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…

The neurosurgery friend is getting on my nerves though!

Frenemy more like. She’s a simmering stew of passive-aggressive fury.

I liked the jacket too Fedup Still not seen him wear the same pair of PJs twice. I want a glimpse of his walk in silk wardrobe. Drama is going to be annoyingly full of meddling schemers I think.

Shall we take bets not on if but which episode Frenemy tries to take the lovely Dr Mi down???

I think it might be one of the few times that the nuance of language is lost in translation but I can't tell if Chief Shao is romantically interested in Dr Mi or if he is just a mentor and sees his younger self in her?

Ps he should definitely go on the Age Appropriate Oppa list 😊

I think it might be one of the few times that the nuance of language is lost in translation but I can't tell if Chief Shao is romantically interested in Dr Mi or if he is just a mentor and sees his younger self in her?

Same, although now I’m caught up I think it may be because he reminds her of his first love.

Ps he should definitely go on the Age Appropriate Oppa list

For sure, but it would still be a noona romance in my case.

@boatyardblues 😆😆😆

@boatyardblues

The neurosurgery friend is getting on my nerves though!

Frenemy more like. She’s a simmering stew of passive-aggressive fury.

Dr Sulky deffo needs a good slapping!! 😡

I read also wondering if Chief Shao had feelings towards Mi Ka or if he just sees her potential as a Dr.

I think someone else said it but it keeps reminding me of DFTS, there are lots of similarities.

I'm on ep 12 now, just entering the earthquake disaster zone

She's not getting no KFC breakfast from me.
Watching CDramas has brought the revelation that I have been using cushions wrong all my life in assuming they were for leaning on when in fact they're for placing on your lap to cover your thighs.

@Rowdythree

I read also wondering if Chief Shao had feelings towards Mi Ka or if he just sees her potential as a Dr.

I think someone else said it but it keeps reminding me of DFTS, there are lots of similarities.

I'm on ep 12 now, just entering the earthquake disaster zone

Big similarities with My Little Happiness too! Chinese government must have put out a directive to make medical/disaster dramas to encourage the people 🇨🇳

I am on ep9 of YAMH - I have a free Viki account so it only releases 2 episodes daily, which keeps binge watching under control.
I am back to ep8 of SITR (dad finds out, mother & friend in next ep), I can’t help myself 😆 I watch one episode every few days, despite knowing it’s waste of time & ML is little too obsessive 🚩

@boatyardblues there is an American doctor, he reviews medical dramas on YouTube. He critically looks at CPR techniques. He does American shows but he has done a short clip on Hospital Playlist & was very impressed with the opening scene CPR

I was interested by the subtext (not so sub in fact) that My Little Happiness had about becoming a doctor or lawyer not being popular enough career choices for China's brightest elite. There was a definite "you/they don't have to go into business - this might be better for you/your kid's soul because look how lovely it will be and they can still get a nice flat/tall husband" thing going on.

Have spent my lunchtime at the Korean Cultural Centre literary talk. Highly recommend these stories (although definitely not 🐝 friendly)

Are they written in English or Korean pol? I was just looking for some Korean short stories to help with my learning

just spent an hour and a half watching a live Broadcast BTS on Variety Show! (their first in a couple of years!!!!)... with no subs... it must be love!!! 💜😍... or obsession!....

@polkettle

Have spent my lunchtime at the Korean Cultural Centre literary talk. Highly recommend these stories (although definitely not 🐝 friendly)

😲 .... only 🐝 friendly endings in this house!!!!! 👏 bravo to your commitment!!!!

This is the English translation Rowdy but you could get the Korean edition I guess! Written 20 years ago but only translated now, dark and twisty woman-centric stories which pack a punch.

Sounds good pol! Might be a bit above my level in Korean!

@polkettle

This is the English translation Rowdy but you could get the Korean edition I guess! Written 20 years ago but only translated now, dark and twisty woman-centric stories which pack a punch.

That sounds like a cracking read, Pol. I will add it to my growing list. 😄

@Bea I have seen a few clips and translations of the variety show on Twitter. I'm stuck in work so can't watch properly. I will definitely watch later! It sounds v v emotional! And the ARMY dancing was amazing!!!

Chief Shao looking a little bit like Austin Powers in his flashbacks and when Xing Kelei is in his civvies he looks the front man of an indie band

First episode of Oh! Master is up on iQUIYI

Fairly standard set-up so far except for one bit that I wasn't expecting and I don't know how that is going to come in to play Also not sure why the mother is forcing the sale of the house.

[quote TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]@Bea I have seen a few clips and translations of the variety show on Twitter. I'm stuck in work so can't watch properly. I will definitely watch later! It sounds v v emotional! And the ARMY dancing was amazing!!![/quote]
Mic Drop Army is fab! She's hilarious! And their reaction when she threw them the finger heart! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Eng subs up on the 26th... It was lovely and I love hearing then talk about their rookie days... They were sooo young and homesick! 😭
Yoongi said some lovely things about wanting to always be on the stage!
🥰🥰🥰💜.. It was lovely! 💜🥰💜🥰

I'm heading into the Joseon era for a bit of excorcising this evening!... I'll have my holy water at the ready! 😱🙏
Been watching Vincenzo and I do find the gangster / mafia deadly serious gruesomeness at odds with the flippant comedy of the building...😖 I like it but I could get quite tired if it... I know kdrama flips around with its genres... But this one is too jarring. 😳
Also read on Soompi... (the font of all knowledge) that they're going to re film the first 6 eps of River Moon with new ML... I'm enjoying the story but the change in lead... I can't quite used to it... New ML (2 ml in Mr Queen) makes me think he just walked off the street... Put on a wig and told to act... And physically... He's too big... I think its because I got used to jisoo as that character who's a completely different build!... I'll keep watching though as its a good story!... Though 2 ml character General Go is irking me with his relentless pursuit of the Princess!... GIVE IT UP! SHE DOESN'T LIKE YOU!! SHE LIKES ON DAL... 😤🥱🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️... YOU LOSER!! 😫

Bea!! 😂😂

Joseon Exorcist is taking a break for a week due to the controversy over Chinese props ... so you may want to wait before you start! 😕