MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #22): As pandemic restrictions ease the Ajummas of Darkness and ARMY recruits are on spring manoeuvres, camping under the cherry blossom

[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)*
Lovestruck in the City (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)
To My Star [BL] (Viki)
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)
You Make Me Dance [BL] (Viki)


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…

TheGirlWiththeArabStrap yes I will.
We enjoyed 83 and 86 so we are looking forward to this one.

Oh well I've now started Love Designer and it is zipping along....not sure if I can watch all 45 episodes though
I like FL & her beer swilling use of pint mugs as a chin rest. Shame there doesn't seem to be a cute dog yet, but there is the zany rich shorts wearing BFF and biatch wannabe girlfriend

Love Designer sounds good while I'm waiting for YAMH and SOML subs 👍

Was just getting really annoyed with Vincenzo and losing my patience... Wasn't really liking any of the characters apart from a very small few ... Just finished .. Ep 4! Wowser Will keep watching now...! 😱

🥾🍑 blardy Love Designer !

Joseon Exorcist Cancelled!
Nooooooooooooooo!! 😱😱😱😭😭😭😭😫😫😫😫😫

Wow, what a shame for all those involved in making it! It sounds like there's been a massive kickback in Korea towards it. I wonder if another broadcasting company will pick it up 🙏

Yay the episodes arrived! But unsubbed. Must. Control. Myself...
You'll be glad to know there is some later if slightly perfunctory dog action Betty's. And a cat of course. Did you enjoy annoying BFF half and half shirt outfit?

@Bea

Joseon Exorcist Cancelled! Nooooooooooooooo!! 😱😱😱😭😭😭😭😫😫😫😫😫

That's a shame!

Oh no that's a shame about ^Joseon Exorcist 😔

I hadn't even started JE yet! I was banking then up! 😭😖

What a shame, Joseon Excorcist looked good in the trailers. Be really hard for all involved in production too.

^Joseon Exorcist Cancelled!
Nooooooooooooooo!! 😱😱😱😭😭😭😭😫😫😫😫😫^

That’s such a shame!! Someone made a bad error of judgement regarding the Chinese artefacts 😩 Feeling must be running v high to cancel after 80% has been shot 😭😭

Viki survey has option for boy love but not for girl love so I added it as an extra. Much less often seen isn't it.

Annyeonghaseyo!!! I havent been on these threads in a while because I've been busy with Kdrama binging! I just discovered this before Christmas and it is my new, all-consuming passion . Coming here for recs on what to watch next, as last time I got some brilliant tips. So far I've watched:
CLOY - loved loved loved
ION2BO - loved loved loved
Something in the Rain - loved until the mum turned mental then I got bored
WWWSK- loved loved loved
She was pretty. Loved loved loved
Because this is my first life. Liked a lot, but it didn't pull me in as much.
Her private life- I loved it but its not top of my list. I couldn't get over Ryan's flares and stripy suits!
I've watched first episodes of strong girl, hotel del luna and one spring night and they haven't sucked me in so far. Worth persevering? Or what else to try? I like comedy and full on swooning, and the more chemistry and tension the better.

Hi Larry! Strong Girl is my absolute favourite, so imo is worth persevering. It has wonderful comedic moments and the relationship between the FL and ML is just lovely 🥰 I really enjoyed One spring night too, but that's more slice of life, and again has bonkers parents of the FL who thinks Jung Hae In isn't good enough for their daughter 🙄

What about trying True Beauty, the Tale of Nokdu of Her Private Life?

@polkettle. Did you enjoy annoying BFF half and half shirt outfit?

Soooooo stunningly fugly!! I am enjoying Love Designer far too much even if it is an almost carbon copy plot wise of Love In Time! I am positively enjoying loathing his wannabe gf. ML & FL very good together even though started off thinking ML was a bit ordinary bloke looking for a ML, but now can see that is his charm

I am actually watching on iQUIYI although is on Viki so I can make use of the 2x speed thingy & download function for whizzing through slow bits

Larry we loved Hotel del Luna - maybe give it another couple of episodes.

I’ve just downloaded the introductory music to play on the piano as it’s a wonderful, evocative composition.

@LarryUnderwood I agree with you ré SITR and One Spring Night but think Hotel del Luna is really worth persevering with, even if you’re not a fan of the fantasy genre.
I’d recommend Fight For My Way, The Beauty Inside & Chicago Typewriter (that last one needs sticking with past the first episodes)

@Andante57 can I ask, where did you download that from?

Bettys here it is:

funguypiano.com/sheet-music/hotel-del-luna-ost-main-theme-sheet-music-midi-mp3/

My clever techie dh found it after quite a bit of searching.

@gingerbiscuitandacuppatea

Viki survey has option for boy love but not for girl love so I added it as an extra. Much less often seen isn't it.

I was thinking about this only yesterday. Have there been any openly lesbian kdrama or cdrama characters (The Handmaiden aside)?

Andante thank you!!! Some of my favourite OST tracks on there plus a lot of BTS

Have there been any openly lesbian kdrama or cdrama characters (The Handmaiden aside)?

The ex-gf in RIABB is the only one that I can think of

Bettys - enjoy!
It looks playable enough except for the glissando in bar 17.

I must say, K dramas have really improved dh and my quality of life during lockdown.
Obviously we’ve watched plenty of (non k drama) series over the years, but dh works away quite a lot and a week or 10 day gap between episodes can spoil the flow.
We’ve spent 2 days apart since last March so no chance of forgetting the plots these days.