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…

gAH!!!! DDSSLLS!!!!!!

I have never wanted to slap a woman in the face SO MUCH!!!!!

Ha ha bettys I've just started ep 1 of DDSSLLS. I will have to wait a while to get to the slappable woman.

@bettys

gAH!!!! DDSSLLS!!!!!!

I have never wanted to slap a woman in the face SO MUCH!!!!!

Strange episode!! Worst one. Better sort itself out!

polkettle Shirts cannot exist in hell. Well known fact.

Spike and Angel fell foul of this all the time.

FedUp Strange episode!! Worst one. Better sort itself out!

Quite! It's just a totally unnecessary curveball when all you want is soft & fluffy. I guess we may get a '3 years later' scenario now. Poor Jun looked so grim.

As an aside, I love Mimi's little speech bubbles!

Spike and Angel fell foul of this all the time.

Spike!! 😍

@bettys

FedUp Strange episode!! Worst one. Better sort itself out!

Quite! It's just a totally unnecessary curveball when all you want is soft & fluffy. I guess we may get a '3 years later' scenario now. Poor Jun looked so grim.

As an aside, I love Mimi's little speech bubbles!

At this point, I want her to end up with Dr Cha aka 2020's Busiest Actor.

Judging by the epilogue & next week's preview There Is More To This Than Meets The Eye of course there is.

Still want to slap that bitch's face though.

I feel I must do important research on the issue of being shirtless in Hell! 🤔😂

I am so in love with Melo! It's such a refreshing change to not dislike any of the characters! Even Lee So Min's character has developed into someone likable and human!

It does make me wonder about the lives of these Idols, it all seems so precarious, like it can all be lost in the blink of an eye. It sounds like a very stressful existence!

@polkettle yes it was an absolute shame.
Terrible just terrible

@bettys

Judging by the epilogue & next week's preview There Is More To This Than Meets The Eye of course there is.

Still want to slap that bitch's face though.

Oh for sure it's a protection thing, but Christ is it so difficult to send her a note?

Well it’s put me in a bitofagrumpymood FedUp so I have had to distract myself with School 2017 and wine

@jojomolo @Hydrogensonata 😁 All I can say is next time they should all pack a cardi poor poppets...

Nooo, I've been saving the last two episodes of DDSSLLS to watch tonight. Now, I'm afraid, very afraid.
bettys you were right about the dimples and suit - only because of those did I manage to finish Hello Again^, .

fifi 😉😂👍

Did we miss this write up?
I'm sooo enjoying my ReWatch of CLOY... It's deliciously comforting! 😍💜

The album BE is just lovely as well! 👍👌💜

Bea I'm hoping to persuade DH to watch CLOY tonight, fingers crossed! 🤞 DD and I listened to the new BTS album on the way to college this morning. My favourites after one listen are Blue and Grey and Stay

polkettle have you had your maekgolli recipe through? Are you going to make it?

I've finished Melo, I think I will miss the characters. It was such a clever show, very well written. It's the first thing I've properly laughed at in ages!

Are you still awake Bea?

I looove that MV 😍😍😍

I have just had to Google what they are talking about in the Skit track, as despite having a 215 day Duolingo streak I could only understand about 3% of that they said 😂.
My current favourites are Grey and Blue and Fly to my room

Rowdy - hope you get to watch it - let us know what you think (and whether you think Captain Ri is the dishiest man on earth)

thegirl... Of course still up!!... Been up since 4am! 💪👍💜... I've been streaming and fangirling all day!
Yes! The mv is just sooo cozy and warm! When V glances at the Goechuk Stadium! 😔😭😭😭😭
Fave tracks?... Keeps changing all the time! But at the moment!.. Life Goes On & Telepathy & Dis-ease... But Stay is lovely! Argh! All of it! 😂😂😭💜

@Rowdythree Yes. Going to get hold of the ingredients before Monday if I can. Excited! This is the make your own makgeolli shopping list if anyone interested.

I like that it asks for a small amount of jin

😂 Jin always helps

Oh dear oh dear! You've properly lost it now!!

I love that MV 🥰🥰💜💜