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…

Yes I have a weakness for reaction videos as well....thanks to Bea!!!

One of the funniest eps ever! If you feel like watching something fun for 30 mins! 😂😂

Hey! If I'm going down this crazy bts rabbit hole I'm taking you all with me!... 😜😂... Reactions and all!!! 😂 😂

Haha I might just use lots of data watching BTS stuff on the train 😂

Anyone been watching Chocolate? It’s a bit miserable but I seem to have persisted.

I haven't watched it but I admire your persistence 👍

I couldn’t take the miserable and gave up 😞

I’m persevering with My Love from the Star as I refuse to give up this far in, but it’s uphill work. Hence all the arsing around on MN. I’d love to be a skipper when something’s dragging pike this, but its not in my blood.

Oh in MLFTS why the hell would FL’s mum have any involvement in signing her up for management contracts? I get she’s a grabby, mendacious cow, but she is not FL’s manager and FL is an adult, so can and should sign in her own right. I really struggled to get my head around that whole strand.

I wasn't a massive fan of MLFTS either, but I got through it. 💪

It started amusingly and with promise, but if it was a cake Mary Berry would be decrying its soggy middle.

The Netflix app lists the broadcast dates fir pending episodes. There is a big CLOY hole in next weekend’s schedules, ladies. On the other hand, it wraps up the weekend around Valentine’s Day. Do we sense the dark arts of the network’s marketing department at play? Yes, White Day is the traditional Korean lovers’ gifting day, but Valentine’s Day is also recognised. Also, if those RL marriage rumours are true....

😱 Not again!!

Oh noes!
But is next weekend when Itaewon Class starts? Ahn Bo-hyun put a trailer up on his IG that looks good! I didn't realise Ahn Bo-hyun was in it too 😁

I had a go at making a Korean-style omelette/egg roll this morning. The dark bit is toasted, seasoned seaweed. It kind of worked, but I need to know the knack for keeping the final flip tight. Maybe too much filling?

Ooof I could eat that right now! When I’ve seen them making it they use square frying pans and they do look thinner.
I’ve been quite tempted by the square pans though I don’t know what else you could use it for

It puts my toast to shame boatyard

Free day today aside from a few small chores. I'm caught up on all the airing shows and am considering doing the biggest boaty shuffle I can do. That way I can probably find enough fun stuff to fill the gap of CLOY next week.

I was doing a boaty shuffle in bed this morning. So far, no gems. 😞

I think a square pan probably helps with the rolling as you can use the side of the pan. With a round one, you really need 3 hands. 😩

I’m partly investigating the rolled omelette as a lunchbox option. DS2 is fed up of sandwiches.

I've got a watch list longer than anything, including loads of films. I'm sure in there I can find something to fill the Hyun Bin shaped hole in my viewing schedule.

We’re having kimchijigae (kimchee stew) for lunch because I had stir fry pork that needed using up. It should be pork belly and I’ve had to use smoked tofu instead of plain and chestnut mushrooms instead of enoki, but it should be OK. It’s currently bubbling on the hob. I will report back.

A thumbs up for kimchijigae from me & DH, DS1 says he liked the spicy soup base so much he’ll have it again if I chop the kimchi up smaller. DS2 was 🙅🏼‍♂️. It was very, very tasty but very hot (spicy).

boatyard are you sure you don't want to adopt me? because every time you talk about your cooking I get really hungry. I'm really good at washing up and laundry if that sweetens the deal?

Ha, thanks Hello. I’ve trained my boys to do the laundry and DH washes up if I cook, but it would be lovely to have fully appreciative dinner guests.

The long and short of it is that I am a complete magpie when it comes to learning new cuisines. I really like cooking and I get bored of doing the same things all the time, so I periodically branch out. One of the joys of kdrama is how much time they spend filming people cooking and eating. I’m picking up lots of tips and get to see what goes well together. At lunch we had a ramen bowl of kimchijigae each, steamed rice bowl, edamame side bowl, steamed chicken dumplings (bought) and little squares of toasted, seasoned seaweed. DH and I also finished up the egg roll I made for breakfast. I am now replete and ready to recline fatted-python style on the sofa for an hour or two.

I bought a massive classic Japanese cookbook last spring too, but I haven’t yet tried any of the recipes. It’s encyclopaedic but there aren’t enough pictures - I like to know roughly what I am aiming for!