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…

Very true bettys I was lying down in bed so that's almost as good as actual sleep.

I went to Japan (ages ago 😭) and DH wanted to go to a Maid cafe. I refused and we went to a cat cafe instead 😁😻

@boatyardblues

PYHOMS is awfully... chaste. Otherwise it’s rather fun, though I personally Find Yourself has recalibrated the cdrama bar.

Find Yourself is on my list. Thanks for the recommendation!

Thegirl... How on earth have you managed to download Bon Voyage on your phone??? Can you download from VLive???

Bon Voyage One is soooo cute... but BV4 in New Zealand is just sooo lovely and In The Soop is the most relaxing wholesome thing ever... all they do is play ping pong / paint / and eat! sooo much cooking and eating! It's a joy to watch!

Thegirl... How on earth have you managed to download Bon Voyage on your phone??? Can you download from VLive??
Actually I haven't downloaded it! I've just paid to view it on Vlive. I don't know what I'm doing with Vlive yet, it's the first time I've been on it! It's a kpop wonderland 😂😂😂

I've had to pause Lost Romance as I was sputtering with laughter so much at the PPL I nearly spilt my wine.

In the midst of a rather steamy scene the camera pulls focus to reveal.....Snuggle reed diffusers obvs the secret to seduction

Ep 12 around 57:20 if anyone's interested

So far in BV 1 they have lost various possessions in Norway 😂 They look like such babies 😍

Ep 12 around 57:20 if anyone's interested

I like that we’re not beating around the bush any more and have started timestamping notable scenes. 😆

Haha actually you can download to your phone from VLive! 👍👍👍

I like that we’re not beating around the bush any more and have started timestamping notable scenes

We're all busy people boaty

......and the morning after the first thing you see is said Snuggle Reed Diffusers At least the ML & FL wake up nekkid they didn't go to bed wearing all their clothes & knitwear like in some kdramas

I'm going to say it, I'm not loving Record of Youth.

Maybe it's because I've just gone off Park Bo-Gum, but it's quite boring. 9 episodes in and no "drama".

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I'm going to say it, I'm not loving Record of Youth.

Maybe it's because I've just gone off Park Bo-Gum, but it's quite boring. 9 episodes in and no "drama".

Thank you FedUp. I am so not into Park Bo Gum I didn’t want to watch this, but was tussling with FOMO. My resolve is strengthened.

thegirl!... 😱😱😱 You're right you can download! I'm sure that's a new thing! I've never noticed that before! BV1!... 😂😂😂They're completely clueless! They make me laugh so much! How can RM be soooo clever... Thoughtful... Insightful and wise and yet lose everything at the drop of a hat!.. Vlive!... Run episodes are genius! 😂😂😂

@boatyardblues It's a shame because I love Park So-Dam, but she has been given a bum deal in RoY.

I started watching Put Your Head on my Shoulder and finding it very sweet and charming so far. I may start watching Love Romance to counterbalance, feel the need for some slightly more grown up scenes . I've never watched T-drama either so it will be interesting to compare with Kdrama.

I've feared for the FL in RoY from the beginning, I don't think that this drama will have a romantic happy ending, I'm not sure ML deserves the girl, I find the character very self absorbed. I'm wondering if it will be the first Kdrama where the 2ML gets the girl?

I'm wondering if it will be the first Kdrama where the 2ML gets the girl?

fifi it is suggesting that, or at least that FL may waver. However ML has already kissed FL and by the laws of kdrama that usually means they end up together (the only exception I can think of is incarnate Jealousy where FL kissed both leads )

If you've never watched Taiwanese drama be prepared for some steamier moments, hilarious product placements, the fact that characters wear the same clothes MORE THAN ONCE and actually look like they may have been bought in Primark.

Some of my favourites:

Before We Get Married - Suits! Dimples! Questionable Morals!

Lost Romance - Last episode airs today so totally bingeable and already on my list of faves as it has so many funny moments where the FL plays with tropes, right down to the moment where she comments that she wishes there were timed comments when ML does a wrist grab

Hello Again - Suits! Dimples! very endearing drama with dodgy production values, need to watch after the final episode credits to get the missing romance scene

There are lots of BL dramas too, though the couple I have seen had very annoying/disappointing endings. Not bee friendly.

That all sounds like fun bettys, I'm in. Although I'm not sure about wearing clothes twice - I mean I do have some standards .
This was actually the first thing I noticed about C-drama, I couldn't quite believe that they wore the same clothes - very spoiled with Kdrama

Currently on ep 19 of Find Yourself and it's very good! Thanks Boatyard for giving me the thumbs up I was about to switch it off otherwise. I don't think I want her to choose either of the two as both are as bad as each other really.
Finally got round to updating the spreadsheet with my scores after an age. I couldn't see Friends My Dear and wasn't sure if I could add so opted not to. If someone would kindly do so I will give it a solid 8.

Oh bastard buggery bollocks there are 20 episodes of Lost Romance not 18!!! 😭😭😫😫

I’ll have to wait 2 more weeks ☺️😡

Just added Lost Romance to my Viki watchlist.

Oh, that's a bugger bettys I feel your frustration. I will hang off until it's all dropped so I can binge.

Just looked at the spreadsheet for Japanese drama, and will give I Don't Love you Yet and You're My Pet a go, hopefully, good ones to start with.

Is anyone still watching Dating in the Kitchen?

I'm still watching Dating in the Kitchen, just waiting for Olga to sub the last few episodes. Feel it's gone off the boil a bit though (ha! ha!)

That's how I feel bettys. I felt adding in a brother at a late stage was very odd and the supporting cast are annoying me - I'm easily displeased

I went down an anime hole for a while but binging Legal High during night shift as Tokyo Ghoul might be considered a tad gory lol I'm craving silliness so it's hitting the spot. PYHOMS is very chaste but I loved the very last bit where you see how the romance has progressed.

Taiwanese dramanis where it's at for lots of cultural mystic references and hilarious product placements. I think I could go into any pharmacy there and purchase cold meds 🤔😂😂

I haven’t seen a massage chair for a while. I’m starting to think you could probably date a series accurately from the PP.