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…

Vapour of life in hospital

🤣 We were in Neals Yard buying Christmas pressies and they had several models, cheapest was £50. Much as I would have loved one to live out my own kdrama fantasy, I couldn’t bring myself to waste money that way. We bought a much cheaper ceramic/candle diffuser.

Much calmer evening tonight - let the games begin!

They had one in the hospital room when I was having DS. I thought I had a 5 minute conversation about it, the midwives told me I talked about it for 3 hours. I can't see one without flashbacks now.

They had one in the hospital room when I was having DS. I thought I had a 5 minute conversation about it, the midwives told me I talked about it for 3 hours. I can't see one without flashbacks now.

Sounds like when I got really sloshed at a colleague’s retirement do (free bar, straight after work and the food wasn’t served until 9pm ) and my team mates told me the next day that I was quite chirpy and entertaining, but keep retelling the same (crap) anecdote on a loop.

They had one in the hospital room when I was having DS. I thought I had a 5 minute conversation about it, the midwives told me I talked about it for 3 hours. I can't see one without flashbacks now.

ReallY?? What are they there for?? I've never seen one in a hospital what do they do?

my team mates told me the next day that I was quite chirpy and entertaining, but keep retelling the same (crap) anecdote on a loop.

Hahahahahahaha that sounds like me !!

bettys I didn't go near the one in our room so not sure it was exactly the same but they're essential oil diffusers and/or humidifiers. I wouldn't think many people need a humidifier in the depths of September in the Midlands though.

I've been checking the coming soon section on Viki and noticed the majority of the shows are Japanese. Viki seems to be going through phases of releases and doing it by country

The new stuff ribbon on Viki’s landing page has been wall-to-wall Chinese for the last few weeks. DH just bought me an annual subscription for Christmas, which will be a problem if the Korean content tails off.

this says it all! 😂

They did release quite a few Korean releases a few days ago, they weren't on the coming soon tab though. I'm hoping it'll pick up soon, plus we can always recommend series we want to see on their website.

On Viki there's My Mister, Black Dog and a couple of others like VIP that I might watch once it's complete.

From 1st January Netflix is getting Save Me, The Bride of Habaek, Live Up To Your Name, Reply 1988 and Because This Is My First Life for anyone who hasn't seen it on Viki.

I'm having a cheesy dated kdrama spiral. Have finished Secret Garden and am now on The King 2 Hearts. Same FL who often seems to do action roles. She was also in Empress Ki and is currently in Chocolate

Looking forward to this weekends CLOY

I'm looking forward to CLOY too! I'm filling my time watching all the films I said I'd watch years ago. Currently working on the 2004 Taiwanese film Secret where a 25 year old who looks ten years older is playing a 17 year old.

That is a great article Bea.

I’ve just finished Go Back Couple. A solid 9 from me for the spreadsheet please Hello. It had so much heart. I cried quite a bit around the parental loss scenes, but its still a bit close to the bone for me. Their longing for Seo Jin got to me too, but in a good way. I loved the scene where ML went off to the pharmacy without being asked to get supplies for FL.

It also had a lot of funny bits and the cheer squad’s costumes were camper than Christmas. Liberace would have been proud.

It’s got to be said - Jang Ki-Yong was a bit wooden in this, though deliberately so. The wardrobe dept also needed a word - they put him in so many pairs of hideous chinos, one pair that his butt munched as he ran up a hill or stairs (I can’t remember, only the horror stays with me). I need to go back to WWW to relight that fire, seriously.

DS2 started half watching with me around 7pm and by 9.30pm (when I shooed him up to bed) had put his phone down, was completely sucked in and asking if could watch right to the end with me.

From Soompi:

The actors behind tvN’s newest drama “Doctor Playbook” (working title) have shared their thoughts about the first script reading!

The new drama is headed by director Shin Won Ho and writer Lee Woo Jung, who worked together on such dramas as the “Reply” series and “Prison Playbook.” At the first script reading, Jo Jung Suk, Kim Dae Myung, Jung Kyung Ho, Yoo Yeon Seok, and Jeon Mi Do showed perfect chemistry as long-time friends who met when they were at medical school.

Squeeeee!

Woo-hoo!!

I can't wait! It looks like we're in for a good run of dramas in 2020!

I'm looking forward to CLOY while I'm wrapping presents later.

I finished Fellow Citizens at last. I didn't enjoy the 2nd half as much as the first but the supporting characters were really good and there were lots funny bits. I need to have a think and fill in my scores 😁

I was complaining to DH last night about the black circles under my eyes. I blamed work (stressful, makes me eat unhealthily and drink too much) but DH said it was K-dramas fault!!

I defended the drama, saying it's an essential stress relieving activity 😂

I agree the first half was stronger

TheGirl some people read, some people watch videos of cats, we watch Korean dramas and talk about their terrible endings online.

Only another 10 days to get scores in for best and worst dramas of the year! I can't wait to see what's been voted the best (after HPL of course)

10 days???
Hmmm I’d quite like to see Dr Prisoner, Arsenal Military Academy, & Perfume

Just updated the spreadsheet. I realised I hadn't scored The Lies Within, which I gave a 9. And I decided Fellow Citizens was a 5.
I'm midway through Human Rights still. DH is out tonight so I have control of the tv. So it'll be that and CLOY

CLOY is already up (am watching).