Weird of the Week: Viki TV's Korean Series are Trending among Friends and Key Creatives

Plus: K-Pop stars dominated Paris Fashion Week Menswear; Quirky finds at LA's Korean Shop H Mart; That time I was first to shoot PARASITE director & cast popping up in LA before it was a thing + Shhhh

Happy Lunar New Year and Year of the Rabbit to my friends who celebrate. Welcome to series Weird of the Week, which covers a broad range of topics that are dominating my thoughts, from pop culture to fashion, to upcoming food and news¹. I have a bevy of stories below.

Since last summer, I’m finding that my early adopter friends can’t get enough of Asian streaming service Viki. I’ll share why K-Pop members were just front and center during Paris Fashion Week and will show you my favorite kitsch finds from Korean Market H Mart. I also heard a rumor I wanted to share about Netflix’s Squid Games Reality Series I’ll save for the end. As an aside, I just ordered a box load of Momofuku groceries that I’m trying this week. Past Los Angeles Parasite screenings influenced my new appreciation for Korean cinema and I’ll show you the private video I shot when the director and cast pulled up unexpectedly before a screening.

For the friends who get me, please consider sharing a story on social that personally resonates with you from the past, present or future. Thanks again to all free and paid subscribers for your support.

People are talking about VIKI and I’m leaning in.

First, the fact that Korean pop culture is making waves isn’t weird, it’s that it’s all converging for me personally, at the moment. Last summer, I had lunch with a good friend who’s a scripted TV executive and always ahead of the curve because she’s a naturally curious consumer with stellar instincts. We were at a Korean restaurant in Burbank and I was surprised when she and the owners caught up on Korean TV series, in passing, but with clear expertise. She broke down her obsession with Asian streaming service VIKI and Korean content. At another get together, she and Korean friends did an even deeper dive, suggesting a list of shows to everyone around the table. Yes, I took notes!

Their lists included: Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Lovestruck in the City, The Sound of Magic, Alchemy of Souls and Why Her. See another friend’s obsession, below.

For $5.99 or $9.99 for a PassPlus, you can dive right in.

Just last week, a best selling author and former co-worker was recommending A Taxi Driver on Facebook — and it looks compelling. The series stars Parasite actor Song Kang-ho (driving, again) and I loved the trailer, below. My friend is already anxious for season two. He’s written, hmmm, [I know the number but for confidentiality, let’s say] over three feet of books, so I trust his story sense.

K-POP is fronting for megabrands.

As a street fashion photographer, I still love to catch all the shows and surfed many of the big designers’ Paris Fashion Week menswear shows - and K-Pop stars caused frenzies as front row faces, even outdoing Westerners. Business of Fashion has a great overview of which band members fronted for the megabrands, such as Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton. In Korea, influencers are referred to as KOL’s - Key Opinion Leaders. As South Korea and China are largely credited for driving the highest volume of luxury sales, the PR generated by Korean KOL’s can trump the most influential global celebrities. If you want to shut traffic down, enlist any of the BLACKPINK singers.

BLACKPINK

Who else loved Parasite?

My appreciation for Korean cinema sparked when I went to not one, not two, but three screenings of Parasite as well as the Q&A sessions for each, at LA’s Landmark Theater a few years ago (on different days, btw). I was searching for a quirky or inspired film, ideally with a Q&A. The movie reinforced that, whether as a past Programming Executive — or current Executive Producer, Documentarian and Street Photographer — I’ve been a fortunate and credible storyteller in this media microcosm for over two decades.

To take it a step further, I see a story in everything and feel a sense of duty to share these short stories I capture on the daily. I’ve talked about how I process the barrage of information and imagery I ingest, and it can be a blessing and a curse. My head is on a swivel and my eyes are constantly darting, scanning for stories and pattern recognition as I continually reshuffle data among mental folders. An agility for detail has been a calling card, so maybe it’s a superpower of sorts.

By the time the third screening rolled around, I was such a fangirl that I got there early and hung outside for a minute. Guess who I spotted!?

Director Bong Joon-ho and key cast members had just been dropped off for the screening! I happened to get them all on camera for only a few seconds. The director seemed very humble and bemused by fan reactions. His translators we all got attached to during awards season were there, too.

Here’s the micro moment on VIDEO, sans audio. To note: I geeked out and spoke gibberish to Bong Joon-ho when I realized he was already out of the car and right behind me the entire time, so I deleted my audio, but he did say hi! Woop. For the record, I don’t think I’ve ever asked for a selfie and doubt I ever will.

Here are a few screen shots:

Actress Park So-dam and camp step out to settle in for the Parasite Q&A.

Actor Song Kang-ho gives a friendly wave.

I was wondering where Bong Joon-ho was hiding and realized - he was right behind me the entire time!

His next movie, Sci-Fi Mickey 17 was just announced to be premiering on March 29, 2024! The story is still under wraps, but actor Robert Pattinson is said to be playing a pair of clones.

I found these quirky things at H Mart, a Korean shopping staple in LA.

I love H Mart and have a deep appreciation for Asian markets, having grown up with a Japanese mother who had a hard time finding her comfort foods. She is gone now, but I still look for things I think she’d be happy to see (mochi balls, bean cakes and specific crackers). She would’ve thought this market was Christmas day.

I loved the rows of infinite ramen, pouched coffees, and even — a unicorn that poops candy. Yes, you read that correctly, but it’s a video, parked here on Canva, since I can’t embed. Speaking of K-Pop, the band BTS package below was the first thing that stood out.

Any H Mart has rows upon rows of ramen.

This cool man coffee pack did not disappoint.

I had made a quick IG story at the time, saying I’d be back to blogging, but it took an extra year to finally start my substack. One foot forward, right?

Isabel Marant Went Lunar.

Not one to end on unicorn doo, I’ll add that designer Isabel Marant has launched a Lunar Collection. This week, the designer will announce a rebranding. They just showed their MARANT Men’s Collection at Paris Fashion Week and I am loving their campaign’s gritty lookbook.

Isabel Marant's Lunar Year Collection

Netflix’s Squid Games Reality Series

Netflix announced their upcoming Squid Games competition reality series with 456 contestants vying for $4.56 million dollars and ended their casting call for Season One. A source had told me last year that the show would be shooting this month, January 2023. Is it true? Let the games begin!

Coming up: Louis Vuitton, Nailing It, The Rise of the Robots and Home Hacks.

1. While this article was fun to write, last night’s mass murders at a California dance studio during a Lunar New Year celebration have had me in tears all day. My thoughts are with their families, friends and communities.