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…

I suppose fishing allows the heavily pregnant friend to sit still at length and no man would go looking for a group of women at a fishing lake, so a good hideout. Hated that the CEO turned up at the restaurant unbidden. He has major stalker potential, plus the anger issues. Again, ugh!

Enjoying Record of Youth much more now onto ep 6... the relationship between Hye-jun and Jeong-ha is lovely... the bickering and banter is cute and I'm enjoying their relationship...
Hae-Hyo's mum is absolutely objectionable and makes my teeth itch...and Hye-Jun's brother is awful awful awful...
I'm surprised i'm enjoying it as much as I am as I get fed up with irritating characters and makes me want to turn off!!!!

Bea I'm surprised by how much I enjoy Record of Youth too! Although the voiceover makes me think something awful is going to happen to separate ML & FL.

VERY exasperated by FL in Find Yourself in ep 25 with her daft decisions and really hating CEO for his pushiness . Gah!

Ha it’s picked up a bit now that Yuan Song is back in the game! I was beginning to get annoyed by the FL being pushed around by everyone’s opinions, reminded me of SITR

Dipping in whilst the kettle boils. Sounds like you are ahead of me Betty. I will look forwards to a resurgent Yuan Song. CEO needs sending packing.

I'm liking Record of Youth as well but already starting to feel worried about FL being dumped as he becomes a bigger star.

This must have been an interesting role for Park Bo Gum playing an actor who was trying to fit it all in before his military service, only to finish role and begin his military service.

I've started Love O20, only on episode 6 so trying to stick with it.

Anyone watching ‘More than friends’? Hope the ML has a passable backstory as he seems a bit of a sod at the moment.

I’m still in the 40 episode Find Yourself tunnel. It’s a good job I’ve decamped to my office out of earshot of my sons to watch it on my phone because I keep muttering “twat”, “you arse” and so on every time the CEO speaks. He’s such a controlling bastard. FL seriously needs to knock that female socialisation into touch and tell him to jog on.

Suffice it to say I’ve had a vexing day at work and this is very cathartic viewing.

I’m on a roll. Somebody stop me...

Betty - I’m up to the awkward dinner where CEO is footing the bill. I’m cheering at Yuan Song’s fight back and lolling at the geeky guy’s horror at the awkwardness of it all, when everyone else is oblivious.

I'm back from pub (before 10 obvs) after celebrating a grand work achievement and sooooo looking forward to getting stuck into Find Yourself before I fall asleep after copious amounts of wine and no dinner ( oh to be young again)

I think CEO is supposed to be sympathetic what with the cha cha cha housework mooching round the house with the poodle but once a controlling arse always a controlling arse is what i think

And wtf is twin brother playing at with annoying niece ? He needs to wake up aNd get back witH pROF sONG

Ooops better go drink some water

I actually think (ooof reading too much into a drama it's not real life ffs) that ML & FL needed the change in tone as ML always had women fall into his lap so now he has to work at it. Hence quote from ep 5 'I've already hit a home run why would I have to start over?' has rebounded on him.

I’m on a roll. Somebody stop me...

Hahaha! I really need someone to stop me....

And wtf is twin brother playing at with annoying niece shock ? He needs to wake up aNd get back witH pROF sONG

The annoying niece has ruined the hawt twin scenes for me. Whenever she’s in a scene with him I hit the 10s ffwd button until she’s off the screen again, which means no hawt twin either. 😞 But I just can’t... Nails on a blackboard...

After the scene at pregnant BFF’s flat and conversation in the car afterwards, I think Prof Song’s squeeze is a keeper and she’s well shot of player He Canyang. I do wonder who is against having babies, though. Prof Song seemed rueful.

Oh, and Yuan Song’s family??👌

Oooooo cracking denouement in ep 28!!!

We must be neck & neck, Betty. I’m 3/4 way through ep 29.

Me too! It’s got good again!

But still don’t like annoying niece and don’t get why hawt twin is putting up with it 🤔

I want to know what the place with all the canals is called. It was in Go Go Squid too.

@BramblyHedge

Anyone watching ‘More than friends’? Hope the ML has a passable backstory as he seems a bit of a sod at the moment.

Not yet. I'm trying to stay away from this until it's finished so I can binge watch, so hopefully, it turns out well and he's not an arse!

I want to know what the place with all the canals is called. It was in Go Go Squid too.

I think it's Suzhou

I am very disappointed in hawt twin (currently on ep 32)

Sorry... can't help myself... but I LOVE this performance on The Jimmy Fallon Show! (its BTS Week) ... after the poppy / Americaness of Dynamite! (another fab performance with Fallon & The Roots) ... This Idol Performance screams "We're KOREAN! and we are proud of it!" I love them!!!!

Happy Chuseok All!

Do you think that rewatching Oh My Venus will give me the impetus to start a fitness regime to lose 2 stones before the end of the year

I write this whilst eating a Tunnocks teacake and drinking tea with sugar

Thanks for sharing bea it's so good, and I have to stop myself clicking on other performances or I will surely go down a rabbit hole

I am very disappointed in hawt twin sad (currently on ep 32)

God yes! Am ffwding all scenes with the annoying niece in them, so not seeing much of the twin at the mo. She’s intolerable and now he is by association.