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…

Start ‘em young, Hello! It may be possible to game things so he only thinks there’s forrin telly.

There's a plan boatyard Maybe I'll end up being the scary, screaming mother from every drama ever.

Yeah!!! Tale of Nokdu ep 30 about 9 mins in I practically cheered out loud!
Very impressed with the ML in this, he's great at action as well as everything else

I’m a bit grossed out by the whole family digging in to the tofu stew with their own licked spoons in AMO. Are there no serving spoons in South Korea? DS would be complaining loudly. He has fights with his brother about “double-dipping” in the hummous.

I’m thinking FL’s ex-fiancé in AMO is a total thug. All the kicking/punching/stomping is awful. Eric is less of a jerk.

I have now finished AMO.

Also, we have

bettys I'm upto ep 30 Nokdu as well! But I have to give myself a 👢🍑.. As it's rather late!..

However I'm all excited as from 9am tomorrow the MMA (Melon Music Awards) are being streamed live on YouTube and BTS are performing! It's the award show where they perform the most epic mini concerts! So I'm sooo looking forward to it! However have to take dd out for an hour... I'm hoping they won't be on until the end so I shouldn't miss them!... Also BTS Bon Voyage Season 4 has started and it is the funniest lovely hour you could ever watch! 😊😊😊They are just too funny!.☺️☺️. You have to pay to officially watch it but lots of people have uploaded on YouTube so if you feel like a fun hour to kill and it will definitely make you want to goto New Zealand!!... "❤️💜

Boatyard what's your verdict on AMO?
I think it's in my top qtr results

Hello how do I access the spreadsheet please? I want to give it 9 👍🏽

Happy weekend everyone!

A quick glance and the spreadsheet hasn't changed much but I have a few list worthy suggestions. I was thinking AMO for an more grown up romance and PYHOMS for a light fluffy romance? Happy to be overruled though.

Aesops I sent you a pm with the link which should open it for you. If you have any difficulties with it I can always add any scores.

8 points for AMO for me. I enjoyed it a lot, loved the supporting characters etc but the writing didn’t stand out enough to push it to a 9 for me. I think the parents were lovely, though.

I have been imagining which characters I’d have in a kdrama if I was FL. I’d have the parents from AMO and either Brian from WWW or CEO Ma from BTIMFL as my big boss, with Tammy or Scarlet as my line manager.

But I came on to post that I’ve just watched the first 2 episodes of Nokdo and like it very much. Good to see that a pretty man can be used in such a versatile way, even if he’s give-away tall.

Nokdu really really ramps it up! Great stuff!!

Morning Addicts, I haven't had chance to watch any telly the last couple of days 😲.
It's still nice to read about what you've been watching. I'm off out to see family now. Hopefully fit in some watching tomorrow 👍

ML in Nokdu seems lovely in real life. He's so polite and soft spoken in interviews. Added bonus he has naturally curly hair. I might have a soft spot for curly hair.

I enjoyed AMO so much more than I was expecting to, loved all the side characters especially FLs parents, and totally binged it but it only got a 7 from from me as I still wouldn't put Eric on my Oppa list

Tale of Nokdu has a very satisfactory ending. It did dip a little when it focused on the palace in the last quarter and lost some of the glee but overall very satisfactory.

Agree with hello's suggestions of Amo & PYHOMS also don't forget to put Before We Get Married back on.
I can't wait for Triad Princess I just hope Netflix don't sod it up & make it 2 seasons. I just read that Kingdom might be 3 seasons now which is INFURIATING!!!

Thinking about bosses & work hmmmmmm I would work in the gallery in HPL but would have the PMY job & the chatty ghost girl from Oh My Ghost would be my second in command for laughs. I prob wouldn't stand a chance with HH KJW but would have fun with an unrequited crush

We should add Tale of Nokdu in to Sageuk and Hwayugi/ Korean Odyssey into supernatural dark

I saw an article about Kingdom having 3 seasons. Does it really need it?
I have little hope for the ending of Triad Princess being good but I'm hoping the story is well done.

Oh no why do you think the ending won’t be good? Cliffhanger or sad?
I think When The Camellia Blooms got good enough scores to be added too

I think they'll do the Netflix ending of leaving it hanging for months and then announcing season 2.

Thanks for the heads up Bea , Taehyung riding a horse in NZ sounds like a perfect Saturday afternoon hour with tea and cake!

Is Camellia in grown up romance?

I wonder if PYHOMS should be in guilty pleasures? It’s very slight and quite slow. Remember, the recommends are mainly for newbies as regulars pick up suggestions on the thread. I suspect a lot of noobs would find PYHOMS baffling.

I guess PYHOMS could be considered a fluffy guilty pleasure. So it might be a good fit there.

Chocolate is giving me Just Between Lovers feelings but I'm not sure why. The first episode had so much happening that it was a bit confusing, but I assume it's all story building and will slow down soon.

Yes to Camellia in grown-up romance, PYHOMS should go in not Korean but try it maybe.

Now....what to watch next? Anyone watching any of these? All airing now, suggestions for binge-watching previous dramas welcome
Psychopath Diary

Love with Flaws
Chocolate
VIP
Wonderful Life, Beautiful Love
100 Days My Prince - not all eps up yet on Viki though has previously aired

Also forgot to add Familiar Wife, Secret, Defendant and Protect The Boss to pre- 2019 list (I obv had a Jisung phase)