Daebak K-Rambles

On Episode 107 of the Daebak K-Rambles Podcast, Jess and guest and listener Yarrow unpack the genre-blending Chicago Typewriter, starring Yoo Ah-in, Lim Soo-jung, and Ko Kyung-pyo.

Jess and Yarrow talk through this 2017 drama that blends ghost story, past-life romance, and Japanese-occupation resistance narrative into one ambitious package. The duo discuss an uneven viewing experience, a surprisingly surface-level engagement with its historical backdrop, Yoo Ah-in’s phenomenal acting and unfortunate scandal that led to his cancellation, its reliance on familiar tropes—fated love, clear-cut morality, and cyclical character flaws.

Highlights include: Sapsari shaggy dogs, iconic 30-pound typewriters, gangster Tommy guns, passionate 1930s street kisses, plagiarism, love, betrayal, and so much more!