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…

Oho!! 😂 😂 ... bettys!... Oooo! I loved 100 days! That's a good watch in these tricky times! Funny and cute with enough intrigue!... And 🐝🐝🐝ending! 👍👍😁

I think if you're going to pay big bucks to hire out the historical villages and make all the costuming, you wouldn't risk a flop. You'd want to be pretty sure it's at least solid, preferably good.

I was about to say I can't think of a bad one and then I remembered My Country exists. It's not that it's even bad, it's just there wasn't enough story for the endlessly long episodes.

it's just there wasn't enough story for the endlessly long episodes.

and WDH was wasted in it, and didn’t get the girl again ( not that she was worth getting, very blank performance)

Actually a sageuk might suit my mood right now. Couldn’t even finish Time to Hunt as too grey

I've had a drama filled weekend. I've managed to watch Reply 1997, Wok of Love and caught up with Meow.
I have been out the house and managed to fit in a zoom family quiz, but not much sleep.
I was a bit disappointed with Reply - not so much the acting and storyline was quite good, but so much referencing to porn. It was really off putting for me, maybe I am too old now.

Wok was bizarre, but was expecting this from all the reviews. I really warmed to the gangsters though. I would like to have seen comeuppance for ML wife , not very sisterly of me.
Going to watch APOYM For those who have watched what is it like?

APOYM is slow to start but gets better. I don’t really get all the AI stuff but like the FL it’s enough to just be looking at JHI 😂 It’s very soothing

Anyone got any recs for sageuks? I’ve seen the ones in the header. Preferably with some hawt robe swishing
Haechi?
Six Flying Dragons?
My Sassy Girl?
Tree with Deep Roots?

bettys I have no opinions except Six Flying Dragons is looong. 40/50 episodes I think, unless it's been released in a shorter version. My Sassy Girl is a very, non-traditional sageuk. There's a bit of good commentary on patriarchy and lots of men supporting their female friends.

Thanks hello, I don't think I have the mental capacity atm for 50 episodes. I might do a boaty shuffle and go hunt down Queen In-Hyun's Man, Gunman in Joseon and Slave Hunters

In the meantime I got side-tracked in to Who Kissed Me? , a web drama on Youtube after watching (yet another) compilation of lovely Moon Lovers clips

bettys we must be on a similar wavelength because I was literally just this minute watching Moon Lovers clips on YouTube and debating a rewatch.

If I'm going to go to coughdramacoolcough & put up with random ads then I'd rather watch something new I think.....although I am always tempted to rewatch Moon Lovers

Good Casting is coming to Viki today. It has 3 FLs so I'm hoping (on no evidence whatsoever other than that) that it might be another Search WWW or Be Melodramatic

Baek Chan Mi is a legendary agent for the National Intelligence Service. However, due to an excessive operation, one of her subordinates passes away. After this incident, she takes back all hope of returning to the field when she gets an order to go undercover. She begins working as a secretary for Ilkwang Hitech under the name, Baek Jang Mi. She is joined by a single mother, Im Ye Eun, who has the beauty of a girl group member, and Hwang Mi Soon, a housewife of 18 years whose family believes her to be an insurance salesperson. These three women begin to work together. Meanwhile, Ilkwang Hitech’s CEO, Yoon Seok Ho, knew Chan Mi as his tutor and had a crush on her. He can’t help but think that his new secretary, who looks exactly like his first love but has a different name and age, is a bit suspicious.

What’s going to fill the Weather slot on Wednesday?

Probably this, given that Weather was a Mon-Tues drama but wasn’t subbed until Wednesday

I have been thinking about Meow during my lunch, and wondering where it could possibly go. I am already over invested in Hong Jo and Sol Ah being a couple . Will it turn all magical? Or do I need to accept that there will be a romance with the 2ML, who I don't like at all, way too moody and broody for me.
Does anyone else have thoughts about the direction the writers will take this?

fifi I was so curious how it was going to turn out that I read the webtoon so I know how that ends, and I’m hoping the tv series does the same 😉

betty, fairly giddy with excitement reading that I may have to go and search the webtoon, although if you are happy that it will be a good ending I can safe myself.

Meant 'save' , not safe up above. Excitement took over!

I'm fairly certain it will be a happy ending, last episodes this week! The webtoon is a slightly different story - they're students, but the same characters

Started Idle Mermaid, gave in part way through episode 2, couldn't stand the lead female!!!

Started hotel delivery Luna - seen episode 2, enjoying it so far.

jisung had to look up Idle Mermaid as not heard of it before! Have you seen Legend of the Blue Sea? Also mermaids.

Hotel del Luna is v good.

I've watched the first ep of Queen In-Hyun's Man on Youtube & I'm not sure....it's only 2012 but seems quite dated. It has the same trope of the King though with the time traveller turning up in Seoul on a horse!

Don’t know why it popped into my head, but I just remembered the production exec in Melo turning the ‘cute’ up to 11 on set to cajole/shame the senior crew and actors into doing their jobs. I feel like Melo would be a good one to rewatch just now.

Born Again... It's good!! But grim!! 😭

I'm really enjoying Nokdu ; the female assassins are v cool. And I can't work out who's good/bad in the Royal scheming but I'm intrigued!

I’m enjoying 100 days my prince. It’s perfect escapism. ML and FL need to get cracking with the romance, but I guess she needs to get past being furious about the loan first. 😆

Glad you are enjoying Nokdu, Girl. It’s a very enjoyable kdrama. The ML & FL were particularly adorable together.

Awww! 100 and Nokdu are my fave recent historicals I've watched... I think I need a cheery historical at the moment... Time to hunt /born again /Memorist... All pretty heavy!! 😱🙁