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 loved that scene in Run On! I'm still waiting for the main FL story to actually start and more interested in him helping the other athlete/family drama/supporting characters - reminds me a bit of start up in that way.
Caught up on True beauty- very action packed episode and can't wait for the next one - I'm still holding a candle for Su Jins to end up being friends - the bit where she helped her on the bus and then at the kareoke/on the trip- I'm a sucker for anything with strong female friendships

@Hydrogensonata It would be great if their friendship can over come this, I'm not sure it will though. After reading the Webtoon I can't tell in which direction the plot is going to go. I hope that the main romance survives, as much as I love the 2ML and the relationship he has with the FL. Can't wait for the next episode!

I'm all up to date with everything, so I need something to get me through the next few days! Can't decide what to watch 🤔 I quite fancy some sageuk

Rookie Historian, Hydrogen? Same FL as Run On and some lovely decorative chaps to brighten up your weekend.

Rookie Historian is one that I have dipped in and out of for over a year but never fully settled into! I must give it a proper go. I should love it, I basically have the same job as her 😂

I like Mr Oh’s supportive wife (Misaeng ep 17/18). She’s brill. What a team!

I had to pause Misaeng to properly appreciate Im Siwan’s padded jacket. I’ve just realised they are doing the stealth hubbahubba process. He is becoming progressively better groomed and dressed, one wardrobe item at a time.

I’m lolling at Baek-Gi’s discomfort about handing over the shoes.

@boatyardblues will give it a go- weekends definitely call for decorative chaps 😁
Ended up binge watching Gogh starry night last night and this morning- hadn't realised they were only 20 minute episodes. Absolute fluff but very relaxing - although again where are the chaps socks? Surely they just get really cold ankles?! I liked her work wardrobe as well rather than the oversize suit look

Ah, one of the lead chaps from Gogh is in Rookie Historian. I went from Gogh to Rookie for that exact reason.

A very unPC screen grab from Partners For Justice

and also the second is from Chinese drama - who can tell me what is wrong with the poster in the background

snort excellent spots. Had a strange moment watching Just Between Lovers where the FL had a random London street sign in her bedroom that was literally about two streets from where I once lived.
Done a Mr Queen, a Once Again and two BTIMFL (third rewatch) so far today. Plenty of decorative chappage.

Is it Tower Bridge? If not, I’m lost.

Cor-rect boaty ! 👍

Phew! I felt like the stakes were weirdly high for that one. The gym poster? 😱

Damn. I accidentally revived the last thread. Reposting here.

It’s awful and kind of gross, but all the deputy managers fawning over/leching the pretty young woman from head office is making me laugh. They have taken complete leave of their senses. Misaeng ep 19.

I like the steel team’s deputy manager, especially now I know he has a soft spot for ball-breaking women. 😄

Also I had these noodles today & they came with a sachet of bonito flakes which curled as they hit the broth just like in Little Forest so that was bonito not wood 😂
Tasty, too!

I like the steel team’s deputy manager, especially now I know he has a soft spot for ball-breaking women

I had the exact same reaction boatyard ! 😆

I like the steel team’s deputy manager, especially now I know he has a soft spot for ball-breaking women
I'm on ep 10 and his dickhead persona is wavering slightly but I'm not sure yet if its just because he wants to be the only one that Young Yi slaves for or he's realising they are all being awful?
I'm really really loving Misaeng, I was trying to describe it to my Mum but it just sounds like nothing happens 😂.
I whooped when the dodgy dealings were revealed in ep 10 (trying to be cryptic in case others are still to watch). 😁.

I'm upto date on Run On and I love the unlikeable CEO woman, she's so purposefully horrible. I loved it when she beat up her older brother cos he was horrible to her PA.

There's a very ordinary London Bridge in Arizona which was missold and transported brick by brick to someone else who confused the two.
It is very difficult to describe isn't it @TheGirlWithTheArabStrap ? "Sort of like The Apprentice meets The Office rewritten by Lynda La Plant...no...hang on...umm..."

The newly declared oppa of steel team (not to be confused with misogynistic but learning textile team man) is also in Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life but somehow the reviews I've read of the ending of that make me not want to start it, if that makes sense.
Pic attached to avoid confusion with t'other one

Sorry RESEARCH team not textile team that is the git that ruins bob-haired man's working life

Exactly @polkettle 😂

Ahh just realised I'd got my Misaeng teams mixed up! I was talking about the Research team one.

@bettys I've been too busy to do any fun translating, just work stuff 😭