Five accomplished ladies from different backgrounds, who now call themselves Seoul Sisters, have struck up a friendship, thanks to their shared bond over K-dramas. They were, in fact, all set to fly to Korea last May until COVID-19 got in the way.
By Alex Y. Vergara
What was supposed to be an intimate afternoon birthday party soon turned into a bonding moment for these five accomplished women, thanks to Hyun Bin and company.
And had not the coronavirus pandemic spoiled their plans, the Seoul Sisters MNL, as they now call themselves, would have gone on a tour of South Korea to learn more about its culture, including visits to several iconic locations where a number of K-drama (that’s Korean drama for the uninitiated) series and movies have been shot.
Although they’ve known each other for years, they were unaware of each other’s passion for K-dramas until sometime last year. That shared passion and interest for the genre cemented their friendship, perhaps a lifelong one as long as South Korea continues to churn out engaging productions both on the big and small screens.
As Millet Mananquil, lifestyle editor of The Philippine Star, tells it, their friendship started when Monique Toda of Raffles and Fairmont hotels in Makati hosted a birthday party for the veteran journalist.
“The birthday party’s theme, which revolved around K-drama, wasn’t a secret since we’ve talked about it beforehand,” says Monique. “What Millet didn’t know were the details we put together in keeping with the theme.”
When Millet, who started going crazy for K-drama when she discovered it only last year, arrived at the venue, two life-size standees of Lee Min Ho and Ji Chang Wok greeted her. The surprises didn’t end there, as one of Millet’s friends gifted her with three cakes featuring the faces of three of her favorite Korean actors: Lee Min Ho, Ji Chang Wok and Gong Yoo.
As an added visual treat, Monique had the hotel’s technical department install two huge video screens at the venue, which played a continuous loop of choice scenes from a number of hit K-drama series.
“Tina (Cuevas) and Fe (Rodriguez) were also at the party,” Millet shares. “Because of our love for K-drama, we all just bonded naturally talking about the shows and our favorite actors and actresses.”
“When I learned that Tina was also so into it, we both broke down in laughter,” adds Monique.
Before long, they started going out to lunch together discussing anything and everything K-drama. What would soon become a regular activity had its start at, where else, Korean Garden, a popular Korean restaurant along Jupiter Street in Makati.
Crickette Tantoco, who wasn’t at Millet’s birthday party, joined them there. The Seoul Sisters, all five of them, were now complete.
“Imagine how excited we were when the waitress told us that Lee Min Ho once dined there years ago with Ben Chan and friends,” says Millet.
The group also saw a portrait of a Korean woman in the same restaurant, which one of them declared on an Instagram post, albeit as a joke, is Lee Min Ho’s grandmother.
Having been avid fans of K-drama much longer than the others, Crickette, who also goes out of her way to watch certain K-pop concerts, and Monique have become the group’s acknowledged “mentors.” But Monique attests that, by now, everyone in the sisterhood has become an expert on K-drama.
“There are fans out there who have been hooked on K-dramas for 10 years, even more,” says Monique. “Actually, we’re kind of late already. But since we’re so attached to the genre, we’re very thorough. We watch everything.”
When Monchet Olives, whose family makes fans, learned about the sisterhood, he each gave the five women a classic Spanish fan. Designed by the Raffles Hotel’s art department, the pink keepsakes all had the words “Seoul Sisters MNL” emblazoned on them.
Seoul Sisters, by the way, is also the name of their WhatsApp group. There isn’t a day that passes, says Monique, without them discussing the merits and demerits of certain shows. They also keep each other abreast with upcoming productions and the latest buzz on certain Korean performers.
Both Monique and Crickette have been Lee Min Ho “fanatics” ever since. But it doesn’t mean that they don’t like Hyun Bin, the K-drama world’s current flavor of the season, thanks to the global success of Crash Landing on You.
“We’re mature enough naman not to hate one actor because we like another,” she says. “I’ve known Hyun Bin since I saw him in Memories of the Alhambra. He may be a heartthrob, but he’s also a serious actor. Crickette has known Hyun Bin much longer. Since his Secret Garden days pa. Tina is really a Hyun Bin and Jung Hae-In fan.”
After freeing their schedules and settling on certain dates, their planned five-day trip to Korea will have to wait. These days, the Seoul Sisters are busy binge watching It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and Backstage Rookie, starring Kim Soo-Hyun and Ji Chang Wok, respectively.
“I’m hoping that the trip would push through sometime next year,” Monique concludes. “We all come from different backgrounds, but we have found a commonality through K-dramas. They give us so much joy. We really have to be there!”
