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…

What’s the method for homemade makkeoli, polkettle? All those ingredients are available in our house right now. I need to know how to use them without poisoning us.

@boatyardblues That's what I am going to discover in a Zoom class on Monday. I shall report back!

@polkettle no no best not to, wouldn't want them to rip a nice cardi..
It's odd considering everyone seems to go to bed fully dressed, occasionally including coats

😂 It's a complicated business when you need less clothes and when you need more clothes in KDrama. Still not got over KSH's ability to shower in a towel. Although tbf he was an alien I suppose.

I've not seen this series! How do you shower in a towel! 😂😂

Superpowers @Rowdythree 🤷‍♀️

Hi all! I just got sucked into an Indian series on Netflix (Mismatched) and I am enjoying it, so my kdrama consumption this weekend will likely be hindered. The gap in Nine Tailed is a problem and I’m not loving many shows at the moment. I need another Melo or Cloy to suck me in.

I just started Nine tailed, watched episode 1 so far. It's not my usual genre but I'm intrigued enough to keep watching for now.

I didn't manage to persuade DH to watch CLOY last night, I'm going to keep mentioning it though, as I don't want to watch it on my phone!

Rowdy... Love From Another Star is fab! I've just ReWatched it... It truly is lovely and had me hooting with laughter and sobbing at the same time! Deffo worth a watch!
Meanwhile I'm rewatching CLOY and it really is one of the superior dramas for everything... Characters.. Plot... Super balance of drama romance comedy! 😍😍😍😍

And... Speaking of cozy warm comforting watches

I’m back. The Indian series was only 6 x 35min episodes. Good fun and Jaipur has some lovely historic buildings and scenery, with added elephants on the streets. I’m surprisingly alert this evening so I’m going to get back to twisty-turny The Good Detective.

Finished oh my Venus which was very light and fluffy and generally cheerful - loved the best friend and the friendship between the FL and the two you get guys. - bit of sunshine in a long gray week!
Day home alone tomorrow so planning to catch up on tales of nine tailed and maybe start descendants of the sun? Other than a long run and a tiny bit of housework it'll be a relaxing on the sofa day!

@boatyardblues

I’m back. The Indian series was only 6 x 35min episodes. Good fun and Jaipur has some lovely historic buildings and scenery, with added elephants on the streets. I’m surprisingly alert this evening so I’m going to get back to twisty-turny The Good Detective.

Oh cool thanks. I'm a big Bollywood/Indian film fan.

I've just finished School 2017 which I really enjoyed in spite of it being a high-school drama, a genre which I wouldn't normally go for. Kim Jung Hyun (2ML from CLOY) really sold it with a charming performance, so now I'm very much looking forward to Mr Queen coming soon to Viki (with the usually excellent Shin Hye-Sun too) and may even give Eulachacha Waikiki another go

I discovered My Princess with a young Him Off Black (Song Seung Hoon in 2011) this morning. It is perfect trash. 👍

I've become strangely drawn to Birthcare Centre it's very ' Stepford Wife' territory. The guilt poured into new mums by the breast feeding nurses leaves me cold but it has a lot of humour too. Not sure how the subject matter can spread over 16 episodes but await the sub plots to kick in.

Full marks to My Princess for beautiful Song Seung Ho in the shower (ep 4 just before the 23 minute mark, Betty). 👌 for those ripped abs.

I still prefer him in Black - better tailoring.

@AesopsMables I've enjoyed Birthcare Centre Watching it in snippets on phone. The baby feeding care presented is all kinds of nail chewing wrong but the dilemmas of new parenthood are deftly and astutely handled and very funny and subversive in parts. Has a nice warmth to it. I think it's just going to be 8 episodes.

I appreciate the timestamp boaty we are all busy people

Black was the first thing I saw Song Seung Heon in - I think it was the second or third drama I ever watched - and it is still how I visualise him I'm not sure any other look can match up to his all-black tailoring !

I tried to watch Welcome to Waikiki about 18 months ago and could not get into it, but am now on episode 2 and sniggering away. It helps that I am more familiar with kdrama tropes and positively look forward to them - apart from the desperately-need-a-poo ones, that is.

Plus it's another great performance from Kim Jung Hyun and also has the FL from Terrius Behind Me and the cutest baby ever.

bettys I have tried Waikki twice but just couldn't get into it,. It was over a year ago so I don't quite remember why! I do remember it had a 3 Men and a Baby vibe for me. I will wait to see how you get on and if ok I will put it on my revisit list.
I've started watching the Chinese crime drama Love Me if You Dare last night, It looks promising. It will definetley have some dark themes if the first crime is anything to go by! I'm only on episode 4 but so far I like the main leads. ML is a genius criminal psycologist and FL becomes his assistant. There does seem to be a frission between them so I will wait and see how it all unfolds. I'm also liking the fact that the ML is older than the 20 year olds in some dramas, and that FL so far is intelligent and sensible, and younger than him. No one has annoyed me so far

fifi Yes it's a funny thing about Waikiki, maybe I'm just more in the mood for silly stuff atm, or I can 'see' it better I dunno, but I'm still enjoying it on ep 5, largely because of KJH and the cute baby.

I also enjoyed Love Me if You Dare though I think I skipped some dark scenes, and I couldn't make my mind up about the ending. The ML is v good - Wallace Huo is 40

Oh no is it an unsatisfactory ending? Not want to commit it is.

It's a little odd...you can make your own mind up about how his past has affected him, is all I'll say

Mmm, not sure now, so easily persuaded . I had looked on MDL and the comments on there were mainly positive which is why I went for it. I had also checked the spreadsheet and don't know how I missed it on there, especially when it has a low score. I should've plumped for When a Snail Falls in Love^ instead, they seem very similar.