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…

@fifilacklustre I think you're asking the wrong people for help with that intervention 😂. Also how was Colour Rush ? It's on my list of ones I want to watch.

@polkettle What a bunch of poppets and happy making low stakes storylines
Very good description of Once Again 🥰
You won't want to leave them after 100 eps

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap I can see that I won't. So unusual to be equally invested in multiple storylines and not a single character you're not happy to spend screen time with. It's the telly equivalent of a fresh pot of tea and a variety box of biscuits where they all have enough chocolate on.

[quote TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]@fifilacklustre I think you're asking the wrong people for help with that intervention 😂. Also how was Colour Rush ? It's on my list of ones I want to watch.[/quote]
I liked the concept of the storyline - mono and probe. I also liked the visuals of what happens when he has his colour rush. The acting was fine, chemistry okay, and it's short so worth a watch. Don't expect too much in way of all questions being answered. Overall I'd rate it a 7.

Has anyone seen the story about Chinese actress Zheng Shuang from Love 020. Only reading bits on websites, but it's reading like a very bad makjang drama

BTW thegirl, I watched the last two episodes on YouTube as it's not fully subbed on Viki right now.

I read the story @fifilacklustre but didn't realise it was her. Disgusting. I'm anti-surrogacy in any case, but my god I was shocked.

Right! Starting My Little Happiness. Looks fun, and has the FL and 2FL from PYHOMS in it.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Right! Starting My Little Happiness. Looks fun, and has the FL and 2FL from PYHOMS in it.

Oops I mean 2ML

@bettys

I have just returned from HMart in New Malden as recommended by Aesops and there is no shortage of kimchi there 😋

Omo! 😮 It is now clear which store the UK supply is being channelled to. Such wonders! I am more jealous about this than Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin.

@bettys I'm sure you're m ore than well stocked now!!!

Has anyone seen the story about Chinese actress Zheng Shuang from Love 020. Only reading bits on websites, but it's reading like a very bad makjang drama

There’s a thread about it in Feminism Chat (FWR) with a lot of background detail about the trend for affluent Chinese couples to commission multiple surrogate pregnancies and to only keep the best ones and terminate the rest. 😞 I’ll get a link.

I wish we had H-Mart in NI 😞

Here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4140857-A-horrific-example-of-how-badly-wrong-surrogacy-can-go?pg=1

It’s not an easy read.

I am well stocked up on kimchi, have bought the frozen dumplings Aesops recommended, and some new things to try like plum tea and mango flavoured soju. Also found some bbq scissors for cutting up pork belly AND Korean seeds for lettuce etc.

Have also watched the first 2 episodes of She Would Never Know and am undecided on it so far but it is very watchable! Thanks to Bea for the link to iQIyi

Oh god boaty that's awful 😢

I should qualify, that wasn’t all commissioning couples but it does appear to be a thing. The thread is worth a read.

@bettys and @Rowdythree caught up with true beauty- that scene with the meal was so funny and when Su Ho and Seo-juns friends turn up like jilted lovers at the café with the crochet! I have to admit I teared up a bit at the ending - you just want to go and sort those bullies out and tell Su Jun to go back to being an amazing kick ass friend although I think her character is well written - all the pressure from her Dad etc and I hope she pulls herself together by the end

We’ve just watched the first episode of Do You Like Brahms?
We very much enjoyed it and plenty of musicians will recognise the depiction of the bullying conductor.
So that’s the next 15 evenings’ viewing sorted.

BTIMFL finished 🤭
I am sad about the house, it was a beautiful apartment.
Cat: I have so many questions, it is a real or some mechanical toy?

How do you guys pace the episodes?

On average how many episodes you watch daily?

@JinBhoot

How do you guys pace the episodes?

On average how many episodes you watch daily?

Pace? I don’t understand the question. 😉

JinBhoot - my pacing is much like a marathon, it's a slow steady pace that can last from 8am-midnight on a weekend, midweek it's around 4/5hrs. I'm of course very sensible in that I will eat during these times, food brought to me by child or husband. They are very supportive of my training regime .

boaty that's a very hard article to read, and extremely sad.

bettys I watched the first couple of episodes of Little Happiness but stopped as I want to binge watch it, so I look forward to your feedback.
Did you ever finish Falling Into You?
I've started Forever Love, which is very cheesy but okay so far.

They are very supportive of my training regime

With my lot, it keeps me out of their hair.

They game, I watch dramas. It's a perfect relationship.

NB. I game too, just not to the same "volume"

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

They game, I watch dramas. It's a perfect relationship.

NB. I game too, just not to the same "volume"

Same here. Boys game, DH potters and does hobbies, I kdrama.