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…

I stayed up far to late watching YAMH last night- the secret room was a bit of a disappointment but have now seen the spam on the fridge and the life saving model- will prepare my go bag for the next emergency ready to dispatch and create 1:25 scale model complete with little flags

Itaewon Class was my introduction to PSJ so that was my default for his hair and anything else on him actually looks wrong to me 😂🤷‍♀️ I loved his troubled-but-not-defeated-or-possibly-shy fringe slap and slow slide back gesture with it. The hair that really troubled me was the FL when the action moved forwards 3 years.

I'd agree with everyone's comments on Itaewon Class started off great, but lost it's way and I didn't care much what happened in the end. I have the song from it by Gaho on my Playlist though and it always gives me energy and motivation. I also loved the FL' s hair at the beginning, hated it at the end 😂

The first thing what I saw PSJ in was Hwarang when he had long hair... God, he was sexy in that 😂 I do love a long haired fella though so not to everyone's taste.

I've got FOMO about YAMH but I've never watched anything Chinese, not sure I want to stray away from Korean 🤔

I couldn’t finish Itaewon Class. PSJ is not on my top oppas list and I found it a bore. It also turned me right off Ahn Bo Hyun, which is a shame as he was lovely in Her Private Life.

@polkettle same here, that’s his default hair.

I like ML in short or combed back hair eg JCW as prosecutor in suspicious partner
LJS as lecturer in RIABB
ML of Chicago Typewriter (current timeline)
SJK’s hair in Vincenzo is one of the reasons I want to watch the show.

Oh my I sound very shallow but this type of attitude is only for drama-land, promise. I am normal person in real life & don’t pay attention to looks or dressing (except neatness & cleanliness)

I should focus on work, today Monday blues are very real.

I've got FOMO about YAMH but I've never watched anything Chinese, not sure I want to stray away from Korean

A lot of cdrama is wonky (sets, plots, acting). YAMH is actually decent, if a bit improbable in places. I think they’ve started picking up tips from kdrama about how to do it right. The men are very enjoyable to watch for completely shallow and obvious reasons. If you were inclined to dip a toe in, this would be a good one to start with (but adjust your expectations accordingly for future forays).

I said something very shallow and not very nice about an actor yesterday, I felt terrible for thinking it, but I just can't believe he's a ML standard in a romantic way 😬 I'm sure he's a lovely chap and a very good actor...

SJK’s hair in Vincenzo is one of the reasons I want to watch the show

This made me LOL 😂

@boatyardblues

I've got FOMO about YAMH but I've never watched anything Chinese, not sure I want to stray away from Korean

A lot of cdrama is wonky (sets, plots, acting). YAMH is actually decent, if a bit improbable in places. I think they’ve started picking up tips from kdrama about how to do it right. The men are very enjoyable to watch for completely shallow and obvious reasons. If you were inclined to dip a toe in, this would be a good one to start with (but adjust your expectations accordingly for future forays).

I should dip my toe, just so I know, in for a penny and all that...

Oh my I sound very shallow but this type of attitude is only for drama-land, promise. I am normal person in real life & don’t pay attention to looks or dressing (except neatness & cleanliness)

I’m the same. The debt collector love interest in To My Love gets a special mention for being beautifully turned out. His soft grey coat! I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Honestly Rowdy give it a try. It's 100% no stress enjoyable, both for the things you're supposed to enjoy and the Spam-type incidentals.

Ooh yes, when he did the modeling photo, what's underneath the coat is also very well turned out! crikey!

I do love the mens fashion (mostly) lovely wool coats, gorgeous knitwear, nicely maintained ankles... It's all very appealing.

I’m having a mini YAMH fix over my sandwiches. 👍

Let the drama watching commence! I've told family that I'll be out of action for the next 48 hours! Woo hoo!.

@Bea

Let the drama watching commence! I've told family that I'll be out of action for the next 48 hours! Woo hoo!.

Awww I didn't get a sticker ☹️

On some BTS merch too Bea! I hope you OKdon't suffer from any side effects, but enjoy your drama time!

I said something very shallow and not very nice about an actor yesterday, I felt terrible for thinking it, but I just can't believe he's a ML standard in a romantic way 😬 I'm sure he's a lovely chap and a very good actor... blush

Did you say this on the thread Rowdy? I didn't see you say anything.....and am curious who you mean.....

@Rowdythree I'd recommend YAMH- it's very engaging and like @polkettle says no stress with lots to enjoy - @JinBhoot I'd agree the 2ml is more my type personally but the male lead is the complete romance lead package- I do like that the FL is quite independent and doesn't whinge about looking sad but cracks on being a great doctor . It's tempting me to try other c-dramas
Is anyone watching how to be thirty? It doesn't seem to be going anywhere much having started off quite well? Maybe it's because the episodes are so short?

@bettys, no I said it to my husband! I'd feel really mean if I wrote it down! Things he's been in are Doctors and Clean with a passion for now feel a bit mean now!

Will give YAMH a try later 😁

I think the best C-drama to start with is Put Your Head On My Shoulder. Then move on to My Little Happiness. :-)

@Rowdythree I know who you mean, he was in Pinocchio too. I think he gets ML roles as he is v tall, but he's not on my oppa list

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I think the best C-drama to start with is Put Your Head On My Shoulder. Then move on to My Little Happiness. :-)

Oh forgot about A Love So Beautiful. Also a good started C-drama. Features Moley Nose Lad. Lovely.

Thanks Briiiiick I'm a bit frightened to go down the C drama rabbit hole, incase I don't come out again 😂 I might have to start learning mandarin or Cantonese too if that's the case 😬

He is very tall bettys, thats one thing that can be said!

[quote Bea]@Birdy65... yes Itaewon was great to begin with but got tiresome towards the end and both FL were equally tiresome... i didn't believe his relationship with either of them... loved his story with his dad though and the bad guy was the baddest of the bad... though he normally plays such lovely characters... it was odd to see him being soo horrible... and can we ever get over PSJ's hair?... It's a good job we love him sooo much to put up with it! [/quote]
I felt the relationship with the FL did not have the same intensity as you usually see in kdramas. It was like he settled for her following her declarations of love which I found odd as his feelings appeared out of nowhere. He was much too good for both FL and he should have met someone much nicer!
The winner for me was his relationship with his Dad.

I think it is definitely one for PSJ fans. The hair? At one point it was very CLOY, especially when he wore the polo neck and wool coat.

@Rowdythree for cdrama starters I would recommend Love Is Sweet or Find Yourself as being closest to kdrama in style