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…

I see on Soompi that Lee Min Ki has a new thriller starting on 12 October - The Lies Within.

Also, the Soompi link to the actress profile is wrong for that series. Lee Yoo Young (not Yoo Young!) was the FL in My Fellow Citizens with Siwon. She was brilliant in that, really good with a slightly offbeat, quirky energy. Pairing her with Lee Min Ki is very exciting casting - they have the potential to be fantastic together. I am assuming this thriller is a straight role, but her comic timing and deadpanning matches LMK’s, as are her roundhouse kicks.

Looks like Rookie Historian and Graceful Family are affected by the Chuseok schedules this weekend and will miss an episode (or two).

Agree The Lies Within looks excellent, if potentially quite dark with it being OCN. Lee Min Ki put on 8 kg for the role but only looks slightly less like a model 😆
Hope Viki gets it 🤞

Me too.

I was also reading on Soompi the “half way through” interviews with the cast and director of Melo. Apparently it isn’t doing well in the ratings and the director seems really down on himself about it. It also said it was his debut project, which makes it all the more astonishing. I feel moved to write to him vis the network to tell him how good it is.

Aw bless him! That makes me sad. Maybe he’s feel better if he knew it was our favourite

I’ve just read the article, apparently it didn’t appeal to people in their 20s. Maybe the director would feel better if he read our thread 👍

The director also directed Extreme Job which was a impressive film. 2nd most viewed film in SK history but highest grossing. So maybe his success in films is making it feel worse for him.

Funny how we are feeling protective of the director of our fave drama!

Right off to look up Extreme Job I fancy a film tonight.

I am enjoying Good Doctor by the way hello. Your estimation of it was just right.

OK. I think I may be slowly mastering BTS. Is the one with grey hair in the line up in this article V?

www.soompi.com/article/1351717wpp/stars-reveal-their-plans-for-the-chuseok-holiday

If so, 3 down, 4 to go.

Ooh, this was a happy find. I haven’t a clue what’s going on or what the orange lipstick is all about but the visuals are great. Is it a music video for a Russian artist? An advert?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=1P5yrnw1pIw

And a MV for one of the Voice tracks, with brooding HH KJW: m.youtube.com/watch?v=FCOfZLPuePo

boatyard the one with the grey hair is suga/yoongi, v is on the far left. from what I can tell that video is a visual equivalent of fanfiction, implying a relationship between LMK and KJW, with SHJ being somehow involved?

There’s no hope for me. 🤦‍♀️

🤣🤣 You are hopeless boatyard however once you know who is who there is no going back. V is usually on the far left for future reference.

Have to add Lee Min-Ki to the Jeju dilemma

Have to add Lee Min-Ki to the Jeju dilemma

I pondered him too, but I’m not sure how chatty he is in real life. 🤷‍♂️

Evening. I've managed to catch up with Melo (I feel so sad for the documentary director and v pleased for the actress and her ex manager). And I'm up to date with Graceful Family - such great baddies in it. And I love the FL.
I don't feel I have anything in depth to add to the who would you take to Jeju. You guys have way better knowledge of the actors personalities etc than me. I'd just have to base my decision on looks 😂

V is the only one I can definitely identify from BTS, because he was in Hwarang. 😁

And I'm up to date with Graceful Family - such great baddies in it. And I love the FL.

Did you enjoy the sombre scene, Girl? 🐟

Ha! Yes! What a great revenge.

This is an interesting article with Lee Min Ki and Jung So-Min which was published in Marie Claire around the time BTIMFL was filming (fan translation):

shiningkorean.com/2017/11/27/interview-with-lee-min-ki-and-jung-so-min-marie-claire-2017/

What is it with all these prodigiously talented people & the imposter syndrome? Anyhow, he sounds like a rather reserved, thoughtful person and probably good company, so perhaps the answer to the Jeju dilemma. I think my love of lovely things might stress him out & interfere with his desire for a minimalist lifestyle.

The thought of Jung So-Min’s mum on holiday in Europe on her own was sad. These stars seem to work relentless schedules.

Tut tut ladies! You all score low on the identify the bangtan skills!... (except for bettys! 👍)... I've fallen down a deeper bts hole and been watching gorgeous vids of jimin dancing! He is just sooooo beautiful to watch! Told dd the other day that he's my second son... She rolled her eyes in despair!... Meanwhile on kdrama front... I'm on ep 3 of Man X Man on netflix with Park Hae Jin... It's very silly but fun! 😂 😂 😂

Bea I can identify bts! I've even got real names down too 😂

hello! 👍👍😁😁... Bangtan Bomb 💣 for you! 👏👏👏💜💜💜💜💜