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…

Eek I'm looking forward to CLOY 😁
I think I can watch it tomorrow.
We didn't get in too late tonight so I've watched Itaewon Class. It seems excellent so far. V evil baddies. There has been a lot of setting up the story so hopefully it will move on with the plot now. PSJ is lovely in it. I think I might be able to get over his hair.

Sigh! CLOY was just perfect again! The suit shopping made me howl! I love all the throwing backs to what she went through on arrival and now he's experiencing it! 😂😂...oh my! What a handsome man!
I especially loved.Seung joons sleepless night wondering what that smile meant from Dan.. 😂😂... It's brilliant!

I’m trying not to snigger in Terrius when other characters address Sub as “ay shitter” - ‘sitter’ must be start 시 (shi) in Korean. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable drama and I’m speeding through it.

I found My Secret Terrius on Netflix. (Why isn’t it showing up on the front page?) It is great already - the naughty twins and harried mum, the gossipy school run clique, brooding Sub-in-a-Tub, Lego foot, cake for dinner punishment, sexist spy boss (him off Go Back Couple). It’s well observed and funny.

I've watched a few episodes too and am also enjoying it a great deal. I like how warm it is. I really like the FL and her friends, she's lovely. Obvs I like the ML and how they've managed to avoid turning his baby sitting into a parody, I don't think a US series would have been able to resist doing that. I have high hopes of this one

Yes, I like the warmth. Also how capable and strong the FL, despite all of her set-backs.

I loved My Secret Terrius, the first half especially with all the school parents, which is something I’d not seen in kdrama before (haven’t watched Sky Castle)

Can’t link as am on phone but there’s a very good article on BBC News about Parasite and the living conditions for poor working people in Seoul. Worth reading

I've just finished watching the suit shopping scene ❤️

I've just finished yesterday's CLOY (because I didn't go and see MIL with DH). I loved the shopping scene too, the shopping assistant that kept touching him 😂.

Yes she was hilarious!! And he was so cute reading the online comments 😍

I wondered if some at the preening to ‘God’s gift to women’ was not 100% acting. Either that or a naughty production assistant put something in the mocked up comments that tickled HB’s fancy, as one of his smiles looked genuinely pleased.

OMG the plasters We would have had exactly that problem when DS1 was little - I had to have a rule "no blood, no plaster"!

Pausing CLOY to smirk at the Alhambra piss-take 🤣

Ha I'm just pausing Terrius to say I'm lolling at the mums at the bus stop arguing about wether he looks like Hyun Bin or Ji So Sub 😂

Ha I'm just pausing Terrius to say I'm lolling at the mums at the bus stop arguing about wether he looks like Hyun Bin or Ji So Sub

That made me laugh too.

I will look forwards to the Alhambra piss-take in CLOY.

Just pausing CLOY to say that all the missed interactions with Se-Ri and HB in this episode are hysterical. The Alhambra one isn’t even the funniest - its the fried chicken joint phone for me. 😂🤣😂

Oh I liked ‘Tomato Cultivator’!

CLOY delivered on every level this weekend.
So much so, it may end up in my top 3 so far 👊

About to try Terrius, Is it good?

Agreed Aesops. I think it will be top 3 for me too. It hasn’t put a foot wrong yet.

Terrius is also a lot of fun.

Finally get time to watch some dramas and DP has decided we need to watch Moana after DS has become obsessed with the music from it. Would I be unreasonable to sneakily put earphones in and watch dramas on my phone?

Totally fine Hello 👍

hello... I love that soundtrack to Moana! It makes me tear up as its sooo gorgeous! Lin Manuel Miranda is a flippin genius!

I am absolutely howling at CLOY! Gwang Beom and he being scouted by agencies... It had dying! 😂😂... If you didn't already know it was a play on the 3 big dominant Idol / Entertainment agencies... SN for SM entertainment / JYB for JYP and YJ for YG... 😂😂😂😂... No Big Shot Entertainment though! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂... I love this drama! It's sooo funny and clever! 😂😂😂

Sigh! Just finished CLOY.... Ohhhh! It's soooo tragically romantic and heart breaking!... It reminds me how I felt with love from another star... How on earth are they going to stay together?!... Sob!
The reunion was sooooo touchingly done... I've blubbed and chortled throughout the whole episode!.
. Just brilliant! 👍😍

... And the ladies of the village! 😭😭😭😍😍

I am currently on a family holiday in France where we have just eaten beef cooked on a hot stone & DS had joked to DH earlier, ‘I bet Mum tries to eat it like a Korean BBQ’ 🤣

I did try to wrap it in lettuce but it was a fail as it was floppy French lettuce with dressing on 🤷‍♀️

Back to CLOY.....(I am having to sneak it in) ...I liked the con mans backstory I hope that is true and not just a con. I also like ex fiancé more now she gets pissed and crashes out ie not so uptight plus her mother is more likeable.
Also loved the agency touting bit, and the youngest one falling asleep on the bed 😊