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…

I think we all are Bea. I love her but also want to be her. It's a tough life.

This is the one show I’m most cross about not having access to. Have the finale subs budged from 91% over the last couple of days?

I loved it when Tami exacted her revenge for being screwed over by Unicon, and that she called Scarlett for a hand.

boatyard they are sitting pretty at 100% now awaiting your return

Good news!

There's one episode of my Chinese drama Go Go Squid left and the subbers who have been getting episodes done in an hour are now taking 6 hours to get it to 5%. I know they're volunteers but how could they do this to me, it's the last episode!

Heeeelp! Heeeelp! Have fallen down Jang Ki Yong SPIRAL! 😳😭😭😭😭

After staying up late to watch WWW last night /this morning... (ahem! 😳)... Did a bit if surfing for lovely Park Morgan (JKY) and came across the delicious angst ridden trauma fest that is Come Here And Hug Me on non boobage site... 😩😱

It has that Just Between Lovers / He Is Psychometric feel of.... Trying to get over horrendous past trauma with angst guilt ridden feel of having a psycho murderer in the family... Have dipped my toes in and its deffo going on to watch list!.👍👍👍.. And... bettys !... Have checked it out and is worth sticking with... No Bummer Ending! (NBE) 😁👍👌😂

click here for Angst Fest!

Ooooh thanks Bea it’s going on my list!

Up until the wee hours for me too last night with 1% of Something It’s wrist grabby nonsense but when the ML gets grabby FL kicks him in the shins so all good 🤣 I’m having to watch later eps on a non boobage site as Viki haven’t got all the subs out. Decorating is a lot slower today due to lack of sleep but my excuse is I need to finish before all subs for JKH drama is out, hopefully tonight 🤞

There's just not enough time in the day!....This is a terrible addiction.....

but I love it!!!!!!!!!!

I would weep if I hadn’t already sweated out every available drop of moisture in my body, so I will quietly melt in a sad fashion instead. Only 2 more sleeps until I have superfast broadband again. 😄

Boatyard!...Think of it as a detox and refresh!....annnnd breathe!

DH and I discovered a well-stocked drinks cabinet earlier looking (unsuccessfully) for DVDs. We are now having a tasting session. There’s some weird local hooch in there, but also gin, rum, brandy and two types of anise. 👍

Hic!! 😂 😂 😂

Cheers! I’ve been on the plum soju as an accompaniment to When The Devil Calls Your Name - which had me hooked in the first five minutes with a flopsy haired JKH in a white shirt conducting an orchestra 😍😈

sounds like I'm missing out on a right old knees up here

I watched 41 episodes of a drama for it to end on a massive open end with no hopes of a second season. I could cry. Would I be unreasonable to by the novel it's based on and see if that's got an actual conclusion?

Hello!... What drama was this!... I hate unsatisfactory endings!!... Thus the reason why I sometimes do a little "background" reading! 😂😂😂

It was Go Go Squid, a really promising Chinese drama about esports, University and love. Spent 41 episodes building up to a world championship that they never even showed.

I'm still disgruntled. I've found the original novel online so I'm going to see if that gives a better ending. If not I'm just going to be annoyed at the screenwriters.

It was Go Go Squid, a really promising Chinese drama about esports, University and love. Spent 41 episodes building up to a world championship that they never even showed.

😮 That’s appalling!

hello I hate that too! I will be avoiding Go Go Squid then, it’s tough when that happens with an on air drama so you can’t do a sneaky Bea & check out the ending

If not I'm just going to be annoyed at the screenwriters

That’ll teach ‘em 🤣🤣

the annoying thing is the scriptwriter is the one who wrote the novel. it was their one demand when someone bought the rights to the book. did they do it on purpose? maybe its just genius marketing to get people to buy the book?

Ooops I thought I’d finish off my Kim Young Kwan spiral with Sweet Stranger & Me (Dramafast) as it looked fluffy tosh so would be able to stop it & get on with the decorating .... but.....aaargh ..... I’ve been sucked in!
Two pairs of racehorse legs (KYK & 2ML the vampire baddy from Scholar WWTN ) , a preposterous plot, hateable 2FL, mysterious goings on with gangsters & stepfather. I should be slapping paint on the walls but am going to have another cup of tea and the next episode

Alternative title to Sweet Stranger & Me is The Man Living In Our House

Tried watching Bromance Tdrama on Viki last night and reeled away in horror .