An aimless Korean American high school dropout is recruited to join the roster of a Koreatown, Los Angeles karaoke bar where male escorts give clients the “boyfriend experience.”
Thomas, an aimless high school dropout, passes the time working at a corner store in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Most of his friends, along with his longtime crush, Chloe, are off to college in a few weeks. They celebrate this rite of passage at a local nightclub. That evening, Steven, the owner and manager of the karaoke-cum-host bar, Oppa, scouts Thomas and recruits him to be a host (aka male escort) trainee. Thomas is instantly taken by Steven’s fatherly demeanor. He’s the dad that Thomas has always wished for - a role model who’s successful, caring, and validating. At Oppa, Thomas gets a taste of the high life - new clothes, kicks, even a new crash pad. He no longer has to share a bedroom with his diabetic grandma, Halmuni, and can finally escape his abusive dad, Ahpaa. However, Thomas makes sure to visit Halmuni regularly and pay for her rising medical costs. Steven further lures Thomas into hosting with the money, attention, and power that D-MONEY, the star host, wields. To what extent will Thomas go to achieve the success that has long escaped his father? Oppa is a series that explores a hidden world in our own backyard: host bars in Koreatown, Los Angeles where women clientele rent “hosts” aka male escorts for customized boyfriend experiences. The hosts and clients search for love in all the wrong places, from people who will never be able to give them the love they seek. The ultimate solution is to accept themselves. To love themselves. Few at Oppa learn how to do this.
Producer - Jordyn Barber
