MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #15): Tiring of your usual telly during lockdown? Want to be transported somewhere else? Try our escapist boxset recommendations

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-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. 

We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when. 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)

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
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
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. Quite a few of us are learning Korean, Japanese and/or Mandarin (some more diligently than others admittedly), so we swap tips and links to language resources. Basically, anything topical goes.


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’m rather enjoying Gank Your Heart but craving Koreanness if that makes sense so may try an episode of Personal Taste tonight, or catch up with Good Casting

Tonight’s spicey ricey cooking music is Any Song by Zico 🕺💃

Monkey’s devil’s toast idea has reminded me of a toasted sandwich combo I tried once on a friend’s recommendation: banana and chocolate spread. It made me realise I don’t like hot banana, but I think it has promise with the right bulking medium.

We had kimchi stew last night. DS1 has been the most vocal critic. He tells me now that he enjoys it, but wishes me had it less often. I make it once a week (while I can still buy kimchi).

Oh wow chocolate and peanut butter 🤤. I'd better not try it out if I want to fit in my last pair of jeans I fit in.
I've finished Memorist very satisfactory ending 😁😁😁. I really liked it even though it is a bit scary and the crimes are really horrible. Bea I think I remember you said upthread that the ML is a good crier. He really is. Very convincing 😭.
In relation to the scores, I mostly only watch ones that are recommended by you lot so they are usually pretty good.

I mostly only watch ones that are recommended by you lot so they are usually pretty good.

........yay that's what this thread is all about! Spread the good news and avoid the turkeys!

the girl Glad you enjoyed Memorist!... Yes! Yoo seung ho is a good crier... But the king of heart breaking criers is Alien Love From Another star Kim soo Hyun!

bettys... But we need to watch a turkey here and there so we can spot the Nightingales? /Goldcrest? /Eagles? !... Please insert magnificent bird here! 😂

Please insert magnificent bird here!

Bluebird of happiness?

😂 Boatyard! 👌👍
Yes! Come to this thread! All your kdrama needs!
Find your Bluebird of happiness and avoid the Turkeys! 😂 😂 😂

I am watching John Torode's Korean Food Tour with DH. He's learning about Soju Bombs 😂🍻

Are they doing proper TV line-em-up soju bombs or single ones?

Currently in the middle of Please Love Me, contract C-drama. Hello new crush, Gao Han Yu 😍 Having Google imaged extensively, I have to say the glasses just tip it into yum territory.

Are they doing proper TV line-em-up soju bombs or single ones?
They did some single ones and then a line up.

I knew I had seen him in something else! He was in King's Avatar as Yu Wenzhou. This is when you realise you've watched far too many dramas lol

Aww! Hospital Playlist is lovely! All the doctors are lovely.. M I keep expecting something dastardly to happen... A betrayel.. A take over... But they're all lovely so I'm thoroughly enjoying it! It's very heartwarming... I hope it stays like this!... Even their parents are generally lovely! 😂😂

I was tempted to post in the things you achieved during lockdown thread but only you guys would appreciate the number of dramas watched 😱😂😂😂

Korea Knightly!!?? Cameo in Hospital Playlist!... You know you've been watching too many dramas when you start to recognise the cameos! 😂 😂

There are loads of cameos in HP....lots of actors from Prison Playbook and the Reply series......it’s such a nice series

Hmm Please Love Me ended up being a bit of a disappointment even though it was a happy ending. Too many plot holes and a subplot that starts off with a bit of suspense then gets forgotten about, just to be concluded in the last couple of episodes. It wasn't a dud, but you could skip through a few episodes without missing much.

Is it one to add to the spreadsheet? Maybe we should add a C for contract marriage dramas

I would give it a 5 if it was for the spreadsheet. The ML does do restrained tears really well and the FL is not a walk over, the overall plot is fine but poor execution. It's very much average

Today I watched another webdrama, Romance Talking (Youtube) which was sweet. 8 x 10 min episodes so you can just about fit it into an extended lunch break.

I've found a Chinese/Korean supermarket near me that does deliveries. I ordered some Kimchi and a few other bits online at 9.30pm last night and it arrived at lunchtime today! 😁😋. So we are having Kimchi fried rice for tea 😁.

Result TheGirl!!!

Please Love Me was on my list. Is it worth starting monkeywench? (Who are we kidding, it's a contract relationship, I'll end up watching it anyway 😂)

Were having bibimbap for dinner. I actually remember to marinate the meat for once instead of rushing around before cooking too! That success alone must be worth an evening of uninterrupted drama?

Chicken curry here, but all this talk of bimimbap and kimchi fried rice is making me hungry. I’m well jel that Girl’s Korean supermarket delivers.