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…

That should be glowering evil mare obvs

@bettys

I feel we should have our own Baeksang awards - maybe the Daebak Awards but with sliiiiightly different categories eg shower scene, confession scene, awkward kiss, flowering evil mare etc The aforementioned confession scene in MC&ML with discharging balloons and ghostly projections on monoliths would be in the running for most OTT confession for sure

I support this concept. Can we have a ‘most outrageous makjang’ category?

Ooh ooh, and the worst leading couple chemistry award....

Most evil MIL?

(I am on a roll... )

Bettys yes, I googled it and it looks good but scary.

Excellent ideas boaty, and intrigued by worst leading couple chemistry award, who do you have in mind???

Fully behind the Daebak Awards concept! 🙌 🏆

@bettys

Excellent ideas boaty, and intrigued by worst leading couple chemistry award, who do you have in mind???

For 2020 it’s a toss up between Forest and Do You Like Brahms for me, both dreary.

This is a brilliant idea. Shall we each come up with a category and potential nominees?

We could set up voting on the spreadsheet.

For 2020 it’s a toss up between Forest and Do You Like Brahms for me, both dreary.

Forest - good one! I would nominate Record of Youth for total lack of chemistry between ML & FL

Also an award for most clingy ex-gf or ghastly wannabe gf

And oh!!! Best knitwear award!

Biggest Second Lead Syndrome award!! Woo Do Hwan in King The Eternal Monarch

After my recent crush on Sung Dong Il, we could have Most unlikely Oppa or something 😬

Rowdy yes!!! I would nominate the gay husband from My Unfamiliar Family

Had to go look his name up - Kim Tae Hoon - he's also the dance tutor in Navillera

On a side note I watched the last 20 minutes of the last episode of Oh! Master and am quite glad I didn't watch it all. Am prepared to be told I have missed out by anyone who has watched it all.

I haven’t watched the final episode of Oh Master yet, so no spoilers please, but it’s been a curious beast. It started off not quite hitting its target, improved significantly for a chunk, then the makjang WTF twist and it has been misfiring with occasional bright spots ever since. I will give a final verdict when I’ve seen the finale but it seems a waste of a great cast and central premise. The amazing improvement of the woman with dementia has been a medical marvel in its own right and deserves special mention. 😄 I have loved the hanok without reservation throughout, though. 10/10 for the hanok. Star of the show!

Love the idea of best knitwear and most unlikely Oppa awards.
Perhaps an award for most "innovative" outfit- some c-drama corkers and a least sexy sexy outfit award (think of Mi Ka and her dungaree dresses is definitely up for contention!)
Just finished both episodes of doom at your service and it's fab so far- definitely recommend watching it!
Perhaps a worst art award?

Yayaaaa
Subs are not available, I can slight understand what they are saying but I still want to know exact dialogues.
Songhwa & Ikjun seems to be confirmed couple 😄

Netflix series, are subtitles available immediately or do we have to wait like Viki?

Thanks @polkettle for the Hospital Playlist S2 teaser 😄
Not sure why it didn’t quote the message in my previous post.

Jin - available immediately, though Netflix lose points for glossing over the relational terms like hyung and unni.

Friends reunion guest list has been announced & BTS is on the list.
I wonder if it is to increase viewership by attracting ARMY? Or genuinely to have RM on the show.

I watched the show in my teens and loved it. But now I think it was so crap & wrong on so many levels.

Spotted this bracelet on Amazon
KEYCHIN K-drama Mama Bracelet K-pop Merchandise Korean Drama Gifts Korean Drama Fan Gift Kdrama Lovers Jewellery Mother's Day Gift www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08VFXF7DX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BCXA9J6PDX13SAV52PM2?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

The Daebak Awards sound amazing! I'm definitely up for that!!

The Daebak awards sounds great! Could I be added to the spreadsheet please?

I downloaded Tik Tok especially to vote for the popular actors categories at the Baeksangs, which is a a bit embarrassing 🙈

Has anyone seen Beyond Evil or Flower of Evil? Both won so many awards so I'm intrigued.

@Bea I'm all aboard the Vincenzo train now! 2 episodes left. My DH doesn't love it though but he does have an irrational hatred of SJK (in inverse proportion to my love for SJK, I think).

I'm definitely tempted by flower of evil, I've basically been soaking in fluff and melodrama for the last 5 months (since starting my kdrama life) but I might be ready to get into thrillers. On that note, watched episode 1 of vincenzo yesterday and that was fab! And of course I now have another crush to add to my collection!

While I'm sure Beyond Evil is an excellent thriller I wonder if the Baeksang awards are infected with the same biases that Baftas/Oscars have where Proper Serious Men Dramas are more likely to be perceived as excellent and rewarded than romance/comedy/woman-centric shows...
Most Tenuous Fated Connection a good category for the Daebaks.