Afternoona Asks

Grace welcomes guest Ryan Estrada, co-author of the critically acclaimed graphic novel Banned Book Club to the show. We discuss Ryan's work and the history and culture of protest in South Korea. We also get a sneak peek behind the scenes of a Kdrama on which Ryan was an extra. And, in the language section, we talk about how easy it is (for some) to learn the Korean alphabet. Find Ryan online at: w...

Sarah, Grace, and guests Megan (from Afternoona Delight podcast) and Kalena (from AD Patreon) chat about the Fallen for Seo In Guk fan meetings in Los Angeles and Washington DC. We discuss Seo In Guk's filmography and fandom, his beautiful live singing, and the hilarious and endearing games and fan service prepared for the event. We also talk about the perks and pitfalls of VIP tickets and the ama...

Grace welcomes fellow Korean American, Lisa, as a guest this episode to talk about Park Chan-wook's 2000 film Joint Security Area and compare notes on our personal experiences of Hallyu. We discuss the standing of the film as an early Hallyu success, its moving and humanizing portrayal of soldiers from both sides of the armistice line, the impact of Korea's division on the psyche of its people bot...

We are delighed to be joined by Dr Seo Hyojin, who is a gender and labour market sociologist and an international and interdisciplinary scholar. Hyojin currently work as Post-doctoral Researcher for a Horizon Europe project EqualHouse at the Department of Sociology, Tilburg University (NL). She joins us to chat about women in the South Korean workforce and which Korean Dramas portray different ele...

We had so much fun diving deep into one of Grace's top comfort dramas, the 2010 sageuk Sungkyunkwan Scandal. We were excited to have Gavin join us again to discuss the historical backdrop, queer-coded characters, and surprisingly liberal version of Confucianism we find in this "Joseon Coffee Prince." Join us to discuss this gender swap historical drama, in Park Min Young's breakout role. We start...

We're back with another episode to discuss travelling to Seoul - Sarah was lucky to return for another work trip this summer! This time she had some time to go for some experiences: a hair spa, a facial and some kimchi making. She also tried soy marinated crab and met 2 Korean Instagram influencers! Check out the episode to hear about more things to do in Seoul. Show Notes: Hair spa : Sarah went t...

We are delighted to be joined this episode by Emma from EmmaB Videos, a fan video editor and fellow Asian drama fangirl. We get to know Emma and her tastes in drama - both Asian and Western - and we speak to her about where she gets her inspiration from for her fab video edits. Check out our show and then enjoy Emma's amazing video edits via her socials below. Please check out the shownotes below...

We had so much fun speaking with fellow Patreon member Lindsay about learning Korean. We share our language learning experiences, our favorite resources and strategies for learning, as well as our Korean learning goals and dreams of all the different ways we'll be able to use Korean as we improve. See how well you follow along with our snippets of Korean conversation and relate to the struggles an...

We are delighted to be joined by actor and fellow Patreon member Katherine Bourne Taylor. We have a great chat with Katherine as she gives her views on KDramas from an actors lens and what the differences she sees are between how KDramas are acted, produced and shot versus Western media. We also manifest a KDrama for Katherine to star in and discuss what might be some upcoming trends for co-produc...

We invited Erin & Gavin from previous podcast episodes to come and chat 2024 as a KDrama year for us so far. We cover what we've enjoyed, what we've dropped and what we're watching now. We also throw forward to dramas we're looking forward to. Come join us to find out if you agree with us, vehemently disagree or find some dramas that might tickle your interest. Notes: If you'd like to hear mor...

We're back with another Afternoona Asks ND episode. We recorded this episode during Autism Awareness month in April so thought it would be a good chance to revisit some of our favourite KDramas to guide us on how to be a good ally for Neurodivergency. Join us as we give insight into why autistic people often find Autism Awareness month difficult and the ways you could support them - all year aroun...

Today we're talking Chinese! But what is "Chinese" language? Discover the basics of Chinese language, its regional variations, its writing system and pronounciation. Grace and Sarah talk about similarities between Korean and Cantonese and we all learn some basic Chinese phrases. Show notes: Word that is used to describe passing a test or being accepted into a program: 합격하다 hab-gyeok hada - the...

Finally we're back, with the long awaited part two of our deep dive into Autistic Lan Wangji. "It has been 16 Years....", Well, two months, but we know you've all been at the edge of your seats. We’re finishing our discussion of The Untamed, starring Wang Yibo (王一博) and Xiao Zhan (肖战). It’s one of the most watched series in Asian television history with 10 billion views domestically in China...

In the second installment of our Confucian series, Sarah and Grace dive deep into the 2023 historical drama My Dearest. We discuss what made the drama "so Confucian," different characters and their varying levels of adherence to Confucianism, including our anti-Confucian hero and heroine, and try to clear up the confusing plot points and timeline.  We had a lot of fun unpacking our joint favourite...

Haeji, Sarah's tour guide from her Gwangjang Market night tour in Seoul, joins us this episode to talk about life in Seoul in the era of Hallyu. We get her perspective on accessibility for people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ life, feminism, and drinking culture in Korea. We discuss what hot topics are for young women in Seoul right now and also talk about the centrality of Seoul to Korean life. In ou...

Sarah and Grace are joined by Youjeong Ssaem, one of Grace's Korean teachers, for a chat about the South Korean educational system. We go into technical details before discussing broader issues currently impacting students and teachers, like school violence and pressure to academically excel. In the language section, we talk about Konglish. Find Youjeong ssaem on iTalki at: https://www.italki.com/...

This Valentine’s Day, the feeling of sticking to the single log bridge with us until it’s dark is not too bad! Finally, we’re covering the Untamed, starring Wang Yibo (王一博) and Xiao Zhan (肖战). Yes, one of the most watched series in Asian television history with 10 billion views domestically as of 2022 in China on one service alone, never mind the huge international success and acclaim it garn...

We're back with a very special guest, Lia from our sister pod, Afternoona Delight! Lia made a trip to Seoul, her first to South Korea and she's on our podcast to chat to us about how she found it, what KDrama locations she saw and how being in Seoul made her feel. Tune in to listen to how she found her trip and pick up some travel tips for your own future trip to Seoul! Notes from Show mentioned i...

Fellow podcaster William Han joins Grace and Sarah to discuss the history of wuxia, as well as its cultural context and significance. He discusses how men--and women--with a "particular set of skills" and an unshakable code have played a notable role in Chinese history and literature, why Jin Yong's wuxia novels are a lingua franca of the Chinese speaking/reading world, and how wuxia concepts have...

In another episode examining autistic coded characters in KDrama, we discuss the popular Korean BL's Semantic Error and Light On Me. Sarah, J and Fran discuss what autistic traits we saw and how the dramas handled their characters autistic traits. We talk about what worked and didn't work for us about these two dramas. Show Note: Light on Me BL Express blog mentioned in the show by J.

We invited along fellow members of the Patreon to discuss our 2023 year in dramas - this is a bumper three episode edition, which we are releasing on the last three days of 2023. This is Part 3, and here Tania and Heather are here to chat to us about their favourite dramas, performances and underrated dramas of the year. Be sure to check out the other 2 episodes in this mini-series!

We invited along fellow members of the Patreon to discuss our 2023 year in dramas - this is a bumper three episode edition, which we are releasing on the last three days of 2023. This is part 2 and here we have Erin, who is here to chat to us about her favourite dramas, performances and underrated dramas of the year. Then Grace goes through what 2023 in drama land has been like for her. Be sure to...

We invited along fellow members of the Patreon to discuss our 2023 year in dramas - this is a bumper three episode edition, which we are releasing on the last three days of 2023. First up is Katie, who is here to chat to us about her favourite dramas, performances and underrated dramas of the year. Then Sarah goes through what 2023 has been like for her. Be sure to check out the other 2 episodes i...

Sarah is flying solo for this episode and was delighted to welcome Liliana from Tea and Soju Podcast for a chat about Chinese Dramas, what 2023 has been like for CDramas and get a shedload of recommendations for you all on your next CDrama. We hope you enjoy! Show Notes mentioned in the pod KDramas vs CDramas Podcast with Tea and Soju Podcast - guest host spot with Sarah and Lia from Afternoona De...

Hosts Sarah and Grace tackle the first in a multi-episode series on Confucianism, a topic that has been on our minds, and planning spreadsheet, since the beginning of the pod. We give a brief primer on what Confucianism is and how it impacts numerous aspects of life in Korea. We also discuss how it has influenced our lives and where we see it pop up in the Asian dramas we watch. In the language se...