MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (kdrama addicts #10)

[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)
Graceful Family (Viki) - potboiler!
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)*
Tunnel (Netflix)



Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
Crowned Clown (Viki)
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki)



Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (Netflix)
Coffee Prince (Netflix)
Don’t Dare to Dream (Netflix, or as Jealousy Incarnate on Viki)*
Gogh, The Starry Night (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/Netflix)*
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
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

Regulars 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 its possible we 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'm not sayin nuffin!!

As it should be, Bea. 😌

😁😁😁😂😂😂😂

😂😂😂Just took the Soompi quiz! (oh no no no! It's not as if I've got a billion other things I should be doing!! 😱😱😱🤔🤔🤔🙄🙄)....

Well! What can I say ladies?!.... 😱😘😍😍😍

Bea it's fate!
I did the quiz and I got Jung Hae-In! Not complaining but not what I was expecting.

Finished You're All Surrounded and it was fun. However, maybe I missed something but I'm still confused over Dae-Gu's parentage

We must be twins Bea I got JCW too!

😂😂😂😂!

I got Ji Chang Wook too, but I want a swap. Anyone want to trade? I’ll gladly take Jung Hae-In off your hands, Betty. Also, that quiz made me feel so old. I had to pause to google EDM (electronic dance music). The only variety show I’d seen (Running Man) annoyed me, but I remembered a very enjoyable Ask Me Anything clip of Super Junior on YouTube, so picked that. There were only 3 Kdrama actresses I recognised and only 1 I liked. I may try again for a better match.

Arrrggh! What what's happening with viki this evening? I've only got one more ep of BTIMFL left!! 😱😱😱😱

Viki got a stern word from me earlier. I say viki, I mean the TV but the viki app was on it. Last episode of The Legends and the subtitles refused to show even though it said 100% subbed. I ended up having to walk away!

I had to finish Flower Crew in dramafast, but Viki seems to be back now 🤔

boatyard I’m quite happy to keep Jung Hae In 😉 I did the quiz a second time, changed a couple of answers (said my spirit animal was a sloth 2nd time) & also got JCW 🤣

BTIMFL.... Top 5 for me! How utterly lovely... Well written... Proper characters... Great female and male leads... Great characters with substance and intent... Just a good solid drama!...! 😍😍😍👍👍👍👍
I should have listened to Boatyard and Bettys ages ago!!.. I bow down to your superior drama knowledge!! 😂

Honestly, I like some right old shite but when 3 or 4 people love something, I generally think that’s a sign of a quality series. I think we have it about right in the header where we flag up stuff that’s more uniformly loved. Our threads move so fast, it almost feels like we need a slower one with proper critique and analysis, a bit like the Westminstenders and their separate abbreviations thread.

I think BTIMFL should always be one of the first recommendations for someone getting into Korean dramas.

It heartwarming in a way that a fair few dramas are but it misses out on some of the more ingrained sexism that most dramas have. The inclusion of small things like sitting down watching the football with a beer is easy for people to relate too, even if they don't do it themselves, because it's so frequently seen on British/American television. Added bonus, it has a great soundtrack

I want to watch BTIMFL again, but my time is finite and there’s so much good kdrama out there.

I'm in two camps. I wish I could see it again for the first time to see if my opinions changed after watching more dramas. I also wish I could just watch it again to see what I might have missed the first time around. I'm sure I'll find time to do the latter at some point in the future, but like you say, time is finite.

The problem with if you watch BTIMFL as an introduction to Kdrama....everything else will just seem completely bonkers.... the relationships are so good and sensible and well thought out... I fear if you're a newbie you would think ALL kdrama was like this...
Yes! deffo a universal recommenation but with a side note that not ALL dramas are like this...!
Also the very frank discussions about sex made me go !!!!!
I loved all the couples... CEO Mang was just lovely and sooooo supportive and understanding and patient... just the right level... everyone had behaviour that didn't go over the top !
A lovely drama!

Anyone watched Tune in for Love on Netflix? Not much happended but I kind of liked it. Helped that it had Jung Hae In in it.

Out of 200+ dramas and films, I think BTIMFL is one of about 14 dramas that got a 10 from me. Most of the other 10s have flaws but are made perfect because of when I watched them. BTIMFL is a bit different because it was just great!

I understand what Bea I saying about it setting a high bar for following dramas. I think without the addition of 'not all of them are like this' you'd be quite disappointed to go from something like BTIMFL to something like Uncontrollably Fond.

I haven't watched it yet Brambly but it's on my list. I hear its getting mixed reviews for a predictable plot, did you find that to be the case too?

I definitely think BTIMFL is one to watch when you have prior experience of dramas to compare it to. I'd just like to say that I think I was the first one to watch it and recommend It's still in my top 3.

I meant to watch Tune In the other night but an saving it for when I won't get interrupted and can watch on the tv. Do you recommend it Brambly?

I've just caught up with Extraordinary you , still my favourite of the on-airs. I've tried to read the manga of it but it manga just confuses me, I find all the characters look the same and the stylisation of framing is really annoying - unless it's just this particular author.

I swear I will start working at some point today but I just needed to come back and say how brilliant The Running Mates: Human Rights was. It's easily top 15 of the year material, probably even top 10. I don't know if anyone else has been watching it but it's a great insight into some less explored bits of Korean culture. It covered wage workers, excessive force by police, institutionalisation, sexual assault in the workplace and more.

Each episode, or sometimes two, focuses on a case that has been bought to the Human Rights Commission for investigation. It shows them gathering information and finally ends with them making a statement on the case. Throughout these cases, issues in the FL personal life are interwoven in such a meaningful way. There's no romance in the show and there's no big hard hitting drama, but there's some twists and some funny moments. It's just a solid procedural drama that is really underrated.

I was looking at Tune in but realised that I don't like the ML actor. I thinks it's his ears that bother me, and his awkward gait and closed mouth smirking. Saying all that I may have to have a quick dip into it now to check if he stills bothers me so!

I'm judging purely from his role in something in the rain

Aesops have you watched Prison Playbook yet? His character is very different in that