In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 1 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, the hit K Drama on Netflix from 2020. In this first episode, we get introduced to celebrity children’s book author Koo Meun Young (Seo Yea-ji), compassionate caregiver Moon Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun), the talented, autistic Moon Sang Tae (Oh Jung-se), and the long suffering nurse Nam Joo-ri (Park Gyu-young). The characters intersect when Meun Young does a book reading at the hospital where Moon Gang Tae works, and when Joo...
Jul 24, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We’re still on break after wrapping up with Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, Joanna and Jen have a conversation with Professor Professor Ernabel Demillo, Department Chair of the Communication and Media Culture Department at Saint Peter's University and host of the Emmy-award winning "Asian American Life" show on CUNY-TV. Ernabel talks about: Her K Drama journey Why she thinks K Dramas are so addicting Whether and how the popularity of K Dramas and KPop are affecting American perceptions Asian Am...
Jul 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 19
We’re taking a short break between seasons after wrapping up with Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, we have a conversation with a couple of friends: Sung Hee, who was our guest in Episode 6, and cousin Linda, who we have mentioned so many times! Be prepared to laugh with us as we discuss our love of K Dramas! We cover: Our individual K Drama journeys What makes K Dramas so addicting How K Dramas are so wholesome The invention of the Korean language, Hangeul, and our own languages journeys with Ha...
Jul 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 16, the finale, of Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, all of the staff resolve their grudges and move on to the afterlife. Bartender Kim overcomes his shame over being labeled a lewd scholar when Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung convince the author to write a novel about a fictional, but honorable, Kim Si-ik. Guest manager Seo hee learns that the daughter of the eldest grandson in her husband’s family will carry the mother’s name, thus ending the family line....
Jul 02, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 15 of Hotel Del Luna. While Man Wol was gone, Mago gives Chan Sung a task: go back in time to 200 years ago to pick some moon flowers needed to make the wine that will make someone the next owner of the hotel. Chan Sung meets Man Wol, who asks him to stay and become her 85th human manager, but he declines. When he comes back, Mago tells him that Man Wol has come back from the afterlife. Man Wol has a joyful reunion with Chan Sung and her staff. We fi...
Jun 17, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 14 of Hotel Del Luna. Man Wol is convinced that Koo Chan Sung is a reincarnated Chyung Myung. She knows she can’t kill Koo Chan Sung, so she gives the moon ornament to Ji-won to make him stronger, knowing Ji-won will try to kill Koo Chan Sung. Koo Chan Sung battles and tricks Ji-won and is saved by the hotel staff and the grim reaper. As a result, Koo Chan Sung saves Man Wol from being turned to ashes. Chyung Myung finally appears to Man Wol in human...
Jun 04, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 13 of Hotel Del Luna. We learn the story of guest manager Seo-hee. 200 years ago, her husband’s family let her baby daughter die, in order to make room for a son to be born. At her death, Seo hee curses the family. When the eldest grandson of the family dies a bachelor and without children, Seo hee is happy. Her happiness is short lived when she finds out the grandson had a pregnant girlfriend. When the girlfriend and her baby are close to death, Seo...
May 28, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 12 of Hotel Del Luna. The story of the serial killer plays out as Koo Chan Sung meets Ji-won at the wine bar and confirms that he is the murderer. They fight and Koo Chan Sung is saved by Detective Yeong-soo. An injured Ji-won later confronts Koo Chan Sung on the roof of the hospital and then jumps off the building. Man Wol meets Ji-won, who is now a vengeful ghost who is out to get Koo Chan Sung. There is a side story about a doctor and his wife who...
May 20, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 11 of Hotel Del Luna. We see the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung deepen, take a romantic turn, and become even playful. We revisit the story of the serial killer; Yuna is on Ji-won’s trail. We meet Hwang Moon-Suk, who was the human manager at Hotel Del Luna 30 years ago; she wants to ask Man Wol a favor for her son, who was conceived in Room 404 of Hotel Del Luna. We have the tragic story between Sanchez and Veronica. Veronica dies in a tr...
May 13, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 10 of Hotel Del Luna. The main storyline is about the hotel Chairman and the bartender trying to set up Koo Chan Sung with the Chairman’s granddaughter. While the granddaughter is interested, Koo Chan Sung says that his heart is already taken. And even though Man Wol tells him to leave the hotel, Koo Chan Sung decides to stay by her side. In the end, Man Wol allows Koo Chan Sung to take care of her and guide her to the afterlife., causing the Moon Tree to burst...
May 07, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 9 of Hotel Del Luna. At the beginning of the episode, Koo Chan Sung finds that he has been abandoned by Man Wol and her staff. The hotel has moved to the countryside. A good portion of the episode is devoted to Koo Chan Sung trying to get back to the hotel, which he does, after a visit to see Mago, and by accompanying the recently deceased hotel Chairman. There is a side story with a Guardian of the Well, who abandoned his well because he was drying out, and wa...
Apr 29, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 8 of Hotel Del Luna. This pivotal episode is devoted to the relationship between Man Wol and Lee Mi-ra. We learn through flashbacks that Lee Mi-ra is Princess Song Hwa from Man Wol’s past. Princess Song Hwa is the person who ordered all of Man Wol’s gang members killed. In retaliation, Man Wol kills Princess Song Hwa on her wedding night. In modern times, Lee Mi-ra is Koo Chan Sung’s ex-girlfriend from the US. Man Wol invites Lee Mi-ra to the carnival at Hotel ...
Apr 22, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 7 of Hotel Del Luna. The bulk of this episode is devoted to the story of the ghost from Room 13, who has escaped the hotel and is killing people. Mago 4 and the Grim Reaper ultimately deal with this ghost, but in the meantime, Man Wol, Koo Chan Sung and Yuna all get involved. There is also a side story about a husband and wife who find themselves at the hotel and discover they had different first loves. Finally, we see more flashbacks from Man Wol’s life and we...
Apr 15, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 8
We apologize for the echo issues in this episode. Jen was on vacation and not in her normal setup. In fact, she was in a gym in the Outer Banks because the beach house her family was renting was too noisy! So sorry! We will do better next week! Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung is further developing. Man Wol tells Chan Sung that her time to leave is coming but that Chan Sung should not be sad. When Chan Sung’s ...
Apr 08, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 5 of Hotel Del Luna. At the end of Episode 4, Jang Man Wol has saved Koo Chan-Sung from the ghost in Room 13. In this episode, the hotel staff look for other ways to get rid of Koo Chan-Sung, but Man Wol says he’s staying by her side. We see two flashbacks from Man Wol’s earlier life: Man Wol and Yeon-wu under the big tree, and Man Wol in a wedding gown in a large bedchamber. We also have a side story with a ghost bride who doesn’t want to get married but an el...
Apr 01, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In Episode 4 of Hotel Del Luna, things are getting complicated between Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung. Chan Sung continues to dream about Man Wol, who is upset that Koo Chan Sung is learning about her past life. Through flashbacks, we learn more about Man Wol’s life and we have two side stories. We also learn that the hotel staff are plotting to have Koo Chan Sung removed as manager because they fear his arrival is making the tree come back to life and make time start flowing again for Man Wol. We do...
Mar 25, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In Episode 3 of Hotel Del Luna, we learn more about Man Wol’s past life, we meet Mago, we learn more about the hotel’s main staff, and we meet Yoona. Through several flashbacks, we learn about two important men in her life, Yeon-Woo, a fellow gang member, and Go Chung Myung, the Captain of the Princess’ Guard. Mago tell Man Wol that she is tied to the tree but she must move on. After putting a blossom on Koo Chan Sung’s heart, Koo Chan Sung starts having dreams of Man Wol’s past life. We also ha...
Mar 18, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In Episode 2 of Hotel Del Luna. we follow Koo Chan Sung as he navigates between his job at the fancy hotel and his (offered) job at Hotel Del Luna. Koo Chan Sung and Jan Man Wol work together to help a ghost tiger find peace and once again, they go out to eat. We learn that Manager Noh is ready to retire and he pays a visit to Koo Chan Sung, to try and convince the younger man to take his job. We also see the guest manager, Seo-hee, fulfilling the wishes of several guests, demonstrating that the...
Mar 11, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Episode 1 of Hotel Del Luna introduces the main characters, Jang Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung, as well as some of the hotel staff, mainly the bellman, the guest manager, and the bartender. The episode flips back and forth between the past and the present, and between the main storyline and the side stories. We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We talk about our first impressions of the show and what we loved about the first episode. We discuss: What we know about...
Mar 04, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 2
This is the pilot episode for K Drama Chat. In this episode, we introduce ourselves, Joanna Pineda and Jen McWhorter, and talk about why we love K Dramas and why we decided to create this podcast. Rather than just review our favorite K Dramas, we want to go deep and analyze each episode of our favorite series. For our first season, we have chosen Hotel Del Luna. This series is on Netflix, so it's easy for everyone to watch. This series features amazing actors, an amazing storyline, gorgeous cine...
Feb 25, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1
