MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #23): Need help sorting your low stakes Cdrama nerd poppets from your kdrama oppas and flower boys? C’mon in!

[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)*
Navillera (Netflix)*
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
#Alive (Netflix)
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)
Sisyphus (Netflix)
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 ‘You May Also Like’
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)
You Are My Hero (Viki, 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 bum 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…

Ohhhhh he was great in Love in the Moonlight!. He somehow has a poignant face - his cameo in IONTBO as the streaker was v good too. He's only 24 so he must have been 19 in LITM

I so meant to binge Vincenzo this weekend but got embroiled in cdrama and gardening. Have started Love Scenery on IQ but now Vincenzo seems to have a good end I will DEFINITELY watch it.

....and he really rocks the long haired fella look!

This weekend has been an epic fail for me so far. I’m watching Shadow & Bones on Netflix, which is in English. 😮 DS1 said I should switch the Korean subtitles on and then things would be back to normal. 😆

now has been subbed with eng lyrics..! 😁👍👍. Which makes it all a zillion times more gorgeous and lovely and amazing! Enjoy! Your Bank Holiday folks! 😍😁👍💜😎🇬🇧... Even though it'll be chucking it down by all accounts!!

No more VINCENZO! what will I do now?? 😭😭😭

Shadow and Bones was good enough that I’ve recommended it to my boys. Sounds like Vincenzo would be a good one to get stuck into today.

Thanks for the link Bea ! They can hardly be contained in their seats💜😂 Have you started So I Married The Anti-Fan yet? That might replace Vincenzo

I’m enjoying Love Scenery on iQ. It’s got the ML from PYHOMS who studied ballroom in real life - I do like a ML who can dance! It’s a bit like Love O2O so far in story as they are getting to know each online so there’s a lot of gaming.

Thanks @bettys... i need to sort out my drama watching... soooo

I've started all these....
need to return to Mouse... (looks really good and i think dh would like this one)
River with Moon - still plodding slwoly with this one... it's too good to drop but not good enough for me to be eager to watch what happens next!
Sell Me Your Haunted House - think this might be my watch by myself steady drama...
My Mister - i know so many of you have said it's fab but it's taking me ages to warm to it... i'm not liking any of the characters...! yet!...

will give Anti a go!

ooo! and one more thing about Vincenzo - keep forgetting to say that Yang Kyung Won is in it (Pyo Chi-su in CLOY)... in a similarly cowardly but funny and brave character!

AND the most fab cameo by Kim Sung-cheol (Brahms! UGH!) - showing he is a fab actor and thus showing his range in acting far exceeds playing sullen miserable no spark characters!

My Mister is definitely a grower. All the characters start off flawed with unlikeable aspects, but it all comes together beautifully.

My Mister still in my top 5 if not 3! I’d say it’s a binge-watch though, you need to keep going with the emotional roller coaster, all the tears and triumphs build as you go, it’s not really a stop & start one.

Ahh I love that Tiny Desk concert! Thanks Bea 💜

I’ve just been catching up with the thread. I have missed so much and I think I’m going to need an IG account to view Binoftheday!

Just finished watching Touch your heart on Viki. It was ok, but I really couldn’t take to the ML.

Im also curious to know why they don’t wear PJ’s?

They often go to bed and wake up fully dressed in skirts, jumpers etc. This is also after a night of passion is alluded to.

Still watching She is the one, though quite tedious, with a cutesy girl and immature mind games, it is complete fluff and once I’ve started something I find it difficult not to continue.

My recent favourite has been SIMAA-F, though I need to wait for the episodes.

Any other recommendations?

Can you us a few more clues about preferences, tone/mood, favourite MLs/characters, setting etc to help us help you, Birdy?

Thinking about non-cutesy FL and snappy dialogue like SIMAA-F, I think Run On or Melo is my Nature (aka Be Melodramatic) might work for you Birdy.

@boatyardblues

Thinking about non-cutesy FL and snappy dialogue like SIMAA-F, I think Run On or Melo is my Nature (aka Be Melodramatic) might work for you Birdy.

Thank you, I will try these.

My favourites are WWWSK, CLOY and Chicago Typewriter.

Her Private Life (Viki) and Hospital Playlist might also suit you Birdy. The Beauty Inside is quirky but good too.

Have you watched Because This Is My First Lifd, Birdy? It's in the holy trinity with WWWSK and Her Private Life.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Have you watched Because This Is My First Lifd, Birdy? It's in the holy trinity with WWWSK and Her Private Life.

Seen them both. I’m going to try Melo is my nature. Love this group, thank you so much for the suggestions.

@Birdy65 I really enjoyed She Was Pretty, and just started Fight My Way which I am enjoying for the playfulness and banter. Neither has cutesy FL, and both have Park Seo Joon which is a massive bonus to any drama in my book!

Melo has everything. The opening scene with the four friends critiquing the implausible kdrama had me in stitches and there are many, many funny scenes, but it also touches on profound grief and had me in tears too. I love the grumpy director with his secret heart of gold. The product placement thing is neatly skewered and the on-set sexism too (“oppa! Oppa! Oppa!” 🤣😂🤣). It is chock full of marvellous writing, beautifully observed relationship dynamics and fantastic acting. So, so good. I am a fan, in case you were wondering. 😄

@Birdy65 Melo is in my top 5... enjoy!!

They often go to bed and wake up fully dressed in skirts, jumpers etc. This is also after a night of passion is alluded to. hmm

I wondered that in Crash Landing.
Also it doesn’t happen in all dramas - in My Love from the Star Do Min Joon seems to have quite a wardrobe of dressing gowns.
I wonder why it happens in some and not others.

I wonder why it happens in some and not others

Target audience? Maybe they have a suggestiveness watershed and more family friendly times have the whole going to bed fully clothed thing to give the idea that even if they are in bed together nothing really filthy happened 🤷🏻‍♀️

The best is Bride of the Century where she goes to bed in a white twin piece, diamonds and tights. Gets up the next morning in the same ensemble but has still managed to conceive a child 👍👍

@polkettle

The best is Bride of the Century where she goes to bed in a white twin piece, diamonds and tights. Gets up the next morning in the same ensemble but has still managed to conceive a child 👍👍

As you do...

@bettys

I wonder why it happens in some and not others

Target audience? Maybe they have a suggestiveness watershed and more family friendly times have the whole going to bed fully clothed thing to give the idea that even if they are in bed together nothing really filthy happened 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think you might be right about this, there doesn't seem to be any other explanation! It must be so uncomfortable to sleep in a woolly jumper, or dress! Lovely pj's all the way.

I've started Reply 1988 I'm loving all the retro clothes and the back drop of the Olympics. I'm feeling all nostalgic! Also loving all the Ahjumma's perms... Reminds me of my mum's 80s do 😂

Also randomly started It's Okay, That's Love which is from 2014. Not sure why it appealed to me when I saw it in my 'recommended for you' list. Two episodes in and it seems okay 🤷‍♀️