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…

I am also on Vincenzo train, stated ep1 yesterday.

So far we have....

Daebak Awards 2021

Most Tenuous Fated Connection

Best Shower Scene

Most Unlikely Oppa

Most Serious Second Lead Syndrome

Best Knitwear

Most Awful Love Rival (Female)

Most Awful Love Rival (Male)

Worst Leading Couple Chemistry

Most Evil MIL

Most Outrageous Makjang

Most Outrageous Plot Twist

What else??? I feel like we should have some Jang Nara style goalz or skillz, like most feisty FL or I want to BE that FL type thing, bearing in mind that the dramas should all be from 2020 I suppose

Off to do some WORK (sort of)

Who is a spreadsheet whizz? My abilities only extend to filling in & updating scores.

Maybe we should have a new separate spreadsheet? I always worry that the work of art that Hello set up will be lost, there are so many funny notes on it - I love reading others peoples thoughts.

I proposing Longest Running Romantic Angst which could have been resolved if you just had a conversation (Heart to Heart I am looking at you 🙎🏼‍♀️)

And the Dennis Waterman Award for the supporting actor who appears as the same character in the most dramas in a year

🤣🤣🤣 at the Dennis Waterman Award!!!

Whoooops I’m working not looking at MN 🤦🏻‍♀️

🤣👌
Most Desperate Product Placement

(Clunkiest Product Placement a better title in fact)

Most Kickass Ahjumma

These awards will literally be Daebak! 👌🙌

@polkettle

Most Kickass Ahjumma

Saddest Ajumma? 😂

Worst ending/editing... DDSSLLS has that one wrapped up 😂

Ep 10 of SYHH would qualify for most judicious use of the white truck of doom. 👏

Best White Truck of Doom
The Broadbacked Oppa Award for best piggyback

@boatyardblues

Ep 10 of SYHH would qualify for most judicious use of the white truck of doom. 👏

Jinx!

I like the idea of a forward-looking Daebak Awards spreadsheet as well so we can add nominations as we go throughout the year. Ideally we’d include the episode number and timestamp for eg white truck of doom smashes, makjang scenes or shower scenes so we can review them all side by side before voting after the year has closed.

Can you tell that I really love the idea of our Daebak Awards?

So shall we start from January this year and build as we go for 2021, then have a grand 'ceremony' at the end of the year?

Or review last year's dramas?

Love the new categories

Flower of Evil is great!... I really enjoyed it... Some obvs plot holes but it was very intriguing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I started Beyond Evil on a boobage site... But now on viki I will deffo carry on.. M but at the moment I'm in the mood for fluff so enjoying Anti Fan at the moment and SYHH

Glad to see a few of you started Vincenzo! It's a definite.. "gets better and better" for me! By the time it ended it was 😍💕😍💕😍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Surprised Its OK didn't sweep more of the awards at Baeksang awards!... And Vincenzo 😄

I have noticed that Jung Yong-Hwa is long in the body but doesn’t have racehorse legs. The white suits are not doing him any favours, though it was a perfect set-up for Jang Nara’s Go game quip.

Betty - I am on board with you starting an in year spreadsheet to start recording our Daebak award nominations. 🙌

That was excellent white van of doom action 😁
I'm finding SIMMAF a bit...meh...tbh. Slow? Although I do like FL

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Worst ending/editing... DDSSLLS has that one wrapped up 😂

Yes! I can’t understand how that otherwise enjoyable series was allowed to be spoiled by the ending. What was the the script writer thinking? Also why the elderly man and his wife were played when young by the ml & fl. All odd.

I never watched the ending of DDSSLLS after you all warned me off. Was it timey-wimey? Was the old man actually ML?

I was just updating DH on the Daebak awards and he was delighted to learn that ‘makjang’ exists as a word and concept. He said English is crying out for something similar. I gave Bobby Ewing getting out of the shower reboot in Dallas as my illustrative example.

@polkettle

That was excellent white van of doom action 😁 I'm finding SIMMAF a bit...meh...tbh. Slow? Although I do like FL

I haven't watched episode 10 yet- was hoping it's be fully subbed as I don't want to miss any bits? I'd agree so far SIMAF is a bit slow but hoping it'll improve? I like the FL but I just want things to start going right for her! I'd hugely recommend doom at your service- rewatched it again and it's fab - the MLs reaction at the end of episode 2 is a particular highlight Looking forward to the daebak awards- the Denis Waterman & makjang awards in particular 😁

Tomorrow's episode looks like it might pick up.
Not completed episode 10 of SYHH but it's one where the subs are full and then stop so watched as far as they went happily.
Now trying Law School although may have had too much Friday wine to concentrate.