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…

@pagansophie I confess I made the 30 Something comparison before I'd watched it (although I knew I'd like it and I really did) It is not quite right - although you could call it 18 and 40 Something. Or a non-syrupy 1980s version of The Wonder Years maybe? Not at all in the style of the other K-Drama you've loved though!

@pagansophie Hi! Have you watched Kingdom yet?

Following the news that RiRi are an item IRL (Binjin official couple name), Park Hyung-sik and Lee Jong-suk have just finished their military service.

2021 off to a goooood start!

Binged Midsummer Full of Love (don't watch episode 21 if you're missing anyone!! My sinuses are clear now😂) which is the C drama version of Full House. I see there is now a Kdrama version of A Love So Beautiful on Netflix, so might give that a go.

Currently enjoying utterly filthy dreams of Jerry Yang in County Your Lucky Stars 😍 Mmm that voice...that body... must get work done but evrytime he does growly concerned voice I get distracted 😂 Having a bit of a Cdrama binge at the moment. DH has finally twigged that I'm a lost cause since all I wanted for Christmas was viki renewal, audible renewal, Netflix and chill ( and not in the come in for rameyon way lol). I was working most of the holidays but all my days off were spent in my bed with the electric blanket and earphones😁

bettys, just saying, but there is an Oh My Venus worthy bath tub scene 😍

monkeywench well, you know, busy and all that...... what was the episode number again?

😂😂 I have very kindly gone back to check for you, even though I'm meant to be working and really shouldn't be distracted. I consider it to be my solemn duty to fulfil any drama requests, so I shall grudgingly put down my work to tell you...
EPISODE 1 21MIN 29SEC
See the level of dedication I have?? Now I can't possible work due to dehydration, so I'm going to have to rehydrate in order to watch it again 😂😂 Someone on YouTube actually extended the scene to nearly 3 and a half minutes 😂

Being the loving sister that I am I shared the information with my DSis. Got this back 😂😂

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench Given your dedication to answering questions from your fellow drama addicts in spite of your heavy work schedule I felt it my duty to waste no time & check it out.

😱😱😱..... and the teasy little pecs twitches 🤣🤣🤣

It’s moved up the list 👍😏 many thanks for your sterling work.

( Love your sister’s response! 😆)

bettys if only I was as dedicated to my work... 😂😂😂

Well....me too....today is my first day after the Christmas break and I'm still faffing about instead of getting down to it....

@bettys

I enjoyed Count Your Luck Stars, very easy watch, and the leads did have good chemistry, SFL was a bit mental . I do remember having a moment seeing him and thinking I would massage his scar .
Has anyone watched Cdrama My Girlfriend Is An Alien? I am now running out of Cdramas on Viki that I want to watch.
Feeling pretty rubbish so needing an easy binge watch.

Thank you @bettys, @polkettle and @FedUpWithBriiiiick. I think come and hug me sounds like the next thing for me to try, I believe it's on netflix. I haven't watched Kingdom, but so far haven't watched a single Zombie series, so I am not sure if it's for me.
I'd really like to see the K version of Life on Mars. If the dramas are anything to go by they still seem to beat up the suspects and plant evidence and generally subvert the justice system, which I believe is pretty much frowned on in the UK now So what did they do in the 80s?

Sophie - If you like police procedurals and slice of life without women dying horribly, Live may fit the bill. One or two of the cases involve sex-based crimes but it isn’t dwelled upon or glorified. The inter-personal dynamics between the police officers are the main drivers. It has some standout female roles.

Ive used DSs inset day very productively and am just about to start ep 6 of Misaeng which I am really enjoying now the initial stress is over.
The sexism is really, really awful (as are the Resource team 😠) I wonder if its changed much in 6 years?

Thanks @boatyardblues. That does fit the bill perfectly. I don't know whether things have got more graphic or I've got more sensitive, but I've had to give up reading some of my fave crime authors because the violence, mainly against women was getting to me. But I do love all the investigation stuff.

The sexism in Misaeng makes my blood boil 🤬

I was wondering why it had a similar feel to My Mister , turns no out it’s the same director 👍☺️

I was wondering why it had a similar feel to My Mister , turns no out it’s the same director

Interesting. I was thinking earlier that it was similar in tone and pacing to My Mister.

Is anyone else struggling a bit with Im Siwan as such an under-confident shrinking violet in Misaeng? He’s so convincing that I’m wondering if it will ruin my enjoyment of him as leading man in Run On. I also noticed he seemed short next to Kang Ha Neul and looked up his height: 173cm. He should be in musical theatre! I would definitely be carrying him home after a night out. He is a lovely, lovely pony, not a piggyback shire. 😆

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench & @bettys have you seen Legend of Fuyao? There is a scene involving ML & FL fighting/teasing/flirting in water 😆

It was a looooong drama and bit of a drag but actors are good. FL is also strong & fierce. This is not the genre I watch but lockdown has turned my drama taste upside down.

Haha boaty I was definitely recon I can pick up Im Siwan. I've not watched any Run On since starting Misaeng so we'll have to see.

@JinBhoot Thanks for the tip - 66 episodes though 😱 it’s have to be a darn good water fight 😂

I'm enjoying My Girlfriend Is An Alien, it is easy, cheesy, and breezy. It helps that the ML is good looking and very nice pecs which FL likes to touch a lot due to the hormones he's omitting .
Definitely suiting my mood.