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…

2FL in MC&ML is Chinese Dora The Explorer!! 😂 Yes! She'll be saving the day with her backpack any time soon.
C-dramas definitely have the biggest mismatch between Quantity of Food Served Vs Quantity of Food Eaten. FL sitting at groaning table of apparently delicious dishes - far too much for two anyway- just selected ONE broccoli flower bud to eat. Not even a whole floret.
Liking the sound of Youth of May. Anyone sampled?

Okay! Own up! Which one of you is this??! 😂 🤣😂

Time to get your white coats back on!
For all you Hospital Playlist lovers! Season 2 June 17th

I am counting days ... I really hope it will live up to the expectations.

Interview with main cast

Can't wait for HP2!

Nobody tell Mr Binn but definitely developing a bit of a Jung Yong Hwa crush from The Package (Korean beefy Matthew Broderick!) which has not been lessened by checking his Ig 👀🔥

@polkettle

Nobody tell Mr Binn but definitely developing a bit of a Jung Yong Hwa crush from The Package (Korean beefy Matthew Broderick!) which has not been lessened by checking his Ig 👀🔥

I look at those muscles and think “there’s a man on a very high protein/low carb diet, I’m so glad I don’t have to share a bathroom with him!”

I have discovered the YouTube channel of lady called Maangchi. I don’t know if I will make these dishes but she is so fun to watch. I think she is quite famous cookbook author.
youtube.com/user/Maangchi

Boaty 🤣 It's You Make Me Dance man and his trays full of eggs all over again.

@polkettle

Nobody tell Mr Binn but definitely developing a bit of a Jung Yong Hwa crush from The Package (Korean beefy Matthew Broderick!) which has not been lessened by checking his Ig 👀🔥

oh my

What is his IG handle? I tried searching on his name but got a load of fan sites.

Indeed! I feel Sell Your Haunted House is not giving enough opportunities to show off his assets 👀 although did like his action moves when he was possessed by the revengeful ghost

Whoosh this looks good/mental

https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/n6onuj/madforreachotherrofficialtrailerrnetflixeng/?utmmsource=share&utmmedium=iossapp&utmname=iossmf

@jyheffect0622

Why Ddang Ddang Chicken, what a delicious range you have! This PPL (Haunted House ep 8) actually made me hungry. It’s a good job I’m watching it over lunch. I ❤️ WFH.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick that looks like great fun!

So I thought I'd give another jdrama a go, with In House Marriage Honey. 19 minutes into episode 1 and he's feeling her up on the sofa! Alternating this with Fight For My Way (which I'm loving) and I'm not sure I can cope with the changing gears 🤣🤣🤣

[quote JinBhoot]I have discovered the YouTube channel of lady called Maangchi. I don’t know if I will make these dishes but she is so fun to watch. I think she is quite famous cookbook author.
youtube.com/user/Maangchi[/quote]
I've got her book and I've made her recipe for Hotteok! It's very yummy!!!!

@polkettle

Nobody tell Mr Binn but definitely developing a bit of a Jung Yong Hwa crush from The Package (Korean beefy Matthew Broderick!) which has not been lessened by checking his Ig 👀🔥

he's in Sell Your Haunted House on Viki airing now... ! 😍

whoops @betts already mentioned!!!

I really enjoyed In House Marriage Honey 😂

Fight My Way Isn’t frisk-free not with PSJ in it 🥰

Some jdramas I really enjoyed which weren’t too 😱 are Pretty Prooofreader, Choosing Spouse by Lottery and Hey Sensei, Don’t You Know?

Those hotteok look quite similar to Welshcakes though 3x larger. Are they sweet or savoury, Bea?

This is a great story. BBC News - Lelush: How a sulky Russian model became China's slacker icon
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-56967923

Great story, reminds me of Jack Dee in the Sleb Big Brother house except with dancing

@boatyardblues

Those hotteok look quite similar to Welshcakes though 3x larger. Are they sweet or savoury, Bea?

A very very sticky bread dough with filling... The usual is red bean paste... But I'm not too keen on that so I go for demerara sugar with a little cinnamon... Then shallow pan fry!... Mmmm! Very yummy!

I've made Hotteok before, I filled it with chopped nuts, demerara and cinnamon. Similar to you Bea... Delicious 😋 they did remind me of Welsh cakes too Boaty

I really want to watch the next episode of SIMAA-F but I'm going to hold out for a double bill tomorrow. Sadly DH not away this weekend, so I won't be able to watch it on the telly with wine 😒