MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #35): Autumn - season of mists, mellow fruitfulness and Woolly Wookiee oppa

[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, AppleTV and Disney+. There are also platforms streaming content illegally if you go looking. We don’t promote them as they are peppered with pop-ups of “Olga” and friends offering a good time, but we can point you in the right direction. We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when.

The previous thread is here but our list 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. Writer/actor Simon Pegg referred to it fondly as “tonal chaos” - it’s part of kdrama’s charm. View the categories below as best approximate & ask if you need guidance about suitability for younger viewers.

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 Name (Netflix)
My Secret Terrius (Netflix)🌟
Signal (Netflix)🌟
Snowdrop (Disney+)
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/Netflix)🌟
Mr Queen (Viki)🌟
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Pachinko (AppleTV)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)🌟
The King’s Affection (Netflix)
The Red Sleeve (Viki)🌟

Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (Netflix)
Business Proposal (Netflix)
Coffee Prince (Netflix)
Dali & the Cocky Prince (Viki)
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)
Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Viki)🌟
Love from a Star (Netflix)🌟
Lovestruck in the City (Netflix)
Monthly Magazine Home (Viki)
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)
Twenty-five Twenty-one (Netflix)🌟
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)
Yumi’s Cells (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)
Doom At Your Service (Viki)
Fight For My Way (Viki/Netflix)🌟
Go Back Couple (Viki)/Couple on the Backtrack (Netflix)
I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Nice (Viki)
It’s OK Not To Be OK (Netflix)
Just Between Lovers (Viki)/Rain or Shine (Netflix)🌟
Mad For Each Other (Netflix)🌟
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, Netflix)🌟

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)🌟
Hospital Playlist 2 (Netflix)🌟
Into The Ring (Viki)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
Live (Netflix)
Misaeng (Netflix)🌟
My Liberation Notes🌟
Move to Heaven (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)🌟
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)🌟
Navillera (Netflix)🌟
Prison Playbook (Netflix)🌟
On The Verge of Insanity (Viki)
Once Again (Viki)
Our Blues (Netflix)🌟
Stove League (Viki)/Hot Stove League (Netflix)
Racket Boys (Netflix)
Would You Like a Cup of Coffee (Viki)*🌟

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier
Alchemy of Souls (Netflix) 🌟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
#Alive (Netflix)
Black (Netflix)🌟
Happiness* (Viki)
Hotel del Luna (Viki/Netflix)🌟
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)🌟
Kingdom: Ashin of the North (Netflix)
Mystic Pop-up Bar (Netflix)
Peninsula - film, Train to Busan sequel (Amazon Prime, iMovies)
Sisyphus (Netflix)
The Guest (Netflix)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

W: Two Worlds (Viki & Netflix)🌟
Zombie Detective (Viki/Netflix)

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 ‘You May Also Like’
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)
In House Marriage Honey (Viki, Japanese)
In Time With You (Viki - Japanese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki, Chinese)
Lost Romance (Viki, Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki, Chinese)
Million Yen Women (Netflix, Japanese)
Morning Call (Netflix, Japanese)
My Little Happiness (Viki, Chinese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix, Chinese)
Rinko Wants To Try (Viki)
Some Day or One Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
Sweat and Soap (Viki, Japanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
To Fly with Me (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)
You Are My Hero (Viki, Chinese)*

AVOID aka “the shit list” 💩

Melting Me Softly
The Birth of a Beauty
Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine & stands alone)

Posters’ Top Scoring 2021 Dramas
Courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

1. The Red Sleeve - 10
2. Happiness - 9
3. Devil Judge - 8.75
4. Squid Game - 8.63
5. Navillera - 8.57

2020’s top scoring dramas
1 - Mr Queen - 9.4
2 - Parasite - 9.05
3 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88
4 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50
5 - Once Again - 8.42

2019’s top scoring dramas

1. Her Private Life - 9.40
2. Melo is My Nature - 9.00

3.= Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75

1. Hotel del Luna - 8.50

5.= Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17

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. 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 sometimes resort to acronyms and/or abbreviations of show titles or favourite actors’ names. 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 can recommend Tablo’s Fever’s End parts 1 & 2 EPs. I plugged them on the previous thread because they are incredibly layered and interesting.

Setting out to attempt to cross London in a train strike. Think I’ve got everything I need ….
Cake wrapped kdrama style ✔️
oyster ✔️
headphones ✔️
kopiko for boundless energy & vim ✔️

All you need is an Oppa's shoulder to rest on and share the headphones with Bettys 😍

@bettys I like your style 😁

Fascinating lesson today that ties in perfectly with our recent discussions about collective thinking in Korean society - language geek alert.

Apparently the word for 'our', 우리 (uri) comes from the Korean for 'within the fence'. And even now people still use it instead of 'mine', 제/내 (jeh/nae - formal/informal) if the thing they're referring to can by any stretch of the imagination be seen as belonging to a collective group. So, 'my teacher' is 우리 선생님 (uri seonsaengnim) because you're speaking as part of a collective unit, a school. You even say 우리 남편 (uri nampyeon) for 'my husband', as you're speaking as part of a wider family. (Same applies to stuff like house, cat, so it's not just people.) But you'd say 제 책 (jeh chaek) for 'my book' if it's specifically yours.

Wish me luck with homework this week 😂

@Saram13 that's interesting about using our in Korean. I'd noticed it a bit in my Duolingo lessons but thought it was linked to someone being a close relative, like calling your sibling "our kid" (if you are Mancunian)

Absolutely!

TheGirl hope you’re feeling a lot better.

Saram yes, Seonsaengnim told me that it’s usually ‘our’ but often pronouns aren’t used at all. I find that aspect of Korean quite difficult.
Also all the different names for family members. I’ve been asked to describe my family and so far all I’ve written is that I agree with everything my daughter-in-law says (whether I do or don’t) though the bit in brackets is beyond my Korean.

Andante, hardly using pronouns - that could explain why the subs so often use the wrong gender in their pronouns.

I had lunch at Olle today with my friend. The kimchi jjigae was top notch and very flavoursome but fiercely hot. I thought I was heavy handed with the gochugan, but this was next level hot. 🔥🔥🔥 It took me ages to eat it. The seafood pajeon was good too. We did not see any Korean celebs, though our table position wasn’t optimal for celeb spotting.

Yes. Also remembering the polite form of address. Our guide introduces himself as Alex to Western tourists as its just easier for everyone.
I must ask my teacher next week when one puts nim and when one puts sshi after someone’s name or job title.

Good work Boaty! Did you Hallyu exhibition as well?
^Little Women such absolute NONSENSE today that I was hooting. But also totally* gripped. Excellent bra underwire cameo.

Sadly no oppas for me today, but I did like the kopiko 😂

Very interesting about the use of uri-we. It’s one of the words I reliably recognise, usually beginning a sentence like ‘Uri……..should break-up/date/go to Jeju/have some soju’

Korea’s economic outlook

This was in Quora’s “Beyond Kimchi and K-pop” space.
Q has spaces on people, culture, food, language and even Kdramas!

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap Yes I'd also wondered how it compared to regional use of 'our' in British English. Same idea, different context/emphasis I guess.

@Andante57 Our current chapter is also family relationships. Complicated vocab 😯

@MigsandTiggs and others: thanks for all the interesting links. All get read and passed on to class chingus here 😊

Hearing about your London activities @boatyardblues , @bettys , @polkettle and others, am fervently hoping I get over later this month as planned and that nothing beginning with C and ending in D (or anything else for that matter) gets in the way 😬 I usually see my hometown chingus several times a year, but this will be the first trip since Feb 2020 😱 And we have lots of fun Korean stuff lined up 😃

Little Women and the vets both landing here later this month 🤩

No Hallyu today. I’m going with my family at half term. Under sufferance.

I can't watch Little Women until I get home tomorrow. I am desperate to catch up but it’s not v sociable.

I'm in the middle of watching the 2010 film I saw the Devil, bloody hell it's terrifying 😱

Post film review of I saw the Devil with Lee Byung Hun - it is an extremely violent and graphic murder plot where there is no good guy. I think the ML is supposed to be the good guy as he goes about getting revenge for the murder of his fiancée, but he is not. He just causes more deaths and violence as he goes about his revenge.

However, despite me nearly 💩 myself, it was a very well made film with lots of familiar faces in the cast. It's not for the faint hearted but is a gripping watch. It even manages a couple of moments of humour in the darkness of it all.

I'm not sure I'll sleep well tonight...😬

Just finished ep 5 of Little Women. It's getting a little confusing and I'm not even drinking wine. Why would you take a beating like that without first asking your billionaire great aunt for the money? If the blue orchid is so potent how come the politician's wife isn't affected when she visits the tree??How many packets of Kopiko??? 🤣

Hush Aesops hush... There's no point trying to apply logic to Little Women. Luckily it will just throw in another outrageous twist at any point you start to say "But..." so you just go "Ooh!" instead.

If the blue orchid is so potent how come the politician's wife isn't affected when she visits the tree??

A question I ask myself every time there is a scene in that room. Why aren’t they wearing hazmat breathing equipment?

Morning campers. Was "out out" for a while yesterday evening and then caught up on the dancing show so no kdrama catch ups for me yesterday 😔

Today is the day!

The blue orchid thing in Little Women is driving me bonkers as well. I'm a stickler for logic 🤣

Also why is the oldest sister so gormless? I am hoping it's all for show and she's going to turn out to be an evil genius badass who's played them all. Doubtful though.

Ok I'm on episode 7 now and it's starting to come together 👍

This is great (especially as DS is a Leeds fan who are decidedly not in their own Leeds era)
m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220929000831