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…

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Has anyone watched Forest with Park Hae-jin? It's just caught my eye on Viki.

Betty and I have it a try. The forest was lovely but the acting and story are meh and neither of us finished. Park Hae Jin is so bloody wooden in it too. It very much came across as a PHJ vanity project. He’s lovely to look at swishing around in smart suits and his improbable fire and rescue scenes ‘n’ all but 😴

Gave it a try

Ha. Betty was quicker.

Aah, won't bother then! I was lured in by the actual forest! More time to spend watching something else then! 🤷‍♀️

I think I'm going to get iQIYI and then definitely cancel it after I've watched Oh! My Master 😂😂😂
I should only need another month after the free one.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap there’s quite a few worth watching on iQUIYI so plenty to keep you busy during the run of Oh! Master

I think Forest was one of the biggest disappointments of this thread, the trailers had us all excited and it was derivative rubbish 😠

And Drillmaster is vacuuming... be still my beating heart 💓

@Cassini I've not got to that bit- currently in earthquake disaster rescue- I do want to know how come the nurses still have their pristine nurse hats on? They don't look very practical

Damn. I'll give Forest a miss.

YAMH ep 22 is at 94%. That'll do 👍

I liked that the nurses must wear their hats AT ALL TIMES too Hydrogen .
Just catching up with Sisyphus 9. Grim but delighted to get a bit of Control Bureau boys grumbling in the toilet.

@Rowdythree

Aah, won't bother then! I was lured in by the actual forest! More time to spend watching something else then! 🤷‍♀️

The actual forest was the best thing about it. If they cut all the humans out of it and made a showreel of the clear mountain streams and sun-dappled greenery, I’d be right there like a shot.

Sounds perfect Boaty

I just remembered Joseon Exorcist is out today! Subs only 35% at the mo so I'll wait until tomorrow to start that 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟 can't wait!

Brain sashimi? Waaaaah!!! Somehow it is worse second time around. 😆

@Rowdythree

Sounds perfect Boaty

I just remembered Joseon Exorcist is out today! Subs only 35% at the mo so I'll wait until tomorrow to start that 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟 can't wait!

YESS!!

Right! I'm upto date on YAMH now!... What am I going to do for the next three days?!... 😱😖

@Rowdythree

Sounds perfect Boaty

I just remembered Joseon Exorcist is out today! Subs only 35% at the mo so I'll wait until tomorrow to start that 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟 can't wait!

Wahey! Think I've found the answer!! 😁😁😁

I love Nokdu!!... He'll always be Nokdu in my head!! 👍🥰

I love Nokdu too! He'll always be Nokdu to me too 😊

Right I've finished Deutchland 89
I too have FOMO re YAMH so I'm starting that now, and I'm v excited about Joseon Exorcist 😁

I've started My Love From the Star, very different from how I thought it would be, enjoying it though.

Oh my word. I’ve just spotted 2FL’s purple ankle socks/lilac stiletto combo teamed with ripped denim short-shorts in YAMH ep 21. That’s quite the bold fashion statement, although she kind of pulls it off.

This cabin break is disappointingly sober. By now in your average kdrama, half of them would be messy-drunk and there would be plot-advancing romantic shenanigans. With the volume of fizzy peach water this lot are quaffing they must be popping to the loo in relay. And there are no shenanigans (so far). I have to go to bed soon.

Aha! Truth or dare. I’ll give it 10 minutes.

I'm soooo excited for this! It's been in the works for ages!!
Please be good! Please be good! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏