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12.4 - Podcast Review of Episode 4 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 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 Hyung-young as Dong Geu-ra-mi, Kang Ki-young as Jung Myung-seok, and Joo Jong-hyuk as Kwon Min-woo. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: Tuning Into You by Wonstein and Growing Pains by Roh Young Shim. The emotional flashback of how Woo Young-woo and Dong Geu-ra-mi became best friends after a bullying incident at school. Korean inheritance law, including the now-abolished hojuje system and how remnants of male primogeniture persist, especially in chaebol families. The legal and cultural significance of the dojang (personal seal) used by Dong Dong Sam when signing over his land. The brilliant legal strategy Woo Young-woo employs to invalidate the “gift” of land to Dong Dong Sam’s brothers. The jesa (ancestral rites) ceremony and why Dong Geu-ra-mi’s behavior was cons...
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12.3 - Podcast Review of Episode 3 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 3 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 Hyung-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: “Better than Birthday” by O3ohn, both the lyrical and instrumental versions. Joanna and Sung-Hee share highlights from their recent trips to Vancouver/Victoria and Chicago. The Korean expression “속도위반 결혼” which literally means “speeding marriage” and refers to a shotgun wedding. Woo Young Woo’s internal and external struggles as someone on the autism spectrum defending a client with a different manifestation of the condition. The complex and emotional case involving brothers Sang Hun and Jeong Hun, and the sad truths revealed through Sang Hun’s diary. The attorneys’ use of Pengsoo, a beloved Korean character, to connect with the defen...

12.2 - Podcast Review of Episode 2 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 2 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: Revolving Door Invites You to Dance and Ordinary Attorney by Roh Young-shim. The elaborate, non-religious wedding that opens the episode, and the cultural trends around luxury weddings in Korea. The groom’s grandfather’s disapproval due to the bride’s Buddhist tattoo, showing the intersection of religion and family expectations. The flawed dress switch and how it led to a lawsuit that revealed deep issues in the bride’s family. The complex dynamics of chaebol marriages, often treated like business mergers. The legal strategy led by Woo Young Woo and how she calculates damages based on the bride’s potential lost inheritance. How the bride’...

12.1 - Podcast Review of Episode 1 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo

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...

11.18 - Podcast Review of the Movie Past Lives

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...

11.17 - Review of Miss Granny

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 ...