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…

I had been wondering that! Thought it might have something to do with hearts and flowers or sweet as honey. Totally with Bea and will steer clear of DDSnolongerneedtoremembertheletters. Quilting to the Itaewon Class soundtrack today which even has some I can singalong with

(still haven't forgiven Memories of the Alhambra it's cop out ending)

What a waste of Hyun Bin! It’s hard to imagine a more overblown, expensively produced boreathon. It looked great but it was painful to watch.

I know! So disappointing. Wasting Hyun Bin should actually be a criminal offence.

The Uncanny Counter 👍

@bettys

The Uncanny Counter 👍

Oh happy days! I'm a bit adrift as to what to watch next.

🤭🤭🤭... I feel proud to have been immortalised into shorthand emoji!... Yes unhappy rubbish endings are soooo not my thing! So much so I will not bother with a drama if the ending is unsatisfactory!... I'm not sitting through 15 eps to be thoroughly unamused! (someone else will do that for me! 🤭🤭😱... Usually Bettys!..
will give me a heads up to not bother!! 👍👍👍🤭😁)
Yes! The Uncanny Counter looks fun! I'm still on my CLOY ReWatch and it's an absolute joy! I think I might bump its score to a TEN! I've never awarded a Ten before I think! It's just a perfect drama!! 💕🥰💕🥰💕🥰

앙 영! RL is absolutely draining me but finally have a week of AL so gleefully plotting some viewing. I'll have to start to make a dent in my list 😂

Hi Monkey! Good to see you.

Good to see you back monkey and let us know what you’re watching !

Thoroughly enjoying my rewatch of CLOY. Just love sulky Hyun Bin not getting a prize at the 'award ceremony'

I watched Call (film Netflix) last night, but had to watch on +1 speed as it was super creepy. Very clever but I sort of didn't like it.

Enjoyed the first episode of Uncanny Counter

@polkettle

(still haven't forgiven Memories of the Alhambra it's cop out ending)

This was one of the most frustrating endings I've seen! I enjoyed the series and I still hold out hope for a second series!

I've spent my entire weekend watching What is wrong with Secretary Kim! What a lovely drama!

Are there any Christmassy K dramas? I kind of like the Cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies so if I can combine the two in going to have a happy festive season! 🎅

I don't know if anyone stuck with More than Friends but it has multiple 🐝 friendly endings if someone needs a fix.

Just watching ep 15 Brambly. The funeral! 😢 I’m keeping everything crossed for the unfortunate friend and her ex.

@polkettle

(still haven't forgiven Memories of the Alhambra it's cop out ending)

I really loved memories of the Alhambra. Would definitely watch a second series.

In all honesty @Rowdythree @pagansophie my main takeaway from Memories of the Alhambra was that that game was a many, MANY multiple lawsuit waiting to happen. The injuries! The trespassing! The damage to ancient monuments! Pokémon Go would have nothing on it. I did like the changing room snog and noble Binnie with his hawk though. And his lovely sacrificial assistant (SOB).
Weekend watching was Signal which took a while to hook me (not one to watch after too much wine makes me stupid) but now well into it. And the simmering hot, doomy, stylish Secret Love Affair. Find yourself a younger man you can duet Rachmaninoff with... phwoar. Going to need some fluff when done.

Those were definitely issues @polkettle! Could you imagine the injuries to innocent passers-by if it was a real game! I thought the show showed of the scenery of Granada and Seoul beautifully and of the course the dressing room snog was ace! I also loved the younger sister and the Grandmas characters and the Spanish guitar music.

I'd love it if they filmed a uk/K drama fusion something fun around the streets of London and Seoul would be amazing

For those of us still smarting about the ending of DDSSLLS here is a recap & review on dramabeans that pretty well sum it up, and scroll down for the comments after as they are equally outraged.
As a commenter said, it is a crash course in how an ending can make or break a drama

@Rowdythree

Those were definitely issues *@polkettle*! Could you imagine the injuries to innocent passers-by if it was a real game! I thought the show showed of the scenery of Granada and Seoul beautifully and of the course the dressing room snog was ace! I also loved the younger sister and the Grandmas characters and the Spanish guitar music.

I'd love it if they filmed a uk/K drama fusion something fun around the streets of London and Seoul would be amazing

I won’t argue with these points Sophie. It definitely made me want to visit Granada. Agree also with the points about multiple lawsuits.

@polkettle

In all honesty *@Rowdythree* *@pagansophie* my main takeaway from Memories of the Alhambra was that that game was a many, MANY multiple lawsuit waiting to happen. The injuries! The trespassing! The damage to ancient monuments! Pokémon Go would have nothing on it. I did like the changing room snog and noble Binnie with his hawk though. And his lovely sacrificial assistant (SOB). Weekend watching was Signal which took a while to hook me (not one to watch after too much wine makes me stupid) but now well into it. And the simmering hot, doomy, stylish Secret Love Affair. Find yourself a younger man you can duet Rachmaninoff with... phwoar. Going to need some fluff when done.

Haha re the lawsuits. I even got my game playing son to watch memories of the Alhambra with me. And I agree regarding his lovely assistant. St Sebastian came to mind. Signal was the first Korean drama I watched. I had been watching Scandi and European dramas, and this kept coming up on my recommendations. I had to give it several goes to get into it, but I think it remains my favourite. Especially the lovely opening song, which I can't find anywhere except on a youtube video. Shall look for Secret Love Affair, sounds interesting. I'm struggling a bit with the Good Detective, after a promising start it seems quite slow. IMO there aren't enough suspects. So unless it turns out the killer is actually the ML or something like that, it all seems a bit predictable.

Hello all 👋🏻 just wanted to say I am still here but rl has been busy and I seem to have been sucked into a rabbit hole of really awful Halmark Christmas movies 🎄
Hope you are all keeping well and can see the light at the end of the tunnel

@pagansophie Secret Love Affair only for when you're in an angsty art house mood - but absolutely beautifully shot and not salacious despite tricky subject matter. Rewarding.
Re Signal theme - it's so annoying when the particular OST you want not on Spotify etc

Cassini - Hallmark Christmas movies are the Cdrama of English medium content, strangely (inexplicably?) compelling viewing.

Nice to see you too. 👋

They are boat!

I am so far down the rabbit hole that I am watching Christian made movies and ones made for the Black America market. Before my kdrama enlightenment I would have watched them through the lense of my own cultural references and thought they were odd but now I watch them in a different way, does that make sense?