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…

spot the cameo in episode 5 of CLOY!

JKH on top form. 👌

Another great episode of CLOY. It’s torture being drip-fed two episodes per week. This is definitely going to be a binge repeat.

We are at relatives overseas and I've escaped the afternoon walk to watch ep 5 of CLOY the N Korea rules and regulations are fascinating

The hopping salesmen were fab

I find myself watching it and wondering if things like that are real or if they make them up - how fab would trains be here if you had singing trolley vendors?

I am loving CLOY, but catch myself thinking she seems terribly naive in some areas for such an astute, sharp-eyed business woman. The only way I can get behind the escape plan is if she knows deep down that he’ll get into trouble, but is in denial. I don’t believe her accepting his assurances so readily. She’s too clever for that.

I’m persevering with Alhambra entirely for the visuals. Hyun Bin is lovely to watch. I’m not sure I’ll be able to score it objectively, mind.

She was thoughtful enough to make sure village generals wife didn’t badmouth him to her husband, but still recommended him for the star award, so yes prob in denial & knows deep down he will get into trouble.

But why is he going ahead with arranged marriage?

WRT Alhambra, due to skipping I have missed the backstory with the other CEO & wife. Was she the cause of the fallout?

As I said upthread, I have changed my score for Alhambra purely for SAOR.
Hyun Bin has very yearning eyes in CLOY and is doing his best in Alhambra but the chemistry is nowhere near as good with Park Shin Hye

Yes Betty, the bloody ghoul and Hyun Bin were best friends and started their tech business together. Bloody ghoul’s pregnant wife was HB’s first wife, but she cheated on him with bloody ghoul. Their betrayal was the cause of HB’s divorce from his first wife and the two tech giants going their separate ways/establishing rival companies. Bloody ghoul’s father seems to have sided with HB in the divorce and was much sadder about HB being injured in his fall than his actual son lying in the morgue in the same hospital in Granada.

Hyun Bin has very yearning eyes in CLOY and is doing his best in Alhambra but the chemistry is nowhere near as good with Park Shin Hye

Agree about the lacklustre chemistry with PSH. Also, CLOY has humour and HB and Son Ye-Bin are very funny together in the humourous scenes.

Just found this link by googling CLOY:

www.dramamilk.com/netflix-adds-crash-landing-on-you-aka-loves-emergency-landing-to-its-lineup/

I love this website’s strapline: “Drama Milk: We Cater to the Obsessed”

Thanks boatyard! And then he married awful actress as a rebound?
Bloody ghouls wife is not all that though, is she? I wonder if bloody ghoul was jealous of his dads affection for HB so set out to take her as he didn’t seem to like that much either

Oooooh that website has lists

HB & SHJ look such a couple in the photo on that link 😉

More pertinently, it has this topical list:

www.dramamilk.com/5-romantic-korean-dramas-to-watch-with-hyun-bin-and-3-to-avoid/

from the link above:

Memories of the Alhambra made our list of Rage Worthy Dramas to not watch, so there’s that. But I do want to say that everyone should at least check this show out for the special effects alone.

The first 4 episodes were riveting and the show continued to surprise with the augmented reality game throughout its airing. Though in the third act, it did start to make no sense at all and the final episode was a big ol, say what? But the ratings did stay in the respectable range on tvN at around 10%.

Verdict: Watch at your own risk

Seems fair based on the first 8 episodes.

I seem to have the thread to myself and I’m on a roll, mwhahahaha.

CLOY: “You’re not being chased!” 🤣😂🤣 There’s probably a few times DH should have said this to me in the pub too.

I’m-in-love-and-I’m-worried-eyes
😍

I've hid in the bath and watched CLOY episode 5. Excellent stuff! HB being all stoic and heroic 😍.
Im staying at my parents tonight and described the plot of CLOY to my dad. He thinks it sounds hilarious so maybe I'll get him to watch episode 6 with me later 😂

Lots of action at the end of episode 6!!

I rather like naughty 2ML I'm sure he has a secret kind heart. I am hoping clingy hard-hearted fiancee falls for him. I guess HB agreeing to marry her was the trade-off for his father's help in arranging sports team place, and it seems the original marriage deal was for money.

Episode 6 is a cracker, Girl. Lots of action, but also HB’s I’m-in-love-and-I’m-worried-eyes. The Santa confusion was topical too. 😄

I rather like naughty 2ML I'm sure he has a secret kind heart.

I think he has a grudging respect for Se-Ri as she was astute enough to have seen through the grift, plus he has no love for her brothers. It will come down to that, more than a kind heart, I suspect.

I’ve only just twigged Son Ye-Jin was the pretty noona/FL in Something in the Rain. That was so serious and she’s so good at comedy. I like her even more now. Clearly an actress with range. I reckon she’d be fun in the pub too.

Ep 2 CLOY done!...
Oh my my my! Captain Ri... May I hide in your kimchi cellar too! 😂 😂 😂
CLOY!.. 👍👍👍😁

Keep going Bea! It is fab.

I just watched The Negotiation on dramafast. It was really well done, but felt inconclusive and HB & SYJ are barely in any scenes together. HB’s floppy hair is great though & I like him in his gangster shirt. 👍 I will score it a 6 for the spreadsheet. It starts with such promise but I found the ending unsatisfactory.