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…

Bettys ... you're right!!!! he's probably been to soo many fake funerals!!!!

Hello all, been watching Kdrama for about a year or so, so new to the game really.
Ones I've watched recently are itaewon class - really enjoyed it but really think PSJ shouldn't put on a school uniform in a drama to play his younger self.
Her legend - old one, liked this, kept a good pace.
Colour of woman (Netflix) - watched 7 skipped ahead to ending - really dull!
Wok of love (Netflix) Jang Hyuk kept me going in this- I wish they would have tidied up about 2-3 threads of the story at the end.
Watching bride of habaek(Netflix) atm but it's not grabbing me atm, I wish the leafs would bloody smile at some point!
Thinking about trying vagabond (❤️ Seung Gi) and will start the king (not a huge Lee min ho fan though)when its completely on Netflix.

Have loved DOTS,Kill Me Heal Me, you are all surrounded, korean odyssey, Doctor John, goblin, coffee prince, fiery priest, masters sun, oh my ghost, pasta, The greatest love.

Favourite actors Ji Sung, Gong Yoo, Seung Gi, Jung suk, cha Seung won, Kang ki young, song jeong ki, jung il-woo (list longer that I expected!!)
Favourite actress gong Hyo-jin, Kim Seul Ki, shin min-a

I have ventured into Cdrama but they are too long, although less chaste,. Watched Love 020 - FL had about as much passion as a plank of wood, Bromance - ok, the brightest star in the sky - cutesy.

Currently watching Kim's Convenience when I'm not able to watch subtitles!!

KDrama is my escape from life.

Hello and welcome jisungismylife - KDrama is my escape from life. - you're going to fit right in here!!

That's a good list - do you have Viki? Familiar Wife is another Ji Sung one that I like (those eyes!!!!)

@bettys no Viki, but I do have a vpn and access to kissasian. Will look out for familiar wife when I've finished bride of habaek.

Another one comes down the rabbit hole! (Rubs hands with glee)

I have been very good and dusted off my Korean study aids. I have been sitting beside DD while she does her school stuff since we agreed that I will match her efforts in language. She has Spanish, French and Irish work to do, so I'm getting at least 1-2 hrs every day and my reading is improving. I'm going to stick some labels up and I've got some children's books lined up on my kindle.

Woohoo 🎉 new friends! Welcome jisungismylife 👏🏻

And I would bin off habaek, it doesn't improve imo

Welcome jisung!

It’s very exciting. Our delurkings are kicking up a notch. And the more we post, the more we appear in Active convos and lure more people in. 👍 Good work everyone. 🎉

Welcome jisung..!... Enjoy the craziness! 😂 😂

Thank you everyone, I am finding it habaek hard going. I was really hopeful nam jun Hyuk, he was lovely in weightlifting fairy!

I gave up!! and I loved njh in WFKBJ! 😂

That’s impressive monkeywench! I am struggling as even if I can spell the word out I still then have to know what it means
I did get excited though when I was watching a BTS video where they were wearing name bibs & I could read them 😯

bettys I'm slow, but I'm getting there. I have a vocabulary list and I'm making myself use phrases like open the window or feed the cats so that the words stick.

Ep 10 of APOYM & JHI is wearing a leather Nazi SS Style coat that is heeeeejus 😖

I’m still at the drinking on the kitchen floor party with unni. Shall look forwards to the awful coat. 🤣

So they’re moving in. Have they even kissed yet?

I like the secondary characters in APOYM. The combination of the downtrodden unni, the med student and the former housemate is really sweet.

Yes their drinking sesh & afternoon tea are sweet, & I love the mums last words to unni’s feckless ex

Yes, I like that too - that the has someone in her corner.

I got curious about the Korean medical education approach after Emergency Couple and with Hospital Playlist still airing. This article by a German medical student who undertook a two-month training placement in a Seoul university hospital was an interesting read: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6589628/

boatyard I've saved that for my tea break read! Hopefully it explains something.

monkeywench I admire the dedication of your family! I love the language learning attitudes you instill.

And finally belated welcome to Jisung! I have been in a rabbit hole of Cdramas otherwise I would've been here sooner to say hi! (Heads up to anyone who likes fake/contract relationships; Girlfriend isn't looking too shabby. I'll report back after a couple more episodes)

Thank you all. Habaek was a struggle, I scan watched a load of episodes, and watched the final episode fully- even when they were supposed to be happy, their smiles didn't show it!! Disappointed in it! ☹️

Will have think of what to watch today, want happy smiley one as Habaek didn't deliver. Then I'll maybe go action and K2 or vagabond!

jisungismylife there are some good bits in both K2 & Vagabond but ultimately I found they didn’t deliver on their early promise
I’m guessing you’ve seen Healer? Maybe try My Secret Terrius if you like So Ji Sub

Hello jisung!

That article about medical training was interesting boatyard, esp the bits about having to have a wider education outside of medicine and them all going for meals together 😊.

I've just watched ep 15 of Weather which was pretty depressing!

Wasn’t it just dreary TheGirl?, and it has put me right off PMY as an actress, I think she could have done a much better job. Haven’t watched the last ep yet but read a recap so in no hurry