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…

ML in Mr Temporary is big (tall + broad of back) in the CJH mould but pony legs. He’s annoying me as the smart arse lawyer. Tell me it gets better...

On the upside, it’s great that Viki is screening OCN shows now. I hope they pull some of the other OCN content like Life on Mars in.

It may be the subs on ep 14 of WWW but I don't quite understand why SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER Morgan dumps Tammy?

You need more of a run-up to that.

RESPONSE TO SPOILER

I don’t see it as dumping. Rather he finally understood her reasons and stopped holding on for dear life. His birth mother helped him to understand that sometimes the kind or most loving act is to let go. I happen to think she’ll come back to him once the pressure is off.

Absolute Boyfriend!!!! 😱😱😱😱😱😱

What the flippity dooh dah!????

That's all I'm saying!! 😭😭😭

I got the scene with his mother being key to whole love is letting go thing, I just found the translations a bit obfuscating. So is that what he finally understood? It's all a bit too tortuous.

Really really loathe the piano teacher
Really really love the Go Gyeong and her ex-husband.
Really ADORE Seol Ji Hwan & Scarlett
Brian is fab, hard to believe he was left state councillor

Oooh Bea, haven't watched it yet, is it good?

Flippity doo-dah indeed!!!

Absolute Boyfriend... Don't want to spoil for anyone... But I see what they were trying to do... But why do it the way they did! It was very odd and boggling! 😖😏

I think you could read what you wanted into it. I looked up the ending to the original manga for clarification.

I read somewhere that Absolute Boyfriend was entirely preproduced and The Crowned Clown was actually filmed after it which explains all the wintery clothes.

I agree with you boatyards about Yoon Kyun Sang having weird proportions in Mr Temporary. I've seen him in variety shows and I swear he's not that oddly shaped normally. Either my eyes are playing tricks on me or there's some dodgey camera work/unflattering outfits happening.

I'm watching suspicious partner, which is lovely. Will have to find where you were talking about it in the threads. I'm already over half way through.

ginger what a treat! It's one of my favourites, the mentions might be a few threads back Can't wait for Grr JCW's new one, plus it's going to be on Viki yay!!

It was fairly early on - threads 1-3 are probably the best hunting grounds.

I fell asleep last night during Mr Temporary. I’m not sure if I’ll rewind/resume. The ML does nothing for me and, more problematic, actively irritates me. Every kdrama is a significant investment of time. Life’s too short for grating leads.

Agree with you on ML boatyard, haven't started Mr Temporary & not sure I will unless people say it gets really good.

Honestly though, why don't people learn that it is NEVER a good idea to go buy an umbrella when it is raining and leave the other person alone? Tsk tsk ( Absolute Boyfriend, Angel )

I'm on 2nd episode of Mr Temporary and now my interest is dwindling. I get the girls murder is going to be solved over the series but I wish they wouldn't keep introducing alluding to random 'evil' people build suspense. So far they've made about 12 people seem evil. It's exhausting keeping track of them.

Bea on the subject of umbrellas, Yeong Goo or Ma Wang Joon?

The end version of MWJ.😁.. YG is just lovely and sweet but at the end of the day... He is a robot and if be thinking... Awww! You're just programmed to do that!! 😂
I thought the umbrella thing too! 😂😂😂☔
It was a bit unsatisfactory I thought!... Why did they include that last scene with YG /Korean Beef?... Too silly! Felt a bit short changed!... And yes Reader... I blubbed (again!) but not as much as I did for Angel! 😍

Meanwhile! Help me! Help me!... I stumbled upon this and have fallen in love...

I seriously cannot fall down another Kpop Rabbit Hole!... I will resist!... But this song... ❤️❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍😍😍 And cute psychometric guy! 😂 😂

Ginger!.
Suspicious Partner!... Lucky you! It's great fun!.. I love his lawyer family! 😂 😂 😂... I think boatyard and bettys had akrady watched by the time I got round to it! 😂 😂 I was playing catch up too and now there is an unseemly tussle for Grrr JCW! 😍 😱

I wish BTS would do a studio live session like the GOT7 one! They're perfectly capable! 😂 😍😍😍💜

Bea if you ever want someone to join you in a kpop rabbit hole, I'm ready and willing. On the topic of live sessions, have you seen ikon's sero live version of goodbye road.

Bea!! You are the kpop Queen of these threads! I’ve never listened to any Got7 it’s not bad 😉 plus Psychometric Guy is a bonus 😎 I’ve been listening to a lot of Hoody, which is very upbeat

Possible Spoiler for Absolute Boyfriend
I (sadly ) have rewatched last ep umbrella bit several times and read comments and am convinced that with the black car & umbrella it is MJW and they are going to take that trip. The umbrella refers back to the beginning when it was YG who protected DaDa from the rain, but now MWJ has learnt how to care properly and has been keeping the umbrella and waiting for a chance to show it. Still annoyed like you about the Grade A beef bit 😡

Awweee Jungkook’s voice in that clip !!
lol the Guy from Hwarang is zoned out again 🤣😍

Went to a Korean restaurant last night with DH, food is amazing! Took a photo of the Kan Pung Gi (not sure of correct spelling) and assorted kimchi. Was so good I forgot to take a photo of the main! The owner was lovely, we were talking to him for ages and he kept bringing us different flavours of soju to try yum!