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…

Or maybe they're this kind of thing??

Definitely the latter, Betty - they put some on just before one of the cave missions. They were not tops.

Oh you're ahead of me, I've only seen the first episode. But I think Dimples was filming a costume drama (Twelve Legends) after this which is airing in December

I think the communication barrier is making it funnier, but also having one Mandarin speaker and one Korean speaker is quite smart if travelling in SE Asia. Their English is pretty good but is definitely limiting them.

DD is loving the two of them together. The language barrier is half the fun although both seem to be able to get by in English. It's cute the way they ask each other how to say things. DD was doing her evil laugh at the temple because she found it so funny that Jasper had to run. She now wants a set of Pajama Prince PJs...

I like that they are a bit dorky.

I like that fan #1 is in the MsLatté demographic. 😄

DD actually approached me and asked to watch it with me. Slippery slope 😂😂😂
She laughs every time they have to pay for anything. The bit at the second cave was pure her (LSG) and DS (Jasper) arguing over spending money 😂

I've just binged my way up to ep 5! It's hilarious!! Jasper in a wet suit was quite nice 😉

www.instagram.com/p/CB9iMLXn7lS/?igshid=1gz283drqv1fz

It's going to be in the Top 10 for sure 😂😂

Jasper's Pyjamas!!!

If anyone is watching ep 4 of It's Ok, is it just me or does the memorial photo about 10 mins in look like Hyun Bin?

Back to the k-blocking here - we are rewatching one of the Marvel canon en famille for the nth time. DS2 started grumbling about me MNing and DH told him to knock it off.

🤣🤣I sympathise boaty . I am in the kitchen listening to Bevy Maco and making Tarte Tatin for DS (and everyone else but he requested it for pud) and thinking it may be. While before I get back to Jasper’s pyjamas accompanied by a little swirl of jazz

I must say I do love how kvariety shows add extra value with the graphics & text, I find myself rewinding bits and chortling (to myself obvs as I don’t have anyone watching with me unlike monkeywench 😡)

Look at me! Look at. Me! It's the middle of the day and I'm watching a drama... Sadly not in my pyjamas... Just started ep 12 mystic pop up! It's fab! This one is a real case of a drama that just gets better and it's pealing marvellously!!... I'm not sure I'll get to finish... (family duties!).... But it's sooo good and really ramping up! Perfect 👌! 😂

Peaking!!.... Not Pealing! I'm not hearing Kang Baes bell and spilling out all my grudges! 😂 😂 Or maybe I am! 😳😁

Hello all! The puppy had been doing the k-blocking in this house, and the fact I need to get DH to go back to his office 😉

I have been watching k films 🎥 instead and OMG they are not the same as our fluffy dramas #watchesthroughmyfingers

Ooh what have you seen Cassini? Any recommendations?

Parasite (finally!) and The Handmaiden (which you lot made me watch for the octopus 🐙)

They were both brilliant pieces of cinema but not the warm and fluffy I normally expect from kdrama, it is much more "grown up" in many ways 👍🏻

I've been watching 7.7 Billion in Love on Viki and really enjoyed the debates. It definitely benefits from having foreign panel members because they tackle quite difficult social issues under the guise of comparing with other cultures.

Mystic done! It was solid good! Lovely lovely lovely ending! 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 And of course I blubbed! 😭😭

Ha Cassini were you more or less surprised by the octopus than you expected??? 🐙

Family viewing tonight, we watched Eurovison Fire Saga 2020, the new Will Ferrell film on Netflix. Surprisingly hilarious and really rather good, especially if you’re into Eurovision, which me & Ds have a sneaking fondness for.

Omo! You watched English language telly, Betty. 😱

To be fair, having laughed our heads off at Space Force as a family, DH and I are now rewatching Community (on Netflix) with our boys. It is as hilarious now as it was in the noughties and feels surprisingly fresh and topical given that it predates #metoo, BLM and identity politics taking off. Highly recommended.