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 tried watching more of #Alive but had to exit after 10 mins. Bloody zombies!

Oh this looks quite fun! So I Married The Anti-Fan www.viki.com/tv/37777c-so-i-married-the-anti-fan

@FedUpWithBriiiiick thanks for the list! Will definitely take a look.

Today I've been watching "marriage contract" which sounds cheesy and the plotline sounds equally cheesy but is actually really quite good mostly because of the main actors and in particular the child actress playing the FLs daughter- she's amazing! Very funny and good at deadpanning. The ML is a bit older than your average ML but has a very nice dimply smile and a lovely voice- I wouldn't say it's make my top 5 but whiled away the afternoon nicely!

Think In Time With You (Japanese version) may be making me shout "Nooooo!" more than any other drama to date. Heads need clouting and my finger is out and wagging. Must breathe. All will be well after another 4 hours viewing.

I'm making a start on Another Miss Oh. Got my favourite ajumma Kim Mi-kyung and Ye Ji-won yes!

Another Miss Oh is great. A real comedy of errors and nicely done.

I really liked another miss Oh and Kim Mi-kyung is fab! I really like the mother/daughter relationship in that one - especially the dancing 😁

I've started Law School this afternoon in finding it quite gripping but rather confusing! The time line keeps jumping around.

I think Kim Myung Min should go on the 'age appropriate Oppas' list though 👍

My heart just broke and my eyes leaked a lot watching episode 8 of Navillera 💔😢

I’m glad a few of you have caught up with Navillera. Perhaps we can have a support group this week to hand around the tissues. 🙏 🙂

Support definitely needed, and tissues at the ready 🤧😢

Bea mentioning Mouse reminded me I had fallen behind. Catching up now. I was saying to DH “I can’t believe they let you have a caged bird in hospital in SK...” DH: “They do if it’s needed to advance the plot!” 😆😱 Nooooooo!

I’ve been holding off catching up with Navillera until reports of a more uplifting episode as I’m not in the mood for leaky eyes...have discovered a vein of low-stakes BL Thai drama as am in an ambling along frame of mind, and may well follow up with a refresher of The Package as won’t be getting to France any time soon....

I feel that Navillera will be a sob-fest from here in.

I think that the family will swing into action in Navillera and things will be less tricky and more supportive. I also have high hopes for Chae-Rok and the sparky granddaughter. They’d make a cute couple. 🤞

I think Navillera is quite cathartic sort of sobfest because there is such warmth and gentleness in its handling of its subject. But yes - never mind loo roll- time to stockpile the Kleenex.
Just finished Japanese In Time With You and pleased to have endured through its agonising shout at the screen bits to make the pay off extra sweet. Recommend.

Definitely need to watch Navilera- maybe once it's past the sob-fest!

Finished marriage contract today- definitely a tear jerker but despite the rather makjang plot I think the acting and the relationships between the female characters especially the friends and mother and daughter saved it from being just over the top ridiculous-lota of quiet moments that were really well done and lots of emotion expressed through actions and expressions and stillness. It would have been easy to make it over the top emotional with no lighter moments - I think that's one of the things I like about kdramas - they often seem like it's going to be one sort of drama but actually it's got bits of other genres all mixed in

I’d pay good money for a decent frothy contract marriage series right now. I was thinking about this yesterday. The western equivalent is usually about inebriated but consensual tying of the knot and then the fun of unpicking it. The closest I could get was Green Card which is yonks old.

Anyone else get the Seaborn ad at the side of the thread? (armstreet.com I think it's American) Totally random ad for medieval style clothes for when you want to stroll on a deserted beach at dawn looking for Kevin Costner.....who knew? Their algorithm must up the spout ....unless it's clocked me watching The Long Ballad

@polkettle

I think Navillera is quite cathartic sort of sobfest because there is such warmth and gentleness in its handling of its subject. But yes - never mind loo roll- time to stockpile the Kleenex. Just finished Japanese In Time With You and pleased to have endured through its agonising shout at the screen bits to make the pay off extra sweet. Recommend.

Thanks for the reccy, Pol. You know I love a J-drama!

@boatyardblues

I’d pay good money for a decent frothy contract marriage series right now. I was thinking about this yesterday. The western equivalent is usually about inebriated but consensual tying of the knot and then the fun of unpicking it. The closest I could get was Green Card which is yonks old.

I love a contact marriage drama, but I think we've seen their demise. That new "forced cohabitation" one coming up on Viki (with 2FL from Run On) looks decent.

Like pol says, Navillera is done in such a beautiful and warm way, it is sobfest, but in a lovely way! I can't wait for the next episode! Even DH has been drawn into watching this one with me and was getting a bit emosh watching it too

Just watched ep 12 of Sisyphus, still finding it good fun, but confusing. I was pondering tonight where Soe Hae had got her post apocalypse wardrobe from, as she was a child when it all happened! 🤔😁

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I feel that Navillera will be a sob-fest from here in.

But in a lovely lovely way.

Green Card ! Crikey haven't seen that in ages but I remember Gérard Dépardieu playing the piano

boaty Love In Time Cdrama on Viki is a contract marriage drama which is light and fluffy (and almost exactly the same plot as Love Designer but who cares)

I love a contact marriage drama, but I think we've seen their demise. That new "forced cohabitation" one coming up on Viki (with 2FL from Run On) looks decent.

I think you could be right about contract marriage dramas having had their day, sadly. I was looking up the Run On 2FL. She has been dating actor Jung Kyung Ho since 2012. Omo!