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…

😁😁😁💜

I have been known to use my BTS dolls & merch as part of my online marketing 🤭🤭💜 just spreading the lerve

@bettys... she's a Stealth Bangtan ! 😎💜

@JinBhoot

I have started My love from the star. I have no idea which subject exactly is he teaching? Philosophy?

Who cares jin sign me up 😂

Bea I'm starting River Moon tomorrow. Looking forward to it, how is it?

Hydrogensonata are you still watching Love with Flaws I was rooting for the health teacher, but I've changed my mind now. I don't think the FL should send up with either of these guys! I love the 2fl and the second Oppa storylines.

Thegirl bless, I love that you showed them your BTS dolls 💜

I set myself the homework of learning who is who in BTS to be allowed to continue on this thread. I will work hard.

In the meantime lovely Rowoon has really been most lovely in a floppy haired devoted beefcake sort of way through 12 available episodes of SWNK. Hope final 4 continue the sweetness and office ahjumma larks and resolve the trickier storylines in a sensitive manner.

I set myself the homework of learning who is who in BTS to be allowed to continue on this thread. I will work hard.
@polkettle that's how it starts!!!!! By the time you've learnt their names you will be hooked 😂😂😂

My daughter used to test me on who was singing what lyrics, never mind which one was which! 😂 I soon learned

Min Yoongi all the way for me ❤️

... Ohhhh! @polkettle....!! That's how it starts!! You're in for a whole heap of trouble! 😭💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

For those who are watching She Would Never Know, is no one worried about Rowoon! I really like the office staff and how they supported her.

bettys remember I went down that wuxia and xianxia rabbit hole recently and ended up watching 5 back to back .

fifi what’s the difference between Wuxia & xianxia? I would hate to get them mixed up 😯

I haven’t caught up with SWNK must do that - must admit I don’t care very much for FL, but think Rowoon is a poppet

@fifilacklustre Are you up to date? I think he's going to be fine...poor rich, clever, beautiful, faithful man that he is. The office staff are such poppets and the whole show has been much fluffier so far than I thought from first episode and general themes of betrayal. I am worried for sister and husband/chef and how that will be resolved. Hoping it's not going to be shlocky/sensationalist.

I set myself the homework of learning who is who in BTS to be allowed to continue on this thread. I will work hard.

I still struggle with this, especially with all the hair, make-up and costume changes. I had got better, but I haven’t been keeping up my BTS video practice sessions and its all gone to poo again. I watched the Blue & Grey video earlier and all the black suits and odd angles were a disaster for me. I’m probably on the thread naughty step now for admitting my abject failure. (I felt secure in my identification of V, JHope and RM in Blue & Gray, if that helps.)

Thank you Boaty because I just put in half an hour's serious study and was feeling chipper and then went to watch the Coldplay cover again and was HOPELESS.

Rowoon will need to share a chiropractor with My Little Happiness doctor though. All that stooping...

polkettle, I'm up to date. I just hope she doesn't return to the previous guy! Re-sister, husband, and chef, I too hope they resolve it in a dignified way. I am warming up to this, I wasn't sure at the beginning. I like the exploration of the characters, how they deal with the situations, and the pace.
Not sure if anyone has noticed but there seems to be a lot of smiling going on when they kiss.

Coldplay’s Insta story

Attachment didn’t work in previous post

She seems pretty committed and happy with her choice to me Fifi. And who wouldn't be! Although late episode heartbreak not unknown in genre 🤔🤞 Have to say I've rarely seen a man look so tense chopping a carrot. I think Rowoon might not be an excellent cook irl.

@bettys

fifi what’s the difference between Wuxia & xianxia? I would hate to get them mixed up 😯

I haven’t caught up with SWNK must do that - must admit I don’t care very much for FL, but think Rowoon is a poppet

Wuxia is more martial arts and low fantasy. Xianxia is about cultivation to higher immortal. That's why they keep saying cultivation in the shows like Ashes to Love and Eternal Love. They both have martial arts but Xianxia seems to be more the ballet style than out and out martial arts fighting.

Wuxia is more martial arts and low fantasy. Xianxia is about cultivation to higher immortal. That's why they keep saying cultivation in the shows like Ashes to Love and Eternal Love. They both have martial arts but Xianxia seems to be more the ballet style than out and out martial arts fighting.

My favourite thing about falling down this rabbit hole has been exposure to a whole new cultural landscape, ideas and art forms. It is quite the journey.

I can now confirm that I have a Jin/Jimin/Jungkook recognition problem. The others are much more recognisable.

Thanks fifi I was thinking of tackling Ashes of Love next so that’ll give me a taste of both 👍

I agree, I also love discovering these new (to me) genres. There is no real equivalent that I can think of - ok LOTR maybe or Narnia, but fantasy simply isn’t as mainstream in the west, perhaps because the folklore is different. Fantasy fiction/games are popular here but don’t as regularly transfer to screen

I can now confirm that I have a Jin/Jimin/Jungkook recognition problem

😱😱 I am aghast how you mistake Jimin for ANYONE else????? (I am teasing you)

I’ve just spent 20 mins watching the BTS MTV videos from last night with this handy guide open on my phone: www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/bts-members?image=5e442958995fbc00086126a9 I’m now more comfortable I could pick Jimin out of a line-up, though I sometimes get him mixed up with Suga. 🤭 Jin I can recognise as the least attractive one (to me) so Jungkook is Jungkook by default, but I could not pick him out of a line-up. He seems quite unremarkable to me.

🤭 Boaty

Love with Flaws has the worst rushed ending ever! I'm really disappointed in it there was a lot more story to tell! I feel robbed of my time!

Sung Dong Il is damned annoying in Sisyphus, but right for the role. Jo Seung Woo is the business though. 👌