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…

emitted by ML - . I really need to preview before posting

[quote bettys]@JinBhoot Thanks for the tip - 66 episodes though 😱 it’s have to be a darn good water fight 😂[/quote]
You’ll have to wait till ep21 for it.
Drama is on YouTube, if you are interested I can post a clip with background summary & context.

The hormones all on screen are emitting definitely help supplement the hormones I'm omitting.
With regards to ponies and shire horses - an Oppa that can fit in carry on is handy for travel.

Go for it @JinBhoot!

I also noticed he seemed short next to Kang Ha Neul and looked up his height: 173cm. He should be in musical theatre!

Im Siwan actually started out as a member of a boyband (ZEA ?), whereas Kang Ha Neul did start in musical theatre and he was also in a musical while in the military along with JCW

I am really growing to appreciate Im Siwan's acting, as well as Kang Ha Neul

I should be working so of course I am looking up clips of Kang Ha Neul singing

I love KHN! He's just so... jolly!

And in the interests of parity here is a clip or two of Im Siwan at a fan meet in 2019 (he takes his jacket off at 2.40) it is more dancing than singing to be fair
And one of him singing the OST to another drama

@bettys your wish my command.

Ethan Juan & Yang Mi 😍
Watch from 3:20

Background: ML & FL are not a couple yet. She needs his help (wouldn’t go in details incase you want to watch the series).
He only agrees to help if she steals his special necklace. In this scene she entered his room in disguise but he figured out. So in this scene she is trying to snatch the necklace & him trying to avoid that.

There are couple of shirtless scenes in the drama and BTS are equally funny.

Ps: C dramas have no concept of gravity & people fly around in air smoothly & beautifully 😂

Aigoo (or Chinese equivalent) what lunchtime treats!
Me and DH got together in much the same way.

Thanks @JinBhoot! That cheered up a dreich lunchtime

Here is some more cheer & joy

Enjoy more gravity defying scenes by Ethan Jaun & Yang Mi. He is a charmer.

Ep17 - watch from 10:08 till 17:00

Background: FL was forced to deliver some item to ML. Baddies are suspicious and searching for the intruder.
Oh and both FL & ML still don’t like each other 🙄 as if we can’t see sparks flying.

I am at work and taking break from reading all these new regulations & stuff. I want to curl up in pyjamas & watch endless TV. I need escape from reality.

I want to curl up in pyjamas & watch endless TV. I need escape from reality.

That's what these dramas are all about! I quite fancy a dragon bed to curl up in. I do hope there is a happy ending for that couple, I am already invested after just 2 clips

@bettys

I want to curl up in pyjamas & watch endless TV. I need escape from reality.

That's what these dramas are all about! I quite fancy a dragon bed to curl up in. I do hope there is a happy ending for that couple, I am already invested after just 2 clips

I fully agree, I think to cope with work & general life pressures I have found escape in these fantasy dramas.

I used to enjoy serious stuff like My Mister but now my heart melts at romantic stuff.

Yes there is happy ending after lots of trials.
It’s an interesting drama and story has mini stories in it which are all tied up together.
Read somewhere it’s a Chinese version of Game of Thrones with more clothes & action. I haven’t seen GoT so don’t know how true is it.

If you want to watch light series do start this - all episodes with English subtitles are on YouTube.
This was my 2nd lockdown binge watch.

He'd be handy at changing a double duvet cover. I like her Audrey Hepburn with a crumpled bag hat look.

He'd be handy at changing a double duvet cover. I like her Audrey Hepburn with a crumpled bag hat look

🤣🤣🤣 Brilliant!

Now I have to do some work 😫

Thanks for these clips! They have cheered up my afternoon of trying to work out what is going on with DSs school, and if he can go or home school or not 😭 and if not who out of DH and I will be telling work they can't come in

@bettys I hope you managed to get some work done. I am calling it a day, have done enough adulting today.

@polkettle Me and DH got together in much the same way. He'd be handy at changing a double duvet cover. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap Sending love & hope you will come up with some workable solution.

@polkettle

Aigoo (or Chinese equivalent) what lunchtime treats! Me and DH got together in much the same way.

🤣😂🤣 Well played Pol.

Well it’s good to see that not everyone goes to bed in full on knitwear/tracksuits ( Kang Ha Naul Misaeng ep 13)

I shall look forwards to that. I’m on ep 8 or 9, have lost track.

Kang Ha Neul sings well and, as a PP said, he’s so jolly. He was fairly quiet in the bits of Traveller (travel show to Argentina) that I watched.

@JinBhoot thanks! We've got a solution! DS is moving to his Grandparents 😂. Just for this week till DH can get his homeworking sorted. I feel sorry for school but we had 3 different emails changing what was happening each time 🤯 😵.
Not sure I can take Misaeng work related stress too. Might just watch Run BTS till my brain is soothed.

Ah some fine KHN content throughout that episode ☺️... @bettys

I'm mega struggling with the homeschooling/lockdown thing this time because DS was supposed to be sitting transfer tests starting Saturday which were cancelled today. Got through explaining all that to DS etc., and they then they decided to randomly reset one for end Feb 😭 (we are in NI - check it out on BBC news, it's a clusterfuck).

It's been a rollercoaster of a day, so a bit of mind-numbing soft, squishy drama water-play musical theatre fun is welcome relief. Thanks guys x

Should have said DS has been working so so hard for this since last Feb and is generally an anxious kid, so it's been a tough year for him. I'm super proud though.