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…

Aesop They have a similarly deadpan expression too.

Here's a question for everyone (I like hello 's random questions) who was it from the first kdramas you watched that made you think 'Crikey, do all Korean men look like that? Get me on a plane now' (that last bit may just be me, I've had wine)

For me it was Song Seung Heon in Black, although after a year of dramas he has been superceded, sadly.

bettys my first drama was Boys Over Flowers and honestly no one, but dramas suddenly got better quality and everyone seemed to become more attractive in 2012/2013 and honestly Lee Jong Suk was the one who made me go 'phwoar! he's alright'

(I'm glad you like my questions, I've have tonnes because I'm a nosey buggar)

Song Seung Heon was exceptionally attractive in Black, but I think his trademark black suit/black shirt/black tie outfit in Black was a factor. The kdrama oppas are just so damn well turned out - tall , handsome, nicely proportioned, excellent grooming and lovely tailoring/knitwear. Love a man in well-fitted clothing. For the most part, their characters are well mannered too. Basically, they are lovely to watch, with the added bonus that a lot of the drama is really well written and produced.

I sense the reality is lots of very normal looking people, just like the average Brit or American does not look like a Hollywood idol. I also think the kdrama actor/actress lifestyle must be pretty gruelling, with relentless dieting, working out and long hours on set. The successful actors seem to roll straight off one production on to the next.

I sense the reality is lots of very normal looking people, just like the average Brit or American does not look like a Hollywood idol.

I saw a funny youtube blog by a Korean woman in America who said that while westerners watching kdrama think everyone looks like Lee Jong Suk, Song Seung Heon et al, she thought when she got to America everyone called Chris would be gorgeous (Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chris Pine)

I can't remember who said it, I think it might have been Lee Jun Ki, but one actor said during one period of about 3 weeka he got 45 minutes sleep every day in the van driving between productions and schedules until he fainted from exhaustion and was hospitalised. I can't imagine doing that even if I was paid well for it.

I know I’m on my own with Level Up, but the comedy of errors in ep 9 made me laugh. 🤦‍♀️😂

Hi all, nice to see some new faces here too. I'm back from a holiday.

In answer to Betty's question, Lee Jong Suk in Bonus Book. I'm slowly rationing out his other drama.🙂

Bea, glad you enjoyed the BTS movie. My dd wants to go see it and has no friends into BTS so it looks like I'm going too! I'm ahead of her in the BTS game still though so hopefully I'll enjoy the film... Though the music isn't quite to my taste.

Finished Suspicious Partner which I really enjoyed though I think watching it less often while I was away (downloaded on phone) ruined some of the momentum for me.

Finished weightlifting fairy with dd too, very sweet romance, and we've started Orange Marmalade which funnily enough has the same actor as the dad. Dd has read the webtoon/manga of this so keeps comparing the two! 😂

Planning a Korean drama marathon today as it's just us at home with ds out. Ds does not like Korean drama, though I did spot him reading a Korean webtoon recently so we might convert him yet.

ginger I remember watching Orange Marmalade and loving how silly it was. I have fond memories of it.

Something to look forward to! 😍

Had the series lined up to watch on netflix and then it disappeared! 😡

Ji kang Yong! Hmmm!

Bettys jump on a plane to South Korea? ✈️✈️...
Park Hyung Sik (sgbs) / Toasty LJS (W) / Grrr JCW! (Healer) 😍 😱😱... Even though I soooo am old enough to know better! 😭

These three have sent me down sooooo many spirals!! 😩😩😩😩😂😂😂

Bea Bad Guys is back on Netflix!
Although it has Park Hae Jin in the fit bloke role not Jang Ki Yong. Must admit it was a skippitydoodah job for me though.

Ooo! I'll have to check it out! 😂😂

I was trying to explain to DP how I find a new drama to watch and that leads to hello's question of the day. How do you decide what to watch? Especially if its something that's completely new and different?

Sometimes I’ll go with a recommendation on here but I also have the tried and tested Boaty Shuffle which is to watch the first 10-15 mins of several shows until I find one that ‘clicks’ - eg matches my mood, the writing hooks me in or the leads are very watchable. There are shows I’ve rejected on a shuffle and returned to at a later point when I was in the right mood for them.

Usually go by what Viki is featuring... or which actors ... and the recs on here of course... but I'm sticking to quite currrent stuff at the moment...however... once someone says it's not so great... I tend to not bother... e.g. I was really looking forward to The Abyss but I think the general consensus has been it's not worth it (I love Park Bo Young)... however I might still give it a go!..

recently i've found treasures due to my love for an actor... Crowned Clown (Yeo Jin Goo) / Ms Hammarubi (Kim Myung Soo) / Come and Hug Me (Ji Kang Yong) have been my most recent treasures!

I go by posts on here, but also tend to follow certain actors ( like Yeon Woo Jin hence i Wanna Hear Your Song ) and use IMDb a lot for spirals. I also read Soompi and reddit

I also find mydramalist useful for recommendations for dramas like the ones I’ve just liked
E.g. Marriage Not Dating

I like MyDramaList too. Especially as the recommendations are written by other people so you can see why it's similar.

Hi all.
I have my 13yr old neice here with me tonight and want to watch something with her, any recommendations? Only Netflix (I am on episode 5 of The Masters Son so too far

Orange Marmalade? - vampires
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok - sporty
Strong Girl Bong Soon? - bonkers

Or Love O2O (Chinese) if she is into gaming

I recommend Strong Woman Do Bong Soon too. It's the right kind of funny and light for a bit of a binge.

Some of the fighting with the gangsters in Bong Soon is a bit gory and the serial killer subplot is definitely unsettling. Depends on the 13 yr old but it’s potentially tricky.

It’s a shame you don’t have Viki - Goblin is lovely.

I am not a robot and Legend of the Blue Sea are both on Netflix and fluffy/tame enough.

13 Yr old?
I'd go with any of the above...
She was pretty (real chick flick! 😂)
Love from another star
SGBS... Agree serial killer bit a tad gory! But great for fluff too!

Come and hug me!... Finished! It was the ultimate Angst Fest!!... Fabulous! It was really gripping! Definitely in my top 10! 👍 👍 👍 👍