• 2023 Year End Review: 23 K-Dramas (& 1 Tw-Drama) I watched in 2023: Talking Death's Game, Castaway Diva, The Uncanny Counter S2, Strong Woman Nam Soon & many more

    Was 2023 a good K-Drama Year for you? What were your favourite and least favourite dramas? Today I talk about 23 K-Dramas I watched in 2023, discussing highlights for the year and critiquing K-dramas that could have been improved in some way. Listen as I discuss some of the biggest K-dramas for 2023 including Castaway Diva, The Good Bad Mother, Bloodhounds, Death's Game, The Uncanny Counter 2 and many more...

    In this episode, let's chat about these dramas (time stamps included):

    1. 2:37 Alchemy of Souls 2

    2. 9:06 Unlock the Boss

    3. 11:54 Crash course in Romance

    4. 15:25 Call It Love

    5. 19:17 The Good Bad Mother

    6. 23:07 Delivery man

    7. 27:31 Black Knight

    8. 31:37 Heartbeat

    9. 33:52 Bloodhounds

    10. 42:24 A Time called You

    11. 47:56 Destined with You

    12. 56:20 Castaway Diva

    14. 1:04:00 Death's Game

    15. 1:08:36 Strong Woman Nam Soon

    16. 1:19:43 Soundtrack 2

    17. 1:23:03 Taxi Driver 2

    18. 1:31:19 The Uncanny counter 2

    19. 1:42:09 D.P 2

    20. 1:48:38 My Mister

    21. 1:55:38 Where Stars Land

    22. 1:58:15 Heavenly Idol

    23. 2:01:20 Moving

    24. 2:06:37 At the Moment


    Chat with me about Dramas:

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other Korean dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    Weightlifting Fairy

    Madame Antoine: Love Therapist

    Reply 1988

    Twenty Five Twenty One

    Extraordinary Woo Young Woo

    Goblin

    Pachinko

    Kingdom

    Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

    Happiness

    Coffee Prince

    Alchemy of Souls S1

    Taxi Driver s1

    The Uncanny Counter s1

    Squid Game s1

    All of Us are Dead s1

    Soundtrack s1

    D.P s1


    Other Korean moves mentioned in passing in this episode:

    Nowhere Man

    Parasite


    Other Taiwanese dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    Someday or One Day

    Rock Records in Love


    Other American movies mentioned in passing in this episode

    Adam's Family

    2h 12m | Dec 31, 2023
  • Heartbeat [Kdrama Episode 1-16]: Why this Ending sucked: Talking about Rom Com Kdrama Ending Mistakes, Good Sad Endings, Subverting Vampire stories & Celebrating Ok Taecyeon and Won Ji An

    Are you hoping to find a love that will make your heartbeat? Would you sleep in a coffin for 100 years to meet them? Today I return to the podcasting world to vent about ending of Heartbeat, a Kdrama with an ending that broke my heart (and not in a good way!). We talk about why the ending sucked (pun intended!) and discuss wha mistakes studios, directors and writers continue to make with Rom Com Endings. We also talk about what makes a good sad ending .I also look at what Heartbeat does right: Subverting vampires stories to be more fun, portraying a strong female lead ad just showing pretty romantic scenes. Lastly we look at how Heartbeat ranks in terms of the vampire Kdramas I've (Kinda) seen


    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. The interesting plot

    2. My new loves - Ok Taecyeon and Won Ji An: Their continuously growing careers and cute chemistry

    3. Why this Ending Sucked: An analysis of all the main problems that seem to repeatedly happen in Rom Com K-dramas, specially applied in this Kdrama, Heatbeat:

    -Bad Pacing - The story didn't pick up with any of the exciting events and never took off, the world of the vampires was too small and budgeted, the storyline dragged with unncessary subplots

    -Draggy Subplots - All the subplots about the guesthouse customers, the second leads' self centred plots, the neighbour's redevelopment plans and the vampire friends' search for missing gold really held back the main plot.

    -Noble Idiocy - The main character, Seon Woo Hyeol, continued to perform acts of noble idiocy, which did not make sense and lead to overdramatic events,

    -Illogical Events - Some of the character's actions and revalations in the drama didn't make as much sense as they should have.

    But we also talk about why Heartbeat had it's beautiful moments: how it made a good discussion of morality, how ti subverted vampire stereotypes and made the vampire world more inclusive, how it showed beautiful romantic scenes and how it portrayed a strong female lead who called out bad behaviour!

    4. Vampire Kdramas - It turns out that I haven't finished as many Kdramas as I thought relating to vampires! Nevertheless, I talk about some titles I've watched, have Kinda watched and will watch in the future.


    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: Life in Colour for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    - Bite Sisters [Korean Drama]

    - Scholar who Walks in the Night [Korean Drama]

    - Blood [Korean Drama]

    - Orange Marmalade [Korean Drama]

    - Vampire Flower [Korean Drama]


    Other dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    -Weighlifting Fairy [Korean Drama]

    -Strong Woman Do Bong Soon [Korean Drama]

    -Dodososolalasol [Korean Drama]

    -Monthly Home Magazine [Korean Drama]

    -Hometown Cha Cha Cha [Korean Drama[

    1h 3m | Sep 5, 2023
  • Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo [K-Drama Eps 13-16]: What makes a good Kdrama ending, Comforting Taebin Fans about Shipping Angst & Discussing the Possibility of a Season 2

    It's been awhile since Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo has ended but do you still find yourself buying whale objects and looking at photos of Park Eun Bin & Kang Tae Oh? This week we talk about the last episodes in Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo, particularly the lovely Episode 16. We also look in depth at the angst that fans have faced with 'shipping' the main couple 'TaeBin' in this drama. Finally, we talk about the possibility of a season 2.

    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1.The rough penultimate episodes as well as the beautiful ending that unfolded in episode 16. I talk about the rough ride into the last episode including fan criticisms about pacing and character inconsistencies. But ultimately, we talk about what makes a good K-Drama ending and look at why the ending of Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo was so satisfying and loved by all. Subtopics discussed include how:

    -The last episode had great pacing and didn't feel rushed even though it introduced a new relatively important character.

    -Closure given to Woo Young Woo's relationship with her mother

    -The Kdrama avoided bad tropes including time jumps and the '5 minutes of happiness' ending where the reuinon of the main characters are left to the last 5 minutes of the final episode. Instead, Woo Young Woo and Jun Ho was given a beautiful solution to reunite them.

    -The unpopular second lead romance was only implied rather than explicit

    -The more villainous characters were shown to have their own growth and none of them turned out to be too bad in the end.

    -Young Woo's growth remained the central focus of the story

    We also talk about a little bit about the legal cases and how they reflected a lot of realities about the law and the legal system in real life. We look at some of the discussions about social commentary, ethics and about experiences on the spectrum that these cases highlighted.

    2.Defining Shipping culture & Comforting Taebin fans who are anxious and worry that Park Eun Bin or Kang Tae Oh don't get along. We talk about why fans 'ship' their favourite K-drama actors and what the extremes of shipping can mean.

    I also present a comforting analysis on why Taebin DO get along and go through and provide context for every single rumour or point of angst that I've heard from anxious fans. Subtopics discussed include:

    Selcas

    - Not posting a duo only selca doesn't mean that Park Eun bin & Kang Tae Oh dislike each other and posting a selca doesn't prove that they like each other. All it proves is that 2 people enjoy taking photos!

    -There are reasons that stars like Park Eun Bin have taken photos with some of her co-stars but not others. For example, stars often take more photos when doing period dramas, the staffers from the agency may encourage the stars to take more photos in certain projects, stars may take more selcas wiith their co-stars if they're promoting a drama that is only considered a romance drama, stars might not promote in such a romantic way if a drama has sensitivites like Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo & some stars might not like taking selcas/selfies.

    Behind the Scenes footage

    - Park Eun bin and Kang Tae Oh had a more organic type of chemistry in the behind the scenes videos rather than one made for show, Behind the scenes videos also depend on the editing and type of activites shown (ie. the best behind the scenes videos show more scenes of the acotrs playing around between takes rather than just filming the scenes themselves. EAW sometimes focused more on the filming side of things)

    -Also the behind the scenes didn'r show all of Park Eun bin and Kang Tae Oh's moments together - the montage of scenes at the start of each behind the scenes video shows there's other moments that they have included a few seconds of, but have not shared entirely in the videos. But you can see how playful they are in other interviews & Swoon games videos.

    - In terms of Park Eun Bin's behaviour towards Kang Tae Oh on set, she often had to stay in character, her character was challenging to play so she had to focus and they shot romance scenes at night which was tiring...so it makes sense that she might not have been as hyped up behind the scenes. But Kang Tae Oh matched her moods.

    -The genre and length of a drama also determine how the actors might interact in a behind the scenes video.

    -No behind the scenes hug = it's probably because they finished filming on different shoots.

    -Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh do show their own sense of closeness - Park Eun Bin teases Kang Tae Oh a lot more than she had with her past co-stars. And they have their own moments of tenderness like Park Eun Bin stroking Kang Tae Oh's hand when they have to hold hands.

    Interviews, Fan meets, Photoshoots & Ring

    -Photoshoots: Unfortunately, Park Eun bin and Kang tae Oh didn't have a photoshoot because of magazines not offering a photoshoot slot in time. And then schedules not aligning.

    -Interviews: Park Eun bin choose to call Kang Tae Oh a friend rather than just an actor she worked with which showed a sign of closeness.

    -Fan Meets: It's rare for K-dramas to get a fan meet, but Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo got one and we got to see Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh interact live. There were sweet moments between the two with Kang Tae Oh whispering to Park eun Bin etc. And Kang Tae Oh continues to be attentive to Park Eun Bin which shows he's not being frozen out by her, but understand her intentions.In terms of Park Eun Bin's personal fan meet, she didn't turn away from Kang Tae Oh, but from her own acting.

    -Ring: Kang Tae Oh says the ring is from his CEO and it would be a term of respect to wear a gift from your boss, In Asian culture, rings are not necessarily a marker of a relationship.

    3.The Possibility of a second season for Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo. We talk about why Kdramas rarely have second seasons compared to US shows and look at reasons why Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo might not have a second season including Kang Tae Oh's military enlistment and Park Eun Bin's tiredness from filming as well as reluctance to weaken the storyline. We also talk about what would be better than having a season 2...


    Related articles and Interviews:

    Agency selcas:

    Park Eun Bin's agency CEO has the selcas of Rowoon and Park Eun bin on his instagram, so these are probably agency photos rather than personal sellcas

    Interviews where Park Eun Bin talks about wanting to maintain a pure image:

    Park Eun Bin Arena interview

    Interviews about the challenges of playing Woo Young Woo & Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin's relationship

    Park Eun Bin talking about staying in character while filming

    Park Eun Bin talks about the challenges regarding her role as Woo young Woo

    Park Eun Bin talking about how hard it was to play the role of Woo young Woo (Fan translation)

    Kang Tae Oh talking about Park Eun Bin having a hard time filming in Star One magazine (Fan translation)

    Kang Tae Oh talking about how well him and Park Eun Bin worked together

    Park Eun Bin calling Kang Tae Oh a friend rather than just an actor she worked with (Fan translation)

    Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin finished on different scenes:

    Kang Tae Oh's last outfit at 2:56 on this video

    Kang Tae Oh's possible last scene at 2:19 on this video va. Park Eun bin's last scene at 7:50 on this video

    Season 2:

    ASTORY CEO controversial interview


    Intro and Outro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon

     

    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: These Dramatic Days Podcast for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    -The King's Affection [Korean Drama]

    -Do You Like Brahms [Korean Drama]

    -Run On [Korean Drama]

    Other dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    -Crash Landing on You [Korean Drama]

    -Extraordinary You [Korean Drama]

    -Hot Stove League [Korean Drama]

    -My Liberation Notes [Korean Drama]

    -Monthly Home Magazine [Korean Drama]

    -Alchemy of Souls [Korean Drama]

    -Business Proposal [Korean Drama]

    -Today's Webtoon [Korean Drama]

    -All of Us are Dead [Korean Drama]

    -Squid Game [Korean Drama]

    -Kingdom [Korean Drama]

    -Rainless Love in a Godless Land [Taiwanese Drama]

    2h 11m | Oct 2, 2022
  • Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo [K-Drama Eps 1-12]: Discussing Autism in Kdramas, The Beauty & Importance of Romance, Why Jun Ho likes Woo Young Woo so much & the Importance of Side Characters

    Are you obsessed with whales, kimbap and Jun Ho? This week we talk about the highly popular and heart warming series, Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo. I chat about the drama's impact in helping audiences to understand the experiences of those who live with Autism, as well as the joy the series has bought with it's portrayal of healthy romances and dashing, empathetic male leads.

    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. The plot of the drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo. We'll introduce the titular character, Woo Young Woo, and talk about the way she's been shaped. I also look at the actress, Park Eun Bin, who plays Woo Young Woo as well as Kang Tae Oh, who plays her love interest Jun Ho.

    2. Depicting Autism in K-dramas. We talk about how Extraordinary Woo Young Woo sits within the K-drama literature in showing experiences of those on the Spectrum. We look at why this series is special, how it's helped to generate discussion and awareness about living with Autism as well as some of the points of debate when it comes to accuracy of portrayal etc.

    3. The beauty & importance of romance in this series & the popularity of the male lead Jun Ho. Although this drama is predominently a legal drama, I talk about why the romance is so important in showing Woo Young Woo's growth. We also look at why Jun Ho is so popular - how he subverts some stereotypes and portrays postive traits as well as criticisms about him being too perfect without a backstory.

    4. The function of side characters. The side characters have such a strong presence in this series. We look at what Myeong Seok, Min Woo, Su Yeon and Geurami's characters do in terms of supporting Woo Young Woo's journey.


    Articles and Interviews:

    Park Eun Bin chats about how she prepared to play Woo Young Woo

    Positive & negative reactions to Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo

    American lawyer with autism weighs in on Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo

    Reactions from the community


    Intro and Outro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon

     

    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: These Dramatic Days Podcast for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    -Move to heaven [Korean Drama]

    -It's Okay to Not Be Okay [Korean Drama]

    -The Good Doctor [Korean Drama]

    -The Good Doctor [American TV series]


    Other dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    -Operation Proposal [Korean Drama]

    -Hello my Twenties! [Korean Drama]

    -The King's Affection [Korean Drama]

    -Do You Like Brahms [Korean Drama]

    -Hot Stove League [Korean Drama]

    -Run On [Korean Drama]

    -Doom at Your Service [Korean Drama]

    -My First First Love [Korean Drama]

    -Tale of Nokdu [Korean Drama]

    -My Liberation Notes [Korean Drama]

    -Doldolsolollalasol [Korean Drama]

    -2521 [Korean Drama]

    53m | Aug 10, 2022
  • Tomorrow [K-Drama Eps 1-16] Talking about Suicide, Grim Reapers, Comfort Women & Episodic Dramas

    You fall into a coma after rescuing a man trying to jump off a bridge and wake up to find yourself joining a team of Grim Reapers who save people's lives...That's right, this week we talk about the bittersweet drama, Tomorrow and look at all the tragic stories of each episode

    Trigger Warning: This podcast episode will focus on a number of distressing topics including suicide, sexual violence, bullying and death. If you find these topics distressing, you may want to consider giving this episode a miss.

    Resources if you or someone else needs support:

    Lifeline in Australia: 13-11-14

    Lifeline in Korea: 1588-9191

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in USA: 1-800-273-8255


    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. The plot of the drama, Tomorrow, & the interesting cast including Rowoon (who plays Choi Jun Woong) , Kim Hee Sun (who plays Koo Ryeon), Yun Ji On (who plays Lim Ryung Gu) and Lee Soo Hyuk (who plays Park Joong Gil).

    2. Episodic dramas & Fantasy dramas. I talk about why Episodic dramas have the power to explore our human experiences. We also look at Grim Reapers, especially the world building of the Afterlife in this drama.

    3. Why people end up going down dark paths. I look at all the reasons explored in the drama that contribute to suicide and discuss how they are portrayed in the drama. Issues include:

    -Bullying

    -Depression, failures & poverty

    -Bad luck & death of loved ones

    -Feeling like life is meaningless & making mistakes that can't be changed

    -Not meeting societal expectations or pressures & eating disorders

    -Feeling like a burden to others

    -Guilt, trauma & sexual violence

    -Isolation & burnout

    4. The dramas realistic portrayal of sexual violence & victim blaming. I talk about how the drama does a good job of depicting some realistic negative experiences that victims of sexual violence often have to suffer through.

    5. Criticisms of the show. I talk about how the show doesn't quite provide actionable solutions to the issues discussed and sometimes resolves issues a little too easily.

    6. Ryeon & Joong Gil's Romance & The Ending. Closing off the episode with a discussion about the tragic story involving these 2 characters and looking at why the ending of the drama is quite pleasant.


    Intro and Outro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon

     

    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: These Dramatic Days Podcast for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    -Move to heaven [Korean Drama]

    -Hotel Del Luna [Korean Drama]

    -Sell Your Haunted House [Korean Drama]

    -The Witch's Diner [Korean Drama]

    -Taxi Driver [Korean Drama]

    -Harry Potter [American Films]

    -Inception [American Film]

    -Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [American Film]


    Other dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    -Extraordinary You [Korean Drama]

    -She Would Never Know [Korean Drama]

    -The King's Affection [Korean Drama]

    -Monthly Home Magazine [Korean Drama]

    -You are my Spring [Korean Drama]

    -Jirisan [Korean Drama]

    -Doom at Your Service [Korean Drama]

    -Scholar who Walks in the Night [Korean Drama]

    57m | May 26, 2022
  • Twenty Five Twenty One [Korean drama Eps 9-16]: Discussing & Making Peace with THAT ENDING - Why it's painfully beautiful rather than as sad or unrealistic or open as we might believe

    The year you turn 21, you start to drift away from your boyfriend and everything changes forever. This episode we talk about THAT ending for Twenty Five Twenty One. Were you upset by the ending? Did you think that the ending was too sad or unrealistic or too much of an open ending? While I would have have LOVED a conventionally happy conclusion to the story, I've given the ending a lot of thought and I think it's painfully beautiful and realistic. In this episode, we look at all the critcisms that people had about the ending and talk about why it's not necessarily as sad or unrealistic or open-ended as some would argue it is. We talk about ways to understand & make peace with the ending as we say good bye to this series.

    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. Details of the final episode and THAT ENDING - We do have to go through all the details (sorry for reliving the pain again!)

    2. All the criticsms people have about the ending and why it's not as bad as we might have thought. Criticisms I address include:

    -The ending was too sad or too bittersweet

    -What's the point of watching a story where the 2 main leads don't end up together?

    -All dramas should have Happy Endings!

    -Yi Jin has an unhappy future

    -Hee Do has an unhappy future

    -The ending was unrealistic

    -How could Yoo Rim and Ji Woong survive a long-distance seperation for many years while Hee Do and Yi Jin could not?

    -The ending was an open ending

    -What's the point of a drama if you don't find out who Hee Do's husband/ Min Chae's father is?

    -The ending was rushed and there was no time to address a lot of 'clues' throughout the drama

    3. Getting closure on the so-called clues & Finding comfort after watching the series. Clues we address and discuss:

    -Hee Do's Photo

    -Yi Jin's things at Hee Do's home

    -Hee Do and her mother's hospital scene

    -Yi Jin's dad saying he was a great consolation 10 years ago

    -Hee Do's reaction when her mother says she met Yi Jin

    -Hee Do naming her workplace 2521 and having rainbow chairs

    -Hee do & Yi Jin's interview and the 'Appa' soundbite

    4. The Beautiful Scenes. We talk about the beauty of Seung Wan standing up for her values against abusive teachers, Yoo Rim and Ji Woong's relationship processing towards a happy ending and both the dreamy kisses between Hee Do and Yi Jin, epsecially the one in the snow!


    Photos of Heedo's Husband & Baby Min Chae

    Photos of the scene that was cut out of Twenty Five Twenty One


    Other Analysis about the Ending:

    Jane's tweet about importance of remembering in Twenty Five Twenty One

    Oh our past selves, the selves we thought eternal!

    Raia's Tweet rant listing all the so-called unresolved clues in Twenty Five Twenty One


    Intro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon


    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: These Dramatic Days Podcast for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean Dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    -Monthly Home Magazine [Korean drama]

    -Reply 1988 [Korean drama]

    -Lala Land [American Film]

    59m | Apr 10, 2022
  • Twenty Five Twenty One [Korean drama Eps 5-8]: Romance, Resilience, Reviewing the sports drama genre & Revealing filming locations

    The year is 1998 and you're starting to get a crush on the guy who's always there for you...But you're so jealous of all his ex-girlfriends! This week we're talking about Twenty Five Twenty One again! This drama is so beautiful in terms of the slow burn romances and so meaningful in terms the resilience we see being exercised in the face of adversity that we want to look more closely at all these themes and ideas.

    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. Refreshing our memories on Episodes 5-8.

    2. Romance. We look at the slow-burn development of the romance between Hee Do and Yi Jin. Although the two aren't in a romance yet, the show plays on the emotional elements of romance and uses cinematography and music to create certain romantic moods that emphasise the deep connection between the two main characters. We also talk about the romance between the second pair as well.

    3. Resilience. Hee Do is such a determined character and has such a positive attitude that we could all learn something from her. We talk about the difference between Min Chae's fixed mindset and her mother, Hee Do's growth mindset. And we also talk about how Hee do's dad helped her to get grit, while everyone gave pressure and insecurity to Yu Rim.

    4. Reviewing the sports drama genre. Sports dramas were not my favourite growing up and I was always confused about who they were made for. We talk about why they're worth watching and the main themes or ideas of sports dramas.

    5. Revealing drama locations. I reveal a number of filming locations we've found for Twenty Five Twenty One including places like Hee Do's and Yi Jin's houses! Make a list of places to visit on your new Korean holiday.


    Intro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon


    Filming Locations mentioned:

    -Hee Do's house as well as street Yi Jin cycles on

    -Comic Book store where Yi Jin works

    -Tunnel where Hee do and Yi Jin run to after playing with the taps

    -Restaurant where Hee Do celebrate with her coach

    -Yi Jin's house

    -Park where Hee do and Yu Rim are meant to meet as chat room friends


    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: Life in Colour for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    Sports Dramas

    -Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo [Korean drama]

    -Racket Boys [Korean drama]

    -Hot Stove League [Korean drama]

    -Fight my way [Korean drama]


    Other dramas and films mentioned in passing in this episode:

    -Harry Potter [British Films]

    -Our Beloved Summer [Korean Drama]

    -Taxi Driver [Korean Drama]

    -Do do sol sol la la sol [Korean Drama]

    33m | Mar 10, 2022
  • Twenty Five Twenty One [Korean drama Eps 1-4]: Theories about the ending, Nostalgia, What was the IMF crisis? & Why does Hee Do love Full House so much?

    The year is 1998, fall in love with fencing (and the cute guy who works at your local comic book store)... This week we're talking about charming nostalgia drama Twenty Five Twenty One, a series that looks at staying strong in the face of hard times. It's not only a drama with a strong spirited character and a cute impending romance, but also one where everyone is wondering what the future holds for the main character.

    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. The fun plot and all the fan theories about what happened between Hee Do and Yi Jin and whether they had a daughter together.

    2. The popularity of Nam Joo Hyuk and Kim Tae Ri. We look at their past roles as well as their characters Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee Do in Twenty Five, Twenty One. We also chat about the 3 main side characters as well.

    3. Why nostalgia dramas are so popular. We look at the main reasons why nostalgia dramas are so well loved and talk about some of the main technology and fashion throwbacks to 1998.

    4. What caused the IMF crisis? I explain the IMF crisis and relate it to events in the drama such as why Hee Do's mum sells her gold and why Yi Jin's family are being chased by creditors

    5. The meaning of Full House to this drama. We look at why Hee Do and the girls love the manhwa comic Full House and why this series was included in the drama.


    Full House English books:

    Try the links below, but if you're looking for international links, feel free to email me and I can suggest links: These.Dramatic.Days@gmail.com

    Australia Kindle edition

    Full House Volume 1

    Full House Volume 2

    Full House Volume 3

    Full House Volume 4

    Full House Volume 5

    Full House Volume 6

    Full House Volume 7

    Full House Volume 8

    Full House Volume 9

    Full House Volume 10

    Full House Volume 11

    Full House Volume 12

    Full House Volume 13

    Full House Volume 14

    Full House Volume 15

    Full House Volume 16


    Note: These links are affliate links so I will get a little commission if you purchase something from these links, but it's at no extra cost to you and will help support my podcast :)


    Intro and Outro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon


    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: Life in Colour for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    Nostalgia Dramas

    -Reply 1988 [Korean drama]

    -Reply 1997 [Korean drama]

    -Reply 1994 [Korean drama]

    -Someday or One Day [Taiwanese drama]


    Other dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    -Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo [Korean drama]

    -Start Up [Korean drama]

    -Cheese in a Trap [Korean drama]

    -School 2015 [Korean drama]

    -Josee [Korean film]

    -The Handmaiden [Korean film]

    -Space Sweepers [Korean film]

    -Little Forrest [Korean film]

    43m | Feb 28, 2022
  • Rainless Love in a Godless Land [Taiwanese Drama Eps 1-13]: Gods, Romance, Social Issues & The Ending Explained

    Fall in love with the God of Rain and save humanity from the end of the world... This week we're talking about the meaningful Taiwanese drama, Rainless Love in a Godless Land. It's only 13 episodes, but has such a heartfelt storyline to invest in. And if you're confused about the ending, don't worry, I'll explain it to you...


    In this episode, let's chat about:

    1. The interesting plot

    2. The amazing all star cast including Joanne Tseng (Chiao Chiao) , Paul Fu (Fu Meng Bo), Alice Ko (Ko Chia Yen) and Joe Cheng (Zheng Yuan Chang)

    2. The type of romance in the show: Super romantic or slow burn?

    3. The Drama's meaningful themes about Amis culture and environmental issues

    4. The Ending Explained: I explain what the ending means, all the realities, timelines and Godly characters, as well as the themes about faith, reality, choice and philosophical ideas.


    Intro and Outro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

    If you like my content, support me on Patreon & unlock goodies: Coming soon

     

    Chat with me about Dramas:

    Youtube: Life in Colour for Drama Commentary, Theories & Explainations

    These Dramatic Days for subbed Rainless Love in a Godless Land Behind the Scenes videos

    Twitter: Thsdramaticdays

    Forum: @JenL on Janghaven

    Instagram: These.Dramatic.Days for Taiwanese Dramas

    thesedramaticdays for Korean dramas


    Other related dramas and films mentioned in this episode:

    - Someday or One Day [Taiwanese Drama]

    - The Devil Punisher [Taiwanese Drama]

    - Goblin [Korean Drama]

    - Doom at Your Service [Korean Drama]

    - Inception [American Film]

    - The Matrix [American Film]


    Other dramas mentioned in passing in this episode:

    - Attention Love [Taiwanese Drama]

    - Refresh Man [Taiwanese Drama]

    - The Victim's Game [Taiwanese Drama]

    - The Teenage Psychic [Taiwanese Drama]

    50m | Feb 2, 2022
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These Dramatic Days: A Tw-drama and K-drama Podcast
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