☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E30 / It’s that time of the year for recaps, backtracks, and wraps of the previous twelve months. This episode is all about the best (and sometimes worst) of Kdrama in 2025.

Shannon from Bonchon Bite Sized K-drama Reviews joins me to talk through the highs and lows of Asian dramas. We chat about drama-watching stats, our personal high points of 2025 dramas, and the throw-back dramas we watched this year.

Currently Watching/Waiting For:

Shannon:

• Surely Tomorrow
• Love Between Fairy and Devil
• Dynamite Kiss

Sara:

• Surely Tomorrow
• Love Me
• Cashero

Our 2025 Favorites:

Favorite supporting characters

Favorite couples

Favorite found family

Favorite (or least-favorite) childhood connection

Favorite OSTs

Drama you were surprised you liked

Best fashion

Best villains/worst villains

Best crying scenes

Fastest drop

Most satisfying dramas

Worst ending

Favorite drama *not* from 2025 that you watched during 2025

Favorite friendships

Favorite umbrella scenes

Favorite ramen scenes

Best Second Lead Syndrome

Most over-the-top makjang moments

Truck of Doom award

Favorite swoony moments

Most underrated dramas

Best performances by an actor/actress

Shannon’s Podcast: https://pod.link/1839465628

Shannon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banchankdramapod

Comfort Watches and Palette Cleansers with Shannon https://howimetmykdrama.buzzsprout.com/2435348/episodes/17898269

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E29 / Shannon, children’s librarian and podcaster (Bonchon Bite Sized K-drama Reviews) joins me to talk about the Kdrama classic, Just Between Lovers, a drama we both absolutely loved despite its heavy topics of trauma and guilt.

❤️‍🩹 We explore what makes this drama so special: nuanced characters, found family galore, standout music, unconventional story choices, scruffy-handsome Lee Junho, and our takes on that ending.

✋ After a short non-spoiler section, we dive into Just Between Lovers, talking about anything and everything!

Currently Watching and Other Shows Discussed:

• Typhoon Family
• Would You Marry Me?
• Romantics Anonymous
• Ms. Incognito
• Cinderella Closet
• Romantics Anonymous
• Ms. Incognito

Shannon’s Podcast: https://pod.link/1839465628

Shannon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banchankdramapod

Comfort Watches and Palette Cleansers with Shannon https://howimetmykdrama.buzzsprout.com/2435348/episodes/17898269

Articles:

Production of the drama:

https://www.soompi.com/article/1090223wpp/just-lovers-pd-shares-decided-cast-2pms-junho-won-jin-ah

https://www.koreaherald.com/article/1556450

Interview with screenwriter: https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=102205 (in Korean)

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E28 / Constance, journalist, gardening writer, and nonfiction book reviewer—and of course, dedicated Kdrama fan—joins me to talk about favorite Kdramas and her trip to South Korea.

✈️ We explore Constance’s international background, her Kdrama origin story (including discovering Extraordinary Attorney Woo), why she finally traveled to Korea, and what keeps her hooked on Asian dramas.

✨ And we list our current watches, favorite Kdramas, discuss the “found family” trope, and explore the emotional resonance of Kdrama storytelling.

💚 Spoiler Free episode. Enjoy!

Currently Watching:

• Happiness
• Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
• Ms. Incognito
• Typhoon Family

Our wide-ranging conversation touches on the following shows:

• Extraordinary Attorney Woo
• Hometown Cha Cha Cha
• Crash Landing on You
• Healer
• Holo Love
• Hospital Playlist
• Romance is a Bonus Book
• Touch Your Heart
• Love Scout
• Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung
• Train to Busan
• Taxi Driver
• Vincenzo
• Strong Girl Bong Soon
• Her Private Life (but I meant What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim)
• My Love From the Star
• Designated Survivor
• Book recommendation: The Birth of Korean Cool by Euny Hong https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Korean-Cool-Conquering-Through/dp/1250045118

Link:

The Birth of Korean Coolby Euny Hong

https://books2read.com/u/mgqkpR (Affiliate Link)

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E27 / Caitlin from the NoSleep4Dramas podcast and blog joins me for a look at the Japanese drama Hold My Hand at Twilight.

🇯🇵 We explore the world of Jdramas and how they compare to our favorite Kdramas. We dig into the themes of creative ambition and the coming-of-age journeys. We also explore some of the things that frustrated us about this drama, and detail why we’d still recommend it because of its fabulous fall vibes and found family.

🏆 We list the shows that have us binging right now (Kdramas, Chinese dramas, and Jdramas), give quick recs—including Miss Incognito, First Lady, and Typhoon Family—and share why certain dramas just pull us in. Plus, we shout out found family stories and unique settings.

⚠️ Spoiler warning! Our wide-ranging conversation touches on the following shows: Hold My Hand at Twilight (J-drama deep dive with spoilers!), Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Mobius, Miss Incognito, First Lady, Typhoon Family, Would You Marry Me?, Romantics Anonymous, Tokyo Tower, Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle, and more.

Enjoy!

Links:

Caitlin’s podcast: https://www.nosleep4dramas.com/podcast

Caitlin’s blog: https://www.nosleep4dramas.com/

Crime and Mystery Dramas with Caitlin:

https://howimetmykdrama.buzzsprout.com/2435348/episodes/17494458-crime-and-mystery-asian-dramas-with-caitlin

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E26 / Paroma from the Dramas Over Flowers podcast and professional fangirl joins me to talk about her journey into Asian media, her recommendations, and the unique joys of Kdramas.

🌼 Paroma shares the story behind how Dramas Over Flowers podcast came about with its cross-cultural perspectives.

🎉 We explore Paroma’s Kdrama origin story as well as how tropes like cohabitation and found family in the workplace win us over.

🫶We also delve into dramas that treat serious subjects with warmth and optimism and discuss endings.

Currently watching:

• A Dream within a Dream
• Head Over Heels
• Our Movie
• Law and the City

✋ Spoiler warning! Our wide-ranging conversation touches on the following shows:

• You’re Beautiful
• Do you Love Brahms?
• Quartet
• Nirvana in Fire
• Meet Yourself
• Dr. Slump
• Head over Heels
• Because this is my First Life
• We Married as a Job
• Reply 1997
• Judge From Hell
• Be Melodramatic
• Search WWW

Dramas Over Flowers Podcast:

https://pod.link/1270514773

Dramas Over Flowers Substack:

https://dramasoverflowers.substack.com

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E25 / Maxine Wright, supply chain professional, master gardener, avid podcast listener—and, of course, passionate Kdrama fan—joins me to talk about her favorite dramas and how her journey started during the pandemic.

⭐ We explore how Kdramas connect us with our emotions, the joys of discovering underrated gems, and why Maxine seeks out older and less mainstream series between the new hits.

🎵 Maxine lists her favorite re-watches and classic OSTs, and she also shares her unique way of searching for Kdramas that surfaces new recommendations.

Currently Watching:

Maxine:

• My Dearest
• Bon Appétit, Your Majesty

Sara:

• To the Moon
• Ms. Incognito

⚠️ Light spoiler warning! Our wide-ranging conversation touches on the following shows:

• Crash Landing on You
• Descents of the Sun
• Moon Embracing the Sun
• Coffee Prince
• Romance is a Bonus Book
• King the Land
• Alchemy of Souls
• Vincenzo
• Goblin
• The K2
• Dali and the Cocky Prince
• Karma
• Connections
• First Frost
• The Double
• Prisoner of Beauty

Links:

Lipstick: Wine Lip Tint Chateau Labaotte

​​https://www.yesstyle.com/en/tcuc.USD/coc.US/info.html/pid.1132160255

Maxine’s TikTok: @wrightstuff20

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E24 / Christina from YA Girls Kdrama Podcast, teacher and passionate Kdrama fan, joins me for a slice of life genre celebration! If you love the daily rhythms, cozy feelings, and relatable conflicts found in slice of life Korean dramas, this chat is for you. Are we rebranding “slice of life” into “warm hug dramas?” Yes, we totally are!

🫶 We talk about what slice of life means for Kdrama fans—why we love these dramas, what makes them unique, and how they give us hope and comfort. We talk about the feelings these dramas evoke and how they often reflect real life with warmth, sincerity, and optimism.

🌿We list our favorite slice of life Kdramas and Jdramas by theme, hitting the broad categories of workplace, romance, found family, creative (music/books), and healing. Our recommendations range from iconic shows like Hospital Playlist and My Mister to under-the-radar gems!

⚠️ Light spoiler warning! Our conversation touches on a few spoiler-y things about some of the shows.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00:25 Meet Christina

00:02:17 Currently Watching

• Love Take Two
• Tale of Lady Ok
• My Youth
• The Murky Stream
• Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
• Learning to Love

00:08:51 What is a Slice of Life Kdrama?

00:14:24 Workplace Slice of Life

00:25:15 Romance Slice of Life

00:39:14 Family/Found Family Slice of Life

00:52:27 Creative creative (Music/Books) Slice of Life

00:59:25 Healing Slice of Life

🔗 Links

YA Girl’s podcast: https://pod.link/1630700998

YA Girl’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/yagirl_kdramapod/?hl=en

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/Aa9kGxNPx9

YA Girls Kdrama Podcast on Favorite Dramas, Tropes, and Ramyeon Scenes: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2435348/episodes/17814816

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂

☎️ Get in Touch! Share your Kdrama origin story. *Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can get in touch with you!*

S2 E 23 / Shannon Bloom, children’s librarian, knitter, cat lover, and host of Banchan: Bite-size Kdrama Reviews podcast, joins me to talk about manga Kdrama adaptations, unforgettable friend groups, and watching challenges.

🪭 Shannon shares her Kdrama origin story (including a roommate’s historical drama obsession) and how her love of fantasy and romance books interplays with her for Kdrama addiction.

🫖 Then we list comfort watches and share under-the-radar favorites that deserve more love—plus, what Kdrama made us do in real life!

⏱️Timestamps:

[00:00:34] Meet Shannon

[00:01:35] Currently Watching

[00:06:36] Shannon's First Kdrama

[00:12:21] Drama Recommendations

💚 Mild spoiler for some dramas, be we give you a warning within the episode

• Tastefully Yours
• Haunted Palace
• Good Boy
• Flex X Cop
• Boys over Flowers
• Jewel in the Palace
• The Hiers
• W: 2 Worlds
• Descendants of the Sun
• Parasite
• Squid Game
• Lovely Runner
• Reply 1988
• Hometown Cha Cha Cha
• Business Proposal
• Red Sleeve
• Hospital Playlist
• Twenty Five Twenty One
• Our Blues
• Empress Ki
• When the Stars Gossip
• Wok of Love
• Yumi’s Cells
• Just Between Lovers
• I’m Not a Robot
• A Time Called You
• Mellow Movie
• Shopaholic Louie
• It’s Okay That’s Love

Links:

Shannon’s Podcast: https://pod.link/1839465628

Shannon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banchankdramapod/?g=5

Kdrama subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/1hqdoix/rkdrama_challenge_2025_introduction_post/

Thanks for listening! Let me know what you thought:

💬 Send me a text* or find me in these places:

☂️ How I Met My Kdrama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howimetmykdrama

🔎 Website about my mystery books: SaraRosett.com

📚Buy my books direct and save: SaraRosettBooks.com

📖 SaraRosett Instagram (mostly bookish posts): https://www.instagram.com/sararosett

*FYI: For privacy, phone numbers aren't shared, so I can't reply directly, but I will get the message and I'd love to hear from you! 🙂