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…

@boatyardblues

Is it Suga’s birthday today? 🎂

Oh yes! BTS Twitter has been gearing up to it for weeks... lots of stuff going on... I think we all secretly hoped he's drop a track today! But a VLive is just as lovely (with quick guest appearence by JK💜 )... and This weeks Run (just like last weeks) was hilarious! 😂🤣 ... along woth all the twitter posts / Vlogs / VLives / Runs.... BTS ARMY are well and truly fed!!!! 👍.... and GRAMMY performance !!!! (along with a win??? fingers crossed fingers crossed! 🙏🙏🙏)... I maybe pulling an all nighter on Monday Night!!!! 😂😫💜

@Rowdythree

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?

Noooo! I really can't find anything at the moment... i think i need something light (True Beauty) but Not Bonkers (SGBS).... or i might just flick around till something grabs me.. may start River Moon thingy again (now that casting has been finialised)... considering a rewatch of The Crowned Clown and dipping in and out of 100 Days My Prince (rewatch!)....or continue with Jello Me (i've watched 1st ep)... but judging by this post you can see i'm all over the place!!! 😫😫😫😫😫😫

Jello Me!!!!! ???? 🤣😂🤣😂.... You know what i mean....! 😂

@Hydrogensonata I have paused Another Miss Oh at ep9, it’s not cheering me up. Will continue later when I am in a different mood.

Started W - Two Worlds Apart, will start ep3 today, I am intrigued to know how story will pan out.

I quite like the sound of Jello Me Bea 😂

I really enjoyed W Two worlds Jin, and I'm not a fan of Lee Jong Suk. I hope you enjoy it!

Ooh, just noticed How to be thirty episode 5 is almost ready to watch 👍

We’ve got to episode 9 of Goblin. It took me a couple of episodes to get into it but I’m loving it now.
I loved the scene when the Goblin said to his bride that she mustn’t be scared in the horror movie and then what happened. Hilarious.
That’s what I love about K drama, the mixing of comedy with ultra seriousness - for example in CLOY when HK was having coffee with the step mother and the ducklings were hiding while Ju Meok gives a commentary on what will happen next, according to S Korean dramas.

@JinBhoot ooo! I loved W Two Worlds! It's gorgeously done! 👍❤️... Enjoy! 👌😁

Good episode of HTB30 Rowdy😁 Who's the "other" secret woman then? Sister? Liking the friendship between the three of them.
Finished SWNK. No need to throw the writer in jail. I thought whole series was perfectly enjoyable if completely forgettable fluff. Started off masquerading as something darker and potentially more complex but no. I didn't mind the FL actually - tough to be the insecure foil to a flawless Mr Perfect and I thought she gave the light and shade a reasonable go. Lovely Rowoon ultimately only had to be Lovely.

@JinBhoot I liked quite a few bits of another miss oh but I did want to stage a intervention for the FL to point out she didn't need a man, I think I really liked all the sound design bits having worked in a similar role - kept spotting bits of equipment! I've not watched w:two worlds, maybe I'll give it a try?
@Andante57 I think goblin was the second drama I watched - I remember that cinema scene! I think the relationship between the goblin and the grim reaper was one of my favourite bits.

I'm missing having a weekly thing to watch now run on and Mr Queen are finished - it encourages me to pace it at least a bit!

Well, the last episode of She Would Never Know at least had a little credibility. I Will give it a 7, I'm being generous because of Rowoon.
Bea, I always end up watching a J drama when I'm feeling like that, it seems to take me out of my funk. Having no K drama to watch makes me feel discombobulated.

Sisyphus is excellent fun so far @Hydrogensonata

Polkettle yep it was a good episode! I really hope he doesn't turn out to be a shit. The other woman must be a sister, or step sister I think. I like the younger guy after the announcer lady

Also it's good to see the female characters having a good time instead of getting to the age of 30 without so much as kissing a fella 😂

pol & fifi agree with everything you both said about SWNK. Glad we didn't have to shoot the writer.

Very much enjoying the girls chatting about their love life in How To Be Thirty. Also like young man chasing after announcer, but think first love is going to be a shit & she will end up with the director who looks like he may know he is a shit.

fifi you recommended Eternal Love but I have ended up watching The Eternal Love which is an entirely different show but trotting along in an amiable nonsensical manner and quite fitting my restless can't settle down mood. It has the bloke with the impassive face from The World Owes Me a First Love but he's more likeable in this somehow.

For those watching Vincenzo- and I'll binge it when it's finished, this popped up on my YouTube feed- an Italian critiquing song joong Ki's Italian.

He gets quite good marks and is apparently very cute speaking Italian 😂😂

@bettys, he seems a bit too good to be true doesn't he... Director guy hasn't made much of an impression so far, but I think your theory is a good one

I’m loving Mr Sunshine on my second viewing. YYS is hot AF as Dong-Mae. I’d forgotten how much. I’d forgotten how fab LBH looks in Edwardian 3-piece suits. Kim Tae-Ri is so, so good and the whole thing is beautiful. I’d also forgotten how much the story nips along. All round great.

@Hydrogensonata W Two worlds apart is a fast pace drama so far ... every episode is exciting and story is changing rapidly.

@JinBhoot... yes! the story changes dramatically quite a fair bit... i didn't know where i was half the time!!! 😂 ... in a good way!!!!

bettys easy to mix both up. I will wait for the verdict after you finish it as I have looked at it a few times.
Searching iQUI for something to watch but nothing leaping out.

fifi what have you watched on iQUI so far? I followed Love Is Sweet with And The Winner Is Love as had the ML in - it went all round the houses but was ok

Not-Eternal-Love is quite good fun along the lines of The Love by Hypnotic. Preposterous & low-budget special effects but engaging somehow. have started S2 and apparently there is a S3 in the works

I must admit though that it is something I have on while doing other tasks....