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…

bot = not

I'm really looking forward to it despite it not being my usual genre. Korean date night in the Fiat Doblo. Tier 2 thrillz

@polkettle

I'm really looking forward to it despite it not being my usual genre. Korean date night in the Fiat Doblo. Tier 2 thrillz

I can only aspire to do something that exciting right now. How I envy you!

It is a Big Treat. Absolutely loving Melo btw.

Watched a couple more episodes of goblin last night after a very long 12 hour shift
Finished a nice long run and debating what to what watch this evening- trying to distract myself from work again tomorrow!

You can just keep binging Goblin Hydrogensonata 😊👌.
I've re watched lots of Hwarang today. I ten second skipped through any boring old men plotting, people crying/gazing into the distance and got through 10 episodes 😂😂😂. It's so hilarious and historically inaccurate but has so many gorgeous men!

Special thanks to the set makers for inventing communal showers made out of bamboo 😍

I'm downloading a few more episodes to take to my night shift tonight 👍👍👍

thegirl that totally made me laugh! I remember the bamboo shower screens well

I got through 3 tales of Nokdu today, the plot is starting to culminate now... The tenson is building. I wish there was a nail biting emoji!

I'm off to watch the trailer to Peninsula boatyard I love a bit of K zombie action 🧟🧟‍♂️

Oh my god, Peninsula looks terrifyingly brilliant! Can't wait to watch it!

Hwrang!!... It's got my favourite ending! 🥰😁😁👍👍👍

@bettys Seoul Food arrived today! Thanks again for recommendation 👍

Did anyone persevere with Alice? Not sure why I did after that ending. Very unsatisfactory - too many loose ends and not enough happy endings.

Oh Brambly! I’m sorry you had to take one for the team & report back that it was unsatisfactory. I am one of a few who just quietly stopped bothering.

I’m liking the FL’s capacity to call out the bullshit with ML in More Than Friends, especially on the thousands of missed opportunities when he’s dwelling on the last one. She’s saying exactly what you always want the FL to say to a bloke who has messed her around. It’s so refreshing!

Special thanks to the set makers for inventing communal showers made out of bamboo

I feel we need more modern day communal showers made out of bamboo

Brambly I stopped watching Alice but have read recaps and am glad I stopped, not sure I can even bother with the last episode which is a shame as it had a lot of potential.

I watched the last episode of When I was the Most Beautiful having watched NONE of the series because well, Jisoo NEVER gets the girl and what do you know? No change there either

Am enjoying Search even if it is turning out to be a Predator/Zombie mashup and suddenly realised the little girl who chats him up at the clinic is his 'wife-to-be' from Nokdu!!! And the way she gives the nurse the evil eye hahahaha!! Excellent.

I've decided my guilty pleasure is Taiwan drama

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap that's what I've ended up doing, should finish and go to bed but just at a very sad/intense bit so got to watch one more episode!

@BramblyHedge

Did anyone persevere with Alice? Not sure why I did after that ending. Very unsatisfactory - too many loose ends and not enough happy endings.

I watched it brambly but sat the whole time thinking what's going on and why am I watching this .

I'm not holding out much hope for the ending of ROY either to be satisfactory.
I'm full of optimism at the moment .
Zombie and DDSSLLS are keeping me happy at moment.

I'm not holding out much hope for the ending of ROY either to be satisfactory.

fifi I stopped watching ROY last week as it was getting too doom-laden. I will wait until tomorrow’s last episode, view the 5 mins & if it’s not looking like a 🐝 ending I’m not watching!🙇🏻‍♀️

View the LAST 5 mins that should’ve said!

The Nokdu wifey turned up again in ep 4 of Search 😂 plus a bonus communal shower scene but I’m not holding out much hope for the guy in gloves......I wonder if it’s because they belonged to ML? 🤔

And why is he the only one that hears the ringing noise along with the predator/zombie?

I've just finished Nokdu! I love a period drama, all the robes and top knots are 😍 I wasn't sure about the last episode though, I can't believe Prince Neungyang didn't get his comeuppance. Also I wish they would do a second series rather than a nine years later update... I feel they could have expanded more. Oh well, I enjoyed the series over all.

I am going to finish Warm and Cosy, which isn't brilliant but I'm going to finish it regardless, then move on to My Mister after the recommendations 👍👍

bettys that's a good plan. I've watched episode 15 and it's more doom and gloom, definitely skip to the last episode and the last 5 minutes.

I have started so many and still unsure which I will continue to end yet, it's all up in the air ...
^Familiar wife
Flower of Evil
The Penthouse
Lost Romance
^
Totally confused!!

Made shrimp and Chive K Pancake for dinner with Makgeolli 😋

I’ve started First Romance Cdrama which is mindless fluff which is about all I can deal with at the moment so it’s ticking that box nicely