Asian culture, A to Z.
Anime, manga, drama, gastronomy, traditions, personalities. Browse the encyclopedia of Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture.
The Handmaiden
South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook in 2016, an erotic thriller set in 1930s Korea under Japanese occupation. A con man sends a pickpocket to be hired as handmaiden to a wealthy Japanese heiress to seduce her and steal her fortune, but alliances reconfigure in unpredictable ways. Adapted from Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith, the film is praised for its dizzying twists, sumptuous direction, and bold exploration of female desire.
Memories of Murder
South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho in 2003, inspired by the real Hwaseong serial murder case that terrorized rural South Korea in the 1980s. Two detectives with radically opposing methods try to unmask an elusive serial killer in a frustrating and emotionally devastating investigation. Regarded as a masterpiece of crime cinema worldwide, the film launched Bong Joon-ho's international career.
Decision to Leave
South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook in 2022, a romantic neo-noir in which a meticulous detective investigates the suspicious death of a mountaineer and develops an obsession with the deceased's mysterious widow. Winner of the Best Director prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, the film is a Hitchcockian hall of mirrors of dazzling visual elegance, blending police investigation and all-consuming passion. It marks a turning point in Park Chan-wook's filmography toward more restrained and emotionally complex cinema.
Oldboy
Revenge thriller directed by Park Chan-wook in 2003, the second installment of his 'Vengeance Trilogy.' Oh Dae-su is imprisoned for 15 years in a hotel room without explanation, then released to discover the truth behind his confinement. Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, the film is celebrated for its stylized violence, iconic corridor fight scene, and devastating final twist.
All of Us Are Dead
South Korean zombie drama of 12 episodes adapted from Joo Dong-geun's webtoon Now at Our School, released on Netflix in 2022. A virus transforms high school students into zombies, and the survivors must organize to escape the quarantined school. A teen horror thriller that propelled the Korean zombie genre to the top of Netflix's worldwide charts.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
South Korean drama of 16 episodes written by Kwon Do-eun, aired on tvN in 2022. Against the backdrop of the 1998 Asian financial crisis, an 18-year-old fencer and a 22-year-old journalist meet and experience an unforgettable first love. A nostalgic and poetic coming-of-age story celebrating the beauty of first loves and the pain of growing up.
Signal
South Korean crime drama of 16 episodes written by Kim Eun-hee, aired on tvN in 2016. A present-day profiler communicates via an old walkie-talkie with a detective from the past to solve cold cases inspired by real Korean criminal cases. A critically acclaimed time-travel thriller, considered one of the best Asian crime series ever produced.
Move to Heaven
South Korean drama of 10 episodes released on Netflix in 2021. A young autistic man and his uncle, a former convict, take over the family trauma cleaning business and discover the untold stories of the deceased through their personal belongings. A touching and delicate drama exploring grief, memory, and the invisible bonds between the living and the dead.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
South Korean drama of 16 episodes written by Moon Ji-won, aired on ENA/Netflix in 2022. Woo Young-woo, a brilliant autistic attorney passionate about whales, joins a major law firm and confronts prejudice while solving cases with a unique perspective. An unexpected global phenomenon that highlighted neurodiversity in Korean popular culture.
Business Proposal
South Korean drama of 12 episodes adapted from HaeHwa's webtoon, aired on SBS in 2022. An employee goes on a blind date in place of her friend and runs into the CEO of her own company, who decides to marry her to stop the blind dates imposed by his grandfather. A light and refreshing romantic comedy that won over global audiences on Netflix.
Vincenzo
South Korean drama of 20 episodes written by Park Jae-beom, aired on tvN in 2021. An Italian-Korean lawyer, consigliere of the Italian mafia, returns to Seoul to retrieve a hidden treasure beneath a building threatened with demolition by a corrupt conglomerate. A flamboyant legal thriller blending action, dark humor, and anti-heroic justice.
Itaewon Class
South Korean drama of 16 episodes adapted from Gwang Jin's webtoon, aired on JTBC in 2020. A young man fresh out of prison opens a bar-restaurant in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood to take revenge on the food conglomerate responsible for his father's death. A tale of perseverance and social justice carried by Park Seo-joon's charisma.
My Love from the Star
South Korean drama of 21 episodes written by Park Ji-eun, aired on SBS in 2013-2014. An alien arrives on Earth during the Joseon dynasty and lives among humans for 400 years before falling in love with a famous and capricious actress. A cultural phenomenon that triggered the Hallyu wave in China and popularized K-dramas across Asia.
Hospital Playlist
South Korean medical drama of 2 seasons (24 episodes) created by the duo Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung, aired on tvN in 2020-2021. Five doctors who have been friends since medical school reunite at the same hospital and form an amateur band. A warm drama celebrating adult friendship, medical vocation, and the small joys of daily life.
Reply 1988
South Korean drama of 20 episodes from the Reply series, written by Lee Woo-jung and aired on tvN in 2015-2016. In the Ssangmun-dong neighborhood of Seoul in 1988, five neighboring families share their daily lives during a time of great change in South Korea. Considered one of the greatest K-dramas of all time, celebrated for its warm nostalgia and deeply human characters.
Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
South Korean fantasy drama of 16 episodes written by Kim Eun-sook, aired on tvN in 2016-2017. An immortal warrior from the Goryeo dynasty searches for a human bride who can remove the invisible sword lodged in his chest to end his eternal life. A masterpiece of Korean fantasy, celebrated for its cinematic aesthetics and poetic dialogue.
Crash Landing on You
South Korean drama of 16 episodes written by Park Ji-eun, aired on tvN in 2019-2020. A South Korean heiress accidentally lands in North Korea during a paragliding accident and falls in love with a North Korean officer. An iconic romance that broke audience records in Korea and became a worldwide phenomenon on Netflix.
Tower of God
Manhwa (Korean webtoon) by SIU (Slave In Utero), published on Naver Webtoon since 2010. Twenty-Fifth Bam, a boy who has lived his entire life in a cave beneath the Tower, enters it to find his friend Rachel. Each floor presents different trials in a world of immense political and narrative complexity. One of the most popular and longest-running webtoons in the world.
Solo Leveling
Manhwa (Korean comic) illustrated by Dubu (Jang Sung-rak), adapted from Chugong's web novel, published from 2018 to 2021 on KakaoPage. Sung Jinwoo, ranked as the weakest E-rank hunter, gains a unique 'System' allowing him to level up indefinitely in a world where dimensional gates release monsters. A global phenomenon of the fantasy/action genre that popularized manhwa internationally.
Parasite
South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho in 2019, exploring class inequality through the infiltration of a poor family into the household of a wealthy Seoul family. The first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, it also earned the Palme d'Or at Cannes and three additional Oscars. Hailed as a landmark work of 21st-century cinema, this dark comedy turned thriller grossed over $263 million at the worldwide box office.
Seoul
Capital of South Korea and megalopolis of over 10 million inhabitants (25 million in the metropolitan area), Seoul is the birthplace and driving force of the hallyu wave (K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty, Korean cinema). A striking blend of Joseon dynasty royal palaces, Buddhist temples, and ultra-modern districts like Gangnam, the city is a global center for technology, fashion, and entertainment. Seoul has undergone a spectacular transformation since the Korean War, going from ruins to one of the most dynamic and connected metropolises in the world.
Bong Joon-ho
South Korean director and screenwriter born in 1969, creator of Parasite (2019), the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. His work is distinguished by a unique genre-blending approach (dark comedy, thriller, sci-fi, horror) and a sharp social critique of class inequality. His filmography also includes Memories of Murder, The Host, Snowpiercer, and Okja, each film demonstrating his mastery of tonal shifts and ability to merge popular entertainment with profound reflection.
Chuseok
Major Korean harvest festival celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, usually in September or October. Often compared to American Thanksgiving, Chuseok is one of Korea's two main holidays (alongside Seollal). Families gather to honor ancestors during the charye ritual, share songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes), and visit family graves. It is a three-day national holiday when all of Korea mobilizes for family reunions.
Kimchi
Korean national dish of fermented and spiced vegetables, primarily napa cabbage (baechu) seasoned with gochugaru (red pepper flakes), garlic, ginger, green onions, and jeotgal (fermented seafood condiment). Listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, kimchi is present at every Korean meal and comes in over 200 varieties. The fermentation process, called kimjang, is a traditional communal event in Korea.