MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #20): With Hyun Bin off the market, the ajummas off darkness begin researching his ‘oppa fabulous’ replacement in earnest

[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)
Some Day or On Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020
(courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by/for thread regulars. Marks out of 10.)

1 - Parasite - 9.05 (10 Votes)
2 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88 (9 Votes)
3 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50 (4 Votes)
4 - Once Again - 8.40 (5 Votes)
5 - Hospital Playlist - 8.21 (7 Votes)

2019’s top scoring dramas:

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
🥾🍑 (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 didn’t realise he is an adopted cousin. That’s a lot less grim.

The dowager (granny) queen was the disenchanted wife/excellent sex crimes detective in Live, which was a tour de force performance. She is an outstanding actress. It’s good to see her chewing up scenery in this and fun, but in truth she’s too good for it.

@boatyardblues I'd agree the cousins interest is a bit squick when you think about their relationship- the actor playing him does a good job though
@bettys I really like her - need to find some other things to watch her in!
@polkettle they do have really good chemistry- as does the 2ml and fl- I can see why she "picked" him but my heart really went out to the 2ml - he was such a decent chap

Now enjoying shonky at the edges Once Again so much that I can see 100 episodes actually isnt going to be enough. What was I thinking?

@polkettle yep once you’re in Once Again you can never leave 😂

@bettys K-Drama's Hotel California.
I want to be a Kimbap Unni and I am so a Market Ahjumma.

Right ladies, I am currently drama-free (not a good thing) in between Run On episodes.

Dipping in and out of ones but can't settle, have a million squillion dramas in my watch lists on NF and Viki.

Think I'm in the mood for a sageuk or a Chinese historical to freshen things up. Any hot tips?

Have you seen all these FedUp?

100 Days My Prince (Viki/Netflix)
Crowned Clown (Viki)*
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)*
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Plus on my list to watch is:

Arsenal Military Academy

@FedUpWithBriiiiick Legend of Fuyao, it has 60+ episodes - little drag towards the end. It’s fantasy, action, kings & thrones plus good looking FL & ML

I am also drama- free these days. Finished My Mister, I wish I could understand the language to fully enjoy the dialogues.

I don’t know what to start, I want light but then something meaningful too. May be I can start two dramas and flip between them depending on the mood.

Last night I couldn’t pick drama from the recommended list, started watching Flavourful Origins and ended up eating lots of cheese after watching Yunnan’s dairy products.

What is everyone watching these days? I’ll start something which I can chat about here.

Thanks both for tips! I'll try some of these.

Street Food Asia is good too @JinBhoot.

I've seen Mr Sunshine. It was my first ever K-drama! ❤️

I am really looking forward to True Beauty this week. I thought it was so cringey, so tropey, and the FL falls way too many times, but it’s just soooo enjoyable and light.

Does anyone know how long it takes for the subtitles to come up?

@bettys

Have you seen all these FedUp?

100 Days My Prince (Viki/Netflix)
Crowned Clown (Viki)*
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)*
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Plus on my list to watch is:

Arsenal Military Academy

Just started Tientsin Mystic, and see it has the nice fellow from Go Go Squid in it.

FedUp

Oh yes! I watched it straight after Go Go Squid - it's a little different to normal Cdramas

@Kseason

I am really looking forward to True Beauty this week. I thought it was so cringey, so tropey, and the FL falls way too many times, but it’s just soooo enjoyable and light.

Does anyone know how long it takes for the subtitles to come up?

It takes a good few hours for the subtitles to be up, disappointingly! I was so keen to watch the last episode I watched before it was 100% and just tried to figure it out 😂

I am totally swooning over Hyun Bin in CLOY! How is he so handsome!

@Rowdythree I may have subconsciously learnt some Korean by now, maybe I should give the unsubtitled version a try!

It's worth a try I re watched it with subtitles to make sure I'd got the gist!

In the opposite of binge watching I am slowly coming to the end of episode 2 of When We Write Love Story @bettys but I'm actually non-ironically getting in to it now! The dramas that they're "writing" are sweet and the story sharing between each couple seem genuine and touching.

@polkettle oh maybe I need to give it another go!

I have been watch Partners for Justice on 1.5 speed, partly to avoid gruesome detail but also just as a way of passing time until True Beauty is up. It’s not bad but I’m not really in the right frame of mind for legal/forensic drama & I can’t find anything toothsome & fluffy at the moment apart from the on-airs I’m following.

I'm also passing the time until True Beauty @bettys. I just started Melting me Softly on Viki, in which Ji Chang Wook gets cryogenically frozen, only one episode in so far.

DH has now decided to watch CLOY with me after I was telling him about it, so I'm going to stop where I am with it and watch it from the beginning with him! I'm get to see more Hyun Bin and the singing train sellers again 😁

@Rowdythree 😱😱😱😱😱

Melting Me Softly? 🤬🤯

Sorry that wasn’t very clear.......MMS was JCW’s comeback turkey 😭 but it’ll be interesting to see what you make of it

Aah really, I hadn't heard of it before. I will keep an open mind 😂 maybe JCW is only doing turkeys now, I couldn't finish the K2, not bothered about his new Netflix one either... Maybe I'll just keep him on Instagram for the visuals

I couldn't finish Backstreet Rookie either, although that was partly because I couldn't be arsed with watching chez Olga but also it just wasn't engaging somehow.

I have started Because this is my first life (BTIMFL)
I can see why this is group’s favourite & in top 5 list.

@JinBhoot me too! I can't quite believe how well behaved the cat is (looks at DCat who is currently trying to climb up the back of the sofa- he's definitely not cut out for a K-drama role)

@JinBhoot

I have started Because this is my first life (BTIMFL) I can see why this is group’s favourite & in top 5 list.

It's awesome!