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…

The Girl as long as you have 5 favourites and 5 disappointing it doesn't matter how many you have watched in total, it'll still give a good idea

List of Korean dramas in 2019 - I've added Before We Get Married and Go Go Squid but I'm not sure what others Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese dramas people have watched

List of Dramas aired in Korea by Network in 2019
From DramaWiki

KBS
It's My Life
Home for Summer
Unasked Family
Lady Cha Dal Rae's Lover
Left-Handed Wife
A Place in the Sun
Gracious Revenge
Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul Ho 2
My Fellow Citizens
Perfume
I Wanna Hear Your Song
The Tale of Nokdu
I Hate Going to Work
Liver or Die
Doctor Prisoner
Angel's Last Mission: Love
Justice
When the Camellia Blooms
My Only One
Mother of Mine
Love Is Beautiful, Life Is Wonderful

MBC
Everybody Say Kungdari
Secrets and Lies
Blessing of the Sea
Investigation Couple 2
Welcome 2 Life
Less than Evil
Item
Special Labor Inspector Jo
Children of Nobody
Spring Turns to Spring
The Banker
One Spring Night
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
Extraordinary You
Love with Flaws
Dae Jang Geum Is Watching
A Pledge to God
Love in Sadness
Different Dreams
Golden Garden
Never Twice
My Healing Love

SBS
Gangnam Scandal
Shady Mom-in-Law
Want a Taste?
My Strange Hero
Haechi
The Secret Life of My Secretary
17 Years Old Condition
VIP
The Last Empress
Big Issue
My Absolute Boyfriend
Doctor Detective
Secret Boutique
The Fiery Priest
Nokdu Flower
Doctor John
Vagabond
Stove League
Farming Academy
Fates and Furies

tvN
The Crowned Clown
He Is Psychometric
Abyss
Designated Survivor: 60 Days
The Great Show
Catch the Ghost!
Black Dog
Encounter
Touch Your Heart
Her Private Life
Search: WWW
When the Devil Calls Your Name
Miss Lee
Psychopath Diary
Top Star U-back
Rude Miss Young-Ae 17
Pegasus Market
Memories of the Alhambra
Romance Is a Bonus Book
Confession
Arthdal Chronicles (Parts 1 & 2)
Hotel Del Luna
Arthdal Chronicles (Part 3)
Melting Me Softly
Crash Landing on You
Drama Stage 2019

OCN
God's Quiz 5
Possessed
Save Me 2
Class of Lies
The Running Mates: Human Rights
Priest
Trap
Kill It
Voice 3
Watcher
Strangers from Hell
The Lies Within

JTBC
Clean with Passion for Now
The Light in Your Eyes
Laughter in Waikiki 2
The Wind Blows
At Eighteen
Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency
Chief of Staff 2
SKY Castle
Legal High
Beautiful World
Chief of Staff
Be Melodramatic
My Country
Chocolate

TV Chosun
Babel
Joseon Survival
Leverage

MBN
Best Chicken
Loss Time Life: The Last Chance
Level Up
Graceful Family

Channel A
Love Affairs in the Afternoon

Olive TV
Eun Joo's Room

WebCasts
Kingdom
I Hate You, Juliet
Just One Bite 2
On the Campus
Two Hearts
My First First Love
A-TEEN 2
I Am Not a Robot
Love Alarm

Taiwanese & Chinese
Before We Get Married
Go Go Squid

for Betty. Thank you! My first observation is that there is loads that didn’t even touch the translated streaming services. Second that TvN were on fire this year. Third, waaaaaaaaaah! How in the hell am I going to whittle it down to just 5 favourites?

Oh bettys you're wonderful! I may have formatted a basic spreadsheet already so I'll drop those dramas in. I can't believe how many of those I've loved. It's almost embarrassing.

I can’t believe Last Empress is on this year’s list. It feels like an age since that screened. Or there has been a lot of kdrama water under the bridge...

I was thinking the same about Her Private Life and My Strange Hero. It feels like I watched them years ago, not months ago.

*The Last Empress^ started in 2018 but finished this year, also there are a few that will start next month.

It makes sense to rate them in the year they finished screening, because sometimes its only when the ending gives you The Rage that you can review them fairly. It occurred to me that this will be a major flaw of the most disappointing list, because I rarely finish the ones that I don't like.

I've just counted and if I include ones I'm watching now I have seen exactly ten. So I will be able to score them 😁.

I've only watched 8 on that list (one ongoing - when the camellia blooms), but I'm not sure I'd want to put any into most disappointing . Bonus book was my first kdrama, so I've not even been watching them a year yet.

Oops, text formatting issues!

Arthdal Chronicles part three hasn't come out yet.

If you haven't got a most disappointing or if you don't think any we're that disappointing, then you'd just miss that bit of the scoring. It'd still be nice to hear the ones you've enjoyed the most!

Um, on that list there are:

• 32 I’ve started this year ;
• 14 that I finished;
• 2 that are still airing which I intend to finish;
• 9 that plan to return to at some point.

The rest are abandoned, so plenty to choose from for my ‘underwhelmed’ list.

Actually, 3 still airing - I plan to return to Camellia as well.

Also, I wish to restate my admiration for Lee Min Ki. I am catching up on The Lies Within and he’s so bloody good in it that I am fangirling in a major way. He is very strange in this - at times not very attractive at all and oddly impassive, at others compelling and very attractive. I find him fascinating, both his performances and his general vibe. He’s much more interesting to me than some of the classically good looking or charismatic Korean actors. Setting aside language barriers, I would love to have a chance to sit and chat with him to get a better sense of what he’s like in real life.

On that list I have:
Seen some of - 43 (but sometimes just the first episode or a shuffle thereof)
Watched all the way through - 23
Ongoing - 6
Keep meaning to go back to - 1
Haven't watched yet but mean to - 1
Dropped for various reasons - 12

Hahahaha. I feel so much better now Betty has posted her stats. I think Bea’s all-encompassing BTS addiction may result in less impressive (appalling?) numbers, but we’ll see...

Ginger - my first year was like that.

Ginger I mostly watched already finished dramas at first, it’s really only the last 8 months or so I’ve been watching on air and just finished dramas

I feel like me and Ginger are halfway through our GCSE in kdrama but you are all onto a Masters 😂
I'm going to enjoy trying to catch up!

Hello already has a PhD under her belt and is some way into the distance, with a passable grasp of Korean and Japanese gained along the way. It’s all relative, anyway - a journey where we are fellow travellers at different stages of our own journey who have fallen into step for a while and are enjoying one another’s convivial company. The only qualifying requirement for this thread is an appreciation of kdrama. Everyone’s input is valued.

It's such a nice thread. It's so good to have people to talk to about drama's. 🌟

OMG. The finale to ep 10 of The Lies Within was gut-wrenching. I won’t spoil for others, but it’s taking a dark turn. It’s properly gripping. The only saving grace is that I’m a day late catching up, so not such a long wait for the next episode.

Incidentally, I won’t be able to give my definitive 2019 scores until this finishes airing. It’s looking like it will be in my top 5.

It's such a nice thread. It's so good to have people to talk to about drama's.

Agreed. DH and my kids think I’m certifiable on this one topic, so its lovely to have some fellow crazies to hang out with.

It's such a nice thread. It's so good to have people to talk to about drama's.

Also agree. I simply don’t know anyone in RL who knows what I am talking about. I also like that it’s a safe zone to come to if we’ve had a crappy day and want to escape to a place where there are floofy puppies in pockets and people discussing spicey ricey

I am looking forward even more now to a solid dose of LMK & Lies Within when I have finished Korean Odyssey