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 do like the growing theme of finding yourself (hence the title obvs) and even though the pregnant friend's story is unfortunate it is interesting. Plus Prof Song looks as if she might be preggers too.

I predict (have had to stop watching and do some actual work gah!) that FL will dump CEO and go do something interesting with her life, ML will flounce off abroad thinking she is getting married and then after the requisite time span they will reunite better & wiser in their lerv for one another.

I am enjoying it immensely

I'm secretly wishing that Prof Song is preggers with hawt twin's child given their history of secret dalliance but I fear hawt twin is doomed to be with annoying niece

@bettys

I'm secretly wishing that Prof Song is preggers with hawt twin's child given their history of secret dalliance but I fear hawt twin is doomed to be with annoying niece

Oh yes, me too - although his interest in annoying niece has made me question whether he is worthy.

And same to all of your previous post too.

Loved that Bea!!

Although I might get kicked out of Army already. I looked up how much the pre-order of the new album is!! I don't love them £55 worth (yet!) 😂😂😂

Fifi I definitely remember thinking I should do some exercise when I watched Oh My Venus, its got to be worth a go?? 😂

I'm currently watching Record of Youth and really enjoying it. The leads are v cute but I'm worried rich friends mum will end up being evil to them 🙈

@fifilacklustre

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

Fifi - Watch Oh My Venus all the way to the end & revisit this question then.

If I was guaranteed So JibSub as my plaything, I’d be inclined to give it a try but in reality I like kdrama, cake and wine too much.

Find Yourself: the continuity person really needs to set a timer for the contractions in the labour ward heart-to-heart scene. 😆

Up to ep 35 Betty. Still waiting for the FL to find her backbone and a bloody clue. I’m getting a bad feeling...

Ep 39 (with some ffrwding whenever annoying niece is on) and CEO is beginning to get the message. I’ll be needing a 🥾🍑 shortly

Go to bed Betty!

boaty I used to think that about Jo Si Sub until he married someone younger than my eldest girl

I hope you managed to get some sleep

Oh yes, Fifi - the very young wife. That’s it! The dedicated exercise thing is OFF!*

• This implies it was ever on. Not so.

Though I will revel in the likelihood of his having young children soon. Mwahahahaha. Even the super-wealthy have to spend some time with their kids & they definitely get in the way of gym time.

Find Yourself done! One of the most kdrama-ish cdramas I've seen and I enjoyed it more than SITR which it has some similarities with. Better ending for sure than SITR and far more fun.

I'll wait for you to finish boaty & see what you think before I say anymore!

I've learned not to look at the time when having a peachy boot-worthy late night binge or I'll feel extra tired and guilty the next day.

Catching up with Record of Youth - the last scene of ep 7 is great!! But now like TheGirl I'm worried pushy mum is going to sod everything up

Yes bettys she's v forceful!

@bettys

Find Yourself done! One of the most kdrama-ish cdramas I've seen and I enjoyed it more than SITR which it has some similarities with. Better ending for sure than SITR and far more fun.

I'll wait for you to finish boaty & see what you think before I say anymore!

I've learned not to look at the time when having a peachy boot-worthy late night binge or I'll feel extra tired and guilty the next day.

I’ve just started ep 37 so possibly a couple of days before I finish it, as I think sleep beckons this evening.

It's a good job I’m not susceptible to PP, or else I’d be reaching for the C100 vitamin water with a Besheen liqueur chaser right about now.

Ah, I like the down in one with the expensive wine where it actually looks like they polished off a bottle of wine rather than blackcurrant Fruitshoot. Add the swanky decanter (on about its 7th outing) and 3 squirrel-brand nuts to the PP list. 👌

Yasss! I have finished Find Yourself. It was terrific - as Betty says a thoroughly well-executed kdrama-standard cdrama. I’d give it an 8.5, half a point deducted for the annoying niece. No wobbly sets, shaky acting or over-dubbed dialogue, instead it had more naturalistic filming (traffic noise, gritty pavements underfoot & all). Very well done & lots of interesting side stories and likeable supporting cast. I had to laugh though - the actor who plays FL’s father is only 46 IRL, the same age as her marriage prospect. The mother is 54 IRL, which is still young as Mum of 32 yo twins but not as bad as the Dad actor, who would have been 14 when they were ‘born’.

Betty - We should compare notes via PM so we don’t spoil the ending for anyone else.

PM'd you boaty

I have sent a holding response.

Happy Mid Autumn Festival all!

I'm on a Teams meeting with the camera off and trying not to giggle while I read the thread. If So Ji Sub were to hold the slice of cake while I did a sit up I might consider exercise. My sister has come to the conclusion that Sung Hoon is her ideal man since he enjoys his food

Happy Mid Autumn Festival all!

Thank you Bea !!

My sister has come to the conclusion that Sung Hoon is her ideal man since he enjoys his food

hunibuni don't forget that Sung Hoon also has a v cute dog, how can you resist a man who loves his dog so much?