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…

boatyard did you score Hotel del Luna & gRACEFUL fAMILY?

I haven’t actually finished either of them yet, but will score in due course.

The Netflix trailer for Yanxi Palace makes me want to watch it just for the period costumes. They look amazing!

I find myself using the spreadsheet a lot for referencing as I now know we've all got similar tastes. Especially if I'm doing a bit of a shuffle.

Hotel del Luna has such a satisfying ending. Easily one of my favourites this year. It'll have good rewatch value too.

There are gaps like VIP, which seems to have done well in the awards ceremonies. I might make a start on that this weekend in the absence of CLOY.

VIP had really high domestic viewership as well. I want to say around 14% but I can't remember. So it might even be a ⛵⛵⛵ that we've all just missed.

For accurate reporting I left out any scores that had below 3 different votes. Here are the top and bottom dramas rated by average score with the number of votes in brackets. For those with multiple dramas in the same ranking both the score and the vote count was the same.

Top 5 Dramas of 2019

1. <span class="italic">Her Private Life</span> - 9.40 (5 votes) 
2. <span class="italic">Melo is My Nature</span> - 9.00 (5 votes) 
3. <span class="italic">Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within,</span> and <span class="italic">The Tale of Nokdu</span> - 8.75 (4 votes)
4. <span class="italic">Hotel del Luna</span> - 8.50 (4 votes) 
5. <span class="italic">Romance is a Bonus Book,</span> and <span class="italic">Search: WWW</span> - 8.17 (6 votes) 

The Most Disappointing Dramas of 2019

1. <span class="italic">Melting Me Softly</span> - -4.17 (3 votes)
2. <span class="italic">Abyss</span> - -3.33 (3 votes) 
3. <span class="italic">When The Devil Calls Your Name</span> - -2.33 (3 votes) 
4. <span class="italic">Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency</span> - 0.33 (3 votes) 
5. <span class="italic">Vagabond</span> - 1.25 (4 votes) 

Honourable mention for the worst drama of the year goes to Well Intended Love which got a unanimous -10 from 2 votes.

Honourable mentions! 😂😂😂

In the absence of a new CLOY... and in need of HB... Have dived into Jekyll Hyde and Me... It's good so far! 😁... However for those who have watched... Worth watching??...

I am finally finishing Train to Busan after a 5 month break. It’s great stuff but (well done) zombies terrify me. Interesting to see that Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-Mi have worked together before, as well as on Kim Ji Young, Born 1982. Blooming ‘eck. That was stressful - credits finally rolling.

oooh hello that's tidy! And very interesting. It just goes to show how class rises to the top and dross is universally disliked and sinks.

I think it's very representative of what good taste we all have

I also like reading the 2019 Dramavision list in order of votes, as I can see which got high marks that I haven't watched yet

Bea I didn't make it past ep 1 of Hyde, Jekyll & Me and got a bad review on Dramamilk, so will be interested to know how it goes for you.
Also stalled on Alhambra so will have to head back to IMDB to find something of His to watch

Lovely stats Hello. Thanks for organising the awards 🏆

I'd like to imagine we're all in our finest clothes with champagne gluts celebrating a wonderful year in dramaland but I'm in my jeans and tshirt with a glass of diet coke so that ruins my wonderful vision.

I would be drinking gin right now if I hadn’t run out of naice tonic. I’m debating whether I can bothered to walk to our nearest Tesco to buy some, but. I started pondering about 90 min ago and my resolve has not hardened. There’s Schweppes tonic water in the cupboard if I get desperate.

I’m giving Jekyll, Hyde, Me a spin. Hyun Bin scares me when does his manic Robin smile. Too much! 🙅🏼‍♂️

bettys... I'm on ep 3 now and very much enjoying it! Worth another look! HB is lovely as the saving /protecting Robin! 🥰😍

X-posted with Bea. Am on ep 3 too.

Ahh Boatyard! Join me in the fun! 😁

I'm wearing leggings and a scruffy t-shirt and I'm waiting for a takeaway to try and end my hangover 😂 so glamorous!

I was watching Secret Garden but had to pause it to say there is a Shirtless Hyun Bin scene!!! Episode 10 about ten minds in if you want to check 😁

FL was FL in One Spring Night. I’m amazed. She’s so pretty and lively in this. Somehow they managed to make her dowdy, glum and shrewish in ONS. Or perhaps she’s just a very skilled actress.

Well I was cooking dinner but obv. I am going to have to refresh my memory of shirtless Hyun Bin......

At least I'm keeping the side up with jeans & sloppy jumper a tiara and ballgown and drinking non-alcoholic wine champagne

To be fair, Hyun Bin takes his shirt off a lot. He strikes me as someone who is fully aware of his gorgeousness. Hopefully he’s not insufferable IRL.

I’m having difficulty understanding the family’s issue with Robin in Jekyll. He seems a much happier person, but not buttoned up enough to be CEO maybe. His mother seemed repulsed by him. 🤷

Heeeelp! 🙋‍♀️ I’m stuck in a Jekyll riptide. Send the boot-peach patrol...