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…

Bea 100 Days My Prince had good reviews so let us know how it goes. I haven't seen the ML before and doesn't initially appeal, but the FL is good ( Suspicious Partner, Shopaholic Louis )

Finally! BWGM might not be total false advertising then, I'm guessing no weird padded room was involved though?

Just checked and my BWGM subs are at 53%. The mandarin teams work bloody fast.

Report... 100 Days My Prince.... EP 3! 2.30am bedtime!... It's gooood!! And engaging!...

Political back stabbing!... Rivalries for throne... Childhood love.... Feisty FL... Trusted bodyguard... Amnesia.... Wicked stepmother... Hidden identities!...

Recommended! 👍👍👍

Me and the script writers for BWGM are going to fall out. Next week's episode looks really promising though. She says, for the millionth time while watching this show.

Honestly those dratted phone calls from 321 really get in the way

Me and the script writers for BWGM are going to fall out

Over the steam? I reckon if they used all the steam scenes in the titles then there is one left we haven't seen.

Turns out I’m in a wifi blackspot for the next while, so will be following vicariously as I don’t have enough data to stream what I want via 4G. 😩 I haven’t even seen the WWW finale! 😭

😱😱 Oh no boatyard how long are you in purgatory for?

Re steam in BWGM I reckon there was a Flash of French in there 😳🤭

I'm fine with the steam, I'll take some solid make out session and button undoing, even with the weird hands on the face smushing (do people actually do that?). There's still time left for some steaminess.

It's just some of the writing has me thinking they were just mathematic about the process. Ooh we need to split up a good make out? Phone call from fiancé to dampen the mood and make everyone sad! Ooh there's a chance for them to get along well alone? Ex Fiancée has sudden issue! 'Big' reveal pertinent to the ML? Someone turns up before they can get the crucial words out! I can't tell if it's lazy writing or I've watched so many dramas that nothing seems original anymore?

Yy THEY ARE INFURIATING!!!! I really want to know what she was going to say her reason before her sister came in but it's bound to be a letdown.

The face smushing is odd, & obscures half the kissing but it's probably meant to demonstrate passion on her part.

I started Dr John on Viki but I'm not convinced yet

A week. But have no fear, I have my Korean grammar book & dictionary and will make good use of my time in purgatory. I think there’s a DVD player I can use for the pronunciation disk, I have real life books and, failing that, we have a large stash of wine and local beer. I can survive this. Fighting!

Fighting boatyard! ✊

I have somehow watched 6 episodes of Doctor John but I don’t think I’ll stick with it although there are a plethora of attractive doctors in it. So far so formulaic (Ji Sung does look cute with his eyes peeping out from a long fringe).

I blame boatyard for developing a habit of sub-categorising by legs now. Pony.

Bettys! 100 days my Prince! 👍👍

non boobage!

Can't vouch for legs!... All robes! 😂 😂

... not generally known for being tall... And often teased for being short... But....
jimin! 😱😍😍

😂 😂 😂 😍😱

Great research Bea! The best. 👌

Boatyard!... You're Chief Stable Manager!...

Is jimin allowed in the Racing Horse Stables then? Surely not the Pony Treking Camp? 😳

Those are Just Lovely Legs!! (maybe a new category?)

At 5'8" Jimin is still 5" taller than me

Or Dancer's Legs?

Is jimin allowed in the Racing Horse Stables then? Surely not the Pony Treking Camp?

🤣🤣

Btw thoroughly enjoyed ep 5 of Hotel del Luna
I like the addition of a new possible flirtation and regular characters. And the writers must have rubbed their hands in glee when they came up with Breakfast at Tiffany's as a way of squeezing in PP (bit sacrilegious to imagine Audrey Hepburn ever eating a Subway though)

5’8”? Pony!

YES YES YES!!!!
When The Devil Calls Your Name is coming to Viki! in 3 days