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…

I may have started another drama (please someone stop me!) and its set in 1920s China with a woman joining the military pretending to be a man, of course. I love 1920s clothing. Id bring it back in a heartbeat. Everyone looked so put together.

Yes, the romance in Graceful Family was just enough. I was a bit at the references to a man's back and shoulder blades though, I thought there was going to be another reveal.

Kim Rae Won is redeeming himself in Doctors and there is the added bonus of JiSoo on a motor bike and a teeny weeny puppy; though this is only the first episode and it may well disappear, as often seems to happen in kdramas eg the sole shot of Choi Jin Hyuk in fine knitwear cuddling a puppy in Pride & Prejudice that was never seen again

Pets in dramas rarely have a good time. Notable exceptions are 우리, the cat from BTIMFL and Chen Mo, the turtle from Love Me If You Dare. Both had lots of love an attention and weren't abandoned after one appearance. I'm struggling to think of more.

I finished Graceful Family tonight too. And I've watched the latest Flower Crew , so now just watching some Vagabond which I've got a bit behind on.
It's been the first day in weeks I've been able to slob about and watch dramas all day 😁 and DS had a friend round so was entertained too.

I think the worst looked after pet is the little dog that lives in the office in Suspicious Partner . I don't think it ever saw natural light.

The little white floofy dog in He is Psychometric was all but abandoned in the prosecutor’s apartment.

The dog in Uncontrollably Fond was well looked after if rarely walked? And the dog in Romance is a Bonus Book was loved and walked.

Ha well Doctors has just time-jumped 13 years so I guess the teeny weeny puppy has had its moment in the spotlight 🤔
But hey, Mr Temporary/Rebel has appeared as a grumpy surgeon.
Kim Rae Won does a good line in running after realising he’s made a big mistake

I am actively enjoying D Day now (ep 10).

I’m assuming Dol Mi returns. If so, I hope she sorts out a clean white coat. There seems to be some kind of competition on for the filthiest white coat - most infectious medic, or summat.

Melting Me Softly... On ep 7...and I'm getting drawn in... For me the key to a good drama is if I begin to care for the characters... And I am beginning to! (obvs I luvs JCW!) but there's been some quite touching scenes with the family and supporting characters... Not on a par with Healer /suspicious partner!... But better than K2! Deffo!... On the whole I'm enjoying it! 👍.... But it's not completely blown me away!

Boatyard...! Still in the disaster zone?... I skippitydoodah - ed the heck out of Dday!... 😂😂😂

I still heartily recommend The Guardians... For KYK legginess! I really really enjoyed it and its a great story! Lots of curly mouthed smiles in it! 👍👍😍

Getting ready to dive into Sec Kim this evening. After leaving it for a few weeks I went back into it and now quite enjoying it.
There is definitely some obligatory staples in this;
Flashbacks to childhood first meetings
Large stuffed toys
Those peculiar looking ices that are in plastic moulds (what are they?)

I don't even remember a dog in Suspicious partner.

Was going to say Bonus Book dog gets lots of walks but was beaten to it.

There was an origami frog in Weightlifting fairy that gets lots of attention, but probably doesn't count! (Think I've seen at least two dramas with origami frogs)

Everything’s blurring in to one now, but there’s a kdrama where FL leaves an origami frog on a bus shelter bench & ML, who has been following her, takes it and treasures it.

Or it could have been the violin Chinese one, I Hear You.

Oh that’s going to drive me nuts trying to remember the origami frog....wasn’t Chinese... Love Alarm? The FL was in school clothes I think

The boy was following her at a distance.

Aesops I've wondered what those frozen lollies are too, they are sort of like ice pops or jubilees but they look like chocolate

I def think it's Love Alarm, the 2ML follows her on his bike to make sure she's safe, and watches her at the bus stop make the frog then goes to take it.

That should have been jubblys not jubilees. In Doctors there is a gang of hoodlums all scoffing them in the hospital

The dog in Let's eat was walked and loved
The scene where he eats the vomit wasn't easy viewing! How he put himself to bed was incredibly cute though!

Kim Rae Won is going back on the Gangnam Leopard list, he is delightful in Doctors, much less Nescafe 90s ads.
It's a binge-worthy drama, lots of characters and action (so far)

The floofy dog in The Beauty Inside was very much adored and petted

Let’s not forget the beloved fish - Beauty Inside and The Secret Life of my Secretary, both with brain injured MLs. Make of that what you will...

Oh and Picasso in Graceful Family (fish).