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…

Ah! Early morning YAMH treats (👊 to meno insomnia Boaty). Gotta love a how long can you be prone with a gun montage, a sack of yakult and a slaloming motorbike parade. Plus Action 🥔!

Happy Easter chums!

@polkettle

Ah! Early morning YAMH treats (👊 to meno insomnia Boaty). Gotta love a how long can you be prone with a gun montage, a sack of yakult and a slaloming motorbike parade. Plus Action 🥔!

My friend came round for coffee in the garden earlier. She’s going to send me “menopause cake” recipes which apparently have ingredients that ease symptoms. That’s the kind of menopause treatment I can get behind!

Indeed, Happy Easter !!🐤🐥🐣

Happy Easter folks 🐣

@Hydrogensonata I am in enjoying HTB30, but like you am finding it frustrating. I wish they'd made it a full length drama instead of a short one. The ML is becoming more of a dick in each episode! I'm rooting for the director, although as its k drama, the first love usually wins 🙄 the nerve of ML exgf turning up at the company dinner! 😳😬

@polkettle are you still watching Uncanny Counter? (I think you were watching it recently) I'm on ep11, it's taking me ages to get through!

With Jonny Huang about, no ankle sock is safe. Be whipped off quicker than you can say "ni hao".

😂😂
Pumped Plug certainly isn’t backwards in coming forwards in Addicted ....not just ankle socks that are being whipped off 😯

😯 I may need to take a look. For Artistic Appreciation and Cultural Awareness obviously.
A cake that could reliably keep me asleep between 3 and 6am is the DREAM Boaty
I'm about up to episode 11 too Rowdy I love the team but not exactly a soothing watch so dip in and out rather than wanting to binge.
Already having jitters about YAMH finishing soon which is my kind of comfort blanket show. Have to admit I could happily pootle along with those low stakes nerd poppets in their ankle socks for another 40 episodes.

"Low stakes nerd poppets" oh @polkettle you are a hoot! 😂😂😂

Agreed Briiiiick, pol I love your turn of phrase 😂

I feel the same about the Uncanny Counter, good series, but one to dip in and out of.

Happy Easter! Too busy Easter ing to be kdrama ring today! 😱🐰

@polkettle I totally agree, I could happily watch another 40 episodes knowing that Older Sister will sweep in and smack down any difficulties Younger Bro May face with the stare of doom... nice cosy viewing 🤨🤨🤨

A cake that could reliably keep me asleep between 3 and 6am is the DREAM Boaty

I’ll PM you the recipes when they arrive pol or post photos if a quick C&P is not possible.

I’ve not watched any kdrama yet today. I listened a great podcast this morning, immediately ordered the book they were discussing (to arrive Weds), then dowloaded the kindle sample so I could make a start. I was so impressed by the sample that I downloaded the whole kindle version. 🤦‍♀️ I order some books in paperback so I can write notes in the margins. I may keep both copies, as I think it will bear repeated reading & sharing. It was the Emma Reed Turrell interview on Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail podcast. My reading hit rate has tailed off dramatically during the pandemic so I’m counting this as a win. 😄

Oh well done 🥔! Stopping a stalker and declaring your love to the back of 👠 head all in one night.

The minxes have arrived. What’s their game?

I must say Sandra Ma and all must have had so much fun filming YAMH. Some of it almost seems improvised, they are always laughing quite naturally.

@boatyardblues

The minxes have arrived. What’s their game?

Crafty feckers Boaty, keep your wits about you.

I notice Mi Ka isn’t buying whatever they are selling, if you know what I mean.

@boatyardblues

I notice Mi Ka isn’t buying whatever they are selling, if you know what I mean.

She's no dozer.

“menopause cake” I am intrigued @boatyardblues please do share the recipe when you get it.
Which book are you reading?

I am trying to pickup reading and reduce my drama watching but it’s not happening .... I was all pumped up after RIABB but failed to keep the pace.

Evening! Hope you've all ate loads of chocolate!
I've been working this weekend so I've not watched much, just the latest Sisyphus with the timey-wimey talc 😂😂😂😂 wtf was that about!?
After this night shift I'm off for nearly 2 weeks so hoping to be able to do lots of drama watching. Whoop!!

Is ep 33 of YAMH going to get past 88% subs? It's been like that all day

Also I'm supposed to be finishing off some boring paperwork stuff at work tonight, before I'm off on leave. But I'm posting on here and looking at pictures of BTS on twitter.
Must stop. Must. Do. Boring. Paperwork!!

That pink flask is capacious!!! In any other universe the room would be flooding around about now.

No Navillera this week? 😕 Easter break perhaps. 🤷‍♀️

The beginning of ep 34 of YAMH is like of those sexed up Navy or Army recruiting ads where they show off all their best kit and most cool activities. I’d like to rain on their parade by pointing out that their ‘four irons’ motto contains six values, not four. Maybe something got lost in translation and the original Chinese words cover two values in one, but this stirred my inner pedant.