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…

RM does some clever lyrics, I always want to pinch Jimin's cheeks,V is waaay too pretty and Taehyung reminds me of a Lab pup 😁 She made me listen to Chicken noodle soup until I caught myself humming it in the supermarket 😂

I'm more of a rock/metal/punk gal, but it's fun to join in with her fan-girling while she'll still accept hanging out with me. She's not big into the dramas yet (she's only 13) but she loves Lee Seung Gi after watching Korean Odyssey and Masters in the House. We watch Running Man together on YouTube and usually spend at least one evening crying with laughter after falling down the rabbit hole.

monkeywrench ... I love min yoongi too! I love the twitter posts where they liken him to a cat... The pics are hilarious! 😂 😂 And he's a real sage... He always gives that impression of being too cool but when he lets his guard down... He's sooooo soft! And the other members really play up to it... 😂😂... I love the broadcast where V told the others one member had texted comforting words to him when he was having a hard time... They pressed him to reveal and he confessed it was suga and the howls of disbelief and love were hilarious!... Then jimin said he'd love it if suga told him he loved him... And yoongi... Not missing a beat "jimin.... I love you" and the laughter! 😂😂😂💜🥰🥰🥰🥰

Ohhh! Monkeywrench ... If you need pointers for gems... Ask away! 😂😂😂

Taehyung was meant to be Kookie lol tells me how often I spend typing that I didn't even notice that I had tapped the wrong name on my screen😝 TBF the top of my text box on my phone is just full of Korean names lol

My Mister was glorious! It was everything a good kdrama should be - clever, funny, sharp, wry, sad, heartwarming and the acting was fantastic. It’s getting a 10 from me & I hope we can include it on the next header. I urge you all to watch it.

Betty - The turnout for the funeral in the final episode and the care shown had proper fat tears rolling down my cheeks earlier.

There was a fancam which showed Suga shrugging off a hug with a scowl but they caught the little smirk straight after. Total tsundere vibes 😆

Oh yes! Tsundre! Deffo! 😂😂🥰

Can't wait for the new Sung Hoon drama "Are we I love?"! Love his kooky side and how he doesn't seem to take himself seriously. I love a man who is good to animals, and he dotes on his dog. It's funny watching him interact with his friend's baby on "I live alone". He looks like he's handling live ammunition 😂😂

In love. Ffs

boatyard I had a feeling you'd love it, it's got a 10 from me too! I proper sobbed. I loved how the eldest brother got the funeral he fantasised about (but while his mum was alive!) and loved the brothers in their shades and suits. There was a glimmer of hope for psycho Jang Ki Yong too. It is what good kdrama is all about, and why most english language dramas just can't compare. I can't remember the last time I cried over a UK or US series.

Tsundere vibes - oh yes!

Adding My Mister to the list. My husband says I spend more time watching subs than I do watching stuff in English. I also like Scandi Noir, so any English speaking programs are saved for when I don't have to focus (aka the dreaded ironing that gets done while watching Hawaii five-0)

aka the dreaded ironing that gets done while watching Hawaii five-0

Hahaha, same here. I have some English language stuff on my Netflix list for the same reason. We watched the Taylor Swift documentary on Netflix (Miss Americana?) while I did my ironing. It was a fascinating glimpse into that kind of success and lifestyle. I recommend it.

I love Taylor swift and miss Americana is good! She's releasing a new mv tonight for my fave song from her album The Man... Its great! Makes me get all ranty! 😡😡🔥🔥🔥

I haven't watched proper English telly in aaaages! 😂 😂

I like the sentiments of The Man. The YouTube video of the live acoustic version in Paris is good.

Nothing to do with Korea!..
But!

Well Intended Love; Take 2 is okay. The parallel universe take must be a new way of saying 'we messed up season one'

I think my designation might be 👋🏻 for a 'hello, wtf are you doing' shows that enrage you with their stupidity. bettys you could use🧁for guilty pleasure!

I should mention the soju bomb in My Mister. ML has to make a 1 min Dad’s video showcasing a skill or talent for his son to show at school. He really struggles until his drinking buddy suggests doing a soju bomb video. It wasn’t a patch on the Hospital Ship soju bomb scene, but it was a good effort.

Ahhh I just watched that carpool karaoke 😍 so adorable!
I wonder if that dance teacher was intimidated having BTS in his class 😂
It's funny 'cos I wasn't that keen on 'ON' as a track at first but now I totally love!
Yes totally!!
Ive been sucked into a BTS wormhole! I need to get DS to bed but I keep getting distracted. DS is totally on to me though. Last night when he was bargaining with me about how long I would read with him for, he got me to stay upstairs for longer by saying "let's watch a BTS video Mum!" 😂😂😂

DD watched the carpool Karaoke while bouncing on the sofa with DH looking like 🤔🤭 She also watched the subway Olympics, so I can see her and her friend having a tik tok session at the weekend 😂

I want series 3 of Dr Romantic right now!!

Meeeester Goo! 😆

hello yes 🧁 for guilty pleasure would work!!

We've just watched the carpool karaoke too, dd (14) and I. Was great, and imagine having BTS come to your dance class! I keep singing random snippets from their new songs.

Dd and I finished Extraordinary you and Holo love over half term holiday, both great. Now watching Strong girl Bong Soo which is mad and fun, like has been said here many times. Having a good run of K-drama 🙂

I've not watched any by myself since finishing CLOY.

Just watched the last ep of Holo Love which was v sweet.
And I've just seen that the last episode of Dr Kim is subbed already! Hope it's good!!!!

Weirdly I am in a period of post-daebak reflection. I feel like I need to let My Mister settle, chew over the good bits and then get stuck into something new tomorrow. I haven’t been able to settle on anything all evening, even English language, so I just turned the telly off. I have Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (source novel) on my kindle so that’ll do until bedtime.