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…

Chortling at Love In Time (Cdrama Olga contract marriage) when the ML ushers in a hotel room service trolley to FL and proceeds to extol the virtues of the display of sanitary towels including one that caters for 'side leakage'

It reminds me very much of S2 of Well Intended Love eg CEO always keen on FL but inept at expressing it oh guess that's a pretty common theme really......

She's still wearing teeny tiny white shorts though so not that realistic #periodpants #darktrousers #juststayinandeatchocolate

We watched Wonder Woman 1984 earlier so I’m only now catching up on my c/kdrama. I say watched. I had a nap for the last 30 mins. It was rubbish. The last 1.5 hours of it were accompanied by an increasingly exasperated running commentary from all of us, along the lines of “this bit doesn’t make sense, does anyone know what’s going on?” “This scene should have been cut at x, why is it still going?” “Yeah, we’re at four and half minutes of this nonsense. It’s not adding anything...” I woke up in the credits. The boys said they’ enjoyed savaging the last half hour while DH and I were asleep. It was a half term treat, but we all agreed it was terrible, over long and leaden. Save your pennies.

Frustrated to see how slowly the Mr Queen subs are going up. 😕

Not sure how long this offer on but this at
www.iq.com/ if you need to binge more! 😱
Half price for one year!

Thanks Bea, but I’m not sure my marriage would survive a third streaming service. 😆

£30? That’s less than the price of a taxi home from town - oh wait- 🤔 - not exactly going into town these days......

The ML in My Little Happiness os such a dope and should stick to neurosurgery. Even I can see Cong Rong is going to need to scissors to get out of her custard yellow suit jacket if he doesn’t ask her to take off before he does her cast. 🤦‍♀️

Also, not an orthopaedic doctor AND suspended. I would have waited my turn for sometime to fix me up properly, especially for my dominant hand. Anyway, it’s new bar in providing care to patch up your beloved. Ointment and plasters are so 2020!

Sniggering in the dark in bed at BinJin's first advert together dropped for Valentines.

Ooh 92% subs good enough. Loving the king and queen getting smutty in their Trojan box.

[quote polkettle]Sniggering in the dark in bed at BinJin's first advert together dropped for Valentines. [/quote]
😂😂😂

Loving the king and queen getting smutty in their Trojan box.

Just the words Trojan box made me snigger 😂 their chemistry is just great.
Rewatching with subs this morning and had another teary moment at that but in the woods.

Also had a wee snigger at the BinJin ad😆

Netflix Korea announced 12th March release date for Love Alarm S2. Love it or hate it?

Haha the BinJin ad is v cringe.
I'm working today but looking forward to watching Mr Queen later!

Also DH and DS got me a Valentines present 😁

Netflix Korea announced 12th March release date for Love Alarm S2. Love it or hate it?

Both!!! S1 had me in sweary mode but will obvs have to watch S2

TheGirl Jungkook 💜

I just held up my phone so DH could see Girl’s Jungkook. DH huffed for a bit, then “I have so many questions now...” I have just explained. Cue bewilderment. 😄

I just video called my sister in Australia and showed her Jungkook. He was also confused 😂

She was, not he!
DH just said Jungkook was all by himself in Quality Save and he felt bad for him 🤣

I've caught up with all of Mr Queen, I can't wait for the last episode. I have no idea where this is going to go. Every episode has been so good, the writing is spot on. My dilemma is what needs to come off my top ten list to put this on! And, what do I watch next

bea I clicked on the link but the offer doesn't seem to be there. Is there somewhere you saw it? It will be my Valentine present

@fifilacklustre Absolutely agree that Mr Queen is in my top ten - if the ending is good it may even be top 5 and there will have to be readjustments on the list hmmmm...

I signed up to the IQ special offer last night around midnight but having just looked I see the special offer is no longer there. I have a feeling it may have been for Chinese New Year and as they are ahead of us time wise it may have expired

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap Suga & V say hello to JK

Oh well, there is £10 off and it's a treat What's the first thing we're going to watch bettys .

Just watched Mr Queen: The Secret, very good. Also saw this on MDL and it sums up how I'm feeling - 'if this doesn't end well, I'm suing for emotional damages I swear '

fifi Mr Queen The Secret is next as soon as I make a coffee I am obvs not going to get much done today. Will also be suing for emotional distress if ending not good. (looking at you Moon Lovers for leaving me with angst, although still in my top 5 for the moment )

I have already started on IQ with She Would Never Know & Royal Secret Agent but can now watch ad-free yippee!

It's not fully subbed but you get the gist, lots of references to various shows, all very amusing.

I will get started on iQYI shows