MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #18): Our piggyback taxi service has been suspended whilst we are socially distancing

[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)*
Stranger - 2 seasons (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)
It’s OK Not To Be OK (Netflix)

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 Handmaid (film, Netflix - content warning: explicit sexual content)
The Package (Viki)



Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)
Into The Ring (Viki)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
Live (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)*
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Once Again (Viki)
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)
My Secret Romance (Viki)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)



Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable

Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)
School Nurse Files (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)
Find Yourself (Netflix - Chinese)
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…

@polkettle I loved secretary Kim! Really funny in parts, mild setbacks to overcome and I loved how confident she was - got me through a long week!

Anyone else watching The Good Detective on Netflix? I am very tired at mo and have fallen asleep twice trying to finish ep 1, but it looks really good. I have duly noted that there are ONLY TWO of the collectable watches in Korea. It’s not quite US-level, but the writer is most definitely setting a trail of breadcrumbs. Back in the day I would play guess the killer at the start of Morse or Taggart with my housemates. I had a decent hit rate. My money is currently on the captain of Violent Crimes Team 1. I would also like to have first dibs on the ML’s black leather/shearling lined jacket. It is lovely. I’m less fussed about the ML, who needs to lay off the botox IMO.

@Hydrogensonata Four episodes left. Gorgeous fluff that's slipping down like a bucket of Angel Delight with sprinkles on 🥰

Up to date on DDSSLLS. What a great wee show, exceeding expectations!

My weekend kdramaing was severely impacted by me and DH deciding to take down the collapsing shed. It took much longer and many more tip runs than we thought 😅.
I did watch nine tailed which I enjoyed. The Russian fox is definitely succumbing to the charms of vet fox ☺️.

I'm only up to ep 6 of Flowers of Evil so I might be way out (Aesops don't tell me if I'm right or not 😁) but my current prediction is that the husband hasn't killed anyone and it was all his Dad/Sister 🧐.

I'm looking forward to watching the next 2 eps of Search tonight too

Couldn't possibly say TheGirl 😉

I'm up to date with DDSSLLS
Boatyard I was going to start the Good Detective is there any humour in it? I want a laugh next

Oh poo Search is still a bit swiss cheesy

Boatyard I was going to start the Good Detective is there any humour in it? I want a laugh next

It looks to be a straight police procedural/thriller from what I’ve seen so far.

I am gradually catching up on my sleep after a very unsettled week last week, combination of work stresses and the US election. I am so behind with all my dramas. 😩

Oof Search Is tense especially that Weeeeooooo soundtrack noise & thudding buildup when you’re listening with earbuds in

Oh poo Search is still a bit swiss cheesy yep I thought subs at 94% would be fine but there were a few bits missing at potentially key points!
It is v v tense, I don't know who I'm more worried about not making it through; ML, FL or the dog 😟

It is v v tense, I don't know who I'm more worried about not making it through; ML, FL or the dog

Me too! I am now adding nice predator ajhussi to the list as he is obvs ML’s dad

I am now adding nice predator ajhussi to the list as he is obvs ML’s dad ooh yes definitely

I was really worried about the one who was getting married in Search after what happened to ramen secret recipe man. Obviously it didn't go particularly well for him but relieved he's out of the firing line and hope he still has a functioning bottom half...

Oh No was that him? I thought it was one of the others... was pleased though how little girls mum was straight in there with how to get him back safely and am glad she kept the uniform I am hoping she puts it on again 😉

I thought it was the younger guy that was in charge of the radio that hot injured.
Little girls mum was super cool again!

Oh no! I must have got it wrong. I am not good at following with them all in uniform running about in the dark with their helmets on. Still, means about to get married man still has functioning bottom half (useful -hooray) but is still entirely expendable to the Something Nasty in the DMZ (boo). Hopefully ex-marine mum will save everybody

Hopefully ex-marine mum will save everybody

Yes hurrah! See, I have no one else except the dog to share these random drama-watching thoughts with, and even he isn't much bothered.

Yes to ex-marine mum saving them all. She definitely won't give that uniform back easily 😁

Looking forward to last two eps of Flower of Evil tonight and then I've got about 2 Search's to catch up on and Nine Tailed...

also as a filler in "not-needing-to-concentrate-too-much-with-the-goings-on-in-the-plot" moments I've been rewatching Nokdu! Loveley!

Bea I wish I could watch so many different ones but I struggle with two! Enjoy the final ep's of Flower I will be interested in your thoughts on 16 🤔

Currently flitting over a few options but nothing grabbed me yet, awaiting one of you lovelies to enthusiastically post so I can follow. I feel like another comedy or something in the same vein like Melo (is there anything like Melo?)

Meanwhile just dipping into lots of my K Vloggers posts on YouTube.

Oh my god guys. I just started Melo. I'M^^ HAPPY.

And now I'm bawling 😭

Yup, that’s Melo for you. It’s brilliant. I knew it was going to be brilliant 2 mins in. It was the conversation about the drawbacks of being in love with a raincloud that piqued my interest. The FL’s inner monologue when the director is arguing childishly with the mad lady writer was hilarious. The drunken rabbit, hilarious. The beautifully observed relationship between the actress with the eating disorder and her manager. The sad bits. The PP woman’s “oppa” meltdown On set. All of it genius.

I loved Melo. I want to be the documentary maker (without the sad backstory)