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…

Rowdy the moustache only appears briefly in the final episode. To make him look older perhaps. But then disappears again. Not as comical as appearing and disappearing all the way through series 🙂

gingerbiscuit that's disappointing 😂

DH and I have started watching Save Me on Netflix and about a family being sucked into a religious cult, it's very tense and very good!

@Rowdythree I thought Save Me was really good, very underrated! Classic case of 2MLS (Woo Do Hwan over Taecyeon) but also has ML from Oh My Baby. Genuinely creepy & tense at times.

@gingerbiscuitandacuppatea torn between wanting to see B&B for disappearing moustache but not wanting to due to cut to black & slowness hmmmmm a dilemma only an addict would recognise 🤔

Also frustrated with HTB30 though I do think the director is in with a shot now. Bitch gf is aaaaawful, & ML has obviously been so used to being chased he has never properly liked anyone, just gone along with it. I’m not keen on the twice a week 20 min format, much prefer hour long consecutive days airings

Oh my! You’re all right - the Captain really dropped a bollock with the ring & the reat. Well done to Mi Ka for getting things back on track. 💪

The polo neck at the wedding reception is classic Mi Ka. 😂 With Bea’s boobies spoiler I was also expecting more fireworks, something less U rated. Gotta say, BFF is not rocking the v-line dress to the same degree as Mi Ka did. It needs some curves, but PPL be damned, it has had two on-screen outings.

More fireworks Boaty? When we got bare chested sit ups and horizontal sofa tangerine sharing?? Are you some kind of PERVERT???

Whole new variety of pushy Chinese mother in Surgeons scheming for currently non dating ML and FL to share a bedroom and start making her a grandchild.
Mi Ka could do with one of those.

According to SOML, the best way to recover from life threatening brain tumour surgery is to go to an amusement park. Who knew?

I have started The Crowned Clown, was expecting it to be light like Mr Queen but this is more thrilling and needs to be paced out ... can’t pull an all nighter for this one.
I am watching (depending on the mood) It’s ok not to be ok, Crowned Clown & Something in the rain ... I need something light in the mix.

@JinBhoot... ahhhh The Crowned Clown is one of my top 5 i think... it's gorgeously done... right amount of everything!!! comedy, drama, angst, tragedy, treachery, romance, skullduggery, politics.... beautifully made... I really loved that one... it's one i've got lined up for a re watch when i need it! Enjoy! x 😍

Anyone seen report of another alleged CLOY couple? 🤔😍 'The report stated Seo Jihye and Kim Junghyun are the second couple from tvN's drama 'Crash Landing on You' after Son Ye-jin-Hyun Bin couple.' It would be so sweet if it was true❤ (stupidly invested 🤣)

The agencies have denied dating but Dispatch begs to differ lol

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench

Anyone seen report of another alleged CLOY couple? 🤔😍 'The report stated Seo Jihye and Kim Junghyun are the second couple from tvN's drama 'Crash Landing on You' after Son Ye-jin-Hyun Bin couple.' It would be so sweet if it was true❤ (stupidly invested 🤣)

I was rooting for them in CLOY.

And I have just connected the dots (insert dramatic music) DHAN DHAN DHAN Kim Junghyun is king in Mr. Queen

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench

Anyone seen report of another alleged CLOY couple? 🤔😍 'The report stated Seo Jihye and Kim Junghyun are the second couple from tvN's drama 'Crash Landing on You' after Son Ye-jin-Hyun Bin couple.' It would be so sweet if it was true❤ (stupidly invested 🤣)

Oh that would be amazing. (Maybe between them they can persuade the powers that be to bring Gu Seung jun back to life for a second series.......)

Just settling down to see if the world has been saved from Nuclear war in the last episode of Sisyphus 🤞🤞🤞

Well Sisyphus had a great ending as long as we are happy with it not making any sense at all 😂. I loved Park Shin-Hye and Cho Seung-Woo together.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Well Sisyphus had a great ending as long as we are happy with it not making any sense at all 😂. I loved Park Shin-Hye and Cho Seung-Woo together.

Seconded. Was he just imaging her at the end or had she reappeared through timey-wimey mcguffin magic? I’m not sure I care too much as it was all so lovely to look at and fun, but I think they would produce cute babies.

I also liked the ending of Hello Me though it wasn’t in the same league as Sisyphus. Does Kim Young Kwang ever play serious roles? He seems to have goofed around in everything I’ve seen him in. Does his range extend to serial killer, for example?

Was he just imaging her at the end or had she reappeared through timey-wimey mcguffin magic? Who knows boaty??? 🤷‍♀️ But agree the kids would be cuuute

I assumed they were both dead and it was the afterlife or a parallel dimension. I wasn't particularly thrilled by the ending (think it would've worked better had they gone bleak for poor Tae-Sul and Seo-Hae), but enjoyed the series.

I didn't know much about the myth of Sisyphus before but apparently he was punished with the stone rolling for cheating death twice, so maybe they did cheat death?! Or they could have made more of that aspect...

YAMH final eps but no subs yet!!!....i've cheated and peeked.... oooo exciting!!!!!!!!

I didn't know whether I should avoid the thread so I didn't read spoilers about the Sisyphus ending... sounds like no one knows what was going on though, so I needn't have worried 😂

Oh. My. God. The. DRAMA 😱 Surgeons makes even Dr Romantic look like a quiet episode of Peak Practice

Cracking YAMH finale.
Taciturn or not, I'm going to miss those messages of fate.

I'm saving the final 2 eps if YAMH for tomorrow morning, when it's my lie in! I almost don't want to watch it, as then it will really be over 😂

I've just finished I am not a Robot, I really like Yoo Seung Ho who plays the ML, I've seen him in a few things. I'm now looking for something similar to watch. I like having a quirky show on the go for some light entertainment

I am waiting until YAMH is subbed. Has everyone else been watching with Olga & the girls?

A trailer just popped up for The Way of a Househusband’ animé on Netflix. Description: “After disappearing from the underworld, the legendary yakuza Tatsu, “the immortal dragon”, resurfaces - as a fiercely devoted stay-at-home husband.” I like the cut of its jib so I’ve bookmarked it for later.