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! 😂 😂

Oh yes I'm a serial name changer (to disrupt search results only), sorry!

That’s OK, lokoho - I was just wondering if you were new-new or old-new. We have been talking about the wonders of kdrama on other threads of late, especially the “bored of my current telly in lockdown”, and seeding with links so its good to know what works if someone new finds us.

Iokoho you did sound like you’d been on here before 😆

Maybe we should have a code word in name change situations like they do on other threads so we don’t jump in with ‘welcome, have you seen Healer?’ 🤣🤣🤣

I like the idea of a secret hailing signal. I feel like we should have a back-up plan to regroup somewhere else online too, in case MN ever goes offline. My kdrama viewing wouldn’t be half as much fun without the parallel chat. Also, you are all great at pooling info about other good Kstuff, new shows and music recommendations.

I need to properly bookmark the spreadsheet, because we could put directions to any new home on there.

I have tried other kdrama forums, some are better than others (dramabeans is good for recaps etc) but none have quite the same fun, friendly yet familiar feel of MN.

A code word might help longtime lurkers break the ice too.

Daebak? Pighting? Toasty LYS? Why-is-Jisoo-always-2ML?

I actually spent far too long this morning musing over who is the best 2ML ever that deserves to be bumped up. Probably prompted by the news that Lee Jae Wook has just got his first ML role (opposite Korean Knightley) which is a very rapid rise in 2 years, and well deserved in my view 😊

Why-is-Jisoo-always-2ML?

Fail! He was ML in My First, First Love.

I’m liking Kim Jae-Young, 2ML from My Secret Romance as FL’s assassin brother in 100 Days A Prince, for Betty’s 2ML challenge. He is talk, broad of shoulder in just the right way and rocks the sageuk guyliner/man bun/robes combo awesomely, though he was equally comely with shaggy locks and trendy jumpers in Secret Romance. He could pull off a modern or sageuk ML role no problem.

Surely the secret code has to be 'JCW Homecoming Turkey' surely. No one will ever forget how bad it was but it also wont come up frequently because no one wants to remember it.

Ji Soo still deserves a better ML situation that My First, First Love. He needs a proper Seo Kang Joon style ML role, preferably something heartwarming and fluffy.

Thank you hello No one puts Bettys in the corner!!!! (non kdrama reference )

I still haven't watched MFFL as I read somewhere that it only happens in, like, the last 5 minutes so does that even count?

I heartily agree with Kim Jae-Young, but actually my suggestion would be Woo Do Hwan who needs to get a sole male lead role. He got the girl in Tempted eventually, but it wasn't the best drama

Surely the secret code has to be 'JCW Homecoming Turkey' surely. No one will ever forget how bad it was but it also wont come up frequently because no one wants to remember it.

🤣

I still haven't watched MFFL as I read somewhere that it only happens in, like, the last 5 minutes so does that even count?

OK. You got me there - ML in name only.

bettys I am thoroughly convinced me and you are connected some how. I wrote out a comment saying WDH would be my 2ML who deserves ML status and deleted it as I thought someone might say My Country counted as almost ML.

hello I just want to forget about My Country. The focus was too much on Yang Se Jong. It didn’t work as a bromance, it didn’t work as a romance, it wasn’t exciting and the 3 MLs were all wasted. It certainly wasn’t a happy ending I was very disappointed

It is spooky that we seem to think the same way sometimes eg Moon Lovers clips (unless that’s just Youtube sussing us out!! )

Maybe they're secretly reading our posts and just want to remind us that great, heartfelt dramas do exist!

Homecoming Turkey! 🤣 🤣

I'll remember it for next time.

I have just got back from work and have picked through Viki desultorily. Just nothing grabbing me right now. Totally just rewatching Secretary Kim...

Treat yourself lokoho! I watch compilation clips of my favourite dramas on YouTube when nothing grabs me. Inevitably I end up falling into a pit of sadness at never being able to experience them for the first time again but it's worth it.

Prosecco going down well with Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (again lol) Lee Ki Woo just ticks all my Oppa boxes and is very age appropriate 🥰 Tall, broad and handsome (and he leads with his hips ☺) and very much appreciated 🤣🤣

I was rewatching clips of Secretary Kim and PSJ really needs to be sharing out kissing tips 🤣

I can't settle on anything at the moment... Memorist hasn't any subs up yet!
Born Again a little too dark and grim.. And 2ml bit odd looking (sorry shallow I know!)
The King... It's not the weekend!
Meow... Think I might wait till all up to skip to the end I'm getting tired of it... Nothing seems to happen and getting tired of wimpy meek 2fl
I want a good historical like 100 days... Or Nokdu... Started Haechi... Anyone thoughts on Haechi??

When My Love Blooms has started on Viki... With lovely Jinyoung (got7)... And lovely reporter 2ml from Healer... But all looks very melodramatic...

PSJ really needs to be sharing out kissing tips ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is there a hangul symbol for

Today I have mostly been watching Good Casting which is quite good fun and has the FL from Protect The Boss (the one where Jisung has a bowl cut ) and the under-rated 3ML from While You Were Sleeping

Also finished off APOYM and have to say that I think they were wise to cut it short, and it sort of faded out really.

I just had a chuckle at ‘Lord Gray’s Fifty Shades’ in the bookseller’s erotic section in 100 days. Then got cross because it makes it harder to suspend disbelief (and Lord knows it’s hard enough already with the amazingly bright candles and unpockmarked, ungrubby lovelies) when they crack modern jokes.

Bea if you start Haechi and it has early signs of promise let us know......it's on my list just can't summon up the impetus to start it....

I am desultorily watching Queen In Hyun's Man on Youtube which I think I would have liked at the time but seems a bit dated now, plus the resolution is a bit soft, it's like watching video from the 80s

bettys...! I need someone to tell me It's worth it!! 😂 😂 😂

If I can't find something for the good soon... I might have to go back to my comfort blanket SGBS!!... (skipping gangster and serial killer bits of course!

Bea watch something short & snappy like The Boy Next Door! Park Morgan without the dodgy wig in Born Again!