KDrama Addicts Anonymous (part 4)

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the Kdrama-curious. Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix and Viki, but there other sources, including Dramabus and AmazonPrime.

Previous Threads, with discussion of what we’ve enjoyed and what to avoid:

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

Some suggestions for shows that we’ve enjoyed - those marked with an asterisk are more uniformly loved or admired:

Because This Is My First Life (Viki)*
Black (Netflix)*
Chicago Typewriter (Viki)*
Don’t Dare to Dream (Netflix, or as Jealousy Incarnate on Viki)*
Fight For My Way (Viki/Drama bus)*
Goblin (Viki)
Healer (Netflix)*
His Master’s Sun (Netflix)
I Hear Your Voice (Netflix /Viki)
Just Between Lovers (Viki)
Last Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)
Live (Netflix)
Love from a Star (netflix)*
My Strange Hero (Viki)
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Pride & Prejudice (Netflix)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*
Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)*
She Was Pretty (Dramabus/Netflix)*
Something in the Rain (Netflix)
Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)
Suspicious Partner (netflix)*
W (Viki & Netflix)*
What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)*
While You Were Sleeping (viki)*
You are my Destiny (Netflix)

We have some lovely occasional posters who have lived in Korea, are Korean or have Korean partners/family members who pop in from time to time to provide the context for some of the more baffling cultural references.

If you want to know your oppas from your unnis try this helpful guide to Korean terms of address and honorifics.

We are generally fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean cookery, film and kpop when the mood takes us. To get to grips with the lingo, try dramaloveaddicts.proboards.com/thread/24/korean-word-day?page=1

We have a few frequently used acronyms:
FL/2FL = female lead/2nd female lead
ML/2ML = male lead/2nd male lead
SLS = Second Lead Syndrome (where the FL/MLis too thick to realise how much better the 2ML/2FL is)

We also abbreviate titles if they’re long, but only after using the full title & acronym together. Some of the regular favourite actors have been abbreviated too for speed/efficiency, although “him off Black” seems to have stuck for Song Seung-Heon. Don’t be afraid to ask for help/clues if we’re not making sense or have descended into acronym soup.

If you want to join us down the kdrama rabbit hole, welcome! Pull up a chair, say goodbye to early nights and get stuck in…

Sorry I meant RM's hiphop roots. I can see why his looks get commented on, he is not as classically good-looking as Third From Left (who isn't as good-looking as V anyway)

So aside from the BTS rabbit hole I have started watching Big Issue and am rather enjoying the different tone, fast pace and jazzy background music.

Having said that the fight on the train is preposterous but I am going with for the moment.

I’m enjoying Her Private Life - some of the dialogue is great:

ML: Do you have time?
FL: We don’t have that on the menu.

Burn!

Will definitely be watching the rest of Her Private Life. It’s fab.

Me too! I like that KJW’s character has potentially brought some new aspects due to being from abroad eg openness to gay relationships. Love the art setting too, and finding the fangirling amusing due to current keenness on BTS 😂

Not to mention the cheekbones

I like it best because it is funny. That’s one of my favourite things about kdrama. The sense of humour and the absurd chimes with my own.

But the cheekbones help.

An aside, I noticed on the hairdressers window in FL’s cop neighbourhood in Psychometric there was a translation into English: “Full hail service” It makes sense because the back to front square s hangul character can be an R or L sound. I was pleased because it means the little study that I have done is sticking. There is also some backwards and forewards between T & D, which explains why daebak often sounds like taebak. Likewise p & b. Interesting to me because the p/b and t/d shift is a feature of (and characterises the grouping of) Celtic languages. You also see the t/d shift in modern English and German, drawing on common root words. I am finding my brief foray into Korean really interesting.

Is that similar to g and k? I've noticed that Netflix & Viki translations differ in spellings with this.

Just finished ep 4 of Big Issue which has a scene that made me go 'EEEEEeeeew!' out loud. It's implausible in some ways with the action scenes but interesting that it is dealing with scandals that are current in SK, eg drugging women for sex etc.

Yes, g/k is another one.

Interesting about Big Issue. We had some more detailed info through about a holiday tour in S Korea and it said SK is generally a low crime destination, but there have been increased numbers of rapes in the clubbing/nightlife areas, particularly in Seoul. I’m an old gimmer and would be travelling with DH and kids, so I can’t imagine we’d be out clubbing. We won’t be going this year, before anyone starts asking more questions. 😀

Another old gimmer here! Although if there was a BTS Kpop night at a club!... I'd seriously consider it! 😂😂😂
Was too tired to watch any drama last night! 😱
After my one bottle of soju.. I was done!! 😁😁😁😁🍾😂

Old gimmer here too though not averse to bopping around the kitchen, and if someone offered me tickets to BTS with a black cap & mask (a la FL in Her Private Life) I would go!

Also thinking of SK & japan for next year but still in the very vague wouldn't it be nice phase.....espec as for 3 of us it is looking £££££ and I can't find any interesting tour companies, though I have looked at Kuoni though it doesn't take in Jeju or Daegu FFS

This is the company I’ve been looking at: www.regent-holidays.co.uk/country/south-korea-holidays/ They do other destinations in SE Asia, including Japan. I’ve been looking at the 8 day Highlights of S Korea tour. It includes DAEGU!!!! and Busan.

You can tag on a 4 day Jeju Island extension with Regent, Betty.

I used to love clubbing. I wish dancing didn’t make my knees and lower back so sore these days.

I’ve just spotted that Psychometric’s yappy dog has a toileting tray, so that’s one mystery solved.

Boatyard! Knees and lower back! 😂😭😭😭😭... Oh we're too old for all of this!! 😭 😭

oooooh saving linky for later with a glass of wine!!! Looks good.

I used to love dancing so much but am now reduced to doing the non-embarrassing mum-shuffle dance at parties.

Japan will be pricy next year during the Tokyo Olympics.

Have been told either Spring or Autumn best as is just too hot in summer. Friend is currently there & it looks amazing.

We are just about to enter a run of public exam years with the kids which will mean extending a break around Easter, Whitsun or October half term will be more difficult, otherwise we’d go outside of the summer peak period. 😕

The group holidays are run with coach tours I have visions of The Package running through my head!

They are max 20 and the guy I spoke to said it was typically 6-12 on each tour. So, yeah, it would be like The Package with a mostly empty coach.