MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #29): The one where we celebrate our growing community, score the year’s dramas, thank Korean creatives and performers for another year’s happy distraction

[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. 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 lists below are cumulative so include 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)*
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)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)*
The King’s Affection (Netflix)

Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (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)
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)*
Move to Heaven (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)*
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)*
Navillera (Netflix)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Once Again (Viki)
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
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)
Ashin of the North (Netflix)
Black (Netflix)*
Happiness* (Viki)
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)
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)
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)
To Fly with Me (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)
You Are My Hero (Viki, Chinese)*

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID aka “the shit list” 💩

Melting Me Softly
The Birth of a Beauty
Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine & can be viewed without S1)

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020
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. 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

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). 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!

@boatyardbluesthabks for the lovely new thread!
Pigs in blanket tteokbokki was delicious- if anyone is in the Lancs area the restaurant is called kimji - they have one in ramsbottom and one in Preston and the food is so good

Thanks for the new thread Boaty.

Well I have my DD's home now for Christmas and already the house is chaotic which is how I like it!

We have started watching Singles Inferno and it is similar to Love Island I believe however DD1 tells me that it is only similar in that boys have to match with girls to go on dates to a luxury hotel on a paradise island. Apparently the UK version after two episodes would be way more advanced with flirting/kissing and this version is very cute and innocent (so far). I am already hooked👍.

Mr Binn has been a great help tonight, I put him in the doorway on guard whilst we wrapped up the presents. If the kiddos came down and saw him standing there, they'd have gone straight back to bed 😆

That cardboard oppa is such a poppet around the house. Just DM me on Insta if you want any pics to go on his grid but no worries if you're just going to have some private time with him...

Oppa advent day twenty

It's our Chief Hong, cancelled no more - Kim Seon Ho

Lovely pic Rowdy. I’m glad they walked back the cancelling.

Lovely pic for a dreary Monday morning!

Thanks for the new thread Boaty.
I luffs Chief Hong!
We finished Jirisan last night - hmm, the ending was pretty rushed. Also re being alive, wouldn’t FL have been told or found out rather than going to his room? Sorry, I’m trying to avoid spoilers.
Dh loved it but I didn’t think it one of the best.
Secret Terrius next.

Thanks for the new thread Boaty

My favourite Oppa 😊 - 👍🏼 Rowdy

I have started Chocolate. It is sad, tear jerker, little melancholy and anti-festive YET I am enjoying it.

Thank you Boaty for the shiny new thread!

Rowdy I am fond of uncancelled Chief Hong - I hope he manages to get some acting work this year, he really is very good at what he does.

Hydrogen I wish I were closer but sadly I won't get to experience festive tteokbokki anytime soon.

My festive mission is to get the kids into variety shows. I tried them on the The Hungry and The Hairy but apart from liking the look of the food (apparently DS1 wants to eat abalone cooked in butter and garlic yet I can't get him to eat salmon) there were many cries of boredom.

I'm going to try them on Run BTS now, the one where they get sprayed with water at a swimming pool for random infractions of the rules. I think it'll be on their level.

I've finally finished Doctor Stranger, it definitely didn't need to be 20 episodes and I've still got the final episode of Jirisan to watch.

Andante I felt that the final episode of Happiness was rushed too. Its so annoying that they don't finish off, an otherwise good series properly 😕

Rowdy, is it because each episode is written at the last minute and they write it according to feedback?
For example I think I read somewhere that in My Love from The Star, Song-y’s brother proved popular so they wrote in more scenes for him in later episodes.
However that’s not really an excuse for rushed endings.

Talking of Chief Hong being back in the fold,, apparently Seo Yea Ji has also been uncancelled and is in a series coming out next year.
While I think the Korean cancel culture is unfair as so often the accusations aren’t what they seem, they do seem to allow them back in from the cold.
Afaik, that is. Maybe some have been cancelled permanently.

I've just finished Jirisan, I was a bit WTF at the ending

@Rowdythree

I've just finished Jirisan, I was a bit WTF at the ending

It did stretch credibility to the max but it also made me happy. What can I say?

I wasn't unhappy about it, but I wanted answers to the many questions the ending raised... Like was there a miracle on Jirisan?!

I thought Happiness could have done with an extra episode to answer some questions, and Jirisan feels the same.

It feels very unKdrama to have so many questions. Usually it’s Marie Kondo-style tidy and no loose ends. Tut.

Back to To Fly with Me, how can the ML have a whole vivarium filled with pristine white hamsters and there no carnage? We had two Chinese dwarves and had to separate them before one of them killed the other. It’s absolute bollocks that they are friendly.

And why is singles figure skating not being considered as an option?

You're sharp as an ice skate there Boaty 😉
Thought Jirisan finished fine but shallow enough to have liked a bit more than a lingering glance at the end and felt body count of series too high - particularly for the rangers... Also think that the assessment for brain death in Korea could be called into question and miracle a little offensive to anyone making that awful call irl.

Just finished Dr Brain Omo! Terrific if batshit crazy thriller. Ludicrous and classy in equal measure. Really recommend if you have Apple TV.

🤭🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️Posted on old thread instead of here! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😱😖😖

@MusiqueAutomatiquebts run zombie ep24!🤣

See, that’s why I hate unfinished threads.

Oh yes, that’s exactly what calms me down in the middle of a row, hubby cracking open the foil on a serving of fish maw. 🙏 The PPL in To Fly with You is almost as crackers as the PPL in Jirisan. 🤣

@boatyardblues

Oh yes, that’s exactly what calms me down in the middle of a row, hubby cracking open the foil on a serving of fish maw. 🙏 The PPL in To Fly with You is almost as crackers as the PPL in Jirisan. 🤣

I laughed at all the actors having to force down fish maw. They were probably thinking "where's our fucking Subway?!"

I see Rain has a new drama out next year. Good for him making a comeback!