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…

@polkettle

Ah we have very similar tastes! I need to do more of the thrillers. Partly just not been the year for watching murrrdrrr. Almost like I've been distracted by snogs too...

If you like Lee Min Ki (from BTIMFL) The Lies Within is great but also unsparing on the gore and bleakness (but also a little hopeful). If you are a seasoned fan of Scandi noir you’ll be fine.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I've started Hospital Playlist (well episode 10 already...)

Really enjoying it and loving all the Reply 88 references. Must watch the other Replys and Prison Playbook.

I’ve watched Reply 1998(?) - the nineties one, can’t remember the year. Go Ara is less adorable in it and it has Korean Dennis Waterman in it, but also the paediatrician from Hospital Playlist and the smouldering writer from Was It Love. Sorry, too tired to do proper looking up for all their names.

I should say, I enjoyed it & it had a lot of heart. Worth watching.

Decided to rewatch HPL just to enjoy the snogs 😍😁 Perfect for my current "dunno what I want to watch" mood. Why does annual leave go by so quickly?? Work weeks definitely don't go by as fast 🤔

"Korean Dennis Waterman" is the breakfast content I am looking for 😂
Excellent. Thank you Boaty. Will check out The Lies Within. At some point I suppose my to watch list of quality catch up is going to shrink but (THANK GOD) that day is not yet here.

fedup - Prison Playbook is in my top 5. I loved it so much, the humour, pathos, gut-wrenching scenarios, the humanity of it all, the acting was so good, I particularly I've also watched Reply's 1988 and 1997. I preferred 1988, I was also happy with the couple arrangement. in 1988.

I'm happily rewatching Stong Woman Do Bong Soon still trying to get over the trauma of DDSSLLS . The relationship between the leads is so lovely and sweet, I'm enjoying it as much as I did the first time.

bettys how are you getting on with Welcome Waikiki? I have to say that I laughed so much with it, not the most in-depth storyline, and it sagged a bit in the last few episodes but the characters are so good. it suited my mood after watching Love Me if You Dare.

@polkettle

"Korean Dennis Waterman" is the breakfast content I am looking for 😂 Excellent. Thank you Boaty. Will check out The Lies Within. At some point I suppose my to watch list of quality catch up is going to shrink but (THANK GOD) that day is not yet here.

Who is the Korean Dennis Waterman? What a title to be given 😂

Korean Dennis Waterman: Sung Dong Il He can only do one character (Sung Dong Il), all the subtlety of a breeze block and takes up far too much oxygen and space in every scene he is in.

He’s loud and annoying too.

But does he sing the them tune???😂😂

Theme tune gah cold hands in a post office queue 🙄

bettys how are you getting on with Welcome Waikiki?

fifi I really enjoyed it overall, though it may have been better at 16 episodes than 20. I like ML v much as an actor. At times it had me in stitches, although a couple of storylines lagged

Got my Spotify year end thingy...may have a problem possibly?

I think we have the same problem Brambly

Didn’t attach 🤦🏻‍♀️

@bettys

But does he sing the them tune???😂😂

This was my first thought too 😂

@boatyardblues

Korean Dennis Waterman: Sung Dong Il He can only do one character (Sung Dong Il), all the subtlety of a breeze block and takes up far too much oxygen and space in every scene he is in.

Aah, I've just had a look at him and I've seen a few drama's he's been in, but he's not even on my radar! I don't even recognise his photo! I'll probably see him all the time now and forever be thinking 'Dennis Waterman'

Did anyone else see us get name checked on the thread about the British being too ignorant to watch "foreign" films 🤣?

Me... an intellectual 🧐

@Cassini

Did anyone else see us get name checked on the thread about the British being too ignorant to watch "foreign" films 🤣?

Me... an intellectual 🧐

Ohhhh will take a look!

Anyone finished More Than Friends? Wondering whether to start that or Reply 1988

Ooh start it @bettys because I just did and lo and behold - KOREAN DENNIS WATERMAN. Started humming "I could be so good for you" as soon as I saw him 😂 Immediately loving it. Especially little girl with her different treat in every scene. Want a giant sugar goldfish.

Just checked that foreign film thread 😁. Someone recommended Viki for Korean tv and it wasn't even one of us! 😁

Sorry...to be clear I meant Reply 1988. Misread.

@polkettle ah the classic "I could be so good for you" - and don't forget "It's alright, it's okay, It doesn't really matter if you're old and grey hey"

Righto I'm joining you with Reply 1988

That thread about foreign films.....I hope some of those guys are on here they are welcome to delurk and join in!

I finished More than Friends Betty's. Its a bit slow and frustrating but had a nice wrapped up non twisty ending. I thought it was OK.