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…

Very true!!

It’s been my strategy for avoiding the Brexit shitshow for the last few years, and it turns out that the “pancha pancha” distraction works just as well for a pandemic. 👍

반짝 반짝
banjjag banjjag
= shiny shiny

Nearing the end of ep 1 of More Than Friends and I’m finding the ML really unlikeable as a character. Not sure if this is for me.

Found Youn’s Kitchen 2 on my followed list on Viki. It’s 4 Korean celebs sent off to run a real restaurant on Tenerife. There’s been a cast change and PSJ, yes that’s PSJ, is one of the team. I’m still watching the set-up scene but I can see already why PSJ is so successful. He’s brought waaaay more focus to preparing for the challenge and seems to the only one who has swotted up on their Spanish language home work. I’m getting lots of Korean cookery tips too. 👍

Set up scene = episode

Psj in youns kitchen 😍.. Not watched all but seen a lot of clips and he really is endearingly charming! The locals loved him and his Spanish!... 👌❤️

BTS concert!... = 😱💕😚👌👌😍💜🤯

I’m loving the laid back and the noodling jazz soundtrack. The quiet seaside town looks lovely.

PSJ and Jung Yu Mi come across well - grounded and hard working.

PSJ ❤️

We've been watching dodolalasol
It's not grabbing me ..

Well just finished Stranger S1. Best "serious" thing I've watched since Kingdom. DH now fully a K-drama convert 😁

Oh well done FedUp! You have succeeded where the rest of us have failed.

@boatyardblues

Oh well done FedUp! You have succeeded where the rest of us have failed.

I have found that although he sighs and rolls his eyes when I watch Ks on the TV, I always catch him sneakily watching out of one eye... 😂

Hello all 👋 Sorry to rudely jump in. I just wanted to say a big thank you for your list. Discovered the true KDrama Way via CLOY back in April and haven't looked back since with a slightly scary escalating habit - 2020 rocks! 😉😁 so very pleased to discover this KDrama Anonymous corner. Anyway your asterisk system led me to Don't Dare to Dream which I might have otherwise missed and I think it might be my favourite ever. Although I do tend to always think that... Currently cooling off with totally romance free but mesmerising Misaeng (and a bit of rewatching my fave snogs on YouTube...) Thought you might like to see my Hyun Bin masks and new mug.

Welcome Polkettle! I love your photos. If there was a secret handshake for the thread, you would have just demonstrated the advanced and secret-secret versions too. The Hyun Bin mask is a whole other level of fandom. Glad to have you with us and to hear the OP recommendations list is working for visitors new to kdrama. No one should ever apologise for delurking - we can always make room at the table for new addicts.

also thank you for Viki tip and Her Private Life and real life PSJ serving/making Korean food tip which basically is all the telly I ever need.

😂 I have yet to have anyone recognise him/the quote but know if it ever happens I have made a friend for life. Plus they are masks the kids/husband won't touch so don't get lost.

Plus they are masks the kids/husband won't touch so don't get lost.

This is an excellent point! My children and DH would physically recoil from an oppa mask.

Brilliant masks Polkettle!!! Come and join us! 😁

I'm meant to be on call this weekend but my car broke down so I'm off. What a pity 🤔🤣 I have Private Lives lined up on Netflix, dinner in slow cooker and cake. Best day for the car to lie down on me 😂😂

I hope that was a typo and its the cat that’ll be lying on you, Monkey. Message if you need help summoning the emergency services.

Thank you! I will ☺️ Just received this from a friend who has clearly successfully indoctrinateded her best mate 😂

🤣🤣🤣boaty didn't even notice that!

Oppa emergency services welcome anytime 😊 😉