MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #13)

[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 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)
My Secret Terrius (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)**
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)
Romantic Dr Kim - seasons 1&2 (Viki)
Search: WWW (Viki)*
Something in the Rain (Netflix)
The Package (Viki)



Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Live (Netflix)
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Stove League (Viki)

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier

Goblin (Viki)*

I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
My Holo Love (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)

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/ML is too dense to realise the 2ML/2FL is better)
🥾🍑 (boot, peach) = kick up the arse to go to bed



We also abbreviate titles if they’re long, but usually with an obvious abbreviation. Some favourite actors & actresses have been abbreviated for speed/efficiency, eg Park Min Young (PMY), Kim Jae Wook (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…

Hello shiny new thread! I'm hoping to spend a day wrapped up watching dramas, but who knows how that will pan out. Hoping everyone is safe, dry and warm in this weather!

Thanks for the new thread boatyard. I'm hoping for a lazy day of dramas too!
Ahn Bo Hyun's IG has a post today of him looking cute with a snowman. A good antidote to his horrible character in Itaewon Class

Morning all! I have a full day of real life commitments, so no chance of a kdramas in pyjamas day. However, I do have some time off later this week which I can use for catching up. Just hoping I can shift our visitors at a reasonable time to watch the CLOY finale in peace. 🤞

Well I have started todays weather-is-too-awful-to-go-out drama viewing by sobbing for at least 30 mins solid through the last episode of My Mister . It's so moving, a really rewarding watch.

I'm having to readjust my top ten. It gets a 10 on the scoreboard from me, though it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I'm going to have to go and do some work or tidying up or something for a bit as I can't roll straight from that into another drama, it wouldn't do it justice.

Oh and Bea there is a glimmer (just a glimmer) of hope for Park Morgan's character - phew!

Just checking through the scoreboard and the only other dramas I have given a straight 10 to are Because This Is My First Life and Her Private Life. Moon Lovers also with IU got 9.5 as I was cross they didn't do the ending they should have!

By the way, the original Voice with Jang Hyuk and HH KJW is coming to Netflix on 1st March. Extremely good, dark thriller along the lines of The Lies Within. HH KJW turns up around halfway through and is eeeeevil (not a spoiler the viewer is meant to know that)

I cannot WAIT for the CLOY finale. But I don't want it to be over!

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a tv show so much.

I need to plug the Netflix page where you can request for things to be added: help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest

Yesterday, I asked for The Guest, Extreme Job and Life on Mars (Korean remake). You’re not limited to only submitting one either.

What did people think of When the Camellia Blooms? I enjoyed it quite a lot in the beginning but I did get bored of the CONSTANT weeping towards the end.

It was just so much weeping.

What did people think of When the Camellia Blooms?
I enjoyed it while I was watching it, but it hasn't stayed with me, if you know what I mean. And I didn't like the ending, overall it was a little meh (I may revise my score)

^I need to plug the Netflix page where you can request for things to be added: help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest^
I have requested Dr Prisoner, The Guest and Marriage Not Dating

Right, I think it fell apart a bit really. They struggled to unite the storylines thematically so when it ended I was a bit like, well a bunch of stuff just happened but I'm not sure why. Oh well!

Getting my spot ready this afternoon for double CLOY finale 👓🍿

Getting my spot ready this afternoon for double CLOY finale 👓🍿

Mee too!!!!

I am headed out shortly with our guests.

You know I was thinking, one thing I really love about k-drama is how they just openly acknowledge the realities of stuff like your career getting hammered once you have kids, how much worse you are treated once you start visibly aging, how much fucking wifework you actually end up doing. In the UK we've all got to pretend that we're all super liberated and that nobody loses their job for being pregnant or having to look after their parents, because there are LAWS don't you know. Someone wrote it down on magic paper and so of course it doesn't happen. So when all this bullshit happens to you, at first at least you just think you're going a bit mad. Like you've done it wrong somehow. Like it's YOU.

In k-drama this stuff just happens routinely to women and they openly say what bullshit it is - they don't take it into themselves. It's refreshing!

Yeah, the shit deal that women get in SK is much more out in the open. I’m waiting for Kim Ji Young, Born 1982 (translation of the source novel for the film) to drop onto my Kindle on 20th Feb. I’m looking forwards to reading it.

Yeah I'm not saying they have it better - they obviously do not - but there's not the same denial and pretence that makes you feel crazy.

Just starting Terrius as CLOY is not on yet.

Anyone else finished watching it yet????

Just finished Bettys

I don't want to spoil it for others.
Let's just say I have got through a lot of tissues.

It's a +10 from me please

I've finished!

Bettys/TheGirl
What did you think?!

Loved it!

Me too 😍
The last episode was a super crescendo

I loved it but was sad-ish at the same time if that makes sense! Sort of poignant - beautiful end shots 😍 Had to look up saudade (and scorched rice! 😊)

Loved what happened to The Rat 😆

I loved it but was sad-ish at the same time if that makes sense! Sort of poignant
Yes totally agree. Loved the ending for the Rat. And the bit with the village ladies presents.
I also lol'd at the NIS report on CCTV footage of Captain Ri.