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…

Squeeel!! GRR JCW is back!!

Although I'm still not!! I'm going to have soooo much to catch up on! 😂 😭👍

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.

It has a dedicated vet too! For about 10 cows!

Aw My PS PArtner is raunchy but rather sweet! And the writing stops it from being just rude but funny and clever too. And Ji Sung, goodness me I had previously thought his eyes were his best feature.....

Ji Sung's puffy eyes will always be something special but his body is next level. I do think it goes from 'wow sexy' to 'aww sweet' really well. It's definitely one of the better ones.

boatyard isn't that the dream job? vet to a small number of relatively healthy cows. plus the pay must be good, even with so few patients.

Honestly, I have no idea why I’m still watching this shit (Behind Your Smile).

🥾🍑 myself

I’ve only got 40 minutes left of Ji Sung & his nortiness but it’s going to have to be a 🥾🍑 for me too

Well My PS Partner aka Whatcha Wearin' turned out to be a rather sweet romance although not one to watch with teenagers Films are definitely more frank about sex than dramas.

May do the boat shuffle on the rest of hellos list for, you know research purposes

I'll be honest Sound of the Desert looks like it was filmed in the 90s and is a bit pants. Devil Beside You has a weird relationship which then becomes step siblings so it's eh. I loved Eternal Love but it was slow going and high fantasy is always a little bit tough to get into.

Best of all, I know I've watched Misty but can I remember anything about it other than a few kiss scenes and a vague plot? Absolutely not

I see the first two episodes of The Great Show are up on Viki fully subtitled with him off Black starring. I might have to move to a sofa elsewhere in the house as DS2 has commandeered the TV and is watching a very annoying animated series.

Sounds good, I need a break from Voice as it is so dark and tense. HH KJW has finally appeared in ep 8

Betty - Is HH KJW hawt in any role or are there limits? That is the question.

Boatyard he is hawt to look at definitely (fit af)....but unlikeable in this.

I find Voice interesting because its one of few dramas to get a second and third season. Jang Hyuk is only in the first one though.
hello's of the evening, which drama do you wish there was a second season of? would it be to tie up loose ends or just to continue the story?

Hello - Because This Is My First Life, Prison Playbook, Her Private Life, WWW and - on current evidence - probably Melo too. I really like all of the characters and I want to see more of their lives. I’m not even bothered about a lot of story. Witty dialogue, pleasing visuals and to be a fly on the wall/a slice of life would do me.

Voice reminds me a little of Prime Suspect in its early days. Strong FL, innovative story, tense, very fast paced.

Dramas I wish had a 2nd season:
Stranger - just loved the main characters
Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo - just a special to wrap up the story

I'm actually surprised how few there are, I guess because generally the stories are wrapped up neatly. Someone will probably suggest an obvious one I've missed. Procedurals where there is a team of characters like Voice are suited for extra seasons. Love Alarm & kINGDOM ARE VERY FRUSTRATING WITH THE netflix 8 episode tease.

I'd love a follow up to Moon Lovers. It's still my favourite historical drama to date.
I think I'd like a follow up to BWGM too. Just to see if they would end up together or if the FWB/one time thing was really it.

Because This Is My First Life, Prison Playbook, Her Private Life, WWW and - on current evidence - probably Melo too.

I thought of those but not sure there'd be enough of a story (I get what you mean about just wanting to see how they get on in their lives though)
WWW and Melo would work because of the story potential in the workplace, but I wouldn't want to see the carefully built up relationships get spoilt through the need to create stupid plot lines (viz so many US sitcoms)

Hello - Behind Your Smile is maddening. They crack the USB and then head off to go stargazing leaving it in the laptop in an unlocked/open office? When the triads and some very dodgy people are willing to bump people off to get at it? 🙄 Bloody muppets! 🤦‍♀️

This feels more like a year 6 writing project than a professional job.

On Behind Your Smile I have just skipped from episode 4 to 19 and am rather glad I didn't watch the 15 episodes between

'oh no who stole this incredibly important thing that I left lying around in plain sight with no protection, not even locking the doors or turning the lights off' seems to be common in dramas when in the real world, I lock my front door and double check it twice even though I've got nothing worth taking

I’m so nearly there (in ep 18/19) but I’m weighing up the sunk costs over whether or not to waste another 2 hours of my life to finish it properly. I think the AppleTV box may be the answer as it previews scenes in a thumbnail as you ffwd. That way I can do a Betty/Bea approved skippedy-do-da.

Decisions decisions....
I have started The Great Show which is quite good, and Him Off Black is very fine although I kind of wish he was in his Black get-up

I have started The Great Show which is quite good, and Him Off Black is very fine although I kind of wish he was in his Black get-up

Oh I agree. I loved his black suit, black shirt and black tie combo. He’s only standard good looking in a white shirt.

Right! I'm back!!
Need to catch up on...
Rookie Historian
Watcher
Hotel del luna...

What is the current fave?... What should I be lining up!?
Seen lots about Melo on Tumblr...

How are is everything in kdrama land ?!