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…

I know!!! But somehow they do. 🤷‍♂️

I hadn’t done my research so was unaware Bride of Habaek is a spin-off from Bride of the Water God. I’m not sure whether this puts me at a disadvantage, but I’m rolling with it. ML (was ML in Weightlifting Fairy) has maintained his impressive washboard abs. I salute his dedication. (Rooftop bathtub scene is in ep 4.)

I managed episode 1 of HJM in short bursts at work last night. All I can say is its v convenient he has to keep checking his heart rate monitor by taking his shirt off 😂

Shoot me now! No right thinking adult would be watching Bride of Habaek and yet I find myself 6 episodes in... 🤦‍♀️

It’s pure procrastination. There’s work I need to complete before Monday.

I know, I was just the same when I watched it 🤣🤷‍♀️

I don’t know why I can stop. It’s like Before We Get Married in that respect. Kind of ‘so bad, it’s good’.’ It’s not intrinsically awful - decent cast, good special effects, only a bit cheap and wobbly production wise. I dunno. I think the cast are really selling it by the way they’ve embraced the crazy.

I gave up with bride of water god!... Not even NJH with the washboard could keep me interested! 😂

Gah! Can't believe there isn't a CLOY tonight! 😭😭😭

Can I jump in please and say YAY other people who love kdramas I discovered them early last year and haven't looked back.

I've just finished Suspicious Partner and am looking for the next one to start.

I loved -
Suspicious Partner (you are dirty but you are pretty)
Healer (mmm fight scenes)
The K2 (mmm fight scenes)
Descendants of the Sun (great to have two fab couples to cheer for)
The Master's Sun (I am not listening to you, its just I have ears on the side of my head)
Oh My Venus (the dimples! the muscles! the clichés!!)
Coffee Prince (took him long enough … but I enjoyed the wait)
Goblin (I think I enjoyed the bromance as much as the romance)
My love from a star (I loved how the alien thing didn't faze her At All)
Strong Girl Boog Soon (I just loved the ML, loved him)

What I need to know now is Viki - is that another Netflix type service? how do I join?? Because it looks like I need to join!

Plus, obviously, any other recommendations given I lean to the lighter hearted side (loved the start of W two worlds - the four types of romance anyone? - but I did not enjoy the swerve to the dark side half way through)

Thank you!

I'm filling the gap with terrible films. I wouldn't be able to pick a good film if my life depended on it.

welcome morejumpingfrogs Id recommended Her Private Life it's universally loved on this thread and is a perfect romance with lots of visuals.

Viki is a Netflix type service for East Asian TV and movies. It's £40 a year or £5 a month and is really worth it!

Hooray! Another kdrama fan. Welcome morejumpingfrogs!

The Master's Sun (I am not listening to you, its just I have ears on the side of my head)
Oh My Venus (the dimples! the muscles! the clichés!!)

Do we have another So Ji Sub fan in the house?

Viki is ~£4 a month, subscription only. To be fair, quite a lot of the good stuff has (eventually) been added to Netflix recently.

Sounds like you have enough shows under your belt to start scoring on the spreadsheet. 👍 Hello is Queen of the Dramavision spreadsheet. If you ask nicely, I am sure she’ll PM you the link.

Hi morejumpingfrogs (I love your comments in brackets )

Viki is definitely worth it, looks like their special offer has finished, but still as boatyard said, for the price of a fancy coffee per month you can fill yer boots with drama Some of the dramas are also on Netflix but the subtitling is different and they add context often too

Goblin (I think I enjoyed the bromance as much as the romance)

I echo this sentiment.

I've just had a look at the 2020 Dramavision spreadsheet and CLOY is way ahead. Rather exciting to see an empty sheet just waiting to be filled with dramas.

Mind you, there are some dramas on Viki that haven't made it to nETFLIX, like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Her Private Life & The Crowned Clown , off the top of my head.

It’s worth mentioning the subtitling is done by teams of volunteers. The Her Private Life team were lightning quick, but some of the other airing shows have been without subs for several (frustrating) days. One of the main things I like about Viki is the correct subbing of relational terms like hyung, ajussi and unni, which opened up a whole extra level of meaning/context for me.

The Tale of Nokdu is still Viki only. Just those four would be worth the subscription.

Strong Girl Boog Soon (I just loved the ML, loved him)

morejumpingfrogs you might want to watch Hwarang in that case
Or Suits ..... or High Society...

I can’t believe that I was reluctant to start CLOY as thought it looked a bit silly and ignored it for a few weeks...now I am having a massive sulk that it isn’t on this week. Love it!

Welcome morejumoingfrogs... Deffo sign upto to viki! Just alone for the ones bettysmentioned... Light hearted? Hee Hee... What's wrong sec Kim....!..😂
Crowned clown is just bees knees!
Secret life of my secretary coming soon to netflix!.. That's bonkers!
But nothing beats bonkers like Hwrang!... Kim Taehyung what on earth do you think you're doing?! 😱
Welcome! Welcome!

Although enjoying Hyde Jekyll very much... Am finding it hard to get through... Post Xmas blues!?... Am being very very slow with my kdrama at the moment!!....

Drama vision 2020 up already?... Thank you Hello!... Lots of good stuff coming! 😂 🥰

Well I've just finished HJ&M and it really wasn't half bad, I found it quite touching towards the end. It didn't deserve all the bad reviews, I'm glad we gave it another go (though I still don't like that FL she gets a bit too hyper sometimes)

I've added Hyde, Jekyll & Me to the spreadsheet at the bottom and put mine & boatyards scores
Every time I try and add it in properly it goes funny & I worry I might break it.

Real life intervened there for a moment (tsk) - back now and looks like I'll be signing up for Viki in a minute

Yes, I think you can call me a So Ji Sub fan Ji Chang Wook has grown on me too, as well as the expressive face of Yoo Gong. It's a whole new world of attractive people, humour, action, bonkers plots … what's not to love?!

It's a whole new world of attractive people, humour, action, bonkers plots

You sound very much like you need a dose of Hyun Bin fever like the rest of us. Crash Landing on You currently airing on Netflix is the business. 👌