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…

I don’t blame you Cassini 🤷‍♀️ LCR trumps CJH being a dick 😆

How many episodes in does he turn it around? I may have to watch on fast forward as I can't take anything to angsty atm! I am even saving up Weather against a rough patch 🤪

Ep 1 of emergency couple! I don't like ANY of the characters!... They're all completely objectionable! I'll give it one more episode! 🤔🤔

Omo! Bea!

They're all annoying me 😡

In fact... I think I'm dumping it now!... I don't like any of them and to like the characters from the get go is a big must for me!... I'm going to go back to viki and surf... Or might go back to sassy girl... Started it last night!
.. I need something with a bit of heart! 😁👍

Oh Bea! Give it one more episode. The arguing in the first episode is a bit annoying but it doesn't carry on. It's the only thing that's sucked me in enough to binge it since lock down started. It's not CLOY or anything, just a fun watch.

It does get better, though I think I’ve got SLS 🤭

I have had a bit of an epiphany lately, the reason I enjoyed O2O, Go Go Squid and extraordinary you is that I just don't enjoy the "bad boy reforms for his one true love" trope anymore as much as I did. I think I have probably spent too much time on the Feminism and Relationship boards on here 🤣
What these dramas have in common is that the hero is (usually) just nice, kind and caring. Maybe it's because I have moved from identifying with the heroine to associating with the Unni or married older friend/chaperone who is going to have to pick up the pieces every 4/6 episodes when he breaks her heart 💓

Wise word Cassini.

Cassini I enjoyed O2O, Go Go Squid and extraordinary you for the exact same reasons. In some ways EC with CJH on his journey of self redemption feels a little old school, but then the drama is 2014. I reached the stage where I’m doing a bit of skipping with the minor characters stories, but it is filling the fluff binge gap for the moment.

I got so far with EC (half way thru ep 19) but the stethoscope scene in the stairwell really annoyed me, so I switched over to APOYM. Currently debating whether to go back.

I think EC is just what my brain wants at the moment 🤷‍♀️😂. It often wants things that aren't good for it eg more wine, crisps, and unsuitable men (only in dramas, honest!)
Anyway I've just played The Game of Life boardgame with DS so I'm off to watch EC 😂

EC... nope not going back! FL gets on my nerves... Also characters aren't likeable! Life to too short to wait for people to redeem themselves! 😂

I agree EC is like crisps and chocolate, even crisps and chocolate get wearisome and you start to crave salad. I will finish it, as I want to be sure 2ML has a satisfactory ending but grabby, selfish CJH character is annoying, even the “redeemed” version.

Sounds like we're all very irritable at the moment! 😡
We don't suffer fools!! 😂 😂

I keep finding myself re watching old favourites lately. They're like a warm blanket in winter, familiar and comfortable. Exactly what I need in these times.

DP has taken to sending my his favourite quotes through WhatsApp whenever he thinks I'm down and it's making life a little brighter. He's even offered to watch a Chinese psychological thriller movie with me tonight that he refused to watch as there's a dog that dies in it. Anyone else really appreciating their families lately?

Your DH sounds lime a keeper, Hello. Yes, I am appreciating my family just now.

Like a keeper. Liming was a bit sinister in these contagious times.

He's even an oppa! Only by a little bit but it counts. He doesn't quite have the fashion sense though. Maybe I should send him over when all this ends and he can get lessons on wearing hideous clothing but making it work.

boaty that made me laugh 😂 I have to agree with bettysand cassini, I liked 020 and GoGo for the same reasons. I have a soft spot for a bad guy who is really a good guy like Zhao Yi Qin's character in Accidentally in Love but I've reached the point where petty manipulation and overt jealousy just turn me off a character.

I definitely have a type (total tsundere) which is as far from my DH as you can get, but according to DS it's because I'm the tsundere in the relationship. Unfortunately for any future partners, both my children are just like me 😁

DH is a good egg though, he's been volunteering to help out with a local charity and he is the designated shopper for our house.

I've reached the point where petty manipulation and overt jealousy just turn me off a character.

Same here.

While I'm on a roll, clingy FL (I'm looking at you, Playful Kiss (all versions) ), manipulative characters, fake aegyo all annoy me. I've turned into my dad with a running commentary if the drama annoys me lol There are some characters where you would be looking for a restraining order in RL 🤣

Another vote here for dropping EC
I got passed ep 5 and realised the clumsy medical scenes and annoying FL were not getting any better but gradually deteriorating into a red food colour farce.
Switched to Weather and then back to BTIMFL (DD's agreed to watch this with me after I showed them the scores 👍🏽)
Oh. I do love it so.

I received a message from my Goddaughter at the weekend declaring that after watching every episode of CLOY over 5 days she 'needs' another K-Drama recommendation ASAP !