Afternoona Asks

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...

Our latest episode of Afternoona Asks ND is covering Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which just like Autism, is a neurotype with a lot of prejudice and stigma attached to it. In this podcast episode Sarah and Fran sit down to chat about ADHD traits and Fran shares her own personal experiences with them. They talk about the struggles of living with time blindness and executive dysf...

We are delighted to welcome Jess, host of the fabulous Daebak K-Rambles Podcast for a fun chat about KDramas, some OG dramas, which actors are her faves and a slew of underrated KDrama recommendations! We had a blast talking to her and we hope you enjoy this one too! To listen to Daebak K-Rambles Podcast and check out some of the episodes we discuss on the pod please check out Daebak K Rambles pod...

Join Sarah, Fran and J as we deep dive It's Ok To Not Be Ok from an autistic lens. What did they get so right about Moon Sang Tae's character and why does it still hold up as one of the best portrayals of Autism in KDrama? Along the way we discuss and refer to what really rang true for us with his character and explain why. You might discover parts of his character you hadn't discovered before! Po...

Sarah went to see Jung Hae In at a fanmeeting in Hong Kong and is here to tell us all about it. Grace has lots of questions, including where North American fans can catch Jung Hae In in Nov 2023 and whether the fanmeeting was worth it. And we all learn how to shout out "we miss you!" and "you're so good looking!" at our next fan meeting for our favourite KDrama Oppas and actors. Show Notes: Daebak...

Hosts Sarah and Grace are back to talk about Grace’s summer trip to Korea, including her favorite experiences, learnings from traveling there with her family for the first time, a discussion on wheelchair accessibility, and plans for future trips.  Attractions: Changdeokgung  Namsam Tower Gangchon Rail Park Spa Land Centum City (Busan) Jongro 3-ga Pocha Street 종로 3가 포차거리 https://thesmartloc...

Is Ji Chang Wook’s Suspicious Partner lead character, autistic coded? In this podcast, Sarah (@kdramthis) is joined by co-hosts Franziska (@wanderingfranzi) and J (@theflowerthatbloomsalone) for another episode of their autistic-coded mini-series. Here we discuss a character you may have never considered autistic - Noh Ji Uk from Suspicious Partner. Maybe all those aish’s were his frustration at l...

We are very excited to welcome Los Angeles-based costume designer and fellow Afternoona Delight Patreon member, Gavin Dietz, on the show! We chat with Gavin about the differences in the costuming process in US productions versus Korean ones, the shows that have had our favorite costumes, and the power of costumes to convey character traits, settings, and culture at a glance. We also learn how to s...