MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #15): Tiring of your usual telly during lockdown? Want to be transported somewhere else? Try our escapist boxset recommendations

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-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. 

We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when. 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)

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
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
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. Quite a few of us are learning Korean, Japanese and/or Mandarin (some more diligently than others admittedly), so we swap tips and links to language resources. Basically, anything topical goes.


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…

Got DS hooked with Time to hunt and he is currently watching Possessed with Bad Guys lined up.

"Don't Leave Me!!!" 🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎤🎤... 💜💜😂🥰😍
Just watched a trailer for the Japanese Signal... And although I've only watched half of the Korean Signal (do plan to go back to it!)... It's almost a carbon copy... From shots to script! 🤣😂... Unfortunately not the same theme tune though! 😭😁... Boatyard... I hear the klaxon a calling!

Forgive me... Although I was really enjoying Moon Embracing Sun..
I skippitydoodahed to the end!... I was getting fed up with the amnesia!... And I have to agree with a lot of people who've watched it... The young leads in the first three /four eps were an absolute delight and I really missed them when the adult leads took over... I found it especially hard to enjoy the FL (she has a very wide eyed starey shocked face she uses a lot!) Young Female Lead (who was the funny "eunuch" in Moonlight with Park Bo Young) is lovely lovely lovely... And would have quite happily watched her all the way through!

Also... I still believe Kim Soo Hyun is THE best crier in any drama! He breaks my heart whenever I see him cry! 😭😭😭... This drama... Love From another star...
And loved his little cameos since returning from military... Hotel del luna... CLOY... He's picked lovely nuggets.. I hope this bodes well for his first proper role and we don't get a JCW 🦃🦃😔😭

Bea, I so agree with you about Kim Soo Hyun. Every time I see a ML in a crying scene I always think they don't cry as well as KSH .

I noticed last night that the ML in Go Go Squid has beautiful hands. This always pleases me for some reason.

I have finished ^100 Days Prince* which was sweet with enough of an intrigue plot, ML and FL were good together.
Thinking of trying The Memoirist but not too sure that it will have a tragic/unsatisfactory ending. Anyone whose watched it able to ease my concerns?
I'm also looking for more a comedy drama - any suggestions? Seeing as it's bank holiday and I have 3 days to binge watch with no guilt.
While obviously still playing the role of dutiful wife and mother - let them binge watch whatever they like and eat at least some fruit during the day

Anyone watching When my love blooms? Has 2ML from Healer. I'm quite liking it but wonder if it will be a bit like Weather

I'm currently embroiled in Extracurricular which is v good, will report back on whether it's a typical Netflix open-ender.

Also enjoying Good Casting on Viki, but quite fancy a good bank holiday bingewatch - wish I'd saved Extracurricular for that! May have to have a dig through my list or MDL for something

Hope you guys enjoy your binges! On night duty and then on call all weekend so no binging for me 😭😭 I might try and squeeze in a couple of episodes of something fluffy before I head for a second sleep.

Fifi... You're good to go with Memorist...very satisfactory ending!!! Definitely a friendly ending!
It's really really good and is full of delightful twists and turns and ALL the characters are fab and funny! (except treat the baddies obvs!!!)
It is quite gruesome and frightening but the story is great and characters endearing and you're rooting for them... sigh wish i could watch it all again without having to wait weekly ... a great Binge watch!!!
Yoo Seung-ho is really great.. (reliable as always and not a bad crier!!!) and his team of police officers are wonderful... go for it!

I loved 100 Days!!!

Monkey... Happy Dreams!!! have a bearable On Call Weekend.. x

I managed to find a local decorating supply warehouse doing paint & decorating supplies by click & collect, so no bingeing here this weekend. They had excellent social distancing arrangements in place too, which was a massive plus.

Thanks for green light Bea. I prefer to watch series that is complete. I'm not good at the waiting game. I also feel a bit more resilient in ability to watch more 'meatier' dramas.
Not been too sure about Extracurricular so I'll will wait until it's over and see what verdict is from everyone. Keep thinking that it will be the same as Itaewon Class, which I am still ruminating over. I loved the acting from PSJ, SML, and supporting actors, but not the FL, or SFL. I never really enjoyed it over all, and still trying to figure out what it was about it that didn't appeal; maybe lack of warmth.
Monkey.. hopefully your binge time will come soon.

Interesting article on BBC news website about a South Korean man living in Seoul, who is foster parent to children who have defected from North Korea. Wondering if he will receive donations from article and if Korean media picked it up. Couldn't see anything on some of South Korean news site I venture into now and then,
www.bbc.co.uk/news/the-reporters-52474808

Asian Boss interviewed him a while back. They also interviewed a Pastor who runs a baby box service for abandoned babies.

The boys one wish was to be able to eat meat, so they had a barbeque for them. I forget how expensive meat can be elsewhere, I remember that we only used to get beef occasionally when I lived in Tokyo because chicken and pork were more affordable, but still not cheap for a family of 6.

Thanks monkey I will track that down. Just seeing that about the meat makes me think about my child's reaction last night to beef and noodles meal, "I'm feed up of beef"! We are luck enough that is available and affordable for us.

My sister is bemoaning the butter and cheese shortage on Japan ATM. TBF, butter shortages aren't a new thing, but I always chuckle at my dad flying back with huge blocks of butter and cheese frozen and packed with cool packs when he visits. That and porridge oats and teabags because it's so expensive. My brother always asks for baked bean snack pots if anyone we know is heading to Tokyo 😂

To be fair to your brother monkeywench, baked beans are a food stuff from the gods themselves. Cheesy beans on toast will always be a great comfort food.

I'm thoroughly disappointed in my ability to find a guilty pleasure drama like Before We Get Married. I need suits and dimples and questionable morals.

When we had expat British friends in the US and South Africa, my parents always had to take proper tea and Marmite on visits.

I wonder what the staff think as the big cases get scanned lol The last time my sister visited she came with 2 cases but only 2 pairs of jeans and 4 shirts, the rest was food. She went back with 2 cases of food and her clothes were posted 😂

I need suits and dimples and questionable morals

Oh yes!!! That would go down perfectly with a glass of rosé

Seconded!

Haven't been on MN for a very long while and, apologies, this thread is so long I only skimmed the beginning but thought I'd pop in on the end. Got into K and C (and sometimes Thai) drama last year after being housebound after an accident. Was recommended Untamed (gateway drug of so many) and then got completely hooked. It clashed with the culmination of my daughters 3 year campaign to get me to listen to Kpop so this last year has been interesting to say the least.
Using my furlough leave to catch up with all sorts of things - just binged-watched Descendants of the Sun in 2 days in a fit of premenstrual madness. Oh and I bloody love Hwarang - I am going to adopt V as my spiritual eldest son, and can hear no wrong against him or any of the Wooga Squad.

Love the existance of Netflix, Viki, Youtube and sometimes DailyMotion.

Welcome MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic! You are most definitely amongst friends here.

Also, Descendants of the Sun in 2 days? Good effort! You’re definitely in the right place. 🤣