MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #19): Our noona days may be behind us but the ajummas of darkness will unleash their inner Gangnam leopards as the festive season approaches

[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/Netflix)
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)
Misaeng (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)
Kiss Goblin (Viki, webdrama)
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)*
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)*

Mystic Pop-up Bar (Netflix)
The Guest (Netflix)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

W: Two Worlds (Viki & Netflix)*
Zombie Detective (Viki)


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)
Lost Romance (Viki - Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, 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…

To be fair @Rowdythree if your baby didn't look like a jar of rice at this stage I'd be more worried

That's comforting @polkettle 😂👍👍

I'm on episode 4 of Itaewon Class! I'm enjoying it, but I'm raging at the injustice so far! Park Seo Joon and his lovely eyes are as gorgeous as ever 😍

I really love the character of Jo Yi So's hair!

@jojomolo yes I definitely agree with that analysis- I just couldn't see what it was that made them fall in love? All the surrounding characters were so good though maybe that made the romance look worse in comparison? I'd agree it must be quite hard to pull of the FL character
Watching a bit of lawless lawyer today and first two episodes are good fun so far!

@Rowdythree Definitely puts you through the mill although PSJ's laid-back forehead slap/hair stroke through all trials is v soothing.
FL hair changes towards the end and it's not as good and a bit unsettling.

Agree with everything said about Nine Tails... I just don't care enough about any of them... I don't think I'm going to finish it...
Like @Bettys I'm loving uncanny counter! I love that whole surrogate family comraderie! And the baddies are soooo bad! I'm just irked I have to wait for eps to drop! 😢😱🤨
I'm really not watching anything else... Might give waikiki a go...
Finished my ReWatch of CLOY and it was stunningly marvellous the second tine round! It really has everything!!
Now rewatching Am I Human Too... Love SKJ and his race horse legs that were soooo wasted in Weather!... Looking forward to whatever he does next!

Love SKJ and his race horse legs that were soooo wasted in Weather!... Looking forward to whatever he does next! oh me too Bea I've never been so annoyed at some baggy cords in my life 😂

Finished my ReWatch of CLOY and it was stunningly marvellous the second tine round! It really has everything!!

I got completely over invested in CLOY and kept wishing there could be reunification of the two Koreas.........it’s a tv show, ffs!
I wish there’d be a second series with all the same cast - including the wicked brother and sister in law who I thought were brilliantly acted - but I can’t really see where the story would go.
Which is your favourite scene? I loved the bicycling bit and the scented candle.

[quote polkettle]@Rowdythree Definitely puts you through the mill although PSJ's laid-back forehead slap/hair stroke through all trials is v soothing.
FL hair changes towards the end and it's not as good and a bit unsettling.[/quote]
Should I watch something fluffy to break it up? I think it's going to be difficult to watch in parts.

Maybe I should just start on CLOY and give up waiting for DH to watch it with me. Or Uncanny Counter? 🤔

CLOY bears repeated viewing. Watch it first and then rewatch with your DH.

I started watching Reply 1988 out of idle curiosity and had to pause after the scene where FL is stuck in the narrow gap between the buildings with her boy neighbour after the talent contest because I was laughing so hard. Brilliant!

That sounds funny Boatyard! There's so much to watch, and not enough time!

I’m on ep 16 of Reply 1988 and was thinking oh no nearly finished but just realised it’s 20 episodes 👍

Andante57 ré favourite scenes in CLOY I love the bicycling bit, the stranded train, when he sees her with a NK hairdo, when she sees him with SK clothes, him opening the door for everyone in SK & being a bit vain about it going viral, the award scene with the squad, just about any scene with Kim Jung Hyun oooh so many!

I have one episode left of Reply 1988 and quite a long list of other things I should-have-done-over-the-last-few-days-but-haven't. Oops 🥰

Having completed Hospital Playlist, I'm now watching Prison Playbook which is also excellent so far. A bit darker and more subtle than HP, but some really funny bits.

Just catching up with the thread and it's so interesting hearing all the thoughts and musings of everyone.
How exciting about the classes Rowdytree. I'm hoping to join the local Korean cultural meeting group next year when we are finally able to go back to face to face meetings.
For those watching Reply 1988 have you had your hankies out yet? I remember having a few tears.

@fifilacklustre I haven’t had my hankie out yet....

Just finished Reply 1988 and sod hankies I need bath sheets for all the (happy) tears @fifilacklustre Can someone please pat me gently for a while and hide my 1988 photo albums and mix tapes?

Omo! Ep 17 of Reply 1988 and the ajummas are doing their washing - and I can remember my mum doing the old end of soap in some tights trick for scrubbing underarms on shirts

Plus as everyone was saying how old the youngest brother is I looked him up - and he is 35 so was 31 and playing a 17 year old!

@bettys I hooted at ancient looking 2015 No Eul 😁

Hydro loved Lawless Lawyer! The humour i it just lifted a quite dark story. The Firey Priest is also a good laugh.

Quite enjoyed Dating in the Kitchen but I wish they had either done a few more episodes to properly deal with the brother's story arc or had brought it in from the beginning because the ending felt a bit rushed. Nice romcom that suits the current mood of not being able to focus for long. Love the way the ML looks at the FL, this might be my new Go Go Squid 😁

Awww polkettle, there, there - gently patting your back. Get out your mixed tapes, have a dance around, and reminisce
Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who had a moment watching the end!
bettys I'm on episode 11 of Bromance, and sorry to say I'm finding it pants. Very flat acting, and quite boring storyline, and not much humour. I've not been able to gel or care about the characters, and I'm not convinced about the chemistry between leads. But you give it a go , you may find it different.
monkeywench the leads' relationship in Dating In the Ktichen was the making of the show. I think they dealt with the age difference very well. Never got why they introduced the brother, it was a bit too late and they never resolved the issue well enough for me. Definitely, worth a watch. I think I lost a bit of interest as I was watching weekly and it would have been better if I had binged to keep up the momentum.

@polkettle

Just finished Reply 1988 and sod hankies I need bath sheets for all the (happy) tears *@fifilacklustre* Can someone please pat me gently for a while and hide my 1988 photo albums and mix tapes?

Aww @polkettle have a good old reminisce! I love a bit of 80s nostalgia!

I'm on episode 13 of Itaewon Class now, and to be honest I've lost a bit of interest. I'll finish it though, but I don't care if he takes down Jangga Co and he doesn't seem interested in either FL 🤷‍♀️ I'm definitely not loving the 4 years later Ji So hairstyle either, bring back the dip dyed bob! 😂

Hang in there @rowdythree because it does have a good ending despite the bad hair.

Andante57 ré favourite scenes in CLOY I love the bicycling bit, the stranded train, when he sees her with a NK hairdo, when she sees him with SK clothes, him opening the door for everyone in SK & being a bit vain about it going viral, the award scene with the squad, just about any scene with Kim Jung Hyun oooh so many!

Yes those were all lovely scenes, bettys.
However, there’s one bit which I don’t understand and that’s when Captin Ri wakes up in hospital after the operation to remove the bullet, sees SeRi, and is furious with her and shouts at her for causing trouble.
Why did he do that?

@polkettle

Hang in there *@rowdythree because it does* have a good ending despite the bad hair.

I finished it... The ending was quite satisfying I guess! I feel a bit sad that I watched it so quickly now 😂

I've never seen a characters appearance change so much before! Usually they look exactly the same despite many years having passed!! The scenery in Itaewon class made me really want to go to Seoul now! To think if it wasn't for Covid I would have had the experience of sitting on a rooftop terrace in Seoul drinking Soju 😭 I'm sad to think I haven't experienced it yet, but glad that I still have it to come!