Ms Latte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama Addicts #11)

[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)*
The Lies Within (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

Another Miss Oh (Netflix)*
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: Two Worlds (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:

Before We Get Married (Viki - Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)

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…

Do you get the sense that wife #5 is up to no good? I half suspect poisoning, but I can’t countenance Mr Secretary being involved. Do you think it will turn out that FL and Mr Secretary are related? The bastard dad is a Kang, so FL could be part of the clan. All these straying chaebols and illegitimate children are hard to keep track of.

Mr Secretary has pretty nifty fight moves I wonder if he might be related........the FLs fake dad was searching for a taekwondo teacher

who might be her real dad posted too soon)

I think he’s too you g to be her Dad, but I could be wrong.

I was thinking brother or half-brother

Just spotted that Crash Landing On You starts on Netflix on Saturday

I'm looking forward to Crash Landing On You. It seems like a really unique story. I've not enjoyed many of the writer's other works so I'm hoping this will be the one to change that

I’m not a huge fan of Hyun Bin but it’d be nice to have a good on air series as the current crop is a little lacklustre

I agree... There doesn't seem to be anything on air to grab my attention at the moment! 😫🤔🤔🤔

I think you'd like Cinderella & the Four Knights Bea!

I managed to get Coffee & Vanilla on my phone after much cursing. Bloody pop ups. Its going quick and doesn't really have a story so perfectly mind numbing.

I'd kill for a good on air. Everything seems so formulaic at the moment. I want something absolutely bonkers to watch.

Sakurada Dori seems to specialise in these roles - I’ve also seen Perfect Crime for reasons of research. Coffee & Vanilla Is rather mind-numbing but just flows on a bit like when you suddenly realise you’ve eaten a whole tub of ice cream

Should I also watch Perfect Crime for research purposes? It might be better than my current plan of staring blankly at the Netflix home screen.

Oh yes you should. It’s necessary for purposes of research & the spreadsheet 😉

I might have to get the laptop out for this! Can't be binge watching on my phone. Thanks for the tip!

You can add anything you want to the spreadsheet at the bottom and I can move it round and add the formulas in later if I don't add something that should be on there.

bettys... 👍😂😂.. On ep 2 but have decided to allow Dh to watch the news! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. I'm retreating to bts world to find some joy!

What's the fluffiest, fuzziest, best comfort drama we can all think of for today? I need something to lighten the mood in this house.

Watching with interest because I am in need of the same.

And me!

But if we’re all asking for ideas who’s going to suggest anything?🤣🤣

I'm trying to think of heart warming shows I've already watched but I'm just drawing a blank. So far today I've resigned myself to the kitchen with Perfect Crime for research purposes.

hello interested to know what you make of Perfect Crime - I find the Dramas very different in tone

bettys currently on episode 3 and honestly, its made me wonder how often this happens in regular work places. i've not worked many places, but never have i noticed or heard about people having affairs. plus they make it look so easy, just a quick 'lets pop off to the store room' and wham, bam, thank you mam.

That should've read Jdramas blimmin' autocorrect

Happens a lot according to some of the threads on the Relationships board. Guess it depends on the availibility of store rooms. It's more the representation that the 'nice' women are compliant and malleable as opposed to the sexually predatory women like the teacher in Scum's Wish and the chairman's wife in this.

I don't think you'd ever find this sort of tone in a Korean drama from one of the big production companies. I don't think the blatant, repeated sexual assault would be allowed in Korean dramas whereas it's seems to be seen as a fantasy for a man to want you that much in Japanese dramas.

I've learned one thing from this experiment though; Dori Sakurada has slowly become one of those actors who I will always watch. For Jdramas, he seems to be one of the better actors.

I have to agree on Dori Sakurada. It baffled me in Good Morning Call what the attraction of the ML was when Dori Sakurada was obv. the better option. Still I suppose she ended up with him Coffee & Vanilla

You win some, you lose some. I can't believe he's 28, he's definitely a young looking one. I still haven't found anything fluffy and fantastic to distract from the distinct mood that's fallen over the hello household. I might have to resort to Christmas music!