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…

Lee Soo Hyuk is coming out with a new drama with Park Morgan, Born Again. Although LSH gets the girl in the past life, he might not in the present. I think I'm already getting SLS. Especially after seeing this Instagram. www.instagram.com/p/B-JMxT4glbf/

What were you doing staying up so late last night to be still on ep 4, Betty?

That’s where I got to last night I’ve barely watched any today

Lee Soo Hyuk is coming out with a new drama with Park Morgan, Born Again

And it’s on Viki woo-hoo! I may have SLS as well, whatever way it’ll be a feast for the eyes 😍

If you imagine a southern belle saying something along the lines of "Oh Mr Lee, I do declare, you look positively dashing" while fanning themselves madly; you'll get a wonderful image of me in front of my television next week.

Lee Pil Mo (grumpy ER doctor) is 1976 vintage so in the ‘appropriate oppa’ category for quite a few of us.

I am finding CJH’s approach to wooing Song Ji Hyo second time around a bit heavy handed, especially when there’s a period that she needs a more gentle approach . He’s a still a bit too me, me, me even in less of a dick mode. Team Chief!

Hello - your Mr Lee is all yours. He’s not my style.

Lee Pil Mo (grumpy ER doctor) is 1976 vintage so in the ‘appropriate oppa’ category for quite a few of us.
😁👍
I don't think Emergency Couple CJH will ever reach the levels of loveliness of Tunnel CJH

I agree. Tunnel CJH was the best kdrama CJH so far.

Agree Tunnel CJH is best (I think that was his post military drama) but but but.....I do rather like Last Empress CJH 😂

Haven't seen Last Empress but I'll add it to the ever growing list 😂

I do rather like Last Empress CJH

Black suit, black shirt, black tie bodyguard uniform. I rest my case m’lud. Although I really enjoyed the martial arts training (permitted clinch) scenes too. 👌 His Man from Delmonté outfits in Devilish Joy weren’t great although he was pleasingly tall, broad and handsome when paired with his pocket-sized FL in that.

Any doctor watching Emergency Couple must be either howling with laughter at the shonky medicine or watching Dr Who-style from behind a cushion. If even a civilian like me is agog, it must be horrifying to someone with training. As an aside, I think the NG tube training looked like they genuinely tried it and CJH and FL were laughing for real. It was too candid/authentic.

I'm not a Dr but I totally agree with the dodgy medical stuff. My sister is an ITU nurse and had to train for ages to use an ECMO machine but they just have one hanging around in the ED for anyone to have a go on.
They haven't put as much thought into the research as say Dr Kim which was still ridiculous but had lots of actual medical information and some basis in reality.
And they were definitely laughing for real with the NG tube training.

I also felt sorry for baby Gook during the screaming match, who looked like he was crying for real. I hope they managed it in one take, otherwise that was just cruel.

I always find it amazing how much my opinions change when I re-watch something years later. It's obvious to me now how inaccurate it is but at the time it was so refreshing to watch.

Is it Portmeirion pottery the FL has in her home?
boaty? You’re the China expert!

Yes, Portmeirion. It was massive here in the late 80s and I think of it as quite dated, so it’s interesting to see it being pushed on a recent kdrama. I associate it with my aunt’s house.

Argh I've got to go and buy food! But I want to stay on the couch and keep on bingeing. Must get up......

I was intrigued by how well 2FL danced so looked it up and she was a pro dancer before acting:

In 2012, she gained popularity due to her stint on the reality show "Dancing with the Stars", taking the top spot six times out of 11 competitions, and eventually winning. Choi said, "Viewers like my dancing more than my acting. I was kind of frustrated as an actress because I always played the same kind of characters and ended up projecting stereotypes, which could bore viewers. But now I'm much happier because I can turn into a glamorous dancer every time I get on stage."

She did look v professional! Her character in this is amazing. She's not just a Dr, she's a professor and a beautiful dancer. And a single parent!
Although I guess we are still supposed to feel a bit sorry for her due to her being an unmarried mother?

I find the attitudes to divorcees and single parents really interesting. I was about to say we are much more permissive in the UK, but I think there are probably still some parents who would be disappointed if their son or daughter married a divorcee or single parent.

The mother is feckin’ awful in this.

True, DH had his two children when I met him and I don't think my parents were thrilled. But they managed to keep it to themselves! And we are one big family now.
The MLs Mum is a prize example of an awful kdrama MIL.
I've also noticed the FLs hair is doing the trick of getting better throughout the series 😂

Yeah, the subtly improving hair and make-up is so sneaky.

I am afraid I have abandoned EC for a binge of Extraordinary You and LCR loveliness 😊