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 must say bettys I sacked First Love in pretty quickly. Its on a pile of 'probably not worth continuing' dramas that I can't quite give up.

DH had the bright idea of installing the new router this afternoon. 🙄 We are currently without wifi and making do with patchy 4G. If he doesn’t get it sorted in the next half an hour, things could get ugly.

I've just finished The Lies Within. Has anyone else? What did you think of the ending?

TheGirl It's on my list once DS has gone to sleep. Should I bump it to the top?

Planning to watch The Lies Beneath later.

I’ve finished ‘The Lies Within^ - I thought the ending tied everything up and was rather sweetly sad if that makes sense. What did you think TheGirl?

No spoilers yet, please.

I'll save my thoughts till later if your all watching it soon.

Back to My Fellow Citizens... I think Siwon is technically better looking than LMK but he's so smooth it's a bit off putting. It is funny though.

Thanks. We watch Dark Materials en famille on Sunday night, so I have to wait until everyone’s in bed to catch up on The Lies Within.

Oooops sorry 😳 hopefully didn’t give too much away 🤭

I think I might head into Suits for a bit if frivolity

Ooooooo! Suits is up?... Park hyung sik is just lovely lovely in it... There's particular scenes which are just... ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😭😭😭😭😭😭👍👍.. Though it is a bit messy at times! 😂

I think Siwon is technically better looking than LMK but he's so smooth it's a bit off putting

I agree with that...I also think I prefer LMK with a bit more weight, he is almost ethereally slim in The Beauty Inside but looks like a real bloke in The Lies Within - though perhaps not one I would bump into in Homebase sadly

Bea I'm going in...hoping Suits is binge-worthy

I have to admit... I did watch for PHS.. His storyline is worth it... X

I've decided to save Nokdu for later in month viewing, I think the shorter episodes and period setting suits my 'holiday' schedule!
Had a look at the spreadsheet and think my next drama to start this week will be Her secret life seems universally popular

I think Siwon is technically better looking than LMK but he's so smooth it's a bit off putting

I agree with that...I also think I prefer LMK with a bit more weight, he is almost ethereally slim in The Beauty Inside but looks like a real bloke in The Lies Within - though perhaps not one I would bump into in Homebase sadly

I agree with all of this. Siwon is very easy on the eye and laugh out loud funny when he does comedy, but he’s also so good looking he’s a little bit too shiny and perfect for me.

LMK is a funny one, because in some scenes he does nothing for me looks-wise but then in others he’s really handsome. What I do know is that he brings some serious depth and a kind of languid charisma to his roles which fascinates me. I have just finished The Lies Within and thought he was outstanding, especially the last twenty minutes or so. As he loosened up, I thought he was definitely someone I’d like to spend an evening on the pub with. He has a good vibe about him.

Oh my. The last episode of The Lies Within was so good, but heartbreakingly sad. Redemptive sad, but still sad. It has to go on the new thread list and I think it will score well on the spreadsheet.

Hello - Please can you stick a 10 in the spreadsheet for The Lies Within for me.

Oh my God, Aesops - you’re in for a treat. I’m quite jealous you’ll be able to binge and not spend every Wednesday and Thursday evening hammering your refresh button to see whether the subs are finished yet.

The superfan quiz episode Her Private Life still makes me chuckle when I think about it. Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook were epic, but the whole cast were brilliant. I may rewatch it over Christmas.

languid charisma - that sums LMK up excellently well

Also 'redemptive sad' is better than I put it. I gave it an 8 because it was a little gruesome for me. I did like the bit at the grave with the soju in the last ep though.

I'm up to episode 14 in Fellow Citizens it is so funny. I'm not normally a fan of comedy gurning facial expressions but Siwon can definitely pull it off. And I love all the badass women.

The ending of The Lies Within was just too sad, even though it was 'redemptive sad' . I think because of his sister. I can deal with gruesome but not abducted children. I think I'm going to score it an 8.
I also think LMK does tall + broad shoulders v well too. I know lots of Korean actors do but he is slightly awkward too which adds to his appeal.

Anyway I should go to bed now instead of debating the finer points of kdrama actors 😂

The badass women were definitely a positive for me: Siwon’s missus, the squabbling crime family sisters, the chief of police, the campaign manager couple where its evident she has all the smarts. Even the grifter women have hidden depths and talents. The FL is definitely on my top actress list, because she’s so versatile - comedy, martial arts and badass in Fellow Citizens and hugely fragile and nuanced in The Lies Within. Like LMK, I’ll basically try/watch anything she’s in now because she’s so good.

Fellow Citizens has a patch of slightly less sparky, slower episodes about 3/4 of the way through, but push on through - its worth it.

I was getting twitchy so I started the new thread. Fill yer boots:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/streamed_tv/3758420-Ms-Latte-s-Daebak-Cybercaf-Kdrama-Addicts-11?watched=1