MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #16): Serving up guaranteed corona-free escapism throughout lockdown to lurkers, passers-by and regulars.

[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 AmazonPrime. There are also platforms streaming content illegally if you go looking, but we don’t promote them.

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, no major site yet)
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 (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/Netflix)*
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 (other sites)
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/Netflix from June)
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 (no mainstream platform yet)
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 decent quality
Regulars also 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 Scoring Dramas of 2019
(courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, which are updated by/for thread regulars)

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'm onto Because This Is My First Life now. Enjoying it so far. Sweet, funny, & a bit sad too.^

I'm sure most of us here who have watched this loved it. Enjoy!

I’ve just finished all my errands, so an afternoon of sofa floppage beckons.

The weather is decent here too, the garden needs weeding & I really ought to get out there but I’m also knackered after a busy week and last weekend. I just need some guilt-free down time.

Just seen the trailer for Sung Hoon's first Chinese period drama Bodyguard-Oath in Jade. Available in September. Interesting to see how he'll fare with swish robes and sword play.

He was in Faith:The Great Doctor as a swishy robed flute wielding baddy with long white hair, one of the more enjoyable things about the drama.
I actually rather liked LMH in this too, I obv have a weakness for men with long hair wielding swords.

And men who can dance

So many weaknesses

I forgot he was in that lol I wonder if this Cdrama will have a lot of wire work. I enjoy the fantasy period dramas but the amount of wire work can become a bit (more) farcical

Lush visuals in It’s Okay 😎

@bettys

Lush visuals in It’s Okay 😎

That’s good news.

I’ve had to share the living room with my boys this afternoon, so it’s been about 3 hours of an interesting Canadian neuroscience YouTuber (Vsource). I learned some new things. The episode with the autistic savant British musician and a former jock who had a head injury which triggered pixellated vision and a sudden appreciation of integers and calculus was fascinating. Sadly, no kdrama has happened, but we have spent family time together.

No kdrama for me today... Until now... Am settling into Mystic which I'm rather enjoying... Looking forward to It's OK with the most beautiful Cryer in kdrama Kim Soo Hyun... Will wait till tomorrow I think then watch 2 eps together.. Think that's how it's working!
Fifi... Ahhhh! Already seen WFKBJ! Thought that was a funny miss for you!
For those watching Because This is My first Life! Lucky yous! It really is lovely!

I caved and watched It's Okay. I think it's going to be a high scorer from me. I know it's early but I can feel it.

I enjoyed ^It's Okay ^when I watched it but it isn't on our spreadsheet.

Ooops I might be being confusing, I mean It’s Okay To Be Not Okay that’s just started. I’ll add it to the spreadsheet now.....only seen one episode so far but it’s already getting an 8 from me. Can’t wait for today’s 👌

There's too many It's Okays, maybe South Korea just really wants to reassure us everything is fine.

I watched the other It’s Okay with the psychiatrists. It was probably a 5 or 6 for me. It had Korean Denis Waterman in it overacting and hamming.

I was checking out some actors earlier and Jang EuiSoo who plays Kang Gook in Where Your Eyes Linger is 30! Well colour me surprised. There's an 8 year age difference between the two leads. I thought they were about the same age.

😱I thought so too!!

Netflix It's OK... Just finished ep 1... It's going to be a high scorer! It's good!! Very good! 👍 👍... Heading into ep 2 now!... Kim Hyun soo is 😍😍😍😍😍

Yes it is me getting confused! It was the other one I was thinking of. Will get my coat...

Brambly don't get your coat!! Settle in & watch It's OK to Be Not OK with us!!
Ep 2 also v good, it's going to be my new must-watch I think

... actually went off to watch the 'right' IT'S OKAY. Loving the opening animation.

It's truly lovely with such a lovely classic mix of drama / fluff/tragedy /comedy!
Its great and really looking fwd to more!
Kim Hyun Soo... You chose well for your first real drama since military... Grrr JCW!... take note!... (but I still love you!.... 🤫🤫🤭)

Argh! Kim Soo Hyun! Keep getting it the wrong way round! 😂

I've caught up on ep 2 of Backstreet Rookie which as Monkeywench reported is pretty tame, but already better than the-drama-that-shall-not-be-named. My favourite bit so far is the FL's two wing-women saying drunkenly "OMOmomomomomomo!"

Has anyone seen The Producers with Kim Soo Hyun? I started it ages ago but dropped it after about 20 mins I can't remember why. I think I watched just after Don't Dare To Dream as it also has Gong Hyo Jin but it didn't have the same feel.

Rather enjoying The Romance of Tiger and Rose as recommended by hello - it is quite tongue in cheek - although the heavy make-up makes the leads look very bland

Watching the first episode of new It’s OK. It’s really well done, but those books are so dark I struggle with the idea that the author is a commercial success. They’re the stuff of nightmares. FL gives good sociopath.

I'd love FLs wardrobe from It's Okay. I also don't quite understand her commercial success but good on her either way!