MsLatte’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #17): I need suits and dimples and questionable morals

[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 as they are peppered with pop-ups of “Olga” and friends offering a good time, which gets in the way of the drama.

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/Netflix)
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/Netflix)*

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)*
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/Netflix)*
Kingdom (Netflix)*

Mystic Pop-up Bar (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…

Hi leeloo I loved Pinocchio too. And Cheese in the Trap had my favourite Seo Kang Joon as the much better choice than the ML. It had the worst ending though! It makes me furious just thinking about the FL waiting around in a boring office job for that cold fish ML when she could have had beautiful pianist SKJ 🤔

It makes me furious just thinking about the FL waiting around in a boring office job for that cold fish ML when she could have had beautiful pianist SKJ 🤔

Haha yes! Although that’s my favourite Park Hae Jin role.

Leeloo I use Viki on my phone & cast to the tv through an Apple box , although apparently the newer Apple boxes have a Viki app included

I watched ep 13 and part of ep 14 of Into the Ring with Olga & the girls (TN for leeloo: dodgy streaming site with sexy lady pop-ups) because of the slow subs on Viki. I have been driven to bed by the umpteenth dodgy VPN/download security protection (oh aye ) pop-up. Still great & I really like ML & FL’s supportive relationship. I especially like their 3am covert dates.

I've been watching My Unfamiliar Family and Train intermittently. I'm a bigger fan of MUF right now, it seems more suited to my mood.

Welcome to new posters! I will read your messages later but I'm sure you have immaculate taste in oppas and if you don't have a favourite, I'm sure I can bring you over to team Woo Do Hwan in time. My personal recommendations are Tale of Nokdu, Search: WWW and Hotel del Luna because they are really good example of Korean dramas that's not a wham, bam, thank you mam romance!

Hello! Leeloo.
Welcome!! Enjoy all the chat and banter!... LJS! Good Choice! Try Romance Is A Bonus Book on Netflix! It's lovely!

I need to go back home (with in laws!) to catch up on dramas!... Still haven't finished Its OK!! 😫🤯🤯😱😱😱😭😭😭

TheGirlWithTheArabStrap - absolutely! Fl seemed to have such a rapport with the sexy pianist, whereas with the slightly scary ml she seemed to sit in silence a lot. It seemed an odd choice to wait for him, but I think she felt she was saving him? And he was v rich, which probably was a bit of an incentive. 🤦‍♂️

@boatyardblues - thanks, I'll keep an eye out for olga! Always nice to have more friends. 😂

@bettys - thanks, yes I think I need something to play viki with as it clearly doesn't like the xbox or my TV.

@Helloswellow and @bea, thanks for the recommendations. I've had romance is a bonus book on my list, so I'll give that a go next, then hotel del luna is next.

And now I'm off to Google Woo Do Hwan! I'm still in awe of the beauty of Lee Min Ho (how does he seem to get better looking throughout his roles, I've seen a rumour about plastic surgery! 😲) but am also finding a lot of the mls v attractive!

@helloswellow - ohhhh, I'd seen Woo Do Hwan in King the eternal monarch - he was excellent at playing the dual roles between Korea/Corea! I can see why you like him... Though maybe not more than lmh! 🙈

I'm case you hadn't seen these... I think it was before wdh went to do his military service?

I saw them and I smiled so brightly. Their friendship is adorable. Only 21 months to wait til he returns 😭

leeloo If you like the ML in My Love From The Star (Kim Soo Hyun) give It’s Okay Not To Be Okay on Netflix a go.

@leeloo1 such cute photos! Have to say I am team Woo Do Hwan too I think he steals every drama he is in (eg Save Me & Tempted , both Netflix)
Although I did quite like LMH in Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki).....great cameo from Jo Jung Suk in that....can recommend Don't Dare To Dream on Netflix

So.....I am rewatching Stranger S1 before starting on S2 and it is really interesting as it was the first kdrama I ever watched, but now am seeing it after 2 years of binge-watching and am not only recognising most of the actors but am totally used to all the scenarios & tropes. Its still a good watch though!

I just started watching again. I am still only around the ep 5/6 mark. It’s not looking good for prosectutor Hwang just now.

I'm finally caught up on Flower of Evil. I'm not sure I care much for the story anymore. I'm just very pro watching Lee Jokn Gi be a parent. It's making me a little broody.

I am struggling with falling asleep on the sofa again at the mo. I am trying to watch things like Stranger but miss important bits and have to keep rewinding. Also, due to work tiredness, my patience for shouty leads, quirky whistle and bell sound-effects and hair-pulling “yah!!!” fights is limited. MUF trod the middle ground between the complex plotted dramas and the OTT one perfectly. I need more like that just now.

I got halfway through the first ep of Flower of Evil and somehow haven’t watched anymore 🤷🏻‍♀️

I am eagerly awaiting the last 2 episodes of Into The Ring

In the meantime I have been watching Designated Survivor (I saw you only gave it a 1 on the spreadsheet hello) because it has the grumpy director from Melo in it

He also plays Bae Doo Na’s lover in the last few eps of Sense8

Evening! Stupid work has led to lots of falling asleep on the couch this week for me too boaty. I'm half way through Into the Ring which I'm enjoying (although it's not quite MUF)

Waaah, I've just come out of the rabbit hole of Romance is a bonus book! It was soooo good - though I did embarrass myself by shouting "eeeek! Choi Dal-Po" at the TV when Eun-ho first appeared. He's such a cutie... And I must start learning names, not just character's names!

I feel so sad now it's over - though it's my own fault for watching so much of it over the last few days. 😢 I really liked how lots of the characters had happy endings, as I generally end up feeling sorry for the guys who get cast aside by the fl at the end, but this wrapped it all up nicely. Also it was nice that that the ml was a properly nice guy, not occasionally mean, or so strong but silent that you can't help but wonder if he'd be a bit of an arse in real life. 😂

Ah, I wish real life was like these dramas!

Oh and I'm glad you guys liked the photos! 😍

AppleTV box had a shitfit tonight and crashed part way through Was It Love. It needed rebooting but I was enjoying some rare attention from the cat, so I watched the last 15 mins on my ‘phone.

But yay, I’m awake.

Well done boaty I fell asleep on the couch just after writing my post last night! 😴😴😴

I'm going to try Romance is a bonus book again. It seems to be very popular. I want to start Stranger but my mood of late is saying just watch feel good or more gentle shows ATM. Dipped into once again on VIKKI last night. It seemed more like a comedy show but started to grab me, checked the number of shows 83! Well, I'm not going down that rabbit hole again 😳

I'm not going down that rabbit hole again
Wanna bet?? I've been tempted by Once Again as well, it gets very high ratings. It's still airing, supposed to have 100 episodes! I need a good binge-watch for next week as I will have sole occupancy of the TV for a few days.

More gangster in Was It Love - yay! But fully clothed - boo!

Glad you enjoyed RIABB leeloo, it's just a really nice watch. Do try & sort out Viki for While You Were Sleeping, it's the one that sent me on the LYS spiral and also has Jung Hae In & Lee Sang Yeob in

Designated Survivor has reached the ffwrding phase as I'm only really interested in the loveline with grumpy director from Melo who is the best thing in it, along with the ex-NK press secretary. The baddie is the smooth prosecutor from Stranger who was also the husband in Lies Within & I always get obscurely upset when I see him due to his storyline from Lies Within

Just checked on MDL and the episodes for Once Again are 30 mins long so only 50 episodes really - phew!!!

Filming for both To The Guys and Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol have been paused due to positive Covid test according to the fount of all knowledge (Soompi )