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…

Is the mono playlist on YouTube?

Mono... Uh good and Seoul and everything goes my faves!

Got sucked into the leaders’ debate on iPlayer. Man, I’m going to need some shiny kdrama to cheer me up in the mo.

Finished Triad Princess - definitely open-ended for a second series.

I should have known with it being a Netflix series. I have one ep left but with a 4AM wake up tomorrow I think a 🥾🍑. Hopefully it doesn't take long for them to drop a second season otherwise I might suffer a reaction to lack of dimples.

otherwise I might suffer a reaction to lack of dimples.
🤣 Me too! Luckily it’s not a bad ending, it’s just teasing out possibilities otherwise I would be really cross.
At some point hopefully Netflix will show Jasper Dimples and 🍓scented Lee Seung-Gi’s travel programme. That will be cuteness overload 😬

Just realised you said 4am wake up call 😱

Just checking in

I am a bit of an heretic here as I prefer the mainland Chinese dramas but I just have to put a warning triangle on Put your Head on my Shoulder on Netflix.

It starts really well with a good set up and meetcute but I slogged all the way through to the end and I have never watched a drama before hoping they didn't get together at the end, they had nothing in common and I finished it thinking the FL would be posting in Relationships five years and two kids later or off having an affair with the Handsome Actor character!

Hi Cassini. Good to have you back. Have you visited since Hello set up the spreadsheet so we could score this year’s dramas and the back catalogue in our header, plus additions? There are Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese dramas in both lists. It’s been fun seeing which ones are consistently well-reviewed (or loathed) and the contentious ones. If you want to add yours, Hello can send the link via PM.

Yes Cassini come and be judgey with us! I have a soft spot for many Mainland Chinese dramas and will always talk about how the chemistry between Xu Kai and Bai Lu is the best thing going right now.

Which series best demonstrates that chemistry, Hello? After Nokdu, I’m firmly of the view that the ML/FL’s chemistry makes (or breaks) a series.

I'd say Arsenal Military Academy demonstrates it best but its a bit of a slow burn in the beginning. It's also heavy on the patriotism so can get a bit eyeroll worthy af some points. They only seem to be doing period pieces this year but their next joint adventure is a contemporary romance.

Yes please. I love a good spreadsheet

Ooh great Cassini the spread of scores is interesting.
Kdrama will always be my favourite but I enjoy dipping into Cdrama and Jdrama, though I think (purely on the strength of Jasper Liu and a more frank approach to romance) I prefer Taiwanese drama to mainland Chinese. Though I did enjoy Love O2O immensely

I'll send the spreadsheet link in a pm to you now Cassini

I like to think I like all the dramas equally but I'd have to say i like Jdramas a little less because of the way they're shot.

KDrama is the Royalty 👑
😂😂😂😂
Let's not turn this into a bunfight ladies! 😂

There's no replacing the feeling of finding a good Korean drama and watching it all night while wrapped in a blanket with the fire going.

I need to find some good ones for the next couple of weeks

We have house guests for a frighteningly long stretch over Christmas/New Year. It’s going to seriously hammer my kdrama viewing, although I managed to win my SIL round last year with late night Goblin. Thank goodness for the Viki and Netflix phone apps. I can see a few “afternoon naps” being required.

hello have you scored Triad Princess yet? I may have to watch it again it seemed to go by in a flash.
An afternoon by the fire beckons but I don't have a binge-watch....& don't fancy the current on-airs much....any suggestions?

bettys I've just added it to the spreadsheet. I enjoyed it but it was a bit underwhelming. They could have made a much better drama with the plot they had.

boatyard sounds like you need some extra long bath? or maybe some long phone calls to your friends to talk about their holiday fun?

Or maybe just get by on about 4-5 hours’ sleep like last year, which led to me sleeping through a reasonable chunk of the noisy, energetic panto we went to on 27th last year. Fortunately DH couldn’t get seats for us all together, so only DS2 knows. He said I snored a bit too, but it was noisy enough in the theatre for other people nearby not to have been disturbed by it. 🤣

Ahhh this time last year! Xmas with the in laws... sobbing quietly in bed whilst Dh snored away... I was watching the Love from Another Star viki app on my phone... Earphones in... It was epic... 1am in the morning and I knew I was hooked on this kdrama thing! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

We have a very lazy Christmas planned this year. Last year I had just taken advantage of the Viki special offer - which I think is on again - and was galloping through the back catalogue in-between dog-walks and cluedo.
Anyone seen Love Me If You Dare? Mainland Chinese on Viki

bettys I have! It's on the spreadsheet if I remember right. It's a psychological thriller, a pretty good one too. As with all Mainland dramas it's a bit slow at points but I enjoyed it.