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…

Hello or Betty could add them....

Thank you hello, bettys, Bea and boat for your kind words. These are such challenging times aren't they? But in the meantime, there is always this thread for support and help with finding the next kdrama escapism

I've been thrown into the unreal Japanese dramas and films lately that are so bizarre and overacted that you just have to laugh.

Boatyard re Hyena the only thing that I cannot get used to and I hate to say this but going to. I do not think FL is at all attractive and her clothes are just hideous. Good expressions yes, but they don't seem to suit each other IMO

Young I think your viewing list is v similar to mine! Do give CLOY another try sometime it's so good.

I really enjoyed One Percent Young. It was pretty much a perfect formula drama for me.

Hello I keep starting the Japanese stuff but it is a step too far in terms of cultural difference. I had always ready that the Japanese and the British had a lot in common culturally being reserved island nations but I don't think that is true. I have actually found that I relate more to modern China than I expected.

More life is very odd at the moment, I am about to homeschool a loud active primary aged child for the foreseeable future. I am going to need a stay in rehab at the end of all this madness 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Frogs this thread is just what is needed in these strange times 👍❤️.
Bad news in our house! We have lost DSs ipad! Unsure how this is possible as none of us have been in or out of the house since he last had it. How will we get through the next few months?? 😭😭😭.

You could double up homeschooling and drama watching; just say you're practicing reading using the subtitles

I am seriously considering the bbc Muzzy languages program! It is no more expensive to buy the version for all the languages than just french and Spanish. They have Korean and mandarin.... we can both learn.

There are a lot of good Japanese dramas, the problem is that not many have made it to the stage of being translated and those that are making it to other audiences aren't necessarily the best. I do have to admit that I can't stand the way k-drama often has high pitched cutesy acting FL, which is one of the things that is a total turn off. I tend to watch manga based anime and Ghibli if I need a Japanese fix.

monkeywench thanks for the rec for Click Your Heart, it is hitting the spot in terms of short snippets of fluff so that it doesn't appear that I am spending ALL day watching kdrama. Plus the added bonus of Rowoon

With the exception of Pretty Proofreader I haven't liked any FLs in Japanese dramas. Not that many in Chinese drama either, although quite a few in Taiwanese.

Good news! Found the ipad.

Bad news DH just went grey and sweated so much he soaked all his clothes through in 20 mins 😷 so I think he may have CV.

Good luck Arab, 🙏 for all x

Oh no TheGirl, wishing your DH a speedy recovery and hoping that the rest of you don't succumb.

And in a weird thread coincidence, the kindle I thought I had lost at the airport in January was found hiding under a sofa! Happy days 👍

I found the lap tray thingy with legs under a sofa earlier, which means I can now noodle around in my laptop in front of the telly. In other news, both our digital thermometers have just died so I hope no-one gets poorly before we can source a new one.

Bleaching the house has interrupted my viewing of the last ep of Itaewon 🙄.
Good news about the kindle Cassini
DH looks better now he's had some paracetamol 🤞

I hope your family is okay TheGirl Hopefully, it passes quickly and uneventfully, as uneventful as illness can be.

monkeywench I get what you mean about the Japanese dramas, there is a paltry amount on Viki and Netflix and they're usually not the best ones. Pretty Proofreader was really good and I enjoyed it but finding anything that good on either streaming service is tough. That's why I've resorted to following a number of subbers on twitter and just watching what they put out as it can't be all bad if they've decided to sub it.

Thanks Hello 😊

Love and hugs to you and yours the girl ❤️❤️

Send your good wishes to me too... Dh has just declared he will now be working from home!..!... One husband and 3 teenagers!!... I'm doomed! Doomed I say! 😭😳

DH’s firm has closed its offices & told everyone to work remotely from home. In another day or so I’ll be working from home too. My boys’ school has already closed for the foreseeable... Let the games begin!

Luckily I only have one toddler and no teenagers. I feel for all of you! Hopefully you all get some space and alone time between everything else.

DP can't work from home unless I want half a warehouse in my living room but he's been told to stay at home for the foreseeable as well. I think it'll be about 45 minutes of questions about what I'm doing for 'work' tomorrow before I need to hide myself in the cupboard under the stairs.

I dragged an armchair into my bedroom... An alexa.. WiFi.. A little table made out of boxes (for gin and nibbles)... A smart TV that has netflix... Viki and YouTube... I'm sorted! Tell me when it's all over! 😂