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…

Hi Bea! Melo is where it’s at - start there.

Yes Bea Melo is where the fun is right now.

I might add Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency to my to watch list, I'm hoping it's takes a funny route but with a name like that I doubt it'd be too serious.

Super duper!! 👍👍

Second season...
Strong Girl Bong Soon.... Continue where they just get everything straightened out... (not the married and babies bit!)... They decide to fight crime... He bank rolls and has connections. And follows her around all doe eyes ... She is always feisty and takes no nonsense! Woo hoo! 😍❤️

Yikes! Strong Girl Bong Soon leaving netflix on Sept 14th!... Those not watched (surely everyone has!) and haven't got viki...!... Make haste! Make haste! 😂

Bea where do you find out what’s leaving Netflix? I’ve been caught out like that before when something on my watch list just disappeared 😡

Agree that Melo is the one to watch at the moment. I am doggedly watching WTDCYN for the sake of JKH but it feels like hard work at times. The backstory is just relentless, it is quite dark with all the twisted plot lines being revealed.

Oh, need to start strong girl soon then. Been watching love alarm. The episodes in I think. But I'm getting a bad vibe from ML, and the love doesn't feel very convincing, feels a bit rushed, maybe because it's only 8 eps long. The sci fi element is interesting though.

Still need to finish orange marmalade, stuck in the historical section...

ginger Love Alarm is frustrating as it stops as soon as it gets going, with no season 2 in sight, and the FLs motives aren’t clearly explained. I kind of wish I hadn’t started it but I also liked the sci-fi element 🤦‍♀️

Betty's that's disappointing. It's such an interesting concept.

It is an interesting concept, and the drama has been on my mind a lot but I think that's because the ending was so unclear. When you finish it let me know what you think!

Dramas coming up in September
Not sure how many will be on Netflix or Viki

boatyard Crazy Kang is starring in Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life (scroll down)

oddly no mention of Melting Me Softly (GRRR JCW the centre of our venn ) though that should be starting on Viki end of September

Maybe they've missed off Melting Me Softly because it premiers on the 28th and they'll tack in onto a later list. Only 30 days to go!

bettys.... Whilst I was lazing around in bed this morning! (before putting out the four loads of washing on the line!... Post holiday debris!)... I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane!... And rewatch a little of SGBS... And the notice just flashed up on screen during the credits! 😭😭😭😭... For all its foibles... I LOVE SGBS!... 😍❤️😍❤️😍

Argh!!... A 37 minute (!!!) Bangtan TV episode has just appeared on YouTube.... BTS behind the scenes at Billboard Awards!... Bangtan TV eps never have subtitles... International Army have to wait for the saintly translators to caption! It's going to be ages before I can understand what's going on! 😭😭😭... 😭😭😭... At least I can get to sainsburys for supplies! 😂....

I’m still marooned in Joseon-era Orange Marmalade, so I feel your pain ginger.

Thanks for the Crazy Kang alert, Betty.

Also, anyone else finding So Min’s driver/manager in Melo attractive? It was his arcade dance moves that swung it for me.

Also, anyone else finding So Min’s driver/manager in Melo attractive? It was his arcade dance moves that swung it for me.

I’m not gonna lie, I found that really cool 🕺

Bea I have it found it quite restful with the Bangtan Boys being on holiday 😎😆

Vagabond looks fun, Betty. I am partial to a Lee Seung-gi drama and his pocket puppy instagram photos have not been bettered on these threads.

On another point, I’m pretty sure that So Min’s apartment in Melo was Ma Wang Joon’s apartment in Absolute Boyfriend, with almost no redressing of the set - very much looky-likey. Anyone else noticed that?

Agree am looking forward to Vagabond

Haven't noticed the similarity in apartments tbh, will look next time they film the documentary

Having been a leeetle disappointed in WTDCYN, episode 9 was very good, especially when JKH gets on stage oh yes

If you're having Jasper Liu withdrawal symptoms Triad Princess is coming to Netflix in December. However have just seen the FL is Eugenie Liu from Behind the Smile so am vaguely disappointed. As boatyard described her, she is fixed in my mind now as a ditzy flatmate rather than a kickass bodyguard.

I have just discovered a life hack & as I don’t post on any other threads these days I am going to have to share it with you lot....

Have been sorting through the odd sock pile and while some have found their life partners at the back of the drawer, some have not

I’ve discovered if you put an old soft grey school sock on your hand and run it along a tv/lamp/computer cable it dusts it brilliantly! Have been using it on lamps, lightbulbs and random tricky surfaces.

Now you’re all going to tell me you’ve doing this for years ....

Of course if Park Morgan wants to pop round with his hoover I'd be only too happy to show him this little trick....

I'll get me coat

now I'm imagine park morgan with sock puppet dusters! gave me a little giggle, thanks bettys

imagining. jeez I swear I can spell!

Betty - WTDCYN has kind of slipped off my list of things to watch. I like JKH a lot, but not so much in this. He does funny/screwball well and is great in brooding/serious roles. I’m not sure this suits him.

I think it's the writing, it's an uneasy mix of comedy and serious. It is improving though. I think it would benefit from a binge watch.