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…

I followed him on your recommendation too boaty I really like his posts.

Just finished My Little Happiness and very happy it was too! Finally a drama where the dog stays all the way through and even gets walked

boaty I couldn't take the poo references in Love With Flaws and dropped it early on. It was all a bit doomed what with Ahn Jae Hyun's ex-wife slagging him off on social media and the other sadness (deliberately being obscure) . Be interested to know what you make of it though.

Oh and thanks to you I am also following not-Son-Jo-Hun on IG!

Anyone else had this pop-up on their Viki app? I feel like they don’t really understand the concept of a binge. Two episodes is regular daily viewing, no? Or perhaps we are more addicted than we all thought. 🤷‍♀️

Ha ha, a binge is a series in 2 days, not 2 episodes! That's definitely less than average daily viewing 😂

Agree, two episodes is not a binge but required viewing per day in my book!

Anyone seen My Secret Star on Viki? Sung Hoon in a mini drama of 5 short episodes

I did 10 mins of My Secret Star yesterday but just thought meh.

God, Viki have no clue, do they? I think we could all smash that in a day 😂😂 i thought doing Once again in 5 days was slow going 🤔

I thought I'd burned through it fast but 5 days for Once Again is worth a special achievement badge I reckon @Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench 🏆🙌
Is it you @Andante57 who is phobic about vomit? Just coming out of My Mister to say - although excellent in many ways -it's probably not a drama you should watch.

Polkettle thank you so much for the warning! I’m disappointed that K dramas have vomiting scenes as I thought I’d found a vomit free genre.
Anyway I’m very grateful to be told in advance.
Crash Landing had heavy drinking in it but not the V word so when I rewatch it I don’t have to be ready to block my ears and shut my eyes.

OMO!!!! Major cliffhanger for Mr Queen this week and that's without subs! I honestly have no idea how they are going to end this

Glorious AL and about to start My Little Happiness 😁 See you all in a few days while my DD goes feral and I Wed myself to my bed and earphones!

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench ooooh enjoy!!! I had a lovely time watching MLH and am just about to finish off The Love By Hypnotic which is also v enjoyable.

I always get Ahn Jae-Hyun mixed up with Ahn Hyo Seop. This was the mistake I made with Love with Flaws. The former leaves me cold, the latter I like very much. Ahn Hyo Seop spent time in Canada and is a fluent English speaker. I think we should invite him to oppa night at the pub.

I've just watched ep 16 of Mr Queen what a shock for Bong Hwan 😲😳😂😂😂😂

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench

Glorious AL and about to start My Little Happiness 😁 See you all in a few days while my DD goes feral and I Wed myself to my bed and earphones!

I'm really enjoying MLH. It's got similar vibes to PYHOMS.

Finished true beauty- @boatyardblues yep agree the bit with bars was unnecessary but I liked that it all wrapped up. I did feel sorry for so Han Seo-Jun - the skating date was cute and he looked really sad when she's doing his makeup. Su ho comes back at just the right/wrong moment.
Liked the bit where the Unni gets a drill and looks all excited and that Soo-Jin come back with her awesome kick!

I've also finished watching was it love which just popped up on netflix- enjoyable fluff although one of the worst "someone disappears for years" bit- he literally promises not too then disappears off leaving her and the daughter for 2 years to write and publish a bestseller and doesn't tell her when he comes back. Personally she should've written him off and moved onto the younger guy who was definitely easy on the eye. I might have taken it slightly personally 😁

OK, My Little Happiness ep 2: how/where did she change in to the tracksuit? And where have her own clothes gone??? I would have told him to bugger off, personally, and not just because I hate running.

Never let plot continuity or plausibilty get in the way of solid PP: it is the cdrama way.

She’s so tiny next to him!

Although on second thoughts the young guy was a bit insipid.
Definitely over thinking this!
Need to catch up on Mr Queen next!

Are all MLs in cdrama tsundere? I’ve not watched enough to know whether it is universal as a trope.

King's delightful blue and gold off to battle dress is just the Monday morning look I'm after.

I left Mr Queen last night be ause the subtitles petered out. They’re so slow. 🙄

@boatyardblues

Never let plot continuity or plausibilty get in the way of solid PP: it is the cdrama way.

you're expecting continuity and plausibility. He is nearly 6ft 2", and she is 5ft 3". She is still taller than me

He is nearly 6ft 2", and she is 5ft 3". She is still taller than me
And me! (a bit!)