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K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television
From the Emmy Award-winning Squid Game to streaming sensations like The Glory and Crash Landing on You , Korean television has emerged onto the global pop culture scene as compelling television — but what exactly makes these shows so irresistibly bingeable? And what can we learn about our societies and ourselves from watching them?
From stand-up comedian and media studies PhD Grace Jung comes a rollicking deep dive into the cultural significance of Korean television. K-Drama School analyzes everything from common tropes like amnesia and slapping to conspicuous product placements of Subway sandwiches and coffee; to representations of disability, race and gender; to what Korea's war-torn history says about South Korea’s media output and the stories being told on screen.
With chapters organized by "lessons," each one inquiring into a different theme of Korean television, K-Drama School offers a groundbreaking exploration into this singular form of entertainment, from an author who writes with humor and heart about shows that spur tears and laughter, keeping us glued to the TV while making fans of us all.
Shows discussed Squid Game, SKY Castle, Crash Course in Romance, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, My Mister, Something in the Rain, One Spring Night, DP, The Lonely and Great God, Autumn in My Heart, Winter Sonata, Our Blues, and more.
From stand-up comedian and media studies PhD Grace Jung comes a rollicking deep dive into the cultural significance of Korean television. K-Drama School analyzes everything from common tropes like amnesia and slapping to conspicuous product placements of Subway sandwiches and coffee; to representations of disability, race and gender; to what Korea's war-torn history says about South Korea’s media output and the stories being told on screen.
With chapters organized by "lessons," each one inquiring into a different theme of Korean television, K-Drama School offers a groundbreaking exploration into this singular form of entertainment, from an author who writes with humor and heart about shows that spur tears and laughter, keeping us glued to the TV while making fans of us all.
Shows discussed Squid Game, SKY Castle, Crash Course in Romance, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, My Mister, Something in the Rain, One Spring Night, DP, The Lonely and Great God, Autumn in My Heart, Winter Sonata, Our Blues, and more.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2024
28 people are currently reading
1433 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 30, 2024
The longer I listened to this book the more I felt my stomach twist into a frustrated knot, similar to how I felt reading Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation. Like Dyscalculia, K-Drama School markets itself as one thing but ends up being something almost completely different. Reading the synopsis for K-Drama School, you'd think it was going to be what the subtitle says, "a pop culture inquiry into why we love Korean television."
Unfortunately, that's maybe 10% of the actual book. The vast majority of the book is actually a memoir/sort of self-help book about the author's various traumas growing up, with different k-dramas used as springboards for her to go into a different dark moment in her life. Sometimes these stories have nothing to do with the k-drama or trope she's discussing, with the most egregious example being the chapter about the portrayal of addiction and mental illness in k-dramas. More than half of the chapter is her talking about her negative experiences in academia.
The only reason I didn't give this 1 star is because the chapter about product placement in k-dramas is actually kind of fun and interesting.
Unfortunately, that's maybe 10% of the actual book. The vast majority of the book is actually a memoir/sort of self-help book about the author's various traumas growing up, with different k-dramas used as springboards for her to go into a different dark moment in her life. Sometimes these stories have nothing to do with the k-drama or trope she's discussing, with the most egregious example being the chapter about the portrayal of addiction and mental illness in k-dramas. More than half of the chapter is her talking about her negative experiences in academia.
The only reason I didn't give this 1 star is because the chapter about product placement in k-dramas is actually kind of fun and interesting.
September 1, 2024
won in a goodread’s giveaway.
i love kdramas! reading this was so interesting, i learned a lot that i didn’t know. i also got a lot of new kdramas to add to my list! a must read if you love kdramas.
i love kdramas! reading this was so interesting, i learned a lot that i didn’t know. i also got a lot of new kdramas to add to my list! a must read if you love kdramas.
July 27, 2024
“K-dramas offer me space to explore my personal pathos, process grief, and self-reflect through my emotional responses.” 📺
Squid Game. Crash Landing on You. My Liberation Notes. The Glory. D.P. SKY Castle. Something in the Rain. These are some of the K-dramas that film and TV scholar Grace Jung writes about in this book. (I watched all of these dramas!) 🇰🇷
The cute cover makes this book look like a fun read. However, in actuality, these essays on K-dramas lean toward academic explorations of topics including trauma, abuse, Korean history, queerness and national self-perception. I was particularly shocked to learn about Jung’s traumatic experiences of abuse but am glad she learned how to cope with them and prioritise herself with therapy. 🧐
Read this is you want to learn more about the historical and cultural contexts of your favourite K-dramas. More than just for entertainment, these dramas are a reflection of society, showing us the desires and hidden pains of people, thereby allowing us to indulge, emote and heal from our own lives in the real world. 🎞️
4.25/5
P.S. As someone who loves to watch good films and dramas, this book sparks my interest in critiquing and writing about them. I hope that I’ll be able to do so and share them in the future! 😆
Squid Game. Crash Landing on You. My Liberation Notes. The Glory. D.P. SKY Castle. Something in the Rain. These are some of the K-dramas that film and TV scholar Grace Jung writes about in this book. (I watched all of these dramas!) 🇰🇷
The cute cover makes this book look like a fun read. However, in actuality, these essays on K-dramas lean toward academic explorations of topics including trauma, abuse, Korean history, queerness and national self-perception. I was particularly shocked to learn about Jung’s traumatic experiences of abuse but am glad she learned how to cope with them and prioritise herself with therapy. 🧐
Read this is you want to learn more about the historical and cultural contexts of your favourite K-dramas. More than just for entertainment, these dramas are a reflection of society, showing us the desires and hidden pains of people, thereby allowing us to indulge, emote and heal from our own lives in the real world. 🎞️
4.25/5
P.S. As someone who loves to watch good films and dramas, this book sparks my interest in critiquing and writing about them. I hope that I’ll be able to do so and share them in the future! 😆
Read
July 22, 2024An interesting read that explores common tropes seen in K-Dramas over the years and how it relates back to the deep-seated issues/traumas in Korean society. I enjoyed the book when it clearly linked how history and the way Koreans process it in media shifts as Korea becomes more of a global superpower. I also liked how the author shared some of her experiences and related it back to the book’s content in individual chapters.
I didn’t enjoy it as much when she went off into a self-help/memoir-esque direction, especially in the latter chapters of the book. This is primarily because the book was marketed as something with a sociological perspective, which was what I was looking for.
I didn’t enjoy it as much when she went off into a self-help/memoir-esque direction, especially in the latter chapters of the book. This is primarily because the book was marketed as something with a sociological perspective, which was what I was looking for.
July 29, 2024
This is such a mess. There is some interesting stuff here, but it’s buried in authorial rants about her past traumas, how academia done her wrong, that time a friend of hers died in a drug overdose, a weird dream she had once, etc. etc. etc. You have to really dig for the good stuff. This has the wrong title, and the description is incredibly misleading.
April 21, 2025
The surface of the ocean’s currents looks like the fuzzy black and white picture on TV flickering with the promise of a concretized image that never emerges except in my mind’s eye.
May 17, 2024
Critical Score: 4.5
Personal Score: 4.75
Total Score: 9.25
Personal Score: 4.75
Total Score: 9.25
May 31, 2024
{28/2024} 3/5🌟 Non-Fiction | 240 pages
To tell you the truth, in my early teenage years, I was more of a J-drama girl. I skipped schools for “Moero Attack” and I indulged in “Tokyo Cinderella Story”, “GTO”, “Power Office Girls” and “News No Onna” (my crush was Hideaki Takizawa) to name a few. I only started K-drama after I became an adult and I started with “Full House” (and because I shipped SHK and Rain 🤣). I think that was also the start of K-dramas making their ways into our national television. I still watch some of them now but I mainly focus on the sweet, lighthearted ones also some selected crime-thrillers. I don’t think I can manage in-depth rage because K-drama storylines nowadays are really something.
In this book, the author who had made claim that watching ten thousand hours of television can be validated as a research which caused her to receive a PhD, has shared fifteen lessons (including two that I got tricked into 🙄 #iykyk) that we could obtain from K-dramas. It was quite an interesting deliberation while the author stated examples from notable K-dramas including some of her favourites. Lesson 4 and 6 particularly got my attention as they discussed ‘makjang’ or day-time/weekday dramas and how the history of PPL (product placement) are built on the backs of two food conglomerates like CJ and Lotte. Quite political, I would have to say. I wish these two chapters were longer.
I also think, Lesson 13 which discusses US-South Korea relations in K-dramas is the base of the whole book. The author was an immigrant child to both South Korean parents who wished of a new life in the US before obtaining citizenships. Growing up, the author went through dark times, right from the conservative era to racism while also being diagnosed with PTSD. The author also shared a lot historical facts concerning television, visual medias, and their influences which help shape the entertainment industry in South Korea nowadays.
It’s fun to read a non-fiction book when the author is very spunky and funny - but only a few chapters in before the book somehow becomes a half memoir? I think half of the book tells us about the author growing up memories in becoming an immigrant child. I understand what the author is trying to deliver but I somehow got deceived by the title of book. Yes, I am one of those who easily get deceived by the book cover but I read the blurb and I thought there will be a lot of BTS secrets (not your boys, ARMY! 🤭) of drama production in South Korea. Nevertheless, there’s still so much to unpack behind the history of television making considering the intervention of one particular country of you-know-who!
Upon finishing the book, I recalled what my literature lecturer once told the whole class, when she shared her experience watching a movie at the theatre with the locals when she travelled to India - how they danced, shouted, laughed, reacted and giving responses to what happened on the screen. Watching movies is a serious business as they see it as an escapism especially among the blue-collars. The author mentioned the same thing of how Koreans enjoyed their K-drama beginning 1960’s as they wanted to just laugh due to the country’s politic and economic turmoil.
Nowadays, watching K-drama still becomes an escapism when we kewp an eye on all the products placements and make mental notes of buying them, to be pretty and handsome like the actors, to be rich, stylish and up-to-date like the characters- to be perfect -that somehow could lead to disturbances to our mental health especially when one thinks that he or she doesn’t reach certain standard. Bear in mind, though suicide cases reach high numbers, it is considered such a taboo matter to be discussed among Koreans.
Read this if you are interested to know the history of South Korea’s television making and entertainment industry. Thank you #timesreads for this review copy in exchange with my honest personal opinion.
#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #MayReads #MayTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #comewhatmay #maythebookforcebewithus #itsgonnabemay #kdramaschool #gracejung
To tell you the truth, in my early teenage years, I was more of a J-drama girl. I skipped schools for “Moero Attack” and I indulged in “Tokyo Cinderella Story”, “GTO”, “Power Office Girls” and “News No Onna” (my crush was Hideaki Takizawa) to name a few. I only started K-drama after I became an adult and I started with “Full House” (and because I shipped SHK and Rain 🤣). I think that was also the start of K-dramas making their ways into our national television. I still watch some of them now but I mainly focus on the sweet, lighthearted ones also some selected crime-thrillers. I don’t think I can manage in-depth rage because K-drama storylines nowadays are really something.
In this book, the author who had made claim that watching ten thousand hours of television can be validated as a research which caused her to receive a PhD, has shared fifteen lessons (including two that I got tricked into 🙄 #iykyk) that we could obtain from K-dramas. It was quite an interesting deliberation while the author stated examples from notable K-dramas including some of her favourites. Lesson 4 and 6 particularly got my attention as they discussed ‘makjang’ or day-time/weekday dramas and how the history of PPL (product placement) are built on the backs of two food conglomerates like CJ and Lotte. Quite political, I would have to say. I wish these two chapters were longer.
I also think, Lesson 13 which discusses US-South Korea relations in K-dramas is the base of the whole book. The author was an immigrant child to both South Korean parents who wished of a new life in the US before obtaining citizenships. Growing up, the author went through dark times, right from the conservative era to racism while also being diagnosed with PTSD. The author also shared a lot historical facts concerning television, visual medias, and their influences which help shape the entertainment industry in South Korea nowadays.
It’s fun to read a non-fiction book when the author is very spunky and funny - but only a few chapters in before the book somehow becomes a half memoir? I think half of the book tells us about the author growing up memories in becoming an immigrant child. I understand what the author is trying to deliver but I somehow got deceived by the title of book. Yes, I am one of those who easily get deceived by the book cover but I read the blurb and I thought there will be a lot of BTS secrets (not your boys, ARMY! 🤭) of drama production in South Korea. Nevertheless, there’s still so much to unpack behind the history of television making considering the intervention of one particular country of you-know-who!
Upon finishing the book, I recalled what my literature lecturer once told the whole class, when she shared her experience watching a movie at the theatre with the locals when she travelled to India - how they danced, shouted, laughed, reacted and giving responses to what happened on the screen. Watching movies is a serious business as they see it as an escapism especially among the blue-collars. The author mentioned the same thing of how Koreans enjoyed their K-drama beginning 1960’s as they wanted to just laugh due to the country’s politic and economic turmoil.
Nowadays, watching K-drama still becomes an escapism when we kewp an eye on all the products placements and make mental notes of buying them, to be pretty and handsome like the actors, to be rich, stylish and up-to-date like the characters- to be perfect -that somehow could lead to disturbances to our mental health especially when one thinks that he or she doesn’t reach certain standard. Bear in mind, though suicide cases reach high numbers, it is considered such a taboo matter to be discussed among Koreans.
Read this if you are interested to know the history of South Korea’s television making and entertainment industry. Thank you #timesreads for this review copy in exchange with my honest personal opinion.
#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #MayReads #MayTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #comewhatmay #maythebookforcebewithus #itsgonnabemay #kdramaschool #gracejung
June 26, 2024
Really enjoyed this book which as it promises provides an analysis of Korean drama in movies and TV shows. The fraught history of Korea and the continuing geopolitical currents and tensions arising from such a violent past show up in the psyche of the Korean people, and in its popular media.
What was unexpected - and at various points so viceral and triggering - was Grace Jung’s frank and stark sharing of the trauma and assaults she had faced in her life before the book, but are tangled up in the Korean identity. Korea the nation and the Korean people carry the wounds of war and occupation - even when many, including Grace herself, left the country and migrated elsewhere. The violence reverbrates through generations; she is one of its many victims (but does anyone really escape unscathed?) The abuse she experienced and detailed gave me such profound sorrow, but the lessons she learned from them as she sought therapy, help and enacted healing, gave me hope and inspired optimism.
I learned so so much from this book. About movies and stories and storytelling, yes, but also about resilience and making art out of the splinters and debris of a ravaged nation, and of a difficult upbringing.
What was unexpected - and at various points so viceral and triggering - was Grace Jung’s frank and stark sharing of the trauma and assaults she had faced in her life before the book, but are tangled up in the Korean identity. Korea the nation and the Korean people carry the wounds of war and occupation - even when many, including Grace herself, left the country and migrated elsewhere. The violence reverbrates through generations; she is one of its many victims (but does anyone really escape unscathed?) The abuse she experienced and detailed gave me such profound sorrow, but the lessons she learned from them as she sought therapy, help and enacted healing, gave me hope and inspired optimism.
I learned so so much from this book. About movies and stories and storytelling, yes, but also about resilience and making art out of the splinters and debris of a ravaged nation, and of a difficult upbringing.
August 28, 2024
I must say, this book is not what I expected it to be. When I went to make a recommendation for where to catalog it in the public library, I saw it come up as 92 (biography) rather than 791.45 (entertainment - television shows), which should have clued me in. It does go into the subject I anticipated, but is also so much more than that.
Also, be aware that there could well be a metric ton of trigger/content warnings on this, because the author has been through a lot.
This is an exploration of themes in K-dramas, as well as a look into Korean history, an expurgation of everything the author has gone through, and a self-help book.
I didn't care for the conclusion chapter, and while I enjoy footnotes, there needed to be a comprehensive bibliography at the end to have all references and perhaps a list of shows discussed in one place. I'm not going to reread the book to find what shows interested me from the descriptions and discussions.
Also, be aware that there could well be a metric ton of trigger/content warnings on this, because the author has been through a lot.
This is an exploration of themes in K-dramas, as well as a look into Korean history, an expurgation of everything the author has gone through, and a self-help book.
I didn't care for the conclusion chapter, and while I enjoy footnotes, there needed to be a comprehensive bibliography at the end to have all references and perhaps a list of shows discussed in one place. I'm not going to reread the book to find what shows interested me from the descriptions and discussions.
November 20, 2024
4 ⭐
Genre ~ non fiction, memoir
Setting ~ New York & Los Angeles, USA // Busan/Seoul, South Korea // Germany
Publication date ~ April 23, 2024
Est page Count ~ 256 p, chapters
Audio length ~ hours (x1.4 & x1.7 speed)
Narrator ~ the author herself
Featuring ~ domestic violence, kid abuse, harassments, mental health issues, sui**de, war crimes
I was very excited for this book. it is more of a memoir of the author and narrator rather than full study of the kdrama. I did enjoy the part but will agree with other commentators who said this book should have had the description of "the author's life and trauma and the history of kdramas" as it would be more accurate. I did have to stop the audiobook many-many times due to the hard topics that were brought up. I expected this book to be a study of kdrama, but instead it did trigger many of my own memories. I would have prepared better mentally if I knew this from the book's description.
still, it is a good book.
- in 2021 Netflix invested $500 million into kdrama productions. (later from Google: Netflix has been investing in Korean content for years, and in 2023, they announced a further $2.5 billion investment over the next four years);
- the author's mom was not able to go to school in 1970s, when she was 14 years old, as her farmer dad thought that school is a waste, especially for a girl. but with the money she earned and sent home, the dad sent the younger 5 siblings to school. hypocrisy.
the author states that there is always a generational arguments happening at gathering as everyone has trauma and thinks that they are the victim who has to do what they were told;
overachievement is also number #1 reason of South Korean adolescence sui****.
- the author mentions a lot of history that has affected the South Korean TV and later on, kdramas, from WWII to their independence as well as the cast system in the past.
- 1962 is the year when the first kdrama appeared;
- then describes the type of kdrama that is shown on TV during after breakfast hours (Example: Penthouse) which are primarily watched by moms, or people who cannot be as free in their life as they see people be in Kdramas: like throwing kimchi on one enemy's head;
- the screen time placement ads have been used ever since kdramas appeared (Subway, Kopiko, lipstick, candles, cafes) and they prove to very effective seeing how popular places like Subway are in Korea;
- another thing that is advertised a lot is alcohol in kdramas, as the only acceptable drug in Korea. this is a huge issue with Korean society, but everyone ignores it because seeing soju in kdramas makes one wants to buy it and drink while watching it,
- the food culture is huge in Korea, just as shown in kdramas, and
the obsession with obsessive eating is a result of the trauma of starvation. many korean still remember how their families were affected during the Korean war, in addition to North K still experiencing hunger;
- mukbang is also a thing that comes from over archiving;
- (feeling of abandonment has been a big issue in Korea, where parents send one or several kids out of the few they have to grandparents. this pain continues on for later in life, even though the person might not think of this as the cause, it does affect people.
wow, I really did not expect to see the reflection of my life in the Korean history as I am from Eastern Europe... wow...);
- the #MeToo movement has made a huge impact on kdramas. women there hear and experience that for years, and only now they can see the same things on the screen and be able to have strength to speak up;- women liking material items have been judges ever since the war times, as the money women had should have "been given to the government for its success" and women were treated as kids, told what to do. people used to judge others for spending they money on high end coffee cups, but now coffee popularity is something that shows to the world that Korean can work many hours, and that its economy is a flourishing one;
- domestic violence is also often shown in kdramas because this is part of the korean women's and kids' experience;
- toxic relationships are also shown in kdramas;
- the military/army trauma has been affecting older generations and badly affecting the newer generations who got abused by the older generations; while those who go to the army come back home changed for worse frequently;
-the amnesia trop is used in kdramas due to the historical effects of colonialism (when people had to change their names and identity to be more Japanese-like) & wars (like the "comfort women").
- another thing that zombies represent are the fact that USA asked South Korea to send their soldiers to the Vietnam War. a billion dollars from the US that has been used to improve the Korean economy.
chemical weapons are also widely shown in kdramas. but all of this can be "forgotten" by "cultural amnesia"
- Korean rage ("Beef" as an example)
Genre ~ non fiction, memoir
Setting ~ New York & Los Angeles, USA // Busan/Seoul, South Korea // Germany
Publication date ~ April 23, 2024
Est page Count ~ 256 p, chapters
Audio length ~ hours (x1.4 & x1.7 speed)
Narrator ~ the author herself
Featuring ~ domestic violence, kid abuse, harassments, mental health issues, sui**de, war crimes
I was very excited for this book. it is more of a memoir of the author and narrator rather than full study of the kdrama. I did enjoy the part but will agree with other commentators who said this book should have had the description of "the author's life and trauma and the history of kdramas" as it would be more accurate. I did have to stop the audiobook many-many times due to the hard topics that were brought up. I expected this book to be a study of kdrama, but instead it did trigger many of my own memories. I would have prepared better mentally if I knew this from the book's description.
still, it is a good book.
- in 2021 Netflix invested $500 million into kdrama productions. (later from Google: Netflix has been investing in Korean content for years, and in 2023, they announced a further $2.5 billion investment over the next four years);
- the author's mom was not able to go to school in 1970s, when she was 14 years old, as her farmer dad thought that school is a waste, especially for a girl. but with the money she earned and sent home, the dad sent the younger 5 siblings to school. hypocrisy.
the author states that there is always a generational arguments happening at gathering as everyone has trauma and thinks that they are the victim who has to do what they were told;
overachievement is also number #1 reason of South Korean adolescence sui****.
- the author mentions a lot of history that has affected the South Korean TV and later on, kdramas, from WWII to their independence as well as the cast system in the past.
- 1962 is the year when the first kdrama appeared;
- then describes the type of kdrama that is shown on TV during after breakfast hours (Example: Penthouse) which are primarily watched by moms, or people who cannot be as free in their life as they see people be in Kdramas: like throwing kimchi on one enemy's head;
- the screen time placement ads have been used ever since kdramas appeared (Subway, Kopiko, lipstick, candles, cafes) and they prove to very effective seeing how popular places like Subway are in Korea;
- another thing that is advertised a lot is alcohol in kdramas, as the only acceptable drug in Korea. this is a huge issue with Korean society, but everyone ignores it because seeing soju in kdramas makes one wants to buy it and drink while watching it,
- the food culture is huge in Korea, just as shown in kdramas, and
the obsession with obsessive eating is a result of the trauma of starvation. many korean still remember how their families were affected during the Korean war, in addition to North K still experiencing hunger;
- mukbang is also a thing that comes from over archiving;
- (feeling of abandonment has been a big issue in Korea, where parents send one or several kids out of the few they have to grandparents. this pain continues on for later in life, even though the person might not think of this as the cause, it does affect people.
wow, I really did not expect to see the reflection of my life in the Korean history as I am from Eastern Europe... wow...);
- the #MeToo movement has made a huge impact on kdramas. women there hear and experience that for years, and only now they can see the same things on the screen and be able to have strength to speak up;- women liking material items have been judges ever since the war times, as the money women had should have "been given to the government for its success" and women were treated as kids, told what to do. people used to judge others for spending they money on high end coffee cups, but now coffee popularity is something that shows to the world that Korean can work many hours, and that its economy is a flourishing one;
- domestic violence is also often shown in kdramas because this is part of the korean women's and kids' experience;
- toxic relationships are also shown in kdramas;
- the military/army trauma has been affecting older generations and badly affecting the newer generations who got abused by the older generations; while those who go to the army come back home changed for worse frequently;
-the amnesia trop is used in kdramas due to the historical effects of colonialism (when people had to change their names and identity to be more Japanese-like) & wars (like the "comfort women").
- another thing that zombies represent are the fact that USA asked South Korea to send their soldiers to the Vietnam War. a billion dollars from the US that has been used to improve the Korean economy.
chemical weapons are also widely shown in kdramas. but all of this can be "forgotten" by "cultural amnesia"
- Korean rage ("Beef" as an example)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
4.5 stars. Like many other reviewers, I picked this book up expecting a light-hearted survey of K-dramas, that would celebrate the specific dramas I've already binged and loved, while giving me ideas for more shows to watch. This, however, is not remotely what it is.
"K-Drama School" explores several painful and deeply personal topics: the history of oppression in Korea over the centuries -- calling out U.S. imperialism, both military and cultural -- as well as the suppression of numerous marginalized groups. It details the author's own profoundly unhappy childhood, adolescence, and early adult life, from Busan to Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The author is unstinting about how she was a battered child, abused by clergy, mistreated at work, subject to racism both overtly and by microaggression, and then fell into multiple harmful addictions. Several K-dramas are discussed -- each chapter deals with one or more of the author's traumas and/or historical subjects, and shows how two or three K-dramas touch upon the same subjects, whether directly or in passing. The dust jacket mentions "Squid Game" first... but, again, this is not a book about "Squid Game", which is mentioned only in the context of Netflix' exploitation of South Korean talent and labor for pennies on the dollar.
The author describes herself a writer, comedian, college professor, and recreational drug user/merchant. She dedicates the last chapter to how much she loves her life, and expresses sentiments critical of those who have not reached her emotional state. This is deeply personal and eye-opening, but I left off a fifth star only because of the at-times hectoring and self-righteous tone (a white journalist is called out for the author's own interpretation of what might have been an innocent question). The author has earned these tones more than me, a 51-year-old white Jewish guy, but when the book was over I felt guilty for having watched K-dramas at all, which is most certainly not why I picked up the book in the first place.
"K-Drama School" explores several painful and deeply personal topics: the history of oppression in Korea over the centuries -- calling out U.S. imperialism, both military and cultural -- as well as the suppression of numerous marginalized groups. It details the author's own profoundly unhappy childhood, adolescence, and early adult life, from Busan to Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The author is unstinting about how she was a battered child, abused by clergy, mistreated at work, subject to racism both overtly and by microaggression, and then fell into multiple harmful addictions. Several K-dramas are discussed -- each chapter deals with one or more of the author's traumas and/or historical subjects, and shows how two or three K-dramas touch upon the same subjects, whether directly or in passing. The dust jacket mentions "Squid Game" first... but, again, this is not a book about "Squid Game", which is mentioned only in the context of Netflix' exploitation of South Korean talent and labor for pennies on the dollar.
The author describes herself a writer, comedian, college professor, and recreational drug user/merchant. She dedicates the last chapter to how much she loves her life, and expresses sentiments critical of those who have not reached her emotional state. This is deeply personal and eye-opening, but I left off a fifth star only because of the at-times hectoring and self-righteous tone (a white journalist is called out for the author's own interpretation of what might have been an innocent question). The author has earned these tones more than me, a 51-year-old white Jewish guy, but when the book was over I felt guilty for having watched K-dramas at all, which is most certainly not why I picked up the book in the first place.
May 24, 2024
Winter Sonata and Autumn in My Heart sparked my initial fascination in kdrama. I recalled how I used to cry uncontrollably while watching them and how enamoured I was with every actor.
K-drama School began as a podcast with reviews and analyses of K-drama along with scholarly and humorous commentary by Grace Jung. Apart from that, because she connects each issue to her own life, it also reads like a memoir. Even while the social commentary is clever and entertaining, there are moments when the grim past is honest and unvarnished. I like how the author included information about Korean history and culture that is relevant to Kdrama.
In kdrama, it’s common for characters to honour their Korean cuisine. Consider their fascination with soju and Korean instant noodles, which permeates practically every kdrama I’ve ever seen. Kdrama is comparable to the largest alcohol beverage advertisement, which significantly raises consumption rates and causes a jump in linked illnesses like liver cirrhosis. Speaking of sicknesses, there’s a tendency for conditions like Alzheimer’s, leukaemia, and blindness to constantly play a significant part in the plot of Korean dramas. stairways to heaven autumn in my heart, and winter sonata are a few examples.
I learned a lot from this book, including the word “makjang dramas,” which I had never heard of before. The historical and intellectual insights in this book are what I enjoy most about it. Even though I am well-versed in their history, this book explains how it reflects the themes of contemporary kdrama, which I find incredibly useful. Although there are kdrama fans who felt that the memoir portion was a bit excessive, I believe it is beneficial to learn about real life experiences as well.
This is highly recommended for kdrama fans! I had a great time reading this book, which was also a history lesson, and K-Drama School. I’m glad to report that I’ve graduated from this Kdrama school. Thank you to @times.reads @putrifariza for the book. Kamsahamida. 🫶🏻
K-drama School began as a podcast with reviews and analyses of K-drama along with scholarly and humorous commentary by Grace Jung. Apart from that, because she connects each issue to her own life, it also reads like a memoir. Even while the social commentary is clever and entertaining, there are moments when the grim past is honest and unvarnished. I like how the author included information about Korean history and culture that is relevant to Kdrama.
In kdrama, it’s common for characters to honour their Korean cuisine. Consider their fascination with soju and Korean instant noodles, which permeates practically every kdrama I’ve ever seen. Kdrama is comparable to the largest alcohol beverage advertisement, which significantly raises consumption rates and causes a jump in linked illnesses like liver cirrhosis. Speaking of sicknesses, there’s a tendency for conditions like Alzheimer’s, leukaemia, and blindness to constantly play a significant part in the plot of Korean dramas. stairways to heaven autumn in my heart, and winter sonata are a few examples.
I learned a lot from this book, including the word “makjang dramas,” which I had never heard of before. The historical and intellectual insights in this book are what I enjoy most about it. Even though I am well-versed in their history, this book explains how it reflects the themes of contemporary kdrama, which I find incredibly useful. Although there are kdrama fans who felt that the memoir portion was a bit excessive, I believe it is beneficial to learn about real life experiences as well.
This is highly recommended for kdrama fans! I had a great time reading this book, which was also a history lesson, and K-Drama School. I’m glad to report that I’ve graduated from this Kdrama school. Thank you to @times.reads @putrifariza for the book. Kamsahamida. 🫶🏻
January 23, 2024
If there had to be a book out there in the world that outlines aspects of life that are mirrored in K-Dramas and those that aren’t, then such a book was made to find me. Not only did it successfully find me, but it did so even before being out in the world. 🤌🏻
While reading this one, I kept thinking to myself how context can make such a big difference in understanding South Korea’s history. The way views and opinions evolve with time, the entertainment we seek and the message it hopes to spread change as well, as it ideally should. Including a heavy dose of personal experience also puts things in perspective and makes you think more deeply about characters you’ve loved and hated.
“Criticism is easy, while finding ways to praise, compliment, and worship an object or subject require careful observation, attentive listening, complex feeling, and thought. Adoration is an art.”
Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy.
While reading this one, I kept thinking to myself how context can make such a big difference in understanding South Korea’s history. The way views and opinions evolve with time, the entertainment we seek and the message it hopes to spread change as well, as it ideally should. Including a heavy dose of personal experience also puts things in perspective and makes you think more deeply about characters you’ve loved and hated.
“Criticism is easy, while finding ways to praise, compliment, and worship an object or subject require careful observation, attentive listening, complex feeling, and thought. Adoration is an art.”
Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy.
March 14, 2024
Como fanática de las series coreanas quería leerlo y sin embargo a veces me sentía un poco perdida... Imagínense alguien que no sigue las series o que solo quería saber un poco sobre las series coreanas.
De por si, los nombres en coreano son algo difíciles de retener y a veces explicar la trama de una novela no es tan sencillo como parece porque pueden generarse confusiones con los nombres o con las situaciones.
No todas las series acá mencionadas las vi, y por eso siento que aquellas series que no había visto ya no me atraía tanto leer los fragmentos. También siento que la autora quería contarnos sobre su vida e ir mezclando un poco esto con las series y si bien no lo siento mal, o equivocado, no es lo que venía a leer yo.
Más alla de eso, siento que el analisis que hace es muy bueno, que realmente es algo que se puede profundizar un montón y sacarle jugo.
Gracias Running Press por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
De por si, los nombres en coreano son algo difíciles de retener y a veces explicar la trama de una novela no es tan sencillo como parece porque pueden generarse confusiones con los nombres o con las situaciones.
No todas las series acá mencionadas las vi, y por eso siento que aquellas series que no había visto ya no me atraía tanto leer los fragmentos. También siento que la autora quería contarnos sobre su vida e ir mezclando un poco esto con las series y si bien no lo siento mal, o equivocado, no es lo que venía a leer yo.
Más alla de eso, siento que el analisis que hace es muy bueno, que realmente es algo que se puede profundizar un montón y sacarle jugo.
Gracias Running Press por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
March 30, 2025
The title of this book is wildly misleading, as very little of this book actually consists of a look at pop culture and kdramas. The majority of the book is a look at the author's various traumas, often only vaguely related to whatever theme the chapters have (for example, it seems that almost every theme is connected to her traumatic experiences with SA). While it's heartbreaking to read about and I am glad she's been exploring them in therapy and gotten help and support, it is not what I expected from what is described as a "humourous and heartfelt" book.
Beyond that, any connection we do get between kdramas and Korean culture, is often very disconnected arguments and stories (with, of course, the constant unrelated personal stories), that jump all over the place and it makes it hard to follow the author's point.
A misleading and unfocused book.
Beyond that, any connection we do get between kdramas and Korean culture, is often very disconnected arguments and stories (with, of course, the constant unrelated personal stories), that jump all over the place and it makes it hard to follow the author's point.
A misleading and unfocused book.
July 12, 2024
part Korean pop culture book and part memoir/self help book, the title does not match the contents inside; i think it’s poorly marketed to Korea boos (i recognized maybe 10% of the dramas listed?)
however while I understand that this author ties a lot of her personal trauma to trauma that is a key part of korean history / the korean identity, things were a little messy and hard to follow when melded together with the history lessons. i personally didn’t need the self help aspect of this either.
the language is easily accessible and if this stayed strictly in the history lane or even laid off on the self help part of the book and retained some of the memoir i would have liked it more
however while I understand that this author ties a lot of her personal trauma to trauma that is a key part of korean history / the korean identity, things were a little messy and hard to follow when melded together with the history lessons. i personally didn’t need the self help aspect of this either.
the language is easily accessible and if this stayed strictly in the history lane or even laid off on the self help part of the book and retained some of the memoir i would have liked it more
July 18, 2025
This book is a mixed bag. There is some good analysis of kdramas and how they relate to Korean culture and society. If you have watch many kdramas like me you will have greater appreciation for this book. However, the author frequently goes on far-left rants that have little to do with kdramas and uses mental gymnastics to criticize exaggerated problems. Some of the author's criticism is legitimate, especially in the earlier chapters, but the book becomes more unreasonable in later chapters. It is a worthwhile read for those interested in Hallyu, kdramas or Korean culture and society, but it should be read with a grain of salt.
May 20, 2024
I just want to note that I was pretty disappointed to find no index in this book. I didn't mark this one as memoir, but maybe a should have? Because that's mostly what this book is; frustratingly so. This book is very much like Grace Jung's K-Drama School podcast. It's very light on actually looking at and analyzing k-dramas, and a lot of her talking about her past traumas. I did learn a couple of new things in this book particularly the chapter on product placement and the history of television in Korea. I wish the book were more like that! Give me that book please!
December 18, 2024
assez déçue dans l'ensemble, le titre me donnait trop envie, mais en fait le contenu ne correspond pas du tout, l'autrice nous parle très peu de kdramas et de pop culture, c'est surtout un pseudo mémoire qui traite de ses traumas et des traumas nationaux coréens, c'est pas pour autant inintéressant mais c'est pas ce pour quoi j'avais signé donc bon
quelques fun facts sympas ici et là mais globalement j'ai fini par lire en diagonale
quelques fun facts sympas ici et là mais globalement j'ai fini par lire en diagonale
July 16, 2025
This book description is not accurate. This book is less about K-dramas and more about the author's personal life experiences. She just ties K-drama plots into her story.
Misleading description aside, this was sometimes an interesting read for facts about Korean culture and the author's experiences growing up as a Korean American. It is definitely a lot darker thematically than I was expecting.
Misleading description aside, this was sometimes an interesting read for facts about Korean culture and the author's experiences growing up as a Korean American. It is definitely a lot darker thematically than I was expecting.
July 28, 2024
Update: Finally finished, and it got better; there were fewer digressions in the second half, and many fascinating insights. And often it's funny. But my earlier criticisms still stand.
*********
First impressions:
There are many interesting observations in this book, but I’m having difficulty extricating them. It’s, like, 5 books mashed together.
The author ricochets between:
--Analysis of Korean history and culture as reflected in K-dramas (the author wrote her thesis about this subject, so those nuggets are really interesting and trenchant, but usually too brief)
--The author’s personal traumas and therapy (interesting, but not germane, or the connections she draws to K-dramas are fleeting or too personal to have meaning for the reader…so why not just write a different book about the personal stuff?)
--Opaque academic-speak sentences drawing tenuous connections and often followed by tossed-off colloquial remarks (“Forget about it!”), as if to balance, or undercut, her serious points; the changes in tone are jarring
--Many asides about dumb personal stuff like (in the section that's nominally about product placement) what kind of sandwiches she orders at the local deli as opposed to Subway and how she only goes into Starbucks to use the bathroom.
Also there are many clunky, run-on sentences.
As is SO OFTEN the case with books lately, this one could have used a good editor to give it shape.
I'm about halfway through, and am finding it increasingly irritating. The author has a podcast, apparently, and I feel like this digressive structure might work for a that, but not as well for a book.
I’m going to try to finish reading this, because when the actual subject of Korean culture and how it informs K-dramas is addressed, it is interesting. But it’s going to have to be in small doses.
*********
First impressions:
There are many interesting observations in this book, but I’m having difficulty extricating them. It’s, like, 5 books mashed together.
The author ricochets between:
--Analysis of Korean history and culture as reflected in K-dramas (the author wrote her thesis about this subject, so those nuggets are really interesting and trenchant, but usually too brief)
--The author’s personal traumas and therapy (interesting, but not germane, or the connections she draws to K-dramas are fleeting or too personal to have meaning for the reader…so why not just write a different book about the personal stuff?)
--Opaque academic-speak sentences drawing tenuous connections and often followed by tossed-off colloquial remarks (“Forget about it!”), as if to balance, or undercut, her serious points; the changes in tone are jarring
--Many asides about dumb personal stuff like (in the section that's nominally about product placement) what kind of sandwiches she orders at the local deli as opposed to Subway and how she only goes into Starbucks to use the bathroom.
Also there are many clunky, run-on sentences.
As is SO OFTEN the case with books lately, this one could have used a good editor to give it shape.
I'm about halfway through, and am finding it increasingly irritating. The author has a podcast, apparently, and I feel like this digressive structure might work for a that, but not as well for a book.
I’m going to try to finish reading this, because when the actual subject of Korean culture and how it informs K-dramas is addressed, it is interesting. But it’s going to have to be in small doses.
July 23, 2024
I think the title, the cover, and the marketing are misleading. This book is marginally about K-drama, it has more historical context for them, and this is pretty great and useful if you want to understand more about K-drama in general, but it is mostly about the author working through her trauma. The book is interesting but it is not what it is advertised to be.
August 14, 2024
some reviewers seem not to understand what the word 'why' means; i.e. the title is a pop-culture inquiry into WHY we love K-drama, and on that Grace Jung does precisely what she says she will do: explain WHY. This is a brilliant hybrid of cultural analysis, history, memoir, self-reflection and an explanation of how tv shows can 'speak' to people in quite profound ways.
October 22, 2024
Not quite what I was led to expect, but I appreciate the author's honesty and openness about her past traumas and how she learned to cope with them.
Don't expect too much in the way of K-drama plots and actors and stuff. We do get quite an insight into life in South Korea, its history, life as an Asian immigrant in the U.S.
(What a sheltered life I've led in comparison! Makes me so grateful.)
Don't expect too much in the way of K-drama plots and actors and stuff. We do get quite an insight into life in South Korea, its history, life as an Asian immigrant in the U.S.
(What a sheltered life I've led in comparison! Makes me so grateful.)
November 16, 2024
If you want something academic, the author makes use of her personal experiences a lot in this which can be off-putting for some readers. It worked for me because it was relevant to her topics and not shoehorned in, but it does set the tone. More generally, readers should know that Korean television apparently owes a lot to trauma and a lot of upsetting topics come up.
January 29, 2025
Incredibly interesting read! It definitely was not what I was expecting but I found it fascinating! I appreciate Jung's honesty about her own life and struggles and her link to different K Dramas. I found the information about South Korea's history absolutely fascinating too. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2025
As a K-Drama fan, I enjoyed it. I wasn’t expecting the personal stories around the author’s struggles with trauma, self worth, and fighting for a fulfilling creative career, etc. I guess we watch dramas to both relate and escape from our own lives. We read about other’s traumas to reflect on our lives and shape how we tell our own stories, or direct them, when we summon the courage or fortitude.
February 23, 2025
The title is misleading and reader be aware that most of the book is very anxiety provoking. Very difficult to listen to author’s extremely traumatic life. She says she does standup comedy so I’d like to hear that. I enjoy kdramas, but this book is mostly G Jung’s intensely traumatic memoir.
Read extreme, intense, trauma, anxiety, difficult.
Read extreme, intense, trauma, anxiety, difficult.
July 18, 2025
I got about halfway through and couldn't finish it. I don't think the book delivers on its title at all-- instead of being a pop culture inquiry into why we love Korean television, it's a deep dive into the author's own childhood trauma and how it is a result of Korean culture, and how that trauma is reflected in Korean television. It's not awful, I was just looking for something lighter.
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