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…

In any case, I doubt BTS boys will be on the front line of the DMZ. 😂

Did you see Youn Yuh-Jung's acceptance speech for her BAFTA yesterday? Very funny! www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bafta-minari-yuh-jung-youn-b1829862.html%3famp

I read about the law being changed for BTS to defer their military service too. I think they've been so important in bringing tourists and attention to South Korea that they're regarded as a huge asset.

I'm looking forward to My Love From The Star after reading everyone's comments.

@bettys & @Rowdythree I agree with HTB30- started off enjoying it but why is she so wet now? She needs to tell the ML to get a backbone and shove off, tell the ex-gf to grow up and she can keep him thanks very much and go hang out with the director drinking beer in the launderette. Urgh, I sincerely hope she doesn't end up with the ML!

@sakura06

Did you see Youn Yuh-Jung's acceptance speech for her BAFTA yesterday? Very funny! www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bafta-minari-yuh-jung-youn-b1829862.html%3famp

I read about the law being changed for BTS to defer their military service too. I think they've been so important in bringing tourists and attention to South Korea that they're regarded as a huge asset.

I'm looking forward to My Love From The Star after reading everyone's comments.

Hahaha ... that speech is awesome.

Watched the short anime Way of the Househusband on Netflix there (another productive Monday )

Enjoyable nonsense ^^

I like Li Xian’s sense of humour - screenshot with the IG translation from the original Chinese. It’s probably even funnier in Chinese but I still chuckled.

Mr Lixian 😍

@bettys

Mr Lixian 😍

Yum yum

Oh god! You don't want to get into the whole military enlistment debacle! It's all very very touchy! Basically... Bts have never asked to be exempt... Have always said they will be proud to do their duty when called... However other agencies are always stirring it! Basically....see screenshot!

@JinBhoot... Oh dear..
This is how it starts... A bit of googling... The odd video... And next thing you know... Staying up all night to watch performances... Whole weekends gone for concerts... Merch bought left right and centre paying ridiculous custom fees... ARMY membership... Bangtan Universe theories... VLives... Run episodes... Soundcloud treasures!... Festas!.. Musters.. Photocards...Bangtan Bombs!...streaming parties! YouTube records (dynamite has just achieved 1 billion views!) soooo much content! Almost 8 years worth! And history! It reads like a full on drama! It's hilarious... And lovely and so full of joy! It's exhausting!!... Enjoy!! 💜💜💜💜💜😂

... Aaaannnd.... The lyrics!! The lyrics are gorgeous and beautiful and just 👌😭💜

@Bea me and DH were discussing when we should do some decorating. It got a bit tense when he didn't think watching BangBangCon was a good enough reason not to do it on Saturday 😅.... We are going to do it on Sunday

Oh my God. Navillera is killing me tonight. 😭 It’s frigging lovely, but I’m not sure how much more my heartstrings can take.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap... 😱😱... You have been called for duty!! Of course you have to attend!!
BTS Begins - so looking forward to this one! Have only seen clips! Born Singer is 😍... And the sentiment of the song makes me 😭😭😭😭
5th Muster Busan is epic! Vocal and Rap line swapping roles in DDAENG!!.?... Miss this one??!... Never!
Speak Yourself Sao Paulo! The fan chants are 😱😱😱😱👍👍👍👍...
Decorating.? Pah! Dh knows I'm Bangtanning on sat! Do not disturb!! 💜

Thanks for the backup Bea 😁🙏

Thanks you lovelies, I know I can find answers here. Fountain of K-knowledge.

Final ep of HTB30 :

The good:
Lovely director guy
Lovely flopsy haired guy wearing his hair Shih Tzu stylie

The bad:
Everything else was pppffftt! It's a good job it was so short I would have been cross if it had been normal length & I'd stuck through it. And the bar-owner's storyline just disPPEARED.

@bettys it was such a disappointment! Lovely floppy haired guy was the best bit, I liked the director too. It felt like there was a lot of the story left out, bah!

Just dropping in to say that too Bettys What was with all the apologising? Exgirlfriend was a psycho and it was the bloke that behaved badly. They should have knifed him together because a nice murder would have thrown something new in.

What was with all the apologising? Exgirlfriend was a psycho and it was the bloke that behaved badly

Exactly! Even if they were trying to say FL had grown up and didn't want psycho gf to suffer from the break-up like she had with the guy that called her a dog it still let her off the hook totally. And all that saying she knew......she didn't when it started! It was ML that was devious in not saying he was seeing someone

Sounds like I dodged a slow bullet from recent posts.

It’s great that it’s so long since I watched Chicago Typewriter. I had forgotten so much of the story that it’s like watching it anew.

@bettys and @polkettle
Just finished HTB30- massive disappointment.
Why did she apologise? She should've teamed up with the ex and gone "psycho bride" on him!
Why did he get away with everything with no come back and get to finish it off all cheerful? What happened to the bar owners plot? Does she like the director or not? It felt like a longer drama which they suddenly realised had to be 2/3 shorter so randomly went through cutting bits out. It seemed to have so much promise at the beginning as well ☹️
I liked fluffy haired bloke, the director and the bit where she bops the ex that called her a dog on the head.
Other than that it was mostly just incredibly frustrated- even more so that some of the middle episodes of run on

Is anyone else watching Navillera as it airs? It’s so beautifully done and Chae-Rok and Mr Sim’s relationship is so lovely, but I’m finding this week’s episodes heartbreaking. 😭😭😭

Waaaaaaahhhhh. 😭

I am Boaty. It's going to be a box of tissues an episode by the end at this rate.

The bathhouse scene was so touching. I was also quite misty eyed when the penny dropped for the blonde hoodlum and he wasn’t an arse about it.