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…

The product placement has also kicked up a notch in Terrius, which is irritating.

Binged a bit to finish Terruis - all wrapped up nicely, although I agreed with boat that it sagged a little about 2/3rds of the way through. I thought she was a fab FL and I liked the episodes about her life rather than the spy stuff better - her friends, the twins, the KIS - I thought those were really good. Not to say I didn't also like the odd fight scene too though, obvs

Have started Bride of Habeak now from the OP. I wanted another guilty pleasure one, since I'm in that sort of mood. So far, FL seems to have a good line in stoic endurance, it's a thumbs up to bath tubs on rooftops from me, but I'm a bit concerned about ML's wardrobe - some interesting choices there ...

I'm up to ep 10 in Terrius so not had a van explosion yet. I'm loving how the KIS are better than the NIS 😂

Yes, I loved the KIS and their top sleuthing skills too - a formidable network!

Hooray the Dr Kim 2 subbers have finally finished ep 8 and they've done ep 9 too!

Dr Kim 2... EP 9!....gahhhhhhh! 😱😱😱😱😱😱
How dastardly can those bad buys be!!
Arrrgghhhh! 😡😡😡😡😡

I’m only just sitting down for ‘me time’. I’m going to plough on with Terrius, but Dr Kim sounds fun.

Gah! I’ve managed to sneak in ep 9 of Dr Romantic and the female Anaesthetist is THE most slappable character ever with her constant background smirking 😡
I need more Nurse Eun Tak action there was very little apart from the failed orange juice attempt (sweet)

Tech guy in Terrius looks much better with darker hair.

I’m also loving the surveillance of FL peeling garlic all day and then spring onions the next. It’s like slow television, Korean style.

I cried so much at ep 8 of Dr Kim 2 😭😭😭 The cat is looking worried.

Tech guy in Terrius deserves a jump up in roles, he was supporting cast in Live Up To Your Name too

There’s a sweet article & video on Soompi ( can’t link as have had faaaaaar too much rosé and local liqueur ) where ML & FL from Dr Romantic sing the theme tune as they said they would if reached double viewing figures . They are both really good singers

Ep 8 of Dr Kim has me sobbing too, TheGirl

had zut alors!

Before anyone says it, I’ve been on the local equivalent of soju it is lethal

The state of you!

🤣

🤷‍♀️

Bof! As they say here ( I’ll get me coat...)

Enjoy bettys you are on your holidays 🍻

I’m only jealous. 😞

"Tech guy in Terrius deserves a jump up in roles" Yes he definitely does!

Oh yes, thirded. He’s rather lovely.

Taking my inspiration from Hello, are there any kdrama actors you are starting to or actively dislike who spoil things by being in them?

Mine are Kim Byeong-ok and Sung Dong-il

The worst of it is that Sung Dong-il is bot much older than me and, in reality, would be more my celeb dating pool than all the lovely young oppas. 🤯

And a 🤢 for good measure.

The only one I can bring to mind is Jun Ji Hyun (My Love from Another Star, Legend of the Blue Sea) I've watched her on variety shows and interviews and think she's lovely but the second she starts acting, I'm out.

Hello...!!! I Love Jun Ji Hun... she is sooo gutsy and funny and can turn from flippant ditzy and making me larf and then she is all angsty and heartbroken & makes me cry my heart out! .... Go wash your mouth out with soap!!!!

I really can't think of any actor in particular though lots of characters... Bettys... OMG that Anaesthetist .... she makes my hands itch... she is just so so so horrible I can't think of anything redeemable to her!

and after re-watching Dr Kim 1 properly over the last couple of days... Dr Kim 2 ep 1 makes a little more sense and hits differently now... I mean... what the flip President Do???? I thought we got rid of him in Dr Kim 1!!! Arrrrggghhh!.... and what's happenned to seet Dr Woo (who Nurse Eun Tak had a massive crush on????) Booo!

I think I had forgotten but the writer of CLOY also wrote Love From Another Star and Legend Of The Blue Sea and I can soooo see it... It has that Jun Ji Hyun (sorry Hello!) element of being a little cold and not liked on the surface yet is soft as anything and will fiercely love and sob her heart out !.... I knew it! It has that similar tragical love thing!!!