Stagione 1
[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Jealousy Incarnate (2016, SBS) starring Gong Hyo-jin, Jo Jung-suk and Go Kyung-pyo and how the show is based on actual people who work at SBS in the news department. Grace also talks about trying to get closer to gratitude, how she’s working on trying not to lecture so much, and how much this podcast grounds her every single week. She’s grateful to her listeners. Grace’s guest is LA-based comedian and artist Killian McAssey (@killian_mcsassey). They talk about how struggling with a sense of self-worth gets in the way of one’s ability to charge full-price on their artwork, self-loathing, car loans, the average 25-year-old and what a mess they are in America, minding one’s own business, comforting the inner child, broken laptop, ex-girlfriends, and a deeply meditative presence one feels when drawing and skating. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show My Love from the Star (2014, SBS) starring Gianna Jun (Jun Ji-hyun) and Kim Soo-hyun. Berlin-based comedian Tobias Hauser (@hahahouser on Instagram) answers a few flashcard questions based on the show off the top with hilarious answers. Grace’s guest is veteran Korean American actor and comedian Steve Park (@stephenpark62) on Instagram) who is in Fargo, A Serious Man, The French Dispatch, In Living Color, and dozens of other films and shows over a span of 30 years. They discuss how one makes a choice to pursue the arts, self-placed pressure, how to navigate racism in Hollywood, the definition of “awakening,” Black and Asian oppression in America, improvising lines in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, being peace, and political enactment through performance. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
Grace has no guest or K-drama to cover today. Instead, she does a short ASMR mukbang video with two cans of soda, talks about the state of academia today, and recommends making lists in the face of nothing mattering. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Oh My Baby (2020, tvN) starring Jang Nara, and how the show exhibits challenges faced by single women in their 30s who wish to become single mothers, as well as how the IVF laws negatively impact queer couples who wish to conceive in South Korea. Grace’s guest is LA-based actor, comedian and clown Juzo Yoshida (@juzoyoshida on Instagram). They talk about clowning, being Asian in Hollywood, pursuing acting and comedy with English as a second language, filial piety versus personal dreams, and the clues offered to us daily by our spirit guide. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Worlds Within (2008, KBS) written by Noh Hee-kyung, and how the show addresses struggles of female TV directors trying to make it in a male-dominated industry in Korea, and Noh’s meta storytelling on the show by including a writer character, and the upsides and downsides of a tightly-knit community that works more like a dysfunctional family. Grace’s guest is Teruko Nakajima (@terukonakajima on Instagram) who is currently playing in her very moving one-woman solo show “Made in America.” Grace admires Teruko’s mission statement behind the show, which is “a love letter to America,” and how important it is to be mindful of the privilege and abundance that we as Americans live with in this country, where so few of us are ready to write love letters to the nation at this time. Grace also reflects on how her own immigration to this country has impacted her for the better, and lets this lesson sink in deeper as she talks to Teruko about her journey while working on “Made in America.” They discuss mental health and East Asia’s slowness in this regard, sexual abuse and trauma (*trigger warning: they discuss child molestation), the process of writing one’s traumas, compassion in the face of victimhood, as well as finding peace and gratitude in the midst of agonizing chaos. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
No monologue or K-drama coverage today. Sorry! Let’s enjoy the long holiday weekend. Happy fourth of July. May your dogs and cats brave the fireworks. May you enjoy a wholesome time with good food, sun, and great company. Grace’s guest is Dr. Karla Jay who is Grace’s former college professor—now professor emeritus. They discuss activism in today’s political climate and how to maintain a sense of humor and grace while sticking to one’s values and standing up for those who often go unheard. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
Grace recommends that listeners donate to Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP) (https://wrrap.org/) to help women of low-income get abortion help. [Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Our Blues (2022, tvN). She analyzes writer Noh Hee-kyoung’s pattern of including disabilities in all her shows, the casting of differently-abled actors, and how to work towards progress by making peace with whatever causes us to feel defensive or be overreactive in the face of injustice. Grace’s guest is Rishi Arya and they discuss his music career prior to comedy, his love for his dog Normand, and his anxiety. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show My Liberation Notes (2022, JTBC) and what a spiritual experience this show has been for her, and Grace thanks her fans who wrote to her in response to her request last week. Grace’s returning guest is NY-based actress, filmmaker, web series creator and clown Hye Yun Park (@hyeyunboss on Instagram). They discuss clowning, the art of accepting compliments, Grace’s crush on actor Son Sukku and plans to cast him in her feature film, mental health in Korea, spirituality, and a long deep dive on the nitty-gritty of My Liberation Notes and both of their tremendous appreciation and respect for the show’s spiritual, social and emotional layers. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Matrimonial Chaos (2018, KBS), and the significance of actors Cha Tae-hyun, Bae Doona, Lee El and Son Seok-gu. Grace also does a deep-dive of the prodigal veteran actress Moon Sook and why her role as the grandmother in Matrimonial Chaos is so meaningful. Grace’s guest is LA-based actress, improv comic, artist and clown Natasha Mercado (@champagnetashi on Instagram). They discuss how Natasha came to the character Tree, childhood pretend-play, processing fears, The Artist’s Way, Women Who Run with the Wolves, clowning, love, shamanism, and so much more. Natasha’s solo clown show is currently playing as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Los Angeles LGBT Center on June 15, 21 and 24. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.
[Spoiler Alert] Grace apologizes for the delayed episode. She’s in New York for film festival events and a film shoot. Things just got to be too much. Today’s show is Extracurricular (2020, Netflix). Sorry, but no monologue. She’ll make up for it next week. Grace’s guest is Chicago-based comedian Derek Strong (@epiccheatdaypodcast on Instagram). They discuss addiction, food, vice, comedy, Los Angeles, and being former New Yorkers. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.