FM + RM get together regularly to watch short dramas & cook themed meals together. KDC nights usually end with RM’s BTS propaganda and many fits of laughter.

Drama Club #14

Pumpkin Time kind of broke our brains (in a good way). It was a bit unexpected and didn’t follow the usual formula we stumble upon. It had light fantasy in the vein of Bride of Haebek (sorta) and (thankfully), the odd premise of this one didn’t end up being problematic. It had several kilig moments and lived up to the cozy, cuddly energy you’d expect from something called “Pumpkin Time.”

We Watched: Pumpkin Time

We Ate: Thai Food Takeout

We Drank: Nothing! And we still had a grand ole time!

Drama Club #12 + 13

I’ve been slacking off on this diary, sorry! KDC #12 and 13 was a two-parter that just made us laugh so much, it’s all just one hazy blur. RM and I watched our first BL series — an unconventional one, at that. While I know we will likely have a super swoon-worthy BL drama to look forward to one day, A Man Who Defies the World of BL was a gloriously tropey, campy, self-aware joy to watch. This is by-far the funniest show we have seen so far.

We Watched: A Man Who Defies the World of BL

We Ate: A lot of things I can’t remember.

We Drank: A lot.

Drama Club #11

As if we needed a reason to watch 4 hours of our favorite Korean celebrities hanging out in a vacation home for 4 days… I mean. Come on.

We Watched: In the Soop: Friendcation

We Ate: Pastries +

We Drank:

Drama Club #10

After a short break, KDC returned with a two club meeting week. The first meeting brought us back to our routine. RM came over and was all abuzz about the new Jin solo single, so we watched that a “normal” amount. There was Korean takeout, there was driving EB and BC crazy with YouTube videos, and of course, there was soju.

We Watched: Check out the Event

We Ate: A Korean takeout feast from BCD Tofu

We Drank: Beer + Lychee Soju

Drama Club #9

It was a night of Firsts for KDC #9! It was our first double-header, our first slumber party, our first all-nighter, our first Melon soju, our first Korean raspberry wine, and our first BTS concert stream together. RM + FM had way too much fun!

Fortunately, both FM’s drama picks this week were short and sweet. Found a couple of dog-themed web dramas which far exceeded our kilig expectations. Both get five finger hearts across the board!

We Watched: My Huskey Boyfriend + Woof & Meow

We Ate: Bao Buns, Sesame balls, a lot of snacks and ramyeon.

We Drank: Beer + Melon Soju, Raspberry Wine

Drama Club #8

Our first Kilig Drama Club field trip is in the books! Today we ventured into Koreatown for a delicious (and perhaps over-the-top) lunch at the more upscale Jeong Yuk Jeom. RM and I ordered way too much, but it was all very tasty. Got our local caffeine fix at 6XS before heading over to CGV Cinemas to catch a screening of the Korean jukebox musical Life is Beautiful written by Korean film heavy-hitter Bae Se-young. We laughed, we cried, & overall enjoyed this campy yet bittersweet dramedy.

We Watched: Life is Beautiful (2022)

We Went to:
Lunch: Jeong Yuk Jeom
Coffee: 6XS
Movies: CGV Cinemas
Dessert: Sul & Beans

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=268pqupFWiU

Drama Club #7

Finally we are back in the groove with shows that are swoon-worthy instead of frustrating. RM’s choice this week was Kiss Goblin, a more whimsical fantasy-esque series about a goblin who wishes to be human. Bet you can guess what he’s gotta do to achieve that goal! This series had many levels of magical charm and had us laughing and rooting for the leads every step of the way. There might have been a brief moment of despair, but it wrapped up nicely.

We Watched: Kiss Goblin

We Ate: Pork Katsu Curry Don

We Drank: Soju Cocktails + more Soju

Drama Club #6

After a couple week of duds, we finally struck gold with one of the most charming short series shows ever. Gaduri Restaurant checked so many of those kilig-inducing boxes for us. The story was charming, the characters were quirky, and the drama was minimal and not over-the-top. It was an easily digestible and very lovely time with (finally) a happy ending.

We Watched: Gaduri Restaurant

We Ate: Bibimbap

We Drank: Soju Cocktails

Drama Club #4 & 5

Best Mistake was a two-part watch for us. This three-season series had some great actors in it, but ultimately didn’t grab onto us enough for us to finish off its final season. Another high school series with unexpected dramatic twists that don’t entirely make the most sense a lot of the time. We were excited to see Joo Hyun-young (Dong to the Geu to the Rami) in it, but she wasn’t one of the leads. I think RM would agree that the only reason why we watched season 2 was because it felt like a car crash you just couldn’t look away from. Eventually, we had our fill and decided to abandon the rest. TW: bullying, abuse, assault.

We Watched: Best Mistake Season 1 + 2

We Ate: Ramyeon + Scallion Pancakes | Tteokbokki + Grilled Pork Belly

We Drank: Beer + Makgeolli

Drama Club #3

Our 3rd KDC show was the super short nine-episode drama Love & Wish. Right off the bat, I’ll tell you that this one just wasn’t our cup of tea. While it’s a given that these shorter web dramas won’t have such rich character development as a long-form show, L&W had way too much going on and didn’t follow through to connect some critical dots. While the acting was decent and the show did have its moments, RM and I agreed that we didn’t understand how this was so highly rated across the board. TW: school bullying, mental health, depression, suicide, abuse, assault. We wanted the story to be fleshed out more to do these mature themes justice.

We Watched: Love & Wish

We Ate: Bulgogi Bowls

We Drank: Beer + Soju

Drama Club #2

Installment #2 was held at RM’s and was the 15-episode web series “How to be 30.” This one caught my eye because I enjoyed seeing Kang Min Hyuk in Heirs (he was Yoon Chan-young, the reliable childhood BFF). I was also drawn to the fact that it was a more mature cast of young people in their 30s with established careers and more realistic perspectives on relationships. It was a nice change from the happy-go-lucky high school idol dramas, though the series as a whole is less romantic. It was at least, believably bittersweet. C’est la vie!

We Watched: How to be 30

We Ate: Kimchi Fried Rice + Hotteok

We Drank: Beer + Soju

Drama Club #1

The start of a wonderful new friendship! I met RM via my husband nearly 5 years ago, but it wasn’t until we both realized that we were watching Asian dramas that we started hanging out to watch short dramas while eating Korean food — with beer & soju, of course! We sort of raged on a Monday night. I laughed so hard, I cried. RM drank so much, she couldn’t feel her face. My dear husband came home from work to two giggly women in their mid 30s in full swoon.

We Watched: Wednesday 3:30PM

We Ate: Kimchi-jjigae + Galbi Ssambap

We Drank: Beer + Soju