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…

Right with you - watching episode 4 now. Loved the boys dancing at the talent show. And Jin-ju with her giant snack items is my spirit animal. I may (shifty eyes) have cracked and looked up love line plot destination half an hour ago.... I'm terrible.

I’m watching The Guest on Netflix. Just rewatched the first episode, last viewed with Olga & the girls popping up legs akimbo. 🙄 So much better (and suspenseful) uninterrupted. I’m just hoping HH KJW gets shot of his pudding bowl haircut pronto, because it has reduced his hotness by about 30%. Not even the all black priest outfit can overcome a pudding bowl fringe.

I've watched ep 2 of Uncanny Counter which I loved. Really fun but emotional too. 🤞 It carries on being good.
I'm just starting Reply 1988, I watched Reply 1994 near the beginning on my kdrama obsession. I'd just watched Mr Sunshine and wanted more Dong-Mae (Yoo Yeon Seok) who is the 2ML in it. He's not quite as dashing in Reply as he is when he's Dong-Mae (but who is? 🤷‍♀️)

TheGirl I’ve come to the conclusion that actually it’s Dong-Mae I like and not Yoo Yeon-Seock You know, all that brooding, long hair, carelessly draped robes and dashing swordplay against all the odds....being a baseball player or nice doctor just isn’t the same thing at all 😂😂

I think your right bettys he was an excellent character. Tragic bad boy vibes 😍.

It’s to Yoo Yeo-Seock’s credit that he brought such a dark, brooding and complex performance as Dong-Mae. He’s normally so cuddly and a bit bland that it made me realise he’s a decent actor. I want him to get more dark, brooding parts as he does them well.

I so would have chosen Dong-Mae, second Hee-sun, and Eugene would have been last on my list .

I finished rewatching Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, so good the second time around. The care and love from Min-hyuk to Bong Soon was so touching. A lovely sweet story. I want more of this.
Really struggling to find a sweet, cheesy fluffy show just now.

@polkettle Your chart is mad genius. I love it!

I just finished Nine Tailed - has anyone else?

I watched the last 10 mins of Nine-Tailed and will go back and watch the whole thing tonight.

After the débacle of DDSSLLS's ending I didn't want to waste time/emotional investment!!

Speaking of which, apart from luvverly LJW this was the best thing about it in hindsight. By the same people who did the OST for Secret Love Affair

Piano Music

Understandable (I am an inveterate skipper).

Tell me when you're caught up! No spoilers from me!

@jojomolo maniacal chuckle and glinty eyes thank you!

The fact that after 3 different sessions I still haven't finished episode 14 of Nine Tailed and am happy to consume in 15 minute chunks is pretty telling. Curiously uninvested. Although that upper lip is mesmerising.

@jojomolo Planning to finish nine tailed Sunday as a treat to end the week!
Finished masters sun yesterday- it was ok, they just seemed to introduce new characters at the end that didn't really go anywhere- felt like it needed more episodes or less "stuff" at the end.
Not sure what to start now- might try she was pretty again and see if it shouting lady/mean bloke get less irritating

I've just finished watching what's wrong with Secretary Kim for the second time, loved it both times! Such lovely romantic fluff! I need more of this in my life!

I'm on episode 11 of nine tailed so got a bit of catching up to do over the weekend. It's just not going to match up to Secretary Kim though!

I feel like watching a K movie tonight, I really want to see Peninsula, has anyone seen it yet?

see if it shouting lady/mean bloke get less irritating @Hydrogensonata they don't 😂
But Siwon is lovely (and dances around with v little in at one point 👍), it's worth watching for him.

In embarrassing news, for some reason when DH goes on YouTube it's showing him my YouTube search history 😳 which is a big long list of bts stuff and some kdrama. I'd been down playing my BTS love, but I'm totally outed now 😂

You've been busted thegirl, did he say anything, or did he just shake his head?

My DH just noticed my Netflix viewing and noted I'd watched Doctor John... He said it sounded like a porno! If only there were more than a snog in it, I said 😂

Just downloading Peninsula! I hope it doesn't disappoint! 🧟‍♀️🧟 Got some maekgolli to drink whilst watching... Plus soju if we finish that!

I just checked on iMovies & Peninsula is available to rent (£5.49) or buy (£9.99). It will work out cheaper to buy it, as it definitely took me more than 48 hours to get to the end of Train to Busan. It was at least 3 sittings. 🤣

I enjoyed Peninsula, even though it didn't have the same value as the Train to Busan

@Rowdythree I'm at work tonight. He's just sent me a screenshot of the history. And an 🙄😂. I must have logged into it on his ipad at some point. He's logged off now so I'm free to continue searching for "BTS songs explained" etc 😂

I'm just pausing ep 15 of 9 Tailed to note that when Foxy Loxy & Imugi are drinking wine they have the same impossible to clean wine decanter as in My Unfamiliar Family, at least I think it was that drama.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap I gave up! I'll try again but it was just grating on me!
Ended up watching search:www which I'm loving 3 episodes in! I like the way the ML doesn't give up but isn't wierdly pushy and the relationships between the female leads are great so far

Search-WWW is excellent Hydrogensonata 👌

We just finished Peninsula, it was good but no where near as good as Train to Busan. I think they spent all their budget on special effects rather than the story line.

I think it's a shame they didn't continue the character of Su an, but I was glad to see Re Lee (the younger sister) from Memories of Alhambra.

It just didn't quite hit the mark, I didn't care enough about the characters, there was no background to them... Ah well

[quote TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]@Rowdythree I'm at work tonight. He's just sent me a screenshot of the history. And an 🙄😂. I must have logged into it on his ipad at some point. He's logged off now so I'm free to continue searching for "BTS songs explained" etc 😂[/quote]
Continue with your searching 😂👍

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap be careful
... Once you start looking up lyrics and meanings it makes you love them even more!.. "Moving On" has been my recent Lyric meaning revelation! It's just gorgeous! "Whalien 52"..."Magic Shop 😭"... "134340" All are soooo beautiful!... And jam packed with meaning!
Kim Namjoon is a flipping genius! 💕❤️😍💜

Heads up to ARMY! That time of the year where they perform mind-blowing epic ness at the year end award shows (though obvs diff this year!)... 💜💜... My Saturday and Sunday mornings sorted! I need to check the batteries in my Army Bomb! 😁🤣💜