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…

It's a whole new world of attractive people, humour, action, bonkers plots … what's not to love?!

That's it in a nutshell!! Welcome to the gang

Yes yes yes sign up to Viki, watch Crash Landing on You & get the Hyun Bin fever

If there are any other shy lurkers, jump right in. The more, the merrier.

Same writer as Fight My Way... I think I remember reading... Slice of real life drama... Looking forward to IT! PSJ! 🥰😍

I’m really looking forward to Itaewon Class - but can I get over PSJ’s haircut 💇‍♂️?

😂 😂 😂... I know! Hopefully it might get a little floppy??......

His haircut!! 😂

Sorry! 😱😳

😱!!😂

Some of Nam Joo-Hyuk’s shirts, rather blouses, in Habaek are shockingly bad. I thought the pale blue one with the massive frill down the buttons was awful, but the nude tone satin one with the full bow in ep 13 is so much worse!

Hi Jumping Frogs, you should definitely watch Hwarang! and join us in the Hyun Bin fever brought on by Crash Landing on You.
Im watching him in Jekyll Hyde Me while waiting for more CLOY. And I've realised I've been to the theme park in Seoul where its filmed (Lotte World) thanks to roller-coaster geek DH.

Some of Nam Joo-Hyuk’s shirts, rather blouses, in Habaek are shockingly bad

Maybe that's immortal god style

Ep 13?? Thats's some procrastination!

I'm back to Stove League it deserves its high ratings. Namgoong Min is excellent and the secondary characters are also good. The backstories are being slowly revealed.

Where is Stove League, Betty? Is it on Viki?

I am having a 5 min pitstop whilst I slog through a particularly stodgy business case. Yeah, 13 episodes and counting of procrastination - something where I excel.

Lots of additions to my Watch List - I shan't be getting much done over the next few months

Important question - do I want basic or standard membership on Viki? I got ds1 a year of Netflix membership for Christmas (coincidently for more than one screen ) so I have access to that as well.

boatyard Stove League is on Viki, subs sometimes a bit slow but not too bad, currently on air & up to ep 7

jumpingfrogs I have the Viki Standard annual pass. You pay in dollars, for me it worked out at just under £40 for a year. If you don’t think you’ll watch it enough you could start off with the monthly pass & see how you go

Viki should give us some kind of perks, the amount of new addicts we send their way 😉

Ha, I should clarify, I thought the male lead in Strong Woman Bong Soon was a sweetheart - please like me back; I won't leave you; it's easy for friends to become lovers, one of them just has to take a step towards the other. Also - the actor wasn't half bad either!

That's another thing to add to my list of reasons I love to watch kdramas - they might start out talking to each other like bickering teenage boys, but I love how the romance develops slowly and they don't just jump into bed with each other. I'm probably a bit old fashioned in that respect, but I really like that.

Yes, with a free month for every referral say, you might never have to pay for your subscription again

We subscribed to Viki through the Apple store in £. The enhanced Standard version is better because it includes Viki’s own original output, which last year included some of the best shows like Her Private Life. Their mobile app is great - easier to navigate than the full version.

You can download episodes on the Netflix app to watch when you don’t have web/3G.

I love how the romance develops slowly and they don't just jump into bed with each other.

I agree. I'm actually quite and put-off now at the bed-hopping that goes on in most western films & tv series, especially if it has nothing to do with the actual plot. A recent exception was Giri/Haji which was almost a JDrama anyway and had lots k & jdrama influences.

Oh that's interesting boatyardblues. I take it it's about the same price?

It’s about £1 per month more.

I've been sucked into another whirlpool of Taiwanese films and dramas set in the 90s. CLOY needs to return soon or I'll be lost forever.

I've signed up to Viki now, hurrah - and immediately got sucked into The Legend of the Blue Sea. That wasn't on my list! Took me a while to twig, don't know why, but it's the same actress as My Love From A Star, so am hoping it will be another good one.

I ended up going direct - but I'm probably paying a bit more once you count the dollar/sterling fee. I asked DH whether I should go monthly or sign up for a year and he just rolled his eyes at me, so I've gone for a year. Ha!

I've signed up to Viki now, hurrah

Welcome the village of the damned. You can enter, but you will never leave. 🤣😂🤣

I've signed up to Viki now, hurrah

You have been assimilated, resistance is futile! We are The Borg MN Kdrama Addicts

I am MsLatte - we are all MsLatte - no I am Spartacus MsLatte

Getting carried away with my mixed metaphors when I should be working instead of on MN. Anyway well done! You have many delights to come, just refer to lists of recommendations on the header

I have a good feeling about Viki

The first one I ever watched was Goblin, because that sort of fantasy story line appeals to me. And look where I am now ….