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…

😂😂😂 Betty that's impressive!!

Wow Bettys that's a huge amount 😀 how long have you been viewing? I think I am the latest recruit on here still and it's been approx 5months since I first discovered K Drama

Right off to sleep now, ep 9 was excellent. That kiss. Nailed it.

I think Betty and I both got started in earnest in summer 2018, although she may have started sooner.

Yep it was summer 2018. But I do tend to skippitydoodah and some of them have been dropped.

Am on ep 10 of AMO and I think I like MLs dad more than ML (it's in flashback so not as weird as it sounds)

All done. I put the films in blue to make them easier to distinguish. I found myself adding years and saying 'no way, that was only airing last year' for things aired in 2013. I've been here too long, I need to retire.

Amazing hello - thank you!!

Ah - MLs dad was the head reporter in Pinocchio. Eric Man is growing on me, he's very good in this, and he can certainly pull off the passionate scenes.

Its so interesting to see the votes coalescing around a high score, especially when several of us have seen it, for example BTIMFL and Just Between Lovers.

There's only one thing bugging me about AMO. I love Jung Seung Hwan as much as the next person but they play If It Was You every scene where someone even gets slightly emotional.

bettys You should see Eric in some of his stage performances. He's got something about him. He's in the longest running idol group. They're called Shinhwa.

You should see Eric in some of his stage performances. He's got something about him. He's in the longest running idol group. They're called Shinhwa.

😂 😂 😂... I'm in Tale Of Nokdu... And enjoying so far!

I’m loving the idea of a family noraebang session with your adult child to get them over a tough patch. 🤣

“You should keep an eye on your son. I’d like to bite him to death! (Pause) My teeth are in good condition.” I want Oh Hae-Yeong 2’s mum in my corner. 👍

I dread to think what my body age would be. 65?

Bettys!!... 😳😱😱😱😯😯😯😯😯... That is a list and a half!

Do you have a train commute that allows you to crack through all those, Betty?

I’m a natural night owl. Plus some of them were only an episode or two or I wAtched a bit & skipped to the end eg The Liar & His Lover, My Princess, My Contracted Husband Mr Oh. I also watch when travelling, and don’t watch any ‘normal’ tv hardly.

I managed to catch the ep 9 snog this morning. That’s more like it! That’s the kind of connection more fitting to worldly 30-somethings.

Apart from the skipping, Betty describes my kdrama viewing habits perfectly.

It was nice to see something other than a kiss that resembles two cardboard cut outs places next to each other.

How can I have just spent 5 minutes wondering whether to give Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo a 9 or 10? I sooooo wanted a modern update which is why it doesn't get a perfect score. Ended up with 9.5 which is prob not allowed.

A 9.5 rounds up to 10? Let's face it that drama is a 10. I'd love another Moon Lovers or Splash Splash Love. They were so fun and different.

I'm finding the results fascinating - so far the only drama everyone has scored is WWWSec Kim. I think ginger said she was going to add scores too but maybe she's not on Viki.

DS is off school poorly and DH is away so I've had to take a day off work.
I'm running round doing some useful things so I can do some binge watching guilt free!

😨 the WiFi has gone down