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…

Oooh. Will definitely try this one: kimchimari.com/gungjung-tteokbokki-rice-cake-stir-fry-with-soy-sauce/

That recipe does look good!

Hmmmm I’m feeling that Watcher has gone off the boil too. I can’t seem to settle to anything tonight!!

I've not settled too... There must be something in the air... After surfing around and watching bts on YouTube... I'm settling into ep2 of hotel Del Luna..

Also unsettled. Hence the Mandarin wormhole.

Ooh in case you’ve ever wondered what the dramas are on the Viki sting here’s the answer!

That r/KDRAMA link is gold.This OP made me chuckle:

I think most of us started watching kdramas when looking for an alternative to what's done in the U.S or U.K in terms of romance, action, and fantasy. I know this may sound silly but for the past year, I only watched kdramas, not a single episode from American TV Shows or the ones made in my country. I kinda feel burned out, but I simply can't stop watching. "I will just finish this one and then I will stop for a while," I tell myself, even though I know it's not true.

www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/cd83i1/people_who_took_a_break_from_kdramas_how_long_did/

Own up. Which one of you posted this? 😉

😂 😂 😂... I thought I'd only started watching around Dec 18... But whilst trying to sort out my viki settings last night... My membership started Aug last year!! 😂 😂 😂 I've almost been watching a year! I think exclusively... I've been watching since new year! Time flies! 😂 😂... How come I'm not fluent yet?

Subs are already up for Mr Temporary so it looks like my evening is sorted

I know its over 12 months for me because I watched Live on holiday on my laptop and that was my 3rd kdrama. I am wondering about watching some other subtitled TV for a break, perhaps some Brazilian stuff or Spanish language Latin American to mix things up. If modern Brazilian TV is anything like the stuff we saw visiting friends in Portugal in the 80s there will be lots of tiny outfits/bikinis and beautiful men and women.

I've been watch kdramas an embarrassingly long time. I watched Boys Over Flowers just as it finished airing. It must've been 2009. Oh gosh. 10 years of kdramas. I'm just going to hide in a corner and be ashamed.

You should hereafter be referred to as Sunbae Hello.

More importantly, are you fluent yet?

You'd think I'd be fluent after 10 years but alas, my reading and listening is better than speaking but I rarely have the chance to practice.

I've been watching since the World Cup last year, so jus over 12 months now. Hardly ever watch english language tv now. May watch Stranger Things on Netflix, but the thought of going back to what I used to watch doesn't appeal and BBC 4 have been a little lacklustre lately with the foreign language stuff. Might watch some French stuff, there's a new series of Spiral, and at least I can speak that.

I've just watched On Your Wedding Day (film, dramafast) with racehorse legs Kim Young Kwan and titchy Park Bo Young. Some very frank and funny moments re teenage masturbation which was refreshing after cdrama. Realistic about relationships, and rather poignant. Recommend.

Great film recommendation, Betty. I’m feelling the need for more grown up discussion after IHY. I need to work harder on not getting sucked in to crap cdramas because I tend to tough it out to the bitter end once I’ve started.

I've seen a Swedish comedy series on Netflix reccomended on here this morning. I might have a look at that at some point.

Will have to check out that film. I've been longing for some films to watch lately. I think I've been series-ed out lately.

I really rate Korean cinema, it's less censored than dramas and seems more fresh somehow than a lot of current english language stuff. Reminds me of French cinema somehow.

do you have any recommendations for korean films bettys?

Racehorse Legs Kim Young Kwan has just signed up for another film... Action genre... Mission Possible... 😁

Divine Fury out soon...! PSJ

Juror 8 looked nice and grown up.. (Park hyung sik! 😍😍)

Films I have enjoyed: Some them may need to be hunted down

Red Carpet : (Netflix) comedy about the porn industry

Spellbound: Lee Min Ki as a magician who enrols a girl who can see ghosts into his act. Funny & spooky

Midnight Runners : Park Seo Joon & Kang Ha Neul as rookie cops. Action

Amor Fati: Missing You : (Amazon Prime) Jung Hyung Ko coming to terms with loss. Sad

Fasten Your Seatbelt : Jung Hyung Ko in a disaster farce about a plane

The Princess and The Matchmaker : Sageuk does what it says on the tin. Bloke from Korean Odyssey. Rather sweet.

Witch: The Subversion : recommended by Cheshire. Violent thriller

The Wailing : (Amazon Prime) Creepy. Actually not sure enjoyed is the right word for this one

Train to Busan : (Amazon Prime) Excellent cast - Gong Yoo, Choi Woo Sik, Jung Yu-Mi, Ma Dong-Seok. Zombies galore.

On Your Wedding Day : Kim Young Kwang & Park Bo Young. Poignant, funny reflections on relationship. Jokes about masturbation so don't watch with teenagers

Antique Bakery : Slight but charming film about 4 men running a bakery. Notable for Kim Jae Wook as a gay of demonic charm

Fabricated City : game orientated thriller with Grrr JCW

The Beauty Inside : about a man whose face changes every day. Lat year's eponymous drama was based on the film. Lots of gorgeous young men in it.

I couldn't finish VIP with Lee Jong Suk it was too grisly.

On my list to watch & would be interested to know what others thought:

The Host
Oldboy
Drug King
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance

This Guardian article is interesting and links to the website where you can stream Korean films for free
Korean Classic Film

Has anyone watched My Lovely Girl on Viki? I see it has L (Angel Dan) in the main cast.

Never seen it but I know the main three cast members are all idols. Rain, Krystal from f(x) and obviously L. I vaguely remember reviews saying it had bad acting but never heard much more than that.

Rookie Historian.. Netflix! 😂 😂 😂 A bit crackers!.. Not Hwrang crackers... But more hwrang than Crowned Clown.. But it's drawing me in nonetheless... Engaging FL...! 😂

Bea I read that Cha Eunwoo has been criticised for his bad acting. Are people justified in their criticism or are they just mad an idol is on TV again?

I’m having a Kim Young Kwan spiral & watching Room No. 9
It’s a bit convoluted with a body swap between a convict and a lawyer, and a past murder case, but it’s trotting along quite well. I like the twist that the FL is a bitch & the convict nice. Also has Crazy Kang in the flashback sequences.