Ms Latte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama Addicts #12)

[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 [[
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/streamed_tv/3758420-Ms-Latte-s-Daebak-Cybercaf-Kdrama-Addicts-11?topicid=16582&threadid=3758420&pg=1 here]] but our ‘Addicts Recommend’ list below is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all previous threads.


Shows marked with an asterisk 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)
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)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (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)
The Secret Life of My Secretary (Viki/Netflix)
Thirty Not Seventeen (Viki) or as Still 17 (Netflix)

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/Netflix)
Chicago Typewriter (Viki/Netflix)
Crash Landing on You (Netflix - still airing)
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
Fight For My Way (Viki/Drama bus)*
Go Back Couple (Viki)

Just Between Lovers (Viki)*
Melo is my Nature (Viki)/Be Melodramatic (Dramafast)
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 (Viki & Netflix)*



Guilty Pleasures (for the joy, not the quality)
Bride of Habaek (Netflix)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
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)

Thread Regulars’ Top 5 Dramas of 2019 (courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, scores range from +10 if very good to -10 for truly awful)

1. Her Private Life - 9.40 (5 votes)
2. Melo is My Nature - 9.00 (5 votes)

3.= Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75 (4 votes)

1. Hotel del Luna - 8.50 (4 votes)

5.= Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17 (6 votes)

The Most Disappointing Dramas of 2019

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

Honourable mention for the worst drama of the year goes to Chinese/Mandarin Well Intended Love on Netflix, which scored -10 (2 votes). It beggars belief that Netflix commissioned a second series, but there you go. 🤷‍♂️

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.

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…

Thanks for the new thread! 6 hours till CLOY 😁

Thanks for the new thread, you guys chat a lot! I’ve just started Black Knight, and Blood, both on Netflix. Possibly so bad they don’t rate a mention in your lost above 😂

boatyard It's professional recreations, thank god! I don't think I'd be able to deal with some of these stories if they were done with a small budget. High school where your rank is decided by how well you can gamble? Sure! Why not! It makes complete sense.

Bone - ask Hello to PM you a link to the googledoc spreadsheet. The scoring is pretty consistent, so it’ll help you hone in on the good ones.

Right. Going dark for the next hour for CLOY!

What time is it on? I thought it was 9? Runs to Netflix

So busy watching CLOY I missed the start of the new thread so I shall repeat what I said on the last one.

‘Those wistful eyes’ ! 😍😍

The fridge full of books and clothes was fab. The fake snow in the scene on the lake, not so much. 🙄 But all in,

Mmmm and another cameo from JKH ; the pre-preview easier eggs are great.

I wonder if the ahjummas were doubly clever in accepting the gifts while putting off the ghastly mum?

Bone wrt Black Knight and Blood I much preferred Black Knight, it was a guilty pleasure up until near the end and then it royally pissed me off so I will be interested to know what you think if you watch it.

ahhhh bettys and bone I much preferred Blood over Black Knight. Maybe it entered guilty pleasure territory, so bad it became good in my eyes?

The FLs clompy shoes stole every scene for me

Re: CLOY I was about to type: “I can’t believe what a snake that SK grifter is!” but then realised I could totally believe it. I still think his behaviour when he took her to the guest house was totally creepy and made me realise what a vulnerable position FL is currently in. Thus far, she has been well protected and treated very decently by HB and his men.

bettys... I was trying to be cryptic at end of last thread as didn't want to spoil... But things have been mentioned so I don't think I need to be so... So...

BANGTAN KLAXON! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 💜💜💜💜🤣😭🤣😭🤣

I thought the SK grifter would fall for spurned fiancee but it appears he has his sights set on Se-Ri

Bea!!💜💜Pyongyang ARMY rocks!!💜💜

He is an opportunistic shit, that’s all. He knows how wealthy her family are, but it made me realise there was the possibility that she could easily be ‘disappeared’. Like trafficked women, she can’t go to the authorities for help.

He said to spurned fiancee when they were talking about arranged marriages that his interest was piqued when she turned him down in no short order.

Loved the nurses & doctors in the hospital

He said to spurned fiancee when they were talking about arranged marriages that his interest was piqued when she turned him down in no short order.

Yeah, there was that too. 😕

OK. After a few small binges (I am not yet at your dedicated level Bea ) I finished Her Private Life. Really enjoyed it. KJW has grown up nicely since the last time I saw him in Coffee Prince! I particularly liked his affectionate attitude to her fangirling, very cool - did it remind me of my dh's attitude to my current kdrama addiction? perhaps!

I have just started Encounter, which I think might be a bit angsty for me - I thought the mother was bad, then we met the ex-MIL. No wonder the FL is wound tight! Then there's the fact she's older than the ML and CEO of the company he's just started working at - bit of a reverse of the usual set up. But I think the ML is going to be really good for her and I want to see how the power struggles all play out, so I'm going to carry on with it.

I will however have to take a break from this thread for a little while - Crash Landing On You is at the top of my watch list, but I don't like starting them until all the episodes have been released. Too many hints (rather than spoilers) on here, so will have to temporarily avoid you all The online version of sticking my fingers in my ears and sing lalala!

Caught the first 20 mon of Stove League ep 8 just now. It’s brilliant!

Ooh goodie I was waiting for the subs to be up!! 👍

I wish I had General Manager’s political manoeuvering chops. It’s so much fun watching him run rings round everyone.

We will be here when you return frogs! DP is controlling the TV mostly this week as its his valuable time off and he's catching up on box sets. I'm sneaking dramas in using my phone but it's not the same, is it?

Nope, not the same at all.

I’m saving today’s CLOY for later while I see through a new year’s resolution to start exercising regularly. I’m about to head out for a swim.

I managed to watch CLOY while everyone else was out....

I am feeling a trace of liking for horrible MIL-to-be now