What is a Korean sitcom that pokes fun at the North Korean threat, the obsession with learning the English language and spoofs K-drama canon?

It’s “The Sound of Your Heart,” and it’s more ludicrous than it sounds.

Based on the longest-running South Korean webtoon of the same name, “The Sound of Your Heart” tells the story of cashier- turned-artist Cho Seok (Lee Kwang Soo of “High Kick Through the Roof”) and his quirky and hilarious family.

Seok’s ordinary family with an extraordinary knack for getting themselves in sticky situations are the inspiration of the webtoon comics.

Mother (“The Heir”’s Kim Mi-kyung) imposes that they should speak only English in the house, and those who break the rules will pay a fine. His father (Kim Byeong-ok) runs a chicken shop but finds his true calling in playing extra in movies.

The show runs for 30 minutes each episode, and viewers will spend roughly 25 minutes an episode laughing. Ten episodes on Netflix are not enough. The show was viewed over 10 million times six days after it was aired. It even features the original comics by artist Cho Seok.
But “The Sound of Your Heart” is not just funny, it’s also quite critical. The episodes have parodies of K-drama canon like “Reply 1994.” South Koreans are no strangers to the classic encounter between the mom and the son’s girlfriend.

No matter the setting, the line “How dare you go out with my son,” followed by some liquid throwing persists.

“The Sound of Your Heart” also tackles, most hysterically, the plot cliché where the protagonist finds out he is adopted. It also has a weird obsession on pooping—there are a lot of toilet adventures that will leave viewers screaming, and then say a little prayer it never happens in real life.

What’s surprising, however, is that the show drops some major life lessons.

“I may not be good at anything, but the world has changed. All I need is one great skill. That’s how the world works now,” Seok said in the first episode. He was repeatedly called mentally challenged during high school.

Pop culture references are aplenty, although we can’t point out more than half due to our limited K-pop knowledge, but “The Sound of Your Heart” is a treat for all types of viewers of different fandoms. It’s never alienating despite the language barrier. The sound of laughter does not need subtitles anyway.

Super tip

Remember the face mask on the pilot episode? Find the SNP face masks with the comic characters at Watsons in SM Makati.