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…

Pah showing my age it’s called Veet now, or those jolly little wax strip thingies

Ouch, those strips on a man's hairy legs

Boaty I'm more of a hirsute gal

My Dad’s family nickname was Gorilla. 😉 I sometimes idly compare my arm hair with male colleagues’ and philosophically lean towards Caitlin Moran’s observation that the money a woman spends in a lifetime’s waxing adds up to a bloody good holiday if she opts out.

I've had a rubbish day at work and this body hair convo has cheered me right up! Societal analysis and humour ✔️
Thanks Addicts 😁😂

Catching up on the thread after a busy few weeks- @polkettle that swing/baked cat/knee high socks photo has just made my week!

Finished once again finally last night- definitely really grew on me, I liked the use of cereal for breakfast as a sign all was not well and I thought the relationship between the Mum and sisters was just lovely- I wanted to join them on their night out!

Not sure what to start next- maybe I am not a robot as it keep popping up on netflix?

To offset the stress of Dr Romantic (Get that clinic a triage! An emergency buzzer system! A family room!) I started Go Ahead today, slightly picking with a pin on Viki. Anyway so far it's delightful. Kind of a Chinese Reply.

It Wednesday which means timey-wimey Jo Seung Woo! 🍾🎉

Just settling down to Sisyphus 👍

@polkettle I am not watching season 2 of Dr Romantic yet. It’s too stressful, to offset I have watched couple of episodes of Hospital Playlist 😆

About to finish Pinocchio.

Anyone watching Vincenzo ?

@JinBhoot what did you think of pinocchio? I watched that when I was off a few weeks ago- I enjoyed it but I wanted more closure on the crazy fan/chief

@Hydrogensonata I am on ep18 - will post feedback back after finishing it. What are you watching these days?
Overall I am enjoying the show, these days feeling bit down so this drama has right amount of fluff.

@JinBhoot I'm watching Vincenzo what do you think so far?

I accidentally on purpose read a spoiler for Vincenzo, if anyone's got to ep 4 does that make it better or worse?

Saving Sisyphus for double whammy tomorrow

Hydrogen I enjoyed I Am Not A Robot, very fluffy nonsense

[quote TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]@JinBhoot I'm watching Vincenzo what do you think so far?[/quote]
Haven’t started it ... I don’t think I can cope with weekly wait 😆 life before catchup TV & streaming services seems ancient now, I can never go back to those days.

But very tempted to start as traitors look interesting.

*Trailers not traitors

if anyone's got to ep 4 does that make it better or worse? I have bettys, but not sure what you mean?? 😂😂😂 There were several OTT scenes, or was it the mother???

The bit about the lawyer intern, Taecyeon's character.
Are you enjoying it TheGirl?

I watched a fair chunk of I am not a Robot with my sons. They usually hate my kdrama but enjoyed that enough not to vacate the lounge. We all howled in the dodgy noodle episode. 😆 It is fluff, but very enjoyable fluff.

Oh no. Ji Soo has published a fulsome apology letter on Insta referring to his ‘dark past’. I’m off to google for details.

koalasplayground.com/2021/03/03/ji-soo-admits-bullying-and-sexual-assault-allegations-from-school-era-1-day-after-scandal-breaks-future-of-k-drama-river-where-the-moon-rises-uncertain/

Some of the sexual assault allegations are discussed in the comments under the article I just linked. Grim. ☹️

That's shocking. Is this the end of his career?

I would think so. Some of the sexual allegations are shocking.

Shocking! There is no way his career can survive and nor should it. Read the comments under the article, just disgusting.

I wonder what will happen now?

I saw the stuff about Ji Soo too. Really horrible.

Ahh bettys that bit! He does a good job as a cute intern pre reveal 😂. I'm enjoying it but it's all fairly ridiculous. Lots of comedy villains but also actual death. And the special effects Bill must be massive. We will have to see how it goes!