[K-drama Treasure Hunt] Tofu after jail time
by Dramaddictally
Welcome to the K-drama treasure hunt, where we all go looking for K-drama treasure in the form of tiny drama details that we know and love. Sometimes these details take the shape of well-worn tropes (oppa Band-Aiding) or storytelling devices (Top Secret Deadly Allergy), but other times it’s just details we know we’ve seen in other dramas, but need help putting all the clues together.
Each month we’ll put you on the hunt for a piece of K-drama treasure, and you can report your findings in the comments.
There’s no umpire in this game, so if you find the detail we’re looking for, drop the drama title (or even better, drama title + episode number) in the comments, and we’ll all take your word for it. Or, we’ll go binge watch just to see it play out.
And remember, we’re here to map our way to the treasures not to the plot twists! We know how exciting it can be to have all the hard-earned details stashed in your head, but let’s try to keep the spoilers out of the comments.
This week’s treasure:
Tofu after jail time.
Your mission:
Track down all those instances where tofu is passed to a person as they’re leaving the joint. Sometimes it’s heartfelt and mushy (like we recently saw in When Life Gives You Tangerines). And sometimes it’s played for laughs, like when the jail stint is no more than a few hours at the police station. In either case, if you know a scene where tofu is received when getting out of a cell, you’ve got yourself a winner.
Thanks @darwi for this treasure hunt idea!
Reference drama:
When Life Gives You Tangerines (Episode 14)
Have an idea for the next treasure hunt? Email your topic to hello @ dramabeans.com!
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Tags: Treasure Hunt
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1 empressgirl
June 12, 2025 at 5:10 AM
My Sweet Mobster!
With a show replete with ex- and current mobsters, tofu is (liberally) served - oft, tongue firmly in cheek.
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2 Jezz
June 12, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Who Are You: School 2015 (ep. 16)
Suspicious Partner (ep. 26) (epilogue)
Chief Kim (ep. 18)
Goodbye Mr. Black (ep. 20)
Angry Mom (ep. 16)
Suits (KBS) (Korean remake) (ep. 10)
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3 DK-Drama 🍉🚑🌎 Space Cadetting and Nest Boxing 🗽🍉
June 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Queen of Tears: FL has been told that ML is her sworn enemy, and is stalking him through binoculars, telling herself that she is just preparing herself for battle. She notices that he doesn't want that pound of tofu he is given, and writes is down, narrowing her eyes, asking why he doesn't like tofu, and that this is something his wife will need to know when she cooks ... Her secretary at her side, rolling her eyes so hard she almost tumbles her whole self.
I feel I did gif it at the time, but I can't find my QofT gifs. But I know I compared her sneaky look with that of Anya from Spy Family , like here: https://imgur.com/a/spy-family-3zPWGrN
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4 technicat
June 13, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I'm not sure, but I seem to remember tofu early in Ruler of Your Own World. And in the movie Sympathy for Mrs. Vengeance.
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5 Britney
June 13, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Her Private Life?
Hero?
I was gonna say Prison Playbook but I don't wanna think hard enough on it to remember. (Aww Loony's end makes cry)
I remember seeing the scenes but I don't remember where I saw them
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6 darwi
June 15, 2025 at 2:50 PM
In the Art of negociation they eat tofu and mention that ML has to eat it even if he didn't really went in prison.
More classical tofu scene are in: Room n°9, Suits (twice), Joseon Attorney: A Morality (yes already in Joseon), My Sweet Mobster, Lovely Runner, Ghost, Taxi Driver 1 & 2, He Is Psychometric (twice), Rookie Cops, Undercover, Your Honor, Mad dog, 38 Task Force, Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938, Sell Your Haunted House, Youth of May, Memorist, Itaewon class, Crash Course in Romance, Love to hate you, Prison playbook, Yumi's Cells, Cheat On Me If You Can, Secret garden, My fellow citizens (twice), Good Manager, Psychopath Diary, The Swindlers, Defendant (twice), Pride and Prejudice, Liar game, Cinderella and the four knights, Vincenzo, Lawless lawyer, The master's sun.
So about 10% of the dramas we have watched. And now I am shocked when someone goes out of prison and does not eat tofu! Yes, I'm thinking of Law school. But the tofu is only present in 38% of the law/police dramas in my list, so it does not seem to be systematic. That's a great cultural point, something that I love to spot (now that Dramabeans has explained it to me).
(my watch of Suspicious partners is anterior to my knowledge of this tradition / trope so I don't know if she eats tofu or not).
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empressgirl
June 15, 2025 at 11:31 PM
*Bow in deference*
You must be that Excel spreadsheet expert!!🤣
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darwi
June 16, 2025 at 10:22 AM
I'm not the poweruser beanie, @kmromrell is
see https://dramabeans.com/2024/02/open-thread-852/#comment-4167140
I just have a compelling urge to count and classify that is way over trope-bingo.
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Kurama
June 16, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Oh thank you! I remembered the scene of Rookie Cop but couldn't connect it to a drama.
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Isa is always time travelling
June 16, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Thanks for sharing it!!
I wish I had started doing something like that since the beginning. It's quite useful!
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7 Saya42
June 15, 2025 at 11:15 PM
The latest episode of Oh my ghost clients (Ep 6). 😄
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8 Edgar Pordwed
June 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
I think I first saw it in Master's Sun, if I remember correctly!
Maybe Secret as well..
Yes Chief Kim had a scene.. I've seen it in so many dramas but can't recall..
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9 Isa is always time travelling
June 30, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Now we have to add Squid Game Season 3 Episode 6 to the list in this Treasure Hunt.
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