MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #21): With our ranks swelling due to pandemic ennui, the Ajummas of Darkness are building an ARMY 😉 of Addicts.

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. 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 Queen (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)*
Run On (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)
True Beauty (Viki)
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)/Hot Stove League (Netflix)

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)
Peninsula - film, Train to Busan sequel (Amazon Prime, iMovies)

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)
My Little Happiness (Viki, Chinese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix, Chinese)
Some Day or One Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020 (updated for thread #21)
Courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by/for thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

1 - Mr Queen - 9.4 (5 votes)
2 - Parasite - 9.05 (10 Votes)
3 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88 (9 Votes)
4 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50 (4 Votes)
5 - Once Again - 8.42 (6 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 explained or 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…

GREAT new title !! 💜
Thanks for the new thread boatyard 👍😆

Loving the new thread title! 💜. Thanks boaty.

Thanks boaty

New thread! New thread! Who'd have thought we'd still be here! 2years later! (I think!)

Yes! The rice trick should do it! Glad to provide you with a handy life hack!! 👍😊

My other one? When cracking an egg...🥚 If you're unfortunate enough to have egg shells left in the egg... Use the other egg shell to scoop it out! The loose egg shell will be drawn to it like a magnet! Saves you chasing it around with a tea spoon! 🥄

You're welcome! 😊

Thanks for the egg tip Bea 👍

I have watched the 1st ep of Lovestruck in the City and agree a) JCW has def had something done to his face b) modern hanbok house looks amazing. Also the beach bar scene made me soo jealous. I want to drink and mess about at a beach bar 😢🤣🍻🏖️

I also watched the 1st ep of Sisyphus which had a lot going on in a sci-fi/hi tech way. I definitely want to see what else happens.

The download feature of IQ works a treat.....

There is a refreshing lack of faffing about when the ML & FL get together in Love is Sweet, great chemistry!
And a cute corgi dog who says volumes with her eyes (especially when there’s hotpot)

Thanks for the new thread boaty.
I'm currently re-watching Beating Again, I know not why! But so far it's better than I remember and Jung Kyung Ho does make me laugh.

Thanks for the new thread @boatyardblues! Love the title 👍

New thread and I am dramaless. Looks like Mr Queen is the next watch! I'm so behind you guys 😳

Oh! I started Love is Sweet ages ago on Amazon Prime (which is lacking on the Asian drama front - they are missing a trick). Must pick it up again.

Love a 🐝 c-drama.

Thanks for the new thread boaty

Thanks for the new thread!
Looking forward to working my way through the rest of the "romance light and fluffy" section - I've got the next few days off so looking forward to some prolonged sofa time interspersed with a bit of DIY and some long runs. Planning to give my little happiness a shot as well as my first foray I to c-drama!
Enjoying once again but slowly- reminds me more of a daily soap if that makes sense- the colours in it seem quite different to what I've watched so far

Is it wrong of me to be lusting after JCW’s hanok more than JCW? I’m past the arrest and I’m getting a lot of hot house action. It’s beautiful. 😍

I like Eun-o and Geun’s housemate dynamic too.

Reporting for duty! Thanks for the new thread Boaty

Briiiiick you're not the only one that hasn't watched Mr Queen I'm hoping to start it this week with DH

I've been watching 100 days My Prince it's okay, I like the actress that plays the FL I bet she's feisty in real life too. Conniving palace people are annoying though (as always)

@boatyardblues... 😱... I've just spotted the ARMY in the title! 😂😂😂😂😂💜💜💜💜💜👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍

I thought that might please you Bea. 😄

@boatyardblues

Is it wrong of me to be lusting after JCW’s hanok more than JCW? I’m past the arrest and I’m getting a lot of hot house action. It’s beautiful. 😍

Like when Lizzie Bennett starts liking Mr Darcy after she's seen Pemberley...

I'm not here. You didn't see me. I'm working.

@boatyardblues

Is it wrong of me to be lusting after JCW’s hanok more than JCW? I’m past the arrest and I’m getting a lot of hot house action. It’s beautiful. 😍

I am already living in the hanok obviously after JCW has moved out.

I like his office too.

^Like when Lizzie Bennett starts liking Mr Darcy after she's seen Pemberley...

I'm not here. You didn't see me. I'm working^

🤣🤣🤣

I just came here to say that Love is Sweet has the most swoony tentative hand brushing ever. And the rest.

I'm not here. You didn't see me. I'm working.

Thank you @boatyardblues for the new thread. I am slow at getting the titles so penny will drop bit later.

I have started My Shy Boss it’s from 2017. Only half episode in and I have a feeling it will be ditched.

DH is working today so I have uninterrupted drama time. But don’t have any thing interesting to watch.
I have found My little happiness on YouTube with eng subtitles. Are there 28 episodes in total?

@jinbhoot I've watched My Shy Boss yeah, it's not my favourite one ever, not the worst either. It was okay, If you're not loving it, leave it for now.

Have you watched Dr Romantic yet? Maybe give that a try

Yay new thread!

Good to see Mr Queen lead the scores - truly well deserved. Such good acting, humour and intrigue!

@JinBhoot I watched my shy boss last week - I'd agree with @rowdythree it's ok - not awful but not amazing. I remember the end bit seemed to drag slightly like they were trying to fill episodes. Have you watched Gogh the starry night? I really enjoyed that as absolute easy fluffy watching