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…

Betty's I will definitely check out the film.
I think Im a bit averse to emotionally unavailable men. Eg in Wok of Love I much preferred the Gangster bloke over Jun Ho despite his slightly wonky teeth.

I am definitely waiting on the subs for Melo because the dialogue is so brilliant and snappy, it would be criminal to jump the gun. Can’t believe its been stuck at 3% all evening. 😡

On a separate note, a friend told me that you can trick Netflix into showing you content for other regions if you have a VPN. Has anyone tried Viki with a VPN to get at the restricted content?

Dunno where or when it will be airing boatyard but possibly Netflix soompi article

TheGirl did you manage to watch Wok of Love all the way through?? I so wanted to like it but didn't't manage to stick it out

according to my online sleuthing, it works but I can't find a full list of the unaccessible dramas so I don't know if it's worth testing.

Also waiting for subs on Melo because the dialogue is just so good...

I don't understand how VPN works but can usually find stuff on other sites though there may be commercials like on dramafast (but not boobage)

I don’t have one, but I understand that you can pick which country’s server(s) you want to route your activity through session to session so it allows you to pretend you are in S Korea, for example. There’s loads of KJW stuff on Viki, for example, that’s restricted (eg Voice). You can see where I’m going with this...

Voice is available on dramafast if you can sit through the random commercials they have. I'll join you if you are going to watch it. Nothing to do with the combination of Jang Hyuk & HH KJW oh no why would that be a temptation...it's OCN so prob not a barrel of laughs.

I am enjoying Behind Your Smile. It's not up there with BWGM though which in the end was more about finding yourself than finding shades of grey

Nothing to do with the combination of Jang Hyuk & HH KJW oh no why would that be a temptation...it's OCN so prob not a barrel of laughs.

Same here. My interest in this show has absolutely nothing to do with Jang Hyuk and HH KJW starring. Nope. Nothing. Nada.

Betty's I did watch it all. It was a bit of a slog. I felt most sorry for the v neglected talking horse

TheGirl I felt most sorry for the v neglected talking horse

That has to be the best reason I’ve come across for not skipping a drama 🤣🤣

Ha totally!

I've got a two 4 hour drives and a family event today. I'm the only driver too so no dramas even if I wanted too. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some before bed if I'm not too tired!
Will be waiting to hear the wonders of your drama viewing today!

Morning all, I snuck an episode of Coffee prince last night after everyone retired (not sure yet if I will persevere but it normally takes me 2 episodes to judge)

When is Melo going to be subbed?? Not sure I like having to wait each week so may stick pile a few!

DD brought this back from supermarket- apart from Kimchi can you recommend any other uses?

putting in ramen and stew is always a good call, marinades is another one. I don't know much more than that really.

I love the Youtube cookery channel of Maangchi if you want some recipes.

DD brought this back from supermarket- apart from Kimchi can you recommend any other uses?

Spicey ricey. I don’t know the proper Korean name for it, but a kind of cha han thing where you stir fry left over rice with veggies, gochugan and meat/seafood and serve it with a fried egg on top.

I used it in chilli con carne this week because I was out of smoked paprika and chipotle flakes. We also use it in ramen.

Aesops Coffee Prince is worth watching for the visuals ie His Hotness Kim Jae Wook who plays the waffle cook. Although before not too long you will be shouting SHE'S A BLOODY GIRL YOU EEJIT!!! It's a classic old style kdrama.

With Gochugang I put a little bit in to the pancake batter when I make Korean pancakes, and also with Korean fried chicken.

hello that sounds like a long day what a lot of driving! I find I get twitchy if I don't restore myself with kdrama, kind of like when I used to read books avidly. Poor Bea I wonder how she's holding up?

gAH Melo is still only on 16% grumble grumble chiz chiz

kind of like when I used to read books avidly

Another lapsed reader here.

Still ploughing on with Behind Your Smile. I love that Farmboy has smartened up for his blind date with a shirt and tie, but completes the outfit with a stonewashed denim jacket. 👌

Hi, i have 2 options of thriller drama . "voice" and "partner for justice" . Is there anyone have watched both of these drama? Which one better?

Haven't seen either, but Voice gets a higher Viki rating and has better visuals in my opinion
It's on my list, I may divert from Behind The Smile which is trundling along okay but not gripping

Hi Justsomebody. Glad you made it across to the new thread. Helloswellow may be able to give better on advice on your potential picks, but she said upthread she’ll be offline today doing real life stuff. I looked at the cast for Voice & nw I want to watch it too.

Behind the Mask is succeeding in having one of the most uncomfortable, awkward work meals ever (Xmas celebration in ep 8).

Crikey you’re on ep 8? I’m lagging behind on 4, does it perk up a bit or should I jump ship to Voice ?

Although before not too long you will be shouting SHE'S A BLOODY GIRL YOU EEJIT!!! It's a classic old style kdrama.

We spent most of Oh my venus saying 'she's not even that fat!' And on the recent on Beautiful Gong Shim asking 'Why does she wear that wig?! Her natural hair is perfect!' Its kind of fun though.