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…

I think I've slipped into madness with the thought of more isolation. Everything is getting made into a spreadsheet. I've even got a primitive spreadsheet for the list which I'm slowly coding with the emoji key from the last thread. I don't know why I'm doing it but it's passing the time! Memorist is on my list for this afternoon, as well as Hi, Bye Mama which I'm not really caught by but it's only been a couple of episodes.

Someone tell me I'm not the only one doing strange things at the thought of spending more time in the same 4 walls.

Oooh I would like to see that spreadsheet hello

I am contemplating doing a Zoom class tomorrow, although it would mean having to get dressed and sort out my hair . Also trying to make sure to do something creative every day.

I have been going through old papers & diaries (oh the horror) and burning/shredding. V cathartic and also unintentionally hilarious.

I'm only on day one of proper no work isolating hello so it's fine, just v surreal. I'm looking forward to the spreadsheet with added emoticons 😁👀

I'll have to share it when it attains its full visual glory. Although at the rate we'll be chugging through dramas by the time it's done, it'll be time to update.

I love going through old paperwork and diaries bettys. My diaries are a source of endless comedy in this house. Me and DP are teenage sweethearts so my diaries/planners are full of confessions of my undying love and just how amazing he looks in that one pair of ripped jeans. What was I thinking?!🙈🙈

Yes teenage diaries are just the best!! Or worst, depending on how you look at it

Ugh! My teenage diaries are mortifying... I was contemplating sending them to their fiery hell before all this started... Can't do it now because of if the kids knew they existed they'd want to read!! 😱😳😳

memorist is soooo good and infuriating (in a good way!! 😂)

Trying to get to the end of WSL and managed one ep of Itaewon... It had better be a good ending... Chairman Jang is so ooooo horrible! And what the flip has happened to lovely at the beginning second son??... I'm hoping it's all a big ploy and game plan! Can't believe he would turn soooo horrible so quickly! 😭😭😭😭

Bea you are safe with Itaewon Class it's got a good ending 👍

I'm super glad I never kept a diary 😱 at the thought of my teenage brain!

Aha! Thank you the girl... 🐝🐝🐝

I talked DH and DS1 into (re)watching W: Two Worlds with me, as both are into graphic novels snd DS1 has started watching subtitled Japanese manga animé. DH fell asleep on the sofa 🙄 but DS1 has just asked to pause it so we can continue watching together tomorrow: “OK Mum, you got me. I’m hooked.” 😂 😂 😂

They shall be assimilated mwah ha ha! 😈

I am watching A Piece if Your Mind with Jung Hae In & Chae Soo Bin but it’s veeeeerrry slow, seems like another healing drama.

boatyard You've just reminded me that I started watching a drama touted as the Chinese version of W: Two Worlds called Unexpected. I should really finish it while I've got all this time on my hands. I'm glad you got DS1 hooked, maybe you'll have a partner in crime now!

Oh, I’m really excited that’s started.

As soon as DS started watching subtitled animé I knew he was ripe for assimilation. I reckon once Kang Chul’s devoted lady sidekick appears, he will be riveted.

Oohhh I'm shouting at the telly!!! Ep 15 of Tell Me What You Saw had eleventy million opportunities to shoot/capture the bad guy!!!

Has Jung Hae In had work done since One Spring Night? He looks subtly different but I haven’t figured out how yet.

Good work on the assimilation boaty . I'm still working on DS. I've made a Spotify play list that's mostly kpop that I play over the top of an exercise video I do. DS definitely knows some of the songs just by repetition. But it's not overriding his train/Minecraft obsession yet 😂

Start ‘em young...

I am pleased Satie is going to be a motif in APOYM. It’s been a while, but I like Satie.

I thought he looked different too, but put it down to the longer hair making his face seem less cherub like

That Satie piece was also in another drama.....Still 17? Gah I’m going to have to look it up now!

Ta da! m.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnRPqr3oDI

Also used in Cheese in the Trap & Ms Hammurabi
It’s always ‘Je Te Veux’ too.

👏👏excellent stuff!

The incidental music is lovely in APOYM too. I really like it already, though I hope JHI’s character is not stalker-fixated on NorwayLadyLove.

Ohhhh! W:Two Worlds is one of my absolute faves... It's gorgeous to look at! (not just of Toasty LJS! 😂 😂 And his magnificent race horse legs!)... The colours are just lovely!! 😍😍🥰

Girl I am behind you on Tell Me What You Saw should I just skip to the last episode to avoid shouting at the telly?

boatyard this Soompi article explains that the lack of explaining wtf is going on in APOYM is deliberate and all will become clear. In the meantime it seems that the FL has fallen in love with JHI's back (which I quite understand - 3/4 length coat and fine knitwear + lovely back of head). How long will it take her to work out that he and the geeky bloke who wears awful jumpers are one and the same?? Will it take 16 episodes?