MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (kdrama addicts #9)

[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 AmazonPrime and search engine-accessible content available on shady non subscription streaming sites (listed as ‘alt site’ below). The subtitling on alternative sites is variable in quality and the pop-ups can be adult themed...

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, alt site)
Live (Netflix)
Pride & Prejudice (Netflix)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)*
Watcher (Viki)*

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
Crowned Clown (Viki)
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Rookie Historian (Netflix)

Romance - lighter & fluffier
1% of Something (Viki)
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)*
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
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)**
Melo is my Nature (Viki)/Be Melodramatic (alt sites)**
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
Absolute Boyfriend (Viki)
Are You Human (Netflix)
Goblin (Viki)*
I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
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)
Before We Get Married (Viki -Taiwanese)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
The Last Empress (Viki)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)

Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable
Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)

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 (JCW) 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…

Due to crap weather I'm being utilised as the extended family taxi. I really hate being the only driver at times like this. So ive downloaded a couple of episodes to watch while I'm waiting around. Here goes!

I’ve been ousted from the living room for Star Trek Discovery (DH & DS1) and DS2 has commandeered the playroom TV with his xbox. My only option after breakfast was to return to my cosy bed with my coffee and phone/Netflix app. 😉

hello & boatyard it’s always good to have a backup kdrama plan !👍😉🤣

I’ve watched the first 10 minutes of Grrr JCW and it’s a bit of a slow start so have swerved back to Coffee Prince in hanboks and will continue with Melo , Vagabond & Melting this afternoon / evening

I was just about to jump in the shower but someone’s just gone in the bathroom 🤷‍♂️

I keep hearing a word that sounds like “ottoké” and have guessed at meanings from context and tried google translate but no joy yet. Can anyone help?

Is it 어떻게 (said like o-toe-kay)? If so it literally means 'how?' but is also said in 'what is the world?'
If its not I'll try figure out other words.

That could be it Hello. I’ll pay extra attention for a bit & check back in if it looks like its something else.

I’m sneaking a bit of Melo whilst lunch is cooking. I love the meta conversation at the start between the housemates: “oh, I can’t believe there’s only 2 episodes left.” “Why stop at 16. I hope it gets extended.” The FL then going off on one about how hard it is for writers, how much her hand aches after 16 episodes etc. You just know the writer-director is venting and it is so much funnier for it. I love this show so much.

But then I feel sad about no more Melo after this weekend. 😞

Whispering scene in Melo 👍🤣

Melo seems to have gone so fast. I've really enjoyed it as a nice slice of life drama.

Melo got me a bit teary eyed with the Casablanca scene, or rather the whole tell me your story bit.

Did I miss something? With the single mum ? (I'm trying be obscure) Was the guy giving a lift really from the club night?

Going to miss it, not sure anything coming up has that real life feel. Did have an internal snigger about the 16 episodes and when they said their fave drama was being followed by My Country

Is that what’s following in the Melo slot? If so, hahaha.

Just found out, Twenty with Kim Woo Bin and Kang Ha Neul is the parent story to Melo. Twenty is a movie from the same director so it explains why it's similar but Melo is so much better. I think the drama format suits those kinds of stories a lot more.

I really want to check out more of the Melo writer’s work. I haven’t caught up yet - Dramafast kept crashing on me (just remembered Betty’s Firefox tip as I was writing - so no spoilers for a bit ‘til we are all caught up pretty please.

Well, I officially have a numb bum but am having major difficulty pulling myself away from Rookie Historian. Just had the Ho Dam reveal at the villa. Up to the start of episode 18. It’s a cracking series.

Flippin eck boatyard! You've stormed your way through!!... Just pity bettys and me!... We had to wait weekly!... It is great isn't it! 👍😁

I love how just when you're getting a bit meh and think there's nothing left to binge, something grabs you and it's kdrama crack city.

My Country starts on Fridays & Saturdays next week, so yes, following Melo!

Starting to smile vacantly at Melting so the Grr JCW effect may be creeping back

Yeah, I’ve stormed through it but it’s not doing my middle aged spread any favours. I need to start rationing my kdrama consumption - my addiction is currently out of control.

Also, DH is giving me a bit of side-eye today.

Love in the moonlight... Even though the crown Prince is absolutely lovely!... I'm getting serious 2ML syndrome in this one!! 😱😱😱

Bea - I have 2ML AND 3ML syndrome in Love in the Moonlight! Too much choice

I'm up to date with Melting and it's got quite a humorous brushstroke which is helping the mad premise. Grrr JCW suits comedy and he is looking quite dishy. Vagabond has been the last drama to catch up on this week

Bettys!... Yes! 2ml AND 3ml!!... It's a delight! Think I might hold off on melting and vagabond till I've finished love in the moonlight! 👍👍👍😁

It’s all kicking off in Rookie Historian. The crown prince just kicked Apprentice Goo’s petition to the kerb. Let the games begin!

Ooooooo! You're getting to the good stuff!! Claps hands in Glee!!.... 👍👏👏👏👏👏

I have 2 episodes of Love in the Moonlight left and am saving them for an uninterrupted spell to be followed by Flower Crew tomorrow

On an another note, had a complete moment as have only just realised that the FL in Melting & Just Between Lovers are the same person - she looks completely different! She was a bit wooden in her romantic moments with Lovely Eyes Junho {baffling} so hope there is better chemistry with Grr JCW