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…

Also Jasper Liu’s dimples:

Jasper Liu's dimples are just 😍 BWGM is good one. Currently rewatching Cinderella and the Four Knights just because I love the FL and I don't want to have to focus. I started watching a Taiwanese drama Inborn Pair a few weeks back and skipped merrily through 88 episodes🤯 It was like a bad tellenovella that you just had to watch to make sure you hadn't imagined the WTFery😂😂 You could have played MN bingo with all the relationship red flags and crazy in-laws. Seriously, if you knew families that behaved the way these did, you would run away very fast and never return 😂😂😂 There is a token contract marriage, but I'm still amazed that I actually got to the end with all the loud bgm and random sound loss 😂😂😂 Lockdown has got to me😂😂😂😂

DS night not be a BTS convert but he's liking the new Agust-D mix tape. He headed out bopping away to Daechwita 😁

DS1 was playing a cool tune to is the other day by Zico. I said: “you know thos is kpop, right?” He was appalled to have been suckered in. Learning Japanese has led him to King Gnu, which is alright by me & DH. Pre-lockdown, we’d divide up long journey time and each person got to play whatever made them happy for x minutes. We have diverse interests, but a few shared faves.

DS quite likes Zico, but he'll never admit to playing it lol TBF, he likes a lot of obscure bands, so nobody would be surprised if they heard new stuff coming out of his car

We have

Here's a from Jen and Sarah (I feel like I know them ) who did the reaction video to The King, which we should add to the list under supernatural.

I can't take their recommendations as they prefer My Love From The Star to Crash Landing On You.

They are clearly lizard people.

Saying this I will now put Love in the Moonlight and Don't Dare to Dream on my watch list.

PS Fight For My Way is now on Netflix as well as Viki.

I enjoyed Camellia but would not put it in a top ten, preferred Gong Hyo-Jin in Don't Dare To Dream

Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo made the cut though, time to start requesting it on Netflix & Viki!!

I read that Dr Prisoner is coming to Netflix this month, they obviously noted my request for it 😉😆

I can't take their recommendations as they prefer My Love From The Star to Crash Landing On You.

They are clearly lizard people.

Seconded!

Oh My Baby ep 6 was even lovelier with the subtitles. It’s my current favourite.

‘Tis good indeed! Sweet Munchies is also potentially good. I wish we could see the new Him Off Black one somewhere, Will You Have Dinner With Me?. First episode reviews were favourable

I know we all dislike cliffhangers but how do we feel about ambiguous endings? Do they make you happy because you can tie the loose ends up how you want with the little bits of information available or will you always prefer a solid, well done, tidy ending?

I like the writer to finish what they started.

I detest ambiguous endings. Or indeed any endings that ARE DEEPLY UNSATISFYING. Yes, I'm looking at you Cheese in the Trap, Black Knight and Moon Lovers
Makes me v grumpy
Never Forgive, Never Forget ( Moon Lovers still superb and worth watching though)

Ambiguous endings give me the absolite RAGE!!!! ... I have sat here and watched to be entertained by you!!!... I don't want to draw to my own conclusions...!
It's like being invited to a wonderful restaurant... led to the kitchen, given the ingrediemts to a wonderful meal and then expected to cook it yourself..!!! What the flip????
Oooo it's making me cross just thinking about it now!!!!!

I think I'm starting to become more like Bea where I need a tidy, contented to happy ending. Watching 16 hours of a show to end with a 'who knows? make up your own mind on whether they're evil or dead' without a hint of whether a second season will happen feels a bit like wasted time now.

hello! Yes! I hate my watching time being wasted! Even more so these days... As during lockdown with no school now... It's getting harder and harder to get the prime TV room to myself.. And I feel mother guilt sitting upstairs by myself in the evening when I know the youngest would love me to come and sit and watch something with her! 😭😭😭... The last couple of weeks I've been familying and getting off duty around 10 pm! 😱😱😱

Oooo-er King!

Loved Eun-Seop's return home!

I'm soooo loving the king!... Romance!... Alternate realities... Comedy... Drama!... Twisty turny plot!... I'm not sure who the feck is everyone!... But! It's brilliant!! 😂

Bea, I’ve resorted to looking up names from King on here to work out who is who. Where the actor is the same I can see they are counterparts : asianwiki.com/The_King:_Eternal_Monarch

brambly!.. 😂 😂 Now that's commitment to keeping up with the storyline! 😂

I’m finding King a bit meh right now. A lot of the humour has gone AWOL, the effing PPL is appalling and not enough WDH. It’s definitely got a soggy middle. Perhaps its main problem is that LMH is such a crashing bore as the king. I dunno, I seem to have time-shifted my grumpiness from Friday to Saturday this week.

boatyard!.... 😂😂... Lockdown grumps? 😘😘

Yes, probably lockdown grumps.