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…

Had a few hours to myself today and started My Mister. Very different from the light and frothy shows I've been bingeing on of late. 2 episodes in and recognised ML from Coffee Prince. The actress who plays his wife is very beautiful

Aesops My Mister is one of my all-time favourites, I think I scored it a 10. So good.

Hello polkettle 👋👋 awesome masks! Red Bubble? The website of addicts

Have been a bit restless since the BTS live stream but now feeling virtuous having walked the dog and attacked an unruly rambling rose so about to light a fire & settle down to some drama.

Redbubble definitely dangerous @bettys! Quite satisfying to be getting things for ME rather than teens though

If only they did a life size Hyun Bin cushion.. .😏

redbubble very dangerous... stay away if you intend to do any fangirling!!!!

4 x BTS Concerts over the weekend!!! 💪 Total approx 10 Hours sleep!!!!! Huzzah!!!! 💪💪💪💪💜💜😂😎 Sooo worth it!!!

You are mighty Bea !💪💪 I only managed two but they were excellent!💜💜💜

Awwweeee the final episode of Missing: The Other Side definitely brought a tear to the eye but was very cathartic, and managed to hit the right note. A good solid show from OCN and so far their highest rated this year (according to Soompi, the font of all knowledge)

Bettys! You do plow through them quickly! I'm such a slow coach at the moment! Only half way through find yourself..!...

I'm only up to ep 14 of Find Yourself (got distracted by BTS Bon Voyage) I thought it was nearly done but I've just realised its got 41 episodes!! I feel a bit annoyed for some reason.

Having finished Missing I caught up with Record of Youth - I agree with all the points made in the link Bea posted upthread. It’s just meanies having a go at ML and no fun...and FL is only there as a prop .... no real substance to it

I don’t mind there not being substance when there isn’t supposed to be any, if it’s obvs fluff eg My Unicorn Girl, but RoY is just a little dreary

I got sucked into S3 of The Crown. I’ll be back in a couple of days.

I normally like Olivia Coleman, but she just seemed petulant as the Queen. Episode in Wales was good. Also Princess Anne bits

All your Christmas gifts in one place

www.soompi.com/article/1431298wpp/bts-announces-details-for-brand-new-pop-'sup-store

Yep BTS socks for everyone 🤣🤣💜💜

[quote fifilacklustre]All your Christmas gifts in one place

www.soompi.com/article/1431298wpp/bts-announces-details-for-brand-new-pop-'sup-store[/quote]
It's just relentless... they just keep adding new merch and you get caught up in this silly cycle of ....

Weverse shop is OPEN!!!!... OOOo! That's so nice... I should buy it before it gets sold out ... click... goto checkout... it's sold out....!

so next time it happens you go click click click... get it... pay... crazy p+p... stung by customs... but it is lovely!!!! ... sigh happy.. ... aaaaand rest.... but then....

NEW Merch!...

everything they do ... ALbum / single / tour / TV show / Bt21 / Pop Up! / Re-release of ultra rare stuff...

I do realise it is just stuff at the end of the day and first world probs and all that..... but when you're Ms Latte fangirl....

... and they say BTS ARMY are just a bunch of young teenage girls (what teenage girl has all this money to buy this merch and then sellout Hyundai Cars / Samsung Phone / Massage Chairs?!!!!)

as Thom Yorke sort of says... I do it to myself I do! And that's why it really hurts!!!!

@boatyardblues

I got sucked into S3 of The Crown. I’ll be back in a couple of days.

Boaty!!!!! are you watching something...... without subtitles???????? The horror! The horror!!!!

I love your inner BTS monologues Bea.

I know!!! English language telly! I’ll have at least one shared cultural reference point to sustain conversation with colleagues and friends in the coming months. 🤣

Boaty... My BTS Inner Monologues... you have nooo idea what goes on in my head when it comes to Bangtan.... Ewww! Hope that doesn't sound icky!!! ... In the modern day parlance of the BTS Twitter Stan... I declare myself a Soft Stan!

You might be able to join in convo with regular folk?????

I really have to stop watching Record of Youth it’s just making me anxious.

I hope there’s some worthwhile shots in Zombie Detective to cheer me up

.. I declare myself a Soft Stan!
🤣😂🤣

@bettys

I really have to stop watching Record of Youth it’s just making me anxious.

I hope there’s some worthwhile shots in Zombie Detective to cheer me up

Oh god! I might have to wait until the end and ask if it's a 🐝 ending!

Having watched the English series Life last week Alison Steadman's character 'Gail' would have benefited greatly from some K Drama style flashback scenes. As superb an actress that she is we were expected to empathise and fully comprehend her lost youth/progressively bullying husband over the years just looking at her expressions in real time ( they were good though)
Bring on the back story flashback's I say, for all dramas!!
British shows normally suffice with an old and badly edited photo to capture the past.

I'm all happy because DH has ordered a Roku to watch Apple TV on, and I can now watch Viki on the telly! Yey!