Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].

Translated by Florence Bois-Villeneuve.

Moonface/왕따 is the debut podcast by James Kim, featuring sound design by Artin Aroutounians. The story follows Paul Moon (voiced by Joel Kim Booster), a first-generation South Korean immigrant raised in Downey, a suburb of Los Angeles, by his single mother, Gina Mi-sook Kim (portrayed by Esther Moon Wu). Paul is openly gay to everyone except his mother, who speaks a language he no longer understands. Moonface/왕따 is a poignant tale of a mother and son striving to find the words to truly understand each other. It also explores Paul’s journey as he navigates his Korean American identity, his dreams, and his complex attachment to Downey, the place he calls home.

Hollywood regular James Kim created this podcast, drawing inspiration from his own life, to broaden the still limited representation of queer, Asian American, and immigrant voices in popular culture. For Kim, the podcast is a platform for sharing stories that often go untold.

For anyone, like myself, who has never ventured into this podcast genre before: I highly recommend it. You’ll be captivated by the compelling story, stellar performances, and flawless sound production. Moonface/왕따 is an intimate auditory experience, bringing to life the sounds of everyday existence—pleasure, sighs, footsteps, wind, and even the tense silences between people. It’s a work best experienced through headphones, immersing you so completely that you might need to remove them occasionally just to reconnect with reality.

Over six episodes—about which I won’t spoil anything—we witness Paul’s inner turmoil as he grapples with coming out to his mother, hindered by a literal language barrier. This is the crux of the podcast: can Paul and his mother truly understand and accept each other without fully revealing themselves? Moonface/왕따 celebrates language as a vehicle for cultural transmission. The audience encounters dialogues peppered with Korean, which often require interpretation, adding to the story’s depth. The conclusion, albeit somewhat clichéd, is heartfelt and moving. Overall, Moonface/왕따 boasts masterful sound design and weaves together themes of social class, race, sexuality, urbanization, and migration. It’s an ideal companion for those long springtime walks ahead.

N.B. The Moonface/왕따 podcast is available exclusively in English/Korean.

Reference

Directed by: James Kim 
Title: Moonface 
Date of publication: October 9, 2019

Available on the following platforms [➦] Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Podtail.