MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #14): Special welcome to any MNers stuck at home who need escapist boxset recommendations

[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)
The Fiery Priest (Netflix)

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)*
Signal (Netflix)*
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)*
The Lies Within (Netflix)*
Tunnel (Netflix)*

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
100 Days My Prince (Viki)
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)*
Where Stars Land (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)
I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Nice (Viki - currently airing)

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)
My Mister (Viki)**
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Stove League (Viki)

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier

Extraordinary You (Netflix)
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: Two Worlds (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)
Go Go Squid (Viki - Chinese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki, Chinese)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (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…

Boatyard... I'd read this too!.. He's so ridiculous!! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I watched it with DS while shaking our heads. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

... And I beg to differ!... WE know South Korea better than anybody! Our pooled knowledge through kdrama... Kpop... And food makes us Experts!... Of course! 😂 😂 😂

I’m loving PMY’s aunt and the editor in Weather ep 10:

Editor: I’m going
Aunt: Get lost crybaby

😂🤣😂

By the way, was anyone else confused about the flashback with the aunt and PMY’ mother? Was it the day of the murder?

I'm guessing there's more to come on that story, and that the aunt was there on the day of the murder and there were more ramifications ie the break up and the glasses, which I wasn't expecting though it might not be related as she didn't have them on in the police station.

Weather SPECULATION POSSIBLY SPOILERISH

I noticed the aunt was clear-eyed in the police station so I’m trying to work out how the injury you see later. I wondered if it was a head injury that took time to develop. Also, I was trying to see who jumped into the driver’s seat, as that could be significant.

SPOILERISH GUESS

OOoooh hard to say they're both wearing long dark skirts and white house slippers but I think the mum in the pleated skirt got in to the drivers seat

Enjoying “canon” on PP. 👌

I've figured out why I haven't watched an airing drama since CLOY, I can't stand waiting a week to see things develop! My heart is too soft for cliff hangers.

boatyard do you mean HP? Cos I am loving HP

hello I know what you mean but it’s sort of a litmus test, if I am waiting for the ep to drop then it’s sign of a great drama (IMO) but if I forget to catch up with it then it’s a bit meh

Is anywhere showing Parasite yet? I didn't get to see it at the cinema and really want to 😭

Canon was great, I am torn between JKH, JYS & Captain Ahn in this.

I think FL is yearning for JYS, & JKH is yearning for JYS's sister the Aunt Terminator. Meanwhile nerdy GS intern is after Dong Mae and Captain Ahn likes FL.

And when did green eyeshadow make a comeback???

Cassini if you can put up with odd commercials & possible boobage then Parasite can be found on dramafast

Yes, I did mean HP. My brain is mush today. I’m so tired I just had a lovely nap through Extraordinary You and woke in one of the sageuk scenes, which threw me.

Itaewon finally finished! A good solid drama! Great! And PSJ... He's just excellent!!.. I loved his dad... And I really had a soft spot for geun soo... He's just a kiddie!... And then hearing lovely Kim Taehyung song in end credits was just lovely!... A solid 8 or 9...I'll have a think!...
I'm now got on the go Memorist / Meow and Weather...

Thanks Bettys 👍

Anyone else starting to find they are having very vivid dreams since lockdown started? Last night’s was worthy of a kdrama melo - it was like a cross between Graceful Family and Dynasty, with lots of intergenerational squabbling and intrigue, but also fabulous parties. It was a major improvement on waking from yesterday morning’s anxiety dream, which involved DH having sold our lovely house, moved us to a shitty neighbourhood in another city into a poky, unfinished wreck of a house and then, just before I woke, telling me to hurry up or I’d be late for the first day of the new job he’d lined up for me. Trying to find a matching pair of work shoes and dress suitably for an unspecified role from a semi-derelict house full of packing crates without a viable bathroom was very stressful! I was glad to wake and realise it wasn’t real.

The Graceful Family/fabulous parties sound good! The anxious new job ones less so....
I am now wondering what drama I would like to come mixed up into my dreams:
Her Private Life?
Before We Get Married?
Gogh The Starry Night?
Or a contract marriage maybe...

Thought I’d watch a bit of Medical Examiner: Dr Qin (Viki) for cheery Li Xian but the combination of serial killer dismemberment and gutter oil is 🤮🤮🤮

bettys Dr Qin is quite enjoyable once you get past that bit (although I don't know if I'm the best person to tell anybody stuff like that since I horrified DH by eating my dinner while watching a dissection. *Disclaimer:ex-nurse so not easily grossed out)

@boatyardblues the vivid dreams thing is real- www.capitalfm.com/news/coronavirus/why-weird-vivid-realistic-dreams-quarantine/

I love 😍 SKJ in Weather... He really gives off lovely lovely vibes! 😂... Or maybe he's just a great actor but he is lovely lovely... However I'm getting a little tiresome of PMY character... All closed and cold... She'd better warm up soon or I'll lose patience... The mountain rescue was thrilling! Much needed excitement... It is very good and lovely and warm... But I do want it to get on!!... I want DRAMA!! 😂

Weather... It's like an extraordinary you reunion! 😂 😂 Does Rowoon appear later on? 😍😂🥰

I love the juxtaposition between Young Woo and EunSeob in the coffee making... Young woo... Shiny mod con coffee machine barista vs eun seob... Filter drip coffee!
.. 😂😂😂😂

I'm having vivid dreams too! I'd like to think I'd like to be stuck in a contract marriage drama dream but a nice one. More Because This is my First Life and less Well Intended Love S1