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…

Jung Kyung Ho is back in cold fish territory in this - he gives such good haughty, he’s slightly at risk of typecasting. I occasionally have to remind myself how good he is at comedy. He was fab in Happy Once Again.

I thought the squabble over noodles was funny.

Also noting that there’s a concerted push back in HP on the idea that a man & woman can’t be friends if there aren’t romantic undertones - the “alright grandpa” comment from the two first year medical students etc.

hello during this crazy time a happy tied up neatly 🐝 ending is a must! I find dramabeans is also good indicator! Along with Bettyswho gives the nod to proceed or ABORT! ABORT! 😂

My main dish of the moment is WSL with a side order of Itaewon and Memorist as desert...
Midnight nibbles might consist of Hospital Playlist & Kingdom if I'm feeling peckish! 😂 😂

Yes we've got each other's backs covered drama-wise

So in HP Jo Jong Seok's character is married it seems (no sign of said wife though, just a phone call), so maybe it'll be Jung Kyung Ho with Dr Chae, he is very protective. Or maybe there'll be weekly teasers from their student years flashbacks.

I’m sure it will transpire that every single one of them has had a crack at Prof Chae at some point, probably with varying levels of success. I suspect there will be one who hasn’t who will, of course, be the one she has been waiting on.

I really like her character by the way. She’s decent, funny and very, very good at her job. It’s really clear her colleagues respect her, not just her friends, and her patients like her. I also like the way she handled the situation with the older brain surgeon.

“A person who is warm like a tea kettle by your side.” Love Weather so much. It’s the perfect balm for troubled times. I find the pacing totally soothing.

Now coveting the oil painting on the wall behind the senior partner 5 mins into ep 9 of Hyena.

(PS can someone else post to break my monologue. Ta.)

Haha 🤣🤣 it’s normally me monologueing!!

I was so curious about the painting I paused what I was watching (webdrama called Ending Again) to have a look at the painting.

........I could knock one out for you 😉

i think it’s very nice by the way

DH could probably do me one too, but thanks Betty.

And in other news I think mr.lixian has shaved his wispy beard off! 👍😍

Lol he did, thank god! I've been adding to my Viki list and wondering if I'm brave enough to attempt Beautiful Love cos that is nearly 100 episodes 😱

Just how huggable is SKJ in Weather??

Just how huggable is SKJ in Weather??

Very. I am happy with my “marry” choice. He has beautiful eyes.

I know it’s really hard to tell because celebs only show what they want you to see, but SKJ gives off a ‘decent chap’ vibe.

Finally watching some Kingdom. ML’s side-kick lawyer friend in Hyena is the magistrate in ep 3 S1 of Kingdom, but cunningly camoflaged with one of those awful wispy beards.

Hyena ML is the crown prince/ML in Kingdom.

Yy I’ve been putting off watching him in Hyena as I’m not sure it’ll match up to swishy robed sword wielding zombie killer Joseon Prince.
Or effete bakery owner for that matter

The Antique he’s in is not the gay bakery one. It looks to be something different.

I have to say I find Kingdom very stressful to watch. I’m pretty much having to watch the night scenes in 10 or 20 minute bursts because I’m a total wuss when it comes to zombies. Ju Ji-Hoon in Joseon Prince mode though? 👌

So. Much. Running.

Honest, it’s the same Antique Bakery with HH KJW.

They’re still running in Kingdom 2 🧟🧟

Eek! Zombies! Nowhere is safe. 😱 I’ve put Forest (strapline: It’s not just the forest that’s wooden).

Anyhoo. While I’m on a bitching roll, (blame the medicinal Baileys) PHJ’s Insta feed is super dull and corporate. Where are the kittens? It’s all product tie-ins and carefully posed shots. 😴 Anyone else seeing a pattern? PHJ as a brand doesn’t work for me at all.

We are only 50 posts out from the end of the thread, so its additions time.

I’m suggesting we add Where Stars Land (fluffy romance) and I’ll Go to You When The Weather is Nice (grown-up romance). If we don’t already have My Mister, that surely has to go in slice of life with an asterisk. Anything else?