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…

On average how many episodes you watch daily?

This is a sport-watching household so I can get through 3-4 episodes an evening while there is football/golf/F1/cycling on sometimes more if it's a really good binge-watch. Plus snippets over breakfast/lunch although I usually catch up with the font-of-all-knowledge-Soompi and Run episodes/clips.

Having said that we did this week watch Queen's Gambit & Lupin - both very good but be warned!! Bastarding Netflix have done a cliffhanger-coming-soon for Lupin

@fifilacklustre I did finish Falling Into You but it turned into an ironing watch and wasn't the best drama I've seen Puff Guo in. Keep forgetting to continue with Devil Punisher too. There are lots of Chinese dramas on iQIyi but I haven't spotted any Taiwan dramas yet.

@fifilacklustre 😂😂😂😂 I like your analogy & will use it in future
@boatyardblues
@FedUpWithBriiiiick in our house it’s football - actual match plus hours pre & post analysis. On match days I binge watch guilt free.

I now have to pick next drama Romance is a bonus book or Dare to dream

I now have to pick next drama Romance is a bonus book or Dare to dream

Ooooh both are good!

Romance has a cosy wintry feel with books & coffee shops but Dream is eminently bingeable too....

If you don’t feel your hands twitching to slap Jo Jung Suk every time he’s on screen go for Don’t Dare to Dream. If he makes your hands twitch, RITBB all the way.

I really struggle to pace myself! I think I have a real problem 😂 I've been ill in bed this past couple of days so I've watched so much! But generally maybe 3 or 4 episodes a day, it depends how hooked I am on the show too. Some I'm happy to wait for, others I just have to find out what happens next... Now!

@bettys, we also watched and enjoyed Lupin, Part 2 coming soon! What! how soon is soon??

I've started watching a drama called Heartstrings from 2011, it seems so dated. It has a very young Park Shin Hye in it. It's okay, I feel like I've invested too much time in it now to stop so I'll keep watching.

I also watched a heartwarming movie yesterday called Wish your Melody on viki, I haven't watched many Korean movies. I must watch more.

Phew, just caught up with the thread after going missing for a few days. I tried Boaty's method of just watching the first 15 mins of a drama and I got hooked into Doctor Stranger - has anyone watched that? In the first episode I think it covered just about every genre known. A scene with a child that had me in tears, some kind of politcal shenanigans, followed by manic comedy speeded up running about, a bit of romance, then we were in some kind of gothic horror nightmare, then it was some kind of unethical hospital drama. Not quite sure what to make of it, but I couldn't stop watching, wondering what was going to happen next. I can't see it on your list at all, and I can't help wondering if there's a reason for that

I strayed from the K-Drama path for new season of Call My Agent last night. Very discombobulating shifting ears from Korean to French. I don't know if I'm aigooing or oolalaling.

@pagansophie There's no real reason for Doctor Stranger not being on there, it's just an oversight really. I quite enjoyed it though I remember skipping bits.

I finally watched the True Beauty episodes, stupid work got in the way of my day time kdrama binge watching. It gets better and better, doesn't it. I hope the ending doesn't disappoint. I've read some of the webtoon, but it has another 100 episodes to go, so the drama ending can go in whatever direction.

Sorry to hear the writer for Uncanny Counter quit and this week's episodes are from a new writer, they seemed to have some major arguments over the ending. Hope they don't mess it up now.

Also finished Secretary Kim in a week, and not a fan of the one-way relationship (the FL had no real passion for the ML, poor guy).

How do you guys pace the episodes?

Oh, no pacing for me (in relationships, food, work or kdramas).

I can get through a drama in 3 days, or 1 week if I do some work. I catch up with airing shows on the weekends. It's a problem - I need to probably learn to pace myself (or learn how to do the 4 hour work week).

@jinBhoot I'd really recommend don't dare to dream having just finished it its very bingeable
@kseason true beauty is my top watch at the moment followed by Mr Queen - I'd agree it was great to start but just gets better and the FL and both MLs are all lovely characters. Despite it being very fluffy it does have some more serious undertones as well which I like- and I think the way the 2nd ML handles the fact that the relationship between the two of them is a really positive depiction of that makes sense. I really hope the ending lives up to the series so far!

Yeah I'm rubbish at pacing! I usually watch 2-4 episodes a night but have been known to end up finishing early morning if I've really got into something! But I refuse to feel guilty- my routine is work (stressful!) Run, shower then K-drama till bed. Live on my own and a healthy dose of K-drama is what's getting me through lockdown - plus being able to chat about it on here!

@polkettle, French drama is my other thing:) I haven't seen call my agent, but loved Lupin. I love a good "bad" main character. Though as someone up thread mentioned they leave you hanging at the end. I'm so glad we've got all these Scandi, French Korean etc dramas to watch now, gives you a different perspective on the world.

@hydrogensonata Absolutely, it has dealt with a very superficial topic (you are bullied for being ugly because you have acne?) in a sensitive way. I was cringing quite a lot at the beginning and still don't like her baby voice, but the whole series flows in a feel-good, deep but light, silly but mature way. They've got the balance absolutely right. It has tropes, but makes fun of tropes as well. I love the references to other series - TKEM, CLOY, etc. I also love the 2ML, he is such a great support to the ML and FL! He is even better in the webtoons!

Pacing? It depends on what dramas I'm watching ...

i think i binged a whole lot more in my early kdrama days as there were lots to catch up on - lots of past great ones! ... i binged through a whole slew of Ji Chang Wook / PSJ / Toasty LSJ ones, some excellent historical ones ... it was a mahoosive spiral where i watched through the early hours and lots of peachy boot kicks were doled out to me by @boatyardbluesand @bettys ! ...

I absolutely remember sobbing away in bed at 2am watching on my phone as I got to the end of Love From ANother Star! !!! whilst dh snored away!

... now i seem to watch a lot of on air ones so there's no chance of watching for hours unless i have lots of really really good ones on the go... at the moment my bingeable ones (if i could!) are True Beauty and Uncanny but I'm limited to only two eps a week... how dare they!!!!

@pagansophie A friend keeps telling me to watch Lupin but I am far too busy in Seoul to start something new just now 😉 But Call My Agent is absolutely terrific. Very funny, sexy, sharp writing with cameos by all the big French stars playing tongue in cheek versions of themselves. Highly recommend.

To be honest I am more than happy for posters to mention other decent subbed dramas on this thread. As Bong Joon-Ho said in his Oscar acceptance speech (paraphrasing) once you overcome the subtitles, the whole world opens up to you. I have definitely broadened out my understanding of other cultures through subtitled film and TV. You start to see how much you are limiting yourself if you only watch English language content.

@boatyardblues

If you don’t feel your hands twitching to slap Jo Jung Suk every time he’s on screen go for Don’t Dare to Dream. If he makes your hands twitch, RITBB all the way.

Hands are not twitching yet, I have only seen him in HP.

Was he really bad in some drama that it can make your hand twitch?

I just find him smug and overly pleased with himself, Jin. No particular performance in mind, but a massive turn-off for me. Since joining Instagram, I feel Hyun Bin is on thin ice in this regard. He is hot AF, but doesn’t he know it!

I love the references to other series - TKEM, CLOY, etc

I agree KSeason - it’s such a clever idea. I loved the cameo appearance of Kim Soo Hyun as a N Korean spy from Secretly Greatly, and Ju Meok’s meeting with the star of Stairway to Heaven.
There’s a reddit thread with a long list of references but one would have to be a real Kdrama buff to get them all.
Has this ever been done in European or American films/dramas?

@boatyardblues

To be honest I am more than happy for posters to mention other decent subbed dramas on this thread. As Bong Joon-Ho said in his Oscar acceptance speech (paraphrasing) once you overcome the subtitles, the whole world opens up to you. I have definitely broadened out my understanding of other cultures through subtitled film and TV. You start to see how much you are limiting yourself if you only watch English language content.

I love watching dramas with subtitles. It really does open up a whole new world.

Kdramas are totally new for me and I am learning new things (culturally) every day.

Have you seen Pakistani dramas? I have found story lines more similar to Kdramas then European/American. Romantic feelings are expressed by words with occasional hand holding or a quick hug.

Has this ever been done in European or American films/dramas?

@Andante57 other than actors making cameos as themselves (eg Sigourney Weaver in Call My Agent and various people in Extras ) the only one that springs to mind is Julia Roberts playing fake Julia Roberts in Oceans Whatever Number - I think it's the second one with the fab Vincent Cassel doing capoeira. And Bruce Willis pops up in it too.

Oh that’s interesting Bettys.

Ooh I have just thought of one (Julia Roberts again)
Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool rephrases her line from Notting Hill " I am just a boy, standing in front of a girl...."
I looked it up & came up with this just for Notting Hill

Has this ever been done in European or American films/dramas?
There was Keanu in "Always be my Maybe". www.imdb.com/title/tt7374948/

@Andante57 I was thinking more of the cloy and tkem references inside True Beauty but yes it’s such a Kdrama specific thing isn’t it. It helps that they have a small group of production companies and agencies and actors who can do related cameos quite easily compared to hollywood. I just heard Kim Seonho is going to do a cameo on Run On thanks to his previous work with the director - it all seems to work on relationships.

Aha that's on Netflix I will add to my list! Thanks sophie