MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #17): I need suits and dimples and questionable morals

[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 as they are peppered with pop-ups of “Olga” and friends offering a good time, which gets in the way of the drama.

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/Netflix)
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/Netflix)*

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)*
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/Netflix)*
Kingdom (Netflix)*

Mystic Pop-up Bar (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…

Just checked on MDL and the episodes for Once Again are 30 mins long so only 50 episodes really - phew!!!

Like that makes it better. That’s still the equivalent of 1.5 working weeks. It’s a big ask!

Filming for both To The Guys and Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol have been paused due to positive Covid test according to the fount of all knowledge (Soompi grin )

Damn! SK were doing so well with COVID there’s hardly been any telly disruption.

bettys please do come and join me down the rabbit hole with Once Again, I started a couple of days ago and now on episode 14 (1/2hr episodes) only another 70 to go to catch up . I started it for the reason you said, the reviews are always good, and it has consistently high ratings Also, I've always wanted to watch one of the weekend series shows, and I have run out shows to binge on. I also like Lee Sang Yeob, more from his character in Love Affairs in the Afternoon, than the horrible, nasty prosecutor in While you Were Sleeping.

I'm liking the show so far, just meeting the characters and finding out some of their backstories, and I'm finding most of them likable. I am surprised at how quickly there are twits and turns, which hopefully means lots of development for characters in future episodes. ML mother has great potential to do some awful things, as she is already proving to be conniving and selfish
The sets for the houses are a bit cheap, and I've had to adjust to a different pace and tempo.

The relationship between the adult siblings is very good, falling in and out, but basically there for each other when trouble strikes - of course, all this may change over the next 70 episodes!
The parents appear, so far, to have a caring relationship, and because there are so many people in the show there's potential for all the secondary characters to have good stories.

Am I selling it to you and everyone else

I am surprised at how quickly there are twits and turns

fifi you sold it to me with this phrase alone!! 🤣🤣

leelo Romance is a bonus book was the first K drama I watched, it's great isn't it. And, hello 🙂

I hope the people filming who've tested positive are ok and not too badly affected.

I feel like I'm far behind most of you, catching up with drama that you watched quite a while ago and is now on Netflix.

pop up bar is fun and quirky.

Thanks @bettys & @gingerbiscuitandacuppatea - and yes, it was lovely. Maybe a bit too lovely, as now I miss it! 😭 @AesopsMables - definitely give it another try. I found different episodes have very different feels to them, gritty, sad, romantic, happy, funny etc, so if one bit doesn't grip you then another might?

@boatyardblues - falling asleep on the sofa & /or not paying attention to TV shows as I was on my phone at the same time is why I started watching The Heirs /Inheritors, as reading subtitles makes me actually pay attention! If I'm falling asleep now I know I really have to go to bed! 😂

So I need to check out while you were sleeping, pop up bar and... I need to start making a list!

leeloo1 I think I hear your voice and Pinocchio are my favourite LJS dramas (or the ones I fancied him most in 😂)
I agree with subtitles making me pay attention too!

Good to see you Ginger!

Well, this is unexpected - a BTS advert on MN (in AIBU)!

Omo!

Heol!! 💜💜

I fall asleep in front of the TV far too often. Probably less with subtitles.

BTS have new song/ movie video out today too. I think the adverts you see on Mumsnet are tailored to things your internet history shows your interested in?

This time next year we might have a new LJS drama to look forward to. His military service ends in January I think? I still need to watch While you were sleeping and hymn of death but think I've seen his others.

Thanks Boatyard I'm still around, just mostly lurking.

Hi all (waving frantically) . Started watching Voice but it's very dark. seems even more graphic than scandi noir to me. In contrast I have also started watching Tomorrow With You, which seems quite fun. Has the grumpy police profiler from Signal as the ML. This is the 2nd Kdrama I've watched where the FL seems to drink a lot. is that a thing?

This is the 2nd Kdrama I've watched where the FL seems to drink a lot. is that a thing?

Of course it is! Drunkenness is a key tool in the screenwriter’s kit bag to advance the plot. There are rescue piggybacks home, putting to bed with or without undressing assistance, uninhibited truth telling, even ‘throw all caution to the wind’ sex. All Kdrama would have to be 50 episodes long like Cdrama if they couldn’t call on drunkenness to advance the plot.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap - I'm definitely with you on fancying LJS! I liked him in Pinocchio, but he was a bit stern/self-contained & I felt bad for the fl that he tried to become a better reporter etc & didn't let her know what was going on with him. I liked him more in Romance, as he kind of had his heart on his sleeve... When he was popping out from behind the bookshelves towards the end of Romance to make the heart signs to make Dan-i laugh, his face & expressions are so adorable! Ah, it's total fantasy to hope that someone so gorgeous would be so lovely too!

I need to watch I hear your voice and also W... And everything else he's been in... Or is that stalkery?

Gingerbiscuitandacuppatea - more LJS would be good! Can we start a campaign that cute guys shouldn't have to do military service?

@boatyardblues 😮 - 'caution to the wind sex' 🤯 - what shows have you been watching?? I haven't seen more than people cuddling with all their clothes on!

what shows have you been watching??

Fated To Love You/You are My Destiny starts with the ML and FL getting so smashed they both think they are having sex with someone else, with messy consequences. Jang Nara retreads exactly the same scenario in Happy Once Again but manages to get married as well as getting down & dirty (love the furry onesies in that one, nice touch). There’s a drunken dirty stopover in Was It Love where the ML has no recollection of what happened the next morning. That’s just three. I’m sure I can think of more, or someone else will help out.

Omg, I must have side stepped the raunchier dramas! 😂 Although, maybe it's for the best... there's a video of LMH that keeps being posted on fb, where he's looking into the camera as he suggestively licks an ice cream cone and I can't watch it! It makes me giggle and blush like a teenager!

Ahhh! Glad to see all the love for Toasty LJS! W Two Worlds is epic!

Finished its OK! What a lovely lovely ending! Loved the Instagram type montage of the trip! Blubbed a bit! (of course I did!!) it was lovely lovely lovely! A solid 9 for me! 👍👍👍Perfect!

And!
. I've been Bangtanning ALL day!... I really wasn't up at 4.30am this morning ready for BTS new song to drop and thus start my epic day of streaming... Oh no no!... And although its not the epic complex usual BTS I love... It's still a Banger! It's sunshine and joy! 10 million views in the first 20 mins! 😱😱🤯💜💜💜
BANGTAN!!!! 🥰

I love that V is rocking the CEO look!😍

caution to the wind sex 🤯 - what shows have you been watching??

Although there are a few free spirited individuals in kdrama (the friend in BTIMFL eg) it’s more Taiwanese drama eg the friend in Before We Get Married .....and also the friend in To All The Guys (Kdrama) who is simultaneously dating her ex & new boyfriend....in fact it’s usually the friend not the FL

I'm up early this morning 😴 but just wanted to quickly say how much I love the Gangster in WIL 😍😍😍😍. I watched the latest two eps last night. I wonder if he will end up with the bar keeper after she heard his heartfelt apology??