MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #19): Our noona days may be behind us but the ajummas of darkness will unleash their inner Gangnam leopards as the festive season approaches

[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/Netflix)
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)
Misaeng (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)
Kiss Goblin (Viki, webdrama)
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)*
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)*

Mystic Pop-up Bar (Netflix)
The Guest (Netflix)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

W: Two Worlds (Viki & Netflix)*
Zombie Detective (Viki)


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)
Lost Romance (Viki - Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, 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…

thanks for the link, I've also wanted to watch that as it has Ryu Joon Yeol from Reply 1988 in.

Manage those expectations. He’s kitted out like SKJ in IGTYWTWIN, farmer chinos and the like.

I just got to the scene in Reply 88 where Park Yer Bum is leaving the Go academy to go to the cinema and everyone is bowing and scraping to “the master”. FL joins the end of the line & bosses him around and barks at him to go fetch his (forgotten) bag & his manager and the Go students are all totally confused.

Park Yer Bum is going to stick, isn't it?

Totally.

I only ever lurk on this thread, but I see people are picking up Start-up so I feel like I need to warn you :) I'm still traumatised by the last few episodes of Start-up, but it's all my fault - I had severe second lead syndrome and managed my expectations wrongly.

No spoilers here, but whatever you do, DO NOT FALL for Han JiPyeong. There is a reason this actor is now the most talked about Kdrama actor worldwide, he is phenomenal, but remember that's the actor not the character.
Good luck.

Go Kyung Po is so damned likeable in Reply 1988 I’m having to reappraise him. I thought he was woefully miscast in Chicago Typewriter but his affability is perfect in this.

kseason 👋 Please post more! We like it when lurkers delurk as it saves us from mad monologuing into the void (see my posts from last night). Lovely to have your input. 😀

boatyardblues I'll be happy to lend my shoulders to anyone who might go through Start-up trauma! We had a huge community discussing the show on Reddit and Twitter, and it's a split of 80% traumatised, 20% happy after the ending. All the theories and the deep analyses of symbolism were fun though.

Do you guys discuss variety shows? I've picked up 2 Days 1 Night thanks to Kim Seon-ho, and it's hilarious!

@kseason a delurker woo-hoo helloooooo!!! 👋👋

I’ve been reading some of the chat about Start-Up so am semi-prepared. I first came across Kim Seon Ho in Two Cops and then 100 Days both SLS scenarios!

Some of us do watch variety shows, they just don’t get talked about as much as they’re not as easy to find though a couple are on Netflix/Viki. I’m partial to I Live Alone & have been know to watch 2 Days 1 Night also 👍

Watching Melo is my nature today- had a little break as I think it needs me to be in a concentrating mood but it's so good- the bits where they break the fourth wall are really well done and it's really funny and sad at the same time and the characters are so well done and the relationship between the friends is great

awwweeee she knitted the dig a little scarf!!!! 🥰 (Little Forest)

DOG obvs 🐶

I had to watch Little Forest a second time this morning. I may be retreating into a locked toilet to watch it on repeat over stressful points in the festive season. The whole movie is one long shoulder pat.

That’s a great description Pol. I thought it was lovely and may have to watch it repeatedly. I have sent the link on a few people as it is so lovely.

Hahaha. Bo-Ra cracked in characteristic fashion. 😆 (Reply 1988)

I wonder if Little Forest was the inspiration for IGTYWTWIN? There are so many similarities including the shapeless country clothes for men with racehorse legs 🤦🏻‍♀️
I just wish it’d been clearer who it was that ML liked but I guess I’ll just have to go with my own theory.
Was that wisteria she was eating? I thought that was poisonous🤔

Isn't handing over a perfect apple practically the same as an engagement ring?

And somehow knowing that she was coming back? And bringing lovely Fivo over? 🥰

Exactly 🥰 I could have watched hours more of the same (does this mean I should watch IGTYWT..etc?) but I quite liked that it was all in subtext. I think the fact that she narrates what he said to the ex at the station is quite key. Any idea what the bark is that's grated on the pancake? So pretty!

Isn't handing over a perfect apple practically the same as an engagement ring?

Yes yes lovely interpretation!

I don’t be know what the bark is - Birch? Will need to google.

WRT IGTYweather etc, ML racehorse legs SKJ is luvverly, but PMY who I’m normally a fan of is a bit of a maungey wet blanket. Kim Tae Ri was much more engaging

Hi kseason!
I like the variety shows, mostly I Live Alone, Running Man, My Ugly Duckling and All the Butlers. My kids are hooked on RM 😂

Kim Tae Ri is Lady Ae Shin in Mr Sunshine. I think she’s a cracking actress.

She’s also in The Handmaiden 😮

It’s acacia flowers she eats in Little Forest, some of recipes are here

Aha in the cabbage pancake recipe in the link they use bonito flakes, so maybe the mum was shaving flakes from a hunk of dried bonito/tuna?

Oh interesting! Will have to watch again now ☺️ Looks like you can also watch the two original Japanese films online too. Whole different set of dishes to smile at.