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…

@corcaithecat... I watched a couple of eps of Rugal... Then gave up! It didn't intrigue me! But good luck! Someone will have watched it all... @bettys?... I remember you started it... Not sure if you skippitydoodahed to the end though?
Well! YAMH is now finished! Lovely lovely stuff! It was hilarious and heartwarming! Just what I need at the moment! 👍👍
I await new eps of Vincenzo and Navilleria... And have to toughen myself up for Mouse! 😱😱😳
And next weekend is another BTS concert Marathon! BangBangCon 21!! Starts at 7am BST... Saturday... On YouTube!! Last BangBangCon I don't think I slept for 48 hours! 🤣😅🤣😅... Better get new batteries for my Army Bomb! 💜😱🤣😅

I have a confession to make. I've binned off iQiyi

What boaty said

I'm still finding stuff to watch in iQIYI although mostly adding to the ever expanding watch list

Ahhh! @bettys! You've answered the Rugal query! 🤣😅🤣😅

@leeloo1 yep I think sitr is worth watching until they go to bed, then best to pretend that's the end of it! I'm watching Goblin now and loving it - its on Viki under the name Guardian: the great and lonely god. Will do my love from the star after. I feel like I'm physical incapable of watching anything except kdrama now

Join the club Larry! I've even managed to get my DH to watch it, so I can watch it day and night! We've currently got 2 dramas on the go 🙌

I feel like I'm physical incapable of watching anything except kdrama now

Totally unexpected and normal progression there, Larry. 😉

Can I suggest some additions to your list of good Korean crime dramas on Netflix...?

Vagabond
The Good Detective
The Chase (film)

@boatyardblues I was warned that when I first posted here looking for recs after CLOY. That drama should have a warning label - its a gateway drug.
@Rowdythree my DH is totally baffled and won't even consider watching. It's sad...

Is Oh! Master on Viki or Netflix? I can’t find it.
Finished YAMH and it’s ok not to be okay. Now looking for something else to watch.
Would love some recommendations.

@Birdy65

Is Oh! Master on Viki or Netflix? I can’t find it. Finished YAMH and it’s ok not to be okay. Now looking for something else to watch. Would love some recommendations.

QiYi (subscription service) or dodgy pop-ups bootleg site Dramacool.

I feel like I'm physical incapable of watching anything except kdrama now

Ha! Ha! Haaaaaaaaaaaa!!! You have been assimilated!!!⬜️

Oh Master is still airing - only 6 eps are up.

After a somewhat lacklustre start Oh Master is warming up nicely. I do like the mums friendship 😢
Also spotted that 2ML’s assistant is ML from Where Your Eyes Linger

@corcaithecat

Vagabond was good until the wtf ending 😡

Have added your other suggestions to my list......

@LarryUnderwood what if you just put it on for him to watch, would he not be intrigued? I usually find shows that I think DH would be interested in if they were in English, and then suggest watching it together.

Save Me is brilliant, the episodes have me on the edge of my seat! I can't watch more than one episode a night as it's so stressful to watch! Fab story line though, I find cults fascinating.

Rowdy the cult leader is ultra creepy isn't he? Bleurgggggghhhh I don't know how far you have got but

Soo creepy, as is his right hand man, whom I've dubbed the Korean Bruno Mars. We've only watched 5 episodes so I imagine there are many more horrors to unfold 😧😧

Snigger !!🤭🤭
I just had to look up Bruno Mars as although I’ve heard his music I couldn’t place him visually.

Spot on 👍😂

[quote bettys]@corcaithecat

Vagabond was good until the wtf ending 😡

Have added your other suggestions to my list......[/quote]
Yes, I seem to recall we had discussion at the time about including Vagabond in the list and there was a sufficient weight of opinion that the ending had ruled it out that it’s not been added. Agree that it started well though.

[quote Rowdythree]@LarryUnderwood what if you just put it on for him to watch, would he not be intrigued? I usually find shows that I think DH would be interested in if they were in English, and then suggest watching it together.

Save Me is brilliant, the episodes have me on the edge of my seat! I can't watch more than one episode a night as it's so stressful to watch! Fab story line though, I find cults fascinating.[/quote]
Oh that has been on my watch list for yonks! I didn't really fully check out what it was about, but oooh cults I luv em!!!!

I imagine Park Yer Bum's cult is similar 🤔

HTB30 commentary: Oh ffs. TALK. No. It is not all your fault. TALK. No not to her. Oh FFS.

Yes! Vagabond was great fun until the ridiculous ending... Dh and I watched and we were... 😱😳😡😡😡... Blardy Netflix messing around with the 16 ep rule! 😡😡😡😡

Yes, the ending to Vagabond was a bit ???
But I assumed it was so they could make another series, so I wasn’t too bothered..

I do enjoy all the martial arts based fight scenes in the crime dramas and loved the actor Jo Dong-hyuk in Bad Guys, so that’s why I started watching Rugal.

@Rowdythree I'm afraid not. He has watched the odd episode of CLOY, strong girl, goblin, and RITBB and he thinks its all boring nonsense. I think he's just jealous that I have found something more interesting than him English language telly