KDrama Addicts Anonymous (part 6)

[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 5 (previous threads linked from OP of each preceding thread)

There are suggestions for shows that we’ve enjoyed - those marked with asterisk(s) are more uniformly loved or admired. Cautionary note: in categorising series, its important to note most Korean dramas have multiple strands - e.g. romance and thriller; supernatural, romance and a thriller, crime series with blossoming relationship aspects. Genre-busting mash-ups are normal. Series that are tagged as dark may also have moments of comedy or the absurd, likewise fluff can have heavier elements. View the categories below as approximate & ask if you need guidance, eg for younger teens.

Comedy (with a side order of absurd)
I picked up a celebrity on the street (Viki)
My Fellow Citizens (Viki)

Crime/Thriller
Healer (Netflix)*
Heartless City (Viki)
He is Psychometric (Viki)
I Hear Your Voice (Netflix /Viki)
Life on Mars (classy remake of BBC series, Dramafast)
Live (Netflix)
Pride & Prejudice (Netflix)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)*

Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (Netflix)
Coffee Prince (Netflix)
Don’t Dare to Dream (Netflix, or as Jealousy Incarnate on Viki)*
Happy Once Again (Netflix)
Her Private Life (Viki)*
His Master’s Sun (Netflix)
Love from a Star (Netflix)*
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)**
She Was Pretty (Dramabus/Netflix)*
The Beauty Inside (Viki/Netflix)
The Last Empress (Viki)
Thirty Not Seventeen (Viki)
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Netflix/Viki)
What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)**
You are my Destiny (Netflix)

Romance - heavier weight/more grown up
Because This Is My First Life (Viki)*
Chicago Typewriter (Viki)*
Fight For My Way (Viki/Drama bus)*
Just Between Lovers (Viki)**
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
My Strange Hero (Viki)
Red Carpet - film (Netflix, very adult content)
Something in the Rain (Netflix)
The Package (Viki)

Supernatural/fantasy/sci-fi - fluffier
Goblin (Viki)*
I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
While You Were Sleeping (Viki)*

Supernatural/fantasy/sci-fi - darker
Black (Netflix)*
The Guest (Dramafast)
W (Viki & Netflix)*

Zombies
Kingdom (Netflix)*
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable
Strong Girl Bong Soon (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. (Although its possible we have scared them all away since our early threads with the incessant fangirling. If you’re still reading, please say hi.)

If you want to know your oppas from your unnis and other Korean terms of address and honorifics, there are good resources online.

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 usually 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…

I am finally prepared to admit to myself snd the rest of you the draw of the Taiwanese drama now I’ve seen ML in his blue suit. He has a ‘him off Black’ quality. I checked wiki and, sure enough, another ex-model. 🤦‍♀️

I feel I need a reference to compare with Him Off Black. Screengrab or at least ep & timecode pls ;-)

😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

Crowned Clown! Ep 12! It's a flippin roller-coaster! Up and down! One minute it's all good then bad! I'm exhausted!... I want my happy ending... Now!

Don’t skip!! There’s some great bits coming up but it is tense at times!😁
Finished Clown now catching up with Angel

I feel I need a reference to compare with Him Off Black. Screengrab or at least ep & timecode pls ;-)

I wish I’d paid more attention to which episode I was on. I fell asleep on the sofa just after I posted, woke periodically here and there and then nodded off. Just woken to find I’m half way through the final episode and I have no idea what the hell is going on. It’s a special Friday night skippety-do-dah technique. 😕 😩

I bring you Wu Kang-Jen

I’m curious to know how ML & FL arrived at a lawsuit over a Coronation chicken recipe, but not enough to rewind and get to the bottom of it. Bonkers!

Nice!! He can even pull off a spotty suit👍

But I remain staunch in my loyalty to Him Off Black 😍🤣

Oh yes. Well, HH KJW actually. However, I do think the modelling experience shows in the way that they stand, carry off tricky outfits, strike a pose etc

started Ms Hammarubi (ep2)... It's really good am liking the story of a spirited feisty woman (who doesn't! - YAY! ) with a slightly edgy past (no!? really? in a kdrama!??? ) and a serious seemingly aloof ML who has lots of depth and softness which will obvs show up later as he has a past with FL from childhood (again! never!!!!!!???? ) and will undoubtedly open up like a flower! coupled with a staff of likaeable characters incl. a hard edge know all secretary who obvs loves all who she works with... a hard edged judge who berates and shouts but you know will take the ML and FL under his wing and show them the ways of the court... plus there will undoubtedly be stand alone cases which will be all about fighting the good fight... bonus of Lovely Angel being Lovely Lead and Korean Knightley not acting with her chin in this (i like her much more in this then in Hwrang!).... It looks very very promising and am looking to heading in....

Meanwhile in Clown Joseon country... it's exhausting ! how treacherous can the treachery go! Queen Dowager could do with a good slapping! and Sin Cho (bad man!) will surely come to a nasty end for all his badness! - They'd better had! Actually blubbed a little watching last night because the scenes with the two leads were sooooo heart breathtakingly beautiful and lovely! a brief respite in all the mayhem! ... It was very late at night M'Lud! I think it could be in one of my Top 5 becuase it's all just soo well put together and like Bettys said it is beautifully shot! - why is there no heart emoji on mumsnet?????

I watched a good chunk of Crowned Clown and was impressed by ML in bad king mode. He’s really awful - his impassiveness and poker face makes him way more sinister. However, as soon as you see him in smily clown mode (he just gave the girl in his troupe a piggy back), he is adorable and irrespressible. I will continue to watch so I can form a judgement about his acting chops.

First ep of CC....

acting chops! He's got them deffo! and I love the FL! Just beautifully done! It makes me cry!!!!!!!!!

Crowned Clown (so far) looks like it was filmed in some of the same locations as Mr Sunshine and possibly with the same cinematographers. It has a very similar sensibility and feel.

Awwweee! Just caught up with Angel So so lovely.

Have finished Crowned Clown, very satisfying, just one niggle but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of it, will wait until you've both finished to discuss properly. Going to catch up with Absolute Boyfriend next. Can't believe he's already shooting his next drama which also sounds fun; is it because they try & pack 'em in before going off to the military?

Ep 18 of Absolute Boyfriend

On both counts (special dinner and the reprogramming)

As an aside, am I the only one whose eye is inexorably drawn to the showering man thumbnail in the Viki ident at the start of each episode? I can’t work out if its because it is a) bang in the middle and right under the translation of the episode number or b) because it is eyecatching? I couldn’t tell you the content of a single other image on that montage.

No mine is too🤣

Hahaha. AppleTV was buffering just now. The soldiers’ morning run from Descendants of the Sun is in the top left hand corner.

WHOOP WHOOP!!! End of ep 20 Absolute Boyfriend I almost cheered!

I am tempted to do a bingo grid for the Viki ident. I've also spotted Strong Woman Bong soon middle-ish left

Oh, I’ll look forwardsto that Betty. DS2 got back from a knackering event, so I’ve ceded the sofa/big telly for a couple of hours. He’s currently lolling at minions.

I am probably too into Boyfriend (or it could be the post gardening wine) but I so want makeup girl & robot to be a couple but I still can’t tell where the story will go. I actually think actor man & psycho rich girl Diana should hook up as he is into fixing robots so wouldn’t be freaked out by her hand

Arrrgghhhh The Feckin Queen Dowager! Arrrgghhhh! 😡😡😡😡😡😡