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…

Oh Hello, that sounds tough. Our washing machine died when DS1 was newborn and that was bad enough.

😱 Sympathies hello that sounds like awfully hard work with a small child

Oh no "Hello* that sounds rubbish. Is it getting fixed soon?
I'm also watching the Parliament Channel instead of Hotel del Luna. Hopefully will fit in an episode after this vote!

I’m planning to bow out in a bit so I can watch some Watcher - to cheer myself up. 😮

Latest news is that it won't be fixed til at least late morning or midday tomorrow. I might join you in watching Watcher for a break boatyard

They just started debating sheep farming, so I am off to Viki.

Just noticed ep 5 of Grateful Family is up, but no subs yet.

I haven’t been able to settle down to watch anything tonight either, I blame Brexit

Watcher! Finished! All those twists and turns! Quite confusing and exhausting! A good watch... Love Seo Kang Joon! Look forward to his next work! 😍👍... Loved officer Jo! And jae shik! 😂😂😂Some welcome light relief!!
Now I've only got Rookie Historian on the go!....!
New grr JCW out soon! Woo hoo!!

Did the boaty shuffle last night after watching parliament. Tried Come Back Mister (fail), Love Rain (fail) and Rookie Historian (pass but I fell asleep)

Have just read through AJH & KHSs texts in Soompi - what a mess.

Bettys.... it's just such a car crash.... why hasn't someone just told them to stop! she sounds like she's having a breakdown... it's too sad.... I loved AJH in Beauty Inside (he was so funny!)... and I was looking forward to his new drama!

Bettys... Rookie is worth sticking with... it's a little too flighty and whimsical at the beginning but it's getting intriguing!

It seems like she’s pushed him into a corner with all her IG posts so he’s responded by handing over the text convos.

Bea I’ve been resisting Rookie Historian mostly because it’s on Netflix & I prefer Viki by far, but am going to give it a go as it seems quite funny

It's got an element of Hwrang bonkersness about it!... But then goes all historical court intrigue serious!... But it's still worth a watch! 👍

I hope your water is running again Hello.

I gave Rookie historian a go the other night and just knew dd would love it too so that's our next to watch together once we finish Love Alarm.

We decided we'd not have time to watch Strong Girl before it leaves Netflix.

I can't remember who wanted thoughts on love alarm..

Spoiler spoiler

I think she breaks up with him because she's scared of getting hurt? She's been reminded of how her parents died and hasn't had any one caring for her since. She was upset that he didn't contact her for days. But maybe also doesn't want him sent to America and to ruin his life (from overheard conversation). It isn't very clear is it, and really stretching it that she won't tell anyone about the shield on her phone. I'm hoping the final episode clears that part up at least. Will still look for season 2 if it doesn't.

ginger thanks, it was me who asked about Love Alarm. I agree, it was all a bit weak and that annoyed me as it put me off her as a character. I could just about give her a pass for kissing someone else when she already had a boyfriend, (and him even though he knew she was his best friend's crush) but that just seemed too cruel to him when she knew how lonely he was.

Strong Woman is on Viki if you want to watch it

Ginger ... Shame you'll miss Strong Girl... The romance is epically endearing! 😂

It's still not on ginger but thank you. My clothes washing schedule has gone to pot and DS seems intent on making more laundry.

I've been flitting around trying to finish Mr Temporary but my hearts not in it. It had such promise but failed to deliver for me

I realise I excitedly posted about Grateful Family being up last night when it airs today. I blame 3.5 hours of the Parliament channel, which melted my brain.

bettys agreed, love alarm's weak. ML's character put me off at first, then grew on me a bit and FL I just don't understand very well.

The sci fi is still interesting. The way love alarm has become so central to the way relationships happen and how it causes misery to know you aren't loved.

Oh, and I'm thinking the end of this month might be a good time to get Vikki... Wonder why 😂

Plenty on Netflix to keep me busy until then.

boatyard Graceful Family seems to be getting subbed pretty quick too! Lucky us.

never mind me talking about subs. I was looking at ep 4. silly me. hopefully tying up some lose ends with dramas that I've been stalling tonight. no more waiting 3 years to finish a drama for me!

Glad you came back to clarify, Hello. I thought something was wrong just with my Viki. 😆 I definitely need more sleep tonight. 😩

Grateful Family is >50% already. I have a less bonkers evening this evening so I’m looking forwards to hunkering down & enjoying it after my dinner. With any luck it’ll be “bonkers as conkers” (as Bea says). After the current week in politics some light relief is sorely needed.

I quite fancy a Girls' Night Out with these three, especially if it means going to see Park Morgan's latest film!