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…

Half term is helping with my Come and Hug Me binge Bea!
DS is having 4 friends round tomorrow. I'm just barricading my self in the front room and letting them do what they want while I watch Netflix.

Same here. I had a chat with the boys about getting out & doing something, but it started raining again so we didn’t bother.

Ohh slappable anesthetist was a bit nicer in ep 13 of Dr Kim. And the journalist isn't slappable anymore in Come and Hug Me 😳

I just rewatched an episode of Forest so I could enjoy Park Hae Jin all over again. He has lovely hands. Not as beautiful as So Ji Sub’s, but nearly.

Park Hae Jin’s method for getting pain relief patches on his back solo made me laugh, although in reality you’d ask the pretty female doctor next door wouldn’t you?

I am up to date with Forest & I’ve come to the conclusion that the Man of Marble is the sole reason for watching. It is a mess of a drama, although not as bad as Melting. Incomprehensible editing & direction, overacting from FL, steamy kiss out of nowhere, it’s just weird. I predict The Clams are at the root of all this

I wonder if the mystical clams will help him find his conscience. Also, I predict a large scale clambake at some point.

Or..... The Silence of the Clams. 🦪

(🤣🤣 I can’t take credit for that I read it on Dramabeans)

You’re right. It is very uneven, but it is lovely to watch and I even like the main couple, despite FL being a bit frenetic.

I predict a large scale clambake at some point

Those clams were tiny

The sound of 5 boys arguing about Minecraft is spoiling the tragic vibes of Come and Hug Me!
Still incredibly tense though!

Aw I rather miss small boys and half term and stepping on playmobil and train tracks everywhere now that ds is all grown up and at university 🤣

While walking the dog just now I went past someone in full on black face mask à la kdrama stalker. For a moment I took it for normal then realised that I wasn’t in downtown Seoul but suburban London and it’s for Coronavirus

Aw I rather miss small boys and half term and stepping on playmobil and train tracks everywhere now that ds is all grown up and at university
I'm sure I will miss it when the time comes 😂.

I finished Come and Hug Me, it was good. So sad and gripping! I'm glad there was a relatively happy ending, even for the older brother.

DP is encouraging me to watch Moana with DS. Needless to say it's not in line with my usual watching but I'm quite enjoying it.

I'm sure drama watching will resume once it's over

Those clams were tiny

It’s a big forest.

I talked my two into going to see It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (Tom Hanks film about US children’s TV star Mr Rogers). I thought they would hate it, but DS2 declared it “heartwarming” and DS1 said it was much more enjoyable than he was expected. It covered some really big issues, but in a redemptive way.

hello... I love love Moana! It's just soooo lovely! And the music!..
🥰🥰🥰🥰

I'm catching up with Tell Me What You Saw which is very dark (OCN so, duh ) However I keep thinking I want hair like Jang Hyuk's and possibly his sunnies too but not the Michael Jackson white gloves obv.

I want Jang Hyuk’s awesome core strength and posture. I was so impressed by his poise in Money Flower.

Oh he is fit af! but somehow in a more feral way than Hyun Bin in Confidential Assignment
I have just discovered Beautiful Mind on Viki with him, ML from Tunnel & Holo Love and FL from Parasite & Cinderella so I'm going to give it a go

Oh he is fit af! but somehow in a more feral way than Hyun Bin in Confidential Assignment

Agree.

I have just discovered Beautiful Mind on Viki with him, ML from Tunnel & Holo Love and FL from Parasite & Cinderella so I'm going to give it a go

Hubba hubba. You’re a gem, Betty - always finding the buried treasure.

CLOY! I've caught up!
Sobbed my eyes out for Dan!... Just sobbed!
Laughed my head off at CCTV footage! Brilliant!
Loved the NIS reports and meetings
Cheered for captain ri's dad
And swooned over Switzerland! 🥰❤️❤️❤️

The most perfect 10!!!!👍👏👏👏👏

Storyline... Characters... Plot... Pace... Main characters... Secondary characters... Humour... Angst... Feuds.... Love.... Family relationships... Doomed relationships... I could go on and on and on and on!

Bravo! 👏👏👏👏👏

I see on Soompi that HB and SYJ’s agencies are again denying rumours of a relationship. There is a particularly lovely photo of them together in Switzerland in the article.

I was just wondering if we should extend a thread invitation out on to the Parasite thread....or will they find us anyway if they are interested enough?

Finally watched the last CLOY this morning after having to wait a day or two on that double cliff hanger. So brilliant. I barely stopped crying though! Apart from to laugh at Dan's mum with the fortune teller and a few other bits.

Agreed at the lack of medical stuff in K-drama. Was so annoyed at scene with Dan and 2ML in ambulance... Don't want to spoil but hopefully those who've watched will know what I mean.

I really liked that we saw all the stories tied up, all in a satisfying way if not the way we might have wished.

10 from me too. Actually I need to update quite a few bits on the spreadsheet at some point.

I was just wondering if we should extend a thread invitation out on to the Parasite thread....or will they find us anyway if they are interested enough?

Do it!