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…

I did an actual gasp at my first sight of Binnie 🥰🥰🥰 (bit Friday drunk)

Watched the latest episode of true beauty- why is it so long till the next one!! It's so much fun to watch - the Mum and Dad were cracking me up and the sister and the teacher . I like the way she deals with it when she thinks Su Ho likes her friend as well- just wish the next episode would come quicker!

Going to try Mr Queen to fill in the gaps and maybe misaeng as it seems popular.

True Beauty is a lovely little gem in these shitty times! I love it! It's soooo fluffy and sweet! 💕❤️😍❤️💕

I'm just popping out of my Xianxia rabbit hole - now on Ashes to Love after finishing Eternal Love. I need someone to throw me down a rope
I'm glad you are enjoying Cherry Magic bettys, it puts me in a good mood thinking about it .

Was intrigued by all your mentions of Misaeng. I watched the opening sequence. I would totally watch a series like that, especially the Jordan setting. Was quite sad to see the series is not really like that.
From your descriptions it sounds more like suits? Or maybe Ali McBeal without the dancing?

It’s more like the office bits of My Mister without the misery. The newly contracted interns are a great group at the heart of it, but my stand out character is Mr Oh. When you first see him you think he’s a bastard of the first order, but he’s gradually revealed to be principled, decent and very astute, but too principled to have kissed enough arse to rise to a level commensurate with his ability.

@Bea

ahhhh CLOY is the sumptious of all ReWatches!

SPOILER ALERT

There are some scenes which I’ve watched over and over. The bicycle ride; the scented candle; the clam barbecue; Seri seeing the heart on Capt Ri’s uniform; tying up her hair and Se Ri flirting with him in front of the astounded villagers; their first goodbye in the DMZ; Se Ri seeing him in Seoul; taking Capt Ri shopping and him holding the door; various adventures of the ducklings in Seoul; Capt Ri disposing of the wicked brother’s bodyguards outside Seri’s hospital room and many more.

Poor Dan. I think the series has the best depiction of unrequited love that I’ve ever seen. When she is waiting for him outside his house in the village and she smiles when she sees him and then Seri appears....
Also the scene in the hospital when Capt Ri tells her he can’t marry her. She is a brilliant actress.
Bring on series 2!

Sorry - Seri sewing the heart not ‘seeing’

I so heart Mr Oh. My friend says he has "Gallic charm".

@Andante57 I like FL’s conversation with ML’s parents when she was kidnapped.
Towards the end I really wanted things to work out between 2nd leads.

Caught up with Run On. Drama stars go to hospital at the drop of a hat, don't they? 😁

JinBhoot I loved that and it was adorable when Seri & Capt Ri were reunited at his parents’ house. Loved the decor of that house too.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Caught up with Run On. Drama stars go to hospital at the drop of a hat, don't they? 😁

We discussed this quite a while ago and most of it is down to the structure of their healthcare system. They don’t have primary care (GPs, community clinics) like we do, so most primary care is delivered in hospitals and that’s why people go there with minor ailments, fevers etc. I can’t really explain the IV thing. I suppose if you’ve gone to the bother of travelling across town to see a doctor, they can hardly give you a prescription and boot you out 5 mins later. Also, the IV might be the official excuse for putting someone in a bed and keeping them under observation. I’d be interested to know if there’s any evidence that IV fluids are any more beneficial than giving a conscious, reasonably well patient a glass of water or electrolyte fluid and have them drink it. 🤷‍♀️

"I so heart Mr Oh. My friend says he has "Gallic charm". Yes definitely agree @polkettle 😁 if he just got a good night's sleep and didnt end up drinking every night, he'd look 10 years younger 😂

I agree with the drip comment boaty I'm sure a glass of water is fine unless you are actually poorly or dehydrated 🤔 glasses af water might not be billable though.
I've cleaned the house so now it's drama time 😁🎉

That's super interesting @boatyardblues, thank you! I knew they don't have universal healthcare, but didn't realise no GPs or primary health centre. So not just a drama trope that hospital visits are central to plot, but common in real life. Everyday a school day!

But yeah the IV drip thing must be just a health norm in the country. And the hospitals make money out of them.

I've cleaned the house so now it's drama time

I skipped the housework and moved straight to drama time. The pandemic is has this one silver lining. So long as the area visible from your front door is clean and tidy, you’re good to go.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap Yes totally need to enjoy that Gallic charm now before liver/heart disease carries poor Mr Oh-verworked and Oh-verindulged off.

Omo! Ep 11 of Uncanny Counter is very violent and emotional. I had to ffwd some fighting bits as couldn't watch people getting their heads smashed up with breeze blocks 😣

it's never too early to start compiling your Xmas /birthday list! 😂🤣
🤣😂🤣

Oooh which would you pick Bea?? (although 42 quid 😳) 😂

The 9 Tailed Fox fox is pretty cute

@boatyardblues ah that's interesting- I did wonder why people kept heading off to hospital for IVs. I'd agree that the baggy clothes in run on swamp Im Si-wan, maybe it's meant to emphasise how vulnerable he is?
Watching Mr Queen today - up to episode 4 - great way to to spent a Saturday- court lady choi 😁

@bea hmm, I quite like the Mr Buckwheat or the fox is cute but no idea what I'd do with it!