K-Drama recommendations

[boatyardblues]

A K-drama thread was suggested on the Netflix subtitled gems thread so we can discuss in more depth without swamping the other thread. There are a lot of Korean films & boxsets on Netflix and I’m discovering the quality is variable, so I thought this would be a goid place to swap recommendations (and ‘avoids’). So far, I have hugely enjoyed:

• Something in the Rain
• Mr Sunshine (new episodes still dropping weekly)
• Live

Would also love to hear how closely these dramas represent real life in Korea from anyone who has lived there. Its fascinating learning about another culture.

Oooh just found this! (Have been away)

On Netflix I am also currently enjoying Mr Sunshine and am saving up Life to watch later.
Live was ok but I skipped to the end and not sure I missed much.

I really enjoyed:
Stranger - Law & Police thriller
Healer - Spy-type mystery thriller
Black - Police thriller with grim reapers

Rather enjoyed:
Oh My Venus - Romantic comedy about losing weight
Saimdang - Historical drama

Didn't enjoy:
Nine Times Time Travel - didn't believe in the leads
A Korean odyssey - annoying fantasy

On Amazon Prime The Last Train to Busan (zombies) was v good but they have nowhere near the selection that Netflix does.

Two websites I have come across are www.dramabeans.com which gives handy recaps of episodes, and fills in the things you might miss, and www.viki.com which is a free streaming site although it has commercials.

I watched My Love From Another Star and the lead actress was hilarious.

I started Hello My Twenties about a bunch of college girls living together and it was well acted but more serious than I imagined. I like light and fluffy!

I have just finished Reply 1994 and it was glorious. Its focussed on a group of college students from the provinces living in a boarding house in Seoul with a family. It starts in 1994 and follows them through until 2013, capturing the social & technical changes that shape their lives. The humour is a bit broad, but the loves and life ups & downs are bittersweet and nicely done. I found it rather lovely. All the focus on eating together has made me curious enough about Korean food to book a table at the local Korean restaurant with DH.

I also watched Its OK, its only love. A bit uneven and, well, odd.

It’s not on Netflix but if you can stream it somewhere then A wonderful life is really good.

I should have mentioned that Dong-Mae (the Yakuza boss) in Mr Sunshine is in Reply 1994 as an elite athlete. He’s well fit.

Oooh it might be Reply 1994 next then - if it came down to between Eugene Choi & Dong-Mae then Dong-Mae might have the edge...

Watched The Master's Sun & really enjoyed that though it's not on Netflix. It's about a woman who sees ghosts but is funny not scary. Dramaworld on Netflix is a tongue in cheek homage to kdrama.

Also really enjoyed Suspicious Partner as a lighthearted legal romance/comedy/thriller.

Have also been fascinated by all the eating & drinking that goes on (and yet they are so slim....) and thought about trying a Korean restaurant but I don't know if I could cope with all the slurping that goes on

Our nearest Korean restaurant does Korean BBQ at the table - there are extractor fans over the table & everything. I am excited about our forthcoming visit.

Oooh it might be Reply 1994 next then - if it came down to between Eugene Choi & Dong-Mae then Dong-Mae might have the edge...

I found a fairly old military buddy drama with the Eugene actor on Netflix. It was so bad it made Baywatch look classy, so I abandoned it partway through ep1. He had excellently ripped abs in it though, so perhaps watch with the sound down if you just want to ogle.

The Eugene character was also pretty cool in the recent remake of The Magnificent Seven.

It did make me smile in Dramaworld where they have the obligatory male shower scene to show off the ripped abs they all seem to have. I read it's a thing that they're supposed to come back from their military service honed and toned (I've got to stop googling random drama facts).

boatyardblues the restaurant sounds great make sure you drink soju, eat radish kimchi and report back on any drunken piggyback rides!

I’d forgotten about Dramaworld. DH and I watched it before we got into Kdrama. I’ll have to watch it again now, as I’ll get all the references. One of my favourite Kdrama signature oddities is the dramatic scene ‘freezing’ and being filmed from multiple angles, with lingering shots.

Yes! Especially for kiss scenes

The Korean BBQ experience did not disappoint, although the restaurant was a bit grotty. Keen to repeat though, so will seek out an alternative.

Glad it didn't disappoint, though as I can't see DH being willing to go to a Korean restaurant based on my kdrama habit I am having to make do with ordering kimchee from Ocado.

Started watching What's Up with Secretary Kim and found myself ticking off the Dramaworld check list.
Male shower scene - yes
Karaoke scene - yes
Flashback (visual) - yes
Flashback (audio) - yes
Rich chaebol arrogant character likes girl from humble background - yes
Nice fun romantic series though!

Dong-Mae is heading into the lead in the well fit stakes in Mr Sunshine, especially after episode 18. I had to look up what he did meant though.

Ooh, I’m glad you’re caught up too Betty. I was so relieved Dong-Mae survived the attempt in his life because his character has really grown on me. I like how the characters are complex and no-one is uniformly good or bad (well, except for Lee Wan-Ik and every proper Japanese character, allawful obviously!). From that point of view, it reminds me a little bit of The Wire with likeable rogues and flawed ‘good guys.’

Oh yeah, I properly gasped when the plait came off. God knows how this week will shake down.

I have noticed ‘first love’ is a BIG THING in the K-dramas with a romantic bent. Saimdang is proving to be in this mould.

Betty - Are you caught up to ep20 of Mr Sunshine yet? This last weekend’s episodes were hard going, as in I was worried we’d lose a good ‘un (it remained gripping & enjoyable viewing). The Japanese are not coming out of it well at all - there are clearly still major historic antipathies at play.

Hi, not yet! I have been binge watching ‘Oh My Ghost’ (really good fun) and need to get back into Sunshine mood.
Also caught Dong-Mae in ‘Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim’ - first love really IS a trope in kdrama - and he also steals the fit factor from the lead in that.

There is something compelling about the guy who plays Dong-Mae, a definite charisma beyond his abs. Whilst I like Eugene's taciturn demeanour and treasure the rare smiles, there's something exhilarating about the way Dong-Mae marauds through life giving precisely zero fucks. I am not downplaying the trail of bodies and gore, but there must be something quite liberating about being able to wield a samurai sword with such vigour. It would certainly reduce the amount of time I currently spend sitting through painful meetings, although a high kill rate would probably see me referred to HR sharpish.

Snort!!! Dong-Mae's attitude is a definite attraction, in fact his whole demeanour inc. long hair & bare chest is a highlight. I really want him to get together with the hotel lady, and for the rich newspaper man to fall for the silent fortune-teller who lives with Dong-Mae. In fact the couple I am least interested in is Ae-Shin & Eugene!

Well the last two episodes were gruesome! I thought we were going to lose newspaper man Hui-Seong (sp?) which was upsetting as he has grown on me hugely. The Japanese colonel is insane. I don't know how close it is to history but the death, violence and sheer brutality is shocking, as is how powerless Joseon seems to be.

Saimdang is gorgeous to look at and I did enjoy it but ultimately got annoyed by the heroine - how could she keep saying no to the gorgeous Lee Gyeom?

Ah, I’m on a break from Saimdang - bit slow and soppy so far.

I watched the first episode of Strong Girl Bong-Soon last night and was so tickled by it, I’m just about to watch another. The female protagonist is tiny (petite) but has superhuman strength. It’s bonkers in a good way - funny, gory, cartoonish - so I’m giving it a couple of episodes to decide whether its worth sticking with.

I can really really recommend Chicago Typewriter.

I've been watching it on Viki. It flicks between now and the 1930's Japanese occupation of Korea so sort of follows on some of Mr Sunshine's theme. A bit typically kdrama bonkers in some parts as it's all about reincarnation but very absorbing! Great music and lovely 1930s scene-setting.

Not come across Viki. Is it another streaming service?

Have stuck with Strong Girl Bong-Soon. It is totes bonkers in the way that only quirky dramas can be, but I am embracing the crazy. I find the male lead/tech CEO strangely plastic - apparently he’s in a Korean boyband. He looks like the stylised anime children my son draws, but rendered in flesh form. The heroine’s gruff cop school friend is much more appealing. I was trying to describe the appeal to DH. I realised that Bong-Soon’s super-strength evens things up with the super-wealthy CEO, subtly nixing the power differential.

Are you caught up with Mr Sunshine? Am sad to see that some of the great characters are being sacrificed in service of the story, but it has raised the stakes.

Just about to catch up with Mr Sunshine, had to finish Chicago Typewriter first though as was so compelling! Am slightly dreading who they'll bump off next....

www.viki.com is a streaming site you can watch free with ads, or pay by subscription. It has loads of box sets and also shows that are currently airing.

I watched a couple of episodes of Strong Girl-Bong Soon and I quite liked it, but skipped to the end.