Archive - Excited Mark!

Where I Find the Time for All This

False starts, slow going and long pauses are all part of a media diet too. Here's how I find what it is I want to finish.

Jan 13 •

Esther Bergdahl

November 2024

Your Intrepid Blogger Has Been Reverse Isekai'ed

Thank you for your patience! System updates downloading...

Nov 11, 2024 •

Esther Bergdahl

September 2024

August 2024

How to Write a Kdrama Romantic Comedy

It's easy to spot the formulas. As I discovered, it's much, much harder to actually put them to work. (Here's how.)

Aug 26, 2024 •

Esther Bergdahl

The Son of Heaven at Central High School

In 1989, a groundbreaking exhibit of imperial Chinese artifacts came to Columbus, Ohio. It was supposed to tour the nation. Then Tiananmen Square…

Aug 19, 2024 •

Esther Bergdahl

Rowdy Women in Fancy Dress

Period dramas in China and South Korea come preinstalled with rigid social hierarchies. No wonder we love to see misfits who break them down.

Aug 12, 2024 •

Esther Bergdahl

Horror Beyond the Margins: What Kdramas Keep in Rural Spaces

More than half of South Koreans live in the Seoul metropolitan area; more than 80 percent live in cities. What's left is ripe for the unknown.

Aug 5, 2024 •

Esther Bergdahl

July 2024

June 2024

Why We Love to Finish Bad Shows

This isn't about hate-watching. This is about scratching a primal unvoiced itch.

Jun 24, 2024 •

Esther Bergdahl

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