Today, we have a special episode of K Drama Chat where we’re joined by longtime listener, friend, and screenwriter, Ellen Sullivan . We talk about the art and science of screenwriting and how the best K Dramas follow—or creatively depart from—dramatic structure to deliver compelling, emotional stories. In this episode, we discuss: The shows that are heavily spoiled in this episode: Crash Landing On You , Mr. Queen , Mr. Sunshine , When the Phone Rings , and Captivating the King . Ellen’s background as a screenwriter and technical writer, and how her passion for K Dramas began with My Mister. The Western three-act structure versus the Korean four-act structure (gi-seung-jeon-gyeol), and how each style approaches storytelling and character development. Detailed examples of setup, midpoint, and conclusion in Crash Landing On You , Mr. Queen , and Mr. Sunshine . What makes these shows work: believable character arcs, clear motivations, strong midpoint turns, and emotional payof...
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 16, the finale, 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 Geurami, Kang Ki-young as Jung Myung-seok, and Joo Jong-hyuk as Kwon Min-woo. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: Dance with a Best Friend by Roh Young Sim and Beyond My Dreams by Sunwoojunga. The Wall Street Journal article that explores the wide spectrum of autism and how the medical community thinks we need better and different diagnoses for the different presentations of autism. Woo Young-woo and Choi Sang-hyeon’s similarities, including their autistic traits, intelligence, and love of gimbap and Rubik’s cubes. Tae Su-mi’s response to her son’s confession of hacking and how it reflects both ambition and maternal instinct. The ethical and legal complexities of the Raon hacking case, including Woo Young-woo’s dilemma between social ...