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…

gulp

By the way don't expect a happy ending in Mr Sunshine as it is about the Japanese occupation.

Oh and the guy with the bob haircut from Misaeng is in it, there is a nice little bromance with the 3 MLs

Oh and the guy with the bob haircut from Misaeng is in it, there is a nice little bromance with the 3 MLs

The journalist? Lightbulb moment. He’s much more appealing in Edwardian dandy-dress without the bob.

Talking about Mr Sunshine has made me want to rewatch it. It was my first kdrama and it was ages ago but I can still remember so much of it. There were many great stories and characters that I was rooting for. We haven’t even mentioned top ajumma man candy Lee Byung-Hun in uniform... The whole thing was a treat. That could well be my weekend viewing sorted. 👍

It still blows my mind that YYS was Dong-mae. 🥰

Mr Sunshine was one of the first I watched too, and the very first on-air one. So many top actors (Gunner Jang!) I’d prob spend the whole rewatch like 🤦🏻‍♀️ oh it’s them!

Oh and the guy with the bob haircut from Misaeng is in it, there is a nice little bromance with the 3 MLs
OMG I had not realised the journalist was the Bob haircut guy!!!
Love Dong-Mae so much! Hopefully YYS will get another swashbuckling role soon, instead of all the lovely boys he's played since.

@bettys

Mr Sunshine was one of the first I watched too, and the very first on-air one. So many top actors (Gunner Jang!) I’d prob spend the whole rewatch like 🤦🏻‍♀️ oh it’s them!

I caught it up around episode 10 and then had to wait for the weekly episodes.

Ooh I really want to watch Mr Sunshine now, it sounds brilliant!

This made me snort with laughter so much the bubbles of my Friday night Prosecco went up my nose. I have no idea what’s going on here.

Taemin and a frog

Brilliant! Is it an advert???

No idea! It’s so random!

Omo! Those hips!

Just watched the camping jinbhoot 🥰Loved Daemyung's mum sending him off with kimchi and the crazy overpacking. Don't think they were ever in the Scouts.

Face blindness must be a common affliction in Korea! I've just started Beauty Inside for Lee Min Ki (in preparation for Oh Master!) and it feels like I've seen lots of face blind characters recently 😆

Also started The Uncanny Counter which in throughly enjoying so far! Just the right amount of bonkers at the moment 👍

I just finished Search:WWW.
The clothes! The women power! The OST!

How is Lee Da-Hee not a huge star yet? She is also in Beauty Inside I think @Rowdythree?

Somebody buy the surgical staff of Doldam hospital some goggles. The number of nicked arteries spurting into eyes is making me twitchy.

@polkettle

Somebody buy the surgical staff of Doldam hospital some goggles. The number of nicked arteries spurting into eyes is making me twitchy.

This is a constant bugbear of mine too, Pol.

@KSeason I loved www:search- one of my favourites so far! The cinematography is beautiful, the plot is fab and I loved the sisterhood, and for some reason Brian the ceo- his re-entrance was epic!

Quote a way into another miss oh @JinBhoot are you watching it? I feel like I need to stage an intervention with the FL to convince her to leave blokes alone for a while and stop drinking- she needs to meet the women from www:search! Another appearance for Kim Mi Kyung - does she ever take a break?

I love Kim Mi Kyung dancing with her daughter in Another Miss Oh😂😂

I’ve finished Her private life. It was lovely and I thought the FL was very sweet.
I’m now watching What’s up with secretary Kim which has the same FL. My goodness, Park Seo-joon is an absolute dream!

Any recommendations for the next drama? I may need to have a fortnights break before commencing another one though!

Any recommendations for the next drama? I may need to have a fortnights break before commencing another one though!

We’ve all been there birdy. About 2-3 days into a break you start craving the layered plots, warm interactions and left-field weirdness of kdrama. Its hard to stay away.

@boatyardblues

Any recommendations for the next drama? I may need to have a fortnights break before commencing another one though!

We’ve all been there birdy. About 2-3 days into a break you start craving the layered plots, warm interactions and left-field weirdness of kdrama. Its hard to stay away.

Let us know how long you manage to go cold turkey for. We should start keeping a note to see who can set the record. 😉

Like trying to eat a doughnut without licking the sugar off your lips. Impossible.
Slightly gobsmacked by extreme reaction to an HIV positive patient in DR. It's like it's 1989. And that's why goggles are a good idea you sillies.

I may need to have a fortnights break before commencing another one though!

AhahahahHahah!!🤣🤣🤣🤣 oh Birdy65

What a wasteland of good intentions today has been. After a morning frittered away on bts clips of Ashes of Love Followed by a break to do some work 🥱🥱 I really meant to catch up properly with Sisyphus & Vincenzo but instead have shamelessly done a boaty shuffle with The World Owes Me A First Love , How to be Thirty and Arsenal Military Academy 🤷🏻‍♀️