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…

Hi @LarryUnderwood -I'd definitely agree with her private life or what's wrong with secretary kim.
Just waiting for the 2 most recent episodes of Mr Queen to be fully subtitled - last one needed more court lady choi in it (currently my favourite character- the bit where she's CCTV made me properly laugh!)
For some reason I've spent the afternoon watching "mask" it's high drama ridiculousness-dopplegangers, evil plans - the whole 9 yards!

Oh sorry Larry boaty is correct, Her Private Life is not on Netflix. I'm sure you will soon be sucked in enough to get Viki though. Muahahaha!

I've caught up, I see lots of you are loving True Beauty 😍😍 it's my current favourite, I'll probably watch it all again once all the episodes are out!

Welcome Larry I still haven't watched CLOY but I had to give up on Something in the Rain I just couldn't get past the mothers treatment of them both, I watched the last 10 minutes to see how it worked out... My lips are sealed though 🤫

@LarryUnderwood have you watched Strong Girl Bong Soon yet, you'll definitely swoon over the lovely Mr Ahn ( I seriously considered naming my dog after him )

Hi @LarryUnderwood Welcome to your peoples 🥰 On Netflix nothing quite matches CLOY for heart clutching swooniness but would add It's Okay to Not be Okay and Romance is A Bonus Book as possible swoony options to others" excellent suggestions. There are SI MANY treats for you ahead. I'm also pretty new to it and playing happy catch up.

*SO MANY (Si Many sounds like dodgy man on the pull)

@Rowdythree oh yes strong girl bong soon is great Me Ahn is properly lovely! also weightlifting fairy Kim book joo is great although not swoonworthy.

Thank you! Strong girl bong soon and its ok not to be OK going straight on the list. I typed out a whole long response and then lost it stupid phone so to sum up what I was going to say: loving the kdrama, can't quite bring myself to let go of Hyun Bin as Cpt Ri , my DH thinks I've gone mad!

Yes, Kim Bok Joo is such a good series, some proper laughs in that show! Not very swoon worthy though, although there are lots of hot swimmer bods to look at at

If you like Hyun Bin, watch Memories of Alhambra, it's got mixed reviews here but I really enjoyed the show! (not the ending though)

Hi @LarryUnderwood . I am quite new at this too. Loved memories of the Alhambra, as suggested by Rowdy. Always takes me ages to decide what to watch next.

A while back I mentioned my mood finder method for choosing a new show, the “Boaty Shuffle”. I have a rough shortlist of 5 or 6 shows in mind and watch 10-15 mins of each one. If the show doesn’t grab me, I immediately move on to the next one. You will find one that fits your mood quite quickly. Also, one that annoys you now may feel just right next time so don’t write it off.

I quite like the sound of that method Boaty! I don't have a particular method, I'm often drawn in by the title, which is sometimes successful but sometimes not. For example, CLOY - I was put off by the title when it first came out therefore I still haven't watched it.

I don't tend to go for new releases often either, I don't know why 🤷‍♀️

I don't tend to go for new releases often either, I don't know why

Not a bad approach. Nothing worse than the water torture of a weekly airing show you are really invested in and would love to binge watch.

Welcome @LarryUnderwood 😊. I am fairly new here & enjoying the company.

@Rowdythree Hospital Playlist is my favourite kdrama ... I have rewatched it few times. When ever I am down I watch my favourite scenes.

I’m missing Seok-Yul’s dodgy bob now he’s got a sensible haircut (Misaeng). Did anyone else spot where his real hair stopped and the hairpiece started? I did and, once seen, I couldn’t unsee it.

@boatyardblues

I’m missing Seok-Yul’s dodgy bob now he’s got a sensible haircut (Misaeng). Did anyone else spot where his real hair stopped and the hairpiece started? I did and, once seen, I couldn’t unsee it.

No I didn’t ... I wasn’t a fan of his dodgy Bob but once he had a sensible-ish haircut, I did miss his old one. It goes with the character.

I noticed - I guess his hair wasn’t long enough for a bob when they started filming. At first I thought it might have been a toupé but as in later scenes he has lovely bouncy hair I guess it was to show his character changes

Do we think Hyun Bin is personally simmering Son Ye-Jin's seaweed soup?

I can’t bring myself to watch any other series with Son Ye-Jin and Hyun Bin as to me they will always be Se-Ri and Capt Ri.
My loss, I know.
Slightly off topic, we’re planning to watch a documentary on wildlife in the DMZ as apparently the lack of humans makes it a haven for animals and birds (though presumably heavy animals like bears could set off landmines).

That sounds interesting @Andante57. What can that be watched on?

Rowdy - we plan to watch it on Facebook but if you google DMZ The Wild I think there are various ways of watching it.

Thank you 👍👍

We've got in to doing soothing slow HD no commentary walking tours using a projector. So we're off to explore a night market in Seoul tonight. Hope it lets me stop and look at more stuff than yesterday's trip to Venice which kept going past gelaterias and not letting me browse the flavours

That does sound really interesting, @Andante57! Will check it out 👍