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…

Happy new year guys! I could have done with someone (a handsome ML) making me a bowl of hangover soup and bringing me a bottle of miracle hangover medicine this morning!

Looking forward to more K chat with you all over the coming year!

Haven't done much TV watching recently but caught up on run on today and waiting eagerly for the next true beauty!
@boatyardblues that ET bit properly made me laugh! I like the ML and they've got good chemistry's although he's a bit on the pretty/lanky side for me - I'm tall so think an awful lot of MLs would struggle to give me a piggyback- sighs about Hyun Bin he'd have managed it.
Also in run on how does he keep his running shoes so white?! (Looks in shame at my own)

I havnt watched any drama yet today 😳. I have eaten lots of chocolate and read approximately 35 BTS fanfictions 😂😂😂
It's really cute about Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin. 🤞For them.
@Hydrogensonata I'm also tall (and fairly sturdy) so the only suitable candidates for piggybacks are Choi Jin Hyuk and Ahn Bo Hyun. Unless I've missed a suitably strong candidate?
I'm going to watch Run On later when I can have the TV

I'm also tall (and fairly sturdy) so the only suitable candidates for piggybacks are Choi Jin Hyuk and Ahn Bo Hyun.

Same. I’ll also be queuing Choi Jin Hyuk and Ahn Bo Hyun. The grim reaper from the ghost hotel series (sorry, mental block) looks like he’d do a good job too.

So Hi Sub from My secret Terrius/oh my Venus looks tall?!

So Ji Sub that should be. Must be a few more?

@boatyardblues do you mean Kang Hong Suk? He was one of the police officers in King The Eternal Monarch he definitely looks like he could survive picking me up 😁

Yes Girl - that’s the guy. 😄

And So Ji Sub looks like he has piggyback potential, agreed.

Oh definitely ✔️😁

To borrow boatyard's phrase, FMIYM is just lovely. I really liked the OST too. Thought ML & FL were perfect together. If I had one quibble it's that the baddie who got the bucket of rotting food on his head deserved worse than that after what he put the main couple through.

On episode 5 of FMIYM and slipping down lovely. But a bit finger chewy stressful . Did laugh at the tiny 3 tables at the bottom of a staircase award ceremony.

Very much enjoying FMIYM... I'm upto ep 8!

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap... What are you like? Bts fanfic!? 😂😂😂😂

Not kdrama, but have any of you watched Bridgerton? Any advice/thoughts? I am intrigued by the Hollywood take on classic Brit period dramas. 😄

Love realised through martial arts training is one for the bingo card.

I'm sorry Bea I just can't stop 😔😁.
I still havnt watched any drama as there is still football on the telly

Finally got the telly back! Just paused Run On to say how much I love the MLs Mum's expressions of annoyance/resignation at literally everything her awful husband does. I think she's going to kick some ass at some point in the series.
Also I just drank the last of the Bailey's. Does this mean I have to admit Christmas is nearly done??? 😭😭😭

@boatyardblues

Not kdrama, but have any of you watched Bridgerton? Any advice/thoughts? I am intrigued by the Hollywood take on classic Brit period dramas. 😄

It was enjoyable. Quare raunchy, mind. You won't be used to it! 😂

Don’t start Bridgerton out of idle curiosity. It’s like a Tdrama on crack and not far off in tone, though with a kdrama budget. Jane Austen must be spinning in her grave. I can’t look away.

Xposted with FedUp. 😆

@boatyardblues

Xposted with FedUp. 😆

😂 it's bingeworthy to be sure. Lots of nonsense, but the ML is totally rideable.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Finally got the telly back! Just paused Run On to say how much I love the MLs Mum's expressions of annoyance/resignation at literally everything her awful husband does. I think she's going to kick some ass at some point in the series. Also I just drank the last of the Bailey's. Does this mean I have to admit Christmas is nearly done??? 😭😭😭

I agree with this, his mum is totally fed up with being his wife 😂 I'm really enjoying Run on, love the FL and the ML has such a lovely character. The secretary of the female sports agent is really familiar to me! What have I seen him in before? It's really bothering me! Kang Tae Oh is gorgeous too, much better than his nasty Nokdu character.

I just started Hospital Playlist, I had a chuckle when the four siblings of the Dr were priests/nuns. 😁 It's not gripped me yet but I'll continue on, as I know everyone loved it here

I gave My Only One a go last night then remembered I’ve never really liked anything the FL has been in, dunno why, and anyway there are 53 HOUR LONG EPISODES!!!

So I have restarted Misaeng after initially trying to watch at the start of my kdrama travels a couple of years ago and I am already enjoying it so much more this time. It could be the post Run On Im Siwan effect 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m caught in a Bridgerton riptide but its only 8 episodes so I’ll be free shortly. Misaeng sounds good once I’m loose. 😄 DH has just subscribed to the Disney channel. I can hear the boys planning their viewing for the next God knows how long in the other room. Netflix on my phone it is.

I also tried Bridgerton last night but couldn't get past the Georgette Heyer voice in my head saying 'b-b-b-but that's just preposterous!!! And totally the wrong kind of pelisse!' so I didn't even make it to the raunchy bits