MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #14): Special welcome to any MNers stuck at home who need escapist boxset recommendations

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

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
100 Days My Prince (Viki)
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)*
Where Stars Land (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)
I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Nice (Viki - currently airing)

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)
My Mister (Viki)**
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Stove League (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)
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: Two Worlds (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)
Go Go Squid (Viki - Chinese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki, Chinese)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (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…

boaty It's Jinzu Yuzu Gin and I got it from Amazon. It's showing as OOS but Roku Japanese Craft Gin is also good.

Is this the one Monkey? www.winebuyers.com/products/master-of-malt-Jinzu-Gin-1-x-70cl?_channel_code=default&ship_to=gb

Mmm Gin 😋. I've just finished a bottle of that Roku Japanese gin that I got for Christmas. It was delicious.
I've also got a birthday coming up, yuzu gin will be added to the list (of mail order able stuff) ✅

That's the one! Got it for a tenner cheaper during black friday 🤣

May I recommend a small company called One Hundred Stars for smart lounge kimonos 👘 to drink champagne in?

Ooh, we can look all classy while we sip our drinks (out of pint glasses cos less need to move 😝🤭)

That’s so funny! I saw and massively coveted a One Hundred Stars kimono in the British Museum shop a while ago, so wrote down the details but never got round to ordering it.

while we sip our drinks (out of pint glasses cos less need to move

DS2 asked why there was a “wine bottle” on the coffee table earlier. It’s Baileys and I’ve taken to bringing a tumbler the glass of late.

I don't think I'm classy enough to pull off those beautiful kimonos.
Gin in a pint glass is definitely the way forward 🥛

I have an XL mug from Sports Direct that was bought as a joke because of the amount of coffee I drink. It is now used for wine. I'm well classy 😂

I use the stubby Ikea tumblers for red wine in the sitting room because it’s less likely to get knocked over onto the pale carpet. DH acts all appalled. I am unrepentent.

I had one of those giant Sports Direct mugs once with a delivery. It made my wrist hurt like Le Creuset (too heavy) when I tried using it, same for DH, so we binned it.

I want one of those kimonos now 😠
And the champagne to go with it 😠

I’m persevering with Extraordinary You, but if Rowoon doesn’t reappear soon or it changes tack I will jump ship. The high school plot is starting to grate, but I would happy to see the same characters reunited in a different setting - which is what the Chinese flower pendant/motif is hinting at, I think.

I just messaged DH a birthday list comprising Monkey’s gin, a kimono and a scarf, both off that site.

I’m so disappointed I’m going to be banged up at home for my birthday this year. If I can drink myself under the table with yuzu gin, it may soften the blow.

I’m so disappointed I’m going to be banged up at home for my birthday this year. If I can drink myself under the table with yuzu gin, it may soften the blow.
I'm totally feeling this too. Its a big bday and I had a holiday and a party booked. I'm trying to think of things to make it fun even in lockdown. Maybe a video chat with friends whilst leathered on yuzu gin?

OK, Rowoon is back, if different. And a whiff of red flowers.

ahhh lovely sweet Rowoon...!

I might be tempted to buy a beautiful kimono to class up my evenings. I may have even sent DP a link to some yuzu gin as a hint.

I'm trying to finish all the Chinese dramas I started and got bored with after 25 episodes. A bit of a skippity doo dah is coming into play and I can feel the disapproving stares of boatyard from here

No judgement from me. We have more time on our hands, but we are still mortal & it is still finite.

Still a lot of moping about in APOYM

I had a 10% off code :

9MD8W2

For what, Cassini? The gin or the kimono?

Stop me from watching Weather raw someone.......

Cassini's code is for the kimono - I tried it & it works I just can't decide which one.....