Here are some beautifully resilient female characters in some of my favorite K-Dramas the last couple years. For the sake of not making it a movie, I chose to deep dive into K-Drama female characters with different takeaways on how to build resilience. I also wanted to highlight those K-Drama females that add such depth to the overall storyline and character development, but could get overlooked.

My Name + Han So-hee + Ahn Bo-hyun = Grief displayed. The K-Drama, My Name, does a good job showing the depth of grief in its complexity. I focus on the female protagonist, the badass Yoon Ji-woo, but the characters Jeon Pil-do and Choi Mu-jin also display grief throughout the K-Drama. Grief in all its stages doesn’t just look one way.

Healing. Heartwarming. Happiness. Hope. Harmony. Hugs. Heroic acts of kindness. Hong Banjang. Hometown Cha Cha Cha in a nutshell. Check out the latest deep dive “Relationship Cha Cha Cha” on my YouTube channel. Oh, the irony of talking about healthy relationship processes at this time. That said, I’d like to ask, how healthy are your relationships? What does that look like for you?

quid Game = Addiction + Asian Culture. This week’s deep dive explores the systemic dysfunction displayed in Squid Game. Specifically – addiction and Asian cultural norms that perpetuate stigma around mental health and mental illness. Change starts with asking for help! It’s easier said than done. But know that asking for help builds courage. This is needed to take control of your mental health. 💪

Squid Game + Mental Illness Awareness Week = Noona’s Noonchi Deep Dive. Get Gganbu! That’s a key message Noona’s Noonchi got from Squid Game to look on the brighter side of things. This for the sake of your mental health and wellness. Also, perhaps taking a page out of this K-Drama, get gganbu for survival’s sake.

Ramen (라면 in Korean) is so iconic in K-Dramas. It really means something when you hear someone asking, “Do you want some ramen? Or in Korean, “라면 먹을래요?” Per our Reply 1988 pal Jung-bong, here’s the best ramen reminder for you: Belief and passion are two key ingredients essential for a recipe of success!

Hometown Cha Cha Cha is like a warm hug after a tough day or a cup of hot cocoa in the winter. This healing K-Drama feels like a lovely hot bubble bath with your fav K-Pop music playing in the background or the Goblin OST. Hometown Cha Cha Cha has become such a comfort K-Drama. It has the same effect as any comfort food like ddukbokki. Yes, it’s Noona’s Noonchi’s opinion but talking mental health, this is a K-Drama that boosts your mood. Check out the latest deep dive, “Healthy Parent Cha Cha Cha,” which refers to something Shin Mina’s character Yoon Hye-jin points out that sums up her own grief.

TW: Suicide. D.P. Enough said. D.P. was super tough to watch because it’s triggering, but so well-done. Brilliant acting and of course, seeing Jung Hae-in in action scenes was super cool. A deep dive was in order because there’s such depth to the stories of the deserters including showing various aspects of suicide and suicidality. As you’ll see from the deep dive, we point out a fundamental complexity with this K-Drama. Did you see D.P.? What are your thoughts on it? Would love to hear!

TW: Suicide. It’s hard to talk about, and it’s triggering. To highlight National Suicide Prevention Week, let’s get started with a deep dive on Taxi Driver. Taxi Driver aka Lee Je Hoon is nicknamed a ‘suicide savior.’ He and the Rainbow Taxi Company in this high quality K-Drama are saving folks who feel like they have nothing to live for, or don’t have anyone to turn to. Taxi Driver was actually very well-received which is why I wanted to watch it even though it’s not generally my favorite type of K-Drama. I really enjoyed it, however. What did you think about Taxi Driver? How did you like it?

Just when you least expect it…something good happens. Or something bad. But in the case of When the Camellia Blooms, something GREAT unexpectedly happens for Dong-baek, the female lead played by Gong Hyo-jin (one of my all-time favs!). Dong-baek discovers unexpected Jeong. She found a quality community who, at the end of the day, went all out for her. She didn’t even see it coming. Ever have this happen to you? When you least expect it….you get just what you needed from folks you least expected it from?! That makes it so much more special, doesn’t it? Jeong unexpected.

Trigger warning. This week’s deep dive is on post traumatic stress which is referred to as ‘Trauma Jeong.’ The K-Dramas Just Between Lovers and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim are awesome for obvious reasons, but let’s take a close look at how they portrayed PTSD. There’s such Jeong among the lead characters who share childhood trauma. Both K-Dramas outline their traumatic symptoms quite effectively throughout the storylines, including how each of the leads end up together as couples. (Who doesn’t love the cute romance!). In light of the past 18 + months, take a look at how PTSD is shown in these K-Dramas to learn more about it. For those of you who want to discuss PTSD further, please feel free to DM us here at Noona’s Noonchi.

Jeong and food go hand-in-hand, especially in our culture! We may not be able to talk about things or show emotions very well, but we sure can eat! The eating (think Korean BBQ and drinking (lots of soju) scenes show some of the best conversations in the K-Dramas. Don’t you agree? Jeong through food is a powerful expression of love. In our culture, it may very well be the most obvious way of showing love. Let’s go into a deep dive on how food plays into Jeong through Start-Up, Itaewon Class, and Move to Heaven!

What are those special mementos you cherish? I’m talking about those mementos that give you Jeong. You look at these mementos (objects) or think about them, and strong emotions come stirring. In this case, let’s look at how a little old pen can pack such a punch! The patient felt Jeong for the doctor which is why the pen in Hospital Playlist episode 12 is special. This pen has such purpose. What does that for you? How are you inspired or empowered today through Jeong?

Saying thank you can be a big deal. It”s also nice to hear it said to you, right? Thanks to the power of Jeong, we get to hear Lee Ji-an, IU’s character in My Mister say, ‘thank you.’ If her saying those words isn’t transformational, then I don’t know what is! I absolutely love the transformation we see in Ji-an in one of my fav K-dramas, My Mister. The words, ‘thank you,’ never sounded more beautiful to me if you know what kind of a person she is. This gesture is a BIG deal in Ji-an’s world.

I’ve got that Jeong-in’ feeling, y’all! 💯 🎶 Back from summer vacay and ready to go deep divin’ into Jeong, another unique Korean concept. 😎 It’s not easy putting Jeong into words, but I’ll do my best since I believe experiencing Jeong has a tremendous benefit on your mental health. ❤️🙏🏻 Let’s start off with…Hospital Playlist (season 1)! 🤩 And, allow me to get a little personal. 🙏🏻

It’s nearly July and officially summertime…which means ‘hazy, lazy days’ are here! 😂 So, Noona’s Noonchi is going on vacation! 😎 We’ll take a break for a few weeks in honor of BIPOC mental health month. Prioritizing my mental health! 👏 But first, here’s a preview of what’s ahead! ‘Jeong’ (정) is our next theme and there’s so much to share on this, right? 🥰 This is another unique Korean concept and isn’t easy to explain. Jeong is also an emotionally-driven experience. You really get all the feels! Jeong is about inter-relational dynamics that powerfully affect you. ❤️ It changes your life and you carry it with you forever.

Here’s what I call a REAL reply to have healthy boundaries in the family. In Reply 1988, Sun-woo’s mom keeps it REAL and her REPLY to her mother-in-law was REALLY good! 👏. We’ve been talking filial piety the last month which is an attitude of servitude toward your parents/family. But, this can create unhealthy and poor boundaries in a family for sure. A healthy family system depends on creating, maintaining, and having clear boundaries. This takes work and is a constant practice. It can be, at times, emotionally taxing. 🥺 In my next deep dive, I take a close look at how Sun-woo’s mom replies to her mother-in-law, who crosses ALL boundaries, in my opinion. There are times when a dramatic reply like hers definitely needs to happen! This allows for positive and more permanent change in the family system for the sake of your mental health. Thin

It’s super hard to be listening intently to what your parents are saying when they’re angry or upset at you. But, that’s what I’m challenging you to do when you’re in an argument or conflict. Maybe you’re having the same argument on repeat?! 🥺 So you tune out what your parents are saying because it sounds like the same thing. Plus it stinks to be shouted to or snapped at! 😣 From my experience, there’s a hidden message in their heated words. They’re upset about something you’re doing or have done, but WHY are they? Perhaps your parents don’t give you a chance to explain in the heat of conflict, but you certainly can! I talk more about what this looks like in the next deep dive episode called “Beauty Talk.” True Beauty truly has some beautiful examples of filial piety. 🤗.

Ever have those crash landing conversations with your family? You know, the ones that get heated because you’re talking about what you want to do in life versus what your parents or family want to see you do?! 😳 It certainly can end up like a crash landing when you and your parents don’t see eye to eye on your work or career, your relationships, parenting, etc. That can lead to feeling anxious, depressed, or even hopeless when you feel they just don’t get your hopes and dreams. 😫 How can we navigate those crashing conversations with our family members? That’s the million dollar question since it’s not one and done. 🥺😂 The key is understanding where your family’s coming from especially since you need them to understand where you’re coming from. 🙏🏻 Check out my latest deep dive on Crash Landing On You! It’s another look at filial piety from a different angle. 🤔 Noona’s Noonchi deep dives air on Wednesdays at 6 pm EDT! 🤗

Of course, there has to be a deep dive on Boys Over Flowers 💐!! This K-Drama is a CLASSIC! 🙌 Or, in this case, perhaps also called “Filial Piety Over Flowers?” 🥺 This popular K-Drama; for most folks their first gateway into K-Dramas, shows us what I think is a classic example of filial piety! Specifically in love and marriage which plays such a key role in filial piety. Who you marry isn’t necessarily about who you love, according to the “rules” of filial piety. The main questions that need to be answered are: How does your relationship benefit the family? What are your parents’ wishes for your marriage? Having personally experienced what Lee Min-ho’s character, Gu Jun-pyo goes through in his relationship with Geum Jan-di, the obligation in pleasing your parents when it comes to marriage, can be distressful. Check out Noona’s Noonchi Deep Dive Episode 23 on filial piety – TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 1 – on YouTube at 6 pm EDT! 😎

It’s HAN-CENZO, ya’ll! The finale that I have been wanting to deep dive from a mental health perspective, but waited a bit for folks to finish watching! 😭 I’m looking at the HAN in Jang Han Seo and how it all comes to a head in the last episode. 😧 There’s sadness and such wistfulness surrounding him in the last several episodes. IMO, Jang Han Seo played by Kwak Dong-yeon showed the most character growth and change that we like to see and can relate to. 🙌. ✨ The Han for Jang Han Seo is his desire for a sense of family. ✨ The HAN-Cenzo finale is how we will wrap up the month of deep dives on the emotional concept of Han. We’ll begin exploring next week, Filial Piety (Hyo in Korean)! 👏

There is such HAN in HAN JI-PYEONG! 💪 I couldn’t wait to explore the Han in one of my absolute favorite K-Drama characters to date! 😍 I mean, Han Ji-pyeong “HYP” radiates Han from the beginning to the end! 🔥. It’s his Han journey that really had us emotionally engaged and invested in his character especially in episodes 9, 12, and 16. Remember his heartbreaking scene with Halmuni in the final episode ? That’s where we see his Han coming to a head. 🤨 The Han in Han Ji-pyeong is about healing and forgiveness. 🙏. How can you show yourself self-compassion as our HYP did to finally heal?

Han has many emotional layers. It’s multi-dimensional which means you can indeed experience happiness, peace and joy in Han. 🤗. Imagine it like an onion, peeling away the layers can bring tears but those tears come naturally. You cannot help it because it’s part of the peeling process. This episode features the fabulous K-Drama writer for Forbes, Joan Vos MacDonald! 👏. Listen to what she has to say about one of her fav K-Dramas……yes, you guessed it, “My Mister!” 😭 How can you choose to find happiness in Han? 🧐

Oh my, is right. Here in the U.S., one of the most stressful parts of high school is preparing for college. But, it’s a defining factor in Asian culture. In Korea, where you go to college is what can make or break your trajectory in life. 🥺 Hence, (TW) the reason behind many student suicides. That’s why my heart goes out to Deok-sun in episode 15. Imagine hearing your school counselor or teacher tell your parent that it’s going to be hard for you to attend a 4-year college or university due to your poor grades. 😱. This. Is. A. Student’s. Nightmare. 😮 We all know the academic pressures in Asian culture take its toll on one’s mental health. I know that it did mine. Join me in this episode as I share what I have told families in navigating college stress to ensure student success. 🙌 🙏

Oh my, is right. Here in the U.S., one of the most stressful parts of high school is preparing for college. But, it’s a defining factor in Asian culture. In Korea, where you go to college is what can make or break your trajectory in life. 🥺 Hence, (TW) the reason behind many student suicides. That’s why my heart goes out to Deok-sun in episode 15. Imagine hearing your school counselor or teacher tell your parent that it’s going to be hard for you to attend a 4-year college or university due to your poor grades. 😱. This. Is. A. Student’s. Nightmare. 😮 We all know the academic pressures in Asian culture take its toll on one’s mental health. I know that it did mine. Join me in this episode as I share what I have told families in navigating college stress to ensure student success. 🙌 🙏

This deep dive episode was hidden away in my archives and for some reason didn’t air when it was supposed to! And, it’s on a favorite topic so I had to show it of course. 🙌 I know I keep harping on Reply 1988, but there’s just so many gems in this K-Drama. My whole framework is rooted in promoting healthy emotionality. This is why I absolutely love how well the Reply 1988 teen crew help Taek with pouring out his feelings during a tough time. 😭 I want to point out how the parents tip-toed around Taek and didn’t mention what he was experiencing for fear of it bothering him or making him feel worse. This is typical in the Asian culture, where it’s about showing face, saving face, avoiding, etc. It’s not healthy. The reality is that children and adolescents – all of us, really – need to feel emotionally safe, especially in the home. We should be able to share about our feelings and thoughts when we want to and need to. Kudos to Taek’s friends for encouraging him to release his true feelings, and in the end, helping him feel better. 👏

A favorite character of mine is Deok-sun in Reply 1998. 🥰 She’s got such “AEGYO” – that charming cuteness she shows through her expressions and mannerisms! Deok-sun’s genuineness makes her a winning character in my book because she’s perfectly flawed, relatable, and demonstrates integrity. In Episode 14, she shows us a wonderful example of leadership as a student in front of all her peers regarding an incident at school. This is the moment where I recalled wishing I had a Deok-sun by my side in high school! 😭 Everyone wants to feel normal and part of the group especially among peers at school. Watch episode 14 and see how Deok-sun normalizes what could’ve been a very stigmatized and traumatic experience for the class president. And based on the culture, perhaps this event could’ve led to the class president being bullied. However, thanks to Deok-sun’s heroic actions, her peer comes out unscarred and even self-assured. Bravo! 👏 How can we be more like Deok-sun to normalize and destigmatize mental health, mental illness and physical health?

I’m so glad that I was encouraged to watch “Dear My Friends.” 🙌 What an underrated K-Drama it is! I cried my way through most of it because it was just so touching. Pulls at your heartstrings, you know? Shout out to @iris.kim7 and @sheena.yap.chan for telling me about the K-Drama in the first place. We come “full circle” in the life cycle whether we want to face it or not, so please watch this K-Drama. It’s good to understand the aging population and have empathy for the elderly. 🧐 As one of the main character says, “We’re born wearing diapers and we die wearing diapers.” 😮.

It’s been an interesting experience watching two K-Dramas (that are currently airing) at the same time. I never do that 😂 so it was super cool to find that two episodes I watched on the same night from two different K-Dramas talked about the same thing – REGRET. I had to talk about regret (and remorse) because it’s what I see the most in folks I with. Having regrets in life based on what you said and did can plague you. It’s what I tend to hear often in families as well. In fact, it’s the most common phrase I tend to hear in therapy: “I really wish I hadn’t…..I keep thinking I should have ……” These are all based on regret which tends to turn into remorse. How can we best deal with regret so we aren’t living with remorse? What have you said or done recently that you are regretting? How are you managing it so it doesn’t dictate your decisions and control your future in a way that is unhealthy? Ponder these questions as you watch this latest episode. 🧐

This episode is dedicated to our caregivers out there! Caregiving is hard and there’s a lot of stress in being a caregiver. It’s a big part of Asian culture due to things like filial piety and collective identity. Caregivers can carry such burden and get overwhelmed due to the responsibility they hold. Caregivers, please show yourself self-compassion! How can you make self-care your top priority?

Kids (aka students), it’s your turn to study your parent (s) because it goes both ways right? You want them to understand you, so you need to learn about who they are. 🧐 It’s all about enriching conversations in the family for greater connection and cohesion. Sure, you may think your parents “don’t get it” or are “aren’t on the same page” as you, but knowing more about them could help you better navigate family conflict and strife so you can feel heard and validated. 🙏 How well do you know your parents on a scale of 1 to 10? 10 = “Know them like the back of my hand!” 1 = “No clue who they are.”

Parents, hear me out. It’s important to “study” your kids to understand what makes them tick and what floats their boat so you can connect with them. Reason being, the more connected they feel with you, the more you’ll get them to listen to what you want or need them to do. 😂. Check out this sequence in Reply 1988 to understand why it’s good, parents, for you to be a “student of your student.” How well have you been studying your kids to understand them better? 🤓

Happy Women’s History Month and upcoming International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8! This year’s IWD theme is “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” To honor the meaning behind IWD which is all about showcasing women’s achievements in society and contributions around the world, I’d like to celebrate the women leaders AKA “girl bosses” we have seen in some 2020 K-Dramas! 😎 I think it’s a big deal that we’ve gotten to see some examples of strong female characters the last year in #kdramas considering the norms of Asian culture, don’t you? I know there are many great female characters that exude leadership and strength, but I focused on my favs of 2020! Who’s your favorite K-Drama “girl boss?” Please comment below! 🙌

As I see it, through our love of #kdramas (and #kpop), there’s a powerful intersectionality between Asian and Black culture. 😎 Now more than ever we need to stand in solidarity! This episode is just a snippet showing Asian and Black cultural relatability to honor Black History Month. I highlight three fabulous black women I very much admire! 🥰 Asian and Black solidarity should be displayed always. 🙌. As a solution-focused therapist, I am calling you forward in focusing on the similarities of our experiences, not the differences. I’m calling you forward in celebrating our commonalities because there are many. I’m calling you forward in discovering your impact on how you can stand in solidarity today. 👊

It would be so much easier if we could see what went on “behind the scenes” in our families like we do in K-Dramas. This would be especially helpful for kids (young and older) to see what their parents are experiencing behind their backs. Do they really mean the harsh things they tell us? If only, we could see what they really mean to say. Parents traditionally feel the need to “show face” in front of their kids by appearing stoic and silent because they don’t want to express what they’re feeling. It”s time to unlearn this type of behavior for the sake of anxiety in the family.

What’s love ~ got to do ~ got to do with it? (Channeling Tina Turner here) Love has a lot to do with K-drama storylines and themes. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I bring in some fav girlfriends to chat about how they view love in K-dramas and what about it keeps them watching. How do you think love is shown in K-dramas? Please do share your Lunar New Year hopes and wishes surrounding love! Happy Lunar New Year! Interviews with Maggie Chui, Co-Founder & COO of Asian Hustle Network and Sandra Vu Le, Esq. Career & Communications Coach, Co-Host “Raising Asian Teens” Podcast.

February is heart health month and what better way to take care of your heart than taking care of significant other (your partner, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, co-parent, etc). Your significant other has your heart so it’s important to cultivate healthy interactions for the sake of your physical and mental wellbeing. This is why I’m highlighting my favorite #kdrama love stories in the last 10 years. Watching together is a great way to enhance your couple relationship improving intimacy and connection which leads to better communication overall. Leave a comment on how #kdramas have benefited your love life.

What’s your reason for being? What is your why? Being able to recognize meaning and purpose in your life motivates you to get out of bed when the going gets tough. This all ties directly into your mental health. Research shows that being able to identify meaning and purpose in your life decreases symptoms of anxiety and depression. Check out this episode on how this is portrayed in StartUp.

The title here is not to reference that we’re frustrated, but to emphasize the importance of expressing and claiming grief when you need to. In this case, losing someone you love is extremely heartbreaking and hard to explain in words. For those of you who know someone grieving, it’s challenging and can be uncomfortable because you’re unsure of what to say. Check out this episode as a good example of how to help someone work through her grief.

Your identity is a complex psychological attachment, rooted in your values, experiences, and beliefs. Mindful identity is about understanding that you’re the expert of your life. How are you being the expert of your life for the sake of your emotional, social, and psychological wellbeing?

A big stressor among Asians is the pressure to be “perfect” and successful. That is, make the parents proud that they’ll show us off and tell everyone about what their kids are accomplishing. However, this puts a tremendous strain on our mental health feeling like we have to constantly live up to expectations. It also takes away from the parent-child relationship where the core need is to connect. Episode 10 Clip: “I don’t want to be your pride and joy and I don’t want you to be my pride and joy. Let’s just be father and son. Episode 2 interview clip with UNC Chapel Hill sophomore John Shin.

How do love loneliness and love affect your mental health? What’s the key to happiness? Love directly correlates to your mental health which is why we get so hooked watching the love triangles in K-Dramas! It all has to do with your brain chemistry and how we interrelate.