How did a small, 130-year-old playing card company from Kyoto become the most beloved and innovative video game empire on the planet? This is the secret history of Nintendo.

In this "Reference Desk" episode, we're telling the incredible story of a company that has consistently chosen creativity over conformity. We'll explore its humble beginnings, the visionary leadership of Gunpei Yokoi and his philosophy of "Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology," the genius of Shigeru Miyamoto in creating characters like Mario and Zelda, and how Nintendo's uniquely Japanese approach to fun has shaped the childhoods of billions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE:

• What did Nintendo do before video games?
• Who created Mario and The Legend of Zelda?
• What is Nintendo's design philosophy?
• How did Nintendo save the video game industry in the 1980s?
• Why is Nintendo so different from Sony and Microsoft?

A MINI-GLOSSARY FOR THIS EPISODE:

• Hanafuda (花札): "Flower cards," the traditional Japanese playing cards that Nintendo was founded to produce.
• Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology: Nintendo's core design philosophy of using cheap, readily available technology in new and creative ways.
• Famicom / NES: The Nintendo Entertainment System, the console that revived the video game industry.

CROSS-PROMOTION:

► Love Japanese pop culture? Check out our YouTube video essay on how Anime conquered the world. It’s the perfect companion to this episode

Thanks for joining East of Everywhere! If this episode made you think, the best way to support us is by sharing it with a friend and leaving a 5-star rating on your podcast app.

✉️ Join Boy Meets Inbox

🐦 Follow us: @BoyMeetsEast on X • Instagram • TikTok

📺 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BoyMeetsEast

🔄 Your Boy's other adventures:

• Required Watching – deep dives into must-see films for filmmakers.

• Emerging – real-time screenwriting insights from rising writers.

Until next time, keep exploring—and keep learning!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are there two Koreas? Why does the border between North and South—the DMZ—remain one of the most tense places on Earth? The answer lies in a brutal, complicated, and often misunderstood conflict: The Korean War.

In this "Reference Desk" episode, we're unpacking the history of the "Forgotten War." We'll explore how a line drawn on a map by foreign powers in 1945 led to a devastating conflict that tore a nation apart and created millions of separated families. We'll discuss the war's major phases, the armistice that wasn't a peace treaty, and how the echoes of this unfinished story shape everything in modern South Korea—from its mandatory military service to the heartbreaking themes in your favorite K-Dramas.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE:

• What started the Korean War?
• Why did the US get involved in the Korean War?
• Why are North and South Korea separate countries?
• Is the Korean War technically still ongoing?
• How does the Korean War affect K-Dramas and Korean movies?

A MINI-GLOSSARY FOR THIS EPISODE:

• 38th Parallel: The line of latitude that was used to divide Korea into American and Soviet zones of occupation after WWII.
• DMZ (Demilitarized Zone): The heavily fortified buffer zone between North and South Korea.
• Armistice: A formal agreement to stop fighting; a truce. It is not a peace treaty.

► To see how the themes of division and longing for reunification show up in modern media, watch my video breakdown of the K-Drama Crash Landing on You on the main YouTube channel

Thanks for joining East of Everywhere! If this episode made you think, the best way to support us is by sharing it with a friend and leaving a 5-star rating on your podcast app.

✉️ Join Boy Meets Inbox

🐦 Follow us: @BoyMeetsEast on X • Instagram • TikTok

📺 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BoyMeetsEast

🔄 Your Boy's other adventures:

• Required Watching – deep dives into must-see films for filmmakers.

• Emerging – real-time screenwriting insights from rising writers.

Until next time, keep exploring—and keep learning!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SPOILER WARNING: This episode contains a full, in-depth analysis of the entire plot of Park Chan-wook's 2003 masterpiece, Oldboy. If you have not seen the film, watch it first and then come back.

In this session of the BME Film Club, we are dissecting one of the most powerful and disturbing films ever made. Oldboy is more than just a revenge thriller; it's a Greek tragedy in a modern, neon-soaked suit. It's a film that asks profound questions about memory, suffering, and the nature of vengeance itself.

We'll explore the film's incredible visual style, break down the legendary one-take hallway fight scene, and grapple with its shocking, unforgettable ending. This is a deep dive into the mind of Park Chan-wook and the film that kicked open the door for Korean cinema on the world stage.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why is the Oldboy hallway scene so famous?
• What is the meaning of the film's ending?
• Is Oldboy part of a trilogy? (The Vengeance Trilogy)
• How did Oldboy influence other movies?

CROSS-PROMOTION:

► Did you know I analyze film in my flagship video essays? Check out my breakdown of Samurai Duels vs. Hip-Hop Battles on the main YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BoyMeetsEast/videos

Thanks for joining East of Everywhere! If this episode made you think, the best way to support us is by sharing it with a friend and leaving a 5-star rating on your podcast app.

✉️ Join Boy Meets Inbox

🐦 Follow us: @BoyMeetsEast on X • Instagram • TikTok

📺 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BoyMeetsEast

🔄 Your Boy's other adventures:

• Required Watching – deep dives into must-see films for filmmakers.

• Emerging – real-time screenwriting insights from rising writers.

Until next time, keep exploring—and keep learning!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.