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…

I was gazing with delight upon the chaebol in Dare to Dream / Jealousy Incarnate (the two ML should clearly marry each other and I am not going to finish it as that won't happen but, sigh, those suits are good).

Then I just flicked Revolutionary Love on and the chaebol is running across a lobby hurriedly buttoning his waistcoat and while this ML is so far a bit of a clown I APPROVE OF THIS SUIT.

I, too, feel the love for a man in good tailoring. DH came home a few months ago from a “big meeting” in his best suit & I swooned at his oppa-styling.

So far loving the bromance in My Roommate is a Detective . Hu Yi Tian is the lead and I must say he does play off-beat quite well. A far cry from the stony faced tsundere look parts that he's played in A Love so Beautful and Unrequited Love and the FL is quite gutsy. Nothing overtly gory despite being a detective series and so far the background machinations are nicely intriguing.

Oh and the tailoring in this is just 😍 Both ML have great hands too 🥰🥰

You know what I mean! Men should help themselves out. They have this option to look absolutely marvellous.

We’re nearly out of thread. Any other additions, particularly on the ‘not Korean’ list?

Unfortunately DH in a suit just looks like an enforcer 😂😂 It doesn't help that he like Peaky Blinder style suits but he's so broad up top with skinny legs that it just doesn't work. DS is built like a brick shit house with rugby player legs, so any suits that he'll wear are going to have to be tailored.

Well I will say despite the sad lack of waistcoats English men do better than Americans so far as suits go (I was living there last year). American suits are flappy, collapsed disasters. And all just FAR too big, even ones you can tell must have been expensive. Nobody has the least idea. It's tragic.

I'm not totally opposed to enforcers. :P

Revolutionary Love!... It's Choi Si Won!... Super Junior member (?) and 2ml She was pretty!... Looks fun! Will look into it!

My mister coming to netflix soon too!

I'm just going to pop these on here. Because I can.

Hmmmm! bettys... Lovely! ❤️

I've just whizzed through ep 16 of The Time We Were Not in Love and there is a kiss in it where the woman plainly does not want to be kissed as she keeps her mouth tight shut while the man does his best.

Awkward

@bettys

I've just whizzed through ep 16 of The Time We Were Not in Love and there is a kiss in it where the woman plainly does not want to be kissed as she keeps her mouth tight shut while the man does his best.

Awkward

lalalala I’m not listening.

I didn’t say who was kissing 🤫

OK.

bea, how are you getting on with Introverted Boss?
I’ve given up after episode 7, just couldn’t do it anymore. I really dislike FL acting and character. Only the ML is passable, even rest of characters are unappealing. Not even interested in ending.
Very disappointed as I rarely drop a show. You can see I’m reacting very well to this .
In a slump now as I don’t have anything to watch. Waiting to see the comments on Revolutionary Love.

fifi I agree ré FL but I stuck with it for Yeon Woo Jin .....I’ve trudged through a couple of things for him 🤷🏻‍♀️
Quite enjoying Revolutionary Love but am only on ep 2. When Siwon isn’t gurning he has a sensitive range of expressions.

When Siwon isn’t gurning he has a sensitive range of expressions.

🤣 Did I mention that Siwon followed me on Insta after I followed him? (Well, one of his SM minions.) Anyone following me would be mighty disappointed. I am as boring as hell, rarely post or like anything.

boaty, they obviously got wind that you are a Kdrama influencer and wanted to make sure that you spread the word far and wide,. Just like you have grin].

I am well-jell boaty 😡

Meant to be a

@fifilacklustre

bea, how are you getting on with Introverted Boss? I’ve given up after episode 7, just couldn’t do it anymore. I really dislike FL acting and character. Only the ML is passable, even rest of characters are unappealing. Not even interested in ending. Very disappointed as I rarely drop a show. You can see I’m reacting very well to this . In a slump now as I don’t have anything to watch. Waiting to see the comments on Revolutionary Love.

OOOOoooo! the option to quote! This is great will be able to comment with much more ease... oh no! I'll be an animal now ! Once i find a fun thing it's hard to let go... ahem.. see my Baz Norman takes on the spreadsheet! [grin}

Fifi... i'm upto ep 4... and still enjoying it... I can juuuust about put up with FL but i know exactly waht you mean... its the sulky pouting...I'm enjoying the actual plot ... so hopefully i can over look the annoyances!!!

@boatyardblues

When Siwon isn’t gurning he has a sensitive range of expressions.

🤣 Did I mention that Siwon followed me on Insta after I followed him? (Well, one of his SM minions.) Anyone following me would be mighty disappointed. I am as boring as hell, rarely post or like anything.

you're famous!!!! Famous!!!!!!