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…

Jang Ki-Yong (aka Park Morgan) is a touch too convincing as the psycho loan shark in My Mister. 😕 We need more Park Morgan flirting shamelessly with Bae Ta-Mi to restore the balance.

Im easily swayed by a horrible character eg Ahn Bo-hyun FAF in Her Private Life but creepy, stupid chaebol nightmare in Itaewon Class.

I'm struggling slightly with Beautiful Mind. Its not just a case of medical inaccuracies but includes leeti g the family know someone has been murdered at the funeral!?

Ahem, that's letting, not leeti

Im easily swayed by a horrible character eg Ahn Bo-hyun FAF in Her Private Life but creepy, stupid chaebol nightmare in Itaewon Class.

I’m struggling with this too. His Insta feed was a treasure trove of shirtless photoshoots and a joy to saunter through before Facebook stopped non-members lurking. He’s so unremittingly horrible in Itaewon Class, it may have killed off his oppa potential for me. I keep wondering if they’ve gone to town on contouring make-up too, as he looks weasel-like and pinched. I’ll own how shallow this makes me. 🤷‍♂️

Have you got to psycho loan sharks back story yet?
I don’t think there is any hope for Itaewon chaebol shit
I had high hopes for Beautiful Mind but ended up skippitydoodahing a lot of it. The makers may have felt the same as it is only 14 episodes. I just watched the Jang Hyuk bits as got bored with the ceo office & stem cell skullduggery

About his father? Or is there more to come?

I think there is maybe a potential for redemption for Itaewon chaebol shit.

I'm not massively drawn in to Beautiful Mind but I'll watch it till there's more Dr Kim

I think there is maybe a potential for redemption for Itaewon chaebol shit.

Possibly, but that hairdo is irredeemable.

Itaewon Chaebol Shit!.. 😂 😂 I've only really started Itaewon... It's soo good! I love the pace of it and PSJ character is just lovely lovely! He's playing him sooo well... So understated but such a huge character... I'm watching it slowly and... Dh really likes it and has requested we watch it together! 😂👍👍👍He's going away with work for a couple of days so I have to leave a break... Which suits me as I like to savour it... The wait for eps... I don't mind him going away! 😂 😂 😂 (suits me actually there's a bit of early morning BTS live streaming I need to do over the next couple of days! 😂😂)
Thus I'll watch holo and Dr Kim in the meanwhile!.
. Sorted! 👍👍👍

Oops... Hit post before explanation... It's a sort of behind the scenes about the process of recording some of the BTS album... But from the view of the background musicians... About what it means to them to be involved but also a wider commentary on the importance of music /diversity /inclusivity..... It's really good and actually it explains why I love BTS so much... A Message / the joy!
20 mins but worth a watch! 👍

About his father? Or is there more to come?

There’s a bit that shows them as children, and FL says something later

Ah, thanks Betty.

Itaewon ep 8 ending: wtf?!? Weasel, or double-bluff?

Double bluff!!! Though she may trip over herself Still rooting for that couple but she does get it wrong sometimes. The scene in the bus when he puts her head in his shoulder was so gentle 😍

She’s in danger of undermining his principled stand.

Yy both FLs keep getting it wrong but still prefer psycho. She actually cares about what he went through in the intervening years whereas the other one is oblivious

Caught up with Forest, it is really not good 😞

I like Forest. It is sub par execution and production-wise but the visuals (verdant forest, clear mountain rivers & Man of Marble) and actual grown-up ML/FL interaction more than make up for it IMO.

It is sub par execution and production-wise but the visuals (verdant forest, clear mountain rivers & Man of Marble) and actual grown-up ML/FL interaction more than make up for it IMO.

As you say it has so much going for it, but the editing, writing & direction are really really spoiling it for me. (I will keep watching of course, if only so I can complain bitterly)

On a positive note, I'll Go To You When The Weather Is Nice starts tomorrow so if the subbers are keen we may get it on Tuesday
If ever a drama needed a handy acronym it's this one but IGTYWTWIN isn't quite there

Yeah, that needs trimming - even the acronym is too much.

I will keep watching of course, if only so I can complain bitterly

Of course, Betty. Of course.

Weather?

TWIN ?
WTIN ?

Bum, should’ve been WTWIN

Popping over from the Parasite thread, tho I have been lurking here for aaaaages lol. Currently watching The Firey Priest on Netflix and crying with laughter. My kids say I watch far too much C/K/J and Taiwanese drama...based on my Netflix and Viki list, they might be right I sub on Viki and have just finished with Japanese B/L The Novelist and Mood Indigo. Definitely needed a cold shower after that, especially Mood Indigo.

Oooooooh hello Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench !!! All lurkers welcome, do join in!

Very exciting to hear from a Viki subber!

I enjoyed Fiery Priest too! DH & DS have given up expecting me to watch actual telly & apart from referring to me as the expert when anything about SK pops up eg Parasite are happy to have an excuse to watch non stop sport