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’ve been booted off Viki/Crowned Clown for the Austin Powers sequel. FML!

I feel your pain! I am at a loose end as have caught up with the on-air series, and sort of want a new good binger to get my teeth into rather than finish off my ongoing ones.

Think I'll head off to imDb to see if there's any spiralling to be done....

I'm on a lovely angel spiral and robot boyfriend spiral...

Will be binging on ms Hammerubi next... In between the viki on air series...,!

Need to catch up on Secretary...
Might look into WWW (VIKI)...... 👍👍👍

I just started watching the first ep of WWW (escaped to my bedroom ). I remember someone said earlier this week thst they weren’t gripped. Why? I’m finding the topic (manipulation of search engine results during an election) rather fascinating - and apposite.

Haha. I absolutely love that the FL plays retro videogames in the arcade and thrashes the male gamers on the other console. And hellllloooo ML... 😉

ML is the stone faced assassin in Kill It!... That's why I'm interested... I want to see if he's more than just a stoney face! (don't think he smiled once in kill it!)..

I like. Very much. ML meets my tall/hunky specification. FL is spunky with just the right amount of fuck you attitude to “the man.” They managed to get a one night stand into the first episode too, so it’s not going to fanny about. I like jiu jitsu/Maserati woman too. How great is it to have so many great women in these shows? I have to go and make packed lunches now, but that’s my evening’s viewing sorted. 👍

Oooo! Ms Hammerubi is turning out to have a lot of heart... It's good! Worth a look! And not just for Lovely Angel Kim Myung Soo... (who! Incidentally is 27!... Does that mean the military will soon be calling??? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😡😡😡😡)

Watching Secretary now! Snort! That hand washing is possibly the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed in a kdrama! 😁😳😱😂❤️

Wot sexier than toast? LYS stylie
Agree though, I mean only a kdrama can turn health & safety handwash instructions into something so tantalising.

I have got sucked into fluffy teenage vampire nonsense with Absolute Boyf Crowned Clown in Orange Marmalade
There's a love triangle, a high school band and a bitchy 2FL

Packed lunches turned into making supper turned into bedtime turned into ironing, then a bit of Handmaid’s Tale to properly take the wind out of my Sunday night sails. Finally back to some decent escapism. 🎉 There’s no Brexit or Trump in kdramaland, and long may it last!

Orange Marmalade! 😂 😂 😂 I've watched that!... It's good though I think I found it even a little too teenagery for me! 😂😂😂

Ahh! Yes! Toasty LJS!... How could I forget that!.... Hmmmm! 😍😍😍😍😍

LJS doesn’t appear anywhere in my Venn diagram. I’m not even sad he’s doing military service. He’s all yours ladies.

I’m just about to start ep 3 of Search: WWW. It’s great! The best thing about it is the core of those 3 strong women characters and their complex inter-relationships/history etc. The men are not the interesting bit. I was pondering this earlier. I want to get to the bottom of why there are so many good roles for women in Korean drama. Is it to do with the audience/demographic that watches the shows (older) and them being pitched more thoughtfully? Is it that there are more women writers (and good ones) in the Korean TV/film industry?

Also another age gap with FL (39) and ML (26). The ML tends to be more gentle, thoughtful etc with these set ups - eg Encounter, Descendants of the Sun.

To be honest Toasty LYS has been superseded by HH KJW, JKH and a couple of others but I retain a fondness for his toastiness

I may have been in the wrong mood when I tried WWW but it didn’t click with me, I may come back to it. Same with Ms Hammurabi.

It’s really growing on me. There are some nice scenes in ep 3. I like the flashbacks to their first meeting too. I think two of the strong women may have been in an intimate relationship with one another previously, though it’s currently hinted at. If it pans out that way, it will be the first time I’ve ever seen a lesbian relationship in a kdrama, though poor Ryan got the wrong end of the stick in HPL.

LJS... awww I always have a fondess for LJS... as soooo many of his dramas are in my fave list!!! There's always Toast at my house LJS!!!!!!

Lol!!

Orange Marmalade is very teen....I'm going with the flow but will def. need something grown up afterwards.

bettys hah, didn't notice that bit. I don't mind very literal translations, but I do find it baffling when they change things when there's a perfectly agreeable way to convey it IYKWIM.

Search: WWW is a work of subversive genius. When you realise the rationale for the traffic system hacking incident, I bet every one of you laughs.

See now you’re luring me back with that remark....

It’s just one moment, but I think points to the quality of the writing team. I have high hopes for this show.

Bettys If I use Viki as well, my DH will cut off my internet lol, won't be able to get anything done around the house.
boatyardblues - yay!, can now find new good show to watch! Totally agree in No Brexit in Kdrama, a very good escape

Watching Healer now eps 2. I think I'm hooked. lol Saving Ms Hammerubi for the upcoming long flight.

Oooh Healer is so good.....there is lots of content on Netflix and you can download which is great for travelling (but would your husband know if you used the Viki app on your phone mwah hah hah evil chortle)

(plus they prob do a weeks free trial so you could binge watch a series in that time mwah hah hah evil chortle)