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…

Scheduling conflicts sounds suss to me, I hope it's not related to any bullying or violence. Anyone with any skeletons in their closet must be feeling pretty nervous these days!

Thanks for the Mouse update Boaty! I think this one might not be for me.

Briiiiick definitely Kingdom vibes but with the lovely Jang Dong Yoon as an added bonus

There were another two corpses, both gruesome, before ep 2 wrapped up. It would almost be worth skipping through to see LSG in his loaned granny outfit (hideous stretchy trousers, mismatched flowery top, baby pink cardi), but quite. 😄

If Betty's (or anyone) would like a small Monday morning Dimples (aka Jasper Liu) pick-me-up, then episode 7 of When We Write Love Story, 2 hours 15 mins in is worth a minute of your attention. Stay for 3 mins longer for additional nice cat

Thanks for the tip-off pol as soon as she said ‘Want me to take care of your wounds?’ I knew what was coming! 😂😂

That cat had it all planned!

Sometimes one wants fresh original world view expanding sharply written content and sometimes one wants an open white towelling robe and a pec being gently dabbed 😁
That cat so drugged in earlier making of scenes. It just sits exactly where put. Either drugged or been in acting academy since a tiny kitten.

Started watching birth of a beauty yesterday- it started off really well but it's all gone down hill in the last few episodes and moved from funny to excessively melodramatic. Feels like they're stretching it out? Evil half brother is so far one of the least evil evil blokes I've ever seen and just randomly pops up once an episode but doesn't seem to want to do anything other than get his revenge on his grandma (who treated him awfully). Plus I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for a lot of things but how did no-one think it was suspicious the ex husband got remarried in 2 months?

See Jasper Liu is going to be ML in the Chinese version of Clean With Passion. I didn't watch the Korean one as it looked so bad but this might be different., as it has Jasper in it , hopefully, his obsessive cleanliness also includes self and we get to see lots of shower scenes
Caught up on the latest episode of She Would Never Know, mmm, can't say I'm overly pleased. I can see that the writers are going down the safe route. Still not sure what's happened with the sister and her husband!

Ooh...that sounds a treat Fifi Clean Dimples mmm
I did say you had to get in with your xxl duvet quick. I'm afraid you missed your window. Not buying anyone's emotional journey at all but enjoying the froth and glad to have the face cream ahjummas back on form.

Pah I hope you didn't put too much effort into sewing your xxl duvet together fifi
Yay for the office ajummas! They should have their own drama.

Woo-hoo Clean Dimples I didn't watch the Korean version as I'm not a fan of the ML that was in it

Wrt the sister & her husband in She Would Never Know it looks like they're in a holding pattern for now. Not sure which way they will take photographer & two-timer though. I sort of hope they don't get back together.

Thankfully I can't thread a needle so no time wasted . If they set up the cheater with the photographer it will criminally lazy writing.

I'm sure the photographer and cheater are going to get back together. Prepare your handcuffs and get ready to arrest a writer 😉
Watched the available episodes of You Make Me Dance Another lovely ballet dancer for the collection Bettys

Wow. They haven't wasted any time getting Na In Woo going into RWTMR. Already releasing stills and editing him into about to screen episodes.

Oooh pol ballet/ contemporary dance and oppa-loving-oppa I am so up for that pour me a glass of rosé now
And Navillera is coming to Netflix too! Song Kang, ballet, heart-warming tale of struggle against adversity, hopefully lots of dancing on rooftops.

SWNK is less than the sum of its parts somehow, the bits I like (the sisters' stories, office ajummas, Rowoon's knitwear) are not the major storyline. I cannot warm to FL, I didn't like her in Just Between Lovers either, she seems a cold fish. It's been very much a lunchtime watch so I don't feel as cheated as if I had binge watched it over a weekend if that makes sense.

Chemistry is a funny thing.....there doesn't seem to be any between Rowoon & FL in SWNK. There is lashings between the cheeky minx leads in Love Is Sweet (Bai Lu & Luo Yunxi) but zero between same FL (Bai Lu) & v tall but bland ML in The World Owes Me A First Love. I watched an interview where Luo Yunxi was asked how he had prepared for the many kissing scenes in Love Is Sweet and he replied that it all started with trust (which is what we were talking about upthread) and that Bai Lu had also sent him kissing scene videos from kdramas!!!

@fifilacklustre ooh, that sounds good! I didn't mind clean with passion- it wasn't amazing but it wasn't awful and filled a nice fluffy gap.
I'm seriously disappointed in birth of a beauty- started off quite funny with lots of potential but now descended into excessive drama (if that makes sense!) Complete with evil violin soundtrack- It's like it swapped writers halfway through

Hydrogen sometimes if it descends into makjang it can be great in an awful way....or awful in a great way....but that doesn’t sound to be the case with BoaB

Episode 5 is available in 4 days 😫 (You Make Me Dance)

I'm in a kdrama fug at the moment... I've just finished School 2017 which had lovely lovely engaging leads... Infuriating stupid adults... I skippitydoodahed from ep 13 to end as I was getting fed up of the endless glaring and bullying and standard entitled rich parents ... But the friendships /relationships were lovely...

But I've got nothing to watch! I don't feel like watching anything! Maybe after almost 2 and a half years of solid korean drama watching... I need a break?...
Nothing seems to grab me at the moment!... Perhaps I need an early night!! 😁😭😴😴😴😴

A blast of Bridgerton should set you right, Bea. All the pumping buttocks will send running back to kdrama quick smart. 😂 Joking aside, it was a hoot and fun costumes. Just leave your brain at the door.

How about a bit of CDrama Bea? I've been enjoying my recent forays into wuxia & xanxia & romcom.
There's Joseon Exorcist to look forward to!

@Bea

I'm in a kdrama fug at the moment... I've just finished School 2017 which had lovely lovely engaging leads... Infuriating stupid adults... I skippitydoodahed from ep 13 to end as I was getting fed up of the endless glaring and bullying and standard entitled rich parents ... But the friendships /relationships were lovely...

But I've got nothing to watch! I don't feel like watching anything! Maybe after almost 2 and a half years of solid korean drama watching... I need a break?...
Nothing seems to grab me at the moment!... Perhaps I need an early night!! 😁😭😴😴😴😴

Feeling the same Bea. Watched Welcome to Waikiki which was a hoot, but I'm in betweeny now.

Love Alarm 2 on Friday (meh)

@bettys I don't object to a bit of amnesia/twins/mistaken identity/evil chairman makjang but it could've been a lot better of they'd stuck to just revenge on cheating ex husband- really didn't need to add plotting half brother etc.
I'm now watching favourite episodes of oh my ghost to get over it

I'm only watching Sisyphus and Vincenzo at the moment, and they're both on air so it's only 4 and a bit hours this week 😲. Maybe now DS is back at school ill be able to get a few more hours in. What I really need is for football to let fans in, then DH can go out for a bit and stop distracting me by wanting to chat 😂

Is it Suga’s birthday today? 🎂

Yes!💜🎂

I've just finished Beauty Inside which was a nice bit of fluff. I thought the chemistry between the two leads was really good! Not sure why I'm so surprised 😬 I think I'll start Search: WWW next

I just saw that Minari had been nominated for a few Bafta's, I can't wait to watch it.

Have you started anything Bea?