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…

The Girl I absolutely agree with you about the ending of Cheese in the Trap except I am team Jung Yoo!

I also want to know what the other 6 dramas are on Hellos list!

Oh sorry hellos list!

Phew! I’m struggling to think of anything really racy. There are random scenes that are sexually charged (e.g. the scene at the quayside in Because This Is My First Life, the FL flirting with Park Morgan in WWW) but I’m struggling to think of anything more overt than BWGM.

Ah yes, In Need of Romance 2012 (Netflix) had a lot of sex in it because ML and FL had homes with interconnecting doors and a very active FWB arrangement. ML was fit too. 👌

Also, The Package - raunchier than your average kdrama.

I will say its not a comprehensive list, it's just ones I remember for some reason or another.

On there is; Misty (Korean), Addicted (Chinese, gay relationship), Sounds of the Desert (Chinese, historical drama), Eternal Love (Chinese, high fantasy, the man is always ready for sex and they end up making a baby), My PS Partner (Korean, has Ji Sung in it) and probably Secret Love Affair (Korean), or maybe Devil Beside You (Chinese)

Most of them are actually mediocre at best, the only reason I remember them are steamy kisses or risqué scenes, although none are as natural seeming as the one in BWGM

The ML/FL’s kiss in the doorway to evade Japanese troops in Chicago Typewriter was well done.

As a warning, I'd stay away from Addicted because the relationship was largely abusive in nature. Not physically but there was a definite power imbalance caused by money which was exploited and a fair bit of coercion.

Teacake agreed. It always annoys me how the 'ugly' girls are pretty and the 'fat' girls are v slim. But the sentiment that personality is more important than looks and money is good.

Just finished Pinocchio which has a lot about how truth is important and lies are a burden, but also the ever present obligation to family. I suppose if you consider how important family is it makes the FL and 2ML standing up against mothers more impressive.

It's hard to understand why FL and ML stop dating for over a year because of families wishes though.

Writing that list reminded me of this scene from My PS Partner, I don't think it'll spoil anything (but make your own call) It should give you a giggle. Plus Ji Sung singing.

The scene with PSJ & PMY in WWWSK is quite raunchy for kdrama; in fact most of Park Min Young's scenes have good chemistry eg her and HH KJW in Her Private Life (except they woke up in ridiculous pyjamas - who on earth would insist that HH KJW puts pyjamas on?)

hello!!!!!
😱😱😱🤣🤣🤣
That had me laughing out loud!
(And Ji Sung can sing!)

I was surprised on a second view to notice that the director/ML in Melo is in pretty good shape in his workout. They dress him like a bigger man in baggy shirts & trousers, but he looks quite toned.

The second funniest thing after the lyrics to that Ji Sung clip is YouTube pulling up a Susan Boyle clip as the ‘next up’. 😂

bettys there's a scene in the first 5 minutes that essentially just porn, with Ji Sung in. obviously no dangly bits to be seen but I'll never be able to live down watching the film and DP walking in and as he did a woman's boobs flashed on screen.

boatyards the directors face is really familiar and I can't place him. he is in really good shape though! I agree with the over dressing him too.

The director in Melo was the 2ML best friend in Fight For My Way.

Off to source Ji Sung in My PS Partner now then.....

I had the kiss scene from Introverted Boss as the 'next up' on Youtube

Off to source Ji Sung in My PS Partner now then.....

Yeah, hello that was the equivalent of a stealth brag. “OMG, I was mortified, it was so filthy..” trans. “It was filthy and there’s a lot of Ji Sung on show. This way >”

I had the kiss scene from Introverted Boss as the 'next up' on Youtube

Well, that’s quite disturbing. My algorithm is clearly fucked.

thank you bettys
its on dramacool, I might be rewatching a few bits of it. research purposes and all.

How could we forget Red Carpet in this discussion? A significant chunk of it is based around the adult film industry & it does not flinch from the tooic.

you're right boatyards! lt seems there's more sex and steaminess then we think.

Ah My Ps Partner is a film as is Red Carpet

Bloody hell it is raunchy!!!! I’m not used to see Ji Sung like that, and boobs! In yer face boobage!!

I should've specified, sorry! It is out of character for him, but it also have some more emotional lovable bits. Not all boobs, in your face boobs. Definitely raunchy though.

Well, that was an interesting detour with all sorts of pop-ups and redirects. My phone probably has an STD now, but it was worth it. That looks more generally grown up than your average drama with a lot of swearing etc.

And, back to drippy Lei whatserface and the world’s least realistic working farm evah...

I have no idea how that farm ever turned a profit. There never seemed to be any substantial number of animals on it, or any tractors that I can recall.