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…

DS is making me watch Nativity 2! And has decreed I can't look at my phone. I'm typing this under a blanket 😂

TheGirl got to love a covert sanity saving mumsnet post.

I'm watching a drama so icky it's rivalling Well Intended Love. I didn't think it was possible yet here I am. I can't seem to look away either.

Do we need to stage an intervention, Hello? Can you describe the nature of the ickiness or does it transcend any rational description?

Well, CLOY was fab again. Teaser for next week was also 👌. I think the newly-arrived-from-Russia biyatch has more than met her match in Se-Ri. The fireworks shoukd be visible from Seoul.

Shopping done, fire on, cup of tea and CLOY

Did anyone else clock the tidbit in the MTV article that Bea linked to that there is to be a US remake of Strong Girl Bong Soon? I can’t even... There is no way the Americans will do it justice. It will be some insipid flim-flam where SGBS will be superstrong and solve the serial killer crime, end of. Ji Soo’s character will allowed to remain because it fits with the police procedural aspect, but none of the wistful one-sided love will. All nuance and sweetness will be vapourised by the Americans’ poor grasp of irony and knuckle-headed focus on action, action, action at the expense of everything else. Sigh.

boatyard An itervention may be in order. I couldn't even describe the ick while accurately portraying the drama. So I'll let it's own synopsis to both. (Note: I went into this without reading the synopsis because I'm all for a gamble)

Frustrated by life with her boyfriend, thirty-something Wako can't stop herself from being interested in high schooler Yumeaki, despite their age gap.

HE'S 15! 15! THIS IS A RATED 18 DRAMA. THE ML COULDN'T EVEN WATCH HIS OWN DRAMA. The actor himself is 19 and the FL is 29 so it's a bit ick on both levels. Then you add in the cheating, rape, sex with a minor (even though its legal in Japan because their age of consent is 14) and all the apologist behaviour. Oh she cheated but that happens in normal relationships because you made her sad?!

I've been fast forwarding through all the graphic scenes to see if she stays with horrific boyfriend (because you need to get married and have kids before 32) or if the ML dates someone his own age. I tried to skip to the end but it wasn't clear so I'm enduring the constant need to wretch.

even though its legal in Japan because their age of consent is 14
😱 that explains some of the attitudes I’ve seen in Jdrama

Oh god! It's getting. The ML is suggesting they film their exploits, which is definitely illegal. I thought this was done by a small company and streamed by Netflix but no, its produced by one of the big companies in Japan.

I'm don't know whether to be enraged or sad. I really need someone to step in and stop me watching it. Like a boat signal but for help instead of a good show. We'll have to be careful not to get the two confused.

STOP WATCHING HELLO!!!

So glad I snuck CLOY in earlier. DH and my boys have commandeered the telly.

You'll be please to note a well tinted nose bleed stopped me watching. Only after they film their exploits and his friend found it! I have no desire to finish it now.
Back to normal programming

Hmmmm what can we use for an AVOID AT ALL costs emoji? A pile of 💩 ❌🚫

I think I am developing a crush on Hyun Bin

Me too Betty.

There is so much to enjoy on CLOY

The playful use of SK drama tropes. The misunderstandings of the listening post. FL's alpha female eyes but then cute award ceremony.

That tomato plant has no hope however (the write obvs. has no clue about veg growing)

Does this mean we’re going to have to give Memories of Alhambra (zzzzz) another go?

That tomato plant has no hope however (the write obvs. has no clue about veg growing)

Also, looking at the hillsides surrounding the village, it is clearly autumn. 🤦‍♀️

Yep wrong season, barely any leaves, it is doomed!

I don’t think I can go back to Alhambra Which was pretty soulless somehow, but I enjoyed Secret Garden. Am now quite enjoying King 2 Hearts, they have a similar retro feel.
Have also found The Negotiation (Film) on dramafast with Hyun Bin & Son Ye Jin. She also had a cameo in Secret Garden🤔

Having a go with Goblin!... I've never watched! Off for Xmas festivities with family tomorrow so don't want to get too dragged into a drama!

10 days! Yikes! Will have to go and check if I'm upto date with my scoring! Though have to confess not watched anything for a day or two!..
Nothing is grabbing me! 😭😭😭

Will look at CLOY when more eps are up! Seems to have the thumbs up from you lot!

No dark circles here! Been going to bed relatively early (before 1am! That's early considering what has been "bedtime" in the past!! 😂) due to non binge watching!! 😂

bostyard... I'd read there was interest in a remake of SGBS... But thankfully I'm sure I heard its fallen through.. I think they pitched the idea and nothing came of it! 👍👍... They're stupid if they try to remake.. Mthe reason why it's soooo good is that it's bonkers as conkers KDrama! The leads are incredibly engaging! You can't replicate that!! 😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰

I love how the green thumbs come out to fact check CLOY.

I'm full of the dark circles. My internal clock has reverted to being 4 years old and seems to think I should be awake at 2 in the morning.

I will soon be on a schedule of daytime/evening family terrestrial telly followed by late night solo kdrama bingeing. It was a delight to able to sit and watch CLOY in peace this afternoon with a cuppa and some Hotel Chocolat chocs to hand. Precious moments. I managed to do all my gift wrapping this afternoon in the dining room on stealth mode.

Ooh episode 3 of CLOY was v good. I loved the award ceremony. Can I join the queue for a crush on Hyun Bin 😍?
And I've done some present wrapping 😇

I've done ALL.. my wrapping!... Smug face alert ⚠... 😇😇😇😇😇😇

I had another look at Secret Garden for some Hyun Bin infill, but he’s too young and thin in it for me. I much prefer this older, less gauche version of him.

I started Dr John on a shuffle and it seems decent, so I’m sticking with it for now.

I'm trudging through Chocolate still. I think I'm hoping it'll get better. I'm always the eternal optimist!

I prefer older Hyun Bin. He seems a bit rougher round the edges, a bit less polished. I'll add myself to the back on the queue for taking a shine to him.