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…

... Yes! Mine soon! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
bettys... thegirl... leeloo1... ARMY! Ahhh! Join me in the madness! It is a cornucopia of such joy and goodness!

😂😂😂😂

I’m enjoying CJH’s chaebol flight of fancy in ep 6 of Zombie.

Record of Youth... This sums it up beautifully! Esp point 2!
Im still sticking with it but it is getting tiresome... As is Brahms... What the flippity doo dah is going on? Snores ville and tooooo slow!
But going back to ROY... Yes the time jumping about! 😡😡😡😡
I'm better off re watching BTS Bon Voyage!!
Also not sure I'm going to go back to school nurse files as it just sounds disappointing though Nam JHyuk new one coming to Netflix soon... That looks promising! Though so did ROY... Brahms and Nurse! It's letdown season!!... I'm still watching Find Yourself though.. 👍

Yes totally agree with the comments above Re ROY. The first time switch thing, I just thought my Internet glitched, but now its annoying.

Much prefer Zombie in a v well fitted suit 😁

I've just realised it's the thing that happens in dramas where the "geeky" lead gets more and more handsome/beautiful throughout the show, via the medium of better clothes, hair and makeup 😂. Just a zombie getting hotter and hotter.

I've just watched an episode of Bon Voyage where they played a kind of Blind Man's Buff in a bedroom and it was so so funny. It's so random but hilarious

I had a break & I’m back to ep 6 of Zombie post-chores. I think CJH looks great in the orangey-pink cardigan and his eye make-up with it is great. Please continue to dress him up and prettify him for our viewing pleasure, Zombie team. 🙏

I'm quite enjoying Do Do Sol Sol and thought it felt similar to Shopping King Louis which I also liked and lo! it is by the same writer, so bodes well for easy-going rom-com fluff. Go Ara's quirkiness is well suited for the role, and as well as the excellent Lee Jae Wook there is the rather attractive publisher from It's Ok

Which episode of Bon Voyage is that TheGirl ?

It's ep 2 of BV 2. It's quite early on in the episode.

thegirl... That sounds like Bangtan Bomb... 🤣😂🤣😂

This one? 🤣😂🤣😂

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

It's ep 2 of BV 2. It's quite early on in the episode.

Aha! 🤣😂🤣... Those silly boys!!

Oh I remember... All in one room and they kept crashing into the camera crew! 😂😂😂... Or hiding behind the curtain! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jin tried to climb the door 🤣.

The chaos! I love it! 🤣🤣🤣

I love that Jimin is doing contemporary dance moves unconsciously in that clip!😂

I’ve just started Tale of the Nine Tailed and find LDW waaaay more attractive as a saturnine gumiho than a lawyer (Touch your Heart) . This coupled with CJH looking mighty fine as a zombie is worrisome

I started Do Do etc earlier but had to ditch for bed at the end of Go Ara’s last tinkle on the family piano. I thought she looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding dress in her flowery bower. It’s wuite possibly the loveliest kdrama bride room set up/bride combo I’ve ever seen. I’m sensing a more restrained & artful performance in this similar to Black, rather than one of her shouty performances. When she’s good, she is excellent. Fingers crossed. 🤞

PS You’ll let me know when the BTS fever has abated?

I’ve just started Tale of the Nine Tailed and find LDW waaaay more attractive as a saturnine gumiho than a lawyer (Touch your Heart) . This coupled with CJH looking mighty fine as a zombie is worrisome

Betty - you just like your leading men freakishly good looking.

I’ll get me coat...

Betty - you just like your leading men freakishly good looking

Haha! Back in the day I was a huuuge fan of Spike (vampire from Buffy) It’s a deadly combination of bad-but-with-secret-heart-of-gold, guyliner and awesome couture (although Spike mainly relied on a full-length swishy leather coat)

Mmmm totally agree with bettys Re Spike. I was a big fan 😍. My cousin met James Marsters once, the jammy cow. She confirmed he is well fit 😂

really TheGirl ??? So not fair. He was far and away fitter than David Boreanaz. And more talented (v good British accent). And he was in a band.

Awww! I'm loving 2ml Luming in Find Yourself... He's ever sooo funny... In a kdrama way! (yes! I know this is c drama!)... By all rights she should end up with him! 😂

Will the BTS concert this weekend be the same on both days or new content to each? DD will be watching so I will just keep her company... 😆 She keeps pointing out that I'm well and truly an army now!

Do Do Sol Sol is looking good from first episode.

@Bea

Awww! I'm loving 2ml Luming in Find Yourself... He's ever sooo funny... In a kdrama way! (yes! I know this is c drama!)... By all rights she should end up with him! 😂

🤔 Tell me Bea, how far in are you exactly?

Go Ara’s tiny dog in Do Do looks fake, like plush toy but it’s alive! It’s freaking me out.