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…

School 2013!... I really loved that! The bromance was epic!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Bea’s link wins - excellent examples. Thought it has to be said I don’t like Kim Woo Bin at all.

I really disliked Kim Woo Bin the only time he played the ML. Uncontrollably Fond was a test of will for me. The Heirs is my guilty pleasure though. It is possibly one of the worst dramas ever but I love watching it.

Uncontrollably Fond was a test of will for me.

Same here.

The Heirs is my guilty pleasure though. It is possibly one of the worst dramas ever but I love watching it.

I ditched after about 4 episodes when the Woo Bin content increased. It was trash though.

I love a bad drama. Might be the reason I'm loving Before We Get Married

I think that’s why I’m enjoying Before We Get Married too, though I wish it was 2 eps a week & it could do with a bit more hanky lanky & less angst

Hanky lanky??? Obv have racehorse legs on the brain! 🏇

Was a nice ending to One Spring Night last night, I thought it felt a bit rushed though? Everything crammed into the last episode and the penultimate ep felt a bit repetitive to me.

Need a new drama now... Or maybe I should watch the Handmaid's Tale that I've got recorded. DH would be amazed to see me watching non-Korean and it might be easier to crochet to!

Kims Convenience, Ginger? It’s set in Toronto, in English but about a Korean-Canadian family. On Netflix currently.

It’s funnier for understanding all the tropes, like parents wanting to marry you off snd the competitiveness around social hierarchy. Actually, talking about it has reminded me to get back to it so I can find out how Janet’s flatshare pans out.

bettys, after the weird kinky bedroom scene in the first ep youd think it'd be full of the 50 shades style stuff, but alas, it's only got the 50 shades attitude to consent.

hello, I'm more 50 sheds of grey (allotment/farrow & ball) but after the whole first ep kinkiness & title sequence suggestiveness it is disappointing that it's a little tame....and yet still has the chauvinistic they're gagging for it really attitude.

It's Friday night, I may have had wine, what is the drama that has had the most realistic attitude to sex? I thought HPL was pretty good as regards grown-up relationships (in the kdrama world that is)

disclaimer: I'm still really enjoying Before We Get Married et al as I can always suspend belief if necessary: ie Suspension of disbelief. The term suspension of disbelief or willing suspension of disbelief has been defined as a willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe something surreal; sacrifice of realism and logic for the sake of enjoyment.

I actually looked that up to give credence to the fact that I like watching Before We Get Married

I vaguely remember the supporting characters in Because this is my First Life having a sex positive attitude but I can't even remember if I finished that show.

Most don't really even talk about sex past 'they went home together, and woke up together so you do the math'

Now you've got me thinking about it, there isn't enough conversations about sex in dramas. I'm not advocating wild sex parties on TV but surely using TV to make it less taboo would be beneficial to Korea? Especially with the news of yet more assaults and rape by TV personalities. Surely positive attitudes towards safe and consensual sex would be good for everyone.

Oh you’re right about Because This Is My First Life! It’s one of my favourites. Of the two 2FLs, one is in a live in relationship (& the only instance I’ve seen in a kdrama where the female says my period’s finished we can have sex 😱) and the other has a high sexual appetite but doesn’t want a relationship.
Oh and in the counselling ep in WWW Tammy’s team member says she ‘freakin’ loves men’

There was the cheesy almost drama thing The Lover which had illusions to sexual activity especially between the two male roommates. It also explored age gap relationship, cohabiting in a country which places importance on marriage and the idea of a perfect woman. Although that was 70% comedy, 30% romance, 100% difficult to watch

I haven’t seen The Lover , maybe that’s not a bad thing? 😬

bettys, after the weird kinky bedroom scene in the first ep youd think it'd be full of the 50 shades style stuff, but alas, it's only got the 50 shades attitude to consent.

In Need of Romance 2012 had a lot of casual sex in it. The ML and FL live in adjoining houses where their (late) mums, as best friends, put a door in between the houses. The ML/FL hit on a FWB arrangement to get their carnal needs met, have a lot of sex with each other before psiring off with new partners and taking a ridiculous amount of time to realise they are really in love with each other. I rather enjoyed it until the boring bit where they pair off.

And you’re right, periods were mentioned in BTIMFL and it was unusual for kdrama, whereas the women and significant males frequently refer to periods in mandarin language dramas.

Boatyard is that the In need of Romance with CJH and some very dodgy 90s style editing?

No, its the one with Jung Yu-Mi as female lead. It was on Netflix, not sure if it still is.

I think it’s the same one, I’ve just checked on IMDb - CJH is the hotel manager she has a fling with isn’t he?

Nope, that’s a completely different show. Honest.