MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #20): With Hyun Bin off the market, the ajummas off darkness begin researching his ‘oppa fabulous’ replacement in earnest

[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)
Some Day or On Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020
(courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by/for thread regulars. Marks out of 10.)

1 - Parasite - 9.05 (10 Votes)
2 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88 (9 Votes)
3 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50 (4 Votes)
4 - Once Again - 8.40 (5 Votes)
5 - Hospital Playlist - 8.21 (7 Votes)

2019’s top scoring dramas:

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
🥾🍑 (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…

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I have PM'ed you

@boatyardblues

Those tiny vitamin tonic bottles so beloved in kdrama have arrived in the UK! As seen in Lidl.

Ooooo I also want to try cold coffee they often drink in dramas. Also Egg sandwich, kimchi & this sushi roll type thing (not sure what it is).

CLOY was my first Korean drama and I couldn’t understand Ju-meok‘s fascination with Korean dramas. He was trying various dishes in SK as he have seen them in dramas. NOW I GET HIM 😂

Lunch is largely consisting of these yummy snacks that I picked up in HMArt last week!
@JinBhoot do you have a Korean supermarket near you? You’ll find everything there including kimbap the Korean version of sushi roll

Dammit forgot pic

AIGOO I HAVE FINISHED ALL 100 EPISODES OF ONCE AGAIN.

AIGOO AIGOO

I hoped they might see me to the end of January at least.
Ah well rolls up sleeves to catch up on Mr Queen and start True Beauty

I feel like we should have skill badges like the Brownies to sew on our kdrama slankets and hoodies showing successful completion of certain tasks, building from entry level webtoons and Netflix limited series to 100 episode behemoths like Once Again. There would also be culinary badges (kimbap, banchan, galbi jjim) and artistic ones for singing along to kpop, learned and accurately executed BTS routine and best BTS idol figurine diorama. I’d love to do a round of kdrama Mastermind. 😄

I like the sound of that Boaty I want badges to sew on my blanket! I feel like I've earned a good few badges now!

I've just been watching spoilers for True Beauty on twitter... Handkerchiefs at the ready for later!

Excellent idea! Although in fact I'm currently doing some sewing and have had to start Bridgerton as can't read subtitles at the same time. So frustrating. Would our KDrama Brownie sixes be named after different Oppas?

Ooh what sixes should we have... Hyun Bin obvs.... Who else??

We also need seconders - this gives us much more to choose from.
I put forward Jo Jun Seok and ParkSeo Joon. I would like to do my camping badge with them

Me too Fifi 😂

I've just been watching spoilers for True Beauty on twitter... Handkerchiefs at the ready for later!

Gah I just peeked at the end of ep 13 as I can't be doing with ANY angst at the moment, and it looks like tomorrow's episode might be more even angsty.
I just want to watch something like Once Again again I can't take any relationship cliffhangers where I have to wait a week.

Looks like A Girl Like Me is also still airing so will try not to start it.

I was in Pimpernel in Brownies as in the flower so maybe the sixes should be in character names eg Ri Jung Hyuk, Wang So, Min Min etc

Or maybe Pimpernel was the Guides? So long ago.......

@bettys

I've just been watching spoilers for True Beauty on twitter... Handkerchiefs at the ready for later!

Gah I just peeked at the end of ep 13 as I can't be doing with ANY angst at the moment, and it looks like tomorrow's episode might be more even angsty.
I just want to watch something like Once Again again I can't take any relationship cliffhangers where I have to wait a week.

Looks like A Girl Like Me is also still airing so will try not to start it.

I was in Pimpernel in Brownies as in the flower so maybe the sixes should be in character names eg Ri Jung Hyuk, Wang So, Min Min etc

I know what you mean @bettys, I feel like my heart can't take any emotional distress at the moment, but at the same time I need to watch 👀 I just trust that it will be a happy ending

Oh well, I've got CLOY and Run On to watch also to help with the angst

This is why I might just start Once Again Again. Twice Again. Thrice Again etc. I can't do high stakes.
I was Pixie Sixer and Patrol Leader of... gulp... Thrush Patrol in guides. Hyun Bin Patrol would have been quite a lot better.

Oh I think I was in Pixies! I’m going to have to check out my oppa list but I’m thinking maybe HH KJW or his character in HPL then we’d get all the arty badges 😎

Or Imps 🤔

I haven't seen Once Again, what's that on?

it's on Netflix and Viki rowdy and I loved it. It's a good entertaining show with little drama, good acting, lots of humour along with sweet moments. Worth a watch. I would love more similar shows at the moment.

I'm will put off watching True Beauty until it's completed, and if it has a happy ending I will watch. Someday, One Day was enough angst for me

bettys episode 19 and 20 subbed on Olga.

Me too @fifilacklustre I’ll watch today’s which ends well then the last 3 next week as long as it’s a happy ending. I’ve read bits of the webtoon so am a little forewarned.

I got half way through Run On then was quite happy to stop and go do some work. Feeling a bit meh about it.

bettys episode 19 and 20 subbed on Olga

Hoooray glass of wine poured I’m off!

@bettys

Oh I think I was in Pixies! I’m going to have to check out my oppa list but I’m thinking maybe HH KJW or his character in HPL then we’d get all the arty badges 😎

Lion Patrol! 🦁 Yes please! As long as he doesn't actually design the badges... Ooh thingy 2ML from DDTD could sew them on for us in one of his steamy overnight tailoring sessions.

Snort!! Can you imagine???

@fifilacklustre

it's on Netflix and Viki rowdy and I loved it. It's a good entertaining show with little drama, good acting, lots of humour along with sweet moments. Worth a watch. I would love more similar shows at the moment.

I'm will put off watching True Beauty until it's completed, and if it has a happy ending I will watch. Someday, One Day was enough angst for me

Yes, but do remember to tell Rowdy that it is 100 hour long episodes. 🤯

Thrush Patrol sounds uncomfortable.