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've been doing some online Christmas shopping and found BTS dolls for £4 each!
www.thetoyshop.com/collectibles/collectible-figures/BTS-Idol-Doll---Jin/p/539404?tmsb=skp2llp&tmrl=d4vycmj&tmsl=the-entertainer-product-carousel-pdps&tmty=w&tmcv=63&tmcs=9tzc3s7

Noooooo I already have Tae & Yoongi no one else will fit in the Sunday car!

SINDY car 🙄

I've sent the link to my lovely SIL who was asking what I want for Christmas 😂

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

I've sent the link to my lovely SIL who was asking what I want for Christmas 😂

😆

She's brought me one!!!!! She just sent me a screen shot of the order confirmation 😂😂😂. I can't tell which one though. This is going to be my best Christmas surprise 😬

Luckily she knows me well enough to not be put off by a 40 year old fangirling 😂

Awwweee just pausing DDSSLLS to say how much I love the piano duet at the start 🥰🥰 and also the private detective’s enjoyment of it 😆

I’m too busy refreshing the US election updates to watch kdrama tonight.

thegirl 🤭🤭🤭🤭😂😂😂👍👍👍💜

Flower of Evil... Is goooooood!!..... 😱

I'm up to ep 6 of Flower of Evil and there are so many twists!! I'm not massively keen on the FL though, she's a bit dopey.

Min Yoongi... Keeping an eye on me and making sure I'm getting on with my work! 🤭😂

Haha I'm not sure where my doll will live yet. DH will be rolling his eyes where ever it ends up 😂😂😂

Snort!! I've just started another Taiwan drama with Marcus Chang and within the first 2 minutes he's shirtless with the camera panning down his abs to his pants line again! Seems rather a motif

What is it? I will watch it now I need a bit of light relief from, the stress of election results! Also, I've caught up on More Than Friends,

fifi it’s Back to 1989 on Viki. And yet another totally shameless and gratuitous shot in ep 2 but that’s at 13 mins in

😳😁 I just checked out Marcus Cheng. ✔️

Had a packed week so not managed any viewing, still on ep 7 of Flower of Evil
ML has a very red chest in opening scene which looks weird next to his made up face. I'm struggling keeping up at times as so many layers.

BTS dolls in the Sindy car!!! Cute 🥰

I watched episode 1 bettys, the opening scene was very much needed as part of the plot . Not sure I'll continue, I'll wait for feedback from you .

Really struggling to find a binge watch for the weekend! I will do a trawl through Dramalist.

Anyone else finding the hungry ghosts in Nine Tailed triggering on the zombie-like behaviour front?

Birthcare Centre is a bit of a hoot. Although I do have some questions about Korean midwifery care...

Anyone else finding the hungry ghosts in Nine Tailed triggering on the zombie-like behaviour front?
Yes boaty they are like the worst kind of zombie. Very fast and you can't kill them 😱

fifi I fell asleep watching it last night, I'm not sure it's a keeper! Maybe one to do the ironing to (if I ever ironed, that is). I am alternately amused and horrified by the late 80's fashion/décor/office politics; I'm more in the mood for gloss than awkward retro.

haha iron, something I do very rarely these days so I will give it a miss .
Need to find something to watch, it will be the first weekend in a year without any Kdrama

fifi have you watched everything on the spreadsheet???
If you have please do score them then it'll be easier to know what to suggest for a binge watch