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!

www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/LanguageCentre/ forgot link

There's Korean courses too! £88 very reasonable for 10 weeks

www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/LanguageCentre/LanguageCoursesOctober2022/

It might look very similar to last year's advent calendar! 😆

Well done on doing your class Briiiiick! I need to sign up for the new term, I'm going back to the beginning as it's been a while since I did any studying.

I'm really enjoying Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung, so far it's very sweet and very easy to watch.

I feel like Kang Tae Ho may have earned a spot this year, though obvs not in FedUp’s filthy throwdown version. And that footy fella in his undercrackers.

I'm sure there will be a few new entries in the calendar!

Ooh is Son allowed in, we're not restricted to actors? That gives us many more options 🙌

Those courses look good Fed Up!

All Oppas Welcome?

On episode 7 and as predicted Oh my Boss! Love not included is slipping right down. Recommend for anyone wanting a kwaiii JDrama time. Fashion magazine setting is a bit like She Was Pretty.

I love the Wailing protest in Rookie Historian and I'm wondering how I can use it in real life, chanting aigoo aigoo over and over again might be a useful tool to get the kids doing some chores 😆

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Chyy_6zrMfz/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

SSK waiting for me in the sex shed.

Omo UNNECESSARY WOODWORKING KLAXON 🚨
Thank you FedUp and is your sex shed a timeshare because I am interested in a very long lease? Send me the brochure and sign me up for the presentation seminar.

The story of that ad seems to be SSK whittles himself a canoe but it's clearly a failure because we then see him using an inflatable one and also he's had to downsize from giant shed to tiny one, presumably burning his hand built but ultimately useless canoes to keep warm and starting on the path to lonely alcoholism.

I smell a fanfic!

Washington post is looking for women (from black ethnic background) who watches Kdramas.

Link

A very delated thanks for the new thread @boatyardblues😀

I'd clocked that series too @Bea, looks distinctly promising! Heard Seoul Vibe was a bit disappointing, anyone here have a strong opinion either way?

@FedUpWithBriiiiick course sounds great! I'm starting the next level of Korean tomorrow, with most of the same people as before. Really looking forward to it! Reviewing last term's content, a fair amount seems to have stuck, but 😬

I'm really looking forward to the oppa advent calendar too. If nothing else because I still struggle to identify many actors (am confident on about 6 or 7 only 😂). This has nothing to do with Yoongi tunnel vision.

There's been a couple of Korean cinema events locally this week, to mark the release of Decision to Leave. I finally saw Oldboy - just astounding and overwhelming in all senses, good and bad (mainly good), I can't believe I've only just seen it 😩I also spotted The Wailing, which someone on here flagged a few threads back (apologies, can't remember who). Deeply creepy, totally nuts, very funny in places, heart-rending too, full of the tonal shifts I love in K-drama. Big thumbs up from me. As for Decision to Leave itself...I was a bit underwhelmed. It reminded me of Drive My Car in many ways, although it was distinctly more left-of-field, with some Oldboy worthy shots.

Ooh look! If a full Woolly Wookie still a bit much given early autumn warmth you can get a half and half Wookie to tide you through the change in seasons.
Jealous of your Korean cinema binge Saram. I really want to see Broker and also Alienoid but can't find anywhere showing either.

I take it all back. JCW has still got it.

I haven’t watched a single minute of kdrama all week. We’ve been away. I’m due home tomorrow and I can’t wait.

Now you see @polkettle that's what I mean. I thought that was him off MLN but it's not 🙈 (MLN guy is Lee Min-ki apparently, not that I'm any the wiser). I am so turning into my mother. I just can't remember the names. I worked with flashcards initially to learn Hangul. Maybe there's a gap in the market for the same idea, but with South Korean actors? 🤔(No jokes about flashing, please.)

Most of the films in the festival were more 'mainstream' (e.g. Parasite, The Handmaiden and Train to Busan, which is on TV here quite regularly) so that allowed me to focus on the more unusual ones. I'd like to see House of Hummingbird, will see if I can squash it in before it ends. There's also Stoker and Snowpiercer (English-language Park Chan-wook films), neither of which I'd heard of. Both look a bit bonkers.

You need to put a warning on this Fedup I was on my teabreak at work and opened it. I came over all hot. I showed one of my colleagues and told her this is why I watch kdramas 😂

boatyardblues Oh yes he has.

CEO Han in Lullaby (Webtoons, manhwa) has freakishly long fingers in today’s episode. I need him to come round and run his finger along the skirting boards by my dresser. I can’t even get my crevice tool down the gap.

You might have to write it FedUp, I've just checked AO3 and I don't think it exists yet! Also there are only 36 fics based on My Liberation Notes 🧐

I'll leave the fanfic to our resident pervert bard: Polkettle

Oooh err mrs

I bet they're all FILTHY though.

Finished my first BL today, Semantic Error, which was mentioned here some time ago. Absolutely loved it! It's the equivalent of watching baby otters/kittens/puppies/goats in pjs. I was making "ahhhh" sounds and smiling all the way through.
Which brings me to the Advent calendar; can I nominate all 193cm of the ML
Park Seo Ham