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…

Bea that link won’t open for me 😩

Bettys!....

Or... Goto YouTube... Search kwangjuyo bts.... You'll get the gist there! 👍👍💜😁

Ooooo nice bowls & chopstick & spoon sets!

Is anyone else mostly hanging out on Netflix at the mo? I am feeling the loss of the Viki app’s currently airing shuffle. I’m not picking up on stuff I want to see, or perhaps Netflix are just doing better currently at snapping up stuff I want to watch. 🤷‍♂️

I'm on viki this evening! Ep 2 of Because This is My First Life! So far!... 👍👍👍👍👍😁

Well done Bea!

I’m thinking Kim Tae Hoon (The Guardians) could be Gangnam Leopard suitable - born 1975 and rather attractive in a twinkly-eyed way.

Kim Tae Hoon......hmmmm....tbh he’s not for me, I can’t quite put my finger on why

Finished DDTD and even though v long I did enjoy it.

Used the rice cooker yesterday. Tried 3 types of rice, Sushi, brown rice and black (separately) WOW ! Love love love it. My rice cooking was always a failure as either not cooked or gloop. Perfect fluffy results and so easy to use.

boatyard I've been moving towards using Netflix more. Especially if I judt want to peruse and watch something different. Can't do a proper boaty shuffle on Viki now which is annoying.

This thread is starting to get dangerous for my bank balance. Do I need a new rice cooker? Probably not. Do I want one after everyone talking about them and how fluffy they make rice? Most definitely.

My YumAsia Sakura has lots of other settings that I’ve not even tried yet, including a cake setting...

I'd say it's 50-50 Viki & Netflix for me at the moment, whereas previously it was more like 70-30. I find I search by titles on Viki, so less spontaneous watching. I don't like the new layout much, as I can't be bothered to do the extra clicks to go to my playlists on Viki whereas My List on Netflix is always front page.

Just caught up with Melting Me Softly and there's a nice little nod to SWDBS as Grrr JCW's dongsaengs meet up. But it's still not ticking all the boxes, perhaps because as Bea says, the secondary characters haven't drawn me in.

... Following on from Bettys and love for secondary characters!... I'm loving all the secondary characters in Became This Is My First Life!... But... What is it with Lee Min Kee?.... Has he just been unfortunate to land roles where there is hardly any emotion??.. Or... He's a very wooden actor... Or... I've just unfortunately watched both dramas where he has to be cold /cut off and expressionless!... I love FL (it's her from Dday!) and love her best friends!... And the Ceo! 😂😂😂... Dh going away for work for a couple of days!... That means uninterrupted drama watching! 👍👍👍... I suppose I should look after the kids now and again!! 😂😂😂😱

Lee Min Ki being wooden and emotionless in BTIMFL is the whole point, because FL comes smashing into his quiet, ordered life and, well, creates a stir. Honestly, go with it.

That aside, he does have a particularly contained, quiet way of being but that’s why I like his performances because when he does smile it’s like full beam in darkness or a roar in a silent room.

He’s more animated and expressive in It Lies Within. He even smiles wryly.

Oooh the actor from WWW is in Extraordinary You. It's made me realise you could dress him up in anything and he'd look good.

hello It's why I started watching it but Rowoon is equally as easy on the eye - I'd never heard of him before.

Catching up on The Lies Within. Lee Min Ki is great.

bettys I knew I recognised the face but couldn't quite place him. It's been bugging me for weeks. I blame the fact I watch too many dramas. Rowoon is an idol so I knew of him pre-dramas. Although he suits the actor type more.

hello he's just been signed up for the new Seo Kang Joon / PMY drama too, he's really on a roll (Lee Jae Wook, that is). And yes, you could dress him up in anything and he would look good! He's only 21

I’ve nearly caught up with It Lies Within, but have had to dip out for His Dark Materials. It Lies Within is so cleverly constructed: like I said to DH, its still not entirely clear what the crime is (murder? Or just kidnap/torture?) and the audience is feeling their way just as much as detective Jo and FL. It is intriguing.

I have been out at a bonfire party (parkin went down well, even with southern heathens who had never had it before) and missed the beginning of His Dark Materials so will watch that on iPlayer.

I am reluctantly enjoying You're All Surrounded , but very much looking forward to catching up with LMK & The Lies Within. I wait for the moments he indulges in a wry smile.

What’s wrong with me? I get the title of The Lies Within muddled/just plain wrong every week!

Bettys ex northerner here too! Parkin is yum, I haven't had it for years though as not seen (or been arsed) to make it. May have to try looking at recipes now

Caught up with Camelia. Gosh it's getting slow I think, or I just need a few days rest before diving into my next new one. Going to watch some English TV tonight and explore options for next...maybe even switch genres and go for crime/thriller

Aesops very easy parkin recipe here. Not quite the real thing as it was eaten fresh and you should really leave it a few days in a tin to get sticky but not bad.

Camellia is slow, but I still like it.

In terms of regional food, parkin sounds lovely. My local dish is gray pea. I think they're nice but hardly the most appetising thing to look at.

Hopefully going to get caught up on Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency today. I've been neglecting it as it stumbled a little for me.