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…

Thank you ladies for providing exact time stamp and screen shots.
I am envious of his wardrobe space, I also want my knitwear hanged up neatly (with hangers 2cm apart).

I have to say I'm not sure a hanger is the best way to store a heavy knit though 🤔. They're going to stretch out the shoulders. But pulling open a drawer of Marie Kondo folding and tissue paper would not have the swoon impact.

I've got to say Jasper Liu is a very generous Instagrammer. He's in some beautiful location at the moment. If anyone can look at his story and identify where that cable car is I'd be interested...
(shouts downstairs "No, I AM working")

I love Dimples’s IG feed - that is one scary AF cable car ride! 😱
(Yes ok I’ll get on with the shopping IN A MINUTE!)

Nigella’s recipe of the day is Korean Qeema I wonder if she is binge watching Kdramas and getting inspiration from all the yummy food.

www.nigella.com/recipes/korean-keema

@polkettle

I've got to say Jasper Liu is a very generous Instagrammer. He's in some beautiful location at the moment. If anyone can look at his story and identify where that cable car is I'd be interested... (shouts downstairs "No, I AM working")

Doesn’t look like this - it’s in Germany & he can’t be travelling there. Unless soecual covid rules for filing etc

I should be working rather then looking for cable cars.

That looks nice, I wonder if it would work with veggie mince? 🤔 I need to do another order from the Korean supermarket, I've ran out of gochujang (and soju 😁)

@Rowdythree

That looks nice, I wonder if it would work with veggie mince? 🤔 I need to do another order from the Korean supermarket, I've ran out of gochujang (and soju 😁)

It will work perfectly with the veggie mince. You might need to add more seasoning & herbs as mince it self is not strong flavoured. But Turkey mince is bland compared to beef or lamb so these quantities should be fine. If you want it for tonight’s dinner then perhaps quick dash to the Morrisons for gochujang?

@polkettle I reckon it's somewhere in China

I didn't realise they sold it in Morrisons Jin, thanks!

gochujang sold in my local sainsburys as well!

It's very soothing watching virtual cable car rides rather than actually being on them. Thank you!
I'm sure you're right and it's Chinese. Was trying to work out if it was crossing terrifying quarry but think it's crossing equally terrifying melted glacier.
Gochujang everywhere since Nigella used it on the telly.

I will pop to the shops this afternoon and try Nigella's recipe tonight! 👍 I was not aware of the popularity of gochujang, that's good to know!

@Rowdythree haven't seen miss oh. But for goblin and IONTBO,hmmm. I would say OKntbOK was more enjoyable in the moment, but goblin has stayed with me much more and has more depth. They're both great.

New c-drama started on Viki She is the one. Anyone watching? Only 3 episodes aired so far. Might get stuck into it 👍

FedUp I have bookmarked it, no subs yet though. Hoping it'll be my YAMH replacement

@bettys

FedUp I have bookmarked it, no subs yet though. Hoping it'll be my YAMH replacement

I just noticed the lack of subs when bookmarking too! One to keep an eye on 👍

Watching Taiwanese chef drama A Perfect Match. High tension over replacing some broken organic eggs for the signature custard in time for the VIP banquet...
Dimples now has his top off in the hot tub over on IG #jussayin'

My hand reached out for my phone then before I’d even finished reading that sentence.....

Well I couldn't get any gochujang in my local Morrisons, so Nigella will have to wait!

I've just had my covid vaccine so that's me firmly ensconced on the sofa for the rest of the day. I'm going to start Goblin 👀

Pol - do you ever sleep? Your drama-viewing rate is astonishing. If we hadn’t seen you in your Hyun Bin mask waaaaaaay back, I’d swear you were the lady AI version of My Holo Love. 😆

Damn. I feel like I didn’t leverage my COVID vaccine appropriately. I stupidly went to work as normal and felt like lightly warmed death all day.

Boaty I think the real question is do I ever work? And the honest answer to that recently has been nottalot. Combination of pandemic brain and nature of my work. Hoping to regain some balance in that area in coming weeks... But at least drama watching and these sorts of delightful nonsense chats have kept me more or less sane through the creative drought 😉
And at least I haven't watched My Holo Love! Yet 😆

@polkettle

Boaty I think the real question is do I ever work? And the honest answer to that recently has been nottalot. Combination of pandemic brain and nature of my work. Hoping to regain some balance in that area in coming weeks... But at least drama watching and these sorts of delightful nonsense chats have kept me more or less sane through the creative drought 😉 And at least I haven't watched My Holo Love! Yet 😆

Here here Pol! I've been very unproductive in work, but as we say in NI, sure the craic is ninety on this thread!

sure the craic is ninety on this thread!

Agreed!