MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #16): Serving up guaranteed corona-free escapism throughout lockdown to lurkers, passers-by and regulars.

[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 AmazonPrime. There are also platforms streaming content illegally if you go looking, but we don’t promote them.

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, no major site yet)
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 (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/Netflix)*
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 (other sites)
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/Netflix from June)
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 (no mainstream platform yet)
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 decent quality
Regulars also 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 Scoring Dramas of 2019
(courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, which are updated by/for thread regulars)

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've watched King now too. WDH and KKW were brilliant through the whole series. The deffo should get ML parts next! I just wasn't that bothered about the King and Tae-ul though 🤷‍♀️. She was cool when she was fighting and being cocky but she cried her way through the second half of the series.

I've also started Oh My Baby but it's not grabbing me yet. I'll stick with it though as boaty says it's ace.

"Hwrang scholl of sageuk" - Good lord! 😱😂

Yes but unfortunately without the cast of gorgeous young men with long hair and sword swishy antics 😠
I do like the ML who was in the Good Doctor but I’m not quite sold on it yet
Think I’m still smarting from everyone dying in Possessed oooops spoiler

My Sassy Girl was just the thing for quick dipping in and out. The politicking was just machiavellian enough and I loved the book titles in the bookstore. Tongue very firmly in cheek 😂

I loved the book titles in the bookstore

I will look out for that! I was amused by the palanquin guys saying they couldn't go to one location as they wouldn't get a fare back!! Oh how often have I heard a cab driver saying that

bettys you'll recognise a few 😂😂 Best bit is listening out for AC/DC done with traditional instruments playing in the background. They really went to town with the bgm in some places and it's funny when you catch yourself thinking that it sounds familiar.

monkeywench AC/DC not really my thing more into soul/dance/funk but you are selling it to me nonetheless! I'm heading in to episode 2....

Hwarang school of sageuk and ACDC! Sounds v far up my street 😂😂😂

I’ve just woken up from a glorious dream but can only remember a few details. I was staying in a big swanky hotel in somewhere European and very snowy. I think I was there for work because I was occasionally in smart work clothes & hanging out with other professionals (nature of work hazy). I was younger, maybe 20. I met a kdrama oppa on the plane and was invited to hang out with him and his friends that evening. All I can remember is Impressionistic glimpses of daytime conference-type meetings, snowy excursions for stuff like dog-sledding and Christmas markets, then loads of partying in the evenings & going out to bars etc. The only 2 definites I can remember from the suite of partying kdrama lads are LSG and Jasper Liu. Oh yes, the hotel dinner buffet was top notch too, my hire car got towed from outside the hotel because I’d left it too long and my awful neighbour gatecrashed at one point to nick some beer from the lads’ hotel suite kitchen. I woke up in a really good mood, but I can‘t remember a damned detail beyond what I’ve posted. I just have a happy afterglow. A big thank you to my busy subconscious.

Can I buy your dream boatyard ?

I know. I’m sure there were snippets of Entourage and all those kdrama teambuilding trips in the pot. I don’t recall it being rude, just lots of fun. Getting older and not having the same stamina for partying is a bummer.

boaty I want to go back to sleep so I can have a dream like that.
You can revisit all day... lovely
Maybe II'll go into a bidding war with bettys

Hi all. Not posted for a while as had little time for my K D addiction. Started back this week with a vengeance. Apologies if covered previous in thread but has anyone watched the film Parasite? I watched it last weekend as now available on prime. Thought it was excellent and last night we had 'Ramdon' for dinner, tried the 8 min challenge but failed spectacularly.

This week been totally glued to My friends dear which ticks all my fav boxes.

Gentle
Rich in characters
Funny
Heartwarming

I've just two more episodes to go. Savouring, as don't want it to end 😢

Hi Aesops!

What an excellent dream boaty. My dream about BTS coming to work and congratulating us on our good Coronavirus prep hasn't been repeated 😪

Welcome back Aesops!
Yes, Parasite was v good wasn't it? And did you spot that the man in the cellar and the mum of poor family were in Cloy ?

Haven't tried Dear My Friends, be interested to know what your score is once you've finished it.

I'm in the My Sassy Girl zone now. ML is coming back with a Viki drama called Alice - I guess he's been doing his MS

Where did we settle on scoring King? I think a 7.

I gave it 8 for WDH & KKN and stunning visuals

Bettys - yes I noticed the actors from CLOY in Parasite. They were so good.
Just finished My Friends Dear. So many tears 😭 particularly ep 14/15. It has a heartwarming ending. Solid 7/10. I want to give 8/10 but I did struggle with a particular storyline (too sad). Overall it was lovely.

I’m back to My Shy Boss. I can’t believe anyone was up for snogging after the mass food poisoning, but hey. 🤷‍♂️ Also, FL is weirdly relaxed about sleepovers for kdrama. Do you think its a theatre people thing in SK, less buttoned up?

My Shy Boss... There's talk of porn later! It's one of the most relaxed over "sleepovers" dramas ever!

I find the penthouse/workspace set up improbable, but I suppose it helps the plot along.

I'm on episode 6 of King, and really liking it, so I am disappointed that it's only getting a 7. Does it go down hill? I'm impressed with the set designs, concept and overall look. I am not that annoyed with LMH, he is fine so far! Did laugh at description of him . I do find him very easy on the eye.
Aesops , I have watched My Dear Friends. I would give it an 8. It was so refreshing to see a drama that looked at the lives of older people. It showed their friendships, and their worries and concerns. I thought all the actors we very good. Lot's of heartwarming moments, and some very sad bits. It had and easy pace, and let the story unfold. Definitely one for the 'Slice of Life' category.
Also caught up with Mystic Pop up Bar. I'm finding it quite an easy watch, it's skipping along quite nicely and is holding my interest. I'm surprised that I'm not hating Hwang Jung Eum, but she seems toned down in this. The young ML, Yook Sung Jae, very sweet, and he plays his role well.

fifi I gave King an 8, I thought it was a visual treat! It's had mixed reviews and ratings, seems to be doing better with international audiences than in SK as the ratings there have been average.

Also enjoying Mystic Pop-Up Bar and finding FL far less annoying than usual.

Currently working my way through My Sassy Girl and hoping someone is going to slap the smirk off the Queen's face. Then it'll be Dr Prisoner which landed on Netflix today.

And the new GRRR JCW is starting Friday (please please let it be better than MMS) and It's Ok etc on Saturday.

Handy guide here (nicked off drama beans)

Monday-Tuesday (June 15-16)
Will You Have Dinner With Me 13-16 (MBC)
Good Casting 15-16 (SBS)
Sweet Munchies 7-8 (JTBC)
My Unfamiliar Family 5-6 (tvN)
Wednesday-Thursday (June 17-18)
Soul Repairer 25-28 (KBS)
Old School Intern 17-20f (MBC)
Mystic Pop-up Bar 9-10 (JTBC)
Oh My Baby 11-12 (tvN)
Weekend (June 19-21)
Once Again 49-52 (KBS)
Backstreet Rookie 1-2 (SBS)
Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation 9-10 (OCN)
It's Okay to Not Be Okay 1-2 (tvN)

betys thanks for the list. I have been searching where I can watch Diinner With Me .
Is there some dodgy website where Kdrama can be watched that I don't know about?
I hadn't realised Dr Prisoner started today. Can start this after King.
Not enough viewing hours in my day
What does GRRR that JCW several times to get the acronym and can't... sorry a bit slow

GRrr JCW is just a nickname he got waaaaay back in the first couple of thread from his habit of biting his lip and looking, well, Grrrrreat!!

If you don’t mind Olga flashing her boobs and crap ads there are other ways of watching dramas but we can’t possibly recommend them oh no that would be norty