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 seem to be as sucked into BTIMFL on second viewing as the first. I had the realisation that, despite being portrayed as a bit of a robot, LMK’s character is much more empathic, kinder and attuned to others’s feelings than the dimbo CEO and long-term boyfriend, who entirely misjudged the pink sofa text/photo and are absolutely clueless.

I've noticed this thread has made me a lot more critical of dramas. I've been reviewing dramas a lot more since joining this thread and it's helped me figure out what I love and hate rather than just saying well that's a 5 because it's okay, that's a 9 because it's good and so on. Itll be interesting for me to go back to BTIMFL with this new thinking and see what I take away from it this time.

Maybe its because there are enough of us on thread now who have achieved a degree of ‘saturation’ that we can spot the lemons early on - sloppy writing, leads with no chemistry, lacklustre supporting characters, etc. I agree that the to & fro on here helps to unpick what’s not sitting right, because sometimes its quite subtle. Interestingly, I am getting better at spotting the good ones. I paused about 3 mins into Melo to say it was already off to a cracking start - and it was! It’s the equivalent of pricking up your ears.

When I write “say”, it was to post on here & send up the bat signal. 😄

Can we add Put Your Head on my Shoulder to the 2019 list? I am frittering Sunday morning away watching it. Should be walking the dog/decorating/working on a deadline but it is so easy-going and the episodes just roll into each other. Forfeit Jenga is a great idea! Apparently the ML majored in Ballroom Dance at University .

Boatyard we should have a bat signal emoticon for spotting good dramas!

I was thinking the same thing bettys on both counts. I'll add it to the list now! Also would boatyards have a boat signal?

⛵️🛶🛥🚤🛳⛴🚢 < Daebak! I am spoiled with emojis, though that looks more like a boaty shuffle that a boat signal.

This is my fave ⛵️ as some of them are ships. /pedant

I like ⛵ too.

I got distracted and watched 4 episodes of Instead of Tipsy, Why Not Get Drunk. I'm not sure I like the premise but I'm quite enjoying the back and forth between the two leads. (ML is cold and arrogant, FL is feisty. Witty quips ensue.)

FL ends up with ML's sense of taste after an accidental kiss. He's a top wine sommelier soneeds his taste. He keeps kissing her to get it back; against her will I might add. He ends up hiring her as an assistant to explain why she's always there. She takes the job so she can pay of a debt. It's all very confusing and a bit weird, but I can't stop watching it.

It's all very confusing and a bit weird, but I can't stop watching it.

Is it a Mandarin series? Sounds like it, especially with the lechy kissing. Anyway, that description sums up a lot of the Chinese and Taiwanese dramas for me.

Spot on boatyard! It's Chinese.

It has two titles and both of them make me cringe a little bit. Instead of Tipsy, Why Not Get Drunk is terrible life advice and Flavour, It's Yours sounds like the tag line for stock cubes. The person signing off on these titles must have been having an off day.

Is anyone caught up to last night’s The Lies Within? I won’t post any spoilers, but I was quite upset by last Sunday’s episode and it has really ratcheted up the tension/darkness. It’s in a similar groove to Watcher, but somehow 100% more compelling/gripping. I don’t know how the rest of you feel, but I’m not holding out much hope for FL’s husband. But hope is a powerful driver.

I’m behind you boatyard on The Lies Within I’ve been finding it very dark and need to be in the right mood

It is dark, but its so good & there are redeeming elements. Lee Yoo-Young and Lee Min Ki are both excellent.

I agree it's excellent; I am also v impressed with LMK & LYY, I am waiting to watch when I'm not likely to be interrupted. Am also tempted to rewatch BTIMFL but I don't think I would be able to drag myself away from it.

It is just as good second time around. I have had a blub here and there, as there are some very touching scenes. The writing is fantastic too. I occasionally pause to mull over bits, particularly FL’s inner monologues because they’re thought-provoking.

I'm in the same boat as bettys I have to watch it when I'm alone and am unlikely to be disturbed. Hopefully I'll catch up tonight if I can stop being distracted by the lechy kiss drama.

I think I might be distracted by the lechy kiss drama hello you make it sound so good/bad!

Pineapple! (A Put Your Head On My Shoulder - hereafter PYHOMS - reference.)

It's on Viki. It just got a little bit more interesting, there seems to be people with nefarious intentions coming out the woodwork. I may have almost caught up on it in the space of a day

I have given PYHOMS a 7 on the spreadsheet although I haven't finished it yet, 'cos while it's not ground-breaking it is endearing and is mildly addictive

I actually thought looked quite good with the pineapple up-do and sweat band. Better than his usual ‘toilet lid’ bangs.

Yes the 'toilet seat' hair comment was funny! And again I've noticed a lot of period comments, seems to be far more acceptable to talk about than in kdrama (BTIMFL aside)

Hold the Front Page!... I watched BBC this evening!!... Dark Materials and then War Of the Worlds!.. I'm all discombobulated! That's the most English speaking TV I have watched in a year!!..
However... I feel I need to atone for my sins... (I did catch up on vagabond this afternoon!!)
I've fired up Viki and heading into Tale Of Nokdu... (think I've given up on flower Crew!).... 🌸🌹🌺🌼🌻💐🌷🤣

You won't miss much Bea!