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…

Oooo! This looks good! It's got Kim Dong Hee on! Geun Soo - Itaewon
Extracurricular Netflix

Well Weather is just so chuffing lovely, it’s very comforting at the moment. There was a lot to enjoy this week.

Well I rather enjoyed King: The Eternal Monarch!
Usually annoying LMH wasn't half bad, WDH and the lovely sergeant from WSL are very fine, and Kim Go Eun is kick ass There's a lot of exposition in the first ep but I'm actually really looking forward to tomorrow's episode

Well, Sweet Dreams had a nice ending but did the usual thing of rushed ending, mediocre mid-section and unbelievable personality changes with a character. I need more fluff, I'm heading back to work on the wards and I'm kind of apprehensive. Hopefully not for another couple of weeks since I need to go and be retrained in injections etc, but it's happening.

It feels like the thread mission for lockdown is to find pleasing fluff.

monkeywench I hope your training goes well!

I will endeavour to watch all the dramas to find the most tooth rotting fluff for this thread. It's a heavy burden but I'm sure we will all be able to do our part.

Interestingly, if anyone fancies branching out into Thai dramas I've found a drama with 2 ML who fall in love (seems a theme) but it's glorious tooth rotting fluff. It's called 2gether is on YouTube with English subs but annoyingly each episode is 4 parts. Its has a fake relationship element too. The only problem is its currently airing so it might have a terrible ending and I don't know yet.

Oh monkeywench!!! Fighting!! 💪

Have a look at Welcome/Miaow for fluff

boaty it’s on dramafast

Good Luck Monkeywrench ✊ I hope it all goes well and no one in your hospital trained where Emergency Couple was set 😂

Has Bea seen the news of the at home BTS concert? They're airing old videos and tours for your viewing pleasure

I hope it all goes well and no one in your hospital trained where Emergency Couple was set

Amen to that! I have to say, I found their attitude to the infectious patient mystifying - his notes are clearly marked as infectious & the paramedics even tell them, but they don’t use sensible PPE and get splattered with the patient’s claret. 🤦‍♀️

Which has reminded me, they were all completely freaking out about CJD and it was only made in c2012. Is it really that infectious? It made me wonder if I should have been less cavalier about eating beef during the BSE hoo-ha.

If we’re still locked down by then, perhaps we should watch one of their concerts en masse & live post, Hello...

hello!... Of course I have! I'm not some amateur Army!! Pishhhh! 😂

I've had my tickets since they announced!! 😂 I've got barricade front row tickets!!... I've drunk this..... A whole Tablespoon of Instant Coffee! Rest assured I am ready for the 12 hour marathon starting at 4am!
My Army Bomb is ready and synced up with Weverse! (BigHit Channel!)

Kim Namjoon! Kim Seokjin! Min Yoongi! Jung Hoseok! Park Jimin! Kim Taehyung! Jeon Jungkook! BTS!!! 😂 😂 😂 💜💜
WOO HOO! 💜💜

Are you going to be periodically live mumsnetting Bea? Even if it's only posts along the lines 'shfjahshdjs have you seen yoongi's hair. he's so ethereal' which is definitely not something I have said on multiple occasions

Ooooh love the dalgona coffee with Easter setting!!

shfjahshdjs have you seen yoongi's hair. he's so ethereal'
ha ha! bias wrecker !!

Btw hello are you following Dori Sakurada on insta? He seems to be doing music at the moment.

I’m only 11.5min into King: The Eternal Monarch! but there’s no way this should be rated 12. The baddy has already throttled a child to the point of him going limp, having just murdered his father. There’s enough blood for a vampire convention and it’s barely got started. My sensitive 12 year old would be really upset by it.

Min Yoongi! Sigh!
Yes! I may well keep you all updated with my marathon! It'll just be lots of 😱💜🥰😍😁😳😂💜😘❤️🤣😊😍🥰💜😱😂😁😳🥰💜

Snort!! Given my weird restless sleep patterns at the mo I may well be glad of the distraction!

For some reason I misread that poster as having August dates. Of course we’ll be in lockdown this weekend!

Oh, and another murder...

Oh god the hospital dramas make me laugh at times, especially when they have people on oxygen yet the bag isn't inflated, never mind the IVs in the most random locations which would normally have resulted in a either a lovely puffy site full of fluid or the biggest bruise ever 😂

I will have to admit that during a stint in A&E, the massive needles (you know, the ones that they are forever jabbing into people to restart their hearts 🤔) were used to threaten encourage the drunks to behave, because nobody wants that coming near them.

I have A Witches Romance added to the list, but I think web drama might be the way to go for now. I watched Momo Salon on Netflix, and it was a gentle, sweet watch, which was perfect. Very slice of life, but with a sweet romance.

I agree web dramas are great for short sweet hits!
Loved XX, Ending Again, Big Mistake (S1 on Viki now) and One Fine Week

OK, after the gory start I really enjoyed King even with Lee Min Ho in it. Really lovely to see the stern security guy from WSL in more casual cop attire and looking mighty fine. Speaking of horses, who scrubbed Maximus down with Daz? That horse sparkles, though I swear to God they’ve put white mascara on him. I don’t ever recall seeing a grey with white eyelashes.

Also, I swear Lee Min Ho looks less like Lee Min Ho as time goes on. Is he having work done? Perhaps he’s just ageing well.

Lee Min Ho looks less like Lee Min Ho as time goes on

I agree, and this is rather a good thing. He is getting more attractive

He’s steering awfully close to the dandy highwayman look with the white breeches and the navy military-style riding coat.