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…

Uh huh. Unexpected bubble bath indeed in Shy Boss. I was missold (unless there’s another)...

I’ve only just discovered Kdrama, & can only watch shows I can get for free. Just started watching Queen: Love and War on Viki. I quite like historical & costume drama/fiction (even if it’s not very authentic, as long as the acting is ok). Has anyone else seen it? I can’t see any comments on this thread.

boaty, I feel your disappointment

ré bubble bath, it was all that Bea’s fault 😂

Hi Sisyphus! (Great name btw!) I don’t think any of us have watched that one, it certainly hasn’t been discussed, is it any good? Always great to discover a hidden gem 😆

Welcome to the kdrama rabbit hole Sisyphus! I’m interested to know how you discovered kdrama, as we all seem to come to it in our own way. I haven’t seen the show you’re watching but, like Betty, am always glad to hear of good ones.

Betty - Olga’s finished the subs on tonight’s Oh My Baby.

Welcome sisyphus! Enjoy the late nights yo come!

My Shy Boss! 😂 😂 😂 😂 You gullibles... My mention of a bubble bath and you all go scurrying over! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

I must say boaty Olga is pretty quick off the mark with Oh My Baby 😉👍

Well it’s the first one I’ve watched so of a sample size of one, & bearing in mind I’m only on the 2nd episode, it seems quite good so far.

Bettys the name is a reference to my life at present...

Well, that was lovely, though I might have had something in my eye a couple of times. Jang Nara and Go Joon are giving great performances. Eu Tteum (sp?) and the shameless girl are also good value. I’m putting money on Betty hating the friend’s ex even more after ep 11. What a biyatch!

@Bea

Welcome sisyphus! Enjoy the late nights yo come!

My Shy Boss! 😂 😂 😂 😂 You gullibles... My mention of a bubble bath and you all go scurrying over! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

No scurrying here, Bea. You should know by now that I will have slogged through 15 1/2 episodes to get there and no skipping like you and that reprobate Betty. I feel cheated!

Sisyphus welcome! Tell us what sort of thing you like in English and we can give you some recommends!

Although I haven't seen it myself I know the others loved Tale of Nokdu on Netflix and that is a costume drama 👍🏻. I am your go to for Chinese dramas and light romance 🥰

And I suggest setting up a kdrama Netflix profile before the rest of your household start to complain as it does tend to take over 😉

Welcome, Sisyphus!

Basically there are two tracks in sageuk - farce (like Nokdu, I'm not so keen on this track) and epic (like Empress Ki - which I prefer myself). There are a few breakout shows that successfully unite the tracks - The Crowned Clown, which is a kind of Joseon Prince and the Pauper riff, is probably the exemplar.

Boatyard!... 😁😂😂... I never said it was a Saucy Bubble bath 🛀!... I was just a little... 😱😂😳... The 15 eps to get there wasn't too bad was it?? 😂
And I swear... I didn't do any skippitydoodahing on this one!... Can't vouch for @bettys! She's worse than me! 😂 😂
Cassini Nokdu is well worth a watch! It was one of those kdrama gems where I wasn't expecting much but absolutely loved it! 👍👍

kojolo... Yes! The Crowned Clown is my fave fave sageuk... And in my top 5! It was just lovely! ❤️
It was beautifully told..

I’m putting money on Betty hating the friend’s ex even more after ep 11. What a biyatch!

Yep!! What a cow! I wasn't keen on the basement guy anyway but that makes me positively dislike him

that reprobate Betty - what, me????

Hi Sisyphus! I tend towards crime/supernatural stuff, but enjoy fluffy romances and irreverent historical drama. I tried Empress Ki, got bored and read the synopsis then skipped to the end. Even though Taiwanese drama tends to get lumped under Cdrama, it's a very different beast and worth a look as well. Right, I'm off to pretend to be productive (at least my top half will 😂) since I have a Zoom meeting soon.

I feel like me and betty partake in the same behaviour and yet I'm able to fly under the radar. It's a very special skill indeed; covert reprobate!

Hi Sisyphus like Cassini, some of us also like to cross the borders frequently in dramaland so we can also give recommendations from Japan, China, Taiwan and Thailand if you want to travel further around the globe.

i'm still hooked on Ouroboros, but will definitely be meeting Olga to watch Oh My Baby later.

Bea what's this I hear about a bubble bath

I feel like me and betty partake in the same behaviour and yet I'm able to fly under the radar

Soooo not fair! - I should prob be less chatty about my viewing habits

hello please add Ourobouros to the spreadsheet when you get a chance, it's great to find something new on there, especially when I feel an urge to dip into J, C, or T drama. I've been pleased to see others are on the spreadsheet when I pop on there ( no idea who though, they come up as Anonymous Chinchilla and so on) and have loved reading the comments!

Sisyphus did you say you were watching the free shows on Viki? Some of the ones we've mentioned may not be accessible in that case, but it's always worth looking on YouTube as quite a few can be found there, as are a lot of the web dramas we've mentioned.

hello where are you watching Ouroboros? Scam and Followers were pretty decent Jdrama on Netflix and the selection on Viki is starting to increase.

monkeywench I am definitely not watching it on dramacool, because it is most definitely not recommended. It's not where I watch most of my non-korean dramas these days at all.

Also, I realised I've never mentioned this in the 10 threads I've been chatting on but I recommend the Taiwanese film Our Times. It's about a woman who reminisces to her high school days where she basically fell in love and started to challenge injustices within the school. She uses the memories to help propel her into leaving a crap relationship and demand a pay rise at work. It's quite sweet and just a lovely rom-com if you can deal with the high school setting. It's one of my favourite heartwarming movies.

Hello Sisyphus welcome to the world of kdrama 👋. And this is one of the nicest threads on Mumsnet.

Not sure about getting Netflix... I've only just persuaded DH that we should get a Fire stick & Amazon Prime, he's opposed to pay TV in principle, & only agreed to it because of a) lockdown & b) almost all our DVDs being in storage, due to having moved house very shortly before lockdown. Maybe I'll just get it & not tell him. I'm stuck in bed a lot anyway, bored, don't care what he thinks.

Ah, hello, the site that shall not be named. I may have several Cdrama bookmarked there 😂 I have The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil lined up for later. Ma Dong Seok really does gangster well lol

To be fair, I literally just this week got Audible. Some days I can't even sit up & I have totally run out of anything interesting to listen to on Libby & RBDigital.