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…

Kim Myung Soo posted the most lovely Instagram video with an adorable cat. My heart can't take this much chic cuteness.

Can you post a screen grabfor those of is without Insta? (I’m going to have to relent and sign up eventually, I know.)

Hello Young!

I hope you are the first of a new wave of converts in these difficult times

I'm just finishing off Cinderella and the Four Knights, I thought it would be a quick fluffy filler watch but it is really top notch, 9/10 for me. The acting is really good, I can see why Park so dam was cast in Parasite and Jung Ill woo gives good boyfriend. He was much more physically affectionate than normal and his filmography is interesting as he has done Chinese and Thai dramas too.

Sorry for the delay boatyard here's a quick screen grab. In the full video the cat does the full affectionate head rub on his shoulder while he smiles.

Classy lookin’ cat! (Thank you!)

It looks suitable high class, I think it's the colour that does it.

Ahhh! I must resist looking at Lovely Hair Myun Soo Instagram! I waste enough time surfing already!... But then again... Time is what we have at the moment...

OK, I cracked and created a burner Insta account. I have HH KJW and a few others. Who else is good value?

If you like him, Lee Joon Gi is always a good follow. He posts lots of workout photos.

You know me well, Hello.

I also have a burner insta account just for kdrama, so no one can see on my work account who I follow

Here are some I follow. See if you can work out who they are!!

jstar_allallj

aksakfn12

le2jh - good for cats

bohyunahn

jxxvvxxk

ryu19860812 - lots of landscape & nature makes me think he is vv sweet irl

actor_jisoo -

sunghoon1983

seokj1012

min_namkoong

dntlrdl

bn_sj2013

jichangwook

renton0808 - a newcomer, surprisingly fit

Not forgetting
real_jinhyuk

kim_msl - aka lovely hair and his adorable grey cat

Ha bettys thanks for that list! I'm missing a few of them. 😁

Oh I have more.......

Crikey I missed these off the list !!!

juanxkui - good with hoovers
real.be - good at dancing
leeseunggi.official - wins the puppy in a pocket prize
wdohwan - oof
bts.bighitofficial - no surprise there

just don't follow mr.lixian until he gets rid of the terrible beard he's growing 😭

bettys...!!.... How on earth do you get any work done! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

hello I know!!!! Why why why??? I've only just started following him too

Bea tbh they are all pretty infrequent posters, I find twitter much more time-consuming 🤣 and not as visual 😉

Dear God! I don’t think I’m ever going to read a book again. Insta is like a GIANT sweet shop.

How about we pin him down and shave it off! I hope it's for a part and that it comes off quickly 😁

Don’t forget Junghaein_official

Or hyunbin_actor

Oops. You want holyhaein not his nutty fan club.