In progress

The Law Cafe

(법대로 사랑하라) 2022 KBS2/VIU

Kim Yoo-Ri (Lee Se-Young) works for a large law firm until one day she quits to open a cafe that offers legal advice. Kim Jung-Ho (Lee Seung-Gi) used to be a prosecutor, but broke ties with his family and quit practicing law. He owns the building where the Law Cafe is run, and secretly does battle with large corporations. They've known each other for 17 years, and there's a clear history of unrequited love. An ex-con barista, an enthusiastic waiter, and the neighborhood aunties round out the crew.

K-Drama Bingo Score

Using the Modern K-Drama set

Running commentary

Perfect premise for a workplace/mystery/corruption/romance K-drama. A law office/café, old friends who aren't always what they seem, and a band of misfits. What's not to love? And Lee Se-Young with those big ol' Winona Ryder eyes is pretty easy to look at.

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Vehicular tragedy
(2 pt)
Notes
Someone is/was hit by a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle
S01E10
Kim Yu-Ri is run over in the road
Bullying
(1 pt)
Notes
Be Best, Korea
S01E06
A young client is brutally bullied by schoolmates
Cartoony FX
(1 pt)
Notes
Animal or cartoon visual and sound effects to reinforce behavior or mood
S01E02
Cartoon mimicking the characters on screen
Korean Standoff
(1 pt)
Notes
Two principal characters have a serious, sometimes emotionally confrontational, conversation while standing at least 1m apart

S01E09
A middle-of-the-road standoff leads to a car accident
Memorial service
(1 pt)
Notes
Funerals and memorial services
S01E06
Yoo-Ri visits her father's memorial…tree?
Piggyback
(1 pt)
Notes
Someone gives someone else a piggyback ride
S01E03
Flashback to their youth
Shamans & Talismans
(1 pt)
Notes
Yellow paper talismans, written in calligraphic red ink; visits to a shaman for fortune-telling or body transfers

S01E09
A charlatan shaman, and a talisman
The Playground
(1 pt)
Notes
Any scene taking place in a neighborhood playground
Wrist grab
(1 pt)
Notes
Dramatically grabbing someone by the wrist as they walk away
내 친구 ("My friend…")
(1 pt)
Notes
A character tells a story about "My friend" that is actually about themselves
S01E05
Yoo-Ri asks for advice about a friend of a friend…

Unmatched Bingo Spaces

(Dis)possession
Ghosts, spirits inhabiting bodies, or body- or identity-swapping
Childhood friends forgotten
Characters knew, or at least encountered, each other in childhood, but somehow forgot
Chicken & Beer
치맥, anyone?
Cramped quarters
Sleeping in a repurposed closet, or on a balcony, or in insane tiny student housing
Crushing Debt
Characters are motivated by their debt (or a family member's), including the threat of foreclosure
Finger hearts
Any use of finger hearts by a character
Middle-of-the-Road Soliliquy
Verbal musings on deep existential questions and/or tragicomic situations while in the middle of the street
Pinky swear
Two characters doing a pinky swear

Touching thumbs at the end is not a thing in America (based on my terrible polling), so that gets an easy bonus point for any wannabe K-drama.
Rumble tummy
Audible stomach rumbling to indicate hunger
Son Hyeung Min
Mentions of Son Hyeung Min, or staying up to watch Tottenham Hotspur play
Thumbs up
Two thumbs up for "Good job!"
강한나 (Kang Han-Na)
The presence of Kang Han-Na makes everything at least 1 point better
한국어학교 (Language lessons)
Specifically linguistic wordplay, discussions about spelling, pronunciation, or Chinese root words