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…

Are you sure it was Chinese because I thought that was the Japanese I Don't Love You Yet? I remember the shock of it!

Oh you're right hello, it was!

Hi all, have you all seen that Come and Hug Me is new on Netflix!?!

Following your discussion I am starting to recognise secondary actors now across different series, the journalist in come and hug me is the mother in the new Tempted show and I have seen the uncle in Just 17 in practically everything

Cassini I hated the journalist character in Come and Hug Me sooooo much she was detestable!

She is shaping up the same! I am not sure about it so far as it is a copy of Les Liaison Dangereuses/cruel intentions so not really a new storyline

I just checked back on the score I gave Tempted on the spreadsheet...it was a 5. I watched it for Woo Do Hwan and Kim Min-Jae (love his little dance sequence) but you're right, it is based on Les Liaisons Dangereuses with not many surprises.

I watched it for WDH too. I watch a lot of things for WDH and it never works out well.

Yeah, like My Country 🙄🤔

.... and The Divine Fury 😡

Here’s hoping The King: The Eternal Monarch is better

Save Me is good once you get past the first 3 episodes (Netflix)

bettys... Yes! 😡😡😡I hated that journalist in CHM!... She was almost as detestable as Sour Smug Anaesthetist in Dr Kim 2... 😡😡😡... Both deserve a good slapping!! 😡

Heads up!! Extraordinary You... On netflix looks really good! I'm 10 mins in and I'm very intrigued!!... 👍👍🤞🤞🤞

... And 2ml from WWW in it too! 😂

Catching up on Stove League. It’s so lovely. The young pitcher with the yips’ storyline has brought a tear to my eye.

Finished Bride of Hanaek, thought it went a bit off the boil half way through when it started the hotel CEO story line. But it was quite sweet, despite ML's choice of shirts (blouses?!?)

I want to watch something cheesy and romantic now, a fantasy element would be a plus but I've seen Strong Woman Bong Soon, My Love from a Star, Beauty Inside and Legend of the Blue Sea. So what now?? Any recommendations?

Cheesy & Romantic? Hmmmm....

Pinocchio (Netflix)
Radio Romance (Netflix)

Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)*

She Was Pretty (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)*

His Master's Sun (Netflix) - inc. ghosts

I've just started My Holo Love which has landed on Netflix today, all 12 episodes so fingers crossed it's the whole thing. It looks like frothy nonsense - girl falls for AI hologram - I will be so annoyed if it's a 2-parter

You could also try Black Knight which is fantasy romance, and has the FL from Habaek. It's great up to a certain point but opinion is divided on the end.
Weightlifting Fairy has the ML from Habaek and is really really sweet.

I should say in Weightlifting Fairy the ML doesn't wear ANY frilly blouses like in Habaek but spends a lot of time just in swimming trunks and goggles bonus

I should say in Weightlifting Fairy the ML doesn't wear ANY frilly blouses like in Habaek but spends a lot of time just in swimming trunks and goggles
I can recommend this too 😁

Thumbs up for the swimming tournaments from me too.

See that's why I hang out on this thread, lovely recommendations when i need them thank you bettys

Hmmm. I've seen She Was Pretty (not quite sold on that one),
What’s Up With Secretary Kim (pretty good) and His Master's Sun (one of my favs).

You are selling me on Weightliifting Fairy I think, you and TheGirl and boat

I should say in Weightlifting Fairy the ML doesn't wear ANY frilly blouses like in Habaek but spends a lot of time just in swimming trunks and goggles

LIke it! I take it it's not fantasy - except in the sense that you might fantasise about seeing abs like that at your local swimming pool ...

Finally caught up with CLOY so I'm back reading the thread. Agree with comments about all the great scenes. Did anyone think ML had a slight character change? I guess they wanted to show FL as being stronger in SK but it annoyed me.

Hellos question a while back. I get emotional with most dramas. Teared up when Seri thought they'd all gone back to NK. I find myself smiling a lot while watching things too.

Dd has been off school ill and we've watched all of Ghost Bride which was great and better than the book (rare we agree that!).

Also half way through Extraordinary You which is brilliant. A cross between Boys over flowers and W. FL is a side character in a comic book, the main characters have the boys over flowers storyline but not as sickening as the other show. FL trying to change her role and narrative in the story. Really interesting, and we've been laughing and loving it. About halfway through.

It's nice to be back in a K-drama after a C-drama too. They feel much more light hearted and we missed the language!