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…

Damn, I had you pegged as a cocktail drinker.

I wish I had the patience to make cocktails in pretty glasses.

boatyard I have this image of you being someone who wears summer dresses, a floppy straw hat and a nice glass of quality gin.

bettys is in comfortable jeans, loose tee and a messy bun. probably with a nice glass of wine, I feel like it'd be red.

Obviously Bea is dressed to the nines in BTS merch, with her Army bomb, doing fan chants while her family look on in amusement.

The imaginary pub ventures look quite amusing in my head.

I do wear dresses sometimes, but mainly because they skim over bits I don’t want to draw attention to. They are usually worn with biker boots and opaques/black leggings until it gets too warm. I have a straw hat that goes with me on summer holidays, but I don’t wear it much here. It rains a lot where I live, so I’m usually in waterproofs for half the summer.

Obviously Bea is dressed to the nines in BTS merch, with her Army bomb, doing fan chants while her family look on in amusement.

.... Almost!!!! I am Stealth Army...!!!! I'm very subtle about my very high ranking status in the Army... If you know BTS you would spot all the signs... a keyring here... a t shirt with a subtle logo there... a pen/notebook with BT21 ... it's enough for a knowing nod!!!!!

Fan Chants and Army Bomb? On concert days (Live and Online!) and when drunk!
Family amused!... exasperated and perplexed and yes amused...

bettys is in comfortable jeans, loose tee and a messy bun. probably with a nice glass of wine, I feel like it'd be red.

😮😮 That’s spot on!!! Except at this time of year it’s a nice glass of rosé 😉

I am feeling a bit meh today, not sure if I am hitting a slump with lockdown. it hasn't stopped my viewing though .
I finished Rookie Historian which I really enjoyed. I also watched IID Ganham which was okay, and I skipped through a lot of.
You were right Bettys, the ML doesn't do much .
I really would like to put my scores and comments onto the spreadsheet so I will relook at trying to access spreadsheet.
Started to watch IGTYWWIN, regretting it a bit as I think FL is not going to turn out to be too pleasant and think there may be an 'unsatisfactory' ending. I am enjoying the pace, and feel of it though, and I like the other characters. The aunt and the mum are playing their roles well. I'm tempted to look at dramabeans recap to see ending and how it unfolds rather than put myself through another 6 episodes.
I know from some of the comments on here that it wasn't PMY best role. Should I continue, or put myself out of misery of watching a sad unhappy end?

fifi it is a 🐝 friendly ending, rest assured, not sad or unhappy at all.
I think from my point of view I just felt he was too good for her 🤷🏻‍♀️

By the way due to hello’s imaginings of how we are in RL, I am imagining you to be lounging on a chaise-longue clad in a 100 stars silken robe surrounded by Art Deco furniture. Am I right fifi ?😃

bettys same! I imagine classy to max from fifi maybe the subtle hints of classical music wafting from a far corner. serene!

Ladies you are too kind and definitely cheered me up. Bettys, that image is exactly who I want to be, it's quite uncanny. I always think I should be ensconced in a Bedouin tent, and I love Art Deco. In RL I have minimal amount of clutter, spend most of the day wishing to be back in my bed, so I can lounge and watch Kdrama, whilst fighting with myself to resist a bar of chocolate and a gin. All of which would add to my already curvaceous figure . I also think I am probably older than many on here - but definitely young at heart.

Hellos, I'm more of a 'soul girl' than classical music, also love musicals.
I have just noticed that you sent me another link for spreadsheet but still not managing to open. I am going to spend some time trying to work out where I'm going wrong. Really want to see all the comments.

I also think I am probably older than many on here - but definitely young at heart.

Well that describes me too! With a university age DS I am well into ahjumma territory whereas in my head I am merely a much slighter older noona!!

I think most middle aged women are noonas in their heads, but ajumma in practice.

Apologies to all who will peruse the spreadsheet for sensible opinions... I've just figured out how to add notes to my scores! My inner Barry Norman has been unleased and now i can't stop!!! Heeelp!!!!

I'm scurrying straight over to read your inner thoughts bea!

I'm rewatching Kingdom season 2 with DP as he watches it for the first time. Maybe this is the start of family drama watching? Fingers crossed!

Soften him up with Kingdom, but what next?

Inner Barry Norman!!!!!!

🤣🤣🤣............and why not? ....as he used to say 🎬

I actually laughed out loud reading Bea’s comments on the spreadsheet just now.....especially for IGTYWTWIN & Confession 🤣😎

hello he’s done s1 hasn’t he? Hmmmm is g de Extracurricular

betty Extracurricular might be a good shout. Its the perfect balance of sociopaths and beautiful camera work.

Bettys I aim to please....!

Going through the dramas... I am struck at how many I've forgotten the plot to ... but i do remember if i enjoyed them or not!!!!

The Brightest Star was dire... I skipped quite a bit and you could have completed in 20 episodes at a push. The acting was terrible so I'm watching anime to cleanse the palette. I think I'll start Rugal next. I'm done with my C-drama binge for now.

Thank you Hello for creating this marvellous resource!!!!

I am half way through ep 2 of Oh My Baby and it’s pretty good. Jang Nara is Jang Nara, but that’s fine because she is a decent actress. Her slacker soju-addled () single Dad neighbour is Chairman Ma from BTIMFL, so decent support. The ML is easy on the eye, more age appropriate for the ajummas/Gangnam leopards on the thread and nicely sardonic. The script is decent - the subber had to dig deep for ‘obsequious’ - and the story is nipping along with just the right amount of humour. Yep, let’s call it - I’m sending up a cautious Boat signal. ⛵️⛵️⛵️

I can’t stop wondering who is caring for the baby whilst slacker Dad id getting mashed in the soju tent. There are some holes.

OK, her Mum lives downstairs. Phew! I hate a sloppy plot.

Bea any time you need a lighthearted spreadsheet taken to an immense level, you know who to call 😂

boatyard is this the first boat signal of the year? I haven't watched Oh My Baby yet but it's moving up the list now.