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…

@bettys Yay for Misaeng All crossed you also fall for lovely Sales Team 3. Grab a cushion for when you get to the presentations in ? episode 4. Such Tense (good) Telly.

Happy New Year All...

Just been adding my scores and thoughts onto the Spreadsheet and I'm struck by the amount of dramas I left unfinished in 2020!

Please could The Powers That Be add Flower Of Evil... True Beauty and Fine Me In Your Memory ontot the sheet.. (unless I have missed them!)

I am rubbish with spreadsheets and if I had a go I suspect I would delete the whole lot!

They are all on the 2020 spreadsheet now @Bea , great that you're adding scores.

Thing is, I don't know how to do the addy up thing and likewise would be mortified to cock up the thing of beauty that is the spreadsheet as designed by hello .......are you around @helloswellow ?

ooops! The're on there!!!! I missed them!!! apologies!!! ... I need new glasses...

I'm here! I'll do the adding up for you and return with the results!

Hello hello !! 👋👋 It’s been a while, good to see you!

I fell out of touch with social media for a while! I'll have to update my own scores on the spreadsheet and try to remember all the dramas I have watched 😂

I hope everyone and their families is well!

Top dramas/films for 2020

1 - Parasite - 9.06 (9 Votes)
2 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88 (9 Votes)
3 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.67 (3 Votes)
4 - Once Again & Hospital Playlist - 8.30 (5 Votes)
5 - Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 2 - 8.20 (5 Votes)

Worst drama is Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol - 3.60 (5 Votes)

Thank god for the Netflix viewing history to help me keep the spreadsheet updated. Wish Viki had the same...

DDSSLLS and Record of Youth were the biggest disappointments of the year for me. Kingdom S2 was superb

Carrying Run On, Uncanny Counter, Stranger S2, You Complete Me (C), True Beauty and Flower of Evil into 2021.

Phew! 😂

Oooh thanks hello! The results are interesting, I hadn't thought It's OK would rate as high as it did even though I loved it. Such a shame about DDSSLLS

Thank god for the Netflix viewing history to help me keep the spreadsheet updated. Wish Viki had the same

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I seem to have most of my recent watches on Viki in the Continue Watching section

@bettys that's a great tip!

I haven’t done my scores yet & I can’t get on to edit at the mo. Will do it later.

Hi hello thanks for sorting the spread sheet for us!

I’m back. Bridgerton done & enough scenic Regency bonking to carry me through a year’s chaste kdrama handholding and wistful looks. 🤣 Seriously, a very cheering and colourful diversion but not suitable for children or young teens. Older ones would probably die of embarrassment watching it with you too.

Oooo where do we get access to the spreadsheet? I've quite a few I've watched this year so would be good to rate them while I still remember them!
Luckily I have them all on MyDramaList as well - very useful if you watch Kdramas across Netflix, Viki, Youtube, etc..

Very much enjoying the Professor's whiteboard in FMIYM which has "Advanced Bionic Brain Engineering" written on it as a sort of side doodle.

I spotted that too, Pol. 🤣

On episode 3 of Misaeng and now very much enjoying after thinking mid episode 2 that it was too angsty. There was a much needed glimmer of light at the end of the episode.It helps that I've seen Reply 1988 so know a little more about Baduk training.
Wondering how Kang Ha Neul's character is going to play out, and also the handsome man from Mr Sunshine. Everyone has a back story it seems that will be played out slowly....I really want to know who/why Im Siwan has a connection to the director.

@Kseason if you pm hello or boaty they have the links to the spreadsheet.

@bettys Eventually the Baduk trainer makes a cameo and he may be familiar...
And you're right - really heartwrenching start but the warmth builds...
@boatyardblues Never mess around with basic Bionic Brain Engineering if you can go Advanced. That's my motto.

Binged watched FMIYM
Enjoyed it despite having soooo many questions.
In earlier episodes - I questioned doctor patient confidentiality so many times.
Dr friend redeemed himself towards the end, otherwise I was questioning his role except leaking the information.
Love the female bosses of both ML & FL. that’s how bosses should support their employees.
@polkettle I chuckled at the ceremony too.

What should I watch next? Rookie Historian Nay? Yay?

@Rowdythree Hospital Playlist is my top favourite drama, I would suggest to re-watch first episode after watching couple of episodes.

Rookie Historian is good Jin. FL is equally sparky in that. I like her & will seek out more of her series.

@polkettle the presentations in episode 4 were great!
I now want a baduk match in there somewhere so Geu Rae can star