K Drama Chat Weekly

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 3 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Ae Sun and Park Bo Gum as Gwan Sik. We discuss: The song featured during the recap: “Neoyeong Nayeong” by Ahn Eun Kyung and Eunyong Sim, a haunting blend of traditional and modern sound, sung in the Jeju dialect and about young love. How the show is beautifully infused with Jeju-specific language, culture, and music. Our heartfelt shoutouts to listeners, including Ellen’s birthday and Joanna’s meetup with Akiko in Tokyo. The folk tale of the honest woodcutter and its metaphorical significance for Ae Sun’s comparison of Gwan Sik to a steel axe. The heartbreak of Ae Sun pushing Gwan Sik away—not out of lack of love, but to set him free. The injustice of Ae Sun’s expulsion from school while Gwan Sik only gets suspended, a commentary on gender and social status. Gwan Sik melting down his doljanchi rings to make a ring for Ae Sun—rings full of cultural symbolism and materna...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 2 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU (Lee Ji-eun) as Ae Sun and Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik. We discuss: The song featured during the recap: Ode to the Green Spring by Chu Da Hye, a hauntingly beautiful piece that blends traditional Korean folk styles with modern sensibility. The background of Chu Da Hye and her mastery of Seodo Sori, a North Korean regional singing style known for its mournful and emotive qualities. The incredibly moving moment when Gwan-sik silently puts Ae Sun’s shoes on her feet, a gesture of deep love, reminiscent of Cinderella and symbolic devotion. Ae Sun’s bravado and vulnerability during their walk through Jeju, leading to their emotional first kiss amidst the canola fields. Gwan-sik’s poetic confession and Ae Sun’s long-awaited admission that she’s been ready for love since she was 14. The complex family dynamics that drive Ae Sun to run away: her stepfather’s betrayal, her un...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 1 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik. We discuss: The song featured during the recap: Midnight Walk by d.ear. The song feels nostalgic and represents Ae-sun’s longing for the past. The deeper themes of family, love, and survival that make this show feel unique compared to other historical K Dramas. The emotional opening with an elderly Ae-sun reflecting on the word "eomma" (mom) and how it carries deep significance throughout her life. The realistic and historical setting of Jeju Island, which makes this drama feel different from the more fantastical K Dramas we have covered before. The contrast between the English title, When Life Gives You Tangerines , and the Korean title Pokssak Sogatsuda , which means "You’ve worked hard" in Jeju dialect. The introduction of young Ae-sun and Gwan-sik and how their childhood relationship sets t...

Today, we’ll be discussing the special filler episode on When The Phone Rings , the over-the-top, twist-filled K Drama starring Yoo Yeon-seok as Baek Sa-eon, Jeon Yeo-been as Hong Hee-joo, and Kim Ji-seok as Ji Sang-woo. We discuss: The songs we featured during the recap, including: Homme Fatale – the dramatic track playing when Baek Sa-eon struts into a room Say My Name performed by Yoo Yeon-seok in the finale The absolutely bonkers premise: a high-profile political spokesperson secretly married to his childhood love, who he keeps hidden from the world, and whose existence triggers a web of blackmail, kidnapping, and revenge plots. The layers of hidden identities — from Baek Sa-eon being a secret replacement for the original Baek Sa-eon, to Hong Hee-joo living her life pretending to be mute, all due to family politics and trauma. The stunning reveal that Baek Sa-eon is not only adopted but actually the son of his own grandfather. The selective mutism plotline — how Hong ...