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…

How long does it normally take for the subtitles to be finished?....

My class was so good! My first time speaking Korean to another person!

Oh well done @Rowdythree!

Daebak @Rowdythree ! What happened with your makgeolli btw?

Oh yes, I was thinking about the makkeoli babies the other day? How are they coming along?

Sadly, mine died a tragic death 😬 I think I must have written the instructions down wrong, I'll try again following a proper recipe at some point... Poor baby

Sorry for your loss 😢

@Hydrogensonata that’s kind of how I feel about Run On ! I’m enjoying it, but feel as though I’m missing something key or not quite getting something with all this stuff about walls etc it’s all a bit intangible.
I liked him being a driver for the gay couple and the bits with his athletic mates
I also liked the artist getting arsey & smearing his palette on the canvas
But I’m not feeling much warmth from FL her prickliness is a bit annoying although loved her sweariness at twat director

@Rowdythree was it undrinkable or did it explode? As happened to me once with a batch of homemade elderflower champagne 😂

@bettys it went mouldy 🤢

🤢bleurgh...... shame

Oh wow it has got busy on here 😀. Hope all are well. Will have to go through the posts and see what people are watching as I need a few more to get me through the week. Only enjoying Run On at the moment. Trying to stick to the love struck in the city but it lacks something.

@bettys yes I can't quite work out why she keeps saying about him putting up walls?
And the prickliness is getting a it much - it's like they're deliberately misunderstanding each other, it stretching it a bit to imagine two people who are both so awful at communicating

[quote Hydrogensonata]@bettys yes I can't quite work out why she keeps saying about him putting up walls?
And the prickliness is getting a it much - it's like they're deliberately misunderstanding each other, it stretching it a bit to imagine two people who are both so awful at communicating[/quote]
I’m finding all the stuff about walls and the miscommunication baffling too. I think once (if) they get to the snogging/shagging stage it will right itself as they have great chemistry as ML/FL. I love love love seeing them together. I love Im Siwan’s twinkly eyes and mop of wavy hair. I love FL too. I like Monsieur L’Artiste and Scary Lady Boss - their chemistry is throwing some serious shade on Siwan and FL (must look up her name). May is also a good character. Hate the bratty idol brother though, more than I can convey. I’m enjoying this so much in spite of my bewilderment.

I need to get wriggle on with my spreadsheet scores so we can include the final 2020 top 5 in the next OP. Last call for any other updates to the header.

On of my predictions for Run On is that ML’s actress mother will threaten his politician father with divorce during his campaign if he tries to break them up. He wants a dynastic marriage for ML that will further his political ambitions, not a love match. (Same goes for 2FL’s father.) FL is poor, orphaned, often unemployed, opinionated and argumentative - totally unsuitable. The long, slow build up is, I guess, required because both of them are so guarded and resistant to letting anyone in. ML is fighting attempts to marry him off like chattel. FL has a long history of being abandoned and is scared about being vulnerable (hence her reaction at the hotel about him moving out). The real fireworks/drama starts when they get together, as his father will go nuts. However, we all know - because it has been painstakingly built and shown - that they are both very stubborn and stick to their guns. I don’t mind the slow build up as I’m anticipating a pay-off that justifies it.

I agree with you Boaty, I think at the hotel when he gave her the trainers and said he was moving out, she felt like it was a rejection of her. He felt like he was being kind and considerate and treating her well, by tidying the house, going to help her as the driver. However she felt like the gift was a parting gift and that when she gets home it will be like he's never been there. So she's left wondering what's going to happen to their relationship.

I'm so glad the artist lost his cool with the scary boss lady, I definitely feel they have a more chemistry filled relationship! I wonder at what point the Idol brother's role in the show will become known, at the moment he's just a bit of an annoyance. I'm not sure what purpose his character is, unless to show the messed up dynamics of the 2FL family.

Anyone watched True Beauty yet? Subtitles aren't at 100% yet 🤔

I think he mentioned mould @Rowdythree and said not to worry about it because when you decanted after three weeks you filtered that off? 🤔 But I can see would be off-putting.

I like that as much as I'm absorbing some Korean, KDrama is changing my English too. Finding myself using 'diligently' and 'burdensome' in everyday conversation. And adding 'punk' and 'wench' to my insult list of course

@polkettle, me too. I find myself saying 'all of a sudden' a lot too 😂

@boatyardblues Add Some Day or One Day to the Taiwanese category. I thought it was very watchable and enjoyable. Still thinking about it and playing the soundtrack.

I'm still enjoying True Beauty but worry that it might get a bit tedious if there are continuous misunderstandings/awkward situations - it is only episode 9 so room for plenty more when tbh I would just like them to be happy ever after now!

I'm surprised by how much I have enjoyed Choosing Spouse by Lottery (JDrama Viki). I thought it was going to be a hi-jinks rom-com (Government enforces blind-date marriage programme to improve falling birth rate) but has turned out to be a rather sensitive and thoughtful study of society's marital expectations.

@bettys

I'm still enjoying True Beauty but worry that it might get a bit tedious if there are continuous misunderstandings/awkward situations - it is only episode 9 so room for plenty more when tbh I would just like them to be happy ever after now!

I'm surprised by how much I have enjoyed Choosing Spouse by Lottery (JDrama Viki). I thought it was going to be a hi-jinks rom-com (Government enforces blind-date marriage programme to improve falling birth rate) but has turned out to be a rather sensitive and thoughtful study of society's marital expectations.

I feel the same about True Beauty let's just end the show here, no need for any more twists and turns in the love story 😂

Does anyone else get the feeling that 2ML in Run On is older than he's letting on? He's been a bit cagey about how old he is although he did say he was 24...

How old are ML, FL and 2FL?

[quote polkettle]@boatyardblues Add Some Day or One Day to the Taiwanese category. I thought it was very watchable and enjoyable. Still thinking about it and playing the soundtrack.[/quote]
Which platform Pol?

MDL is my go-to for all these questions!
I'm not sure what age they are supposed to be in the drama but IRL they are
ML: 32
FL: 30
2FL: 30
2ML: 26 so he is actually younger than 2FL

@boatyardblues Viki