AfterNoona Delight: KDrama Dishing and Deep Dives

Do you have a comfort drama? One you re-watch to lift your spirits, or check out clips of when having a bad day? Most of us do...however have you rewatched your fave TEN times? That's right, ten times. In this Afternoona Delight snack, Lia visits her friend Jac in Australia who might be one of the world's leading Descendants of the Sun fans. Hear a bit more on why she keeps coming back to this Kim...

In case you're wondering if your noonas have a type--in K-Drama life and maybe even real life--it's the cold-on-the-outside, marshmallow-on-the-inside, Elizabeth Bennet-loving-Mr. Darcy, centuries-old-tortured-vampire type...the tsundere. This week we talk about our favorite K-Drama tsundere heroes and heroines and why this archetype works so well in romance.  K-Pop Rec: #MOOD by MCND Are your fam...

Megan and special guest Sarah from @kdramathis team up to discuss Twenty-Five Twenty-One, a popular kdrama from this year available on Netflix. We discuss our favorite relationships on the show, how Na Hee Do is a great model for female athletes, and of course, we give all our thoughts on THAT ending. Don't worry, we give spoiler alerts! Listen and see if you agree with us! Kpop Rec of the Week: K...

Imagine having your dream within reach--a major league baseball debut right around the corner--when you end up in prison for aggravated assault. Hey, sometimes people deserve a beat down. But in this case, the judge has deemed you took it too far. And he was probably right. Now your dream becomes a nightmare...or does it? For Je-hyeok (played to perfection by Squid Game's Park Hae-Soo in his first...

Will a $5 foot long bring meaning back into our lives? Will Vans sneakers save us from a flying knife bridge in hell? And will the CELLRETURN mask turn us into babies? Here at Afternoona Delight, we answer all your hard hitting questions about product placement in K-Dramas--and maybe go off on a few tangents about one of Amy's many vacuums.  K-Pop Rec:  "Ring the Alarm" by Kard Are your family and...

As much as we love to join forces and deep dive a K-drama, sometimes your Afternoonas have to follow their hearts. This usually means Lia is seeking a slice of life story, Megan is on the hunt for adrenaline and action, and Amy wants a big cathartic cry. Join us for a show where we try to sell each other on a drama that we've recently enjoyed and want the others to try: Tomorrow, Our Blues and Mil...

Today we talk about some of the locations in South Korea that are on our bucket list to visit: We highlight important landmarks, interesting facts, and yummy cuisine in Busan, Daegu, and Jeju. And of course, we fangirl over our favorite K-drama scenes that were filmed in these places. So travel with us (virtually, that is) on a tour of South Korea. Are your family and friends sick of you talking a...

Sweet? Steamy? Closed door? Fade-to-black? How do we define sexy times in K-Drama, and is sex necessary for romance to be--well--romantic? Join us as we put on our romance-writer hats and examine the heat levels of our favorite dramas.  K-Pop Rec: "Beat Box" by NCT Dream Romance Book Recs:  STAKING HIS CLAIM by Tessa Bailey BOOK LOVERS, by Emily Henry THE INITIATION by Nikki Sloane Are your family...

Soggy Wonder Bread? The Eyore of K-dramas? A poignant look at middle class disappointment and the formation of unlikely soulmates? My Mister has been one of the most requested dramas here at Afternoona Delight. While we might not all have loved this popular 2018 drama, we universally agree that Lee Sun-kyun and IU acted their socks off. And the Maxim Coffee Company sure got their money back on all...

Sound of Magic is a six-episode Netflix series that left us a little baffled. While we love Ji Chang Wook in a top hat and cape, we still aren't quite sure what we watched. A musical? A fantasy? A mystery? Something else? We get into all the ways the premise didn't jive with us while we try to keep magic in our hearts. Come hop on the merry go 'round with us as we take a trip to MagicLand. Kpop Re...

We take a break from our regular programming to bring you the funny, dark, bleak, violent, and brilliant Academy Award winning Korean film, Parasite. Join us for a discussion on the haves vs. the have-nots, top-notch metaphors and cinematography, exploding toilets, secret bunkers, and a scholar stone strong enough to both keep your hope afloat and also bludgeon you to the brink of death. Confused?...

Romance writers to the rescue! It's time for another Second Lead SOS, but this time we take on the much needed task of righting the wrongs for our favorite second male and second female leads who deserve much more than they are given at the end of their dramas. Join us as we revisit Crash Landing On You, Our Beloved Summer, and The King's Affection. We hope you enjoy the much deserved happily ever...

What happens when four members of Afternoona Army gather around the proverbial podcast campfire to discuss BTS? Things get thinky...but also thirsty. Come for the real talk on why Yoongi/Suga looks so fine in a skirt or how Hoseok/J-Hope works the stage harder than anyone. But stay for a discussion on parasocial relationships and why fangirling over BTS can help heal wounds inflicted by toxic masc...

"If you like x...you're gonna like y." There's a statement that's music to any K-drama fan's ear holes. Let's face it, we're all chasing the next hit of the tropes we love and today, your hosts are attending to your needs. We're discussing why comps (aka comparative titles) are important, and what you'll enjoy if you loved shows like Healer, Guardian: The Great and Lonely God, Mr. Sunshine, Crash...

Today we cover Semantic Error, the Korean BL drama that has stolen hearts. We discuss Jay Young's best outfits, the drama's swooniest moments, and invent a new term: Crush Catching. Listen to get the definition!  Kpop Rec:  Cupid by DKZ Gay Romance Book Rec: Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson Are your family and friends sick of you talking about K-drama? We get it...and have an answer. Join our Aft...

Can you say archaeopteryx? No? Neither can we. But that doesn't stop the bird-like dinosaur from being one of our favorite parts of Business Proposal! Today we deep dive the recent Netflix drama and discuss why it's as sweet and delightful as a bucket of candy as well as the reason we love the names Samantha and Rachel more than we ever did before. Romance, friendship, secret identities, bathroom...

We welcome bestselling author Piper J. Drake on the podcast to discuss our favorite K-dramas with supernatural elements. Piper explains how Asian dramas influence her storytelling, and a little about her childhood visits with her family in Thailand. We also talk about what we want to see more of--Gumihos! Vampires! Grumpy immortals meeting sunshine mortals! Kpop Rec: The Song by BTOB Check out Pip...

Romance, bromance, revolution--oh my! Megan and Amy finally got their act together and made Lea's dreams come true. Join us on the wild, picturesque, heartbreaking, and important ride that is Mr. Sunshine, writer Kim Eun-sook's epic saga on turn-of-the-century Joseon. We laughed (a lot); we cried (even more); and we're so grateful to have had this experience.  K-pop Rec of the Week: "Maniac" by St...

A Listener Requested Episode: It’s been more than a year already since the Afternoona Delight podcast came to be, and while we hope you’re getting to know us bit by bit as you listen to new episodes, we thought it might be fun to give you all a bit of a re-introduction, to share not only what draws us to the dramas we watch but also what makes us—well—us! From our current obsessions to our zodiac...

We watched Our Beloved Summer and asked ourselves the important questions: Is Choi Woo Sik beddable? How much did we love the OST? And did we want more, ahem, heat? Grab your jujube tea and get into the angst with us! Kpop Rec: Christmas Tree by V (of BTS) Are your family and friends sick of you talking about K-drama? We get it...and have an answer. Join our AfterNoona Delight Patreon and find com...

It's time for another deep dive into Reply 1988, this time with an "I have questions" episode to which we reply with our research findings. See what we did there? Heh heh. But seriously, folks, we love this drama so much and want to make sure we understand it not only from a fangirl perspective but a cultural one as well. Join us as we dive into student protests, the price of bananas, and how we a...

In today's episode, Lia and Megan try to convince Amy why Nextflix's Korean reality dating show, Singles Inferno, is better than its American counterparts and is worth a watch for the veins and mask packs alone. Also, you don't want to miss Lia's story on how she made it onto a Top Chef episode in Hawaii. Get into all the tiny bikinis and bulging pectorals with us! Kpop Rec: JIKJIN by Treasure Are...

Love and Leashes, the Netflix K-movie that got everyone talking, hurt so good. Did Lia manifest this film into being after putting in her year-end K-drama wishlist to the universe--requesting a BDSM office romance? Probably not, but she got way too excited about the premise and needed restraints (see what we did there? BDSM dad jokes for the win). This is a sweet Kink 101 movie that stars a novice...

FINALLY, your noonas are here with our take on the much beloved, Reply 1988. And worry not--we loved every minute of it! So join us on a journey back in time to find out not only why we love this drama so much but also to get a glimpse at what we were all doing in good old 88--and whether or not Amy remembers the actor who played Balki on Perfect Strangers. Spoiler: SHE DOES.  K-Pop Rec: "Friends"...

In this episode, we reminisce about our own friendships, debate the Bechdel test, and get into all our favorite on-screen female besties, something Kdramas have in abundance.  Kpop rec:  Step Back by Girls on Top Are your family and friends sick of you talking about K-drama? We get it...and have an answer. Join our AfterNoona Delight Patreon and find community among folks who get your obsession. A...