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…

I made Hotteok today!! It had a sugar and cinnamon filling! Very yummy! I ate two in one go... That might have been a bit of a mistake!! 😱🤯😳🤣

Ooh omurice and hotteok sound flipping amazing.

I made bulgogi beef stir fry with one of those Street Kitchen sauce packs today. It was alright but I wasn't convinced. Wish I'd had Hootteok. Or omurice - is that a swirl of tomato ketchup they put on top or Gochugaru? If it's tomato sauce then I think I'm the only person I know who doesn't like ketchup.

I am thoroughly enjoying Dating in the Kitchen and have even fallen for the spivvy moustachioed ML. Wish I'd waited until all the eps were up so I could have a glorious binge. There's a Bitch2FL in this too but as it's a CDrama she may mellow

I don’t like ketchup with eggs, Betty, so I usually squirt BBQ sauce on my omurice. Today I went one better and used the “oppa sauce” from the fridge - Heinz Korean sticky BBQ sauce. It was very good with the fiery rice.

DH and the kids insist on ketchup on their omurice. Revolting! 🤮

I can’t believe you haven’t started Zombie Detective yet Betty - CJH!

He looks good with zombie guyliner. 👍

Zombie Guyliner?? I’m in! 👍🧟

It’s got drippy ‘ill advised walk in a snowy Norwegian forest’ Ji-Soo from APOYM as FL. What a revelation! She’s feisty and has a personality.

It’s got drippy ‘ill advised walk in a snowy Norwegian forest’ Ji-Soo from APOYM as FL

That description made me snigger.
I hope Zombie Detective is good, Rugal was unwatchable

CJH is funny, especially his rehab programme and the treadmill.

I want Monster Cover BB cream

CJH in zombie guy liner sounds ace. I should finish Once Again tomorrow so I'll watch Zombie Detective after that.
Once Again is so nice, I'll miss it after so many hours with the characters.

Watched Zombie Detective, so far, for me, it's on the right side of absurd and cheesiness. I found myself laughing at some parts especially his inner dialogue about being a zombie and what he couldn't do. Also, him talking to the dog whilst thinking of eating it. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

I'm going against the majority here but in Brahams, I'm starting to find the ML more annoying than FL. Just get a grip man, he's so dithery. I started off liking this show but coming up to the halfway mark it's beginning to irk me. I'm hoping for better from Record of Youth.

Record of Youth... just watched one ep soo far but it just seems a little joyless so far... his lovely grandpa... and his awful father and brother and the horrible make up ladies... i know things can't be great from the get go but.... and might be a bit shallow here... but i Park Bo Gun has got a strange mouth .....

Park Bo Gum is not a draw for me either. I find him strangely bland, a safe heart throb for 13 year old girls. Give me naughty, sexy Kim Jae Wook any day.

Give me naughty, sexy Kim Jae Wook any day

Errr sorry he is Very Very Taken (I’m sure I bagsied him first)

Re watching Suspicious Partner... Oh JCW... you are sooo good and lovely! Why oh why? Melting?... And the other one which I don't even know the name of?... Why are you picking such duds! Please pick something worthy of your Grrrrr!!
Thank you! X

He's got such a delicious swaggy walk!! 🥰

I finished Once Again!!! It was lovely, well worth the 100 hours!! I feel like I know them all so well!! Very pleasing endings for them all.
I'm absolutely knackered but im Just going to watch a liiiitle bit of Zombie Detective

Did anyone actually finish Backstreet Rookie? 🤷🏻‍♀️
JCW needs to up his game again. Of all the dramas of his I’ve seen only Healer & Suspicious Partner are any good (mass nude shower scene in K2 notwithstanding)

TheGirl I quite like the zombie existential angst in Zombie Detective (and the guyliner and the fun film references & guest roles) just not sure how addictive it is. Only 12 episodes though so shouldn’t drag.

bettys... Never bothered with backstreet rookie... Sounded not great!
Healer was so oooo good! And suspicious partner too! Thus he's got loads and loads of brownie points in the tin... But they won't last long! He needs to do a good one!.. Stat!! 😱😭🤔

I started a noona romance Cdrama on Netflix called Find Yourself. It’s strangely addictive, in a Pringles way. It’s no kdrama but it is less wobbly of set than many cdramas. The sexist double standard about women being long in the tooth at 25 and past it at 30 is carrying the whole thing, but the FL is likeable enough and the ML isn’t too cheesy.

I forgot to mention FL has a twin brother. You don’t often get siblings in cdrama and this is a rather amusing one. Brother is a player and FL has never dated, both 32 (ancient!). The parents are despairing.