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…

Thanks, it sounds like it's worth it! Good idea to ask for it for Christmas!

Right. Episode 12 of DDSSLLS. WTF?

I think it’s something to do with Seung-Gi’s business plan

No one got my Elaine reference 😂

@bettys

Right. Episode 12 of DDSSLLS. WTF?

I think it’s something to do with Seung-Gi’s business plan

No one got my Elaine reference 😂

Oh I hope so, otherwise... WTF? 😂

I hope in the last 4 episodes something is going to happen about her Dad's secretary!

@bettys

Right. Episode 12 of DDSSLLS. WTF?

I think it’s something to do with Seung-Gi’s business plan

No one got my Elaine reference 😂

Also: Elaine reference very good 😁

@bettys

Right. Episode 12 of DDSSLLS. WTF?

I think it’s something to do with Seung-Gi’s business plan

No one got my Elaine reference 😂

Yes, promotional activities I think.

I hope in the last 4 episodes something is going to happen about her Dad's secretary!

I’m convinced there’s a thumb drive in the lucky charm that her Dad gave her for her car with the dirty dossier on the secretary. Or the codes for all his secret Swiss bank accounts.

Damn biscuit. A wink! A wink is what I wanted.

I’ve been exploring another web drama on Viki, Kiss Goblin. I’ve already finished it. In a single evening! It was charming, well acted and everyone was beautiful. I’ll be giving it a solid 8.5 or 9 on the spreadsheet. After the life-sucking Chinese 50-parters, this was an absolute joy and a blast. I am amazed how much the writers can squeeze into 15 min episodes and how quickly the characters build. It’s an interesting format. 👍

You probably know this already, but feeling post lovely drama blues yesterday after finishing Hospital Playlist it was such a tonic to find the livestream concert of all the actors playing and chatting together. Really proper warmth and camraderie between them which gave me all the fuzzies. And amazing that they learned to play for the drama - could be a good new "Strictly" style show format!

boaty I really like Kiss Goblin too, I'm always amazed how well acted and thought out some of these web dramas are.
I've had a binge of some J-dramas, they do make me laugh with their madness, although, I found *Overprtected Kahoko^ was sweet and funny.

I had a renewal reminder from Viki telling me to keep calm and binge, this is obviously the permission I need to not move from the t.v today .

I'm envious of those who are able to stock up on Korean foods. I've still not tried Soju or Magallok. What do they taste like?

Makkeoili is fermented rice hooch. It is very pleasant (plain variety). It’s about strong beer strength, slightly fizzy and very fresh tasting. The rice sediment gives it substance and an interesting (nice) texture. DH describes it as fizzy alcoholic Horlicks, which goes some way to describing it but it is light, refreshing and not milky. We both love it.

Plain soju is very quaffable, like watered down vodka. It’s about 20% ABV. The flavoured ones are good too, especially plum. The flavoured ones are c16-17% ABV. It’s good with a meal because it doesn’t fill you up.

boaty thanks for the recommendation I am really enjoying Kiss Goblin - I do love a webdrama for a good binge!

I find Soju tastes nicer the more you drink! Having with a meal is preferable to playing drinking games though. So Meg is very nice too!

I'm really enjoying Melo! Thanks so much for the recommendation, it's really lifting my spirits.

I’m assuming So Meg is somaek.

Ooh! Goblin's Kiss slipping down a treat on a go-back-to-bed-with-phone-and-headphones rainy Sunday. Thanks @boatyardbluesfor the tip off. What other short ones are good?

The ML from Kiss Goblin is also ML in XX, one of my favourite web dramas. Also the 2ML exorcist was in Where Your Eyes Linger

One Fine Week and Best Mistake are also good

@boatyardblues

I’m assuming So Meg is somaek.

Yes 😁 소맥

I may ask for some soju and makgeolli for Christmas.

Starting a watch list for the Christmas holidays as I have nearly 2 weeks off .

So far...
Untamed
My Father is Strange
Re watch Melo
Re try Dr Romantic 2

Any other suggestions welcome.

fifi I was just looking at the spreadsheet to see what you've watched and there are some glaring omissions - Hwayugi !!!!! - Black !!!!! - so I don't know if your column is up to date or not. I don't want to suggest things you've already seen.....

bettys you are correct there are some glaring omissions - don't throw me out of the club I've also watched a few shows not on the list, so I will need to get around to adding them - maybe Christmas .
I was put off Hwangui by reviews I read ages ago about the ending and it being overlong. Was never sure about Black due to the darkness of it, but will put it on my list. Starting Flower of Evil next weekend as I have time and feel I can start watching more suspenseful and angsty shows, obviously I will have to temper this with some fluff . Saying that I just started The Romance of the Tiger and the Rose, trying to build myself up for the more mystical C- dramas, and want something light and fluffy for the cold, dreich day.

Oh I really enjoyed The Romance of the Tiger and the Rose !

I can also suggest in the mystic/sageuk vein:
Tientsin Mystic
Queen for 7 Days (maybe a bit angsty but v v pretty)
Hwarang (best sageuk shower scene ever)
Empress Ki - overlong will need judicious skipping but Grrrr JCW in fine fine pre ghastly MMS form

and for the so bad it's good modern day Taiwan fluff ('cos I can't be the only one that enjoys it)
Before We Get Married - Suits! Dimples! Questionable Morals!
Hello Again - Suits! Dimples! Sweet Derpy ML!
Triad Princess - Jasper Liu and his dimples

I think the target audience for Triad Princess is 12 year old girls. If it wasn’t for Jasper it would be unwatchable.

bettys I've giggled through the last two episodes, hopefully, it stays like this and has a satisfactory ending.
Thanks for the other recommendations, I will definitely give Before We Get Married over Christmas. I started Hello Again but FL annoyed me, she had a bit of a Hwang Jung Eum vibe to her but might give it another go for the sake of ML dimples and sweetness

fifi agree about FL in Hello Again she seemed a bit blobby somehow. You have to watch the epilogue after the end titles on last episode as it is the scene that is missing towards the end and you think 'eh what? did they spend the night together and they didn't show it?' 'Tis very sweet