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…

WIL2 has a hilarious amount of PP for Adolph shampoo with its logo of a Man in a Mac flasher

And I loved the suggestive fantasy of the FLs screenwriter friend with the MLs in vests in the gym (ep6) actually made me laugh out loud.

I’m beginning to think the villain is not the ML but that woman (deliberately being vague there)

bettys I agree about the gym scene. It did make me giggle for a minute. I also think the woman is an evil one, but is she in cahoots with the lawyer or are they both being evil for their own reasons?

hello 🤷‍♀️ Dunno I’ve just suspended logic and am along for the ride now.

Would it be a big mistake to watch WIL 1 while waiting for new eps? Will I regret it, will it taint WIL2?

WIL1 is effing grim, only you don’t realise until you’ve already pissed away 11 hours of your life.

I 'll take that as a no.....

I would love to have been in the meeting when the Directors of the company that made the drama asked why the viewing figures had fallen so sharply from one week to the next and their social media was on fire 🔥
"The writers did what!!!???!!??"

What’s the new series like in terms of the power balance between ML and FL? It was seriously out of kilter in WIL1, almost from the get-go with his huge wealth, influence and medical ‘sword of Damocles’ bone marrow aspect, but just about tolerable. As soon as the twist was revealed, it was just out & out coercive and abusive. Grim. 😞

I'm not far enough in yet to say but the ML seems more openly "in love" from the start and she seems to have a bit more control

Not having seen the first series it's hard to compare, but the ML is like an overgrown schoolboy who can't believe he's got the girl of his dreams, and she is the well-known actress with status of her own, so it sounds more even-handed.

The first series was more like an observational study of coercive control, but still at the razzle-dazzle reeling you in stage.

Haven't had chance to get into any new K Drama this week due to work being full on. I'm feeling knackered and wanted to watch something soothing. Just finishing first episode of Weather and it's just the ticket 👍🏽

Weather is lovely and gentle , isn't it?

Aesops did you say you might be going to SK soon?

Who is it that had tickets to Seoul for Xmas? Was that you, Aesops? Or Girl?

I have flight booked to Seoul in May.
Not sure if I am still going due to virus scare. Going to make decision to cancel flight or not in couple of weeks. My company has sent out list of countries that if visiting need self incubation for 14 days and S Korea has been added ☹️

Bettys, Weather is gentle and very easy viewing, I watched both episodes last night. This is the first time I've watched something on VIKKI since last year. Glad that they have released some good shows since Melo

Oh Aesops that’s so disappointing! 😫You must be gutted, I hope the situation turns around soon or maybe you can rearrange your flights for when the trouble has died down.

There have been a few series on Viki recently that I have enjoyed and recommend. My Mister, Stove League and Dr Romantic 2 (No need to watch the first Dr Romantic). Currently enjoying Well Intended Love 2 in a frothy nonsensical way as long as it stays on its current path & doesn’t descend into ludicrous coercion

I'm starting on Just Between Lovers
Seems quite good?

Just Between Lovers 👍 so good! And Junho 😍

Just Between Lovers was excellent. Sad, but excellent and I loved how (spoiler avoiding indirectness) people pull together towards the end. For such bleak foundation material, it was surprisingly hopeful and redemptive.

Aesops!... Ohhh! JBL... it's sooo lovely and angsty! With lovely lovely eyes Junho..😍. It is terribly sad though... But lovely! 😊

Betty - Are you persevering with Forest? Normally the outcome of ep 20 would delight me, but it was a bit of a headscratcher TBH. I’m still trying to figure out why it is misfiring. It feels a bit like script where every fourth or fifth word (or scene) has been removed. It’s just about hanging together, but it constantly feels like I’m missing something. Do you feel the same? Also, its a bit wooden.

I’ve pretty much given up with Forest - I don’t think it makes sense 🤷‍♀️ I read on a forum that it was made by PHJs management company and that’s why he shows so many different sides, it’s like a portfolio of acting styles. From CEO to angst via cute. I may whizz through at some point but it’s frustrating and boring at the same time.

I took a look at WIL 1 ( I know I know you said not to but I wanted to compare) and WIL 2 is much nicer and lighter so far and I’m up to ep 11. I know now why they had the slightly homoerotic scene in ep7 (not 6 like I said) because in S 1 she thinks ML is gay

Betty, come back and do the WTF face when you get to the plot twist 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I shall wait for it Cassini ! I'm quite enjoying the parallel world similarities and yet differences but the ML isn't as likeable in 1

I’m half an hour into Weather and I’m going to cry if SKJ stays in bumpkin chinos the whole time. What’s the point of racehorse legs if they’re shrouded in the trouser equivalent of bell tents? His bookshop is very cosy and inviting, though, and it looks like he puts effort into making good coffee.