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 haven't watched the most recent ep of WWW but the blue clutch the actor gave Scarlet in the one before was beautiful. I want it, even if I have no need for it.

Because This is my First Life is in my top ten, just love it!

I still haven't watched last week's as the subs took so long, but have seen the Scarlett/actor bits and desperately want them to get together but it's taking so looooooong!!

Am reaaallly enjoying Love O2O at the moment

I'm sure the clutch brand name will be obvious somewhere It was very nice I wouldn't mind one either

bettys I'm really glad you're like Love O2O how far have you gotten?

Hi. I haven’t posted on this thread before but have been getting into kdrama. I just finished One Spring Night which I enjoyed - and also watched Descendents of the Sun and Romance Is a bonus book when I was off sick. I have watched half of Mr Sunshine but got a bit bored so having a rest. What else might I like in similar genre/ feel?

helloswellow I'm on ep 16. I'm not a gamer but now I'm into the story I get it a bit more. The main couple are very sweet (although I keep thinking her arms are very very slender and might break if she picks up something heavy)

Hello Brambly!! If you liked One Spring Night you will also like Something In The Rain, I'm sure boatyard will endorse that one as well. If you look through the list there are loads more we recommend on Netflix

Hi Brambly and welcome! Definitely Something in the Rain if you enjoyed One Spring Night, as its made by the same team, has the same ML, same Mum and the naughty younger sister is FL’s sarcastic (in a good way) colleague in SITR. If you like stuff that’s more grounded in reality then Prison Playbook is good (also has Jung Hae In in ripped, hawt body mode) or Live, which is a relationship (of all kinds) driven police procedural/coming of age series.

Bea! Bea! I think I Hear You is Cantonese. The ML just reeled off some technical spiel and FL said: “Are you talking Mandarin? I didn’t understand a word of it!” Are you able to check the trailer?

bettys ooh half way through. I'm just so glad they weren't as heavy handed with the gaming scenes after the first few episodes. It would've made me cry. I like them but sometimes the CGI was so bad, especially the bosses they were fighting.

boatyard I'm not Bea but I've just checked it out and I'm 98% sure it's Mandarin. I'm happy to be told I'm wrong though.

I finally finished Because This Is My First Life and I blubbed. HoRang and WonSeok were just the cutest couple. I think Kim Minseok always picks good dramas to be in. He always seems to fall perfectly into the role.

Thanks boatyard. I’ll check them both out.

boatyard I'm not Bea but I've just checked it out and I'm 98% sure it's Mandarin. I'm happy to be told I'm wrong though.

If that’s the case I would be heartily relieved because it sounds exactly like Mandarin. I was doubting my powers of observation and was wondering whether the difference was so subtle as to be indistinguishable.

Please tell me the kissing scenes get better in Love O2O So far she stands rigid & unmoving with eyes either wide open or squinched shut while he kisses as best he can (doesn’t seem to bother him 🤷‍♀️). Even in her own personal dream sequence this is what happens. Is this typical maidenly virtue in mandodramas?

😂 😂 😂... I Hear You is indeed Mandarin!... It's got all the shhhh and errrrrr sounds!.. Shame! I really should put more effort into finding something Cantonese so I can become truly proficient! (highly unlikely!)

Only two more eps of Wok Of Love to go.. To be truthful only really watching for the Lovely Junho 😍😍😍😍... Though it has become much more interesting and pacier in the final few eps!

Hotel Del Luna looks visually stunning going by the Tumblr posts I've seen so far! 👌❤️

The Defected
In cantonese!... Just did quick Google search and had a listen and already picked out the Cantonese for Doctor! Very pleased with myself!
Have no idea if it's any good... Be interested to know if anyone can hear the difference between mandarin and Cantonese.. 😊

I will have a look later, Bea, because I’m genuinely curious. My German friend asked me once which sounds set German apart from English and we agreed the hard stop ‘scht....’ sound (as in Stefan) was the most obvious. I will listen for similar differences with Cantonese.

When do we get Hotel del Luna and is it on Viki or Netflix?

Cantonese has 6 tones instead of 4 so sounds more musical to my ears. It also has more 'mmh' sounds and ends with a lot more 'ahh' sounds compared to mandarin with ends in 'errr' a lot. They largely do away with 'shhh' sounds and replace them with 'juh' sounds.

I got pretty far with Mandarin and then tried to learn Cantonese because 'they use the same characters it won't be too hard'. More fool me.

boatyard Hotel Del Luna is on Viki. Subs seem pretty quick too.

bettys the kissing is largely awful. I think he calms down though and she levels up to his passion.

Whoop whoop!! Hotel del Luna here we come!

Damn it! I have work today and decorating tonight. 😕

Right!...
Finish Wok of Love! 👋👍
Watch Watcher with Dh.. Ep3 and 4!...😍👍👍

Then! Hotel Del Luna! Woo hoo! Sorted! 😂

I was a little bit disappointed with Watcher. I don't know what is wrong with it though. On paper, it's everything I love but there's just something that is getting in the way of me enjoying it.

Hotel del Luna so far 👍⭐️

(To paraphrase Bea)

Right!.....
Hotel del Luna ✔️
Catch up with Watcher 😉
Catch up with rest of WWW 😊
Continue with Love O2O and hope the kissing improves 🙈

....and Melting Me Softly is coming to Viki!!!! Woo hoo GRrrr JCW 😍

I’m now caught up with Hotel del Luna. I liked it well enough, but I didn’t love it. Something is missing for me, but I can’t put my finger on what.