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…

I'm on episode 9 Pol and I felt the same. The school violence does end, (probably about where you are now) at the moment it's violence between evil spirits and counters 😬 I find it quite difficult to watch, I can only do one episode a day. I'm enjoying the plot though

Thanks Rowdy. Yes, will need to pace with soothing fluff.

@boatyardblues I likes to my star as a episodes - is the film much different?
I liked that bit in www:search @Rowdythree - a cameo I recognised!
Started watching when the camelia blooms- I wasn't sure at first but really enjoying it so far, especially the bit where she says Gong Yoo is her ideal man and they play a bit of theme from goblin. Also the wife who's a divorce lawyer - it's definitely cementing how much I like Going Hyo-Jin

I tried Uncanny Counter but given up on it after first episode as I really need fluff. Plus magical curing of disability...

Recovering from vaccine I've been watching a cdrama for a change. the Sword and the Brocade beautiful sets and clothes. Slow historical political arranged marriage and lots of concubines trying to cause mischief. Not sure if anyone else has watched it?

Is Run on recommended for safe light viewing afterwards?

Feel sorry for the BTS boys. I hope they realise the awards are rigged against them.

Run On is definitely safe, light viewing. There’s some violence in the athletics team early on, but it is plot-relevant and the story moves on fairly quickly. I liked it a lot. I liked the quirky leads. We all commented that some of the dynamics and conversations were hard to follow - if I recall we were unclear about whether it was shonky subbing or cultural differences - but it pulls together just fine.

Hydrogen - I’ve only seen the film so I can’t comment. A series, you say? I will look into that. As DH and I said, love is love and (me) oppas are oppas. It was a rather sweet romance.

Thanks boatyard

Hydrogen it took me a while to warm to Camellia, I liked all the commaderie that developed between the women.

*camaraderie (Must learn to spell)

@boatyardblues

Hydrogen - I’ve only seen the film so I can’t comment. A series, you say? I will look into that. As DH and I said, love is love and (me) oppas are oppas. It was a rather sweet romance.

I think the film and the series are the same thing boaty, I really enjoyed the series, one of my favourite love stories! Have you watched Colour Rush? That's a really intense BL story, I enjoyed that too, despite it being a high school romance.

For light and fluffy, I'm really enjoying Meow, the secret boy or Cat Man as I have titled it 😂 it's totally bonkers, but really sweet!

Oh! Master is starting on iQUiYi on 24th March 👌

Also coming to iQUiYi is A Love Never Lost Film with Mr Lixian 😊

@bettys

Oh! Master is starting on iQUiYi on 24th March 👌

Also coming to iQUiYi is A Love Never Lost Film with Mr Lixian 😊

Well spotted Bettys! I was checking Netflix and Viki for Oh Master! updates...

Does that mean Oh Master! not on anywhere else? I can see I'm going to have to revive my subscription (after being Very Good and actually cancelling after free month)
Meow sounds a must watch Rowdy 😁
Yes, the disability narrative, as so often, is not great in TUC @gingerbiscuitandacuppatea 😬

Woah, has anyone else had this thread removed from the app? Its completely disappeared! I'm using the webpage to post.

Also the Streamed TV topic has gone completely from both platforms! What's going on?? Hope its just a glitch!

Huh, it appears that the "Streamed TV" topic has been removed from MN, and this thread is now in "Telly Addicts"...

Eh wot?? Are they having a tidy up or something?

It might work in our favour to be in the mainstream folder.

I realise we didn’t welcome @JadeSeahorse on Grammys night - I am assuming a new poster and not a name change fail. Welcome Jade! 👋 There’s a lot of love for BTS in here.

Hahaha! New to this thread thank you @Boatyardblues but not to MNet although have recently name changed.

Fascinated by all the recommendations for K Drama! Definitely will give them a go.

BTS - think I must be one of their oldest fans. 🤣 Bias primarily JK and Jimin but would love to give them all a massive mumsy - or obscenely maybe not so mumsy - hug. 💜

@JadeSeahorse Tae & Min Yoongi say hello and welcome to the thread 💜

Oh wow! They are fab @bettys!

Getting serious envy here now! 😁. Massive wave back --and unmumsy hug 🤣 - to Tae and Yoongi!

Oops! So wrapped up in your boys - and the very hot looking photo of Yoongi in the background 💜 - forgot to wave back to you @bettys

Has Jasper Liu been reading this thread??

This is funny!.. trending on my twitter Timeline! People ranking their dramas! Some funny opinions!

First Kdrama :
Last Kdrama :
Best Kdrama :
Worst Kdrama :

I think I have to look up my very first proper kdrama!.... 😂😩

Soooo after dine perusing... I think..

First Kdrama : Strong Girl Bong Soon
Last Kdrama : Do You Like Brahms
Best Kdrama : Crash Landing On You
Worst Kdrama : Brahms! 😡

Hello @JadeSeahorse!... Another ARMY! 💜👍... Sure Bangtan are very aware of how these awards are awarded...

Can't find the clip... But somewhere there's RM /Yoongi saying (about it's not just awarded on worth .. There's political shenanigans with a dose of xenophobia at play but we still try and appreciate... Or words to that effect! 😱

First Kdrama: Romance is a Bonus Book
Last Kdrama: Run On
Best Kdrama: My Mister
Worst Kdrama: Secret Love

Oooh fun I obvs need to do this before doing some actual work....

First Kdrama : Stranger
Last Kdrama : She Would Never Know (completed - meh) Mouse (most recently watched )
Best Kdrama : My Mister
Worst Kdrama : Melting Me Softly