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…

Based on my extensive kdrama and more limited cdrama and tdrama viewing, you are spot on. I haven’t watched enough jdrama to have a view on it. One of the things that usually is a massive wealth/economic imbalance,making the womanmore dependent. Kdrama is more even handed on this point and our spreadsheet makes interesting reading, because the ones we love have strong, economically independent FLs (sageuks excepted).

Speaking of feisty leads in kdrama, have you scored yet for Hotel del Luna and Graceful Family boatyard?

I need to drag myself away from Jdrama manga and get back to Kdrama and proper character development.

I need to finish them first Betty. They’re on my mop up list.

I think both of them end really well, so you're in for a treat.

I'm finishing up PYHOMS and I swear, if this drama uses cheap shock tactics for a twist, I'll be disappointed.

Crisis averted! It wasn't the best ending but I'll accept it. That was a fluffy ball of fun, wasn't it?

That was a fluffy ball of fun, wasn't it?

That describes it perfectly!

V quick thread catch up at work but it just reminded me I missed scoring Graceful Family on the spreadsheet. Still got 4 on the go. 👍

I'm rewatching bits of Arthdal Chronicles and still can't figure out what to score it. Its the only thing my brain can think about. Help me?!

What's 4 are they TheGirl?

So looking forward to the weekend
I have Camellia last episodes on my viewing tomorrow morning then on Sunday I'm off into town to watch a show and staying overnight in hotel with an old girlfriend. just finished quick chat making plans when asked her what she wanted to do for food her response "well I was hoping you could pick a Korean restaurant so I can see for myself how good BBQ and Magkeolli is?" Result!

Now before I book does anyone have any recommendations? 'Kimchee' in Holborn was my initial thinking as near to West End.

I've just watched the final Camellia episode and has a really nice feel good ending. Love the street scene with all the women... Don't want to spoiler it for those who haven't watched yet.

Also been watching J anime Orange with dd which was good. I don't remember much head patting of women in the animes I've watched. Jdrama must be different. Some anime have really strong female characters. They are all very busty of course... I think I've only watched Good Morning Call Jdrama, which had frustrating weak FL.

Can I have link to spreadsheet too please?

I'll send it along now ginger just add your name to a column and go wild!

Hello I am watching The Lies Within, Running Mates; Human Rights, My Fellow Citizens, and Vagabond

Ginger the FL from Good Morning Call plays the FL in Coffee & Vanilla which is a sub-shades of grey adaptation of a manga. She gets patted on the head A LOT and has a particularly gormless expression most of the time. The ML is the 2ML from Morning Call. He looks really young but is actually 28 as hello says he seems to end up in slightly racy dramas.

Aesops I haven't been myself but I know from instagram that Son Heung-Min, Park Seo Joon and some members of BTS have visited Olle Korean BBQ in Shaftsbury Avenue so it must be good!

Olle Korean BBQ

bettys Where are you watching Coffee & Vanilla? for research purposes of course

Ah yes, research needs to be done I feel. Dramacool.

In a different vein I am quite enjoying Don't Get Tipsy, Get Absolutely Sloshed now that the letchiness has gone and they are smirking at each other. And of course irritating wannabe fiancée has just turned up.

I've literally just watched the bit where she turned up! She's already irritating me, but that may be because of her insistence on the word fiancé.

Thanks Hello.

Is ‘totally nuts’ outfits a SK thing or just in dramaland? I’m thinking Romance is a Bonus Book ML here...pink cameo coat, but have seen it in quite a few dramas.

Ignore my failed attempt to screenshot netflix

Catching up on Vagabond!.. 👍👍👍👍

ginger I enjoyed the street women scene too! Such great characters, especially the woman with green eyebrows. Like the lawyer lady too. Nice titles ending, made me go 'awwww' [smile[

It's near to the subway station Brambly your failed screenshot made me laugh! Toasty LYS can carry off most fashions, let's face it.

bettys just because he can pull it off, doesn't mean it should exist in the first place. pink camo, is this the early 90s?

True!! Sometimes the stylists get it so wrong. Plus the FLs clothes in Romance IABB were really fugly