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…

It mentioned molko on middle schoolers on another article. Not sure if that was the sex recording with middle schooler that he distributed or separate incident(s). Ugh.

It seems like the bullying disclosures about the Dear M actress have triggered a #metoo type movement. I’d prefer it if schools dealt with bullying effectively, but it wouldn’t hurt for it to be career limiting in adulthood if it deterred bullies and reduced cases in schools.

The reports about Ji Soo are really disturbing, it’s vile to think that kind of bullying and sexual assault happens in schools. They must have been 14, 15? Just awful.

And there was I thinking that the school bullying in KDramas was unbelievable. Awful.

it's very distressing for all concerned. And, I do hope that he too has some support around him as this could lead him to a dark place

I also think this will open the door for individuals who've been victimised and abused by celebrities to come forward and talk about their experiences. It must be awful to see someone who has caused so much hurt and pain live a gilded life.

I've just had my first cry in a while watching More than Friends 😢

Jisoo.. I read all about it this morning... It's really grim and I feel sooo sorry for all involved... I'm sort of hoping it's all exaggerated but I'm not holding out fur much!...
I hope the drama that's on air is not too disrupted... I wonder if they'll change the storyline and take him out...
It's just grim .. What an idiot! 😔

Aww Rowdy is it v sad?

Wowser.!.... 😔

This gets my vote!

😱😱😱... I would never have recognised him in Vincenzo!! 😱

It's a shame for the other actors and production staff if the drama is disrupted because of him, I hope they manage to replace him without too much damage being done. I was going to start it, but I'll wait and see what happens now.

Thegirl it was just one scene that was really sad and moving. It's a really good drama actually, more 'slice of life' than the romance I was expecting. Its very well done, the acting is great and production is good

@Bea

This gets my vote!

Hello Kang Don Yeon! 😯 They should have cast him in the first place....

He was 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 in Love in the moonlight! 🥰🥰🥰... I've said before... Not too keen on long hair... But he was 🥰🥰🥰 in Love In Moonlight!

So far in Vincenzo his character is a massive idiot (as well as v v good looking)

@JinBhoot currently watching I am not a robot - enjoying it so far. @boatyardblues I'd agree it's very easy watching fluff!

I love a long haired fella 😍🥰😍

😁

I've finished More than Friends now, ultimate happy ending so all good. I've 2 episodes of Chicago Typewriter left and then I'll be Dramaless!

I love a long haired fella 😍🥰😍

Ha me too! Bit of guyliner doesn’t go amiss either!

I really enjoyed tonight’s Sisyphus. It certainly keeps you on your toes with the time shifts and time-travelling characters who come and go, the competing factions and the slowly resolving picture of the original timeline of events. It is top notch, in all aspects. I love ML’s modern house and all the geometry in the detailing, plus the backlit glass in the kitchen. 👌 I want to live in it.

I see Li Xian is really spoiling us today on Insta. 👍

I’m nearly at the end of Ashes of Love so am ploughing through it before Sisyphus catch-up.
There’s an awful lot of blood being spit up all the time, gets all over the lovely floaty robes. Also just realised that the FL is the same as Go-Go Squid
Aren’t we about due another Mr Lixian drama soon? It’s all very well providing us with lovely fashion shots of him looking slick in a suit but we need action!

I finished The Undateables last night, though I was sleepy and may have missed a few scenes in the last hour (2 eps). From the bits I was awake for it wraps up neatly and satisfactorily. I’d say it is enjoyable fluff, probably a 6/10. Namgoong Min and Ms Shouty are engaging leads and do a good job. The supporting cast are likeable. It’s just a little thin and formulaic towards the end, as if the writers had used their best writing up in the first half. Ms Shouty is actually OK in this and mellows as it develops. You’ll all be relieved to know the stunt man eventually bows to social pressure and shaves his pits. Phew! He also finds love. I’m not sure if it was a cautionary tale for the few remaining razor-dodging men in SK.

I'm all for starting a petition for Mr. Lixian bettys. The coughing up of blood totally ruined Love and Redemption for me, I watched Ashes to Love after it so I was happy there was a lot less.

rowdy have you found a drama? I'm the same at the moment. I still have True Beauty to watch, but not quite feeling the mood for it. I'm started watching a Thai drama on Olga called, Duang Jai Nai Montra - Love's Curse. It's a fantasy about a man who was cursed by his last love 1000's of years ago and then meets a woman in the present who he thinks is his reincarnated love. So far it's okay for a Thai drama, acting is okay, quite like the feel of it, but episodes are long and I find the Thai language a bit wearing after a while. I'll keep going for a few more episodes and see what happens.
bettys are you still watching Wacko at Law? It finishes soon so I may start binge watching.

fifi - what, even more blood than Ashes of Love - I find it very off-putting!
I really enjoyed Ashes, I was thoroughly absorbed even though it dragged a little in the third act (demon realm) and I had a bad case of 2LS! I'm giving it an 8 on the spreadsheet. I feel more ready to watch The Untamed now, but I think need a hefty dose of modern-day fluff to recalibrate back from xianxia for a while before heading straight back in or I'll never catch up with the on-airs.
I didn't start Wacko at Law as I find the Taiwan once a week drama drop tortuous, so was waiting for it to finish before bingeing.

I am LOVING Go Ahead. Much the most grounded and absorbing CDrama I've watched with officially the Loveliest Dad in China in it. Halfway through so may drag later but two thumbs up so far. Although slightly ashamed to look up the delicious ML and discover he's 21. Better lower my HRT dose...

POL IS THAT THE SAME ml AS IN Find Yourself? pah caps fail
He does look older than his age