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…

Definitely jisung! It's a great advert for non profit healthcare.
So. Much. Listening. At. Doorways. And. Swishing. Down. Corridors.

Sisyphus continues to keep it classy. Half way through & no sign of a soggy middle or plot silliness. 🤞 First aid administered ✅ Oppa rivalry brewing ✅ No white van of doom yet, but I think nukes trump white vans.

Post-apocalyse diet seems to be tinned sardines, crisps and no fruit or veg. Depending on how that sits with you, you might want to consider running towards the mushroom cloud.

Im looking forward to watching Sisyphus at the weekend!

Anyone else wish they could do the Joa dance every morning at work? It would probably be so cringey in real life but it looks fun on TV. (Hello Me)

Husband just suggested replacing Netflix with Disney plus. Shall I LTB? He argued that Viki should be enough...

We have Disney+ and it’s slim pickings for grown-ups. Most of the more grown up content is old, like seriously old (90s) and we watched it the first time*. Are you an 8 year old child? No? Then Disney+ is not a suitable substitute for adults. LTB!

• It does have old skool X Files and Futurama is still funny, though we have to explain things like dial-up internet to DS2 so he gets the tech jokes.

😱😱😱
@BramblyHedge LTB!!!!!

No way Brambly!! I'm outraged on your behalf

BramblyHedge! Disney+ is no substitution for Netflix, I agree LTB 😱😱😱

@BramblyHedge... LTB! LTB!!!!! How dare he!!!!!

@BramblyHedge Who have you married?? Ref flags!!!

Red flags obvs

Thanks everyone. Decision made.

I have watched few dramas of Lee Jong Suk and was wondering why he lacked romantic chemistry with FL eg RIABB & Pinocchio. May be he needs few kissing tips from the ML of BTIMFL
But he has managed to (slightly) redeem his self in W- Two Worlds. Perhaps he is shy?

I am on episode 15 now. What a rollercoaster story & done beautifully.

@JinBhoot

I have watched few dramas of Lee Jong Suk and was wondering why he lacked romantic chemistry with FL eg RIABB & Pinocchio. May be he needs few kissing tips from the ML of BTIMFL But he has managed to (slightly) redeem his self in W- Two Worlds. Perhaps he is shy?

I am on episode 15 now. What a rollercoaster story & done beautifully.

Thanks for reminding me about W: Two World. I'm still in my slump (boo), but this sounds like a good pick me up!

@JinBhoot

I have watched few dramas of Lee Jong Suk and was wondering why he lacked romantic chemistry with FL eg RIABB & Pinocchio. May be he needs few kissing tips from the ML of BTIMFL But he has managed to (slightly) redeem his self in W- Two Worlds. Perhaps he is shy?

I am on episode 15 now. What a rollercoaster story & done beautifully.

This is why I can't watch anything with him being the ML! He just lacks chemistry with everyone 😬 I have to say Lee Min Ki did pretty good kissing scenes in Beauty Inside!

He does redeem himself somewhat in Two worlds but I put that down to the FL 😁 Briiiiick it's definitely worth a watch!

Can you tell I'm really not a fan of Lee Jong Suk!

@BramblyHedge

Thanks everyone. Decision made.

I like how you took the word of us internet randoms and didn’t try to big up his redeeming qualities. 😆 To be fair, it is an awful thing to do (halve the kdrama supply). No marriage can survive it, surely?

Lee Min Ki never fails to deliver on the kissing scenes agenda...

Lee Jong Suk looks pretty smitten with FL from W Two Worlds in the bts footage - he is constantly stroking her hair & being tactile. The FL from Pinnocchio is much better at action than romance (#Alive & Sisyphus) & agree that though sweet the romance in RIABB was strangely without passion. LJS fared better in I Hear Your Voice & While You Were Sleeping.

Somebody watch Love Alarm 2 for me and tell me if it's worth it please......

To be fair, it is an awful thing to do (halve the kdrama supply). No marriage can survive it, surely?

I took matters into my own hands and the Netflix, Viki & iQUIYI subscriptions are all in my name & paid by me #noonemesseswithmykdrama

Intrigued by the huge range in scores for Love Alarm on spreadsheet. Obviously Controversial. Was it because ended on cliffhanger or other stuff? Should I go in?

pol it ended on a cliffhanger and FL made some incomprehensible decisions.

Tbh I have peaked at the end to see what happens I just want to know if it's worth the time spent to get there.

And whatcha reckon?

🤷🏻‍♀️ Hmmm I honestly don’t know, I may get around to it tomorrow once I’ve escaped from Wuxia World. It could either be clever or annoying, but it wasn’t what I was expecting 😯

Taking the straightforward option and zipping through 20 mins episodes of (Korean) A Love So Beautiful with my Friday wine. Both slipping down lovely with no thought required