Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
These Korean shows (including “W,” “All of Us Are Dead,” “Prison Playbook”) deftly utilize sports in their storylines to demonstrate the characters’ unrelenting perseverance and will to survive. My latest reviews for Teen Vogue.
Time travel adds a relatively unique element that differentiates K-drama storylines from other shows, but there is also a very visceral component. K-drama story arcs excel at telling tales of love and revenge. And what better way is there to get these points across than depicting how love and revenge transcend all boundaries, including time?
Like “Under the Queen’s Umbrella,” “Lovely Runner” uses the 우산 to represent how our protagonists fight to protect themselves from countless obstacles — including a messy serial killer subplot that I found redundant and not particularly compelling.
My name isn’t uncommon in Korea. But, as you can imagine, I never had to worry about a classmate sharing my first name after we immigrated to Chicago. On the other hand, whenever my friends and I went to the mall to buy keychains or anything that had a name pre-printed on it, I never found my name listed anywhere along with the Julies and Kevins. Imagine my delight when I started watching Korean Dramas and saw characters who share my name!