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…

💜👍
Adding Kill It to this weekends list 😊

If only I could watch!.... Family duties!... And rubbish WiFi!.... Even 4g not good! Think I'll have to wait till I get back home! 😱😭😭... Wish I could download from viki! 😂

I'm 3/4 way through the first ep! 😂

I downloaded a bunch of stuff on Netflix in case of dodgy WiFi 😉

Just relayed Bea’s BTS chart update to DH. The penny has just dropped for him that they are massive and a global phenomenon. Initially he said “oh, well perhaps they will do a date at xxx [moderate sized venue in our nearest city].” I reminded him they’s sold out 2 dates at Wembley in a day and, if they came out of London at all, it would be for a large sports stadium.

Boatyard what ep did you do your happy dance? I’m on ep 10

It was SPOILERS COMING

She dumped 2ML and returns her attention to ML. It was around that point.

This morning I keep thinking about episode 4 of Her Private Life, the alley bit of the fake paparazzi photoshoot particularly. ML’s piqued interest is a thing to behold.

Yy but he is still confused about FLs leanings & relationships & trying not to judge
Goodness but KJW is hot

Also v amused by encountering Happy Ending between 2 girls & ML son when they are describing ‘tall & good looking’ and ‘tall and hot’ and decide that ‘tall & good looking’ is the boyfriend 😆

I think it’s interesting that a very close, tactile female friendship and sharing a hotel room means sexual relationship to KJW’s character. It made me think about how different men and women’s friendships are and how men are constrained by norms of masculinity/not appearing “gay.” I’ve been away for the weekend with female friends and we’ve shared doubles (though because our friend forgot to specify twin rooms - the spa assumed we were all couples and set the massage rooms up for couple massages 😂).

Lol at your massage couple sessions!

I think it’s more that FLs friend said it was someone she couldn’t meet normally, and gay relationships in SK aren’t as out there as in the UK. That’s why he assumed they were gay, their tactile nature just reinforced it. Skinship seems to have mixed messages.

So for example BTS are very tactile with each other like wriggly puppies so there are lots of shippers out there coupling them up, and yet it’s normal for everyone (same sex) to sleep together in close proximity on the floor in one room. Yet couples of the opposite sex touching is a big deal, holding hands and hugging etc

I dislike 2ML so much. As if telling ML to beat it would solve the problem & FL would just fall into his arms gah!😡

And why does everyone keep their coats on in restaurants?

And why does everyone keep their coats on in restaurants?

I’ve been asking myself the same question for a while. Does it happen IRL, or is it because the stylists/fashion houses have provided the wardrobe with conditions attached? Some of the “going shopping” montages where ML/FL tries on the whole season’s collection are just 🙄.

ML is also in kdrama remake of Life on Mars but it's not on Viki or Netflix
I may have to resort to other means, hopefully without russian boobage, as Bea puts it!

Betty - Jung Kyung-Ho is in Beating Again on Netflix, which is so-so but doable for S&OR. I think the FL in that is the FL’s business partner in Happy Once Again, the role is a good one. JKH plays a right corporate mergers & aquisitions bastard, so gets to play cruel & condescending to his heart’s consent - well, up to a point.

Content.

I’m guessing JKH plays the John Sims character in the Life on Mars remake. I’d love to know who plays the Gene Hunt character.

It's set in 1988 which is apparently a significant year for SK although I don't know why, and was praised by the BBC as a v good remake that kept it's own SK identity.
I guess the Gene Hunt character is the one perched on the bonnet - isn't he the guy from Man to Man?

Seoul Olympics I think. The back story/basis for the shopping mall collapse (Just Between Friends) is that corners were cut IRL to get all the infrastructure and buildings ready for the ‘88 Olympics, IIRC.

The finale of Happy Once Again left me thinking two people in that scene had very bad manners. When you get there, let’s compare notes.

That Blood Sweat and Tears parody is hilarious. DS2 will appreciate it because that’s his favourite BTS MV (he isn’t a big fan - more that he wanted see what the girls in his class were going on about, but he does like that one).

PSJ without his shirt on. 🤷‍♂️ What can I say? I seem to be immune to his charms.