K-Drama School – Ep 80: Worlds Within and Buddhist Lawyer with Teruko Nakajima

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Worlds Within (2008, KBS) written by Noh Hee-kyung, and how the show addresses struggles of female TV directors trying to make it in a male-dominated industry in Korea, and Noh’s meta storytelling on the show by including a writer character, and the upsides and downsides of a tightly-knit community that works more like a dysfunctional family. Grace’s guest is Teruko Nakajima (@terukonakajima on Instagram) who is currently playing in her very moving one-woman solo show “Made in America.” Grace admires Teruko’s mission statement behind the show, which is “a love letter to America,” and how important it is to be mindful of the privilege and abundance that we as Americans live with in this country, where so few of us are ready to write love letters to the nation at this time. Grace also reflects on how her own immigration to this country has impacted her for the better, and lets this lesson sink in deeper as she talks to Teruko about her journey while working on “Made in America.” They discuss mental health and East Asia’s slowness in this regard, sexual abuse and trauma (*trigger warning: they discuss child molestation), the process of writing one’s traumas, compassion in the face of victimhood, as well as finding peace and gratitude in the midst of agonizing chaos. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit kdramachool.com to learn more.