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…

Itaewon CLass - V good

PSJ 😍 (not in arrogant chaebol mode)

Managed to sneak it in before cooking dinner 😊

I like the sound of Aesops’ weekend. We have lots of life admin planned, though I’m currently downing a glass of good ref wine whilst the kimchi stew bubbles on the hob. The rice cooker just beeped. The stew needs another 5 min. Yum!

Red wine!

There’s so many of us here (a good thing!), I don’t think a Venn will cut it it. Maybe one of those ‘heat map’ spreadsheets. Perhaps a wordle? Are there any data visualisation ninjas in the house?

Squeee for non-chaebol PSJ 😍.
DH just said "Stop looking at your phone, are you talking about kdramas??"

Ermm nooo 😂

🤣🤣 I’m going away for a few days so my access to kdrama chat will be limited 😱 I’ve a feeling I’ll struggle more with that than Dry January 😭

You might have guessed from my love of spreadsheets but I'm also a big fan of data and data visualisation. So I'm sure between me and Bea we could have a pretty good visual representation of people's favourite oppas!

Awesome! What do you need from us?

We could always do something like this with bigger bar means more universally liked. There's no reason for it being circular other than visually appealing. Maybe utilising the groupings for country, if there's enough to do that. (Don't judge me but I'm thinking Jasper Liu and his adorable dimples)

@morejumpingfrogs re learning Korean - I doubt I'll ever get to the point I can understand much, although I did get very excited when I understood that they were talking about a pen the other day on Tunnel:)

Is your user name a reference to the King of Rock n Roll? I've had that song going round in my head, thanks to you:)
@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap
First episode of Lies Within now watched, and I will be watching the rest, thank you for that recommendation. The 2nd daughter is the same actress as the Professor in Tunnel, although I nearly missed that because she is almost totally expressionless in Tunnel.
Might have to watch Crash landing on You (CLOY?) so I can join in the conversation.
I am also new to mumsnet, and my first post here was my first mumsnet post, so please let me know if I am breaking any rules/etiquette

sophie definitely hop on the Crash Landing on You bandwagon. It's really fun to watch and you get sucked in pretty quickly. Although it isn't crime based as a heads up!

hello... I am no way a whizz with any data visualisation! By all means knock yourself out! 😁😂😁😂... I can barely get to grips with excel! 😱😱... When I'm feeling creative I might draw it! I've got plenty of coloured sharpies! 😂😂.. Dh will really really think I've gone too far! (along with the bts obsession! 😂😱)....

bettys... Excellent!! I'm currently rewatching Dr Romantic 1... I watched first time round... Got so far and then stopped... So whilst waiting for all the faves to drop I'll finish this and then have a whole slew to watch in one go... Well... That's the plan!... I know I can't fight CLOY though! 😂 😂

I am also new to mumsnet, and my first post here was my first mumsnet post, so please let me know if I am breaking any rules/etiquette

That’s bloody brilliant! How did you find us, by the way?

Etiquette-wise, Mumsnet takes a dim view of trolling, goading and anyone starting a “thread about a thread” (TAAT) and will delete the offending thread. There are some special rules in Feminist Chat about discussing sex & gender issues, as it got very heated. Otherwise, if you’re posting in good faith and not being a dick, pretty much anything goes & swearing is not a problem. We are easy going here on this thread.

Yes Pagansophie join in the CLOY viewing 😁.
This thread is v friendly so I don't think we have any etiquette?? Apart from not liking dramas 😂😂😂

Yep, resistance is futile pagansophie - you will be assimilated. CLOY is our indoctrination material. Mwah ha ha ha!

I'm thinking Jasper Liu and his adorable dimples

Now I'm thinking of Jasper Liu and his adorable dimples!! He's on my Oppa list for sure, though I can't think of any other Mandarin speakers and only one Japanese speaker.

Just as an aside on the subject of learning Korean and subtitles, it has been so annoying in Moon Embracing The Sun on Netflix when they replace 'Orabeoni' or 'Hyungnim' with the persons name, it completely alters the context.

Huzzah!!.... Sooooo handsome! 😍😍😍😍

it has been so annoying in Moon Embracing The Sun on Netflix when they replace 'Orabeoni' or 'Hyungnim' with the persons name, it completely alters the context.

I hate this too. You wonder what else they are glossing over too.

pagansophie Is your user name a reference to the King of Rock n Roll? I've had that song going round in my head, thanks to you No - it's from a running joke I was annoying ds1 with - it was funny at the time, but I think you had to be there

Am I the only one on this thread not keeping up with CLOY?? I haven't watched a tv series as it airs for years, I like to save them up until the whole series is available, so I can binge as many episodes as I like/can find time for. It sounds stupid, but I find it easier to be patient for the whole thing to be available, than to watch it week by week.

That was also why I used to not watch the last episode of American tv series until the next series was available. I got so fed up of their dodgy cliff hangers - you know, someone shot, are they going to die; the team disintegrating and going their separate ways, will they ever meet up again? that sort of thing. I'm really happy this is very rarely a problem with kdramas, it's one of its many charms

I have just finished City Hunter. Totally right when I predicted ML's dad would die a suitably dramatic death - with the obligatory generous gallons of blood splattered all over the place of course . His lines must have been easy to learn - he ended practically every speech with "I must get revenge, they must all die!" Deary me.

It was dated but what I was in the mood for, although the clothes have left an impression alright - the ML's pink trousers on his long, long legs were a particular eye sore it has to be said. On the plus side though, FL actually got to shoot two people in her bodyguard job, so that was cool.

I'm really happy this is very rarely a problem with kdramas, it's one of its many charms

I agree, but Netflix’s creeping serialisation of their own Korean series is becoming a problem.

Oh my word. Itaewon Class! I’ve justgot past the scene with PSJ and his father in the head teacher’s office. It’s so good and PSJ is so nuanced in this. Right, back to the telly.

I started looking at Ahn Bo Hyun’s twitter feed after seeing a link on the Itaewon Class cast info. It’s pleasing to see so many of the photos he has on his insta feed, because insta has gone weird recently and won’t let me lurk without signing up. I thought this one was all kinds of special because of the statement tracksuit on the guy to the left. What confidence! mobile.twitter.com/ABHyun2/status/1151466598613389312

do you reckon they sell those in matalan or the likes? it'd be a perfect gift for DP! we could get matching ones and do a fun run as a rose bush!

Couple dressing, Hello? Niiiiice. 👍

Itaewon Class was not at all what I was expecting. I love how upright PSJ’s Dad is and how much pride he takes in his youngsters’ lives.