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…

It is good, it's just the last 5 minutes are a little obscure in their intent. I'd watch that and then make your mind up as to whether you go for the whole thing (I am such a bad influence)

You are . I will keep going, I find it difficult to drop shows so will keep going and not watch the last 5 minutes

So I have now researched the shirtless shackled in Hell scene... I heartily approve, the punishment definitely suited the crime

@Rowdythree

So I have now researched the shirtless shackled in Hell scene... I heartily approve, the punishment definitely suited the crime

My favourite bit of Nine Tailed so far, by a long, long chalk.

Just finished my makgeolli tutorial. Really sweet guy running it with a translator. Runs a Korean tapas bar near Angel in London called Ogam which looks great. Making it not complicated as such but takes time and needs a good sized mason jar and a lot of rice! Lots of talk about treating it like your baby wrapping in duvet etc. Apparently tastes very different from stuff you buy in shops as that's pasteurised and lots of additives, and he was also very sniffy about shop Soju being made artificially from tapioca in a factory and nothing like 'proper' stuff. You can add flavours by steaming fruit at same time as rice. I might give it a go but don't have quite the right things despite steaming some rice earlier.

I really enjoyed that @polkettle! I don't feel like getting the process started at the moment but I will definitely be having a go later in the week. I really liked the history element too!

I'd love to visit the Ogam tapas bar! I'm miles away from London though unfortunately, maybe one day

Do post a pic of your baby wrapped in a duvet once begun @Rowdythree and make sure you get your yeast children to play nicely 😂 The bartender reminded me of Kim Daemyung from Misaeng and Hospital Playlist. Lovely to listen to some Korean without subtitles and realise I could translate at LEAST five words over the course of two hours.

Yes I will Polkettle! I was the same, recognised the odd word here and there, but thank heavens for the translator! 😂 Sometimes I feel like I'm coming on quite well with my Korean, but this made me realise I know nothing!

The princess in My Princess is currently listing all the “embarrassing forums” she needs to leave before her inauguration and it becomes a matter of official record. 😆 “Noonas of Darkness” sounds right up my street, although ajummas might be more truthful.

My K drama habit came in use tonight when there was a Korean round on university challenge 🙌😃

How hard were the questions, Rowdy?

They were; where was the Joseon Dynasty, name of the Korean alphabet and which two Chinese dynasties spanned the Joseon Dynasty

Ooh, I can’t remember the two Chinese dynasties. Qing? Um...

Go me!

I didn't know the answer to that one, the other one is Ming

I rather like the idea of 'Ajummas of Darkness'

@bettys

I rather like the idea of 'Ajummas of Darkness'

We’re on the final furlong heading towards the next thread, so perhaps that should be our strapline for the next title. It’s time to start reviewing The List.

The princess is now in a bar with her arch nemesis, downing shots of soju in an aggressive, face-off manner. There is a mound of wonderful ebi tempura on the plate in front of them (drinking snacks) and it killing me that they aren’t eating them. So jealous!

Ajummas of Darkness is either a Korean metal band or a menopausal support group and quite possibly both together. Love it.
I am going to humbly petition that you add Misaeng to the 'slice of life' category because it's SO full of all feels even though snogless (although not ab-less thank goodness) . However v humble petition because I have a lot of catching up to do my Sunbaes.

This is my excitement for this morning Lee Jong Suk's return.

www.soompi.com/article/1439755wpp/lee-jong-suk-in-talks-to-make-special-appearance-in-the-witch-sequel-following-military-discharge

@bettys

I rather like the idea of 'Ajummas of Darkness'

I love this! It's definitely a metal band!

My Korean goodies arrived from oriental mart today! I'm excited to get home from work to try some! I also have 3 bottles of soju, 1 of cheonju and 1 of maekgolli!!

Toasty LJS out already!!!! Wowser! that went blessingly fast!

I am now encouraged for when Bangtan go off (i hope they all go off together... i wonder if that's allowed...?) purely for selfish reasons. as if they go off in dribs and drabs it will be an eternity before they all get back together again! ... also if they all go off together... I'll get a nice year and half break from vigilant fangirling! (they were on corden show this at 5am this morning!)....

Very much looking forward to the return of Toasty and hope he doesn't go the Grr JCW comeback route of turkeysville and follow Kim Soo Hyung down the blessed sublime drama path!

Can't wait for the next episode of Nine tailed- I think the brother is my favourite character so far
Watching "her private life" whilst I wait- quite similar to secretary Kim but I like her efficient hard working character and it's a nice easy watch so far. She was pretty just irrtated me- the boss is just a twat to her, maybe I need to come back to it later

Ajummas of Darkness is either a Korean metal band or a menopausal support group and quite possibly both together.

Both!!!🤣🤣 how fabulous would that be!

Also excited for return of Toasty LYS I really hope Soompi The Font Of All Knowledge is right and he’s in The Witch as the first one was v good if very violent.

Bea that MV is 💜💜💜 I want all those cosy jumpers & mittens for Christmas

Hydrogen I watched She Was Pretty purely for the visuals (PSJ & Siwon) as Ms Shouty FL is so annoying - plus I was annoyed at the attitudes to frizzy haired red cheeked women

@Bea

Toasty LJS out already!!!! Wowser! that went blessingly fast!

I am now encouraged for when Bangtan go off (i hope they all go off together... i wonder if that's allowed...?) purely for selfish reasons. as if they go off in dribs and drabs it will be an eternity before they all get back together again! ... also if they all go off together... I'll get a nice year and half break from vigilant fangirling! (they were on corden show this at 5am this morning!)....

Very much looking forward to the return of Toasty and hope he doesn't go the Grr JCW comeback route of turkeysville and follow Kim Soo Hyung down the blessed sublime drama path!

Ohh I loved that performance! Listed to BE for the first time out on a walk yesterday and that song is definitely a highlight of the album!