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.

It’s like so many other big films these days. If they spent half as much time developing the characters as they do on the SFX, I might give monkeys about them and feel engaged enough to enjoy the film. This is where kdrama does so well. I was sitting there thinking that your average kdrama pays more attention to developing its peripheral characters than Hollywood blockbusters does its leads. OK, so a 20 episode series has the luxury of time, but I still think its done way better.

Finished In Need of Romance earlier. Sadly most of the frisky bits were near the beginning. It got all emotional and angsty in the secong half, which is great for a touch of cathartic crying but less so for the gratuitous, mandatory pecs/abs hit rate.

Oh, the mix of frisk & male housework seemed so promising too!
Plenty of pecs in Fight My Way due to fight scenes, and not frisky so much as rather sweet romantic scenes

Been watching Kim’s Convenience whilst getting on with the ironing this morning. The scene where Gerald’s portrait of Mrs Kim goes on Mrs Kim’s ‘don’t touch’ wall and Mr & Mrs Kim both say: “ahhh, funeral picture” contentedly made me laugh out loud. There are some great lines.

I'm on episode 7 of Suits!... Legal drama.. Good fun! And it's really interesting to see the difference in Park hyung sik ❤️ from crazy bonkers ceo Min yuk Ahn in Bong Soon surreal world to very serious angsty Yeon Woo wannabe lawyer in cut and thrust world of Suits (no wrist grabs... White truck of doom.. Or cartoon emojis floating around their heads... Yet!...) . .. Bed at 2am last night!
Still watching Dr Romance... But on hold whilst I'm brushing up on my legal jargon!... And deffo going to watch fight for my way once Suits is done!
All nicely lined up! Many thanks for the recommendations ladies! I bow down to your superior knowledge and know how! 😂😊

I've finished Fight My Way but had to go back and rewatch some favourite bits, it was just so nice. I've decided to work my way through Park Seo Joon's filmography in the interests of pecs & abs research and have just started A Witch's Romance but I'm not completely sold on the premise/FL yet.

DH is watching sport so I haven't had a chance to see if I can get Viki on the Apple box yet.

Has anyone watched Prison Diaries on Netflix? That might be my next port of call.

Haven’t seen Prison Diaries but in Witch’s Romance they are just heading off for their team-building trip to the lakeside cabin.

Better get the bingo card ready...

I resumed Beating Again. Jury still out on whether I will love it, but it has a very strong female lead character - very steely, consumately professional and savvy - and plenty of potboiler potential. The dead fiance could do with being a bit less saintly and the male lead less pantomime baddy villainous, but something tells me he’ll mellow.

Oh yes, this one has a clapped out white Kia Pride of doom, rather than a lorry, but it’s ticking lots of boxes. There has already been a medical emergency piggy back and a poisonous chaebol spat.

Witch's Romance started promisingly but has hit the middle slump where I'm tempted to start skipping bits. Already looking ahead to what I can watch next. Not a good sign...

Like In Need of Romance it's as if they have a quota of frisk and if they use too much in the early stages there is a loooooong gap until the bit at the end when the leads finally get it together.

Turns out the Viki app is only available on the new Apple TV devices (4th gen) so I won't be able to get it as our device is too old

Ah, we have 3 (blame DH!) and one of them is quite new, so I’ll check with him.

God knows why, but for some reason I thought Secretary Kim was a man and a kind of Kim Il Jong political-type set up. Imagine my disappointment to learn its much more mundane. (I was reading reviews in my lunch break.)

Hahahaha! That would be truly bizarre with the pensive shower scenes with pecs when he's thinking about Secretary Kim!

Bea's description sums it up nicely:
It's sooooo lovely and cheesy... I've decided it's like watching a Richard Curtis Film / Pretty Woman in 16 eps....(minus the traumtic storyline)

Netflix have just added Dr Stranger which is a bonkers doctors story with Lee Jong Suk & the guy from Man to Man where a doctor crosses from North Korea to South.

... 😭😭😭😭... I'm worried I'm never going to watch normal telly again!!... Am now on

Suits ep 12... I'm flummoxed by the legal whirlwind and dazzled by the angst fresh faced enthusiasm of Go Yeon Woo (Park Hyung Sik ❤️❤️)

Fight For My Way ep 2... I'm full of fear this will just turn out sad!... Dong Man seems to be heading for definite tragedy... I feel like it's just not going to end well... And Park Seo Joon seems to have a vulnerability about him... 😍😔

Dr Romantic ep 5...its good! Definitely will finish!

Hwarang ep 2... Park Hyung Sik and Park Seo Joon!! ... How can I resist! ❤️❤️❤️... Although not so keen on the long flowing hair!!

Also rewatching fave bits of Strong Girl Bong Soon and Sec Kim!... My faves!

Boatyard... Sec Kim defo worth watching!... It is soooo sweet and warm and fuzzy! I thoroughly enjoyed it!... Ticked all the boxes for me!... Swoonsome leading man!... Great clever feisty leading lady... Lovely family back stories... And endearing office staff who all get a little time to shine and are very likable! 👍👍👍👍

Ooooo! Park Seo Joon's new drama sounds fun!...
The Divne Fury "The film tells the story of a martial arts champion who gains divine powers to fight with a powerful evil force."

Yes I was looking at Divine Fury today as well funnily enough, he started filming after Secretary Kim so I guess he's kept the pecs up to scratch!

Stick with Fight My Way, it'll be all right Hwarang is next on my list, although I might get sidetracked by Midnight Runners if I can find it, as that's a film by the same team as Divine Fury.

I haven't watched normal tv for months, not even Strictly or Dr Who or Beck which I used to really like

Ooo! When you find midnight runners! Point me in the right direction! 😁👍👍

I'm worried I'm never going to watch normal telly again!!

DH and my kids are definitely wondering this about me. I’m not bothered. If/when I find anything equally diverting that’s not Korean I’ll switch tracks.

Prison Playbook gets some good write ups online. That’ll be my next boxset.

The subtitles are a bit erratic on Beating Again - shades of Chinese assembly instruction manuals - so some of the business intrigue scenes are mystifying.

White truck of doom!!!

Dark wet afternoon so finished work early & curled up with tea, chocolate biscuits and Midnight Runners on Dramabus . It's a good neat cop buddy film, with a slightly dark underbelly.

Bea there is a little scene after the main titles so keep watching, and it looks like they might do another. Only thing on the bingo card was a medical emergency piggy-back. I'm not counting the black mini-van of doom.

I'm going to have to watch more Korean films as I might burn less midnight oil that way.

Bettys! Cheers m'dear!! Will deffo watch!... Meanwhile... Whilst falling down the rabbit Warren of YouTube I got caught in a Park Hyung Sik and Park Seo Joon spiral and am halfway through "2 days 1 night season 3 Pretty Boys Winter Camp".. Which is basically (as far as I can tell) a reality TV /comedy style show where the series regulars get joined by guests... In this case PHS and PSJ and another Hwrang actor where they have to complete crazy tasks... It's quite funny and poor old PSJ gets the mick taken out of him mercilessly!... Quite funny! Sort of like Taskmaster! 😂😂😂