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…

Just parking my (rather larger than it was) arse on the sofa 🛋

I have had to give us alcohol and eating as my fat day jeans had become my jeans 🤦🏼‍♀️

I have been busy with decorating and other real life stuff but the small person went back to school this week and I am working on evicting the husband back to his office so I can enjoy my dramas in peace!

I can report that the gurning became unbearable and I junked it.

Just calm down, Siwon!

I am still watching Revolutionary Love in a desultory fashion but am skipping the gurning bits. Siwon's resting gaze and racehorse legs are compensating for the gurns.

Sort of enjoying Sweet Munchies (Viki) but am a little uneasy with the gay chef theme as it's on thin ice as a premise and the dated SK attitudes to LGBT issues are like going back in time . Depends how they handle it going forward, but do like Jung Il-Woo & Lee Hak Joo

Loved the bromance and friendship in My Roommate is a Detective . Admittedly, there were parts that really needed better execution in the background, but each case wraps up nicely. Zhang Yun Long is great as the 2ML and his expressions just convey his exasperation at times. I would give a cautious 7 because I think that the background machinations left a lot to be desired in parts

@jokolo

I can report that the gurning became unbearable and I junked it.

Just calm down, Siwon!

I jumped ship for the same reason.

Think I'll give reveloutionary a miss then... The gurning is very unappealing and very irritating! 😣

In the spirit of new thread I've started to re- watch Her Private Life.
It's reminding me of what great Kdrama is - soo good.

bettys, I just watched my first Kwebdrama, The Boy Next Door. I was searching through the spreadsheet and saw your score for it, so thought I would give it a try. What a treat, it was so funny and well acted. I am still smiling at the singing scene

fifi I'm so pleased you like it, it's a little treasure isn't it? Made me laugh out loud each time I've watched it!
I think it's a great format, they pack so much in and it gives a short but fulfilling kdrama hit.

Try XX next for a romance

Indeed it was betty. I will try XX next. I'm becoming so adventurous I may give Cdrama a try soo

Oho!!! Other dramas are available but they need careful navigation! But you can't go wrong with our spreadsheet in one hand and a glass of your favourite tipple in the other

bettys maybe we should highlight Well Intended Love Season 1 in some neon signs. just incase anyone thinks it's a good idea while merry.

hello a colour code that says Enter At Your Peril You Have Been Warned!!

I am taking one for the team and skipping through Revolutionary Love . Siwon is gurning much less, and there is more about the subsidiary characters and some nice little bits like his mum really liking FL and the air stewardess thinking everyone likes her, and them calling the policeman T-1000. It's still more of a 6 than a 7 though.

Oh My Baby still good, I should really wait until both eps are up then I can have a mini binge

Oh My Baby still good, I should really wait until both eps are up then I can have a mini binge

It’s lovely. I’m watching with half-done subs again, as I’m always happy to watch again.

Had an internal scoff moment of ‘Daegu FFS’ as it was just mentioned in the BBC news feature on how SK have handled track & trace ( Pride & Prejudice ref) Luckily I didn’t say it out loud as it would have taken too long to explain to DH

For those who haven’t seen Pride & Prejudice It’s where you send characters when the plot is stuck

What's that correct Korean term for an improbable & distracting plot twist? I know we’ve talked about it on here before. Makjang?

Ta da!

You can’t beat a bit of Makjang every now & then!!

What’s with the biting in Love O2O ep 20? So weird. I feel like there’s some cultural undertone I’m missing.

I just watched ep 8 of Oh My Baby almost entirely in unsubbed Korean and I am not at all sorry, though I am up later than I should be. 😩 ML has beautiful hands and does the longing, pensive looks to a T. I totally would. 👍 Right. 🥾🍑

I really hope nice young King of Sperm doesn't end up with snotty materialistic bitch. Am also loathing ex-wife of basement bloke

@bettys

I really hope nice young King of Sperm doesn't end up with snotty materialistic bitch. Am also loathing ex-wife of basement bloke

Me too on KoS, Betty. He’s far too kind and gentle for that horrible woman, though I sense he’s developing a spine (like when he took her at her word & didn’t attempt a rescue with her manhole cover incident).

Jury’s still out on basement ex as I have no idea what she was saying to him in ep 8.

Take my word for it she is aaaaaaaawful

Even if she was suffering from PND she doesn’t seem to care at all about her DD, as basement bloke was saying she didn’t ask how the DD was just wanted a party & photographs