K Drama Chat Joanna and Sung Hee

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 11 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
* The songs we feature during the recap: Here I Am Again by Baek Yerin and Let Us Go by Crush.
* In the first half of the show, Se-ri is trying hard to adapt to North Korea. In this episode, Captain Ri and the ducklings are trying to get used to South Korea.
* Cho Cheol Gang is now in South Korea and she’s clearly after Se-ri.
* Se-ri can’t believe her eyes when she finds Captain Ri on the sidewalk. The hug they give each other makes it clear that they are home in each other’s arms. Now, Se-ri knows that Cho Cheol Gang is after her.
* If Captain Ri has one talent, it’s his ability to find Se-ri. Knowing just her neighborhood, he found her in Seoul!
* Although Se-ri lies to Captain Ri and tells him that everything is fine with her family, she has to eat her words when Yoon Se-* * Hyeong and his wife enter her apartment and threaten her if she tries to get in the way of him becoming Chairman.
* Se-ri takes Captain Ri shopping for some amazing clothes and a hot haircut. He was so handsome before; now he’s downright debonair!
* The reference to the Korean folk tale of Heungbu and Nolbu.
* How the ducklings have been dropped into Seoul and they are exploring fried chicken and a South Korea spa.
* With Cho Cheol Gang convicted, Mr. Cheon says he and Gu Seung Jun are in danger. Mr. Cheo gets taken by some men, leaving Gu Seung Jun alone and without a place to stay.
* Gu Seung Jun gets a phone call from Seo Dan, whom he picks up and who offers him use of her apartment in the border village.
* How both Captain Ri and Seo Dan’s mothers ultimately care about their children and want them to be with someone they actually love.
* Yoon Se-Jun and his wife tell Se-ri’s mother that Se-ri was in North Korea. Even worse, Yoon Se-Hyeong knew about Se-ri and didn’t do anything about it!
* The village ladies risk a lot to see a shaman, who tells the women that they are all in trouble because their husbands are in trouble.
* Captain Ri’s battle with the thugs and his epic cat and mouse game with Cho Cheol Gang to save Se-ri.
* In the epilogue, we realize that Se-ri and Seo Dan had also met while in Switzerland.
* Our favorite K Drama elements, especially Captain Ri protecting Se-ri at personal cost to himself, the Subway product placement (finally!), and a new element: clamping a hand on someone’s mouth.
* The actresses who play the village ladies; we love them!

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 10 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
* The songs we feature in the recap: Se-ri’s Choice by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and The Hill of Yearning by April 2nd.
* How Se-ri and Captain Ri have had 5 partings and 5 reunions.
* In the end, it was easy enough to get Se-ri home since Captain Ri and his men were back at the DMZ.
* Why Captain Ri asked Gu Seung Jun for help and why Gu Seung Jun decided to help Captain Ri get Se-ri back to Seoul.
* The Grief Bowl and how the cracked and empty bowl outside the rundown house in the DMZ is a metaphor for how Captain Ri is feeling.
* How Se-ri gets back to Seoul and takes back her company, but she is clearly a changed person.
* The amnesia game that Se-ri is playing with her family, but Yoon Se-hyeong is not fooled since he and his wife knew that Se-ri was in North Korea.
* How Captain Ri gets his brother’s watch from Jung Man Bok, who is guilt-ridden over his part in the killing of his only friend, the man who saved his son.
* The trial that got Cho Cheol Gang convinced of multiple crimes, but he is rescued by two Kamaz trucks and is now threatening Se-ri back in Seoul.
* How Gu Seung Jun and Seo Dan met at the Pyongyang Hotel and Gu Seung Jun explains how he helped send Se-ri home.
* How Se-ri finds Captain Ri on the sidewalk outside her house. He had been looking for her!
* How Captain Ri’s men and Jung Man Bok are kidnapped by General Ri and given the mission to find Captain Ri in Seoul and bring him back.
* Kim Soo Hyun’s amazing cameo as a North Korea spy posing as a Chinese food delivery man. This is a role he played in Secretly Greatly.
* The background and roles of the handsome and talented Ha Seok Jin, who plays Ri Mu Hyeok, Captain Ri’s brother.

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 9 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong Hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. The amazing Ernabel Demillo is back to help us recap and analyze this episode! We discuss:
* The songs we feature during the recap: My Companion by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and All Of My Days by Kim Sejeong.
* Captain Ri didn’t believe Se-ri when she said she was going home. He was determined to find her!
* When Captain Ri punched Cho Cheol Gang, it wasn’t very smart, but he was done and he was out of hope. He felt like once again, he had failed to protect someone he loved.
* The language Se-ri uses when she speaks with Captain Ri’s father. She is very respectful and it’s hard to explain the levels of honorifics in Korean.
* How Captain Ri’s parents are shocked to find out who Se-ri is, and that she and Captain Ri love each other.
* How Captain Ri’s men spread the rumor about who Captain Ri’s father is, and this leads the Senior Colonel to release him from the detention center.
* How Captain Ri works out that his father, General Ri, is probably the one who had Se-ri taken.
* How Captain Ri and Se-ri discover that they encountered each other in Switzerland and Jeong Hyeok’s Song For My Brother gave Se-ri hope and he ultimately saved her life. This revelation scene was exquisitely filmed and edited.
* How Cho Cheol Gang convinced the Military Director to have the Ri residence searched because he thinks Se-ri is hiding there. The search ultimately turns up nothing because Captain Ri and his men did an emergency switch at the DMZ.
* Se-ri’s mom and sisters-in-law visit Se-ri’s apartment. Se-ri’s mom is full of worry and regret, while the sisters-in-law covet Se-ri’s things and her business, Se-ri’s Choice.
* How our second leads, Gu Seung Jun and Seo Dan, encounter each other at the Pyongyang Hotel bar. They get really drunk and discover each other for the first time.
* Captain Ri takes Se-ri to a point in the DMZ where she can easily cross over into South Korea. When Se-ri crosses over, * Captain Ri decides to cross over and give Se-ri a big kiss!
* In the epilogue, we see Se-ri organizing Captain Ri’s books so that the top lines say ‘I Love You, Ri Jeong Hyeok.”
* The show we’re watching now, including Lovely Runner, Itaewon Class, and Red Sleeve.
* Ernabel’s show, Asian American Life. In a recent segment, she shares that ube is the top flavor trends of 2024. She also interviewed Jeanie Chang, author of “How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health.”

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 8 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
* The song we featured during the recap: Season of Us by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee and Time of Jeong Hyeok for Se-ri by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee.
* This is the pivotal episode 8 and it ended on such a cliffhanger!
* How Captain Ri feels compelled to save Se-ri and help her get home. He made a promise to get her home AND this is his penance for failing to protect his brother, Ri Mu Hyeok.
* He wants to save Se-ri, not so they can be happy together, but so SHE can be safe and happy back in Seoul.
* Gu Seung jun and Seo Dan are making the same argument: Se-ri should stay away from Captain Ri to keep him safe.
* Gu Seung jun asks Se-ri to marry him so he can keep her safe and bring her back to South Korea. Even if Se-ri would consider this a fake marriage, he would like to make it more than that.
* But nothing can keep Captain Ri from Se-ri. He goes alone, unarmed and injured to save her.
* How their eyes spoke volumes when they said goodby on Gu Seung jun’s balcony.
Se-ri makes another fateful choice when she takes the car and goes after Captain Ri.
* Our new element 48 is talk of first loves.
* Captain Ri is out to get Captain Ri, especially now that Gu Seung jun has let Se-ri escape. He wants to get Se-ri convicted as a South Korean spy and take down Captain Ri and his father.
* Se-ri pawned Gu Seung jun’s engagement ring and gave everything in the pawn shop to the village ladies. She took the designer men’s watch she had spotted earlier; she intended to give it to Captain Ri as a Christmas present.
We have a double cliffhanger at the end of the episode.
* The first was when Se-ri taken at gunpoint. She was asked to make a phone call to Captain Ri to say she was leaving North Korea. She says I love you, a gun goes off, and then the line goes dead.
* The second was when Hong Chang sik, Se-ri’s assistant, and Park Su chan, the insurance agent, try to convince Se-ri’s father that she is still alive.
* The K Drama elements we see in this episode, including the confession, talk of a first love, lots of crying, lots of wrist grabs, and protecting someone you love at personal cost to yourself.
* The filming locations for Crash Landing On You, which includes Jeju Island, multiple locations in Switzerland, a department store in Incheon, and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.
* The shows we’re watching now: Lovely Runner for Sung Hee and Itaewon Class for Joanna.

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 7 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:
* The song we feature during the recap: the regular and orchestral versions of Song For My Brother by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee.
* What a joint lock is, in reference to Joanna talking about joint locks in episode 8.6.
Se-ri’s decision to drive to Sariwon Hospital instead of the hospital instead of the airport, and her decision to stay and donate blood to Captain Ri, instead of flying out of the country with the national track team.
* Why Se-ri made these choices and what Captain Ri now means to her.
* How Captain Ri, at first furious with Se-ri, softens, kisses Se-ri outside, and even confesses his feelings about Se-ri to Seo Dan.
* North Korea’s health care system, which the government says is free, but in reality, is in sad shape, and not free. Patients often have to bribe doctors to receive care.
* How Se-ri now needs another way out of North Korea, so she calls Gu Seung jun, who realizes that Se-ri is in danger, and comes to get her at the hospital. She goes willingly, not realizing where he’s taking her.
* Gu Seung jun and Seo Dan’s meeting and Gu Seung jun’s dating and marriage advice to Seo Dan.
* Cho Cheol Gang’s efforts to arrest Captain Ri, which are thwarted by the arrival of Captain Ri’s parents.
* The arrival of Seo Dan and her mother. Seo Dan doesn’t accept Captain Ri’s feelings about Se-ri and tells him that he will forget Se-ri since she’s leaving anyway.
* Se-ri’s father’s announcement during the shareholder meeting that Yoon Se-ri is dead and Yoon Se-hyeung is now Chairman.
* Hong Chang sik and Park Su chan’s realization that the recording of Se-ri’s mayday call went nowhere because Yoon Se-hyeung wanted to be Chairman.
* The back story behind the beautiful Song For My Brother, which Ri Jeong Hyeok played on the pier in Switzerland, just at the moment when Se-ri was on a boat nearby. The song gave her hope and a fresh willingness to live; she’s looked high and low for this song ever since.
* Se-ri has just realized that she’s been kidnapped. Gu Seung jun tells her that she doesn’t need Captain Ri anyway and contacting him would only endanger him. Similarly, Seo Dan says going after Se-ri would only endanger him.
* The beautiful Seo Ji-hye, the actress who plays Seo Dan.

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Crash Landing On You, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Hyun Bin as Ri Jyeong hyeok, Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri, Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung joon. We discuss:

* The songs we heard during the recap: Here I Am Again by Yerin Baek and Picnic by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee
* Our four leads have all met at this point and there are some interesting triangles forming.
* Gu Seung jun, Se-ri and Captain Ri are each trying to figure out what’s going on, but each is missing key information.
* Gu Seung jun is hoping to use the fact that Se-ri is in North Korea as his bargaining chip against Yoon Se-hyeung. Little does he realize that his asking Cho Cheol Gang to keep Se-ri in North Korea is putting her in real danger.
* How all of our research has led us to believe that listening devices are commonplace all over North Korea, especially in places where foreigners congregate.
* We’re not sure if Seo Dan loves Captain Ri but she is certainly not going to let another woman take him away from her.
* Captain Ri is a man who keeps his promises. He promised to keep Se-ri safe, so he goes after the Kamaz trucks at the end of the episode. We also see that he intends to honor his promise to Seo Dan, a promise made seven years ago to marry her.
* Captain Ri and Se-ri have basically confessed their feelings for each other. She does it through her words, while he expresses it through his actions.
* Cho Cheol Gang shows Jung Man bok a photo of Se-ri, saying he needs to have her never leave North Korea. Jung Man bok is in agony because he will be party to another murder, this time of someone who has been kind to his wife and son.
* We see that Cho Cheol Gang is untouchable because he’s done favors for, or given money to, all of the senior officers.
* Captain Ri protects Se-ri at huge personal cost to himself when he goes after the Kamaz trucks and takes a bullet in the back.