MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #13)

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the Kdrama-curious. (MsLatte is a Her Private Life reference.) Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix and Viki, with a sprinkling of Dramabus (non subscription, maybe dodgy) and AmazonPrime. 

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)

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, Dramafast)
My Secret Terrius (Netflix)*
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)*
The Lies Within (Netflix)*
Tunnel (Netflix)*

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
Crowned Clown (Viki)*
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki)*

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)*
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Radio Romance (Netflix)

Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)*

She Was Pretty (Dramabus/Netflix)*
The Beauty Inside (Viki/Netflix)
The Secret Life of My Secretary (Viki/Netflix)
Thirty Not Seventeen (Viki) or as Still 17 (Netflix)
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Netflix/Viki)
What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)*
You are my Destiny (Netflix)


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/Drama bus)*
Go Back Couple (Viki)
Just Between Lovers (Viki)*
Melo is my Nature (Viki)/Be Melodramatic (Dramafast)
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 Package (Viki)



Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Live (Netflix)
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Stove League (Viki)

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier

Goblin (Viki)*

I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
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)*
Kingdom (Netflix)*

The Guest (Dramafast)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

W (Viki & Netflix)*



Guilty Pleasures (for the joy, not the quality)
Bride of Habaek (Netflix)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)



Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable

Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)

Not Korean but just try it
Regulars occasionally 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)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)

Thread Regulars’ Top 5 Dramas of 2019
(courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, scores range from +10 if very good to -10 for truly awful)

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.



We have a few frequently used acronyms:
FL/2FL = female lead/2nd female lead
ML/2ML = male lead/2nd male lead
SLS = Second Lead Syndrome (where the FL/ML is too dense to realise the 2ML/2FL is better)
🥾🍑 (boot, peach) = kick up the arse to go to bed



We also abbreviate titles if they’re long, but usually 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…

I want the recipe for the soft tofu stew that is the Danbam speciality in Itaewon

Me too Betty. It looks good & I have a veggie friend coming to dinner when I do my Korean banquet.

I've watched 24 episodes of Tientsin Mystic AND IT'S A CLIFFHANGER ENDING!!!!!! WTF!!!!

And Li Xian isn't even in the 2nd series!! AAAaaaargh!! The feckers!

Right, I am about to start Forest 🌳, does anyone want to talk me out of it?

And Betty, I feel your pain

Right, I am about to start Forest 🌳, does anyone want to talk me out of it?

Not at all. It’s easy on the eye, just a bit dumb. If you set your expectations accordingly (about Home & Away level) you’ll be grand. PHJ doesn’t stint on the costume changes or shower scenes, so I feel we should give him some credit.

bettys don't tell me thattttttt! I'm not quite finished and now I dont want too! gosh darn!

Argh I'm sorry hello I thought you were ahead of me!

The last episode is really good though! That's why I'm annoyed, sorry for the spoiler non spoiler. Keep watching, and make up your own ending in your head - after all there is a second series it's just that Li Xian is doing something else

I have more scores for the spreadsheet, Bong Joon-Ho films this time:

Memories of Murder 8.5
Mother 9

bettys Li Xian might be another Dori Sakurada. I'll carry on but I won't enjoy it.

I've been watching some old Korean films and I think I stumbled onto a weird rabbit hole. I ended up watching The Taste of Money.. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be serious or funny?!

Added those films for you boatyard

I'm thinking of maybe splitting up the pre 2019 dramas as the list is getting a bit long. I'm worried the tabs might get a bit too busy. What are people's opinions.

Thanks for adding my new scores.

I know what you mean about the list getting too long, but I quite like being able to scan down the list & pick out the high scorers at a glance. Perhaps what we need is something like this:

• current year
• films (all years A-Z)
• Previous years TV A-Z
• Previous years TV highest to lowest scores

I am completely murdered out after Signal and those films. I need something light and fun now. Any ideas?

Something light like The Other Miss Oh would be ideal just now.

Spy is good for silliness! Not a comedy!... There's North and south shenanigans... But its easy to watch and thriller ish!

Can't remember if you've watched Extraordinary You... That is very good! 👍

I decided I needed to see Lee Je-Hoon smile, so I started Where Stars Land but he’s been a right stuffed shirt so far. Please tell me there are smiles to come.

Ooo I think Memorist starts today with Yoo Seung Ho... Looks intriguing! 👍👍Looking fwd to it!

Li Xian might be another Dori Sakurada. I'll carry on but I won't enjoy it.

I think the projects Li Xian is in are better than Dori Sakurada's. I did enjoy Tientsin Mystic, I loved the setting, and although the story was a little confusing at times I liked Li Xian's character & thought he played it well. I am really sorry I said it was a cliffhanger ending, it is still worth watching as I think you can guess what happens.

Bea I watched the first episode and the last episode of Spy and I think that was just about right 🤣 I much prefer Kim Jaejoong in Manhole

boatyard I haven’t seen Where Stars Land, it has mixed reviews. Lee Je Hoon is also in Tomorrow With You on Netflix, though I gave up halfway through the first episode ages ago, I can’t remember why.

Hospital Playlist is starting this week but might have to be viewed alternatively 👀

bettys think manhole might be my next steady to watch whilst waiting to binge weather... 👍

Where is Manhole?

I have to say, Where Stars Land is perfect for my current needs. It’s light, there’s good chemistry between the ML & FL, the airport provides lots of plot variety and there are some interesting secondary characters, like the feisty female section chief and the handsome tall guy in the hi-tech terminal (with some alluded-to history). The ML also has something interesting going on, though its not entirely clear what yet - super powers? Bionic arm? Human replicant?

Manhole is on Viki. He falls down a manhole that takes him back in time so he tries to stop his first love marrying someone else.

That sounds perfect too, Betty. I’ll line it up.

I’ve just tried Sword Dynasty but it was baffling.
Currently watching XX on YouTube which is a webdrama about a secret bar.
May give Where Stars Land a go if it has potential

I think it has potential, but I will provide an update when I am further on.