KDrama Addicts Anonymous (#7)

[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 (non subscription, possibly dodgy) and AmazonPrime.

The previous thread is linked below, but our ‘Addicts Recommend’ list is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all of the previous threads:

Thread 6

Shows marked with asterisk(s) are more uniformly loved or admired. 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 best approximate & ask if you need guidance, eg about suitability 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)*

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
Crowned Clown (Viki)
Mr Sunshine (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)
Radio Romance (Netflix)
Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)**
She Was Pretty (Dramabus/Netflix)*
The Beauty Inside (Viki/Netflix)
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 themes
Because This Is My First Life (Viki)*
Chicago Typewriter (Viki)*
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Fight For My Way (Viki/Drama bus)*
Just Between Lovers (Viki)**
My Strange Hero (Viki)
One Spring Night (Netflix)
Red Carpet - film (Netflix, very adult content)
Search: WWW (Viki)*
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)
The Last Empress (Viki)

Not Korean but just try it
Regulars occasionally branch out into Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese drama. The Chinese & Taiwanese stuff is much more variable quality-wise, so we’ve noted anything decent here:

Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)

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 fangirling. If you’re still reading, please say hi.)

We are generally fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean food/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 dense 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 or an obvious shortening. Some of the regular favourite actors & actresses have been abbreviated too for speed/efficiency, eg Lee Jong-Suk (LJS), Park Min Young (PMY), Ji Chang Wook (JCW) and his hotness Kim Jae Wook (HH KJW). 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…

The thunderstorm (and torrential rain) has started here. It already feels a bit fresher.

DS2 won’t care what the research says. He’s adamant it is grim and it’s the main source of rows with his brother.

Taiwanese movie on Netflix called Dear Ex is outstanding. It deserves its awards. Check it out.

Thanks Cookie - will do.

Pretty sure it's the main row I have with DP too, double dipping and the fact he mixes together sauces before dipping. Who mixes bbq sauce and mayo?! You're so lucky with the rain, I'm dying in this mugginess. Yay asthma.

Thanks for the recommendation Cookie! I'll check it out soon.

Found the drama with the worst ski ship. This is their passionate hug after she finds out her mom has collapse and he thought it was her

that was meant to say skinship, gosh darn autocorrect. it's clearly all the burning passion in this drama, it's making it so hard to focus 😂😂

😂 😂 Big guns! Strong girl bong soon! That tickles me! I love it! Their romance is the cutest thing ever!... 😍

No drama for me tonight (and hardly any over the next couple of days! Booo!) am with family! A mini summer break with the cousins etc!... That means long dinners and no sneaking off to catch up! Thus the watching will be intermittent!.. Silver lining! There'll be loads of catching up to do when I get back! 👍👍

Things must be bad!... I've not even managed to watch today's BTS Run episode! 😢😢😢😢

that was meant to say skinship

Hahaha. I was madly puzzling over what a ski ship was, so I’m glad you clarified. That’s some unresolved (non-existent) sexual tension right there!

Their romance is the cutest thing ever!...

True to form, I’m going to disagree. I was Team Jisoo all the way through SGBS.

The thunder and lightning finally hit the Midlands! One scared dog and a confused baby but boy I'm happy.

I have to both agree and disagree with you both. I thought Bong Soon could've ended up with either of them and it would've been good. The ending with PHS was great but an ending with Jisoo could've been just as good, maybe better?

I have never managed to watch Strong Girl all the way through, just ffwrded to the PBY/PHS/Jisoo bits - would love to see a drama where Jisoo finally gets the girl.

Found the drama with the worst ski ship I actually thought this might be about skiing

I am still working my way through Love Myself or You I'm really not sure why. I think it's too hot to change channels as it were. I have found Jasper Liu in When I See You Again on Netflix so may try that next, and also Cookies suggestion so having a bit of a Taiwanese drama spiral while waiting for last 2 eps of WWW

Speaking of W's, Han Hyo Ju from W is in the new Treadstone series based on Jason Bourne, so may actually have to watch an english language show

Oooo! I loved her in W!... An English speaking TV watch!!?? 😱😱

Looking fwd to binge watching WWW! 😂 Only seen 2 eps! 😂

I am still working my way through Love Myself or You I'm really not sure why. I think it's too hot to change channels as it were.

😂😂😂

Which channel is Treadstone airing on?

I admire your self-control Bea! You have a treat in store with WWW

Treadstone not only has Han Hyo Ju (who Toasty LYS couldn't keep his hands off lol) but the guy from Sense8 who is not bad, although he is fit in the fat-strong sense not the phwoar lean kdrama mould, and Jeremy Irvine who is a bit of a star bloke

It's not said where or when Treadstone will air, just sometime in Autumn on USA Network, but I'm sure we can find it somewhere .

Soompi article

I've made a plan fellow addicts. I'm putting it here to hold myself accountable. I've got 14 dramas where I'm within one or two episodes of finishing but just haven't quite got there yet. Before the end of this month, I'm going to finish all of them. No more awkward 'I think I've finished that, maybe, oh wait no' moments for me.

Good plan - are you up for telling us what they are ? Or is that awkward?

Gah noble idiocy strikes in Love Myself or You! One of the tropes I most hate along with going off 'to study' or some such bollocks for 3 years

Ahh bettys there's a few embarrassing ones. Coffee Prince, My Love from Another Star and Cheese in the Trap are all featured on my list of shame. There's a couple of Japanese dramas and Mandarin dramas too.

Most of them I swear I'd finished but I think I just read/heard spoilers for the ending so didn't bother watching.

My least favourite trope is the whole 'your parents told me to leave you, so I listened because clearly our love means nothing compared to the judgment of your mum.' It's an instant ughhhhh for me

That trope sounds more mandarin than korean maybe, but yes that would elicit a groan from me too.

Of the three dramas you mention Cheese in the Trap is the only one you needn't bother finishing if you've read the spoilers. I loved the series, hated the last few episodes where they bowed to viewer feedback and focused on 2ML (who was the delish Seo Kang Joon with his racehorse legs but not meant to be the focus of the story)

I think that parent trope died out in the mid to late 00s. I know The Heirs had it in, and maybe Boys Over Flowers. Maybe it was just old rich kid dramas?