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…

yes there was a lot of dodgy sex stuff in GOT

.....but not in The Convenient Marriage

DH stuck with GOT but had various points when he said the sexual violence was so bad he considered discontinuing it. However, he said that scores were settled in such a way that the victims had justice of a sort.

I watched one season of GOT and couldn't watch another. It's not for me. I do love a contract marriage though. Its an easy plot point for drama, comedy, and romantic developments. I think it creates an easy base for a balanced drama.

In terms of new additions, I second Absolute Boyfriend being on the list, and 1% of Something. Much like boatyard I wasn't enamoured with Man to Man but it's okay. I'm waving my flag for BWGM too, with the caveat it's a guilty pleasure watch!

I agree with Watcher and Melo but I haven't watched the others.
I am enjoying Graceful Family but do we need to watch more episodes to be sure it's good enough for the list?

I'm away for a few days for a family wedding so my viewing is limited 😢.
What was the drama with Seo Kang Joon in uniform? The Third Charm? Sounds interesting 😂😂😂

I'd say we need a couple more episodes of Graceful Family. The two that are almost subbed would probably hold the answer to whether it's worthy of the list but I am willing to be overruled.

What was the drama with Seo Kang Joon in uniform?
I think boatyard was just referring to the first ep of Watcher . He plays a detective for part of The Third Charm so I'm not sure if he's in uniform.

Two episodes in to When The Camellia Blooms and it is now firmly in my fave weekly watch list. The love quadrangle is slightly more grown-up. I will always watch a Gong Hyo-Jin drama, and although I'm not a massive Kang Ha Neul fan he is very endearing in this. I didn't like his character in Scarlet Heart though he was good in Midnight Runners. It's also refreshing to watch something that isn't set in Seoul.

I think boatyard was just referring to the first ep of Watcher . He plays a detective for part of The Third Charm so I'm not sure if he's in uniform
Oh yes, I'd forgotten that bit. I do quite like a 90s grunge look too 😍

I’ve moved BWGM to Guilty Pleasures & think we should ‘mainstream’ the other non-Korean picks. Where should I put these two:

Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)

Love O2O is tricky as while set in the real world it features gaming/role-playing .... I'd stick it in fantasy light/fluffy

Didn't watch Morning Call all the way through but think it's teenage romance, someone else should make a call on it.

Love O2O is definitely best in the fluffy fantasy grouping. Id say Morning Call is a fluffy romance?

OK, all done.

I nixed Man to Man because there seemed to be competing views, but we’ve got c35 posts left to duke it out. I always ask myself if its good enough that a complete newbie would watch it & then try another kdrama after. I’m not convinced it is strong enough.

When I said ‘done’, I meant that I have the updated thread tidied up & ready to go.
🔔 < Last orders bell for any last minute changes

I've got nothing else to add! Thanks for your hard work boatyard

Cheers boatyard that's great!

According to Netflix Vagabond may be starting tonight (but I bet it ends up being tomorrow)

OOOH!! Vagabond is up! I'll just watch 5 minutes......

Bettys?... Bettys? Aaaand??.....

Boatyard! Thanks for all your leadership! 👍😁

Had to tear myself away, finish some work & walk the dog!

Loved the first 10 minutes though, I think it's going to be good plus it has Shin Sun-Rok in aka bonkers king from The Last Empress

completely unrelated to dramas but what kind of dog do you have bettys? I'll always think my dog is the best but I love to talk about how lovely other peoples dogs are.

I'm determined to watch Graceful Family tonight. Im feeling the drama withdrawals

hello I have a big soppy Labrador who thinks he’s human and takes up a whole sofa! He is adorable, just the friendliest dog ever although getting on a bit now.
How about your dog?

Ha! I don’t know about leadership. I’ve found a small haven where kdrama chat is not only encouraged, but flourishes. Considering that its approaching banned topic status with my loved ones, my ‘leadership’ is more about protecting a very necessary outlet for my niche hobby.

I like all the cat pics on the Westminsterenders threads. To be fair there’s as much love for the Instagram floofy dogs and cats of our idols as there is for the idols.

I am loving Seo Kang Joon in Are You Human because he smiles too.