring Night directed by Ahn Pan-seok. Grace also notes a pattern in Korean male characters that she is attracted to, as well as She Would Never Know’s intense queerness, which she compares to Angels in America. Grace opens up about how the Pisces New Moon, the aftershock of the industry’s strike last year and her emotional over...
K-Drama School – Ep 166: Captivating the King and a Tom Cruise Sexuality
March 04, 2024 08:10 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Captivating the King (2024, tvN) starring Jo Jung-seok and Shin Se-kyung. Grace asks the question why Korean period pieces tend to have so many gay kings, and what’s progressive and regressive about this narrative choice. Grace explores Captivating the King’s queerness in its defiance against status quo and going against the typical choice for a hetero expectation in an ending, referencing Jack Halberstam’s book The Queer Art of Failure. Gra...
K-Drama School – Ep 165: Mental Coach Jegal and Grace’s Clown Flopped Birthday Flyer
February 26, 2024 08:30 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Mental Coach Jegal (2022, tvN) starring Jung Woo and Lee Yoo-mi. Grace talks about how she became her very own birthday clown on her own birthday by flopping, and dives into the show Mental Coach Jegal which includes messages of female empowerment without compromising herself to save her family’s face as well as mindfulness of the present moment over racing towards milestones. Grace questions the relationship between a sports psychologist an...
K-Drama School - Ep 164: The Bequeathed and ESL for Grace
February 19, 2024 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the Netflix K-drama series The Bequeathed (2024, Netflix) starring Kim Hyun-joo, Ryu Kyung-soo, Park Hee-soon and Park Byung-eun. This is a show created by Yeon Sang-ho based on a webseries entitled The Bequeathed. Grace wonders what makes a TV show noir, how the series uses incest as a metaphor, and her love for actor Park Sung-hoon and his hysteria. K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order and a 20% ...
K-Drama School - Ep 163: A Killer Paradox and Crime and Punishment
February 12, 2024 08:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the latest Netflix K-drama series A Killer Paradox (2024, Netflix) starring Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, Lee Hee-joon and Kim Yo-han. The show is based on a 2018 webtoon entitled Salinja Nangam written by Ggomabi and illustrated by Nomabi. Grace is surprised that this show is not a Netflix top 10. K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order and a 20% discount until April 23, 2024! Use code KDRAMA20 at the c...
K-Drama School – Ep 162: Like Flowers in Sand and Discount Code for K-Drama School the Book!
February 05, 2024 20:29 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBK-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order and a 20% discount until April 23, 2024! Use code KDRAMA20 at the checkout on the Hachette Book Group webpage: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grace-jung/k-drama-school/9780762485727/ Exclusions apply. This code only applies at the Hachette checkout for hardcover copies of the book, and expires on April 23, 2024. [Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the series Like Flowers Over Sand (2023...
K-Drama School – Ep 162: Like Flowers in Sand and Discount Code for K-Drama School the Book!
February 05, 2024 20:29 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBK-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available for pre-order and a 20% discount until April 23, 2024! Use code KDRAMA20 at the checkout on the Hachette Book Group webpage: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grace-jung/k-drama-school/9780762485727/ Exclusions apply. This code only applies at the Hachette checkout for hardcover copies of the book, and expires on April 23, 2024. [Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the series Like Flowers Over Sand (2023...
K-Drama School – Ep 161: My Demon and Ally McBeal with Tobias Hauser
January 29, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 63.8 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show My Demon (SBS, 2023-2024) which stars Kim Yoo-jung and Song Kang. Grace takes issue with director Kim Jang-han who appears to have taken too many liberties ripping off the mise-en-scene from Goblin (2015-2016), but admires his earlier work for directing a K-drama about erectile dysfunction. Hell yeah! Grace’s returning guest is Berlin-based comedian Tobias Hauser (@hahahouser on Instagram) and they discuss working in America, German Nazi landlords, Ti...
K-Drama School - Ep 160: Gyeongseong Creature, Mr Sunshine and Snowdrop and Grace's Powerwalk with Jojoba the Squirrel
January 22, 2024 08:10 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses three shows at once to review Korea’s colonial history during Japanese occupation including Gyeongseong Creature, Mr. Sunshine and Snowdrop, and how they always include huge hallyu stars to promote Korean nationalism and to critique Japan’s imperialist history over Korea. Grace discusses what does the Gyeongseong creature represents, and how K-dramas on globalized streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ can work as a means of decolonization. Grace’s new b...
K-Drama School - Ep 159: Grace Juggles Three K-Dramas in a Row
January 15, 2024 08:01 - 8 minutes - 7.98 MBNo singular K-drama coverage today. Grace is watching three in a row and hasn't finished any of them yet as they are still releasing throughout the rest of the month. She has a quick chat about them and asks listeners to email suggestions on shows they've seen lately. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Release date is April 23, 2024: https://shorturl.at/fAFY1. Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreo...
K-Drama School – Ep 158: Grace the Clown Moves Slowly at a Time
January 08, 2024 08:00 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBNo K-drama today. Grace wonders what it takes to be a balanced artist while maintaining oneself and achieving their dreams. How can one be both a slacker and ambitious at the same time? Grace also discusses her latest clown workshop and how her body responded when she was moving freely at a dance studio over the weekend. Grace is almost alarmed at how much she is at peace with her life. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now...
K-Drama School – Ep 157: Boyhood and the Top 5 K-Dramas of 2023
January 01, 2024 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Boyhood (2023, Coupang Play) starring Im Si-wan, Lee Sun-bin, Lee Si-woo and Kang Hye-won. Boyhood addresses the absurdity of bullying culture while exposing toxic behaviors found in every facet of patriarchal Korean society whether it’s in the underworld with gangs, political office, or a high school. Grace declares Im Si-wan the greatest living actor of this era not just in Korea but in the world. Grace also lists her top five favorite K-dramas of 2...
K-Drama School – Ep 156: Grace’s Christmas Gram to All K-Drama Schoolers
December 25, 2023 08:00 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MBNo K-drama today. Grace has a heartfelt message to all K-Drama Schoolers. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Release date is April 23, 2024: https://shorturl.at/fAFY1. 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:...
K-Drama School - Ep 155: Grace and the Coital Dance of Creativity
December 18, 2023 08:00 - 8 minutes - 8.01 MBNo K-drama today. Grace discusses the push and pull process of creativity and intention. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Release date is April 23, 2024: https://shorturl.at/fAFY1. 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...
K-Drama School - Ep 154: Grace Pierces Through the Clouds and How to Cope with Manic Depressive Episodes
December 11, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBNo K-drama today. Grace discusses her recent manic-depressive episode and her coping mechanisms. This episode is dedicated to mental health awareness for those who feel isolated and are hunting for more coping tips. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Release date is April 23, 2024: https://shorturl.at/fAFY1. Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreon page to support the show at http://www.patreon.com/...
K-Drama School – Ep 153: Castaway Diva and Don’t Give Up on What You Love
December 04, 2023 08:00 - 16 minutes - 15 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Castaway Diva (2023, tvN) written by Park Hye-ryun starring Park Eun-bin, Kim Hyo-jin, Chae Jong-hyeop, Cha Hak-yeon of VIXX and Kim Joo-hun. Grace admires actress Park Eun-bin and her extraordinary acting abilities where she shines playing weirdo characters. Grace critiques the ridiculous ageism and sexism of the Korean entertainment industry by treating a woman in her late 30s as washed up. Grace highlights the relationship between two singers Ran-j...
K-Drama School – Ep 152: Into the Sunlight and Goofy K-Drama Endings
November 27, 2023 08:10 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses an old school K-drama called Into the Sunlight (1999, MBC) starring Kim Hyun-joo, Kim Ha-neul, Cha Tae-hyun and Jang Hyuk. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Release date is April 23, 2024: https://shorturl.at/fAFY1. 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.k...
K-Drama School – Ep 151: Destined with You and Art for Love
November 20, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Destined with You (2023, Netflix) starring Rowoon and Jo Bo-ah. Grace is disappointed by K-dramas’ boring trope of past lives coming back to haunt couples in the present life. She wants to see something new. Grace discusses Jo Bo-ah’s co-hosting gig on Baek Jong-won’s Back Alley with chef and restauranteur Baek Jong-won and Kim Sung-joo. Grace also admires Rowoon’s charm. Grace also discusses how art is given to loved ones as a gift and wonders what t...
K-Drama School – Ep 150: Daily Dose of Sunshine and the Cat’s Pajamas
November 13, 2023 08:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023, Netflix). The show stars actress Park Bo-young and tackles mental illness stigma, socio-cultural factors that contribute to mental illness, and the helplessness that people feel. Grace is still battling a cold, and her psychologist is telling her to quit therapy because she’s all better. Grace also discusses her first sangha experience at the Won Buddhist Center with a Korean monk. Grace also talks about the Korean Friend...
K-Drama School: Ep 149: Grace is Sick and School is Closed
November 06, 2023 08:00 - 25 seconds - 406 KBNo K-drama today. School is closed because the host is ill. Get your flu shots!
K-Drama School – Ep 148: Grace Goes Home and Gets Visited by Ladybugs and Deer
October 30, 2023 04:00 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBNo K-drama coverage today. Grace is home visiting her parents for the first time in 7 years and is having mystical encounters with friends, animals, and family. It’s a wild time. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now for pre-order on Amazon. Release date is April 23, 2024: https://shorturl.at/fAFY1. Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreon page to support the show at http://www.patreon.com/kdramaschool. Visit the K-Drama Schoo...
K-Drama School – Ep 147: Doona! and a K-pop “Superfemale”
October 23, 2023 07:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Doona! (2023, Netflix) starring K-pop star Bae Suzy formerly of Miss A and actor Yang Se-jong. Grace borrows a concept called the “superfemale” named in Richard Dyer’s 1979 star studies text Stars to analyze Doona’s K-pop star figure as a superfemale archetype. Grace is also humbled by the show’s ending and pleasantly surprised by its maturity. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available now fo...
K-Drama School – Ep 146: The Light in Your Eyes and Breast Implants with Julieta Degese
October 16, 2023 07:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show The Light in Your Eyes (2019, JTBC) starring veteran K-drama actress Kim Hye-ja. Kim Hye-ja’s first Korean TV series entitled Frog Husband (1969) which was controversial but showed MBC and its competitors that TV viewers want scandal. Kim Hye-ja is also famous for speaking up on her frustration for being older and more experienced and a better actress in her older age and yet having less and less roles written for her. Grace gets into the significance...
K-Drama School – Ep 145: Grace Recommends K-Dramas for the Autumn Blues
October 09, 2023 07:01 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBGrace reviews a few shows from the past that are ideal for autumn viewing to chase those fall blues away such as Autumn in My Heart, Something in the Rain, and Now, We Are Breaking Up. All three shows are romantic K-dramas with a depressive tone that captures the seasonal changes that people feel around this time of the year. Grace recommends watching Autumn in My Heart to compare against Now, We Are Breaking Up even just to track Song Hye-kyo’s acting improvement jump between two decades. G...
K-Drama School – Ep 144: Behind Your Touch and Country Girl Fall Sweaters
October 02, 2023 07:01 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television now has a pre-order link available on Amazon! Release date has been updated to April 23, 2024. Grace discusses the show Behind Your Touch (2023, JTBC) written by Lee Nam-kyu and directed by Kim Suk-yoon who also directed My Liberation Notes. Grace brings up the concept of the gireogi dad, dabang, and rural villages with serial killers. Please visit K-Drama School’s Patreon page to support the show at htt...
K-Drama School – Ep 143: Miraculous Brothers and Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
September 25, 2023 07:01 - 48 minutes - 44 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Miraculous Brothers (2023, JTBC). The show is written by Kim Ji-woo whose TV screenwriting days date back to 2001 with Stock Flower. The show stars Jung Woo, Bae Hyun-sung, Park Yu-rim, Oh Man-seok and Lee Ki-woo. Themes include rationalizing one’s personal shame and the importance of tending to one’s own pain rather than only externalizing through action in the name of “justice.” Grace discusses modernist Korean poet Yoon Dong-ju and the Woody Allen ...
K-Drama School – Ep 142: Grace Goes to Long Beach and Talks Aliens and Vietcong with Viet Nguyen
September 18, 2023 07:00 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBNo K-drama today. Grace’s SoCal comedian buddy Viet Nguyen returns as a guest. They chat outside a coffee house in Long Beach. Viet teaches Grace how to say “cheers” in Vietnamese and drops knowledge on the Vietcong’s history. They talk about bulldogs, Japanese dogs, Asian aliens, Transformers, Shia Labeouf, parents, war, independence from authoritative influence, and autonomy. Grace recommends that you visit K-Drama School’s Patron page: http://www.patreon.com/kdramaschool. She'll upload wee...
K-Drama School – Ep 141: Grace Goes Blonde and Drinks Cacao
September 11, 2023 07:01 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBNo K-drama today. Grace discusses how long it took her to go completely blonde, and her experience drinking cacao. Grace recommends that you visit K-Drama School’s Patron page: http://www.patreon.com/kdramaschool. She'll upload weekly posts covering all shows and movies that are not K-dramas. Grace also recommends that you visit the K-Drama School Store at http://www.kdramaschool/com/store. She is selling mugs and notebooks that she designed personally. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twit...
K-Drama School – Ep 140: Glitch and Queer Aliens Questioning Reality
September 04, 2023 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Glitch (2022, Netflix) directed by filmmaker Roh Deok and written by Jin Han-sae who also wrote Extracurricular and. It stars Jeon Yeo-been and Nana from the K-pop group After School and the series Mask Girl. Grace observes the show’s exploration of UFOs, aliens, queerness, and objective/subjective reality. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit https://www.kdramaschool.com/ to learn more.
K-Drama School – Ep 139: Mask Girl and Complex Feminist TV
August 28, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace celebrates the early phase of the full moon in Pisces—this month’s second Super Moon, and it is blue! She also celebrates finding a hat she loved and lost from five years ago. This week, Grace covers the show Mask Girl (2023, Netflix) which stars Lee Han-byul, Nana, Go Hyun-jung, Ahn Jae-hong and Yeom Hye-ran and explores lookism through black comedy and psychological thrill. Grace also notes a wonderful trend of complex feminist discourses on television that take inspi...
K-Drama School – Ep 138: DP Season 2 and Male Korean Cynicism
August 21, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace is obsessed with a new Korean sparkling water called Cloop which is grape flavored and comes with a plastic cap to keep the water carbonated longer. Hell yeah. (Not a sponsored ad!) She also plays the xylophone a bit as promised. This week, Grace discusses season 2 of DP and male Korean filmmakers’ infernal cynicism which she is tired of. She also sees the goodness of show’s characters who are brave enough to stand up for what they believe in and fight the system. Grace...
K-Drama School – Ep 137: Anna (Director’s Cut) and Fearless Women with Intention
August 14, 2023 07:01 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the director’s cut version of Anna (Coupang Play, 2022) based on the novel Intimate Stranger by Chung Han-ah, adapted for the screen by female writer/director Lee Zoo-young. The show stars Bae Suzy, Jung Eun-chae, Kim Jung-han and Park Ye-young. Anna was marred in controversy because the executives of Coupang Play recut the show without the director’s consent or approval down to 6 episodes from the original 8 episodes. Grace recommends everyone to watch the di...