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…

You can still be handsome and evil. We should never give in to lazy stereotyping. 😉

Very true. If I can forgive massive sexism and arrogance for looks then being evil shouldn't be a problem 😁

He’s not evil in In Need of Romance 3, but he’s really earnest and dull as the ML. It’s right soppy shite. Honestly, he’s much more attractive in evil mode. JHM made me reappraise him.

He’s not evil in In Need of Romance 3, but he’s really earnest and dull as the ML. It’s right soppy shite. Honestly, he’s much more attractive in evil mode

Noted 👍

Ive got an extra days holiday as DS has an inset day. We went for a walk this morning and now I've cunningly invited his friend round so I can watch Jekyll Hyde guilt free this afternoon 😊

I’ve been thinking about Namgoong Min and who he reminds me of. I came up with Bill Murray. Bill Murray is fantastic at comedy, but also nuanced in straight roles. He has the same air of oddball eccentricity and sometimes seems at a slight distance from the material, like in Wes Anderson’s films.

After a very amusing start with the FL at the police station, I felt like Legend of the Blue Sea was flagging a bit in the next few episodes and was considering abandoning it. But then she moved in with him and all the other characters are turning out to be related to each other in weird and wonderful ways and I'm reeled back in again. Half way through episode 6 and enjoying it a lot.

It is a bit up and down, Legend of the Blue Sea, but enjoyable overall.

I’m watching Live Up To Your Name on Netflix but not sure if I’m going to stick with it. I’m getting Hyun Bin withdrawal symptoms so I think I need to dig out another film/series from his previous works

Thanks for putting me on to Stove League, Betty. It’s brilliant. It’s not really about baseball. It’s about people. I wish I was as sharp as the General Manager - he is excellently strategic.

Absolutely, I don't even like or understand baseball but I am riveted by the shenanigans that go on and the entangled relationships and motivations.

Stove League too compelling by half.

Flippin' eck! Finished Hyde Jekyll and Me at last! Talk about all over the show! There were about 3 dramas in one! Definitely could have been a 16 parter!... It was fun... But deffo needed someone to tighten it all up!... A 6 from me! Hyun Bin though is really really lovely! How have we only managed to come across him now!! 😂 😂
Next!......

I started Stove League last week.... Will go back to it now... Unless there's a HB drama /film I should follow up with! 🥰😘😱😂

Ha! I see I’m not the only one struggling to adjust post-Christmas.

This is the Hyun Bin list that I am working my way through

Dramas
2019 Crash Landing on You
2018 Memories of the Alhambra
2015 Hyde, Jekyll, Me
2010 Secret Garden
2009 Friend, Our Legend
2008 The World That They Live In
2006 The Snow Queen
2005 My Lovely Sam Soon
2004 Ireland
2003 Nonstop 4
2003 Bodyguard [The stalker] Support Role

Films
2018 Rampant
2018 The Negotiation
2017 The Swindlers
2017 Confidential Assignment
2014 The Fatal Encounter
2011 Come Rain Come Shine
2011 Late Autumn
2009 I am Happy
2006 A Millionaire's First Love
2005 Daddy Long Legs
2004 Spin Kick

That’s our January homework sorted, Betty. 👍

Wowser! That a HB list and a half!... Right!... Where do I find all these goodies! 😂

There’s a new HB puff article on Soompi. The photo at the head of the article is very nice.

This article?

I love how some of the comments underneath are exactly what we've been saying, especially about HJ&M vs Alhambra

Yep. That’s the one, damn it! It’s reminded me how damned handsome HB is. I have been doing well the last few days at watching something else for a change. Must resist.

Indeed I have been watching something else also, mainly because I have work to do but I am missing HB.
Live Up To Your Name is ok, serving as a warm-up to The Fiery Priest as I'm not that familiar with Kim Nam-Gil who is rumoured to have dated Son Ye Jin

Bettys list prompts me to ask - I have Alhambra on my watch list because I liked the special affects in the trailer (it's as good a reason as any ). Why don't you like it? Can you tell me in a non-spoiler way please.

Frogs - It looks beautiful, the location shoots are gorgeous, the cast are strong and in HB’s case beautifully showcased, the story is high concept. On paper it has everything going for it. Somehow it just lacks heart so it doesn’t hook you in as you would expect. FL is lovely and very competent in role, but there’s no spark between her and FL. If I had to choose a word, it would be workmanlike. I still watched the whole thing, because Hyun Bin.

There wee also a couple of logical inconsistencies with the tech plot too which made me scratch my head. I’m very forgiving of fantasy/sci-fi/out there stuff if is internally consistent, but this one had me a few times.