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…

Xi Lian’s IG put me in the mood for some Tiensin Mystic today, but it seems to have disappeared off Netflix. I thought it was one of their own productions. What gives?

I tell you, bloody Netflix are a PITA I had this problem with Tale of Arang & had to wait ages before it came back to Netflix - they never warn you that there is a shelf life.

And so - binge when you can!!

It's on IQ

@Rowdythree ré BLWL I have read such mixed reviews on it I have never given it a proper go, even though it has actors in it that I like, but your review makes it seem like it could be worth it with a bit of judicious skipping, is that right? So maybe one for when you're in the right zone. Will definitely bear it in mind.

I watch zero romantic fluff in English, I can't think of anything either that would be of a similar style either

Absolutely! The last English thing about relationships I watched was Fleabag which while EXCELLENT is a total different kettle of fish, not fluff at all really. Richard Curtis films maybe? I can't think of a proper English equivalent that doesn't make you feel awkward & embarrassed

Any romantic fluff on English language TV is almost always cringe/tacky/sexist. I was trying to describe this to DH the other day but he wasn't convinced. Maybe Gavin and Stacy might be an equivalent?? Not that I particularly like it.

I started watching a film with Li Xian instead, Science & Sensibility on Viki. It is pretty good and Mr Li plays a haughty, wealthy physics student genius so lots of jackets and polo neck sweaters combined with tsundere smouldering. 👌 I’m only stopping half way through because I keep nodding off and I want to watch it properly tomorrow when I’m feeling more with it.

Anyway I don't think anyone should take my TV criticism seriously seeing as I have just cried at a Run BTS episode (ep 56) 😭.
In my defence I've just worked 7 days with not enough staff, then come home and drank a very strong rum and coke and watched BTS read lovely poems to each other. RMs Giyeok poem tipped me over the edge.

@boatyardblues

I never bloody finished it either. 🙄

Same 😡

There, there Girl. Sorry to hear you’ve had such a crap week. Crying i to your rum at BTS’ poetry sounds very cathartic.

Li Xian is bloody gorgeous. Will check out that film, Boaty!

Perfect fix IMO. Why wade through 40 hours of cdrama when you can have a 99 min top up. There was a scene which cut to him smouldering and chiselled and I thought: “yep, there it is! He’s still got it!” 😄 His braided hair and dodgy extensions in Tientsin Mystic spoiled it for me, though he was still lovely.

😘 Thanks boaty it was.

With the happy ever after in My Little Happiness, I’m dying to know if ML kept up the cooking and housework after they got hitched and [redacted spoiler], or was it all for show like a bower bird’s nest? She worked so hard to become a shit hot lawyer, I hope she was able to continue being one without having to pick up all the domestic drudge work.

Just watched the subbed last episode of Mr Queen, able to watch it without being so anxious as yesterday It's a 👍. Still deciding what show is being ousted out of my top 10 to make way for it!

thegirl I hope today is a better day for you.

For those watching SWKN - do you think there is something going on between the chef and sister's husband?

Aw! Lovely to start the day with Mr and Mrs Queen. Great ending to a great series and very sad to say goodbye to all of them. So impressed by FL as I really felt like I was watching two different people.
Films on Viki are a good tip off - interested to hear of any good ones. Frustrated that I keep getting drawn into snippets of Korean movies on YouTube and then can't access them anywhere. I'd be happy to pay to rent some (don't want to illegally stream). I probably need to try and understand what a VPN is and how to use...

@fifilacklustre You can always Spinal Tap your top 10 and take it up to 11

I can polkettle, thinking of just having a 'guilty pleasure' and moving one into that - cheating but hey it works

Just saw that half my last post is missing
Anyhoo - boaty thanks for the recommendation of Science and Sensibility, I have clicked on this so many times and talked myself out of it, time to give it a go.

The last romance English type thing I watched was Modern Love Stories, and I enjoyed it. The stories and acting were all very good.

Talking of English mush - it's an oldie but a goodie - Lovesick on Netflix is terrific - warm and funny as well as lovey-dovey without mawkishness. KDrama definitely pushes the same feel buttons as that series did - and follows similar plot arc too. And then there's Sex Education... although that is QUITE different and I wonder how I'll cope with series 3 following my pumping buttock recalibration.

@polkettle I've just had to explain pumping buttock recalibration to DH after he asked what I was giggling at 😂

For those watching SWKN - do you think there is something going on between the chef and sister's husband?

I had the same thought!!

Oh, that might make things more interesting!!

I am rewatching Mr Queen with the subs now, but keep pausing to read the Hangul translations. Such quality. Even if I Spinal Tap my top 10 I need to make sure it is within the 10, maybe even Top 5

Ré Mr Queen: The Secret
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER

It was actually quite useful to watch The Secret before the last ep of Mr Queen (haven't watched In The Forest yet as it shows So Yong & the king falling for each other before he finds out she is a Kim and crucially before Bong Hwan enters. So the attraction was already there but denied due to politics and he already thought he liked Hwa Jin (but really that was only 'cos he thought she saved him from the well). So it def wasn't just Bong Hwan he liked

He was never exactly rushing to consummate his relationship with Hwa Jin. It was very much a job on his to-do list.
Just had my Hyun Bin face mask properly recognised for the first time and a lovely chat about all things Korea with person behind counter. She's in the Army so I was able to throw in some references to Run BTS entirely gleaned from here and keep up.

I'll have no teeth left with allbthe sweetness and fluff I've been watching 🤣🤣 Dovyou think it's too much when you recognise shooting locations like the layout of apartments and coffee shops? 🤣 You're so Sweet was enjoyable fluff with the usual misunderstandings/ potential love triangle/disapproving father trope. 24x30min episodes so not hard to get through. Now that Mr Queen is complete I think that might be the next binge 😁

@fifilacklustre I'm feeling much better thanks 😘
I finished Mr Queen, I was happy with the ending. Such a good series, great comedy and just enough drama. Shin Hye Sun was excellent.

Those with iQUI - how are you using it? I've tried to install it on my t.v but it's not working. Watching on the laptop but not ideal