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…

Where are the Japanese ones Pol?

Here? Having said that I have no idea if this is kosher and not full of dodgy ads or something.
fsharetv.co/movie/little-forest:-summer-autumn-episode-1-tt3474600

Hmm. Now trying to find out if likely to be illegal or full of virus and can't get clarity on that.

bettys monkeywench Thanks for the variety show suggestions! I think DS will really like Running Man.

Busted is good fun on Netflix. Lee Seun Gi is very good at bending the rules 😂

Someone mentioned an animé subscription service that their teens use upthread. I bookmarked the Crunchyroll website, but it looks to be all merchandise. What was the streaming service?

There is Funimation as well but most of their content is dubbed. DS tends to lean toward Crunchyroll, but I'll ask him when he surfaces tomorrow. I use Prime but I'm not fussy what I watch and the genres can be a bit crap.

DS is learning some Japanese through Lingodeer, so prefers subbed Japanese animé rather than dubbed.

Thanks Monkey!

Morning everyone, lots of posts to catch up on! Thanks for the link to Little Forest Boatyard that's one to add to the list! It sounds lovely

I've been watching Touch your Heart on Vicki which I've enjoyed quiet a lot. The main romance has developed really nicely and I've enjoyed the touches of humour throughout. I really liked the nods to other drama's like Descendents of the Sun and Signal. Its fun

DH and I have also started watching Alice in Borderland on Netflix which is quite stressful and tense to watch! It's a bit like Hunger Games...

I’ve got Alice in Borderland bookmarked but, like you say, it looks stressful.

I can manage 1 or 2 episodes a night! Anymore is too much 😂 I need something light and fluffy for afterwards!

Just finished Prison Playbook which was another Lee Woo-Jung cracker.

Does anyone know where to stream Youth over Flowers? All this talk of variety shows has me craving!

Currently very much enjoying Uncanny Counter and Mr Queen of the on-airs.

Have tried Lucky Romance ‘cos of ML from Little Forest & Reply 1988 but FL is Ms Shouty 😫 so I’m struggling with it.

Determined not to start Start-Up until I’ve done my Christmas cards & pre-Christmas paperwork & tasks or they’ll never get done 🤷🏻‍♀️

Good luck with the paperwork @bettys, think of the reward at the end

I may give Alice in Borderland as I do like a J drama now and then.
Watching Jdrama Cherry Magic - I think this is the English name on Dramacool. It's about 30 year old male virgin who gains the magic power of reading people's thoughts and finds out one of his colleagues likes him. It's so sweet and lovely, only another couple of episodes left, hopefully, a happy ending

Ahhhh, I feel normal again! Managed The Undateables, Dating in the Kitchen and The Love Equations in the past week or so. I may resemble a panda but the drama mojo is baaaack🤩

@boatyardblues.. Yes Crunchyroll is the preferred... Dd is very dismissive of dubbed! Her Japanese sounds very convincing! 🤣
Start Up... I fear I'm going to be traumatised... On ep 4... It's lovely! They're all lovely but I have a preference! 😩😍
Uncanny is excellent! Highly recommended!! Thoroughly enjoying it!
Waiting for more of True Beauty to drop before diving in...
Mr Queen looks hilarious... That's on my watch list too!
And I'm rewatching Are You Human as my Kdrama at Breakfast! (in a lovely quiet clean kitchen! Kids gone to school... Husband in his office 👍👍)

In Reply 1988, you would buy a new iron wouldn’t you - or an extension cable? It is comedy gold though. If DH tried to do it, I’d anticipate a similar outcome. 😆

And she still tries to iron with it!😂

monkeywench, good to see your mojo is back, and well done for getting through Undateables, I've tried twice and couldn't cope with shouty woman! I managed Love Equations with some skipping.

Finished Melo is my nature and debating what to watch next!
There were some really good bits- properly laughing at loud especially the product placement bit 😁 and some really teary bits in too especially with Lee Eun-jung
The only bit I wasn't 100% keen on was the bit with Jae Hoon especially at the end when he meets Ha Yoon again

Im absolutely loving Reply 1988 its so lovely and nostalgic; because of the year and because its about growing up. The relationships between them all are so sweet (and bittersweet). I don't remember loving Reply 1994 as much, but it was v early in my kdrama viewing. I don't think it has as much about the relationships between the adults, which is one of the lovely things about it.

I couldn't be doing with Reply 1994 either TheGirl - it was also in my early days of viewing kdrama so maybe I just didn't get it. Reply 1988 is just great though!

I like Reply 1994. So there. 🤷‍♂️