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 bingeing the heck out of Nokdu.. Just finished ep 17... It's gooood! 👍👍

It’s fab isn’t it Bea? Love the widows and all the secondary characters including the little girl who could be obnoxious but is rather funny instead

and it is very generous with the shirtlessness

and it is very generous with the shirtlessness

Great pitch!

Just watched the trailer of Nokdu
Think I will dip into that next, hopefully Sunday when I've finished entertaining DD1 and her new boyfriend. We haven't met him yet! I'm seriously tempted to serve rice dish and place meat in his bowl during dinner🤣

Secondary characters! Yes! I love them all... The little girl! 😂 😂 😂 😂 👍👍👍Always eating!.. Or sleeping!
Its binge worthy!! 😂

I am nearing the end of ep 16 of AMO and will probably finish it this evening. Who else is still watching? Are we nearly at the point where we can discuss it?

I'm seriously tempted to serve rice dish and place meat in his bowl during dinner🤣

I would love to see the expression on your DDs and his face if you did that!

I've never heard of The Werewolves of Miller's Crossing but now I want to play! ( Don't Get Tipsy, Get Downright Pissed )

The FL wears such fugly clothes though

Her clothes are fugly but I imagine it's hard to find clothes given how dinky she is. When she stands next to ML she looks absolutely tiny.

It’s like someone said upthread, the height difference makes her look like she’s from a different planet

It seems to be a trend in Chinese dramas. Huge towering males and tiny females. It must give them a right back ache leaning down to kiss.

It seems to be a trend in Chinese dramas. Huge towering males and tiny females. It must give them a right back ache leaning down to kiss.

After a discussion about the size/scale issue during PYHOMS, once DS had gone to bed last week, DH turned to me and said: “How does it work with such a massive difference?” We decided the height differential is less problematic once you’re both sitting down or horizontal.

I sometimes find myself thinking Korean women’s fashion is a bit frumpy, but the vast majority of it looks very wearable and comfortable. They no doubt feel the same about Brits jeggings and tunics. I can’t get on board with suit shorts and tiny skirts though.

The skirts are a no from me. Also the layering sometimes confuses me. Why do you need a jumper with a camisole on top? Surely I'm not the only one who thinks it's a bit mad.

According to t’internet Simon Gong is 6’1 and Ireine Song 5’3 . I’m just under 5’3 and DH is 6’3 so our height difference is even bigger 🤣🤣

I'm 5'5 and DP is 5'11. I couldn't imagine a foot difference!

I don’t look as short as I am, people are always surprised when I tell them, I guess because I don’t have the fine-boned bird like build that the FL has.

I am tall for a woman, so DH and I only have a 3” height difference and I more than make up for those 3” with attitude. I hope I didn’t offend anyone.

Gosh not offended at all!! 😊 I have a lot of attitude as well 😉 I was just surprised that she looks soooo tiny when she & I are the same height. Must be my sturdy northern genes I definitely don’t look as delicate as FL does 🤣🤣🤷‍♀️😬

I am a mixture sturdy northern genes and more bird-like southern ones. The northern ones helped me out a puberty heightwise but are not helping with peri-spread. I have explained to DS2 this means he need not worry about me running off with a kdrama oppa - too old, too fat, on the other side of the globe.

DP says I'll never run away with a lovely oppa because I'm too lazy to get a plane there. I can't help but agree.

First episode of Chocolate is up on Netflix. I can't work out what to think from the synopsis so I'll add it my list for tonight.

Several of DS2’s friends’ parents have split up recently, so I think he actually believed my fondness for Kdrama actors was a genuine threat to our marriage, love him. 😂

Aw sweet! A group of DS's friends (students aged about 20) stayed over last night & I had to hide my Oppa calendar in case they thought I was nuts

I guess I've got all this to come when DS grows up. He's only 1 right now so doesn't have any opinions on my drama habits. He does love wiggling to the music though