MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (kdrama #8)

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the Kdrama-curious. (MsLatte is a Her Private Life reference.) Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix and Viki, with a sprinkling of Dramabus (non subscription, maybe dodgy) and AmazonPrime.

The previous thread is here, but our ‘Addicts Recommend’ list below is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all previous threads.

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. supernatural, romance and a thriller; crime series with fantasy elements. 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 moments. 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
Come and Hug Me (Dramafast)
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)
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/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier
Goblin (Viki)*
I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
% Orange Marmalade (Netflix)
While You Were Sleeping (Viki)*

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - darker/more grown up themes
Black (Netflix)*
Hotel del Luna (Viki)*
Kingdom (Netflix)*
The Guest (Dramafast)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)
W (Viki & Netflix)*

Guilty Pleasures (for the joy, not the quality)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
The Last Empress (Viki)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)

Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable
Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)

Not Korean but just try it

We 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 with links to Korea who pop in from time to time to provide the context for some of the more baffling cultural references. (Although we may 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 cookery, language, film and music when the mood takes us.

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)
🥾🍑 (boot, peach) = kick up the arse to go to bed

We also abbreviate titles if they’re long, but usually only after using the full title & acronym together or an obvious abbreviation. Some favourite actors & actresses have been abbreviated for speed/efficiency, eg Lee Jong-Suk (LJS), Park Min Young (PMY), Ji Chang Wook (Ji Chang Wook) 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…

Damn! I should have added the Korean Classical Film Archive link to the OP: m.youtube.com/channel/UCvH6u_Qzn5RQdz9W198umDw

'for the joy, not for the quality' made me smile!
I'm back from my dog walk so drama time awaits me. Do I finish the dramas I need to catch up on or start Melo is My Nature?

Start Melo!

First episode of Melo 👍👍

And I admit I teared up a little 😥 I’m already loving the three main characters, plus I like the PD guy who was in Fight For My Way, seems realistic to have a ML who is not classically in the phwoar mode. In fact all the leads seem in appearance more slice of life than fiction iykwim

Thanks for starting the new thread boatyard maybe BWGM for the next one?

The third backstory and the aftermath set me off. I really like it too. Errands now, ep 2 later...

I started Melo and I think I already love it. Its a lot less 'perfect' then i thought it'd be. Especially the hallucinations, that was different but I really like it.

The hallucinations are sad, but balanced by the visuals.

Thanks for starting the new thread boatyard maybe BWGM for the next one?

Agree its definitely met the guilty pleasure threshold. Perhaps we should integrate the non-Korean picks into the main list but mark them up as Japanese, Chinese/Taiwanese etc. I find the Netflix Mandarin stuff harder to label because they don’t list country of origin & unless it’s dead obvious its set in Taiwan/Taipei, I don’t recognise the Chinese cities or place names.

I'd probably be able to tell the difference but that's based purely on the speech pattern and city names. If you ever need something placing, give us a shout and I'll try my best!

Plus it's another excuse to watch more dramas. Only for research purposes of course!

Of course.

Agree to incorporating m & tdrama but flagging them as to language.

Wowser! New thread!... Thanks Boatyard!

Melo sound good and I've seen a few positive Tumblr posts on it!

.. But I'm not multiple watching (sometimes I've had 5 on the go!! 😱😱) until I've finished Rookie and watcher! And Hotel Del Luna (she says with a dramatic clenched fist!)... Still away... So normal watching pattern (hunker down on sofa at 7pm and stay up as long as it takes!!) is completely nonexistent at the moment! 😂 😂

I'm watching Hotel del Luna as I type and DP is actually watching it with me. I'm keeping a tally of how many times I hear 'who's that?', 'what's happening?', and 'is that a ghost too?!' Were up to 8 and its been 5 minutes.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

not seen this ep yet but came across this clip!... It made me larf and larf! 💜💜💜💜💜😍😍😍😍

hello Hotel del luna is prob a good one for the uninitiated or reluctant!... 😂... IU is just gorgeous to look at!... For everyone and the quality of it is super! And it's just unique all round! 😂 😂

I've literally just watched that bit. I did have a giggle! Does make me question why it's always bts though. I get they're well recognised but surely so are exo, or blackpink. Seems a sure fire way to get peoples attention though.

I’ve paused Melo to comment on the three way lunch meeting at the TV station between the writer, her boss and the awful director. It was batshit in the best possible way and her inner monologue was brilliant. The negging reminded me of one of DH’s uni housemates who we gradually ghosted, well, until it went totally off piste in the canteen.

Korean food hallyu! BBQ belly pork for breakfast? Max out your sodium and carbs? Where can I sign up for the Melo FL’s alternate reality?

Guests left at noon today, DH left at 3 :30 for airport as he's away now for 5 nights with work.

I've signed up for VIKI!

Already I started Hotel Luna and Melo but have decided to persevere with let's eat as after 7 episodes it's a commitment right?!

The subs on VIKI are longer so I have to read a little quicker, I'm sure it will get easier with time.

Go Aesops!!!! Park Let’s Eat & go back to it later. You are in for a treat with Viki. Add Her Private Life to the top of your list - it’s such good fun.

Five nights to fill yer boots? You jammy mare!

High Five Aesops !! ✋

Melo has jumped to the top of my on air favourites. I like it’s slightly batshit edge

OK, Hello-style here’s my question: in the same vein as our oppa pub guest list (selection based on agreeable/entertaining company as much as the visuals), which 3 kdrama writing teams would you invite out for an evening at the pub?

Her Private Life It is then Boatyard
I've cracked open a bottle of red wine. No work tomorrow

Will I ever watch English speaking shows again?