MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #22): As pandemic restrictions ease the Ajummas of Darkness and ARMY recruits are on spring manoeuvres, camping under the cherry blossom

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. 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 Queen (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)*
Lovestruck in the City (Netflix)
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Radio Romance (Netflix)

Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)*
Run On (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)
To My Star [BL] (Viki)
True Beauty (Viki)
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Netflix/Viki)

What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)*
Where Stars Land (Viki)*
You are my Destiny (Netflix)
You Make Me Dance [BL] (Viki)


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)/Hot Stove League (Netflix)

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)
Peninsula - film, Train to Busan sequel (Amazon Prime, iMovies)
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)
My Little Happiness (Viki, Chinese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix, Chinese)
Some Day or One Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020 (updated for thread #21)
Courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by/for thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

1 - Mr Queen - 9.4 (5 votes)
2 - Parasite - 9.05 (10 Votes)
3 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88 (9 Votes)
4 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50 (4 Votes)
5 - Once Again - 8.42 (6 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 explained or 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…

@polkettle

(haven't watched 13'yet which may make Everything Clear)

Um, no. Nonetheless I’m enjoying it.

Me too 🤔🤷‍♀️☺️

Finally reached the Unexpected Twerking in LD and there was a lot of Flossing too and Bloke Dancing

Plus all I could think when they were having their romantic motorbike ride across the width of the road was that a White Truck of Doom was going to come round the corner and wipe them out (it didn't). In fact there don't seem to be many WTofD in cdrama.

[quote Hydrogensonata]@bettys I've caught up on HTB30 too. To be honest I'm not loving it but I want to finish it off- I agree she needs to stop moping and tell the assistant manager to push off.
Now to make a start on catching up on YAMH- can't wait to see the mint green/socks combo[/quote]
I've just caught up with HTB30 too and agree with everything you said @Hydrogensonata! ML is beginning to look a little bit scary among with his ex 😬
Floppy haired toy boy is just lovely though 😍

Boaty I've fallen asleep during pretty much every episode of Sisyphus! I keep having to re watch the final 10 minutes once I get into bed so I'm ready for the next episode! I'm not sure whether that says something about the show, or me 😂😬
We're finding it all really confusing, we have to keep pausing it to make sure we're both thinking the same thing about what's going on! 😂

Most Expected (semi) Twerking ever Bettys 😁 I did love the bloke dancing.

Can anyone give me an episode and time stamp for the twerking? I missed it some how!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick it’s in the very last episode 😂😂

[quote bettys]@FedUpWithBriiiiick it’s in the very last episode 😂😂[/quote]
Oh good I haven't missed it!!

Ohhh the dancing was mega cringe!!

I did say you shouldn't base your entire 40 hours of viewing on its promise 😂

I need another cdrama now.....LD not quite as good as Love Is Sweet

May sneak over to Olga’s to see if they get subs up quickly for YAMH

Oh Master is improving but still missing a beat somewhere & I think it may be the direction as there was very little tension at end of ep 4

Still loving Navillera so much, Mrs Sim though 😠 ✂️

I think Mr Ki is floppy haired toyboy from HTB30, 20 years in the future! 😍

I think Mr Ki is floppy haired toyboy from HTB30, 20 years in the future! 😍

Yes!! I want him to get back with his wife. And I want to see him dance. Or a lookee-likee obvs he can’t really dance 🙄. I had to look up where I’d seen him before, he seems to specialise in Conflicted Husbands (My Unfamiliar Family, One More Happy Ending)

I’ve nearly caught up with YAMH on viki, but there are no subtitles for episodes 31 and 32. Is this the same for everyone else?

@Hydrogensonata the mint green was the "better" option ?!?

Can we talk about 🥔 and 👠's non relationship? Have I missed something but I just can't work out why he doesn't want to go out with her (except for the idea that he needs a picture book of the 🐤🐝)? And I still think Mr Lu is a better choice and probably would know how to show a girl a good time 😉

Can we talk about 🥔 and 👠's non relationship? Have I missed something but I just can't work out why he doesn't want to go out with her (except for the idea that he needs a picture book of the 🐤🐝)? And I still think Mr Lu is a better choice and probably would know how to show a girl a good time 😉

Exactly!! I have no idea why he doesn't want to go out with her. At first it seemed as if it was 'cos she was a flighty city girl but she has done her best to prove otherwise.....surely she would just be put off by how much of a 🥔🥔🥔 he is

And the ML completely missed a trick by having his shirt on for the chin ups (or we have just been spoiled by Kdrama)!

Yes @Birdy65 they just arrived today and there'll be more over the weekend so you can join the #subsweat crew.

He did have one sleeve rolled up though Cassini surely that's enough!? 😂

No idea what's wrong with 🥔! 👠 Is far too good for him! Mr Lu, I'm not sure about, although he seems to be a good 'un in general. He'd definitely show a girl a good time! 🍾

There is no way Mi Ka did a wee that quick in dungarees (YAMH ep 31)

#subsweats #can'tbearsedwaiting #olga

Actually the dungarees look better than the mint green/white socks combo

@bettys

There is no way Mi Ka did a wee that quick in dungarees (YAMH ep 31)

#subsweats #can'tbearsedwaiting #olga

Actually the dungarees look better than the mint green/white socks combo

Tena lady?

Tena lady?

😣😂

Hi guys! Finally back on nights from this week so have my earphones and tablet charged and ready to go 😁 Hit me with some recommendations, I'm already watching Vincetzo. I introduced the kids to Zombie Detective and have enjoyed sniggering with them on the sofa. DS said the Walking Dead would have looked so different 🤣🤣

@bettys Yes!! I want him to get back with his wife. And I want to see him dance
Yes to this!!! I also thought he looked familiar.