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…

There's only 5 episodes left and so much that's got to be worked out. Kefei's almost boyfriend Baiyang hasn't reappeared so if he does, it'll be rushed. The reason for Kuehan and Ziyuans relationship breakdown hasn't been explored and I'd love an explanation for why she insists they need to be together because he promised her mom. Is her mom dead? Or is it because they were supposedly engaged so it's a 'look after my daughter if you want to marry her' thing? There's just so much that's been left hanging.

I’m not bothered so much about all those loose ends. What I’m wondering is are they ever going to deliver on the steamy credits, or do we need to start sharpening our pencils for a letter to trading standards? Thus far, it’s been Han Kefei doing all the heavy lifting. I’m starting to wonder if we’ve been had.

The preview for next week sees a shirt button being undone in the most delicate way. Surely if you've been that ready to climb him like a tree, you forgo the buttons?

Rookie Historian isn't soo bad... If you ignore the "trying to be funny stuff" it's got a good storyline!.. I'm drawn in! But only 2 eps on netflix! Booo!

Meh. I’ll believe it when I see it. For all we know, she’s asked him to check an insect bite.

I've got images now of sexy music, slow camera movement, lingering touches heavy breathing and then out of nowhere 'I've got a really itchy shoulder, can you just have a quick look please'

The opening credits have been very cleverly edited, some of the clips have already been seen. I am definitely hoping for steaminess next week or may have to give up (I won’t really I am hooked)
On a side note, that is the oddest shower scene I have ever seen. Hand held & either he is v tall (he’s not) or the shower rose is absurdly low. Felt like they’d run out of budget.
Loathe 321 now

I thought Weiwei nailed it with her withering put down (aaprox.) “you didn’t tell me you were taking a job in Shanghai for 6 months, so why would you tell me you finished packing?” Burn! 🔥🔥🔥

Thing is, I still don’t get the crap boyfriend binary bind that she’s in. Shitty 321 or grabbyhands Kehuan. Other men are available. Glad we got a chance to appreciate the office gossip’s strong visuals, if only fleetingly. actually, thinking about it, two bonkers shower scenes in one episode is pretty special.

I couldn't figure out the shower either. Was he trying to make it look like he wasn't crying? Give himself a cold shower because he got a bit excited? Can't help but think his body must've been freezing either way.

I think 321 is just as bad, if not worse than Mr Handsy. If a man decided to plan his entire life without me, tell me big decisions after the fact and postpone a wedding for no real reason. He'd be gone, and I'd keep the nice house I got a huge discount on too.

I’m pretty sure Kehuan was supposed to be crying in the shower, but I guess we’ll never know. Seems like a fairly macho culture.

Junho... On Korea SNL... A W Parody! 😂 😂 😂 No eng subs... But you get the gist!

The cinderella sketch is quite silly too 😂😂😂and that's got subs! Didn't realise idols could be this naughty! 😂😂😂😂
[[https://youtu.be/cRZMtorkXbM

I just finished ep 4 of Watcher. Who is Kim Jae Myung? I can’t remember, but it must be significant.

Ignore my last Q. It’s answered at the start of ep 5.

Boatyard!... That's early morning kdrama watching!! 😂

I can't watch Watcher without think they need to turn some bloody lights on. Everythings so dark. I get its supposed to add to the ambiance but I just want to be able to fully see what's happening.

I often wake up at the same time at the weekends as I do for work in the week. Rather than disturb DH (sleeping in), I’ve started taking my headphones to bed with me so I can crack in some more kdrama if I wake up stupidly early. Today being one of those days...

😂 😂... My drama watching fangirling is kept to evenings mostly..
Thus the late night trawling YouTube for junho clips! ❤️😍

Back home, kicks off pumps & settles down with a cup of tea to watch BWGM for the 2nd time but with added subs 😎

I cannot believe you watched BWGM without subs, Betty. It’s hard enough sitting through it once!

Apart from my early morning Watcher binge, it’s all crappy life admin. No time for kdrama. 😞

I got a sudden spure of motivation to strip the hideous wallpaper in the bedroom so no drama for me. Hoping I'll fit some in if I ever find my way out of this damask-y hell hole

I wanted to know if anything exciting was about to happen so I watched it ffwrding (paused at the shower scenes for SAOR )

321's behaviour is appalling - he says he's buggering off for 6 months & postponing the wedding & still tries to have it away. I take it her mention of preparing for sex meant some kind of birth control (cap?) I really want her to run away with Mr Handsy at this point, at least he's more fun and actually there.

I'd hope it was for some sort of birth control. Who'd want a baby with a man like him. He couldn't cope with a baby's lack of awareness for your plans.

And Kehuan's ex is just hateful , emotionally blackmailing Weiwei into keeping her on as wedding planner. Love that Han Kefei tells it like it is.