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…

@polkettle.... 😂🤣😂🤣😂
Now I'm not a fan of long hair.... BUT... Toasty! It looks good on you!!!!... prepping for a drama i think i read somewhere....

Now if he can switch between This and Toastyness... the duality will be 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🧨🧨🧨🧨🚒🚒🚒

Pass the butter...

🤭🤭

..and jam 🤣.

Just watched the latest episode of She Would Never Know, and liking FL less and less, and I just want to wrap Rowoon up in a big warm duvet -sigh.

Just watched it too Fifi and agree she could work on her communication skills but wasn't that impressed with your xl duvet boy heaping the guilt trip pressure on tbh.
Not enough jolly office ahjumma and too much sad people behaving badly today.

Woweeee! Toasty! 😂😍.

I agree pokettle he did blurt it out, fear got the better of him. See how I give him more leeway - I've no idea why
My heart went out to the sister

Searching for a show to watch!

When does Oh, Master begin?

I am all about The Undateables at the mo. Namgoong Min’s character has committed a grave error and is living with the consequences, so has become less obnoxious and more likeable. I’m not sure how they’ll fill the remaining 10 x 30 min episodes, so I’m anticipating a twist any minute.

He's got you twisted round his giant finger Fifi 😁
Approaching the end of Love Designer and well hardly an essential watch, happy to give it a solid recommend for those prepared to put up with a meandering multi-stranded Chinese fashion businessy plot and some irritating side characters (to be fair, slightly less irritating now then they were at start) The central relationship is lovely, believable and equal one with no histrionics, lots of good working out of problems and plenty of snoggy sweetness.

Added to list polkettle !
I am firmly in beautiful bedding xianxia land for the next ooh 40 episodes 😯😂 I think I prefer the floral & human realm bedding to the heavenly bedding

Speaking of Oh, Master! here's the teaser trailers (no subs 😔)

I've got high hopes for Oh Master it looks really cute! I'd love to know what Lee Min Kee is really like!

Found you again. I've started Mr Queen but not got much past episode 2. I've recently watched Love Rain with the beautiful Jang Kevin-suk, which was ok, but the older couple were too insipid. A love so beautiful- Korean one as it was shorter and had fewer episodes than the cdrama version. Was cute and had So Joo-yeon from Dr Romantic 2 in it.
Mostly though been watching Master In the House (All the butlers) originally for Lee Seung Gi who is adorable but actually watching it more for Yang Se-hyung who is hilarious. The whole show is sooo funny. Have also watched 2Cops and rewatched Don't Dare to Dream and they gave me my Jo Jung -suk hit.

You've been busy jisungismylife. Mr Queen has made it into my top 10.
bettys, I fully understand and appreciate

To think there was a time when I wouldn't have been searching up random Chinese stars after finishing their dramas and so would have missed this picture of Johnny Huang in knee socks on a swing with a hairless cat.

Well I think all our lives are richer for this picture @polkettle

😂 those knee socks are a sight to behold.

The look on that cat's face!!

....and the things that seem to pop up randomly on Youtube when you have been idly looking things up. This like a mini fantasy drama for make-up starring the ML from Love Is Sweet

I also came across this CF (MN indoctrination means that I translate that as Cheeky Fucker instead of Commercial Film )

@fifilacklustre

😂 those knee socks are a sight to behold.

I think I had the same ones in primary school. Good for staying up when cartwheeling.

Breakfast swinging with Mr knee socks now lunch dancing with Mr Queen's King. What a world 😁

Mr Queen King does not look like he came up through the idol academy route, which makes me like his cheesy dance even more. 😄

@bettys

I also came across this CF (MN indoctrination means that I translate that as Cheeky Fucker instead of Commercial Film )

Thank you, I needed a giggle!😂

😂 I wondered what on earth he was advertising! That's perked me right up on this cold Tuesday

I like the random nature of his dance signifying a smooth shave 😂

His slightly shy/awkward moves are just adorbs 😍

Brilliantly dodgy medical care on display in Dr Romantic. Casualty on speed. Buckling in...🥰
Fifi Get in there now with your duvet for Rowoon while there's a window.