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…

Train... Going through slowly but still very good! And mind boggling! 🤯🤯🤯🤯

I've been too busy Bangtanning! VMA'S and number 1! In Billboard Hot 100!! 😱😭😱😭😱😭

This looks good! But heartbreakingly sad! 😭😭😭 Jisoo! 🥰
www.soompi.com/article/1421714wpp/watch-ji-soo-tries-to-experience-as-many-adventures-as-he-can-before-time-runs-out-in-teaser-for-upcoming-web-drama

I don’t think I can watch that Bea! Haven’t started his current one either as it looks too tortuous 😉

I'm exactly the same for both shows. I am keeping an eye on Soompi and other reviews for When I was the Most Beautiful, just to see how it ends
Has anyone started Missing: The Other Side? It looks good.

Missing does look good, also Do You Like Brahms
I am going to have a lot to catch up on when I finish Once Again

In other news, BTS made the front page of BBC News online (in my region anyway)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53989941

Cover your ears Bea.

Am I alone in finding Dynamite too squeaky and over-produced? It is undeniably catchy and the sunny, upbeat video is cheerful for sure, but its like Sunny Delight to me.

Oh it's definitely not my favourite BTS track, you can tell they didn't write the lyrics, it's pure froth.
This pic was on twitter

Good image, Betty. Yes, their videos increasingly reference US culture, almost as if they are trying to break the market. 😉

Bettys, no, it's not on BBC news Scotland, I did check .
I don't know why, but I keep thinking that you live in England-shire!
Love the picture.

I am indeed in England-shire fifi

I have just watched all 3 versions of Dynamite dammit! My favourite is the B side MV. But it is a featherweight track compared to their self-penned stuff.

, I get it now with Asia! I'm way slower than normal today, I have a cold - trying to justify idiocy .
I have to say every time I see a picture of Jimin, I am struck by how much he looks like my Jimin doll

Fifi... oh dear!!!! Have you succumbed????

Boaty... I know what you mean but the pic Bettys posted is spot on... I think they're trying to prove a point... It's no way in my Bangtan Top Ten (BangTen!!!) It was unplanned and purely bought out to cheer us all up.. it's a cheery pop song and that it undeniabley is... and also it's funny how all the US Radio stations have all played it and put it in rotation now it's in english... there's talk of a lot of gate keeping esp in western entertainment media... like it's not valid until it's in english or has a collab with someone western... the constant interviews where they're asked who would they next like to collab with... do they ever esk Ed Sheeran / Taylor Swift / Drake / post Malone who they would like to collab with in EVERY interview... don't start me ranting!!!! It makes me sooo cross...

I hope that their next single (in Korean and written and produced by them...as a majority of their songs are) has the same impact as Dynamite...even though they got the radio play in US there is hardly any in Uk and it still got to no 3 and no.1 in both charts here -(there's 2 here... !!!! don't ask!) apologies... I'm in this Bangtan Shit for life!!!!!! Wahey!

I’m on ep 5 of Matrimonial Chaos, cat marooned on the sofa (he’s so warm!). I know, I know! I could shove him off to go and do useful stuff, but it’s officially autumn now and this is cosy. Incidentally, the ML is not the grumpy director from Melo but his (not quite) doppleganger. He has a similar hangdog everyman vibe though, so I’d say they could cover one another if one breaks a leg & the filming schedule is tight.

For you fifi !
Min Yoongi & Tae have stolen Sindy’s car and are off to the noraebang!

How’s Matrimonial Chaos shaping up boaty ?
It sort of went under the radar a bit.

I’m such a nerd I looked up Son Seok Koo (grumpy director) on MDL and it is him, though maybe looking different, I’ll have to watch an ep later. Currently racing through Once Again as I am impatient for eldest sisters romance to kick off 😠

Sorry no I am not racing through Once Again I am having an admin day and sorting stuff out

How’s Matrimonial Chaos shaping up boaty ? It sort of went under the radar a bit.

The first episode was annoying, especially as Bae Doona’s character was a 1-dimensional kook. I was in two minds about continuing, but at ep 5 I’m really enjoying it & it has become more substantial and interesting.

Thank you for the pic, now wondering if I have a left over Barbie doll car somewhere, it would be nice for him to go out for a wee spin -might need to take him out the box though
You will need to race to the end bettys, that romance is a slow mover, not even sure it's a romance! Also, in the last episode I watched, there was a hint of difficulties ahead for Na Hee
Surely admin day is inputting data onto our spreadsheet
Boatys, completely forgot all about that show, saw it on Soompi ages ago, thank you for reminding me. Where can I see it?
Is it not the last episode of WIL today? I'm hoping it will be a happy, satisfactory, Pollyanna ending.

Viki says the ML of Matrimonial Chaos is Chae Tae Hyun, whereas grumpy director in Melo is Ahn Jae Hong. They’re different people, honest!

ChA Tae Hyun..

Aaaaaaaaaaah I see! I wasn't very clear; there are two grumpy directors in Melo, I mean the grumpy director that falls for the sad documentary maker!
This guy:

@bettys

For you fifi ! Min Yoongi & Tae have stolen Sindy’s car and are off to the noraebang!

😂😂😂😂😂.one day I may post mine! 😂😂😂

Ah, Son Seok-Gu. OK, he’s a philandering twat in this, so much less likeable.

Anyone see the finale of Was It Love? Not really sure about it.

I am just catching up with ep 15 & am 😮 at the cosmetics product placement!! If only I could get that reaction after a bit of powder 🤣