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…

😱😱😱😱 Woah Aesops I can skip 30 odd episodes ??😱😱

Rightyho I will take your advice and thus avoid looking at repellent ML.

First I will rush off to the safety of Was It Love though which I have been looking forward to

Empress Ki was like that, cracking start, soggy middle and disappointing end (history though 🤷🏻‍♀️ Can’t do much about that) At least it’s had Grrrr JCW in fine fit af form (until the poisonings)

Thanks for checking it out for us Aesops I'm only up to ep 5 so you've saved me a lot of time 😂.

Well I skipped from 16 to 52 and even kept nodding off but don’t feel I missed out except.....

....what happened to cute chauffeur guy?? Aesops ?

After catching up on 4 days worth of posts (how did i miss so much 🤯).

I've gathered that all that matters is the first 12 episodes and last 2 so there's my weekend watch (but what does happen to the chauffer Aesops?)

Was It Love - What do you bet something happens to stop that kiss?
‘cos once a kiss happens in dramaland it’s all over

At least the mystery surrounding gangster’s feelings for FL is becoming clearer.

At least the mystery surrounding gangster’s feelings for FL is becoming clearer.

What have I missed? I clocked the bit about her being a target to punish him, but I’m still in the dark about the student film link that you mentioned.

Chauffeur guy story is pretty good actually.
Turns out he set a Honey trap for youngest heiress daughter - won't add spoiler if anyone wishes to watch it...?

boatyard it turns out it wasn’t a student film but some corporate gangster do, and woman in it is a lookey-likey for the FL. The baddie that followed hawt gangster threatened him saying that FL looked very like dead woman (Chinese? Triads? Hence why he spoke in ManDarin in temple in front of her plaque & she was wearing a cheongsam) and that he wouldn’t get away with double crossing the boss.
So maybe he left the gang got rid of his tattoo & took her with him. But they got to her. And he was dumbstruck at resemblance when met FL.
So I predict he won’t get FL but will gain a meaningful relationship with son.

Not that I’ve been thinking about it obv

So he’s a wrong ‘un Aesops?
Shame....🤣

Gawd! You lot are watching everything at the moment! I'm still catching up on its OK... And it's just lovely! Still not completely caught up yet... But it really is lovely lovely!! 🥰

I’m not Bea. I am modtly falling asleep on the sofa and missing socking great chunks of everything that I am watching. 🤷‍♂️

I’ll say it again, Kim Soo Hyun in a suit 😍

(Heading in to It’s Ok - apparently there’s a football match on in RL judging by the shouts from downstairs 🤣)

I could be watching kdrama but the cat has fallen asleep on me, we are enjoying a particularly precious cuddle as he fawns over DS1 (I rarely get a look in) and the remote is on the floor out of reach. 🤦‍♀️

boatyard!! Sweet !! And also a reason why your phone should never be out of reach 😉

He just left (probably to go and cuddle up with DS1) and I spotted the other remote (we have 2) poking out from under the cushion next to me. Arghhh!

Kim Soo Hyun in black T-shirt & jacket 😍

Just sayin’

Has anyone else watched My Unfamiliar Family on Viki? It’s a recent broadcast & in the ‘airing’ list but I think it’s all up as there are ~16 subbed episodes. I’m on ep 2 and it’s rather good - a slice of life drama with a side order of will they, won’t they romance. The FL is engaging, the love interests are pleasing to look at and well cast. The VP character caught my eye in Live as the sunbae love interest. The script seems grown up and well observed. Not a wobbly set or hint of iffy lighting. I’m going to send up a cautious boat signal ⛵️⛵️⛵️.

The father and mother’s storyline is clever and interesting.

I have just watched yesterdays episode of It's Okay. I did a proper gasp at the end. I hadn't seen that reveal coming.
Lots of beautiful crying and general gorgeousness. It's still great, definitely no soggy middle!

I’m so behind with It’s Okay. I’m not sure why it hasn’t gripped me, but it’s not on my essential viewing list.

I’m also loving It’s Ok, it’s a visual feast.

Catching up with To All Guys and it’s better when they’re not tussling over FL & could do without the parents & their ridiculous efforts to marry her off. The past lives stuff & evil wannabe MIL are the best bits. FL looks best in Joseon style. Still hard to credit why they would be fighting over her though.

I've just finished ep 1 of Unfamiliar family Boatyard. Very promising. Gotta go do RL stuff now with DH otherwise he may be seeking a 'Marriage Graduation' 😂
Looking forward to more viewing later

I've also just watched ep 1 of My Unfamiliar Family (FOMO ) please don't let little noona get back with shitty ex!!

How refreshing! Straight to seduction in ep 2. Makes a nice change from waiting 6+ episodes for the 'kiss' 😅