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…

ginger... Yes... Like bettys said you can watch I-Land on viki... It's brutal! And really edits for drama but it's fun!.. in a big brother /x factor (for want of a better comparison!) sort of way..

The bside mv is great fun! I love the bloopers and silliness! Did you spot JK telling us all to make sure we use Hand Sanitiser! 😂😂😂... Someone on twitter correctly said... The official MV is for the gerneral population!... The bside is for ARMY! 🥰💜😄
have you ever managed to watch BTS Run!?... They are truly the funniest of funny! On the VLive app but I've seen a few knocking about on YouTube! Be careful! You'll never surface for air if you get drawn in!..
😱😭😭😭🤯😆

KLAXON!!!

Coming to Netflix next week!:

Record of Youth : Park Bo Gum, Park So Dam and Byeon Woo Seok (Tall dishy guy from lots of dramas you'll go 'what was he in?' when you see him) About the world of modelling and wannabe actors

The Handmaiden : Film - do NOT watch with children or aged relatives there is lashings of sex (literally)

#Alive : Zombie film with Yoo Ah In & Park Shin Hye. Rather good.

Oooo! Thanks bettys

kdramaxoxo.tumblr.com/post/627387740081815552/into-the-ring-a-review
Think some of you started Into The Ring... Might give it a go!

I've started Train... It's good! So far....!

Oooh that's a great review Bea - really sums up how I feel about that show too!

I'm on ep 14 (or 7, depending on how you view it) of Once Again and enjoying how characters are introduced in quite a leisurely fashion, which I suppose is possible with 50 episodes!

I now really want the eldest sister to have a noona relationship with the parking guy. Please tell me this happens fifi!! So far they haven't even looked at each other but it would be cool and one in the eye for that appalling bitch who nicked her husband (and that little boy needs a decent stepdad! )

Oh Bettys , I wish I could, but still not really developed fully, as yet. Poor Noona, she deserves love, and son really deserves a caring, loving and thoughtful dad. Episodes 80-81 are particularly good, I was squealing at t.v 😂. I am so over invested in this show - love it.

I'm watching ep 14 of Into the Ring and agree with that review too. It is nice to have a relationship with no misunderstanding or noble idiocy. And the fact you don't know who that kid is 😂
Fifi you are giving me courage to carry on with the 50/100 episodes of Once Again 👍

Train!! On viki!! 😱🤯😱🤯😱🤯
It's good! Just watched 2eps so far and it's gripping!

Hide behind my hands ✅
"no!! Don't go in there!!" ✅
"NO WAY!! 😱😱😱" ✅
Can't believe they've done that! ✅

Intrigued to see where they are going with this!.... 👍👍👍👍🤔

I've caught up with all episodes of Once Again - Bettys, there's further development for Noona
The Girl, I do hope you enjoy it.

Now looking to start another show - I think I will join you Bea, with Train.

I didn’t watch any TV last night as I was reading this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/3999476-Come-and-tell-me-your-dull-and-unexciting-news (for some readon it won’t let me go to p1, so use the ‘go to op’ option & bookmark on p1). It’s very relaxing reading about mundane things. The news is so depressing at the mo, that thread was the perfect antidote.

Haha boaty, I clicked on the link, and been examining my toes for the last few minutes to see where I fit in - my daughter asked me what I was doing .
BTW - I think I more Oriental . I will go back to thread later.

Aaargh boaty I clicked on that thread, it is addictive!!! I read MN in classic form though (ie one long page) so could easily start at the beginning.

So as a combination of both threads.....I have a massive pile of apples to prep for the freezer before the bastard parakeets get them so plan to do that while watching Once Again

Am excited for eldest noona developments now fifi! And also plan to join you and Bea on Train.

Oooh I do like a list of things to watch! Will have to find some way of squeezing a bit of work in there too though

Betty - you must live in the same part of the country as my friend. They never land in her garden when we are visiting, but there are always noisy flocks of them overhead.

Very likely boaty! The theory goes that they were released after the filming of The African Queen (1951) and they have proliferated since then. They’re really annoying feckers.

Episode 18 & lots of hiccups! The stuntman is a possibility now too! It has a funny, light touch, Once Again

bettys... No parakeets here... We'd love them!... But same boat... I need to pick all windfalls and juice! 😭
Glad some of you joining me for train! So hard not to post spoilers! 😂😂

Honestly you wouldn't Bea, they are screechy feckers that peck the fruit then leave it to rot, & put off the smaller garden birds

I like how in Once Again you know where the plot is going (probably) but that doesn't spoil your enjoyment of it. I'll save Train for tonight.

For some reason there's no Was It Love today, just episode 15 tomorrow then the last one next week. Humph!

Hahaha they've just said 'This isn't Parasite ' in Once Again !

And they were playing BTS' Fire in the kimbap shop

I've finished Into The Ring it was really sweet and lovely looking. The ML and FL were great together.
I'm getting into Once Again now 😊

Following on from Betty’s parakeets and African Queen story, a websearch brought this up: londonist.com/london/great-outdoors/london-s-parakeets-everything-you-need-to-know He goes through a few theories and says it is more likely they escaped from aviaries in the great storm of 1987. He’s got a great turn of phrase. This made me chuckle:

How many are there?

The RSPB estimates 8,600 breeding pairs. It does not have a figure for non-breeding pairs, singleton parakeets, or those in polyamorous relationships.

Sorry not to be contributing much at the mo. I keep falling asleep, so my kdrama consumption has temporarily plateaued.

The RSPB estimates 8,600 breeding pairs. It does not have a figure for non-breeding pairs, singleton parakeets, or those in polyamorous relationships.

That is brilliant!!

A combination of a lot of work, decorating and builders next door have curbed my viewing - I keep meaning to start Train but then think 'Oh I'll just watch another episode of Once Again they're so short' and then that's it for the night!

However am on ep 34 and the youngest sister & boss are eating hangover ox-blood soup with bloody great lumps of what look like ox heart and I now feel - thats pukey not envy bleurrrrrghhhhh

By the way that's a great link boaty and confirms my theory that the smaller garden birds avoid areas where the bastard parakeets flock. It's hard enough encouraging sparrows etc back what with people paving over or astroturfing their gardens without the green feckers bullying them

Loved the random makeup product placement in the last episode of WIL. Yes, just what you need when you've just had a traumatic near-death experience - don't want to give spoilers. Of course, a bit of blusher will make it all go away

Although, it did lead me onto a train of thought about subtle differences in the last few shows I've watched. Shoes - not seen any women tottering about on ridiculous heels, or boyfriends buying shoes.

Although, it did lead me onto a train of thought about subtle differences in the last few shows I've watched. Shoes - not seen any women tottering about on ridiculous heels, or boyfriends buying shoes.

Good point. I noticed FL’s ballet flats when she was glammed up in her white dress (not wedding, no spoilers) last night. However, I’m wondering if that’s down to her being as tall as ML, if not taller. She’s no pocket princess.

I’ve got to say, the gangster was the main draw for me last night. Hubba hubba!

My internet is broken. No kdrama happening here 😞

Why do they often wear huge white trainers with nice outfits? I noticed this yet again in pop up bar the other day.