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…

Wild Grass trailer with subs

#subsweats time, lads.

I’ve gone as far as the subs woukd take me. #subsweats

Mi Ka and the captain seem to be working at a completely different dating speed (glacial) compared to her BFF and Shu Wenbo. I predict BFF and Shu Wenbo will be hitched and welcoming their first child before Mi Ka and the captain get to third base. It’s baffling. There’s not enough mixed group messy drunk hoopla in cdrama to advance the physical relationships.

Anyone else like to singalong the translated lyrics with the YAMH theme?
Not only #subsweats but #MiKaunderaduvetstillwearingajumpersweats

@boatyardblues

I’ve gone as far as the subs woukd take me. #subsweats

Mi Ka and the captain seem to be working at a completely different dating speed (glacial) compared to her BFF and Shu Wenbo. I predict BFF and Shu Wenbo will be hitched and welcoming their first child before Mi Ka and the captain get to third base. It’s baffling. There’s not enough mixed group messy drunk hoopla in cdrama to advance the physical relationships.

And yet they are seen as the bastion of dating, the font of all knowledge? I'd sooner ask a nun for relationship advice than those two "low stakes nerd poppets". 😁

What worries me is that Mi Ka is a Doctor 👩‍⚕️ she does actually have a book 📖 with pictures 🤣🤣🤣

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

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.

@fedupwithbriiiiick I'd agree- q lot of the bits between mi ka and the captain just look like two friends having a lot of fun

Catching up YAMH now- on episode 3 and excited to have so many to watch! Can't wait to see how 🥔 finally makes his move, will mi ka ever wear anything more provocative than her beige dungarees?

I'm not getting as much time to watch My Love from A Star as I'd hoped, but am on areound episode 16, he's just tild her he has to leave in a month. Loving it though family think I've gone nuts. What i can't get over though is the low height of the safety rail on their balconies. Keep expecting someone to topple over, freaks me out

What i can't get over though is the low height of the safety rail on their balconies. Keep expecting someone to topple over, freaks me out

This used to get me too. People raise young families in these skyscrapers! 😱

I had the same thought about those balconies Hawthorn 😱

Ep 34 of YAMH was just lovely! 😍 Love Mi Ka and Xing Kelai's relationship! Not sure 👠 can handle 🥔 for the long haul, she might end up spontaneously self combusting with all the rage! Love the way sister Keyao dealt with those scheming minxes 🙌

What an impressive display of police excellency too! 😬😬

I actually don't want this series to end, like polkettle said, I could easily watch another 40 episodes, with only mild ups and downs affecting their lives!

What i can't get over though is the low height of the safety rail on their balconies. Keep expecting someone to topple over, freaks me out

This and the way they never look at the road when driving (always staring at FL) constantly do u-turns and blithely toss their keys to their friends/hoobaes/interns to drive

Anyone watched Ping Pong on iQ? It has Xing Kelai & ML from Addicted in

I love Navillera so much although the preview for tomorrow night’s episode has made me 😡. The relationship between Chae-Rok and Mr Sim is beautiful. I loved the care Mr Sim and his wife extended to Chae-Rok in today’s episode. I am also interested to see how the storyline with Mr Sim’s granddaughter plays out. I wonder what her hidden passion is going to be.

Oh Xing Kelei you big prune. Honestly! 🙄 Now 🥔 "Bobo" has all the moves.

@Rowdythree

I actually don't want this series to end, like polkettle said, I could easily watch another 40 episodes, with only mild ups and downs affecting their lives!

Me too! I love the fact that Xing Kelei and Mi Ka are giving him flirting advice! I do love them as a couple though - there's no tension and no drama (yet- and I don't want there to be) but they look like they're having fun Although I did spot Mi Ka went for something a bit risque in that shirt- although still covers more than 👠 hot pants work combo!

Mi Ka really needs to take that sweater off- it can't be helping her temperature!

I am so frustrated by my inability to stay conscious in the evening at the moment. I kept stirring for noisy bits in YAMH and then nodding off again. I see ring buying but with no context. I’m assuming Shu Wenbo and BFF, but who knows. 🤔 I’ll catch up tomorrow.

Inability to stay awake much past 10 is why you will never need to 👢 this 🍑 but 6am drama watching club is open for ☕ and 🥐

I could now join the 6am shift, but need to get better at taking my airpods to bed with me. 🤦‍♀️ I have discovered that an undemanding podcast at low volume is as effective as a low dose sleeping pill for insomnia.

😁 Episodes of Radio 4 Ramblings administered to the same purpose here. Claire Balding and gentle birdsong an effective kosh.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

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.

i thought this... esp between mi ka and capt swat...they genuinely seem to laugh...!

when they were giving advice to clueless BoBo... it was sooo funny! I love how there's no drama... iykwim!!!... loved how sister declared how much she liked mi ka and sorted out those sulky sisters .... buuut would have liked to see more of the fallout and them getting booted out of the hospital... not enough comeuppance for me!!!! harumph!!!! .. only 2 more eps to go!!!! 😥

Captain BlueBalls dun fucked up the ring situation. Maybe all the blood has drained from his brain to his rifle...

What a mistake a to make a! 🤦‍♀️ I have a feeling Mi Ka is going to say screw you! I'm off to do an internship somewhere far away from you!

There's no stopping 🥔 now though! It just took a bit of time for him to get warmed up!

I missed the point where Shu Wenbo became a potato. What’s the story? (I’ve been nodding off a lot recently so it’s entirely possible I missed a key plot point.)