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…

Wotcha monkeywench !

You could join in with You Are My Hero, or HoW To Be 30 & Navillera ?

Only 10 episodes of YAMH to go and they have chucked in a new storyline of machiavellian deviousness! Sorry for the Olga spoilers but at least Viki have got started on the subs so they shouldn't be too long this time.

Anyone going to watch The Long Ballad? It has Dilraba Dilmurat from LD in it.

Ooh, I'm glad @bettys! It needed a kick up the 🍑 I think I know what it is due to the opening credits 🤔

Monkeywench I definitely recommend Navillera and YAMH 👍

😱 Oh I'm not sure Machiavellian deviousness is what I want from my YAMH! I just want everyone to carry on being Poppets At All Times. And a bit more bravery and snogging.

@bettys YAMH is on my list 😀 Olga has an extensive list bookmarked because I use her like a Pinterest board, everytime I see a clip that interests me I Olga it and bookmark so I don't forget the title 🤣

I slept poorly last night so have already had a warm up nap on the sofa and I’m turning in now, early for me. This has really buggered up my kdrama plans for the evening. 😞

I am almost caught up on Oh Master and it is growing on me. The day LMK spends with Nana’s mother is really sweet. I am still majorly jonesing over the hanok. The scene in ep 4 where they open the side of a room and drink beer by the open window? I want that feature for my house!

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench I do the same with Olga bookmarks!

I am new to xanxia but quite addicted now and am looking forward to Immortality which is airing this month (allegedly) so already bookmarked for Olga as I can't find any other sites that will be showing it

Cdrama seems to film loads of stuff but then not necessarily air it immediately.

Oh well done Lu Feng. Mash sense into that 🥔

@bettys I am watching Love and Destiny and I haven't got a clue what is going on 🤪

I started The Long Ballad but it is going to be long so I am going to try and wait so I can binge. The first episode had some great set pieces - a quidditch/football match - but it's going to be complicated and long winded so better to binge.

I've started Scripting Your Destiny which is cute so far though a little hard to keep track of somehow but it's only short.

I've started scripting your destiny too bettys only watched 2 eps so far. I quite like the short drama's as a time filler, when I don't have time to watch a full length one.

Will be interested to hear what you make of ending Bettys.
Minari out now if anyone wants a trip to the "cinema". It's no Parasite but definitely worth watching.

@polkettle

Will be interested to hear what you make of ending Bettys. Minari out now if anyone wants a trip to the "cinema". It's no Parasite but definitely worth watching.

Is it suitable for family viewing, Pol? It’s a 12 certificate and movie night this weekend is my pick, but I wasn’t sure whether it is bleak or boring for teens.

For context, DS1 has picked subtitled animé previously on his week, so it’s not off the table.

Hmmm... probably a bit too arthouse to hold the interest of the average teen I'd say but nothing inherently "unsuitable" as such?

Thanks Pol. One for me & DH then. 👍

@polkettle Scripting Your Destiny was very enjoyable (lots of totty including a guest shot by ML from WYEL) but I see what you mean about the end.

Overall a positive end, but a lot of double-speak SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER eg apparently you can't come back after the third time, but then he's back!?!?! And she says she'll keep it unrequited so he sticks around but she's sending him love notes?!?! I don't think they knew how to end it. How did she get up to the penthouse suddenly? Was that linked to the director going away? None of this really matters overall, it was a fun story with nice visuals

I know! It was a hot mess of an end where every rule I thought I'd grasped was ignored but there also wasn't a nice snog to make you not mind about the lack of sense. A shame because I'd enjoyed the journey getting there a lot.
But yes - nice visuals 😁

Ooh, special timey-wimey talc! (Sisyphus)

Feeling restless and really want to watch YAMH episodes 31 and 32. I’ve just been for a really really long walk to justify some binge watching.
How long do the subtitles take to show. Episode 31 has been at 51% since yesterday.

Oh goody 4 episodes of Sunshine of my Life are subbed and prime for action

I’m caught up with Hello Me. It will be interesting to see how they round it off next week, especially given this week’s cliffhanger. I’m finding the lovesick nephew aspect a bit eeeww.

Harrumph and dagger eyes at pair of YAMH meddlesome floozies and also harrumph at slow bank holiday subbing.
I may need to introduce myself to Olga with a bottle of vodka and a plate of blinis.

@polkettle

Harrumph and dagger eyes at pair of YAMH meddlesome floozies and also harrumph at slow bank holiday subbing. I may need to introduce myself to Olga with a bottle of vodka and a plate of blinis.

And a speedy delete finger for the pop-ups.