MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #18): Our piggyback taxi service has been suspended whilst we are socially distancing

[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)*
Stranger - 2 seasons (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)
It’s OK Not To Be OK (Netflix)

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 Handmaid (film, Netflix - content warning: explicit sexual content)
The Package (Viki)



Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)
Into The Ring (Viki)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
Live (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)*
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Once Again (Viki)
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)
My Secret Romance (Viki)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)



Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable

Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)
School Nurse Files (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)
Find Yourself (Netflix - Chinese)
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 watching Pasta it's really dated and the kitchen scenes are like something out of Fawlty Towers 🤣
But I get to lust after Lee Sun Gyun as he plays a baddy chef 💕
Doh Doh also watching. Most unusual as I normally can only watch one at a time.

I thought the same about LJW as a school boy he didn't look right at all. Still not as funny as a scene in Once Again where the 60 yrs and more actors shot a scene in their youth. That was farcical in a very good way (still miss that show 😢)

I loved that scene from Once Again !!

LJW played a schoolboy/ high school student in Extraordinary You last year, yet before that he played an actor in Search WWW and a civil servant after in When the Weather Is Nice - and he's only 22!

I guess in Do Do they are signaling his youth with the way he smooths his down & is nervous around FL (and wears shorts!)
It's starting to have an I Hear Your Voice age difference, so not just noona but high school age dilemma difference.

Love the music in it!

The way he smoothes his hair down 🤨

I hope he keeps wearing shorts. I like seeing his legs.

I’m enjoying Nine Tailed. The hanbok rental/folk village place looks fun. One for the fantasy road trip.

I’m enjoying Nine Tailed too. LDW has gone waaaaay up in my estimation. I like all his Tiny quirky facial expressions

Gah I knew the face of the Magistrate from ep 6 of Nine Tailed but had to look him up - it’s Loony from Prison Playlist 🤦🏻‍♀️

@bettys

Gah I knew the face of the Magistrate from ep 6 of Nine Tailed but had to look him up - it’s Loony from Prison Playlist 🤦🏻‍♀️

His career seems to have taken off - he keeps popping up evrrywhere.

He also played LDWs brother in Life so maybe they’re mates

I'm still binging on Pasta 😂
On Ep 15 so fully committed now, it's so bad in places but something/body is keeping me watching 😍
DH caught the scene where 2FL boils the chefs bottle of Barolo to scupper his chances of winning the cooking competition. "What fresh hell are you watching now Aesop's?!, Never mind you're not crying anymore so could be worse " 😳

@AesopsMables

I'm still binging on Pasta 😂 On Ep 15 so fully committed now, it's so bad in places but something/body is keeping me watching 😍 DH caught the scene where 2FL boils the chefs bottle of Barolo to scupper his chances of winning the cooking competition. "What fresh hell are you watching now Aesop's?!, Never mind you're not crying anymore so could be worse " 😳

Sorry to hear you are having such a bad time, Aesops. In the grand scheme of things, there are plenty more destructive ways to distract/comfort yourself. I’ve already got tonic in the fridge ready for gin tonight to see this bastarding week off. Solidarity, sister.

Thanks Boatyard v stressful week, made a big decision that leaves me both relieved and a little bit scared. Work related.
I shall be hitting the alcohol tonight for sure, not yet decided on my poison of choice.

Sorry things are rubbish Aesops and boaty. My work crapness has v v slightly elieviated today 🙄👍. At least we've got dramas (and booze) to get us through

Much wine & drama wished for you Aesops & boaty ! I am in the middle of an intensely busy work period, which while good is a wee bit stressful. I have been collapsing of an evening with wine & Taiwan drama which suits the need for escapist fluff.

Was vastly cheered today by the Hopping Chinese Zombie vs Korean Zombie duel in Zombie Detective ! Also reminded me of Bea and her zombie videos

The hopping Chinese zombie was hilarious!

Taking full advantage of DH's and DD's concern, (I'm really OK just in the middle of processing some changes) they have all agreed to watch Parasite with me tonight 👍🏽
Red Wine going down nicely 😉
Finishing final ep of Pasta. It's the music that makes it seem so much more dated than 2010 !! 'Carry On' theme 🤣😂🤣

Just declared my love for ML to DH. His response? Shall we get 2 or 3 Naan's? 😇

Watch out for the fake scholar rock, Aesops.

"Just declared my love for ML to DH. His response? Shall we get 2 or 3 Naan's? 😇"

@AesopsMables 😂 Hope you got three!
I was at a friend's funeral today. Honestly in this year of shit the discovery of KDrama has been distraction, holiday and endorphin shortcut. Absolute medicine. Just finished Oh My Ghost which I enjoyed a lot - mostly because of my massive JJS crush. Now recovering from an emotional day with an episode of Misaeng and Weightlifting Fairy. Eclectic combo...

Oh I'm sorry polkettle that must have been a shitty day. I hope it went as well as possible. Lots of drama-ly love x

in this year of shit the discovery of KDrama has been distraction, holiday and endorphin shortcut. Absolute medicine.

Absolutely agree polkettle ! Hope it worked its magic after your difficult day.

I am resisting the urge to start a new binge-watch as I have so much work on so am revisiting the shower scene bits of Lost Romance and catching up with on-airs. However have been reading recaps of Alice and am glad I paused it. Impatiently awaiting handsome army men the next episode of Search while debating whether to start More Than Friends or the new Puff Guo Taiwan drama. It's just that the weekly wait for one episode is so tortuous if it's good!

Polkettle hope today is a better day for you. It was 3 Naans and it was far too much red wine which has resulted in a declared 'Duvet Day' Sod the cleaning.

Just deciding what to binge next (light and frothy only) to ease my splitting head.

Anyone know the ingredients for Hangover Souo?

Hangover Soup 🙄

Anyone know the ingredients for Hangover Souo?

Red wine, gin or beer?

Recipe for Hannover Souo for you Aesops

And I strongly recommend Lost Romance on Viki to go with that

Thanks Bettys will start Lost Romance
I did a slight double take at your recipe as it's a 'veg friendly' but includes sliced beef?! 🤣
Boaty- I'm sure yours is Veg friendly but will try that one next Fri eve 😉