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…

I think I’m in a minority of one in having enjoyed the ubiquitous LYS’ absence from our screens. He doesn’t float my boat at all, though I’ll admit he’s a good actor. I strongly suspect he’d be insufferable in real life and, if you invite him to our fantasy pub night, you’re to keep him down the other end of the table.

I wouldn’t normally buy tinned kimchi but saw this in Sainsbos on offer - Ajumma Republic 💪

Had anyone seen any vegetarian Kimchi on their travels? Oriental mart were out of stock

Boatyard, I'm in agreement with you, LJS is not my cup of tea at all! I just don't think he makes a convincing ML lead, I'm up the other end of the table with you

@bettys

I wouldn’t normally buy tinned kimchi but saw this in Sainsbos on offer - Ajumma Republic 💪

That’s Brexit stash kimchi right there! Our local Sainsburys doesn’t stock it. 😞

Hello! I've been busy, busy, busy at work 🙄and havnt checked this thread for a few days. All your updates have made me 😂😁🤣.
I missed the Makgeolli workshop 😔 so I'll just have to order some off the Internet.

It doesn't seem 5 minutes ago that LJS was off to the military 🤞 for a good return!
I'm more than happy to have him at my end of the table in the pub boaty

I'm going to watch that BTS on James Corden video now 😍. I have been sneakily listening to BE on my headphones at work though. We aren't supposed to 👀 what's that colleagues? Of course I was listening to you 😂

Rowdy - who are your top 3 oppas? I need to know if there will be a fight down our end.

I’m in the throes of some highly questionable bingeing, the kind where DH gives me side eye and shakes his head in pity, Every time I think about ditching, the camera lingers on Song Seung Hoon and I am drawn back in.

Well you can have So Ji Sub at your end of the table boaty I'm at the other end with Toasty LYS

Hubba hubba. Sub is like Him Off Black: proper solid chaps, not wispy 17 year old boys. I’m OK with that arrangement. 👍

I do like Him Off Black though.....he needs to be in the middle

..........and wearing all black

Just thinking 🤔 maybe LJS will be all sturdy and muscly now he's been in the army???

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Just thinking 🤔 maybe LJS will be all sturdy and muscly now he's been in the army???

Nah, he will have done a stint in their PR department or their dramatic arts regiment.

Oooh, talking of K-Crush!
Definitely Boaty and I in rush for So Ji-Sub - he is my first, first K Crush so therefore the most significant💕
Then. Along came .. Lee Sun-Kyun ❤️ The smile and that voice alone.

DH thinks SJS always looks like he is smelling something bad and LSK is standoffish. Clearly I like the challenge 😉

I always start by thinking LYS is too pretty boy perfect and I don't think he's sexy. But then I did really love RIABB and enjoyed Pinocchio and WYWS too so I seem to be able to get over that and smile goofily at him on the telly once invested. I don't need to be next to him at the table we could just exchange pleasantries over pre dinner drinks perhaps. But can I have Jo Jong-Suk next to me? And Hyun Bin on the other side?

I wasn’t far off - from LJS’ wikipedia entry.

polkettle so sorry I have monopolised Hyun Bin at the bar under the pretence of getting a round in 😆

@boatyardblues

Rowdy - who are your top 3 oppas? I need to know if there will be a fight down our end.

Well, it does change depending on what I'm watching but at the moment I will say

Ji Chang Wook
Park Seo joon
Seong Ji (I've only seen him in Doctor John though)

Do we need to fight?

No, you are completely safe with those picks Rowdy. Completely safe.

Just on looks it has to be Song Seung-Heon, Kim Jae Wook and So Ji Sub for me, but I’m not sure that any of them would be able to make me laugh, plus those looks usually come with a certain arrogance. It’s a dilemma, to be sure.

Jolly good, civil conversation with no fights then! 😂

I reckon HH KJW would be very chilled to be around, but would be disappearing off out side for a smoke (his IG shows that he smokes) and SSH looks like a giggly fun guy, probably has a joke or two up his sleeve

@bettys Go ahead and drink with Binnie. I'll keep topping up your soju, stay sober and be the designated piggy back to see him safely home 😉

Oh! You evil wench polkettle!!!

Ha! Are you a powerlifter, Pol? Hyun looks heavy. Roll him home maybe, but piggy back?