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 keep wondering why the time travellers use such big suitcases in Sisyphus when there is a 30kg limit. Surely a lighter case would allow for more useful contents?

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!

Oh no that's annoying Rowdy !! Hate it when that happens.

I am up to date with SWNK. I think it might get messy with the spurned fiancée.

And again, 2MLs huge (white!!) greatcoat with many buttons seems a couple of sizes too large

Ha boaty I was thinking of you when I saw Sung Dong Il. Hopefully he won't be too annoying

Are the scrambled travellers in Sisyphus agents for the Control Bureau? I’m assuming one side has glitchy tech. I see ML’s business partner is shaping up to be a flawed baddy.

bettys it is I'm Not a Robot episode 12, and a good re-watch

Go for Ashes of Love beautiful bedding in it through out

Does anyone have a good kdrama podcast (in English) they can recommend? I have got into podcasts in a big way since Christmas but fancy something lighter to leaven my current crop of podcasts.

I think we should start one Boaty 😉

In search of more pootling and snogging in China I've started Love Designer. Promising although no dog 😔 ML has the most cavernous bachelor apartment yet and an unruly sister instead. FL is giving me Chinese Phoebe Waller Bridge vibes but I don't think it's going to be much like Fleabag.

Oh my word And The Winner Is Love is just going on and on I am making heavy use of the 2xspeed button and skipping.

I was going to do Ashes of Love next but may need a modern world break although I am intrigued by fifi's use of the expression beautiful bedding and am almost sure she doesn't mean egyptian thread count

I’ve just finished dodosolsol - as a pp warned, the last two episodes were weird and the ending really unrealistic.

SPOILER ALERTS

Why did Jun’s mother come and see RaRa and say he was dead? To finally keep her away from her son?
There would have been stuff in the papers about the death of a Chaebol heir.
Then 5 years was ridiculous.

Such a shame as otherwise it was a sweet series.

Sorry to disappoint bettys in this context I do mean all the sumptuous fabrics. I'm very sad

@Andante57 I did warn you.....

@fifilacklustre pah!

FL in Love Designer needs a new apartment to rent. I wonder where she might find one...🤔😊

But it's beautiful I tell you. I spent the whole show coveting it all

Going to start Douluo Continent it getting good reviews and I'm now being pulled back into C fantasy drama with all this bedding talk

@Andante57

I’ve just finished dodosolsol - as a pp warned, the last two episodes were weird and the ending really unrealistic.

SPOILER ALERTS

Why did Jun’s mother come and see RaRa and say he was dead? To finally keep her away from her son?
There would have been stuff in the papers about the death of a Chaebol heir.
Then 5 years was ridiculous.

Such a shame as otherwise it was a sweet series.

It still gives me the RAGE 😡

Yes it was annoying. I read on another K drama site that the makers of the show changed the ending as apparently Western audiences like happy endings but I don’t know if that’s true.

Having said that, I found the ambiguity of the end of CLOY frustrating though I appreciate given the situation between N & S Korea, it was nigh on impossible to have a proper happy ending.

So with you fedup I will never get over my .

@fifilacklustre

But it's beautiful I tell you. I spent the whole show coveting it all

You are clearly highly susceptible to product placement, fifi.

Having said that, I found the ambiguity of the end of CLOY frustrating though I appreciate given the situation between N & S Korea, it was nigh on impossible to have a proper happy ending.

@Andante57, I completely agree, I wanted some closure.
I loved the North side of the show but it started to drag once moved to south & ending 😞

I agree with this too, I'm a sucker for a proper happy ending, unless they're leaving it open for a second series!

I blame Hyun Bin! 😂 Memories of Alhambra and CLOY endings both left me disappointed.

I've started Chicago Typewriter. It's the fella from #Alive!

I agree with this too, I'm a sucker for a proper happy ending, unless they're leaving it open for a second series!

Oh please, please PLEASE let there be a second series. I read somewhere that Korean series don’t usually go beyond one season but there would be a huge audience for part 2.
(Just make sure Lieut. Park features in it too)

@fifilacklustre Duolingo (🤭😂) continent is good... However the "baby voice" of the FL and the secondary dubbing that dramas seem to use irks me... I'm watching it slowly though!
River Is still good though might leave it for a couple of weeks so there's a stack of them!
Still in my ReWatch of Romance IABB which is still fun and good! I've forgotten some of the storyline so it's like watching it brand new!!
Just started Bring It On Ghost...
Got Sisyphus and Vincenzo on my possible watch list
Still need to start Secret Inspector properly @bettys have you started this?... Thoughts and views??

@Bea Royal Secret Agent isn’t half bad I got up to ep 5 before I was distracted by shiny Love Is Sweet and disappeared down a Luo Yunxi spiral. It’s had good reviews, the story skips along too, definitely worth a go!

👍😊👍👍👍 Fab!... My only concern is we Don't get to see his floofy lovely hair!! 😭

No....but you do get a shower waterfall scene